Star.
London, England, 1809-05-09 00:00:00

IP

ST.eITE PAPERS.

APPENDIX,
(Being Official Papers at:ached to the Minister's Report.]
No. I. _ _

Letterfrom Count de Cii•isPAONT to Count Vow MITTIRNICIII.
M Darner, 16th July, 1808. •
a' Monsieur l'Aphassadeurs—A Polish Officer, Mr. Young,
Lieutenant of the 2d Regiment of Polish Infantry, proceeding to
Gallicia on his private business,mas detained, although furnished
with a regular and complete passport. Marshal Davoust three
times demanded him of Colonel Count Von Neipperg, Comman-
dadt of •the-Austrian frontiers4;remarking, that the passport with
which Mr. Young was supplied was such a one as Colonel de
Neipperg had prescribed for military persons going into Gallicia,
and that it was hoped that those who complied with what was so
prescribed woulsi be protected against all ill treatment. These
demands hive been Made in vain ; and Mr. Young, whose papers
lave been seised, •is mill in a state of confinement. lam sorry
• that 11 have to demand his liberation.
."It is difficult to make this demand without complaining a
Nttle, or, at least, of dropping a few words of displeasure at the
conduct of those who are placed in the Administragion in Gallicia,
towards the Duchy of Warsaw. Intercourse becomes still more
difficult. Already, it is not witbout'great difficulty that the sup-
plies which are sent into the Grand Duchy are allowed to pais
through. The Frenchmen who ate in the country are treated
with extreme severity, which is pet 'practised towards stringers
of an/ Other country; and, nevertheless, on the part of France,
every measure is taken fur the external, and even internal, repose

of the Austrian provinces.
a Must we not be surprised at this new appearance of things,
as wit as at the having admitted into the harbour of Trieste
thre • A merican ships, the cargoes of which so obviously come
from Malta and England, that no• man in the town doubts of it ?
*a What are we to think of that warlike cry, which, issuing
from Vienna, has been echoed •through all Germany; of the
preparation's of which the newspapers are full; of the move-
meats of troops in Galliria, which hive united together like di-
vis.ons of an army, or of the movements which it is said have
taken place In Bohemia ; and, finally, of.the calling out of a na-
tion .1 guard, after which the military force of the country is
pit into a State-of...preparation for service, as if the Austrian
(lbiernment wished to call forth all its resources in order to
atri to a great blow or provide against a great danger ? And yet
yati,Sir, know,' and your measures proclaim It to every one, that
Austria is in a state of deep repose and perfect harmony with its
neighbours; that France especially demands nothing, and desires
;Inching which belongs to her ; that there is no prospect remote or
proximate which can occasion the least disquietude
Our astonishment has been such that it was impossible
for me not to mention it, although that was by no means the pur-
pose of this note, which treats merely of a special case. May this
nor arise (we hope it does not)..from a general spirit of ?
But it is difficult to lay aside the thought that this spirit does not
animate some persons attached to your Government, who believe
they serve or give pleasure to it, by estranging it from principles
by which we have a pleasure in supposing it is guided.
" I embrace with eagerness every occasion to give your Excel-
lency all possible assurances, &c.'

