1806.] State of Public Affairs in Ociokr, 180<i. agj 



h fufficient to know the conditions then pro- 

 posed, to be convinced of the moderation 

 which, at all times, has governed the poli- 

 tics of his Majefty in their whole extent. 

 Pr-uffia, at this moment, liftened not to the 

 voice of revenge ; {he pafTed over the events 

 ef tK.' late wsr, however violent they might 

 have been, fince they had been fanitioned by 

 exilling treaties. She required nothing but 

 the pundlual fulfilment of thofe treaties; but 

 this fhe required without limitation. Coimt 

 Haugwitz repaired to Vienna, where the 

 French Emperor then v.as. Scarcely had this 

 minifter been there a few days, when the 

 whole face of afikirs v.as changed: the mif- 

 fortunes experienced by ti-.e conrt <jf Vienna 

 had compelled it to fign an armiftice, which 

 was immediately fcllowe'ii by a peace. The 

 Emperor of Rufija facrificed his ir.asnanimoMS 

 views to the wifh of his ally, and his troops 

 returned home. Prullia flood now alone on 

 the field of conteft. His Majefty waS obliged 

 to limit his policy by his powers; and in- 

 flead, as had been his wifh, of embracing 

 the interell of all Europe, make his own fe- 

 curity, and that of his neighbours, his firft 

 •bjcft. 



The French Emperor propofed to Count 

 Haugwitz a treaty in which was ftipulated, on 

 tile one fide, a mutual guarantee of puflef- 

 fions, the ittvioUbility of the TurkiiTi terri- 

 tory, and the refults of the peace of Pref- 

 burg ; and, on the other, the taking pofTellion 

 •t H.uiover by Priifiia, in return for the cef- 

 Son of three provinces. 



The firft part of this treaty promifed, at 

 leaft tor the future, an acknowledged, gua- 

 ranteed, and (if Napoleon had fo pleafed) a 

 firm, political conftitution. The refults of 

 •he peace of Prelburg were a general misfor- 

 tune for Europe, but Prullia facrificed herfelf 

 alone when {he accepted them ; and to place 

 a limit to the incelTant ufurpations of France, 

 Aould the treaty be confidered by the court 

 el St. Cloud as any thing more than words, 

 appeared an advantage: the King, therefore, 

 iatifiedthis article unconditionally'. 



The fecond half of the treaty of Vienna 

 related to an object, the importance of which 

 had been manir'efted by fericiis experience. 

 PrufTia could not rely on fe.urity for a mo- 

 ment, fo long as Hanover remained involved 

 in a war, in which tliat country had, in fadt, 

 no concern. At whatever price it might be 

 parchafcd.Pruffia wasrefolved that the French 

 Aould not return thitlier. Slie had her choice 

 *o obtain this end, cither by a treaty or a war. 

 The celiion of three provinces, which, had 

 been faithful and happy for a long fcries of 

 •years, was a facrificc not to be made for any 

 plan of vain ambitiun ; but thefc provinces, 

 in cafe of a war, would have been the firit 

 futterers : all the cilaniities of that v.'ar would 

 have preired upon the monarchy; v.'hilc the 

 acquilition of Hanover, could it have been 

 fnjde under lef» unliappy circumftances, would 

 kivt ti«K:<l preduiiivc yf the i)j«ft valuable 



advantages to Pruffia. The King, therefore^ 

 conceived th.it lie reconciled his wii'hes with 

 his principles, when he accepted the propofed 

 exchange, only under the condition, that the 

 fulfilment of the fame fiiould be deferred till 

 the general peace, and that the cjnfent of 

 his Majefty the King of Great Britaiii ftiould 

 be obtained. 



All the advantages of this ti'eaty were fot 

 France. On the one fidej fhe received gua- 

 rantees, which put the feal on her co.T'^juefts ; 

 on the other, {he gave what fhe did nc5't pof- 

 fefs, what might be again conquered by the ' 

 chances of an uncertain war ; while in the 

 cellions of Pruffu fh-j found the means of ' 

 enriching her allies. 



But between a policy which will do ev«ry 

 thing in its power, and an integrity whick 

 regards its duties, and efpecially its promifes, 

 the contelt is ei'er unequal. The King ap- 

 proached the moment wiie:i he was convinced 

 of this by experience: this moment was tUe 

 njoft painful of his reign. 



It was the affair of France to rejedl the 

 modifications under v/hich the King had con- 

 firmed the treaty, if fhe did not approve 

 them. But fhe avoided doing this, for the 

 whole Pruffian army was (till under arm&. 

 She continued to be lavilh of afTur.mces of 

 friendlhip ; fhe fulfilled the treaty as far as it 

 fuited her : but when his Majefty vvifhed to 

 reap the only advantage which he had pro- 

 pofed to himfelf from the late ncgociations, 

 and which was neareft to his heart, fhe 

 fuddeiily altei'ed her language. The modifi- 

 cations added to the treaty of Vienna, were 

 now rejected at Paris. Endeavours v.'ete 

 made to force Pruffia into the moft injurious 

 meafares ; and when Count Haugwiiz, who 

 was at Paris, remonftrated againft this, the 

 unconditional fulfilment of the treaty wa« 

 haughtily inhfied on, as were the immediate 

 ceffion of the three piovinces, and the recal 

 of the patent by which the occupation of Ha- 

 nover was declared provifioiial. Prullia wa» 

 required to refign a part of the advantages 

 ftipulated, and to fhut the ports againft the 

 Britifli flag, in the fame manner as if the 

 French had returned into the Elcftorate. 



The King, at length, was per etfly con- 

 vinced of the true charafter of tlie friendfliip 

 of the Emperor of the French — a fopori.'ic 

 draught for a power which Itill feels its owa 

 ftrength ; an inftruraent of degradation, and 

 finally of fubjection, to every power whicli 

 no longer pofTefTes ftrength. 



In the mean time. Napoleon was in pof- 

 fcflion of every advant.igt?. The Prulfiao 

 army had returned ; his own, after feme 

 movements of no confequencs, at which de- 

 ceived Germany prematurely rejoic-d, on 

 fonie frivolous pretences, eltalilifheri itfelf on 

 this fide the Rhine. The firit conflict mijhc 

 produce misfortunes. War, which is not,' un- 

 der all circumftances, the greatcft of evils, 

 might become fuch under tlnlc rhcnexilHng. 

 The Kin^- determined ta cyntirmethe psrt he 

 1 iia 



