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the Meuse, the Rhine, the Ems, the Weser, and the Elbe, with the Empire, the establishment of an inland navigation with the Baltic, have appeared to me to be the first and most important. I have ordered the plan of a Canal to be prepared, which will be executed in the course of five years, and will connect the Seine with the Baltic.-Those Princes will be indemnified who may find themselves circumscribed by this great measure, which is become absolutely necessary, and which will rest the right of my frontiers upon the Baltic. Before I came to this determination, I apprised England of it. She was acquainted that the only means for preserving the independence of Holland was to retract her Orders in Council of 1806 and 1807, or to return at last to pacific sentiments. But this Power was deaf to the voice of her interests, as well as to the cries of Europe.-I was in hopes of being able to establish a cartel for the exchange of prisoners of war between France and England, and to avail myself in consequence of the residence of two Commissioners at Paris and London, to bring about an approximation between the two countries. I have been disappointed in my expectations. I could find nothing in the mode in which the English Government negociated but craft and deceit. The junction of the Valais is an effect long intended of the immense works which I have had performed in the Alps within the last ten years. At the time of my act of mediation, I separated the Valais from the Helvetic League, foresceing then a measure of such advantage to France and Italy.-So long as the war continues with England, the French people must not lay down their arms.-My finances are in the most flourishing state. I can meet all the expences which this immense empire requires, without calling upon my people for fresh sacrifices.

FRANCE.-Report, or Exposition, of the State of the Empire, by the DUKE OF CADORE, Minister of Foreign Affairs, to the Emperor, 8th Dec. 1810.

Sir-Your Majesty has exalted France to the highest point of greatness. The victories obtained over five successive coalitions, all promoted by England, have produced these consequences; and it may be said, that we are indebted to England for the glory and power of the Great Empire. At every opportunity, your Ma

jesty made offers of peace, and without considering whether it would be more ad.vantageous than war: you looked, Sir, only to the happiness of the present generation, and you always shewed yourself ready to sacrifice to it the most flattering prospects of the future. It was in this spirit that the peace of Campo Formio, of Luneville, and of Amiens, and subsequently of Presburg, of Tilsit, and of Vienna, were concluded; it was in this spirit that your Majesty has five times sacrificed to peace the greater part of your conquests. More anxious to adora your reign by the public happiness, than to extend the frontiers of your empire, your Majesty set bounds to your greatness; while England, keeping the torch of war continually alive, seemed to conspire against her allies as well as herself to create the greatest empire that has existed for twenty centuries. At the peace of 1783, the power of France was strong in the Family Compact, which closely bound Spain and Naples with her political system. At the peace of Amiens, the respective strength of the three great Powers was increased by the addition of twelve millions of Polish inhabitants. The Houses of France and Spain were essentially hostile to each other, and the people of the two countries were removed farther than ever from each other, by the difference of their manners. One of the great Continental Powers had her strength less diminished by the junction of Belgium with France, than it was increased by the acquisition of Venice; the secularizations also of the Germanic Body added more to the power of our rivals. Thus, at the conclusion of the Treaty of Amiens, the relative force of France was less than at the peace of 1783, and much inferior to that to which the victories obtained during the wars of the two first coalitions gave her a right to expect. This treaty, however, was scarcely concluded, when the jealousy of England alarm at the continually increasing pros displayed itself strongly. She took the perity and riches of the interior of France; and she hoped that a third coalition would wrest Belgium, the provinces of the Rhine, and Italy, from your crown. The peace of Amiens was broken; a third coalition was formed, three months after, it was dissolved by the treaty of Presburg.

England saw all her hopes blasted; Venice, Dalmatia, Istria, the whore of the Adriatic coast, and that of the kingdom of

