H́nh ảnh trang
PDF
ePub

the enemy's own conduct in every other inftance." What has never yet been demanded by that infolent government from any other great ftate of Europe, was exacted from us, that we fhould become acceffaries in violating all the ancient ufages, invented and received to guard the independency and dignity even of the weakeft powers. No tolerably fecure and honourable peace could have come, or ever can come, from a negotiation commenced and continued in that fpirit.

my fhewing a true pacific difpofi- ed upon, the most inconsistent with tion, would be well furrendered without any compenfation; but a propofal to purchafe peace, as a valuable confideration in itself, is a diftinct admiflion of inferiority, or proof of pufillanimity, never honourable, and therefore never fafe to a great nation, efpecially in the face of an enemy who meafures all right by power and audacity; and gainst whom, it was admitted in debate by his Majefty's minifters, "That no fecurity could be found in peace, without uncommon caution, and an uncommon degree of warlike preparation." A treaty formed on fuch a principle may be complimented with the name of peace, but it will be in effect only a fufpenfion of active hoftility, without any of the advantages of peace, and fubject to all the expences and dangers of war.

4thly. Because the whole conduct, as well as declarations of the enemy, fince the opening of the laft feffion, had been particularly pointed against this country, fo as to leave no rational ground of expect ing any event from negotiation but that which has followed, of unavailing humiliation. The original treaty of France with America was moft unjuftly infringed, and avowedly because the latter country would not infift on our granting nominally to her, but really to France, exceptions and immunities derogated from the general maritime law refpecting neutral nations, while no one word of conciliation was ever ufed to. wards us. Our ally the Emperor was by turns menaced and careffed, to induce him to listen to a separate peace: And in the very outfet of our late negotiation, his Majefty has declared that "Modes were infift

5thly. Becaufe, while his Majefty perfifted in a difpofition to treat, and when he again offered in his public declaration to ratify the terms before propofed by him, the whole ground had failed on which alone his Majefty had been induced, on the 8th of December, 1793, to declare, for the first time, a defire of meeting any difpofition which the enemy might manifeft to negotiate a general peace on just and fuitable terms. That ground, as it was previously explained to us by his Majefty's fpeech on the opening of that feffion; and as all his Majefty's minifters conftantly argued in debate, was the establishment in France "of an order of things compatible with the tranquillity of other countries, and affording a reasonable expectation of fecurity and permanence in any treaty which might be concluded." Such an order of things was benevolently hoped by his Majefty to have been established in the third new constitution made in the fourth year of the French Republic. In the interim-between our two negotiations at Paris and at. Lifle, the firft election, not immediately con

trouled

power

trouled by an armed force, came on under that conftitution. The true voice of the majority of France was for the first time heard, and heard againft the actual government of that wretched country. The armies were called in to ftifle that voice. The principal leaders of the two legislative councils were feized and tranfported without any form of trial: a new and unheard-of thing even in the hiftory of their injuftice: - nearly two-thirds of France were disfranchifed; the prefs filenced; the clergy again profcribed, and the moft arbitrary and ferocious measures threatened, as well as fome abfolutely taken, against all that remains of the nobility, gentry, and magiftracy of the ancient monarchy. The now established is notorioufly the very fame in character, in maxims, and in condnet, as well as for the moft part exercifed or fupported by the fame men, with the government which existed at, and foon after, the commencement of the war; and which was truly defcribed in his Majefty's declaration of the 29th of October, 1793, as a "ftate of things that could not exift in France without involving all the furrounding powers in one common danger, without giving them the right, without impofing it upon them as a duty, to ftop the progrefs of an evil which exifted only by the fucceffive violation of all law and all property; and which attacked the fundamental principles by which mankind are united in the bonds of civil fociety." It was against that government "that his Majefty then called upon the people of France to join the ftandard of an hereditary monarchy, in order to unite themfelves once more under the empire of law, of morality,

and religion." The continuance of the fame fort of government, changing never as to its fundamental principles, though fluctuating perpetually as to the perfons of the ufurpers who occasionally tyrannize over the enflaved people, has confirmed me more than ever in my full affent to the wifdom of his Maiefty's declaration then made.

