| what pointthe English government 
wish to attain. 
_ In the first instance, obsolete 
‘forms were brought forward and 
urged for our acceptance, the text 
and the substance of which had 
never been admitted, nor even dis- 
| cussed, by the French government, 
ee when this difficulty appeared to 
removed, and the French pleni- 
tentiaries held out a prospect of 
Sacrifices which proved more and 
more the desire of their government 
for peace, points antecedent to the 
hegotiation were recurred to, and a 
question was started again which 
had been three times decided ; frst, 
by the powers given to M. d’Oubril, 
with which his Britannic majesty’s 
_ plenipotentiaries were acquainted, 
‘afterwards by the powers given to 
the earl of Yarmouth, and lastly, 
for the third time, by those of the 
earl of Lauderdale. One might 
have supposed that a discussion, 
terminated before the first confer- 
ence of the respective negociators, 
_ and decided even by the very fact of 
their negotiation, would not again 
be brought forward. 
__ His majesty the emperor wishing 
_ however to give a fresh proof of his 
uniform desire for the re-establish- 
ment of peace, adheres to the fol- 
lowing proposal: ‘That the nego- 
tiation between France and Eng. 
land shall continue ; that the minis- 
ter plenipotentiary of his majesty 
_ the king of Great Britain shall be at 
liberty to introduce into the treaty, 
_ either as a public or a secret article, 
 Orinany other form which would 
_ answer the same end, whatever he 
May conceive would tend to recon- 
' cile the existing differences between 
_Franceand Russia, and wonld pro- 
eure for the Jatter a participation in 
_ the benefits of peace, it being well 
STATE) PAPERS, 
781 
understood, that no proposal shall 
be admitted except such as are res- 
pectively honourable, and are not in- 
jurious to the real power and the dig. 
nity of the two empires; and that 
we shall not see again brought for- 
ward the extraordinary proposals 
which M. de Noyosiltzoff was 
charged to make on the part of 
Russia, and which, haying marked 
the origin of a coalition conquered 
and destroyed in its birth, ought 
equally to be forgotten with the 
coalition itself. There are propo- 
sals which, being only the result of 
blind confidence, and of a species 
of infatuation, and being founded 
neither on the real force of the 
parties, nor on their geographical 
situation, are deprived of their pacitic 
character, and carry with them their 
own condemnation. 
France ought neither to abandon 
the interests of the Ottoman em- 
pire, nor-a position which enables 
her to sustain that empire against 
the aggressions with which she is 
openly menaced by Russia; but as 
allthe objects destined to enter into 
the arrangements of the treaty, must 
be reserved for discussion, the un- 
dersigned will not seek to anticipate 
the result which it may produce. 
If, after the changes which have 
taken place in the cabinet of his 
Britannic . majesty, peace is. still 
wished for in England, peace may 
be made, and that without delay. 
The emperor will not hesitate to 
make some sacrifices in order to ac- 
celerate it, and to render it durable; ° 
but if the dispositions for peace 
should have changed in London, if 
the wise and siberal views manifested. 
in. the first communications which 
took place with the illustrious mi- 
nister, whom both nations lament, 
should no Jonger prevail, a vague 
discussion, 
@ 
