Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-06-10

| time, had proved Of advantage To france.
{ Her actions had much less prete nsions
| to-the chara6tes of inpartiality. Aher
having permitted the French troops who
! seizsd On the electorate OF Hanover, a
passage through the Prussian territory,
she declared herself ready TO oppose,
sword in hand, tina, which the emperor of
Russia had demanded for his armies.
France herself forced the passage she
pretended 10 oifrr excuses Tor that step,
bu, it was in manner equally offensive.
She had sesn-.oo clearly @hefe the re
sentiment of Prussia would terminate,
(which in fact appeared to be stifled when
his imperial majesty of Russia engaged
in personal communication with the
king.
| Prussia then demanded subsidies of G.
Britain, which were promised to her, and
she signed the convention of Potsdam
| the conditions of which she would, doubt
less, have been more disposed to fulfil, if
Il could have SO far forgotten my duty, as
to con.ent to the proposition of ceding the
Electorate of HanoYer for some Prassian
I province.
Prussia affirms, that from the event Of
| the war, she has not had the choice of
means TO secure the safety OF It's monar.
chy, and of the states Of The north. She
wishes to make 1t appear, that she has
been compelled to aggrandze herself, and
to become the instrument, rather than
object, of The vengeance of my enemies.
Such an avowal does not become a
great power. All Europe knows that il
depended on Prussia, before the battle of
Austerlltz, to give repose TO Europe, if
she had taken the part which her real in
terests and the outraged honor Of her mo.
natchy dictated to her. She can no lon.
ger be excused, after having missied such
an opportunity; and even since the event
of the I'd of December, did she not com
mand an army of 100000 men, who still
remember the victories it obtained under
the Great Frederick, which was in the
beat disposition, and supported by The
whole Russian army, two corps of which
were actually under the command of the
; king of Prussia!
She would, without doubt, have been
subject to certain risks; but she found
herself in situation, W hen every danger
must be encountered to save the honor of
the state. The prince who hesiiates in
making choice, destroys the principle
which serves as the basis of military
monarchy; ard Prussia ought already to
begin 10 feel the sacrifice she has made
of her independence.
The note of Apri! 4, affirms, "that
France had considered the electorate as
its conquest, and that its troops had been
on the point of re.entering it, to make a
de6ni,ive disposal Of il"
The electorate Of Hanover, as an int.
grail part of the Germanic empire, is not
{concerned in the war between Great Bri.
tSin and France nevertheless, it has been
unjIsIy invaded by that power, which
has notwithstanding, frequently indicated
| the obieet for which sse was disposed to
1 restore il.
France was al length compelled to aban.
don the country, aud forty thousand of my
troops, and those Of my allies, were esia-
blished there, when the count de Haug-
witt signed the treaty which disposes Of
my states; it is true, that the Russian
corps was then at The disposal of his Prus.
sian majesty but its chief, with the ge-
nuine spirit of an honorable man, was not
the less determined to fight, if the allies
Oh MS nhSer were attaCKeQs we shall
not speak of the French garrison which
remained at Hameln, Insufficient in point
of number, deprived of the means of de.
fence, and on the point of being besieged,
when the promises of Prussia caused the
plan TO be abandoned.
The intention of France to dispose de.
hnitively of the electorate, would have
been contrary to the assertion she has so
often made. 1t would, moreover, have
been contrary to the usage of war, since
even conquest is not deGnitively dispos-
ed of before peace; and particularly at
a moment when wish might exist to
manifest pacific disposition.
Prussia had no right to judge il Great
Britain had the means of opposing the
return of my enemies 10 the electorate.
Her power furnishes her with the means
Of bringing the war to an honorable end,
| for The interests she defendsj but it is diff
ficult to conceive in what light Prussia
pretends that her measures removed
| troops that are strangers to the electorate,
and ensures the repose ofth north. Her
troops. in consequence of the treacherous
( conduit OF her cabinet, will remain as
l 4, he 81. -.