The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-12-12 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OP THE !MI risir PRESS.
Silt.--The new system of public law, invented by
Monsieur Bonaparte, which consists in the seizure of
jviesengers and Ministers (no matter which) in their
journey through 'neutral countries, and in the arrest
of Foreign Ambassadors in the midst of the Court to
which they are accredited, having been surficiewly
established by recent praline (and what torcign
Prince, let me ask, will presume to controvert such
a precedent ?), I beg you to allow one of the un-
happy Cult Dirlomatipte to give you his reflections
on this subjett, and to propose some plan for the
accommodation of our maxims to the present state
of things.
It is. Sir, not a little hard, that while we are
brandishing the pen with one hand, we should arm
the other with a musket or a pistol ; that we, who
never thoufilit of a sword but as an elegant appen-
dage to a (-oust dress, and never regarded its tem-
per, provided we could but keep our own, should
sow be obliged !ix draw it from its scabbard, where,
for so many ages, it has slept in peace, or that, like
a celebrated Admiral, we mould hegin to praffise
writing with the left hand, lest some unlucky chance
of war should can y off the right. I will not pre-
sume to predi.ft to what evils nation; may be exposed
from this left-hanilt d policy ; hut let Monsieur Bo-
naparte look to it, or, perk t pi, while he is inventing
imaginary consp•rators out of our Drakes, and Tay-
lors, and Spence' Smiths, be may rais.! a host of
heroes in the Cobenzelr ;inis, who no.v
quietly sit mtcr to his levee, and may draw down
upon his own head the first experiments of their new

science.
For now, Sir, when an Ambassador is to set for-
ward on his mnaires, instead of chniing his service
of plate, he must look larward to a service of
danger; instead of displaying his ta ar in chariots and
corricles, he must think of a camp equipage. PoulCe
mu t be content to yield its place to gunpowder,
and cartridge paper will make no loco:lade:able
figure in his stationer's account. It is true, Sir,
that for the latter article he may occasionally sub-
stitote his own Memorials, or the cambrous volumes
o: the DPOIiT des Gen,, which lumber on his shelves.
'I .e brains, which they meld never reach in their
o-
..;ina/ dress, they may haply a..sail with advan-
tage. under the form of an envelope to a cartotiche,
or ra watiling to a great gun; and where they fail
of prof .ring conviaion, tiro- may safely appeal to
the •ace. That head matt he hard indeed, on
w'- a •it --ants in this form can make no impres-
sion; sad I will venture to say, that Grotius him-
self, we r he living, could not wish to see his as
. re ab y -enforced.
%Viten the Envoy proceeds on his journey, in th,
place of out-riders and heyducs, he most be p: ece-
ded by a train of flying artillery; a body guard of
diplomatic Mamelukes must surround his carriage ;
and soon, I suppose, we shall read in the Gazette,
that the piquets of an English Amhassador have
been driven iii, or the out-posts of a Prussian Minis-
ter
carried by assault, with as much familiarity and
as much indifference, as we now peruse the 1/1.1:i
follies of Monsieur Bonaparte, or the clumsily fahi l-
eafed conspiracies of the Mesh', Bud, V.r, his secretary
Nnr is this all, Sir. Arrived at the seat 'if los
ari;sr in, the Envoy must begin by intro aching him-
self; and must literally avail himself of the proud
privilege of an Englishman, which assorts his hous,
• to be his castle. His cyphers will make him a tolera-
ble gig-zag; and (it his own mansion be incapable of
such a species -sr atsfeciee) he may sheher hionvelf- be-
hind the horn-work of many of his diplomatic col-
leagues. In the amiable coterie.* of the cabinet, a
lodgment on the comlro,rorpe of a Foreign Agent
will be whispered about with as much exultation, as
asw a blonder in his rortfroprorer ; and a practicable
breach in the walls of his hotel must no longer be
regarded as a breach of privilege. His writings
must adopt the same military appearance. The
eerie recur', so long the silent and retired cham-
pion of ever v remonstrance, may now be inserted
in tlit body of his paper, in the guise of a menace ;
or, at least, may he allowed to illuminate the mar-
gin, in the form of shells or red-hot halls : And I
do not see how A Aar write! can henceforward be
haened to, unless preceded by the emphatic word—
Aeration! pronounced in the attitude of a Fugle-
man,. and with the lungs of a Reviewing-Officer.
Now, Sir, in this new order of things, I would
humbly suggest to His Majesty's Government. that
a Secretary oc apointed at the next Session of Par-
liantcat, for the Military Department of Foreign
Affairs; or at least, that a foreign Minister may
have recourse, is his various exigencies, to that
branch of etpenditufe the best suited to his new
wants. his equipage moray may retain its name;
hut its objea—kos groo.t..n mantes xi No. Camp
kettles and canteens usurp the place of gilded car-
siages and laced liveries; and a tent-bed is almost
the isnlr word to remind him of former comforts.
His extraordinaries must be defrayed by the Board
of Ordinance, and none but the Commander-in-
(la should be permitted to examine his ettra-ez-
traordinaries. As far :erns service money, the title
will be lost, amidst the explosion of shells, or the
springing of countermines; and I believe we must
have recourse to the praaice of that able politician
of a.niquity, Philip of Macedon, who declared, that
au as., with a sack of, gold upon his back, was as
goad a aegociator as any Ambis.ador be could em-
ploy, and that he never saw the fortified town, into
which such an savoy would not contrive to enter
with his load. I am, Sir, etc.
Der. (i, 1804. A Bt r or A DIPLOM•I E.

Accounts were yesterday received at the East
India House. of the wife arrival of the under-men-
tioned ships. a: Made:fa, outward bound. at the
folowing periods:
Lord Taa.4l. Capt. J. Sw-te, Tottenham, Captem
Dxlps-
ple; Expstion At. Cart. P Campto.ll, Ith July.
Lori fionitra'attm, Copt. innbeill, 23,1 Ditto.
$) Scv 50, Cam.. Merano, 24th Dittn.

A Court of Diredors was yesterday held at the
Rau India House, when the important dispatches
received from U:agal and Madras,. by the Tip-it
picket, were read. l'he Court adjourned at SIX
o'clock till this day.
TLe r4rit, lately arrived from India, was dis-
Pet-hecl as packe.t lay the GovaaNcra GElialtAL,
to England.
fhe Scriael and Jar", BE. A CICSORN arrived is
sise Downs, from Quelpec. She sailed with the
fleet on the tech of 000bert and Put" from them
itz the Gnlph.