Official Papers relative to the Negotiation with France. G7» 



Two ciiligJitened and neighbouring nations 

 would be wanting in the opinion they ought 

 to entertain of their [jower and wirdom, 

 ihouid thev call for the intervention of fo 

 rtigii and diftant powers, in the dilculfions of 

 .the great interelh which divide them : thus, 

 5ir, peace may be treated upon and con- 

 cluded immediately, it" your court really en- 

 tertains the Jchre of attaining it. 



Our interefts are reconcileable, laafmuch 

 as they are diftinft. You are tlie rulers of 

 the ocean, your naval forces are equal ti 

 thofe of all the fovcreigns of the world united. 

 We are a great continental power; but there 

 are many who equal our power by land, and 

 your maritime preponderance will always 

 ^ilace our commerce at the mercy of your 

 fquadrons, immediately after your declaring 

 ».'ar. Do you think it reafonable to expect 

 that the Emperor (hould ever confcnt to fub- 

 mit himfelf to your difcretion, in continental 

 aftairsalfo ? If mafters of the fca through your 

 own ))Ovver, you propofe being mafters of the 

 Jand likewife by a combined force, peace is 

 impoffihle ; for in that cafe you will be 

 rtriving for an objedt which you can never 

 4ttain. 



The Emperor, accuftomed as he is to en- 

 counter every rifle, which holds out the pro- 

 J'peft of greatncfs and of glory, wilhes for 

 peace with England : he is a man ; after fo 

 many fatigues he is defirous for repofc ; the 

 father of his fubjcfts, he wi(hes, as far as it 

 is compatible with their honor, and with fccu- 

 rity for the future, to procure for them the 

 bleffings of peace, and the advantages of a 

 fuccefsful and uninterrupted commerce. 



If then. Sir, his Majefty the king of Eng- 

 land really wiihes for peace with France, he 

 will appoint a plenipotentiary to repair to 

 JLif.e. I have tlic honor of fending you paff- 

 ports for tiiis purpofe. As foon as the Em- 

 peror fliall be informed of the arrival of the 

 miniller from your court, he will appoint one 

 and will lend him without delay. The Em- 

 peror is ready to make every conceffion, 

 which, from the extsnt of your naval forces 

 a.'id of your preponderance, you may defire to 

 obtain. 1 do not tlijnk that you can refufe to 

 adopt the lanie principle oi making him pro- 

 pofals conformable to the honor of his crown, 

 and the commercial rights of his dominions. 

 If you arc juft ; if you dcfire only what is 

 poliible for y»u to obtain, peace will be foon 

 made. 



I. conclude by declaring, that bis Klajefty 

 fully adopts the principle l.ad down in your 

 difpatch, and ottered as the bafis of the nego- 

 tiation, " that the peace propofed ihouid be 

 honorable for llic two courts, and for theix 

 zcfp;clivc allies." 



(Signed) C. M. Talleyrand, 



Letter from Mr. Secretary Fox to M. Talley- 

 rand, dated Dotun'ing firccty yijirit Sth, 180G. 

 This Letter concludes with a declaration 

 in the following words : As loon as you con- 

 fent that we /hall treat pro', ilionally until 

 Kuifia can take a part in the negotiation, and 

 from that moment, conjointly with her, we 

 are ready to begin without the delay of a 

 fingle day, at whatever place, and in v\-hat- 

 ever form, the two parties may judge bell 

 adapted to bring to a happy ilTue the obje£l of 

 Our labors, as cxpcditioully as polfible. 

 Letter from M. Talleyrand to Mr. Stcretary 

 Fox, dated Paris, ji^ril ICtb, 1806. — Re- 

 ceived j^frtl I9th. 



Jitter much argument, M. Talleyrand con- 

 cludes with the following words : I fee ia 

 the propofed negotiation, only three poliible 

 forms of difcuflion : 



iSegotiation with England and the allie» 

 which fhe acquired at the time of the forma- 

 tion of the third coalition : 



Negotiation with all the powers of Europe, 

 with the addition of America: 

 Negotiation with England alone. 

 The firit of thefe forms is inadmlffible, be*, 

 caufe it would fubjett the Emperor to the in- 

 fluence of the third coalition, which no lon- 

 ger exifts. The Emperor would have nego- 

 tiated in this manner if he had been van- 

 quished. The fecond form of negotiation 

 would eternalize the war, if the unavoidable 

 occurrences to which it would at every imiant 

 give rife, and the pallions which It would let 

 loofe without controul, did not caufe the dif- 

 cullions to be broken ofl' with violence a few 

 years after ihey ihouid have been entered into. 

 The third therefore is the only one which 

 can be defired by thofe who really wiih for 

 peace. 



Letter from Mr. Secretary Fox to M. Talley- 

 rand, dated Do^uning-fireet, ./i^ril 20/j6, 

 180C. 



In reply, jMr. Fox concludes by declaring", 

 that " the affair, in fine, is reduced to ehe 

 fingle point. Will you negotiate conjointly 

 with Ituflia .' We anfwer, yes : but if you 

 requite us to negotiate fepirately, we an- 

 fwer, no. 



Letter from M. Talleyrand to Mr. Secretary 

 Fox, dated Paris, '2d June, imO.— Re- 

 ceived June 4th. 



M. Talleyrand now made two propofi- 

 tions ; 1ft, To negotiate in the fame preli- 

 minary forms which were adojitcd during 

 the adminidration of the Marquis of Rock- 

 ingham, in ]7U'J j forms which were not re- 

 newed with fo much advantage in the nego- 

 tiations of Li(le, but wliieh were pcrfeftly 

 fuccefsful in the negotiations v\'hich preceded 

 the treaty of Amiens ; ','dly. To eftablifh as 

 a b.ifis two fundamental principles; the firft, 

 which I take trom your letter of the 2Gth 

 R a March, 



