LON 
of the duke of Abrantes (Junot) were at Glogau in Sile- 
fia ; and the French and allied troops of which his army 
confifted, were cantoned on both banks of the Oder. A 
numerous corps of Pruffians was aflembling at Breflau 
tinder field-marlhal count Kalreuth. 
Quitting the feftivities at Drefden, Napoleon fuddenly 
appeared at Dantzi.c on the 7th of June, where he took 
a view of the different points of the coaft. At this period, 
negotiations feem to have been carrying on between the 
two emperors ; and a fufpicion generally prevailed that 
the Ruffian would be fo much overawed by the terrible 
ftorm impending over him, that his firmnefs would give 
way; vvhilfr it was very certain that Napoleon, in the con¬ 
fidence of power and former fuccefs, would not yield a 
tingle point in a conteft which had feemed to him impor¬ 
tant enough to juftify fitch vaft preparations. It was, 
however, an advantage to Alexander, that the deftruc- 
tive war between Rulfia and Turkey was at length termi¬ 
nated by a peace, which let free his veteran troops upon 
the banks of the Danube. On the other hand, a treaty 
was now made public, which had been (igned in March, 
between the emperors of France and Aultria, and which 
included a reciprocal guarantee of each other’s territories, 
with the ftipulation, if either of them fhould be attacked 
-or menaced by another power, of fending a fuccour of 
24,000 infantry and 6000 cavalry, with 60 pieces of can¬ 
non, at the firft requifition. The treaty alfo guaranteed 
the integrity of the dominions of the Ottoman Porte in 
Europe, and recognized the principle of neutral navi¬ 
gation ; and the Aultrian emperor renewed his engage¬ 
ment to adhere to the prohibitive fyftem againit Engiilh 
commerce. 
The immediate commencement of lioftilities was pre¬ 
ceded by the publication at Paris of certain papers, the 
firft of which was a note addrelfed on April 25th, by the 
duke of Balfano, minifter of foreign relations, to count 
Romanzow, chancellor of Rulfia. In this paper, after a 
ftatement of the ftipulations of the treaty of Tillif, and 
the public wrongs imputed to the Englifh cabinet, the 
writer proceeds to complain of the abandonment by Rufiia 
of the principles of that treaty, and of her engagement 
to make common caufe with France. The firft caufe of 
complaint is the ukafe which opened the ports of Rulfia 
to all (hips laden with Englifh colonial property, provided 
they were under a foreign flag. The next is, the oppofi- 
tion made by Rulfia to the French annexation of the duchy 
of Oldenburg, rendered necejfary by the uniting of the 
Hanfeatic tow ns to France. Inltead of amicably treating 
for an indemnity for the duchy, the Ruffian cabinet made 
an affair of ftate of it, and iffued a manifefto againft her 
ally. Rulfia is then charged with having difclofed the 
plan of a rupture ready formed; for, while diftating 
terms of peace to Turkey, (he fuddenly recalled five divi- 
fions of the army of Moldavia, in confequence of which, 
the army of the duchy of Warl'aw was obliged to repafs 
the Viftula, and to fall hack upon the Confederation, 
through the menacing pofture of the Ruffian armies. The 
paper then ftates four points on which the emperor of 
France was defirous that a negotiation Ihould be opened 
with prince Kurakin, and (ketches the terms on which a 
conciliation might have been effected ; and concludesWith 
mentioning the overtures lately made to England, and 
with faying, that, whatever may be the fituation of things 
when this note lhall arrive, peace will ftill depend upon 
the determinations of the Ruffian cabinet. 
A note is then given from prince Kurakin, the Ruffian 
minifter at Paris, to the minifter of foreign affairs. The 
prince ftates, that he is ordered to declare, that the pre- 
fervation of Pruffia, and her independence from every po¬ 
litical engagement direfted againft Rulfia, is indifpenfable 
to the interefts of his imperial majefty. In order to arrive 
at a real ftate of peace with France, it is neeeffary that 
there fhould be between her and Rulfia a neutral country 
not occupied by the troops of either power. The firft 
baits of a negotiation muft therefore be, a complete eva- 
D O N. 293 
cuation of the Pruffian ftates, and of all the ftrong places 
of Pruffia; a diminution of the garrifon of Dantzic; the 
evacuation of Swedilh Pomerania, and a fatisfaftory ar¬ 
rangement between the crowns of Sweden and France. 
