39t Staff of Public Jfairs in October, 1806. [Nov. 1," 



Eleflor of Hefle, and what was the augmen- 

 tation of territory with the expeftution of 

 ■tihich he was flattered ? It was the Prince 

 of Orange, the hrother-in-Iaw of the King, 

 that Prince who had been twice deceived in a 

 mod: /hamelefs irianner, who was now to be 

 robbed the third time. He (liU pofTelTed tlic 

 terrir->ry of Fiilda. This was promifed to 

 the Elcftor ; and it would have been given, 

 had the Eltiftor confcnted to accept it, and 

 hjd not Pruflia taken up arms. 



His Majefly faw tli- fyftem of tifurpation 

 advance every day. He faw a circle, conti- 

 nually becoming narrower, drawn round him, 

 and even tlie right of moving within it be- 

 ginning to be difputed with him, for a fwecp- 

 ing relolutlon forbade a palTage to any foreign 

 troops, armed or not armed, through the 

 llares of the confederation. This was to cut 

 oft', contrary to the rights of nations, the 

 connexion between the detached Kelfian pro- 

 vinces. This wjs to pre|iare a pretext on 

 which to a6l. This was the firft threat of 

 punifhmcnt aimed at a magnanimous prince, 

 ■tilio had preferred a defender to a mafter. 



But even after this — his Majcfty cannot 

 rcflcd on it witliout admiration — the King 

 confidcred whether a combination might not 

 be found which fliould render this Jtate of 

 things compatible with the maintenance of 

 peace. 



The Emperor Napoleon appeared to be 

 folicitous to remove this doubt. Two nego- 

 tiations were then carrying on at Paris, one 

 with RulTia, the otiier'with the Englift mi- 

 riftry. In both thefe negociations tlie inten- 

 tions of I'rancp againft Pruflia were evidently 

 Jiiiinifcfted. 



By the treaty which the Emperor of Ruffia 

 lias refufed to ratify, France oft'crtd, in con- 

 junftion with Rullia, to prevent Pruflia from 

 depriving the King of Sweden of his Gtrman 

 territories. Yet for many months the cabinet 

 of St. Cloud had continually prtlfed the King 

 to feiie thofe dates, with the three-fold view 

 — firff, to revenge himfelf on the King of 

 Sweden; fecondly, to embroil Pruflia with 

 all other powers ; and thirdly to purchafc her 

 filence with refpet't to the fubverfion of 

 f.outhern Germany, — Rut the King had l«ng 

 lieen aware that fuch were tlie views of 

 J'rance, and his uniortunate difpute with 

 Sweden was painful to him. He had there- 

 fore been careful to provide againll every fuf- 

 picion of felf-intercfted motives, and he con- 

 fided his explanations to tie Emperor Alex- 

 ander. The fcene now again changed, and 

 Napoleon, wlio had fo long been the encmv 

 of the King of Sweden, was fuddenly trans- 

 formed into his proteirtor. 



It is not fuperfluous to remark that, in this 

 inCdious treaty of the French Emperor, in 

 order to fatisfy the honourable intereft which 

 the court of St. Peteriburgh took in the 

 ■ maintenance of tlic rights irf-the King of 

 Naples, he promifed the latter an indemni- 

 fication, engaging to prevail on the' King of 

 Si»ain to cede tu him the Baleaiic iiiands. He 



will ai5l in the fame manner with fefpeft to 

 the augmentations of territory he pretends t» 

 beftow on his allies. 



Thefe were all preludes to the fteps he took 

 againft Pruflia — we now apjiroach the moment 

 which determined his Majefty. 



Pruflia had hitherto derived nothing from 

 her treaties with France, but humili-xtion 

 and lot"; — one finglc advantage remained. 

 The fate of Hanover was in her power, and 

 in her power it muft remain, unlefs ihe lait 

 pledge of the fecurity of the north were an- 

 nihilated. Napoleon had folemnlv' guaran- 

 teed this ftate of things, yet he ncgociated 

 with England on the bafis of the reftoratioft 

 of the Elcftorate. The King is in pofl'eflion 

 of the proofs. 



War was now in fafl declared by every mea- 

 fure taken by France. Every month pro- 

 duced a new notification of the return of his 

 army; tut, on one frivolous pretext or an- 

 other, it was ftill continued in Germany, 

 and for wlial purpofes .''—Gracious Heaven! 

 to eradicate the laft trace of fovereignty 

 among the Germans ; to treat Kings as go- 

 vernors appointed by himfelf; to dtag before 

 military tribunals citizens, only refponlible 

 to their own governments; to declare others 

 outlaws, wiio lived praceably in foreign ftatcs 

 under foreign fovert igns ; and even in the 

 capital of a German Emperor, bccaufe they 

 had publiflied writings in which the French 

 government, or at leaft its dcfpotifm, was 

 attacked : and this at a time when that fame 

 government daily permitted hired libellers to 

 attack, under its protedtion, the honour of a41 

 crowned heads, and the molt facred feelings of 

 nations. Thefe armies were in no manner 

 diminiflicd, but continually reinforced and 

 augm.entcd, and continually advanced nearer 

 to the frontiers of PruiTia or her allies, till 

 they at length took a pofition which could 

 only menace PruiTia, and were even afl'em- 

 bled in force in 'Weft|)halia, which certainly 

 was not the road to the mouths of the Cat- 

 taio. 



It was no longer doubtful that Napoleon 

 had determined to overwhelm Pruflia with 

 war, or to render her for ever incapable of 

 war, fmce he was leading her from humili- 

 ation to humiliation, till flie fhould be reduc- 

 ed to fuch a ftate of political degradation 

 and feeblenefs, that, deprived of every de- 

 fence, Ihe could have no other will than that 

 of her formidable neighbour. 



The King delayed no longer. He aflem- 

 bled his army. General Knoblefdorff was 

 fent to Paris with the final declarations of 

 his Majefty. Only one meafure remained 

 which could givefecuricy to theKing, which 

 was the return of the French troops over the 

 Rhine. The time for difcufiion was paft, 

 tht/ugli the cabinet of St. Cloud appeared ftill 

 defuous to piotraft it. General KnoblefdorfF 

 had orders to infift on this demand. It was 

 not the whole of the King's juft demands, 

 but it was necefl'ary that it ftiould be ehe 

 firlt, fince it was th$ condition of his future 

 exlAcncB. 