Naples, fell into the power of France. would have ended happily, when Fox The Germanic body, established upon died. From that time they languished. principles contrary to those upon which theThe ministers were neither sufficiently enFrench empire was founded, dropped to lightened nor temperate to perceive the pieces; and the system of the Confedera- necessity of peace. Prussia, excited by tion of the Rhine transformed to close and that spirit which England infused into all necessary allies the same nations, who in Europe, put her troops in march. The the first coalitions marched against France; Imperial Guard received orders to set out; and united them indissolubly to herself by Lord Lauderdale appeared terrified at the their common interests. The peace of consequences of the new events that were Amiens then became in England the preparing. It was proposed to sign the object of every. Statesman. The new treaty; that Prussia should be included acquisitions by France, which there were in it, and that the Confederation of the no hopes of wresting from her at any fu- North of Germany should be recognized. ture time, rendered the fault that was com- Your Majesty, with that spirit of moderamitted more evident, and shewed the full tion of which you have given such freextent of it.-An enlightened man, who quent examples to Europe, consented.during the short interval of the peace of The departure of the Imperial Guard was Amiens, visited Paris, and had learned to delayed for some days, but Lord Lauderknow France and your Majesty, was put dale hesitated he thought it necessary to at the head of affairs in England. This send a messenger to his Court, and that man of genius comprehended the situation messenger brought him an order to return. of the two countries. He perceived that In a few days after Prussia no longer exit was not in the power of any State to isted as a preponderating Power. Poscompel France to retrogade; and that terity will consider that period as one of the true policy consisted in arresting her the most decisive in the histories of Engprogress. He perceived, that by the land and of France. The treaty of Tilsit success obtained over the third coalition, put an end to the fourth coalition.-[After the question was changed; and that it some further uninteresting remarks, the must no longer be thought of contesting Report proceeds thus:]-The fifth coawith France the possessions that she ac- lition broke out, 'the new events of which quired by victory; but that it was neces- again turned out advantageous to France. sary, by a speedy peace, to prevent those The only ports by which England preservnew acquisitions which the continuation of ed an avowed communication with the Conthe war would render inevitable. This tinent, together with the Illyrian provinces minister did not conceal any of the ad- passed under the power of your Majesty vantages which France derived from the by the treaty of Vienna, and the Allies of erroneous policy of England; but he had the Empire beheld their power increased. in view those which she might still ac--The British Orders in Council had overquire. He thought that England would thrown the laws of, the commerce of the gain much, if none of the Continental world; England, whose whole existence Powers Jost more. He directed his po- is attached to commerce, had thus thrown licy to disarm France, and to have the disorder into the commerce of other naConfederation of the North of Germany tions. She had contemned all its privirecognized in opposition to the Confede- leges. The decrees of Berlin and of Miration of the Rhine. He perceived that lan had repelled these monstrous novelPrussia could only be preserved by peace; ties. Holland found that her position was a and that on the fate of that power de- difficult one; her government had not an pended the system of Saxony, of Hessia, action sufficiently energetic; her customof Hanover, the fate of the mouths of the houses afforded too little security to permit Ems, of the Jade, of the Weser, of the that centre of continental commerce to reElbe, of the Oder, and of the Vistula, main much longer insulated from France. ports necessary for the commerce of Eng Your Majesty, for the interests of your peoland. Like a great man, Fox did not de- ple,and to secure the execution of the sysliver himself up to useless sorrow for the tem which you had opposed to the tyrannirupture of the Treaty of Amiens, and cal act of England, saw yourself compelled losses henceforth irreparable; he wished to change the fate of Holland. Your Mato prevent greater, and he sent Lord Laud-jesty, nevertheless, constant in your syserdale to Paris.-The negotiations began, tem, and in your desire of peace, gave and every thing led to hope that they England to understand that she could not

preserve the independence of Holland, but by recalling her Orders in Council, or adopting pacific views.-The ministers of a commercial nation treated with levity overtures so greatly interesting to its commerce. They replied; that England had no power over the fate of Holland. In the illusions of their pride, they misconceived the motives of that measure; they pretended to see in it an acknowledgment of the efficacy of their Orders in Council, and Holland was united. Since they would have it so, Sire, I think it useful at this moment, and I propose to your Majesty to consolidate that union by a Senatus-Consulta. The annexation of the Hanseatic Towns, of Lanenburg, and of the whole coast from the Elbe to the Ems is commanded by circumstances. That territory is already under the dominion of your Majesty. The immense warehouses at Heligoland would always threaten to inundate the Continent, if a single point remained open to the English trade upon the coasts of the North Sea; and if the mouths of the Jade, the Weser, and the Elbe, were not for ever closed against her. -The British Orders in Council have totally destroyed the privileges of neutral navigation; your Majesty can no longer supply your arsenals, and have a sure channel for your commerce with the North, but by means of internal navigation. The repairing and enlarging of the Canal between Hamburg and Lubeck, and the construction of a new Canal, which will unite the Elbe to the Weser, and the Weser to the Ems, which will only require four or five years labour, and an expenditure of fifteen or twenty millions, in a country, the soil of which offers no physical obstacles, will open to the French merchants a cheap, easy, and safe route. •Your Empire can always trade with the Baltic, convey to the North the produce of her soil and manufactures, and draw from thence the articles necessary for your Majesty's navy. The flags of Hamburg, of Bremen, and of Lubeck, which at present wander on the seas, denationalized by the British Orders in Council, will share the fate of the French flag, and join with it, for the interest of the common cause, and in re-establishing the liberty of the seas.-Peace will take place at last; for, sooner or later, the great interests of nations, of justice, and of humanity, will prevail over passion and hatred. But the experience of sixty years has shewn us that peace with England can only afford