-

6thly. Becaufe, though the most abfolute and overruling neceffity could hardly palliate, much lefs juftify, the facrifices which the late negotiation would have made of our dignity, honour, and independence, together with our acquifitions; yet we have the fatisfaction of knowing how and when his Majefty's minifters advised him in his declaration to repeat his offers of peace. They also know that nothing in any degree approaching to fuch neceffity exifts. The relative fituation of this kingdom with regard to France, is much improved fince laft year. We have loft nothing; we have gained fomething. The extenfion of the enemy's dominion, under the name of protec tion, in the interior of Italy, gives him little additional means of immediately annoying us. The marine of thofe allies, through whom alone he hoped to act against us, has been crippled by our glorious victories. We are fecure from him, and he is left open by the indifputed fuperiority of our navy, to our attack, if his Majefty fhall be advised to call forth the spirit and energy of his people, and to carry fuccour and affiftance to the majo rity of that nation groaning under the tyranny of the ufurpation, and manifefting, on every occafion, fentiments of difaffection and hoftility towards the establishment deceit fully and cruelly imposed on them

as

as a mild and beneficent conftitution. This is a state of things not the refult of my fpeculation, but derived from the admiffion of the ufurpers themselves. It is by them brought forward in their late declarations as their juftification, and as the imperious and irrefiftible motive for violently disfranchifing fo large a majority of the nation of thofe rights and privileges upon which, as upon an unalterable bafis, the pretended liberties of their Republic were built and established. The pecuniary diftrefs and embarraffiments of the enemy have encreafed, fo as to have been a pretence for fome of the late violent proceedings in France; while, on the contrary, the enquiries of our committees have long fince prepared the Houfe to anticipate the pleafing affurances of his Majefty, That we poffefs means and refources proportionate to the objects which were at ftake; that our revenue has continued highly productive, our national industry has been extended, and our commerce has furpaffed its former limits."

WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM.

[blocks in formation]

longing to the fubjects of his Ca tholic Majefty, having not more than one deck, to trade between the free ports established in the island of Jamaica, and alfo in the Bahama Islands, and the Spanish colonies in America, according to the regulations of the feveral acts for eftablishing free ports in our Weft India iflands, notwithstanding the prefent hoftilities. And whereas we have thought it expedient that, notwithstanding the faid hoftilities, permiffion fhould likewife be given to any British veffels navigated according to the laws now in force, to trade between the faid free ports in the island of Jamaica and in the faid Bahama Iflands and the Spanish colonies in America, provided fuch British and Spanish veffels that shall trade between the faid free ports in the island of Jamaica and the faid Spanish colonies, fhall have a licence from the Governor or Commander in Chief of our island of Jamaica; and that fuch British and Spanish veffels that fhall trade between the free ports in the Bahama Islands and the faid Spanish colonies, fhall have a li cence from the Governor or Commander in Chief of the Bahama Iflands; and provided fuch British and Spanish veffels fhall import into the free ports of Jamaica and the Bahama Iflands fuch goods only as are hereafter enumerated, viz. wool, cotton-wool, indigo, cochineal, drugs of all forts, cocoa, tobacco, logwood, fuftic, and all forts of wood for dyers ufe; hides, skins, and tallow; beaver, and all forts of furs; tortoife-fhells, hard wood, or mill-timber, mahogany, and all other woods for cabinet-ware; horfes, affes, mules, and cattle, being the growth and production of any of

the

the colonies or plantations in America, belonging to the crown of Spain; and all coin or bullion, diamonds or precious ftones, coming from thence; and provided fuch British and Spanish veffels fhall export from fuch free ports only the faid goods and commodities; and alfo rum, the produce of any Britifh ifland, and negroes, which fhall have been legally imported; and alfo all goods, wares, merchandizes, and manufactures, which fhall have been legally imported, except mafts, yards, or bow-fprits, pitch, tar, turpentine, and all other naval or military ftores, and tobacco. The commanders of our fhips of war, and of ships commiffioned with letters of marque, are hereby required and enjoined not to detain or moleft any fuch Spanish veffels, or any British veffels, trading between the free ports in the faid iflands and the Spanish colonies in America, provided they are bona fide employed in carrying on their trade conformably to the refpective regulations hereinabove defcribed, and have a licence for that purpofe from the Governor or Commander in Chief of the faid iflands refpectively; and in cafe fuch fhip to licenced fhould be captured and brought into any port, through mifapprehenfion or breach of our order, our courts of Admiralty and Vice-Admiralty are hereby required to liberate the fame, as being under the protection of our Special Commiffion.

