208 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1800. 



plores the conclusion of a war, 

 marked already by such great cala- 

 mitieSj and the prolongation of 

 which threatens Europe with an 

 universal convulsion and irremedi- 

 able evils. It is, therefore, to put 

 a stop to the cause of these calami- 

 ties, or, in order that their terrible 

 consequences may be reproached to 

 those only who shall have provoked 

 them, that the first consul of the 

 French republic proposes to put an 

 immediate end to hostilities, by 

 agreeing to a suspension of arms, 

 and naming plenipotentiaries on 

 each side, who should repair to 

 Dunkirk, or any other town as ad- 

 vantageously situated for the quick- 

 ness of the respective communica- 

 tions, and who should apply them- 

 selves, without any delay, to effect 

 the re-establishment of peace, and 

 a good understanding between the 

 French republic and England. 

 The first consul offers to give the 

 passports which may be necessary 

 for this purpose. 



(Signed) C. M. Talleyrand. 

 Paris, the 20th Nivose (Jan. 14), 

 8 th year of the French Republic. 



Letter from Lord Grcnville to the 

 Minister for Foreign AJfairs at 

 Paris. 



Downing-slreet, Jan. 20, 1800. 



Sir, 



I have the lionour to enclose to 

 you the answer which his majesty 

 has directed me to return to the 

 ofiicial note, which you transmitted 

 to me. I have the honour to be, 

 with high consideration, sir, your 

 most obedient, humble servant, 

 Grenville. 



NOTE. 



The official note, transmitted by 

 the minister for foreign affairs in 

 France, and received, by the under- 



signed on the 18th instant, has 

 been laid before the king. His 

 majesty cannot forbear expressing 

 the concern with which he observes 

 in that note, that the unprovoked 

 aggressions of France, the sole cause 

 and origin of the war, are system- 

 atically defended by her present 

 rulers, under the same injurious pre- 

 tences by which they were origi- 

 nally attempted to be disguised. — 

 His majesty will not enter into the 

 refutation of allegations now uni- 

 versally exploded, and, in so far as 

 they respect his majesty's conduct, 

 not only in themselves utterly 

 groundless, but contradicted, both 

 by the internal evidence of the 

 transactions, to which they relate, 

 and also by the express testimony 

 (given at the time) of the govern- 

 ment of France itself. With respect 

 to the object of the note, his ma- 

 jesty can only refer to the answer 

 which he has already given. He has 

 explained, without reserve, the 

 obstacles which, in his judgment, 

 preclude, at the present moment, 

 all hope of advantage from negoci- 

 ation. All the inducements to 

 treat, which are relied upon in the 

 French official note ; the personal 

 dispositions which are said to pre- 

 vail for the conclusion of peace, and 

 for the future observance of trea- 

 ties ; the power of ensuring the ef- 

 fect of those dispositions, supposing 

 them to exist ; and the solidity of 

 the system newly established, after 

 so rapid a succession of revolutions 

 — all these are points which can be 

 known only from that test to which 

 his majesty has already referred 

 them — the result of experience, and 

 the evidence of facts. With that 

 sincerity and plainness which his 

 anxiety for the re-establishmcnt of 

 peace indispensably required, his 

 majesty has pointed out to France 



