: 
STATE 
i well-founded apprehension of the 
future, did not allow me to hesitate 
‘about the part necessary to be ta- 
ken; and my electoral government 
was instructed not to enter into 
any negociation, the object of which 
might have been to avoid a new 
French invasion, by allowing the 
Prussians to occupy Hanover. 
The protest made upon this occa- 
sion by my electoral minister of 
state, was ineffectual. The king of 
* Prussia caused the greatest part of 
the country to be occupied at the 
moment that my troops re-embark- 
‘ed ; and his measures were executed 
without the least regard. 
It was too easy to foresee that 
count Haugwitz would find means 
at Paris to bring back the arrange. 
ment between Prussia and France, 
announced here as ratified by the con- 
tracting parties, to its original inten- 
tion. : 
This was what took place; and 
the French troops took possession 
of Anspach, one of the objects of 
compensation according tothe trea- 
ty of December 15, the very day 
that the marquis de Lucchesini could 
reach Berlin with intelligence that 
France required the execution of the 
articles agreed upon at Vienna. 
The answer returned by the Bri- 
_tish cabinet to the communication of 
January 25, did not arrive at Berlin 
nati] after the minister of state, Ba- 
ron Hardenberg, had announced to 
the British envoy the hostile mea- 
_ -Sures which have compelled me to 
* 
suspend my relations with a court 
which could so far forget itself. 
The Prussian note of April 4, can 
-furvish no. good arguments, to esta- 
blish an unjustifiable measure. 
It begins by vaunting the paci- 
cific dispositions of Prussia, This 
disposition is ne further sincere 
PAPERS. 695 
“than as it -has for its foundation 
the principles of a just neutrality. 
The note delivered by the cabinet 
of Berlin to the Freach minister on 
the 14th of October, at the very 
instant that Prussia appeared to feel 
theaffrent which she received by the 
violation of the territory of Aus- 
pach,acknowledges that the conduct 
which she had followed to that time, 
had proved of advantage to France. 
Her actions had much less pres 
tensions to the character of impar- 
tiality. After having permitted the 
French troops, who seized on the 
electorate of Hanover, a passage 
through the Prussian territory; she 
declared herself ready to oppose; 
sword in hand, that which the em- 
peror of Russia had demanded for 
his armies. 
France herself forced the passage = 
she pretended to offer excuses for 
that step, but it was in a manner 
equally offensive. 
She had seen too clearly where 
the resentment of Prussia would ter- 
minate, which in fact appeared to be 
stifled when his imperial majesty of 
Lussia engaged in a personal com 
munication with the king. 
Prussia then demanded subsidies 
of Great Britain, which were pro- 
mised to her, and she signed the cons 
vention of Potzdam, the conditions 
of which she would doubtless have been 
more disposed to fulfil, if I could have 
so far forgotten my duty, as to con- 
sent to the proposition of ceding the 
electorate of Hanuver for some Prus- 
Han province. 
Prussia affirms, that from . the 
events of the war, she has not had 
the choice of means to secure the 
safety of its monarchy, and of the 
states of the north. She wishes to 
make it appear, that she has been 
compelled to aggrandize herself, and 
Yy4 te 
