The Sun.
London, England, 1814-01-06 00:00:00

CONSERVATIVE SENATE.

SITTING of NtONDAY, 'DEC. 27; 1813.
His Serene Highness the Prince. Arch4;han-
cellor of the Empire; President.
_
in the name of OK §pecial Committee appoint-
ed in the Sitting of the 22d of this month, the
Senator, Count de Fontanes,,one of its Members,
obtained permission to speak,. and made to the
Assembly the following report :
" My Lord,—Sertators,—The first duty of. the
Senate towards the Monarch and the p:::ople is
truth.
" The extraordinary situation in which the
country finds itself, readers this duty still more
obligatory.
" The Emperor himself invites all the great
bodies of the State to express their opinions freely,
—a truly loyal idea
" The salutary deVelopement of those mo-
narehical'institutions, in which power, centred in
the hands of one, is strengthened in the confidence
of all ; and which, giving to the throne the gua-
rantee of the national opinion, gives to the people
in their turn the consciousness of their dignity,—
the
too just reward of their sacrifices.
" Such magnanimous intentions ought not to
be deceived.
" Accordingly, the Committee named in' your
Sitting of the [22d of December, whose -organ I
have the honour to he, has made the most seri-
ous examination of the. official papers submitted to
their inspection by the orders of his Majesty the
Ethperor, and communicated by the DUke of Vi-
cenza.

" Negociations for peace have commenced ;
you ought to be acquainted with their progress.
Your judgment must not be prejudiced. A bare
enumeration of facts, by guiding your opinion,
must prepare that of France.

" WiiCn the Austrian Cabinet laid aside the
character of a.mediator ; when every thing gave
room to judge that the Congress at Prague was
ready to be dissolved, the Emperor determined to
;mkt.; a last effort for the pacification. of the Con-
tinent. •
!".The Duke of Bassano wrote to Prince Met-
ternich. He proposed to neutralize a point on
the frontiers,• and there to• resume the nego-
ciations of Prague, even during the continu-
ance of hostilities. Unhappily these ()realms
had no effect:

The time when this pacific step was taken,
rs iniportaut. It was ou the 16th of August last.

hie:itinetil.Tlfaha klh-e ‘3.f tin't ten and Rant
teit was rec'en't. , This wish against the prolong-a;
tron ufi. the warniay then be said to he in some
eit4gte.-COntenlperttry with the date of 'MO vie-
torieg.
the ettors of the French Cabinet We're in
vain : peace beeZ;ue more remote ; hostilities he-
'gan.agiki n • events assumed another' faee.-The
soldiers 'of the r rernian Princes, but now tint al-
. lies, shewed more than once; while fighting under
otir banners, a fiilelity but too dubioni i all at
H once they. ceased. to dissetuhle, and joined Our
enemies, .
", From that moment the' cornhinatiOns of a
campaign so gloriously begun could net have the,
expected success.
" The.Empeeor perceived that it was time to
order the French to evacuate Germany. He re-
turned with them, fighting at almost every step ;
and on the, narrow route where so many open•de-
fections- and silent. treacheries confined hiS pro-
gress.and--his motions„ new trophies marked
return.
‘" We followed him with some uneasiness in the
midst of so many obstacles, over which be alone
could tritimpti.• 'With joy we saw hitn return to
his. frontiers, not with his accustomed good for-
tune, 'hut not withont,heroism and without glory.
" Having returned to his capital; he turned his
eyes from those fields of liattle where the world
had.odakiro him for fifteen
.years ; he even de-
tached his thoughts from the great_ designs which
he bad conceived. I use his own expressions ;
he turned :o his _people, his he:trt opened itself,
and we read in it our own Sentiments.
" He desired peace, and as soon as the hope of
a negoctation seemed .possible, • be hasten&L to
seize it.
" The events of the war led the Baron de St.
Aignan to the head-quarters of the Allis.';! Powers.
There be saw the Austrian Noister, Prince Met-
ternieh ; and the Russian, Minister, Count Nes- •

