714 
Tt.cannot be denied that your ar- 
guments respecting the inconveni- 
ences to which France would be 
subject by a short-lived peace, are 
well-founded: But on the other 
hand, those which we should suffer 
would likewise be very considerable. 
Tt is perhaps natural, that in such 
cascs each nation exaggerates its 
own dangers, or at least that she 
examines them more minutely, and 
with a more penetrating eye than 
those of others. 
With respect to the interposition of 
a foreign power, one cannot refrain 
from observing, that in whatever 
relates to peace and war between 
England and France, Russia can 
never be considered a foreign power, 
inasmuch as she is inactual alliance 
with England, and at war with 
France. For which reason the 
interposition of the emperor Alex- 
ander was proposed in my letter, 
not asa mediator, but as a party. 
Your exccllency, in the last para- 
graph ef your dispatch, acknow~ 
fedges, that the peace ‘* ought to be 
honourable, not only for England 
and France, but also for their 
respective allies.” ‘This being the 
case, it appears to us impossible, 
considering the close alliance sub- 
sisting between the two governments, 
that that of England can commence 
any other than a provisionary nego- 
tiation, without the concurrence, 
or, at the very least, the previous 
consent of her ally. 
As to what relates to the integrity 
and independence of the Ottoman 
empire, no difficulty can present 
itself, those objects being equally 
dear to all the partics interested in 
the present discussion. 
It is perhaps true, that the power 
of France on jand, compared with 
Q 
2 
ANNUAL RE GISTER, 1806. 
that of the rest of Europe, is not 
equal to the superiority. that we 
possess at sea, considered in the 
same point of view: But it can no 
longer be concealed, that the project. 
of combining the whole of Kurope 
against France, is to the last degree 
chimerical; besides, it is in truth 
carrying the apprehension of what 
may happen hereafter rather too 
far, to consider the alliance between 
England and Russia, (the two pow-— 
ers of Europe the least calculated to 
attack France by land) as tending 
to produce such a consequence, 
Nor can the intervention of Rus- 
sia in the negotiation, be considered 
as the formation of a congress, either 
in appearance or in reality, inasmuch 
as there will be only two parties, 
England and Russia on one side, and 
Frauce on the other. A congress 
might be desirable in many respects, 
after the signature of preliminaries, 
in case all the contracting parties 
should be of that opinion ; but this 
is a proposition that may be freely 
and amicably discussed, after the 
principal points shall have been 
arranged, 
Thus, Sir, I have laid before you, 
with all the clearness in my power, 
the sentiments of the British minis- 
try upon the ideas which you have 
suggested. I entertain the gratifying 
persuasion that there remains only 
one essential point upon which we 
are not agreed. 
As soon as you consent that we 
shall treat provisionally until Russia 
can take a part in the negotiation, 
and from that moment, conjointly 
with her, we are ready to begin 
without the delay of a single day, 
at whatever place, and in whatever , 
form, the two parties may judge 
best adapted to bring to an happy 
issue 