By his Majefty's command,
(Signed) PORTLAND.

[blocks in formation]

your Imperial Majefty has favoured me, refpecting the poffeffion of the territory of the imperial city of Nuremberg, of the dependencies of the bishopric of Eichftadt, and of the immediate command in Franconia, I hold as a precious monu ment of the fentiments of justice and paternal folicitude by which your Majefty evinces the cordial concern you feel for the prefervation of the Germanic conftitution, and for the punctual obfervance of the Electoral capitulation: a conduct which cannot fail confiderably to contribute to the glory of your Imperial Majefty's reign.

I received that letter with fentiments of veneration equal to the gratitude that was excited in my breast by the kind confidence of which your Imperial Majefty has thereby given fo ftriking a proof: and I accordingly could not but pay the moft fcrupulous attention to the object in queftion, and ponder on it with all the anxiety which the moit vivid intereft could infpire.

Your Majefty, doubtlefs, can be no ftranger to the principles I profefs refpecting the maintenance of the fyftem of the Empire, and the regard due to its laws, as alfo to the uniform difpofition which will invariably induce me to do every thing in my power that can contri bute to that end. I have by no means neglected to confider the importance and extenfive confequences connected with the events in queftion; and I cannot but applaud the profound wisdom of the meafures which your Majefty has adopted. Your Majefty has expreffed a defire to be acquainted

with

my fentiments and c; inion on this fubject, and alfo that I would employ my interpofition with the King of Pruffia; and indeed I think

that

that the interpofition fuggefted by your Majefty, of all the Electors of the Empire, with his Pruffian Majefty, is, in the exifting circumftances, highly expedient, as, from the entire confidence repofed in the fentiments and opinion of his Pruffian Majefty, the Electors are induced to hope that he will not interrupt the courfe of juftice, but that he will exprefs his decided preference that the lawful poffeffors fhould be protected in the enjoyment of their rights. I am confcious, therefore, that I comply with the wishes of your Imperial Majefty, by fending to his Pruffian Majefty the letter, a copy of which I do not fcruple to annex to the prefent. Nothing fhall ever be more agreeable to me than to feize every opportunity of proving to your Imperial Majefty, on every occafion, how unfeignedly I confide in him, and thus to convince him of the high efteem with which I al

[blocks in formation]

Equeftrian order, which took place laft year on the part of your Ma jeffy, on account of your principalities of Brandenbourg, in Franconia. His Imperial Majefty has expreffed a defire that I would commu nicate to him my fentiments on this fubject, and alfo that I would employ my interpofition with your Majesty,

Whereas his Imperial Majesty, in the differences that have arifen on this occafion, is only defirous to fulfil the duty preferibed to him by the capitulation of the Empire, in a manner that must highly redound to his honour, and at the fame time to manifeft the high confideration which he entertains for your Majefty, I accordingly held it my duty, in my capacity of Elector, and in compliance with my obligations, not to refufe the request of his Imperial Majefty. I am, however, far from being difpofed to erect myfelf into a judge of the juftice of your Majesty's pretenfions, or even to enter into a difcuffion of the principles on which they are grounded. I feel it fufficient to rely on your Majesty's wisdom and abilities, which fo fully enable your Majefty to judge of every thing that belongs to the fyftem and conftitution of the Germanic Empire, in the preservation of which your Majefty has principally taken on you to be vigilant; and for this I depend on the noble and generous fentiments by which your Majefty, of your own accord, feemed to have regulated your conduct in the inftructions published the 17th of March, 1792, with regard to the regencies of Anfpach and Baircuth, efpecially refpecting the pretenfions and difference which might arife in thofe principalities. Thefe fentiments and this conduct of your

Majefty,

« TrướcTiếp tục »