selrode.
" 136th, in the name of their Courts, laid be-
fore hini in it confidential conversation the. bases
of a general pacification. Thegaglish Ambas-
sador, Lord Aberdeen, was present at this con-
ference. Observe this last' fact, Senators, it is
important.
" Baron St. Aignan, being desired to acquaint
his Court with all he had heard, faithfully acquit-
ted himself of this commission.
" Though France had a right to hope for other
propoials; the EmpeOr 'sacrificed every thie.e to
his sincere wish for peace. lle caused the Duke
of Bassein) to write to Prince Metternich, that he
admitted as the basis of 'negociation, the general
prineiple contained in the confidential report of
Al. de St. Aignan.
"-Prince Metternich, in reply to the Duke of
Bassano; seemed to think there was something
vague in the acceptanee (adhesioit) given .by
France.
" Then, to remote every difficulty, the Duke
of Vicenza, after basting taken the orders of his
Majesty, made known to the Cabinet of Austria,
that his Majsstv adhered to the general cued sum-
mary bases communicated by 111. de St, Aignan.--L
The Duke of Vicenza's letter is of the 2(I of De-
cember ; it was received on the sth' of the same:
month. Prince MetterniCh did not answer till the
10th. ' These dates mast be carefully observed :
you will soon, see ,that they are not without
imnaStrt;t hopes of_ peace may be conceived on
reading the answer of Prince Metternich to the
dispatch of the Duke of Vicenza.; only the
end of his .letter be annottaces, that before the'
Negociations ate opened, it is necessary to confer
about them with the Allies.--These Allies can be
do other than the English. Now, their Arn has-
sador'was
.present at the conversation of which
M. tie St. Aignan had been witness. We do not
desire to excite distrust : we relate..
"We have carefully noted the date of the last
correspondence between the French. and the Au-
stri.sln Cabinets ; we have said that the Duke of
Vicenza's letter must have been received on the
sth; and that the receipt was nrot acknowledged
till the
" In the interval; a Gazette, now under the
inflUence of the allied powers, published to all
Europe, a declaration, 'which is said to be fur-
nished with their authoriiy. It would be melan-
choly to•believe
" This declaration is of a nature unusual in the
diplomacy of Kings; It is no longer to kings
like themselves that they explain their grievances,
and send their manifestoes. It is to the people
that-they address them ; and from what motivedo
they adopt such a new method or proceeding ? it
is to separate the cause of the people front' that of
their governors; though the.interest of society !Ms
every where united them.
'' May not this example be fatal ? Should it
be given, especially at this period, when people's
minds, agitated by all the diseases of pride, are so
averse to bending under the authority which pm-
.teets thein, while it represses their audacity ? And
against whoa') is this indirect attack aimed
Against a great man, win; merited the gratitude
of all Kings; beckinge, ',sy re-establishing the
throne of France; he has closed up the crater of
the volcano which threatened them. all.
" It must mit be dissembled, that, in certain
respects, this extraordinary manifesto is in a mo-
derate tone. This proves, that the experience of
the coalition has gained perfection.
" It may he remembered, perhaps, that the
Manifesto of the Duke of Brunswick irritated the
pride of a great people. In fact, even those. who
did not join in the opinions, prevalent at that pe-
riod, when they, read this insulting Manifesto,
found themselves offended in the national honour.
Another language has therefore been assumed.—
Europe, fatigued, leas inure need of repose than
of passions.

‘-‘ But it there be so much moderation in the
councils of our enemies, wherefore, while they
continually speak of peace, do they still- menace
our frontiers, which they hail prntr4ised to IN
spect, when we should have no other barrier than
the Rhine

" If our enemies are so moderate, why have
they violated the. capitulation of Dresden,? ‘rby
have they not done justice to the noble com-
plaints of the General who commanded in that
place ? •

If they are so moderate,..why LaYe they not