1807.J Staf-e of Public A fairs in December, 1806. 



591 



of each of the three former wars, has been 

 the caufc of that which initre-liately follow- 

 ed. Tlius have we had ro contend againft a 

 fourth coalition, nine mo;. ths after the difTo- 

 Jution of the thirt! — nine months after tliat 

 fi^nal viflory which Providence vouchfjfed to 

 VIS, and which held fortl\ an allurance of a 

 long repofe to tl^e Continent. 



"The influence of England, however, 

 fiioncr or liter, extends it'elf over a prejt 

 number of the European Calilnets ; and wilh- 

 ouC a duraMe pea(!fe vv.th this Power, our peo- 

 ple cannot enjoy thofe benefits of peace, 

 which have been the firft aim of our labours, 

 and the fole objcit of oar exiftence. Not- 

 withftanding our trium^'i.i.ii: pofition. we 

 were, even in the laA iic-^cciation with Eng- 

 land, ftill more ftruck by the arrogance of 

 her language, than by the fucrifices ihe was 

 difpnft:<l to exaft from us. The ifland of 

 Malta, on which it feemed as if thj honor of 

 the war dep-.nded, which Englund in contempt 

 of treaties retained, and which was the firft 

 caufe of war, we agreed to cede. We agreed 

 that, befides Ceylon and the kingdom or My- 

 fore, England fliouid alio retain the Cape of 

 Good Hope. 



"But all our exertions were fruftratcd, 

 when the Cabinet Councils of our enemy 

 ceafcd to be animated by the noble nmbitio.T 

 of uniting the happinefs of t;.c world with the 

 aftunl prolperity of one's country, and the 

 latter witii a permanent il.ite of profperity j 

 and no profperity can be permanent for Eng- 

 land, which is founded in an extn-.vagant and 

 unjuft policy, that, would deprive of all com- 

 merce, and all navigation, fixty millions of 

 people, who are their neighbours, and who 

 are both rich and brave. 



"Thus, afttr the death of the Engliili 

 Prime Minifter, we eafily perceived that the 

 negociations were continued with no other 

 view than that of throwing a veil over the 

 formation of the fourth coalition, which has 

 been ilrangled in its birth. 



"In this new Ctuation, we have adopted 

 as the immutable principle of our tonduft, 

 the refolutioii not to evacuate Berlin, War- 

 faw, and the provinces which may come into 

 cur poiTcflion by force of arms, until a Gene- 

 ral Peace has been concluJed — until the Spa- 

 jiifh, Dutch, and Frtncii Colonies have been 

 relVored — until the foundations of the Otto- 

 man Power have been fecured, and the com- 

 plete Independence of that great Empire, one 

 of the moft important interefts of our people, 

 lias been irrevocably confecrated. 



«' We ,have placed the Britiih iflanJs in a 

 Hate of blockade, and ordered meafures to be 

 taken againit them which excite a ftrugglc in 

 our liear;. It has coft us the pain of a vic- 

 tory, to render the intercft of private indivi 

 «lualt dcp;;n<ient on the difputcs of Kings, 

 and, after fo many years of civilization, to 

 letura to thofe principles which charadicrizc 

 jhe barharifin ol the tint ages of nations. But 

 the welfare of our people and our allies has 

 compeilvd us to employ againil lue common 



foe the fame weapons which he iifcs ngainft us. 

 — Thefe determirations, which are diftated 

 by a juA feeline of reciprocity, have originated 

 neither in palTion nor in hatred. The fame 

 offers, which we made after the diiToiution of 

 thL' three coilititns, which contributed fo 

 much to the glory of our people, wc are Hill 

 ready to make at the moment our arms have 

 gained new triumphs. Wc are ready to con- 

 clude pc ice with England ; wc are ready to 

 n-ik:- jitncc v.ith R-aiiia and Prul'.ia : but on 

 fuel-, principles alone r-'uft it be concluded, as 

 that no one, be who lie n^av, :hal! prefume to 

 claim any thing of us, on the p.i-tencc of fu- 

 pcrijr power. The Colonies mu;. ; reiorcd 

 to the mother coun£ri:;s, .Tnd to our rom- 

 merceand induftry that profperity of which 

 they are fufccv,tible, mufl; be ;',uar.:nt»ed. 



" Should thefe dlfpofitions, in tile whole of 

 their extent, tend to retard for a time the 

 period of a gen ral peace, the delay, however 

 ftiorr it may be, will to car lieirt appear long. 

 Cut we ave cc:i .need, that our people will 

 dulv eitinia'e the wifilnm of our ; olitical mo- 

 tives, and perceive wiJi us, that a partial 

 peace is only an armidic, by which we rifk 

 the lofs of all the advantages we hav : gained, 

 and .'urnilh occai'nri to a -i vv war, and that 

 Fra.ice cannot find iier prolperity but in a ge- 

 neral peace. ^ 



" We find ourfelvcs in one of thofe criti- 

 cal junflures, which have an impoitant intlu- 

 ence on the fate of nations; and the French 

 people «iU fliew th'emfelves worthy o) that 

 deftination which awaits tliem. The Sinatus 

 C'-j:fultiii:!, which we have ordered to be laid 

 before ydu, and which plac^j at oar dilpolal, 

 in the firli month of the year, tlie conkrip- 

 tion of 1B()'7, which, under ordinal y circum- 

 ftances, would not have commenced until the 

 month of Scptcni er, will be eagerly carried 

 into tfJ'eft by fauiurs and children — At what 

 more attractive moment coul a we invite the 

 French )0uth to t.ike up arms .^ In marching 

 to join their cotrjrs, they will p.ifs through 

 the capitals of our enemits, and fields of bat- 

 tle rendered famous by the vidtorits of their 

 elder brothers in arn-,s. 



«' Given at Berlin, Nov. 21, 1806. 



(Sisncti) "Napoleon." 



THE IMP'eR1.\L decree. 



" From the Protocol of cur Secretary of Statei 



—From our Imperial Cump at Berlin, iVofiffli- 



icri.'!, 180C. * 



" NAPOLEON, EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH- 

 .1ND K)NG OF ITALY. 



" Whereas, 1. That England has ceaf- 

 cd to obferve tiie laws of nations, recognized 

 by all civilized nations. 



" •i. That flie confiders'e-vcry individual as 

 an enemy who belongs to a holtile State, and 

 confequently makes prifoners, not merely the 

 crev.s of ihips of war, but .dfo tb" crews of 

 merchant vefl'els, and e'ven tbc 

 commercial fadories, and piirlon 

 with commerce, where employed/ 

 cantiie affair?. / , 



«' 6. That iho extends the/ -tI 



4F2 



