-796-] 
ly, as he was formally authorifed by the tenor of 
his Credentials, the Negotiations might have 
been confiderably abridged ; that the neceffity of 
balancing with the interefts of the two Powers, 
thofe of the Allies of Great Britain, multiplies 
_the combinations, increafes the difficulties, tends 
to the formation of a Congrefs, the forms of 
which, it is known, are always terdy, and fe- 
quires the acceffion of Powers which hitherto 
have difplayed no defire of accommodation, and 
have not given to Lord MatmesBury himfelf, 
according to his own declaration, any power to 
ftipulate for them. 
Thus, without prejudging the intentions of 
Lord MatmesBuRY; without drawing any 
conclufion from the circumftance of his declara- 
tion not appearing to accord with his Credentials ; 
without fuppofing that he has received any fe- 
cret inftru€tions which would deftroy the effect 
of his oftenfible powers ; without pretending, in 
fhort, to affert, that the Britifh Government 
have had a double obje&@ in view—to prevent, by 
general propofitions, the partial propofitions of 
other powers, and to obtain from the People of 
England, the means of continuing the War, by 
throwing upon the Republic the odium of a de- 
lay, occafioned by themfelves; the Executive 
DireGtory cannot but perceive, that the propo- 
fition of Lord Matmespury is nothing more 
than a renewal, under more amicable forms, of 
the propofitions made laft year by Mr. Wicx- 
nAm, and that it prefents but a diftant hope of 
Peace. 
The Executive Diretory farther obferve, with 
regard to the principle of retroceflions advanced 
by Lord Matmeseury, that fuch a principle, 
prefented in a vague and ifolated manner, cannot 
ferve as the bafis of Negotiation; that the firft 
points of confideration are, the common necef- 
fity of a ju and folid Peace —the political equi- 
librium which abfolute retreceflions might de- 
ftroy—and then the means which the Bellizerent 
Powers may poffefs ;—the one toretain conqueits 
at a time when it was {upported by a great num-~ 
ber of Allies, now detatched from the Coalition 5 
and the other, to recover them at a time when 
thofe who were at firfi its enemies, have almoft 
all become either its Allies, or at leaft neuter. 
Nevertheleis, the Executive Directory, anl- 
mated with an ardent defire of putting a ftop to 
the fcourge of War, and to prove that they will 
not reject ahy means of reconciliatio:, declare, 
that as foon as Lord Matmessury fhall exhi- 
bit tothe Minifter for Foreign A ffairs, fufficient 
Powers from the Allies of Great Britain, for fti- 
pulating for their reipedctive interefis, accompa- 
nied by a promife on their part to fubfcribe to 
whatever fhall be concluded in their names, the 
Executive Directory will haften to give an an- 
{wer to the fpecific propofitions which fhall be 
fubmitted te them, and that the difficulties fhall 
be removed, as far as may be confiftent with the 
fafety and dignity of the French Republic. 
( No. 16.) 
THE Underfigned has not failed to tranfmit 
to his Court, the Anfwer of the Executive Di- 
reCtory, to the Propofals which he was charged 
to make, as an opening to a pacific Negotiation. 
State Papers relative to the late Negociation with France. 
925 
With regard to the offenfive and injurious in- 
finuations which are contained in that Paper, 
and which are only calculated to throw new ob- 
ftacles in the way of the accomodation which 
the French Government profeffes to defire, the 
Kino has deemed it far. bencath his dignity to 
permit an Anfwerto be made to them on.his 
part in any manner whatioever. 
The progrefs and the refult of the Negotia- 
tion, will fufficiently prove the principles by 
which it will have been dire€ted on each fide 5 
and #is neither by revolting reproaches, wholly. 
deftitute of foundation, nor by reciprocal invec - 
tive, that a fincere with to accomplifh the great 
werk of pacification can be evinced. 
The Underfigned pafies, therefore, to the firft 
objeét of difcuflion bioupht forward in the Ane 
er of the Executive DiveCtory ;-—that of a fe- 
parate Negotiation, to which it has been fup- 
pofed, without the fmalleft foundation, that the 
Underfigned was autho ifea to accede. 
His full Powers, made out in the ufual form, 
give him all neceflary authority to negetiate 
and to conclude the Peace; but thefe Powers 
prefcribe to him neither the form, the nature, 
nor the conditions of the future Treaty. 
Upon thefe points, he is bound te conform 
_ himfelf, according to the long eftablifhed and re- 
ceived cuftom of Europe, to the infiructions 
which he fhall receive from his Court; and ac- 
cordingly, he did ret fail to acquaint the Mini- 
fer for ‘oreign Affairs, at their firfe conference, 
that the Kr his Mafter had exprefsly enjoin- 
ed him to liften to nu Propofal. tending to fe- 
parate the interefts of His Majesty from 
thofe of his Ailies. ne 
There can be no queftion, then, but of a Nego- 
tiation which fhall combine the intereits and pre- 
tenfions of all the Powers who make a common 
caufe with the KrnG in the prefent War. 
In the courfe of the prefent Negotiation, the 
intervention, or, at leaft, the participation of 
thefe Powers, wiil doubtlefs become abfolutely 
neceflary; and His Majesty hopes to find at 
all times, the fame difpofitions to treat, upon a 
jut. and equitable bafis, of which His Ma- 
jyesty the Emprror and KiNG, gave to 
the French Government fo ftriking a proof, at 
the very momert of the opening of the prefent 
Campaign. 
But it appears, that the waiting for a forrnal 
and definitive authority on the part of the Allies 
of the Krnc. before Great Britain and France 
begin to diicufs, even provifionally, the princi- 
ples of the Negotiation, would be to create a 
very sielefs celay. 
A con uét wholly diferent has been obferved 
by thefe two Powers on almoft all fmilar occa- 
fions ; and His Majesty thinks, that the beft. 
proof which they can give, at the pre'ent mo- 
ment, to all Europe, of their mutual defire to 
put a ftop. as foon as poflible, to the calamities 
of War, would be to fettle. without delay, the 
bafis of a combined Negotiation, inviting, at 
the fame time, their Alies to concur in it, in 
the manner the moft proper for accelerating the 
general Pacification, 
6Ba2 Ky 
