The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-07-28 00:00:00

'4 •
house Officers entrance into Meudan, l'isarden,
..:14 nod Paulen. Tu the Custom-house Officers I was
„Asir: right in doing so, because the treaty did not autho-
it',.. sae die presence of Custom-house Officers but upon
fibs hanks of the sea and the mouths of rivers.
" On the 16th of June I received, through the
Charge d'Affaires of Ilis Majesty the Emperor aud
King, au assurance that it was not his iuteutiou to
occupy Amsterdam ; and that led me to hope that
lie would abide strictly by a treaty, the conditions
of which were drawn up by His Majesty the Empe-
ror liiiuself.
Unrurtunately my error was not of long dura-
tion, 113 I received a commuttication that 20,000
Freuch troops had united in the environs of
Utrecht. I consented, notwithstanding the ex-
treme pressure and embarrassment of our tinauces,
to furnish them with subsistence and other neces-
sary things, although the treaty precisely expressed
that there should be 6,000 men only maintained at
the ~pease of the kingdom : but I feared that this
tollecting of troop' was done with other views, un.
favourable to our Goverurneat; and late in the
tight of the :9th, I received official information
that his Majesty the Emperor imitated upon the oc-
cupation of Amsterdam, and the establishnieut •f
the French headzquarteriin that capital.
" Under
.these cirminstinces, Gentlemen, you
• aintiot • doubt that 1 was willing to suffer
• fur my people fresh humiliations, if I could
have preserved the hope •of being able to sup-
port such a state, and. above all, to prevent
new evils: but I could not deceive myself any
longer: 1 have signed a treaty d:cutted by France,
under the conviction that measures the most du.
agreeable for the nation, and for myself, would not
be followed up ; and that, satisfied with my volun-
tary abdication, which is the consequence of the
said • treaty, every thing would go on smoothly
between France and Holland. The treaty pre-
sents, indeed, a great number of pretence% and
of new grievances and accusations : but can pre-
tences be ever wanting ? I ought then to have
confided in the explanations and corniniiiiica.
tions which have been made to me, besides this
treaty, and in the formal and circumstantial declara-
tions, which I have not foiled to make ;such as. that
the cosh ru-hoti.e officers should only interfere its the
measures -halm; to the blockade ; that the French
troop. sh.iuld only remain on the coast ; that the do-
Mains of the state and those of the crown should be
poootArel ; th it theilebbi of the countries which had
him *riled, should be charged to France : in a word,
that front the manlier of troops which were to be
lurnished, there should be deducted those which at
this moment are at the disposal of France in
Spain ; and even that fur the maritime strength
the necessary time should be allowed. I have al-
ways flattered myself, that this treaty would be
admitted : I have be. n mistaken : but if the en-
tire devotion I have manifested fir my duty on the
Ist of kat April, has only tended to drag nu and pro-
long the existence of the country far three months,
I have the cruelly-grievous itatisfaetim (yet the
only one which now I can have) that 1. Lave fulfilled
my obligations to the end; that I have (if 1 um so
peruntted to speak) sacrificed to the existence and
to the welfarit of the country mote than is allow-
ed. But after the *ulna anon sad the rebignation
the Ist of Aprii 1816. I ,hould be much to blame
if I conseeted retain the title of King, being no
longer but an instrument—uu longer cusnmanditig,
not only in the country, but even in my own c.ipi-
tal ; and perhaps moo, not even in my palace
1 should be ,evertheles• a witness of thlog
that might be going on, without bring able t- do
any thing fur ray people: responsible fur all occur-
rences, without the power to prevent Mein, Os
their influence, I should have exposed myself to
the complaiiits of bosh sides ; and, perhaps, have
occasioned great misfortune. ; by doing which, I
should hare betrayed my conscience, say people,
land any duty !—I have for a long time foreseen the
extremity to which I am now reduced ; but I could
wet have prevented it, without sacrificing my most
'sacred duties, without ceasing to have at heart the
interest of my people, and without ceasing to con.
nect my fate with that of the country. Now that
Holland is reduced to that condition, I have, as
King of Holland, but one course to take, and that
is, to abdicate the throne in favour of sty children.
Any other course would have only augmented the
misfortunes of my reign. I should have affection.
ately • painful duty ; rshould have, perhaps, semi
the peaceable inhabitants, victims to contentions of
governments, destroyed at once.—How then could
so idea of resistance ever enter my usual ?
si My children. born Frenchmen like myself,
would have seen in a just cause, hut which they
would not have believed to he solely mine, the
blood of their countrymen flow. I had Otto but
one course to take.

." My brother, so violently irritated against me,
is not so against my children, and doubt Irv, he will
not destroy whet he has done, and deprive them o►
their inheritance, since he has slot, nor can have ant•
complaint ■4ainst one, who will not, for a long
time to come, reign himself. His mother, to whom
the regency appertains by the Constitution, will do
every thing that shall bs agreeable to the Emperor,
toy brother, and will succeed better thaw myself,
who have had the misfortune never to he successful
in my endeavours of that kind. And at the conclusion
of a mantiroe pence (prrbsps before) my brother,
kelvin the state of things its this country, the