In

to commerce a deceitful security. 1756, in February 1793, in 1801, in the instance of Spain, as in May 1803, the period of the rupture of the treaty of Amiens, England commenced hostilities before she declared war. Vessels which navigated in the faith of peace, were taken by surprise, commerce was plundered, peaceable citizens were deprived of their liberty, and the ports of England were filled with these disgraceful trophies. Should these examples be ever renewed, the subjects of England, travelling either for pleasure or business, whose properties and persons shall be secured in all our ports froin the Baltic sea to the Adriatic gulf, will be answerable for these attempts; and if the English Government, for the purpose of making the people of London forget the injustice of the war, will gratify them with the sight of prizes taken in contempt of the law of nations, they will also have it in their power to shew them the losses which most certainly result from it.-Sire, your Majesty will per-severe in your decrees so long as England persists in her Orders in Council. You will oppose to the Maritime blockade, the Continental blockade, and to the plunder on the seas, the confiscation of English merchandize on the Continent. It is my duty to acquaint your Majesty that you can have henceforth no bope to bring back your enemies to more moderate ideas than by persevering in this system. The result of it will be to place England in such a disagreeable situation, that she will be at length compelled to acknowledge that she cannot violate the laws of neutrals on the sea, and claim their protection on the Continent; that the sole source of her misfortunes is in her Orders in Council; and that the increase of the power of France, which will long excite her spite and jealousy, is owing to the blind passion of those who have broken the treaty of Amiens, put an end to the negociation at Paris, rejected the propositions from Tilsit and Erfurth, disdained the overtures made before the annexation of Holland, have given the last blow to her trade and her power, and conducted your Empire to the fulfilment of its high destinies.

CHAMPAGNY, Duke of Cadore.

FRANCE.Document translated from the Moniteur, relating to the Negociations between France and England in 1800, when Lord Lauderdale was at Paris.

exalted, because England' would acquire by it the merit of having saved a power with whom she is actually at war, but whose preservation is prescribed to her by her interest. Lord Lauderdale appeared sensible of the grandeur of this proposition, and of the great advantage that it would be to his country. I added, that not a moment was to be lost; that if once the war began, both sides must run the chances of it; and that neither he nor I could foresee whither the fortune of France, and the genius of her leader might carry our arms, our influence, and our glory.-After having reflected upon this declaration, and recalling to his memory my answer respecting the impossibility of restoring Dalmatia, Lord Lauderdale informed me, that he would send a messenger to his Court; and he requested a second conference.-This second conference took place to-day at two o'clock. Lord Lauderdale had received a messenger from London, who brought him an account of the formation of the new Ministry, and instructions relating to the negociation.. My Lord appeared more persevering than ever in the propositions which he had before made, and in his determination of demanding his passports; he brought to my recollection the declaration which I had made to him respecting the impossibility of arresting by peace the march of the French army, when it was ready to begin the campaign. "I would have asked for that," said he, "in the name of my Go

The documents relating to the negocia- tions with England before the Prussian war have been already published. The last of these publications, in October 1806, was that relating to the negociation opened at Paris by Lord Yarmouth, and afterwards continued and broken off by Lord Lauderdale. But this publication, containing only the official notes interchanged between the respective Plenipotentiaries, has not sufficiently explained the circumstances which produced the rupture. The extract of the account of the two last conferences between the French and English Plenipotentiaries, which was sent at the time to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, who had then left Paris in his Majesty's suite, will best attain this object. It will be there seen that England had it in her power to prevent the war with Prussia, and that she would not; and that it was in vain that the result of that campaign, and the increase of power which it must necessarily give to France, were announced to her Plenipotentiary. The English Government would run the risk of it.-Four years later she might have preserved Holland in the same manner. It will be seen in the documents of a negociation, which the Dutch Ministers endeavoured to open with the British Government, that England preferred the continuation of the war to the independence of Holland, as she preferred it to the safety of Prussia.-France, then, has been placed in the great situation which she occupies, solely by the obstinacy of Eng-vernment, which you had declared to me; land in prolonging this war, which she declares must be perpetual. Every epoch at which she has rejected peace, has proved to France an epoch of glory, and increase of power.

