Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1804-07-02
FOREIGN HFFAIRS.
CIRCULAR NOTE
zddrsgsd to THE Foreign MDnaers, rsidem at fb'
Court IF London.
DowNiN o-stskET, APRIL 80, 1904

] l,lC COllGuCt OF INC TIcHCIl SCeSioi'CHt, wouu
have induced his majsfy to pats over in fence,
and to treat with contempt, all the accuiatons
which that government might have made againit
his maleay's government, if the very extraordi-
nary and unauthorized replies which feveral OF
the n1inilters of the foreign powers have thought
proper to make to recent communication from
the minifter of foreign affairs at Paris, had not
given to the ,fubjcd, of that communication a
greater importance than it would otherwfe have
poGeHcd. His naieffg has in confequence, d.
rcesd me to declare that he hopes he fhallnot
BE reduced to the neceility Of repelling with
! merted fcorn and Indignation, "the, atrocious
and Utterly unfounded calumny that the govern
| rnent af his majeRy have been a party in plans
! Of af1ail,nation." An accu1ation already made
with equal salfchocd and calumny by the fame
! authority agairf the members of his maje1ty's
government during the laft war an accufation
incompatible with the honor of his majeity, and
the known character Of the Britith nation, and
10 completely devoid of any hadow of proof,
that it may be refonably prefumed to have been
brought forward at the prefent moment, for no
other purpofe than that of diverting the at:cn-'
ton of Europe from the contemplation of the
| fanguinarv deed which has jut been perpetrated
by the direct order of the Firit Conlul in France
in violation of the law Of nations, and in con-
tempt of the mott GmpIe laws of humanity and
honor.
That his majeRys government lhouid dfre-
gard the feelings of fuch of the inhabitants of
France as are jufly difcontended with theexiiting
government Of that country--that they fhould re-
fufc to liiten to their deiigns of delivering
their country from the degrading yoke of BON
dage under which it groans, or to give them aid
and afiftance as far as thofe de6gns are fair and
iuffifabic, would be to refufc fulfilling thofe du
tics which every wife and juft government owes
to irfelf and to the world ngeneral, under cir
cumftances fmilar to the prefent. Beigerent
powers have an acknowledged right to avail
themfelves Of all difcontents that may exit in
countries with which they may be at war. The
excrcife of that rightev ifin any degree doubt
| full J would be fully fanttioned in the prelent
cafe, not only by the prefent fate of the French
nation, but by the conduct of the government of
that country, which ince the commencement of
the prefcnt war, has conftantly kept up commu-
nicarions with the difafr6ted in the territories
of his majeity particularly in Ireland, and which
has ahcmbled at this prefens moment on the
COATS of France corps Of Irith rebels defined
to fccond them in their deGgns aganlt that part
of the United Kingdom.
Upon thcfe circumstances, his majety's gov
eminent would be injuf6able, if they neglected
the right they have to fupport, as far lis COM
patable with the principle Of the Law of Ma
tions, which civilized governments have hither-
to acknowledged, the efforts of fuch of the in
habitants of France, as hottie to the prefent
government. They ardently defire, as we'll as
ali Europe, to fee an order of things cltablifhed
in that country more compatible with its own
happinefs, and with the fecurty Of the furround-
ing naticns-but if that with cannot be accom-
plilhed they fully authorized by the frieteft
principles Of perfonal defence to endeavour to
cripple the exertions, to diGraa the operations,
and to confound the plans of government
whole fyffem of warfare, as acknowledged by
itfelf, is not only to diftrcfs the commerce, to
diminiih the power, and to abridge the domn-
ions of its enemy, but ALTO to carry devaitation
& ruin into the very heart of the Britilh empire.
In the application of theic principles, his ma
lefty has commanded me to declare, beiides, that
his government have never authorized Jingle
act, which could not fand the telt of the ftria-
eft principles of juitice and ufages recognized
and praeiled in all ages. If any minifter ac-
credited by his majety at a foreign court has
kept up correspondence with perfons reGdent in
France, with view to obtain information upon
the deGgns Of the French government, or for a.
ny other legitimate Object, he has done nothing
more than what mini!ters, under circumstances
have always been conGdered as having right to
do with refpea TO the countries with which
their fovreigns were at war and he has done
much lefs than that which it could be prov
ed the minifters and commercial agents of
France have done towards the difaAe6ted in
different parts of his majeays territoris thus
in carrying OH fuch correspondence, he would
not have in any manner violated his public du-
ty. A miniter in any foreign country is o.
bliged, by the nature Of his Office, and the du-
ties of his 6tuation, to ATTAIN from all eommu-
nication with the dfaffreted of the country
where he is accredited, as well as from every
other act injurious to the intcreit of that coun-
tlx bur ht. Is G,hiet4 be LA .aA<a;>..