202 
manufactures, filled the commercial 
cities of the continent with dismay, 
asa measure fatal to their prosperity. 
Deputatious were sent to Bonaparte 
from Hamburgh, and from Nantes, 
Bourdeaux, and other cities of 
France, to solicit, upon this head, 
somerelaxation of a decree, not fess 
injurious to his own subjects than 
to the English. But his answers 
Were-stern and uncomplying. When 
told by the merchants of Hamburgh, 
that ‘‘ these measures would involve 
them in universal bankruptey, and 
banish commerce from the conti- 
nent,” his reply is said to have been, 
so much the better; the bank- 
ruptcies in England will be more 
numerous, and you will be less able 
to trade with her. England must be 
hnmbled, though the fourth century 
should be revived, commerce extin. 
guished, and no interchange of com- 
modities left but by barter.” But 
notwithstanding these alarming ap- 
pearances, this decree soon became 
perfectly harmless and inoperative. 
Some slight and temporary embarass- 
ments in commerce were ex pcrienced 
from it at first; but, in a short time, 
though formally extended to Hol- 
land and other countries under the 
controu] of France,its existence was 
only known by the bribes given to 
generals of division and custom- 
house oflicers for omitting toenforce 
it, and by the occasional confiscation 
of some unfortunate vessel, which 
had neglected that necessary precau- 
tion, 
Immediately after the battle of 
Auerstadt, the king of Prussia had 
applied to Bonaparte for an armis- 
tice, and though his request of a 
cessation of hostilities was refused, 
he was encouraged to senda pleni- 
* Nov, 10th, 
ANNUAL REGISTER,” 1866. 
+ Noy. 16th, t 
potextiary to the French head quar: 
ters to negotiate peace. Lucchesini 
was accordingly dispatched thither 
without delay, and arriving there 
on the 22d of October, Duroc was 
named on the part of the French 
emperor to negotiate with him. At 
first the Prussian minister was amused 
with hopes of concluding a peace 
on the terms which he was autho-. 
rized to offer; but as the situation 
of his sovereign became every day 
more desperate, by the capture of 
his armies and surrender of his for- 
tified places, the demands of the 
French rose in proportion; and, at 
length, the emperor Napoleon, ex- 
plicitly declared, that he would 
never quit Berlin nor evacuate Po. 
land, till Moldavia and Wallachia 
were yiclded by the Russians in 
complete sovereignty to the Porte, 
and till a general peace was con- 
cluded on the basis of the restitution 
of all the Spanish, French, -and 
Dutch colonies and possessions taken 
by Great Britain during the war*. 
With this declaration all hopes of 
peace vanished, instead of which an 
armistice was now proposed by the. 
French, and after much fruitless ne- 
gotiation concluded by Lucchesini + 
ou terms so disadvantageous to his 
master, as well as impossible for him 
to execute, that reduced as his cir- 
cumstances were, he refused to ra- 
tify it.[ To justify him in this 
determination it is sutlicient to men- 
tion, that he was made to purchase 
by this convention a suspension of 
military operations, without any 
hope of peace, and witha reservation 
to France of a right to renew hos- 
tilities after ten days notice, by 
surrendering Dantzig, Graudenz, 
Colberg, Breslau, or, in one word, 
Noy, 29d, 
almost 