No, 11.
Private Letter from the same to the same, same date.
" Monsieur le Compte--1 have great pleasure also in confer.
ring with you confidentially, as I find myself flattered by over-
tures of the kind which your Excellency has made me. The ac-
companying note, which refers to a particular affair of which I
bad to give you information, has furnished me with occasion to
*Oak of the preparations for war in the Austrian Monarchy,
which have not oily been noticed in all public papers, but also I
in the correspondence of all the Courts of Germany. It must be
Confessed several of these measures have been acknowledged by
your Government. It must be confessed that they are at great
variance with a state of perfect peace and union of all the Powers
of the Continent. It is necessary I should mention this without
making it the business of a particular note. What can be theob-
Jett of thus throwing a great part of Germany into disorder ? If it
be intended to preserve peace, and we will suffer no doilbt to be
formed on this head, to what purpose Is this chew of hr-Aility ?
One of the blessings of peace is repose, which it allows to be en-
jpyed. And many fatal wars have had no other origin than in
preparations, which were often made without any thought of be-
ginning war, the influence of nu alone. I addscss them! remarks,
Sir, to your sound understanding, to the integrity of your s;:nti-
meats, and to the strong desire which animates us, that the good
understanding between our Governments may not be destroyed.
A 'sappy issue, the result of our joint Labours, is what would be
most acceptable to me.
" May your Excellency accept the assurances, &c."
No. Ill.—(From the same to the same.)
" Tbulouse, 27th July, 1808.
" MONSIEUR L'Arasassapeue—A private affair occasioned
me to notice slightly the warlike preparatiot a of your government.
But since every day adds to the importance and moment of this
matter, it is become my duty, in a more explicit, but still confi-
dential style to speak to you concerning it ; for the time is nearly
arrived when the Emperor might order me to make an official
communication on this subject. What does your Government
desire? Why does it disturb the peace of the Continent ? It not
only arms itself, but it adopts extraordinary measures, which an
extraordinary clangor alone can justify. Your Princes run through
the Provinces and souse the people to the defence of their coun-
try. '1 he whole population from 1 R to 45 years of age, are brought/
under arms ; a part of the militia (landweer) are taken to
strengthen the regular army. Every thing is in motion throughout
the whole Austrian monarchy. Your people to whom you an-
nounce the war are filled with terror ; your neighbours are dis-
quieted by the preparations. Every where, it is said, What does
Austria mean ? By what enemies is she menaced ? What danger
has she remarked? Wherefore does she act as if she were on the
brink of the precipice ? Why does she prepare to combat as if her
existence were at stake ? And you know that we, far combo,
me-
nacing Austria, ask nothing but to live in peace with her, to unite
with us against the common enemy ;that we lay claim to nothing
die possesses; that we are anxious to live in perfect harmony
with her. But you perceive as well as myself that these prepa-
rations on the part of Austria, which all Europe has observed,
must lead to important consequences. To the present moment
the Emperor may affect not to have observed it, but foresight ne-
vertheless prescribes him to adopt certain measures of defence.
" Being especially calhal upon to watch over the security of the
Confederatiesi of the Rhine, he must warn them to be upon their
guard, he must demand contingents, be must himself send troops
from the interior of the empire to the btirders of the Rhine. On
all sides mess shall be placed under arms. In such a state of things
a spark is sufficient to kindle the conflagration. Does Austria
really desire war ? What advantage does she expect to herself
from it ? We are certain that she has no assistance whatever
from Russia. England can be of only small service to her. If she
does nor desire war, why so lavish of gold, which drains the trea-
sury, depresses the course of exchange, and annihilates paper
credit ? Why contemn the progress of domestic prosperity, which
only beear. to revive ? Why oppress all Europe with the fear of
ageing th. war renewed ? And why should Austria estrange from
lease the Emperor, who will be less disposed to call for her co-
operation in the affairs of Eu:ope t Assuredly he will not make
amicable ar.proaches towards a power Which assumes a hostile
or threatening position. Such is the line which Austria has m ark ed
oat for hermit towards France, at a moment when Franceevinced
an earnest desire to live itigoodunderstanding with her. You can
appr date, sir, the importance of maintaining our friendly rela-
tens , and you know that this is not less the object of my desire.—
our common wishes be fulfilled. instruct your Government I
mincer:sing our dispositions towards it,which it assuredly bas no I
cause to fear, and concerning the consequences of the measures it
has been counselled to pursue. They who have given you this
counsel are not your friends. Enemies of the peace of Europe—
they may plunge their country into an ocean of troubles. I hope
that you will be able to protect it from such calamity. I should
deem myself most happy, in case this letter, which I write with
feelings rendered more acute through my personal relations to-
wards yourself, should have the happy effect of preserving that
good understanding between two Governments whose common i
interest demands nothing less than the welfare of Europe and of
kumanity.
[lien there is a Chasm in the document,. Tkere appears to
have been a postscril t to the last letter, and the two following
aumbers have not yet reached us.]
No. VI.

Letter from the Count DL Cu.% eIPAGNI, to the Count VON
Mc rrtamicti.

