The Sun.
London, England, 1802-09-29 00:00:00

ILA:I7IE7V OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

(cant recd from our .P4PCI' of the ist 17:st.)
" AMR having been led by the importance of
the subject to examine somewhat at length the
cause% which produced the Peace, the total result of
the Treaty of Landon, and its probable conse-
cucnces, it is time to. resume the series of events.
" After the signature of the Preliminaries, the
most, important business of the two ContraCting
Governments was to convert them into a Definitive
Treaty ; and it witt,s agreed, that the Town of
Amiens should be for this purpose the Theatre of
new Conferences, to which should be admitted Mi.
rosters from Spain and Holland.. The choice
which was made on our side by Mr. Addington,
evinced the importance which he attklied to this
Mission, and the spirit of Moderation which con-
tinued to influence him. The rank and charader
of Marquis Cornwallis were a pledge of both. His
Lordship, with his accustomed readiness to under-
take whatever the good of his Country demands,
set out the beginning of November for Paris,
where he was received• wich all the honours galled
for by his situation, and all the marks of respect
due to hi 3 personal chary ter. He shortly after re-
paired to Amiens, where - he found Joseph Bona-
parte,' the Negotiator appointed by France, and
where he was afterwards joined by John 54in-inlet-
pennitlck, Deputy from the Batavian Republic, and
by Don Louis de Azara, the Minister of His Ca.
tholic Majesty. The Negotiations son became
alive, but did not however advance with so Much
rapidity, nor so much cordiality as we could have
wished, and'as our exampie had given us a right to
expeet- .
" The Congress was scarcely formed, when our
Ministers gave an unequivocal proof of the Confi-
dence which they had in the Issue of it, and of their
sincere desire to accelerate for France herself the
enjoyment of the advantages of Peace. One of die
greatest which that Power expeeted to derive from
sr, was the'retut-n of St. Domingo to obedience, ,
heretofore the richest, nor only of the French Colo-
nies, but of atl the Wesj-Tndia Islands. :'Dur in.,' the
whole of the War,' the B'ack Chief, who had there
usurped the Sovereign Power, had acknowledged
nominally the Supremacy of the French Republic,
never probably intending to submit to it in reality.
The French Government on their side, unable to
send a single Ship or Soldier to St. Domingo, had
Winkel at the independent Despotism which 'coos-
saint had assumed, and had adjourned till the re-
turn of Peace the projeCt of overturning his au-
thority.
,"Xhen the Preliminaries were signed, it was
natural to suppose that Toussaint, on being ap-
prized of the event, would exped the speedy arrival
of a French Armament, and would consequently
lose no time in preparing to repel-it. The French
_Government felt, that if it allowed him leisure to
complete his preparations, the difficulties of the
enterprize, already very considerable, might be-
come insurmountable—Prompt execution could alone
insure success. Besides, should two or three
months be allowed to elapse, the Expedition could not
reach St. Domingo before. the rainy season, which
would preclude all possibility of operation ; would
destroy the European Troops by disease, and per-
mit Toussaint to confirm himself more strongly in
his. Usurpation.
- - -

" In this state of things, the First Consul deter-
mined not to delay for an instant the attack of St.
Domingo ; but as the dispatch of so considerable an
Armament as the Enterprize required, could not
before-the conc:usion of the, Definitive Peace but be
an obje& of jealousy on our part, and consequently
of anxiety on hit, 'lie negotiated for, and obtained
permission from our Government, for the departure
of the Expedition. All the dispusable Vessels in
the Ports of . France, Spain, and Holland, were
evipped and filled with Troops ; and several
Squadrons, carrying in the whole nearly twehty
thousand men, sailed in the month of December.—
The free departure of so considerable a Force, at a
time when the Congress had scarcely opened for the
discussion of the Definitive Treaty, excited in this
Country no inconsiderable alarm, and was openly
blamed by the Opponents of the Peace. They loud.
ly asserted, that we were the Dupes of the French ;
that the latter were_ in correspondence with Tous.
saint, who would submit on their arrival ; and that,
as soon as Bonaparte should be apprized of the safe
arrival of the Armament, lie would break off the
Negotiation-, unless we immediately submitted to
such conditions as it should please him to prescribe.