164 
his electoral dominions. Thus, after 
the sacrifice of her honour and 
reputation, Prussia saw herself, on 
the eve of a general peace, about to 
be deprived of the reward, for 
which she had consented to act a 
part, so mean, treacherous and 
unworthy, without an opportunity 
of retrieving her character or of 
bettering her condition by resistance. 
Fortunately, as ‘she then thought, 
the negotiation for peace between 
France and Russia, after prelimi. 
naries had been signed at Paris, was 
broken off by the refusal of the 
court of St. Petersburg, to ratify 
the treaty concluded by its negotia- 
tor. But thisevent, while it opened 
to Prussia the prospect of assistance, 
in case she should be driven to a 
war with France, disclosed to her 
farthcr proofs of the secret enmity 
of the cabinet of St. Cloud, and of 
its readitiess to abandon her in- 
terests. She was informed by 
Russia, that during the negotiation 
at Paris, distinct hints had been 
given to the Russian negotiator, that 
if his court was desirous of annexing 
any part of Polish Prussia to its 
dominions, no opposition would be 
made to such a project on the part 
of France. 
‘'wo other causes contributed 
materially to the determination of 
Prossia to commence hostilities 
against France ; the one, by its effect 
on the public mind ; the other, on ac- 
count of the injury done to herself. 
The occupation of Cattaro by the 
Russians had served as a pretext to 
the French emperor, not only for 
retaining possession of Braunau in 
the hereditary states of Austria 
after the term stipulated for its 
surrender by the peace of Presburg, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
» contributions, 
1806. 
but for keeping on foot an immense 
army in Germany, which he main- 
tained at the expence of the free 
towns and states of Suabia and 
Franconia. ‘The presence of so 
large an army on its frontiers 
excited the jealousy and awakened 
the fears of the Prussian government. 
To overawe Prussia rather than to 
recover Cattaro seemed to be the 
object of assembling so great a 
force in that quarter, and when 
troops were collected in Westphalia, 
that suspicion was corverted into 
certainty. Complaints were ad. 
dressed from every quarter to Ber- 
lin, of the severity of the French 
and of the insuffera. 
ble burthen of supporting their ar- 
mies. The barbarous murder of 
Palm, a bookseller of Nuremberg, 
who was arrested in that imperial 
city by order of the French govern- 
ment, hurried to Braunau and there 
tried and executed* under authority 
of a court marshal, for an alleged 
libel on the French emperor, excited 
universal indignation, and roused 
every pen in Germany to call down 
vengeance on such atrocious, un- 
warrantable acts. All eyes were 
turned to Prussia, imploring assist. 
ance and relief, while the bitterest 
reproaches were uttered against that» 
selfish, temporizing policy, which 
had subjected Germany to stich 
calamities and disgrace. The popu- 
lar feeling at Berlin, in the court, 
in the army, among the burghers, 
was loudly and unequivocally ex« 
pressed against the base, unprinci- | 
pled, truckling policy of the governs 
ment, since it had been directed by 
Haugwitz, Lombard, and other par- 
tizans of France. The surprizé and 
indignation, which the scandalous 
* August 26. 
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