" So, •• Bourdeaux, July no, Hos.
•• 1 Ave to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22d of
Jay ; Old, ti.s, igh it was only confidential, I conceived that I
iiiy respt:ct (Csappoint your intentions, by shewing
should not J.'
it to bis Majesty the Empet or. His Majesty appeatA to be So far

11

'aided with it, as to lead ma to think, that be ma., lave maw.
manded certain defensive measures for which he hadl &keep mkt',
and also the placing the fortressesof Silesia in a state of defence..:
But I must plainly tell you, that at the very time wheat your letter
produced this good effect, a totally different impression resulted
from the letters received, at the same instant, from Munich, and
more especially from Dresden. The reports, howissAr, of your
armaments were much less offensive than the accounts contained

is those letters of the direction given to the public mind lo the
Austrian States. At the Baths ofToeplitz, Qarlsbad, Wtd Egra,

they breathe nothing but war. This is represented as the moment
when Austria can begin it with advantabe. They report that the
Spanish peasants, incited by the fanatical spirit of their priests,
have totally annihilated the French army in Spain ; that the army
in Germany scarcely consists of 100,000 men ; and that the army
of Italy is inadequate to the suppression of a new insurrection,
which is said to have broken out in Calabria, and to appease the
disturbances that have taken place in Dalmatia and the lonian isles.
" It is by such representations that Prussia, last year, came to a
conclusion so unfortunate for herself. The agents of England, who

plunged her into total destruction, are now at work in Austria.—
They engage her in measures, the issue of which cannot be fore-
seen, cause her to make expensive preparations, the burden of

which she cannot support, and which, by the want of confidence
they give rise to externally, and the spirit they excite internally,
must necessarily involve her in war. The people are told of their
dangers ; they are called to the defeece of their country ; they are
put in motion, and in a short time those who have communicated

.
the impulse, are themselves hurried along with it. The most
intelligent persons of the Monarchy will not be able to stern the
torrent. The cry of war, so improvidently raised, will not, with-

, . .
out effect, be re-echoed at home and abroad.
" Do.you ask for a proof of this effect? See what bats happened at
Trieste ; see the new fencibles of that City scouring the streets,
_ .

and insulting the French and Italian travellers in their very lodg-
ings; see them collecting to the number of 1500 round the house
. .

of tl;e French Consul, provoking him with insulting expressions,
and renewing the scene with General Bernadotte at Vienna; see,
at the same time, the Police of the City, whom I think ,rather
feeble than ill-disposed, remaining completely inactive, and more
inclinedto conceal than to punish outrages which they were unable
to prevent._ See, in this instance, how men unintentionally find

themselves in the high road to hostilities.
" Do you wish for another proof ? Two French couriers carry-
ing letters for Dalmatia, have been stopped, and their letters taken
from them. The Emperor imputes this act of violence to nothing
else than the popular ferment excited by your recent proceedings.
" Undoubtedly, Sir, Austria had a right to make what changes
she might think fit in her military Constitution ; but have weever
seen such changes precipitately made in a time of peace? In
April, to give orders that all should be in readiness by the Ist of
July, as if war must, by that time, certainly take place--sudderly
_ .

