The Sun.
London, England, 1813-04-12 00:00:00

teriorly had the honour of submitting to you were
of a nature to merit a reply eettally prompt as de-
cisive. The progress of the idatssial, arms in the
centre of the monarchy, does not permit Prussia'
any longer to prolong that state of unctsraiirty in
which she is. On one side the &riperOr of anss:a,
united to the King by bonds of persoual friends•,ip,
offers Prussia in this 'decisive inonient, the sop-
port of his power, and the advantages of his
friendship; ots the other, his Majesty the Enipe-
ror of the French persists in repulsing an Ally who
has sacrificed himself in his cause, .aml disdains . •
even to explain himself upon the motives of hiS
silence. Vor a length of time France has viokt-
tul, in every point, the treaties Which conuee
her with Prussia. Not contented with having
dictated-at Tilsit a peace, r tpuilly hard and
Hating., she has not permitted her even to enjoy
the triflieg advantages which that treaty seemed to
allow her. She has made use of odious preteXts to
shake to their foundations the fortune of the State,
and .those of individeals. Since that epoch, Piave-
slit hes been treated as a conquered country, and
oppressed by a yoke of iron. The t.reoch armies
remained in it contrary to the terms of the tre•t-
'ty„ and lived at discretion in it during eighteen
months : , exorbitant and arbitrary contributions
were imposed upon her ; her commerce was ruined
by obliging her to adopt the_continental system ;
French garrisons Were placed in the three for- •
tresses of the Oder ; the country Wlts obliged to
defray the expellee of their appointments.; in
short, by the treaty. of Bayonne; „the property of
widows and orphans we.% disposed of, in ntanifeSt
contradiction to the stipulations of the neatv Of
peace : every thing announced that no. sort of' re-
gard wsittld be kept with an unfortunate end ttii-
pressed state, In this state of things, pence be-
came an illosiary benefit. The King groaned un-
der the enormous weight which oppressed h s sub-
Fie flattered himself with vanquishing by
force of condescension and sacrifices,' do to ihnosity
the effects of which he knew, but of whose prin-
ciple he was ignorant. He gave himself up to the
hope of sparing his people greater misfortunes,
ill
serepulotiSly his engagements' towards
'France, and in carefully' avoiding every thing
which could give her offence., -By extraordinary
and unheard-of efforts, Prnssia succeeded in pay-
ing two thirds-of:the, contribution : she was pre-
paring to pay the temainder, when clouds arose
between 'Russia end. France, and when the im.-
niense preparations, of those two polvers did not.
any longer permit her to doubt of the war ahout..
to be kiwiled in the,North. The King, faithful to
his principle of saving, at any price, the tuitional,
existence, judging of the future by the past, felt
that he had .every thing to fear.frotn France. He.
sacrificed his affections, and concluded' with be:.
treaty of alliance, At the epoch 'of the conclu-
sion of the treaty,' before the news could haVe-
reached Berlin, ttie French (loops entered Po-
merania hnd the Marche Electorate.
The King with grief saw that no attention,was
paid, to iris frank and loyal iittentions. They
would obtain ,hy- force what, it appeared impossis;*
ble to obtain by negoeiations. Agents of Prussia;
frightened by the meniteing attitude of 'Ertince;'
had signed at Pari's separate conventions, which
contained conditions extremely burthunsume, re
lative to the provisioning and wants of the grand.
Army. The French Government, instructed re-
specting the mettiocrity•of our resources, foresaw.
a refusal—prepared to gain the IC.ing!s.conscnt by
the appearance of force, and deceived itself. nil
Majesty ratified these conventions, alt bough be;
felt the difficulty of theta ; he rer!koned
upon the devotion of .t he Prussians,. and he bord.
that by defining the extent of our sn'ecitieeit:, he
wonLi preserve his people from arbitrary requisis •
tions, and. their fatas consequences. Experience
did not justify, this hope. Whilst Prussia ex-
hausted all her means to pour into the magisines
the stipulated products, the French armies Eyed.
at the expense of individuals. At the same time
were exacted the-fulfilment of the treaty, and the
daily consumption of the troops. The sacred
property of the inhttbitants was taken away by
stain foreei-withont rendering the least accouet of
' it ; and Prussia, lost by these nets of violence al6te,
70,000 horses and '20,000 carriages. .
Notwithstanding all these shackles, the King,
faithful to his system, fulfilled with religious rtith
all the engagements he had made. Tate supplies
were successfully realised, the stipulated contin-,
gent advanced ; nothing Was omitted to prove the
loyalty of our conduct. France only replied to
this. devotion by pretensions always new, und be-
lieved herself able to dispense,. on•lter side, With
fulfilling the stipolatiOns of the treaty which fell
to her charge. She constantly refused to exit-
mine the accounts for supplies' furnished, although
she had entered into a format engagement to set-
tle them every three months.
The Military Convention insured to the Empe-
ror, till a new arrang,ement with Prassla, possession
of the fortres,es of Gloratt,.Stetti4, anti Qustrin 3,
but the provisioning of the first; of tinise places
wits,, frt)111 the date 01:signiug that Convention, to
have been at the expense of France; mid the
others, front the day on which the King should
have fulfilled his now engagements respecting the
discharge of the contributiOn. The King, in ac-
quiescing
in this article, had already given France
proofs of his condescension, in renouncing the
stipulations of 1808 ; accortlincrP to Which 616!.-;:in
t
was to he given up to Prussia , as' soon as halt of
the contributions should, be rid. The new tte.•ty
was not better observed by. France than that
which preceded it. ' The provisioning of t,flog"".
and that of the other tortreses, caused I', the
Convention, and the discharge of.thc hit ;oils
already realised in the mouth of May 1" Yls'tt"
not withstiouling the most pit r
Ssing epre,S,4•W
trans, remain sit.the expense of PrTsia t I. 1$
day. 'rile n Conventio stiputnted r,totiong stir et-
ing the tOrtresses of Pitlaa Sp.tnitau
iii consetitiellee. Wet' to rental') occupied by ero-
! 5;„„ the French troops, however, etstered
i them by it sort of suilitury surprize, and maintein7
;selves in theta.
Whilst the weight of Prussia's expellees was In-
definite)y augmeetedsr-whilst she proved that,
after having paid her contribution,- her advances
amounted to enormous surds--wall kinds, of arasist-
ame Were persisted in being refused to her all bet
detnandS were answered by as coutemptootts '
knee, and incessantly demanding fresh SRI
the inconeeivabLe efforts of a burthened nation