$10 
that the troops which had marched 
into Westphalia should return home, 
if Prussia would desist from her 
preparations. This was not all: 
it was insolently notified to the 
king’s ministers, that the cities of 
Hamburgh, Bremen, and Lubeek, 
would not be sutfered to join the 
northern confederation, but that 
France would take them under her 
protection, in the same manner as 
in the other confederation, she had 
given away cities, aud promulgated 
laws, without permitting any other 
power to make the least pretension. 
The king was required to suffer a 
foreign interest to be introduecd 
into the heart of his monarchy. 
Another contrast of conduct in- 
censed the king to the utmost. 
received from the emperor a letter 
full of those assurances of esteem, 
which, certainly, when they do not 
accord with facts, ought to be con- 
sidered as nothing, but which the 
dignity of sovercigns renders a duty 
to themselves, even when on the eve 
efwar. Yet, a few day afterwards, 
at amoment when the sword was 
not yet drawn—when the minister 
of the emperor endeavoured to 
mislead those of the king, by as- 
surances on assurances of the 
friendly intentions of Fkrance—the 
Publiciste of the 16th of September, 
appeared, with a diatribe against the 
king and the Prussian state, in a 
style worthy of the most disgrace. 
ful periods of the revolution, in- 
sulting to the nation, and what, in 
other times than ours, would have 
been considered as amounting to a 
declaration of war. 
The king can treat slanders that 
are merely abusive, with contempt, 
but when these slanders contribute 
to explain the real state of things, 
it weuld be unwise to treat them so. 
He. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1804 
The last doubt had now disap. 
peared, troops marched from the in- 
terior of France towards the Rhine. 
The intent to attack Prussia was 
clear and certain. The king or- 
dered a note to be transmitted by 
general Knobelsdorf, containing the 
conditions on which he was_ ready 
to come to an accommodation.— 
These conditions were :-— 
1. That the French troops should 
immediately evacuate Germany. 
2. That France should oppose no 
obstacle to the formation of the 
northern confederacy; and that 
this confederacy might embrace all 
the larger and smaller states, not in- 
cluded in the fundamental act of the 
confederation of the Rhine. 
3. That a negotiation should be 
immediately commenced, for the 
adjustment of all differences still 
in dispute: a preliminary article of 
which should be, the restoration of 
the three abbeys, and the separa- 
tion of the town of Wezel from the 
French empire. 
These conditions speak for them- 
selves: they shew how moderate 
the king, even at this moment, has 
been in his demands, and how much 
the maintenance of peace, if France 
wishes peace, depends upon France 
herself. 
The term peremptorily fixed by 
the king for the decision of peace 
or war has elapsed. His majesty 
has not received the answer of 
the cabinet of St. Cloud; or 
rather, the preparations madé 
around him, daily, give that 
answer, The king can henceforth 
confide the safety and honour of his 
crowu only to arms. He takes 
them up with pain, because the chief 
object of his wishes was, not a 
glory purchased by the tears of his 
people, but by their Be ah) 
or 
