The National Register.
London, England, 1815-08-27 00:00:00

TrIR NATIONAL

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The following is the ofEcial answer of the French Minis-
teis to the Note addressed to them by the Ministers of the
Allied Powers, in which Military Governors were appointed
over the different provinces:—

" The Kirvr's Ministers have received the Official 'Note
addressed to tbhem by the Ministers of the Allied Powers.
The latter wish to persuade the. King's Ministers thht the
measures which they have commended to the Government of
Paris, ate. such as may contribute to diminish the exactions
of the war, and to reestablish the. Royal authority. The
King's Ministeri, however, unfortunately; -catinot iegard
these measures in that point of view. They owe -it to the
Sovereigns, to France, stud to themselves, to cxplaiu

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selves on this subject. The-Sovereigns, doubtless, are the
mute's, and can do whatever they desire, but at any rare
let them not say, that in taking every step calculated to ruin
the cause of his Majesty, that they wish to confer any favour
on him. There is already in France too much odium and
ill-will.against the Bourbons; to.render it necessary still more
to revolt every heart by making the nation experience the
greatest losses and the deepest humiliations. What humilia-
tion can be more afflicting than to see in a time of peace all
the departments subjected to your military Governors—what
misfortune more to be deprecated than the dispersion of your
troops over the whole face of the country ? The Sovereigns
declared that they only made war against Napoleon, and yet
all their measures belie their words, since at the present mo-
ment, when the war ought to be finished, it is only about to
commence. .The present position of France is so much the
more afflictingt.as were war openly declared, (which it is
not), it is utterly impossible that she can suffer in a
, greater degree all its evils, and all its horrors. Every where,
wherever the armies are (always excepting the English),
pillage, fire, rape, and murder, have been carried to their
fullest extent; avarice and vengeance have left nothing for
the officers of soldiers to desire. *To speak with freedom, they
exceed even the atrocities of which the French armies have
been too often justly accused. The measures, however,
alluded to in your Note can have no other results than to ex-
tend the limits of this devastation. The armies spread them-
selves in our Provinces, and all the horrors which we have
depicted follow in their train. Such are the sentiments (,f
the King's 'Ministers on the new Decree, and their answer to
the appeal which has been made to them.
" They have the honour to subscribe themselves,
'6 With the highest consideration.

" TALLETRAND,
" rOUCIIE."

PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE FROM TRANCE.

The following letter has been just received in London from an
English person long resident in France, and an inmate in the family
of a Noble Duke that has argued much for his loyalty in the cane
of the Bourbons :

" Ali, my good Friend ! —Did you see this country at present,
not Paris, but the different provinces, you would be surprised at
the ravages these four last months have produced ; and, how all will
end, God alone can tell.
" However nobly, however generously the English and the RUF.
sians behave, the Prussians are like so many torrents which over-
flow on all sides, pillage and destroy every thing; and \Olen we re-
monstrate with them, their answer is—" Go into Prussia end aCe
what the French have done there, and then complain if you dare!
I was as eye witness of the visits they made at the Duke's. They
best came only four, with their loaded pistols cocked in their
hands, or rather at arms length, in the court yard of the castle. The
Duke went to meet them, and desired them to put aside their aims.
as they would be well lecelved. They then alighted, and asked
only to eat and drink. After that they asked for tAt sacks of oats ;
.but when they found that the Duke was acquainted with their Ge-
her:d, they seemed to be afraid, and said they would not take the
corn. They then asked fur some bottles of wine and brandy, millets
they carried away.
" The next day thy servant came in a great hurry and told me
that about .10 Englishmen were arrived, and if I would look
,out at
the window I might see them. Alas! I did indeed see them, but
not our good countrymen, but Saxons with a Prussian Officer, who
stroke French So as to be perfectly Understood:. The Dap raw
out the castle to receive them, amt said he hoped they would hut
treat the house uor country as thymic?, but as faithful subjects to

the King. He condurted the Officers into the dining room, and
ordered the servants to set tables under the piazzas which are on
each side of the great coat tyard for the soldiers. They then
served them wish Meat arid drink in abundance, whilst their chiefs
dined in tier caole. I must give you an idea of their sobriety—
they rat abundantly of fowls and Jiani, and drank each three trill
bottles of champagne; they then took each three large cups of
sit ong cake, and also asked for beer, which they drank each a bot-
tle after the roffee. They next proceeded to business, which was the
demand of :30 sacks of oats, 60 shirts, two barrels of wine, each of
:3-10 bottle-, two fat cows,' 30 loaves of eight pounds weight, and
%Alien they Mend that :30 were not sufficient, they asked for 60 of
the smile weight, a basket of three dozen of champagne for the Of-
tieu another of the same quantity of bottled beer, with candles,
salt, &e. &e. When they had put all into a large waggon drawn by
fool- strong horse, which they had brought with them, they set out,
tin Mike that they were much surprised that he lived in his
castle at the p.e.rnt moment .nnd assuring him that he ought to he very
well content( J with their condnet,as the manner they treated him was
very different from what they had required in the other castles in the
ceighbonrhood. They 'stayed front three till eight o'clock in the
eviellinC. When the Officers were on horseback they asked for
more Champagne, which they drank without ceremony to the
Duke's health, out of the bottles without glasses. Whilst they
were in the comt yard, a poor waggoner with a team of fine horses
passed In tore the castle ; they seized the poor man, waggon and
all, and obliged him to follow them.
" They went to a castle about two leagues off and stripped it Of
every thing they found, as the master was not there ; they left no-
thing but the bare walls. Those who have the courage to stay in
their hones do well, for if they make their visit, what they cannot
take away they burn and destroy. In sic irt the Duke obtained
what they name a safe guard, and they now leave the inhabitants
quiet ; though since the visit I have given you the discription of,
100 men and 150 horses have been sent to be fed and provided for
at the castle, and every week they demand something more. They
haven's' given him an order to send 18 fat cows to the camp • s
0
think how all the tontines will be ruined if this continues.

:4 At •►l►e Duke's Hotel in Paris, he has had 30 soldiers and OM
cers to feed, and also their horses, since the 7th of July. A Gene-
! itl Officer too, with hi,► "ode i. expected, who will nat take up
with any thew( less titan the best apartments in the hotel, and his
table ►uutt loc in proportion. I give you but a trifling description
or the indiscriminate depredations of the Prussians and their swi-
ttisli yui deify."