The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-06-27

WARS OF TIRE FRENcH REroLUrIoS, WILL "a |
PLAIN THE SITUATION OF THE NATIONS OF
EUROPE, AS II STOOD AT THE CONCLUSION OF
THOSE WARS.
Negotiations for peace--Ireatr Of Amiens--S,1na-
n.ary Of Event5--NesV Political Cba,f Of En-
rope.
While every fhore re-echoed with the thun-
der of hottie fquadrons, and oppohng fleets and
armies by turns threatened the COATS of Britain
and France with niult and invaiion, the inhabi-
tants of both countries had become heartily tir-
edof war long fince devoid of any fixed or rati-
onal object. Luckily too, it was the interet of
their REFLECTIVE rulers TO cloie the fcene ofcar-
mage, and either feel or affect fentiments of mo-
Iteration. After TO many fplendid acqui6tions
on the continent, Bonaparte evidently painted
for peace, which, by reforing the ifands of
the Weft-Indan archipelago To the republic,
would confer reputation and liability on his adj
rninfration while in England the new minis
try became anxious to ftrengthen the prote6ti-
on of the crown by means of the gratitude of
the people. For fome time pan an active inter-
ccurfc had taken place between the TWO govern
fnents. Flags of truce and of defiance were ac-
tually difplayed at the fame time and in the fame
frat 70 that while Boulogne and Dunkirk
were bombar,ied or blockaded BY hottie faua-
drons, the ports Of Dover and Calais were FREE
quently vihted by pacquet-boats Sc the meiien-
gers of the courts of st amess & the Thuilleries.
AT length the tecretary of fate for foreign af-
fairs, ia after long but feCret negotiation with
Mr.. Otto, during which tine humiliating inter-
venton of a third perfon was not required to
AS on former location, fuddenly announced
the iienatnre of the prehminaries of peace be-
tween Englan:. on the one part, and France,
Spain, and Holland, on the other. This intel
ligence was Immediately communicated in
note to She lord-mayor, and DILUTED general ia
tisfa6tion throughout the metropolis and the
kingdom. At the end of eleven days fubfe-
qnently TO this joyful event, the ratification of
the frit conful was brought from Paris by one
of his aids-de-camps,(b) who, as well as the
French plenipotentiary, was drawn through the
hreets in his carriage by the populace. AIniens,
the city aligned for the difcufion of dehnitive
treaty, was vifited in the courfe of few months
by the minifters Of the REFLECTIVE powers on
which location the marquis CORVALLIS repre-
tented Great-Britain ; citizen Jofeph Bonaparte
councillor of fate, France don John Nicho-
las Azarra; Spain; and Roger John Schimmel-
pennnck, Holland.
After the lapfe of comfortable time, during
which the public expectation was amazingly
excited by alternate hopes and fears, the long
expected treaty. twas fgned, ratified, and pro-
rnulgated, according to the eitablifhed FORMS
This event DILUTED the mott lively Joy through
ont the Britiih empire: all ranks and defcripti-
ons of men hailed the return of the halcyon
days of peace with rapture; while bonfres, IL
Nominations, and entertainments, exhibited but
faint eXprefiion ofthe general Joy. Nor were
the French lefs eager to celebrate period,
which to them might be coniidered lefs as cef-
fion from the iIinumerable evils of war, than
truinphal epoch, when the independence for
which they had 70 long combated was not only
sfcertaned, but their innuinerable acqriiGtions
folennly recognized in the face of Europe and
of mankind.
The facrifces of England, upon this occalion,
were both numerous and important as the
eeions on her part conIifted of all the pofIeili-
ons and colonies captured or acquired during
the war, with the fotary exceptions of the Spa
NTH Iiland of Trinidad and the Dutch pofIef,-
ems in Ceylon. 1t was however, ftipuiated, in
behalf of her allies, that the territories OF her
mott faithful rnajefty were to be maintained in
their integrity in the fame manner as previouny
to the commencement of the war I; but an agree
rlent was entered into. in oppoGtion to the fpi-
mt and letter of this article, that the limits of
French Guiana in America fhould be extended
and the dominions of Portugal in Europe cur
tailed, confornlablyt to the treaty of Badajos.
The houfe of Nafiau was alto to receive an
adequate compensation for its lolIes in Holland,
yet it appeared by feparate declaration, figned
on the fame day with the treaty of Amiens, on
the part of the French and Dutch minifters,
that the BatavIan republic was not to turnih
any portion of the indemnity certain il is, that
this interpoftion excited 70 little gratitude in
TIE bofom of the prince of Orange, that he left
England, after exhibiting the mott unequivocal
marks of his Interpretation in letter addref1ed
to the king.
The republic ofthe Seven lies, erected under
the protection of the Ruffian and Ottoman
Emperors was at the fame time acknowledged :
Malta, Gozo, and Comino, were to be refto-
red tothe order of ST. John of JerufaIem, and
il was agreed that the forces of his Britannia
naaiefty fhould evacuate thofe poheffions in
the courfe of three months after the exchange
of the ratiGcations but the POPULATIONS were
TO numerous, and the arrangements 10 intricate,
that this article has been productive of unceafing
Jealoufies and MISUNDERSTANDING
The French princes, in behalf of whom Eng
land appeared at one time to have armed, and
for whole caufe the kings of the continent pre-
tended to have firf taken the field, were left un-
noticed while the unfortunate houfe of Savoy,
the dominions Of which had been specifically
guaranteed by folemn treaty, was left to its
fate.
When this important fu,iea was agitated in
parliament, the opinions Of the leading men in
the houfe ofcommons were various but a de-
sided majority, acting in complete union with
81 I'll, 4 4 c