The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-31
The Convention at ErJu,yh.

Secret transactions always excite more
curiosity than those that are carried on open
~. 1 hat some secret business, which uei-
ther os the emperors chu:e to cntrust to their
ministers, called Napoleon and Alexander
to Erturth. hardly admits Of a doubt. IL
will never be known but in its effects Some
think that the conditions on which Turkey
is TO he carved among iaen,, occupied their
private conferences and that tic Grant,
Duke ConsIoN.iac'a being at Erfurth, is
strong presumpsive evidence IF the fact as
he was ch1a.teNtd and educated by his mo-
Their With Il spcc:1 view 10 has future de.ti-
ny OF Prince If he Turkish territory, or
AHi'crorof Constantinc,,ie. The ,crs cn
whch Bonapartc wCuid :,crmit >uc;, seizure
OF territory. and assumption Of tile, IRE sup.
posed 70 hs ,he suhicct CT discussion. Gu:
as l. innss regular dramas there is PLOT AID
al unt'crp'ot 80. III the Meeting at E.rfmth
there Is a secret object rs we'll as AN open
os5cnSit:e one. 1t is reasonable to suppose,
that Bonaparte and The Emperor of Russia
are really desirGus of peace. The state Of
their commerce ard finances wonid make
peace necessary to their re establishment.
lhis they could naturally debate in presence
or their secretaries and ministers and the
petty princes who are summoned merely to
nask secret proceedings, or to lie K, pt IN
numor by asking their profound advice on
ONE common principle. or diplomats trifie
It Bonaparte AM Alexander aided bv Tai
cyrand, Marct, &c. should in private deter
line TcIa' fsincihieS Of maritime rrg.iafion
aud asoSc shoolu hc b. them adopted rs the
oasfs OF peace with Britain, the assent ard
'isnatsrc or So many European princes would
be procured 20 give them t:.e greater plau-
Slbiiity and weight. Should England agree
10 thu terms offered, the natural inevitable
nt.,S .,gri
would bring her to subordinate rank with
rcsEect te France. and NaVc.cor could p,r-
sue his projects with more certainty nd Ga
cilitv. But that England will assent to CON
d'ticrs that Will hc acceptable TO Bonaparte.
IS very Improbable Indeed. She knows the
Importance of Spanish America, its mines
aaa commerce, & ioa.h will she he to smooth
MS passage t. hem. She knows also Inc
distress and di,cci emit of a great portion of
her own s,4'.i"cts. and she Will AZTEC. Z sin
Certify as!r ta':1:!esa ff5i Ic.tce also /; bnt IN
3rcer. 10 throw the odium of illustration on
Bcnar:.rte, her ministers, it is presumed, will
take especial care to insist OH the ieinstate-
mcnt OF ferdinand and other unacceptable
conditions. Whatever be the conduct Of
England at this CO. uncturc, whether she.
VIII retard peace, and add fresh fuel to the
fierce furnace of war, there Garnet be a
doubt that great, prospective and permanent
dispositions are embraced in the object
of the meeting at Erfur.h. That ,hese
regulations should be founded ON the ur-
changeable principles Of Justice. al! rnst
wish and some may hope but knowing the
general C haractcr OF Kings ing the
'tSWificai behavior OF Bonaparte toward the
patriotic Poles, whom he flatte"cd with the
LEA OF independence and freedom-we are
not very sangure III our expectations. AS
we Cannot fathom the views Of men who act
with closed doors" we pass q moment in
conjecture, and leave them who are wiser
than ourselves to guess as they piease...Ib.