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I had received orders to that effect: but I must, notwithstanding, render this justice to the French Government, that it was it which voluntarily made this declaration."

HOLLAND.Proceedings of the Dutch

*No.

In consequence of the authority given to me by his Majesty the Emperor, I declared to Lord Lauderdale that a peace, speedily signed and ratified, before the military operations had proceeded to a certain length, could immediately stop their progress; and that he was in a situation to fill, and to make England the high character of Pacificator of the Continent; a character the more

Ministry with the English Government, relative to the preserving of the independ ance of Holland by the means of a Peace with France.-1810.-From No. I. to No. IV.

L-Communication of the King of Holland to his Ministers. Gentlemen,-For the six weeks that I have been with the Emperor, my brother, I have been constantly occupied with the affairs of the kingdom. If I have been able to efface some unfavourable impressions, or at least to modify them, I must acknowledge that I have not succeeded in reconciling in his mind, the existence and independence of the kingdom, with the

success and prosperity of the Continental | system; and in particular, that of France against England. I am assured that France is firmly resolved to annex Holland, in spite of all considerations; and that she is convinced that its independence can no longer be prolonged, if the maritime war continues. In this cruel oertainty, there no longer remains to us but one hope, which is, that a maritime peace be negociated: that alone can avert the danger which threatens us; and without the success of these negociations, it is certain, that the independence of Holland is no more; that no sacrifice can prevent the blow. It is thus the clear and formal intention of France to sacrifice every thing in order to acquire Holland, and so to augment, whatever it may cost her, her means for opposing England. Doubtless, England will have every thing to fear from such an augmentation of her coasts and marine on the part of France. It is therefore possible that their own interest may induce the English to ward off a blow which may prove so fatal to them.-I com-lutely inevitable, have thought proper to mit to you the care of developing this idea with all the energy which may be necessary to make the English Government feel the importance of the measure which it remains for it to take-impress upon it all the arguments and all the considerations which shall present themselves to your minds-adopt this proceeding of yourselves, without my name being at all mentioned in it. But there is no time to be lost; send immediately some trusty and discreet commercial gentleman to England, and inform me of the result on his return. Let me know the period when that may be; for we have no time to lose: there remain to us only a few days. Two corps of the grand army are on their march to Holland; Marshal Oudinot has just set out to take the command of them. Let me know what you have done in pursuance of this letter, and on what day I may have an answer from England.

thenticity, the destiny of Holland, that is, the maintenance or the loss of her political. existence, depends on the dispositions entertained on the part of the English government, with respect to arriving at a speedy peace with France; or at least with respect to the making of a real change in the measures adopted by the above. government, in relation to the commerce and navigation of neutrals.-The said Sieur Labouchere must, in consequence, repair with all convenient speed to London, where, in the manner and way which he shall find most suitable, he shall seek to communicate the above state of things to the knowledge of the English ministry, and of every other person who may be able to promote the object in view; and he shall be permitted to make known, that he fills this mission with the consent of the Dutch Government, who, in consequence of the authenticity of the above information, bearing that, without the above change in the system of England, the loss of the independence of Holland is abso

No. II.-Instructions given by the Dutch
Ministry to M. Labouchere, 1st Feb. 1810.

"The object of the commission with which, by orders of the undersigned, M. Pierre César Labouchere is entrusted, is to make known to the English government, that, in consequence of information which has reached the Dutch ministers, and which has every appearance of au

shut their eyes upon all considerations and difficulties, to attempt every thing that may serve to maintain the political existence of the country. He will then endeavour to impress upon the English government, how much it would be for the advantage of England that Holland should not fall under the sovereign dominion of the French empire, but remain always an independant power. To prove this assertion, he will use all the arguments with which the business itself can furnish him, and which shall occur to him.-If he find this conviction in the English government, or shall find means to inspire it, he will endeavour to engage it to contribute to the maintenance of the political independance of this country, and in promptly applying himself to negociations tending to attain a general peace; or at least, in case such negocia tions could not be promptly adopted and commenced, in giving satisfactory assurances of its intention to make some changes in the system adopted by the British Orders in Council of November 1807, and in the measures which have resulted from them.-Above all, he must urge this latter object, for the purpose, he will say, of making opposition to the eagerness of France to occupy Holland. (To be continued.)

Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent Garden :-Sold also by J. BUDD, Pall-Mall,

LONDON :-Printed by T: C. Hansard, Peterborough-Court, Fleet-Street,

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