•
and at the same instant, to call out a force of 4tth,ooo men, and
that too, exclusive of the addition made to the standing army—to
represent the danger as pressing, and, of course, war as inevitable
—can we see all these things, and suppose that Austria has no de-
sign whatever in them ? It is certain, Sir, that after such a state
of things has produced its influence upon the public opinion, and
excited that turbulence which naturally results from it, war is
inevitable ; it will take place, even contrary to the wishes of the
two Emperors, and those of their Ministers, and the most en-.
lightenened individuals in both countries.
" You tell me, Sir, of the apprehensions excited by the encamp-
ments in the countries occupied by :he French. But it is not gene-
rally known that this is the ordinary custom of the French armies
beyond the frontiers? that in some districts of Italy they are en-
camped the whole of the year ? Most assuredly the Emperor would
have broken up those encampments, could he have supposed that
they would have excited any uneasiness. But consider what has
been the conduct of the Emperor. Has he not dismantled the
fortresses of Silesia? lias he not stripped them of every thing, leav-
ing not a single gun, nor as much as a grain of corn in them ? Fas
he not restored Brannau? Not one of these steps would hr have
taken, had he entertained hostile designs upon Austria. You allude
to the common conversation of our soldiers, and what does that
i prove ? Is it not what the conversation of the soldiery in all coun-
tries has always been ? They do not think that it is an honour to
them to invoke the approach of war, and to appear to hope for it
because they wish it.
" If you entertained any apprehension, why did you not make
it known ? You have never made the least communication to me
, on this subject : and General Andreossi has been informed of no-
' thing of the kind at Vienna.
" Do you wish to be at rest with regard to the dispositions of
France? All the assurances you can desire will be given you.—
Do you wish the encampments in Silesia to be broken up ? They
shall be broken up. Ari you desirous that the directions given for
arming the fortresses in that province should be countermanded?
—That shall be done. Do you wish that the measures for form-
ing magazines of provisions at Palma-Nova should be discontinued?
They shall be discontinued. Public declarations to that effect shall
he made to you in any form you desire. They shall be couched in
such terms as that the supposition of a meditated attack on the
part of France shall manifestly appear to be absurd; but do you,
on your side, recall and discontinue those manifestly hostile and
threatening measures that are inconsistent with the present situa-
tion of Europe, and with the repose of which It so much stands in
need—that remove to a distance all hope of a general peace, and,
above all, that ate incompatible with the native disposition and
principles of the Emperor.
" You see, Sir, that we are not among those,who suffer them-
selves to be misled by false measures. If you entertain a cor-.
respondent disposition, the plots of the incendiaries of Europe
will be speedily frustrated, and the Continent will remain tran-
quil. Either Austria wishes for war, in which case her arma-
ments are capable of explanation, and we ss iii eo to war with
her; or, she is exasperated by the weasels of the enemies of the
Continent ; but In this case, the propositiobs which- I make to
you must open her eyes, so as net to leave the sliadow of a pre.;
text for her formidable preparations. •
" I request, Sir, a speedy answer to this letter, and the rea-
son is this :—The Emperor had no intention of levying a Con-
scription among his subjects this year; but he has thought of
doing so since the whole of Austria has been up in arms ; and he
will not suffer the month of August to pass by without submit-
ting a proposition to that effect to the Senate. He must enjoy a
state of repose.
" For a long period he has laid it down as a principle, not to
reject what seems improbable. He is aware of the strong ten-
dency the passions have to blind mankind, and how easily they
are brought into play by persons who have been accustomed by
their artifices to throw the Continent into a state of disturbance.
He recollects that the Government of Prussia was so far mis-
led, as to be induced to think that the French army, actually
300,000 strong, scarcely amounted to 100,000 men. '1 hat army
too was encamped almost entirely in countries that had no depen-
dence upon Prussia. England continually instigates hostilities,
and gives herself little concern about the event. Her end is accom-
pashod when the people of the Continent are engaged in the work
• of mutual destruction. 4 -

" I have spoken to you of the affair of Trieste. It would be •
useless to demand reparation of you for it. The Emperor ,
Napoleon thought he might have expected that frau the '
Enlyc roe Francis, and such reparation as he himself would have '
been anxious to give, had a similar scene occurred in any place
under his dominion.
" In this letter you will recognise the language, at once
firm, serious, and pacific, which I have constantly used to you.
It is with you that I wish to bold it—with you who have re-
sided among us, and who know enough of us to admit that no
feelings of weakness dictate the proposals made to you, for the
purpose of preventing even the smallest presence of hostilities.—
You know our situation, and I can tell the Count Von Metter-
nich what it would be nueelless to say to the Ambassador of Aus-
tria. Our Grand Army is stronger than ever—it, and the Army
of Italy are double what they were its 1805 ; and the troops of
the Confederation can be speedily assembled, and 60,000 men
I are proceeding from the interior to Strasburg, Mentz, and Cas-
! sel. We have, thus, every re:.,.on to expect that a war with
Austria cannot but prove successful.
" We are, therefore, not afraid of war; but we do not wish
for it._ We du not wish for it, inasmuch as we have no cause to
enter upon it, nor any object in carrying it on ; because we have
no grievances to alletige against Austria, and covet nothing that
she possesses ; whilst iaany political reflections come in aid of
these feelings; because it is an important interest of France that
Austria should retain the power which she now has ; and,finally,
because the Emperor does not sport with men's lives, and does
not go to war for the mere pleasure of carrying it on.
" Let the impulse, therefore, Sir, which has been given to the
Austrian Monarchy, and of which war must be the inevitable
consequence, cease. Let it be checked by a direct contrary im-
pulse. The proposals which I offer you, furnish your Govern-
ment with every facility for that purpose. lf, notwithstanding
these pacific overtures, and in defiance of all the proceedings
which demonstrate Our dispositions to remain at peace with your
Government, war should yet take place, and we should be com-
pelled to carry it on with the greater rigour, inasmuch as we

•
-ilsoaltl be forced into it, the calamities which may result from it
cannot be imputed to us.
" in concluding this leper, Sir, I have the satisfaction to ac-
quaint you, that his Majesty's speedy return to hisvapital, will
Live me an opportunity of renewing the assurancesr &c.&c."
(Te- be continued.)