On thefe conditions, the emperor of Rulfia, without de¬ 
viating from the principle laid down for the commerce 
of his ftates, and the admiffion of neutrals into his ports, 
will bind himfelf not to make any change in the prohi¬ 
bitive meafures eltabliffied in Rulfia againft direft trade 
with England, and will alfo agree to a lyftem of licenfes 
iimilar to that in France, provided it be not calculated 
to augment the deterioration already experienced in the 
trade of Rulfia. He will likewife treat on certain mollifi¬ 
cations in the Ruffian cuftoms for the advantage of the 
French trade. Further, he will conclude a treaty of ex¬ 
change for the duchy of Oldenburg for a fuitable equi¬ 
valent, and will withdraw his proteft in fupport of the 
rights of his family to that duchy. 
Other papers publiffied on this occalion were the cor- 
refpondence between the duke of Baffano and lord Caftle- 
reagb, refpe&ing overtures for peace, which have been 
already mentioned as a topic of parliamentary difcuffion; 
with various letters-that paffed between the Ruffian and 
French minifters. The publication of thefe pieces by 
the French government, indicated that it was confident 
in the goodnels of its caufe, at lealt as it would appear 
in the eyes of its own l’ubjefls, to juftify the final appeal 
to arms; accordingly, a bulletin was iffued from the 
grand army on June izA, fliortly ftating, that no means 
were left to effedft an underftanding between the two courts, 
and that the emperor had iffued orders to march for the 
purpofe of paffing the Niemen. Then followed a brief 
proclamation to his foldiers, conceived in his ufual con¬ 
fident and laconic ftyle; and this was his declaration of 
war. The difpofition of the different French armies is 
thus mentioned in the bulletin : “ In the commencement 
of May, the firft corps arrived on the Viftula at Elbing and 
Marienburg, the fecond corps at Marienwerder, the third 
at Thorn, the fourth and fixth at Ploczk, the fifth at War- 
law, the eighth on the right of Warfaw, and the ninth 
at Pulawy.” What was the united amount of all thefe 
divifions has not been exaflly ftated ; but it maybe affirmed 
that never, probably, in modern Europe, forces fo nu¬ 
merous, and compofed of fuch various people, were led 
under a fingle command to the decifion of a political con¬ 
teft. It is agreed that the armies of Rufiia, extenfive as 
that empire is, were greatly outnumbered by the invaders; 
whence a defenfive plan was the only one that could 
be thought of by the court of Peterfburgh at the begin¬ 
ning of the campaign. 
The French divifions were all in advance at the begin¬ 
ning of June. On the nth of that month, the princd'of 
Ecknnihl (Davouft) had his quarters at Konigfberg, where 
he was joined by Napoleon in perfon ; and on the 19th, the 
French emperor had advanced to Gumbinnen on his march 
to the Niemen. Three bridges being conltrufied over that 
river, part of the army eroded without oppofition on the 
evening of the 23d; and on the 24-th Napoleon was at 
KoWno on the other fide. The reft of the army pafied 
on the following days, and pullied forward in divifions, 
the Ruffian light troops retreating before them on all Tides. 
Wilna, the capital of Lithuania, at which the- emperor 
Alexander had for fome time redded, was given up with¬ 
out a conteft ; the Rullians, on the approach of the French, 
burning the bridge over the Vilia, and, after'letting on fire 
their large magazines in that city, haftily retreated. On 
the 28th Napoleon entered Wilna, and the bridge was re- 
eftabliflied. The Ruffians were purfued by the French 
advanced guard, and fome (kirmilhing took place, but 
with no material lofs on either fide. The duke of Reggip 
(Oudinot) had previoufly croffed the Vilia, near Kow- 
110, on the 25th, and, advancing up the country, had 
obliged the prince of Wittgenftein, commandant of the 
firft Ruffian corps, to evacuate ail Samogitia, and the 
country between Kowno and the fea, and retire upon. 
3 Wilkomirz*. 
