;t806^] 



State of Public Affairs in October^ 1806. 



395 



exlftence. The acceptance or refiifal of it 

 mufl: ihevv the real fcntitnents of the French 



(Emperor. .' ' ' 



Unmejnlng profeffions, arguments, the 

 real value of which were kr.own by long ex- 



• perienfe, were the only anfwcr the King re- 



.ceived. Far from the French army being re- 

 called, it was annoanced that it would be 

 reinforced; — but with a haughtinefs fliU 

 more remarkable ti^an this refufal, an oiKer 



■jivas mr'. Je tint the troops which had advanced 

 into V\ fcftphalia (hould -return home, if Pruf- 

 fia would defifc frc'm her preparati'jns. This 

 was not all. It was infolently nnti'.ied to the 



.King's miniilers, that the cities of Hamburgh, 

 Bremen, and Lubec, would not be fullered 

 to join the northern confederation ; but that 

 France. wou)d take them under her piytec- 

 tion, in the fame manner as in the other 

 confederation foe had given away cities and 

 promulgated laws, without permitting any 

 «ther power to make the leaft pretenfion. 

 The King was required to fufter a foreign 

 intereft to be introduced into the heart of his 



•monarchy. Another contrail: of conduiit in- 

 cenfed the King to the utmoft. He received 

 from the Emperor a letter full of thefe affur- 

 ances of eileem which, certainly when they 

 do not accord with fads, are confidercd as 

 nothing, but which the dignity of fovereigns 

 renders a duty to themfelves even on the eve 

 of war. Yet a few days afterwards, at a 

 moment when the fword was not yet drawn, 

 v.hen the minlfter of the Emperor endeavour- 

 ed (o miflead thofe of the King by afluranccs 

 on allurances of the friendly intentions of 

 France, the Publicifte of the 10th of Sep- 

 tember appeared, with a diatribe agaiatl: the 

 King and the Prufhan ftate, in a ftyle worthy 

 of the moft difgraceful periods ot the revo- 

 lution : infulting to the nation, and what, 

 in other times than ours, would have been 

 confidered as amounting to a declaration of 

 war. The King can treat flanders that are 

 merely abufive with contempt ; but wlien 

 tliefe flanders contribute to explain the real 

 ftate of things, it would be unwife to treat 

 them merely with contempt. 



The lall doubt had now difappeared ; troops 



'.marched from the interior of France towards 

 the Rhine. Tiie intent to attack Prullia was 

 clear and certain. The King ordered a note 

 to be tranfmitted by General Kiiobelfdorf, 

 containing the conditions on which he was 

 ready to come to aa accomnioJaliou. Thefe 

 conditions were, 



J. That the French troops will Immedi- 

 ately' evacuate Germany. 



2. That France would oppofe no obftaclc to 

 the formation of the Northern Confederacy ; 

 and that the coni'ederacy niigfit embra.e all 

 the larger and fmaller ftates not included in 

 tile fundamental Aft of the Confederation of 

 the Rhine. 



."5. That a negociation (hoold immediately 

 be commi-nced for tnc ^idjuftment of all dif- 

 ferences ftil! in difpu-te ; a preliminary article 

 •f v.'hich ihoulU be, the reiluraCion of ihc 



^hree abbeys, and tlie feparatioii of the toA'a 

 of Wefel from the French empire. 



Thefe conditions fpeak for themfelves-— 

 they (hew how moderate the King, even at 

 this moment, has been in his demands, and 

 liow much the maintenance of peace, if France 

 willies peace, depends upon France herfelf. 



The term peremptorily fixed by the King 

 for the decifion of peace or war has elapfed. 

 His Majeily has not received the aiifwer or 

 the cabinet of St. Cloud ^ or rather, the pre- 

 parations he fees around him; daily, give him 

 that anfwcr. The King can henceforth confide 

 the lionour and falety of his crown only to 

 arms : he has recourfe to them with pain, 

 fmce a vglory purcbafed ty the tears of his 

 people was never his wilh ; but he has re- 

 courfe to then) with the tranquillity of confi- 

 dence, fince his caufc is juft. The King has 

 carried his forbearance to the utmoft limit, 

 and till honour forbade him to carry it fur- 

 ther ; the King has overlooked every thiii'^ 

 only perfonaliy injurious to himfeltj he has 

 difreg-.irded the de^ilion? of ignorance and the 

 attacks of calumny, a!v<ays hoping that he 

 ihould be able to conduft his peop'e without 

 injury to that period which muft fooner or 

 later arrive, when unjult greatnels iTiall find 

 its bounds, and ambition, whicii ohftinately 

 refufed to acknowledge any limits, (hall at 

 length overle.ip ilfelf 



His Majelfy takes up arms, not to gratify a 

 long nourilhed refentment, not to increafe 

 his power, nor to difturb a nation which 

 knows how to eftcem itfelf in its natural and 

 lawful limits, but to proteil his monarchy 

 from the late wditch is prepared for it — to 

 maintain tiie people of Frederick in their in- 

 dependence and glory — to deliver unfortunate 

 Germany from the yoke under wliicii it lies— 

 and to obtain an honourable and fccure peace. 

 The day on'wiiich ho (hall effeft tliis, will 

 afford the King his noblcft triumph. The 

 events of the war, which is now beginning, 

 are in the difpofal of fupreme wifdom. The 

 King leaves to others premature boaftings, as 

 he has long left to them the miferable enjoy. 

 ment of their bafe inveflives and unanfwered 

 calumnies. But he leads to honourable com- 

 bat an army worthy of its former glory. He 

 reigns over a people of whom he may be 

 ■proud; and while he is ready to ihed his blood 

 for them, he knows what he may expeft from 

 their energy and their alr'^ction. Princes, the 

 honour ot the German name, confiding in 

 his gratitude and integrity, and who, while 

 they fight by his fide, fear not to obtain the 

 vidtory, have joined their banners to his. 

 A Sovereign, who adorns with His virtues 

 one of the firft thrones in the world, is 

 pCDCtrated witli the juftiie of his caufc. 

 The voice of nations every where invokes a 

 blelling on his arms— and even where it is 

 overawed into filence, is only more diftinilly 

 heard. Withmanv motives to be confcious of 

 her Itrength, Pruiha may well be permitted 

 to repole conlidtnce in her higii d-rltiay. 

 1 lend- Hharttnut Erfurt f Oii. 9, IfJtK?. 

 JU2 K£PORT 



