SAA Te 
sent to treat: the very same prin- 
ciple which had been brought for- 
ward in reply to his majesty’s first 
overtures from Switzerland, which 
had then been rejected by his ma- 
jesty, but which now appears never 
to have been, in fact, abandoned 
by the government of France, 
however inconsistent with that on 
which they had expressly agreed to 
treat. 
It is therefore necessary that all 
Europe should understand, that the 
rupture of the negotiation at Paris 
does not arise from the failure of 
any sincere attempt on the part of 
France to reconcile by fair discus- 
sion the views and interests of the 
contending powers. Such a dis- 
cussion has been repeatedly invited 
and even solicited, on the part of 
his majesty, but has been, in the 
first instance, and ahsolutely, pre- 
cluded by the act of the French go- 
vernment. 
It arises exclusively from the de- 
termination of that government 
to reject all means of peace—a de- 
termination which appeared but 
toostrongly in all the preliminary 
discussions; which was clearly ma- 
nifested in the demand of an ulti- 
matum made in the very outset of 
the negotiation, but which is prov- 
ed beyond all possibility of doubt 
by the obstinate adherence to a 
claim which never can be admit- 
ted—a claim that the construction 
which that government affects to 
put (though even in that respect 
unsupported by the fact) on the 
internal constitution of its own 
country, shall be received by all 
other nations as paramont to every 
known principle of public law in 
Europe, as superior to the obliga. 
tions of treaties, to the ties of com- 
mon interest, to the most pressing 
' Vou. XXXYVIII. 
PIA PED RSS: 177 
and urgent considerations of gene- 
ral security. | 
On such grounds it is that the 
French goverument has abruptly 
terminated a negotiation, which 
it commenced with reluctance, and 
couducted with every inclination to 
prevent its final success, On these 
motives it is that the further effu- 
sion of blood, the continued cala« 
mities of war, the interruptions of 
peaceable and friendly intercourse 
among mankind, the prolonged 
distresses of Europe, and the ac- 
cumulated miseries of France itself, 
are by the government of that 
country to be justified to the 
world. 
His majesty, who had entered 
into the negotiation with good 
faith, who has suffered no impe- 
diment to prevent his prosecuting 
it with earnestness and sincerity, 
has now only to lament its abrupt 
termination ; and to renew, in the 
face of all Europe, the solemn de- 
claration, that, whenever his ene- 
mies shall be disposed to enter on 
the work of a general pacification, 
in a spirit of conciliation and equi- 
ty, nothing shall be wanting on 
his part to contribute to the ac- 
complishment of that great object, 
with a view to which he has al- 
ready offered such considerable 
sacrifices on his part, and which 
is now retarded only by the exor- 
bitant pretensions of his enemies. 
Westmister, 27th Dec. 1796. 
Speech of Earl Camden, Lord Lieu- 
tenant of Ireland, to both Houses 
of Parliament, Jan. 21, 1796. 
My Lords and Gentlemen, 
I HAVE received his majesty’s 
commands to meet you in parlia- 
ment. 
N 
