1804.] 
larly barren and relu&tant inthe fyle of 
the Moniteur’s explanation of the releafe 
of Sir George Rumbold. With thefe 
views of this tranfaétion, we confider it as 
by far the moft important that has hap- 
pened fince Europe fell into her prefent 
ftate of, degradation. The power of 
Bonaparte, if not fhaken to the founda- 
tion, has had a breach made into it, which” 
proves that which feems to have been for- 
gotten—that it is not made of indeftruc- 
tible matertals. 
With refpect to the pretext on which 
the French government feized upon Sir 
George Rumbold’ s perfon and papers, 
that may be gachered from the order, on 
the authority of which sa French fol- 
diers performed that unufual duty. This 
was no other than a letter from the 
French zinifler of general police, to the 
commander in chief of the French army 
of Hanover. The letter is dated, Paris, 
the 30th of September, and ftates, that 
the minifter of police has ‘‘ material proofs 
that the Englifh agent Rumbold, at Ham- 
burg, follows th 1e tame fy fem of efpionage, 
end off machinations, which have already 
excited the indignation of Europe againtt 
Drake and Spencer Smith—that che cir: 
cular letter of Lord Hawkefbury on the 
fubject of Drake proves that the- Britifh 
government has dared to avow and reduce 
to a fyftem, a train of confpiracies, on the 
part of its minifters accredited to the 
courts of allied neutral powers— hat fuch 
jinifters are thus conftituted con{pirators, 
and put ont of the law common tocivi- 
lized nations.’? Then follows the order to 
feize Sir George Rumbold, and to make 
fie of the papers which may be found in 
his hovfe. : 
We have here features of an extraordi- 
nary kind, in the conduct of one power 
towards another. <A miniffer of police 
ifues bis orders to a general commanding 
an army, to f{cize and Ades over to him 
e perfon of an ambaffador, on the char ge 
of a moft heinous crime, the charge refting 
for its who'e proof and authority on the 
unfupported aflertion of that police minif- 
ter, the creature of his matter, the known 
violator of the laws of God and man ! 
Much credit is nct to be given to the 
German papers. We think it right, 
however, to fiate, that one of them aflerts 
that, on the news of the arreft of Sir 
George Rumbold beirg received by the 
King of Praffia, his Majelty inftantly 
difpatched a courier to overtake, if pof- 
fibie, General Knobelidorf, whom he had 
fentto Paris as Ambafisdor Extraordinary, 
to afiif at Bonaparte’s coronation, com- 
State of Public Affairs in November, 1804. 
445 
manding him to return, if overtaken by 
the courier ; but if he fhould have reached 
Paris, then to remain in private, and not 
affume the character of ambaflador with- 
out further. inftructions. His Pruffian 
Majefty is alfo faid to have affured the 
Senate of Hamburgh, thar effect: ual fup - 
port fhould be afforded their city, and 
that he was refolved to maintain the fe. 
curity of the Circle of Lower Saxony. 
The Moniteur has noticed our feizure 
of the Spanith frigates in terms that we 
muft acknowledge to be mortifying, be- 
caufe they cannot: be afcribed merely to 
the malignant temper of that paper to- 
wards this country. But we will net 
dwell on a fubje& that is painful to every 
Englifhman, who, while he views with 
indignation the crimes of a perfidious 
enemy, feels his peace, bis honour, and 
his happinefs, leflened by the unmanly 
conduct of his own government in that 
unhappy tranfaction. 
The French government has prefented 
two netes, in aniwer te the ftrong repre- 
fentations of M.D’Oubril, the JateRuffian, 
Minifter at Paris. It was no eafy tafik 
to anfwer the arguments of M. D’Oubril, 
and the French government has fearcely 
made the attempt. - The laf of the two 
notes was prefented to Prince Czartorin- 
fky, at St. Peterfburg, by M. Rayneval, 
the French Chargé a’ Affaires at the Ruf 
fian Court. It affects to exhibit Bona- 
parte as ating with an almoft exceflive 
candour, moderation, and patience, to- 
wards Ruffia ; and makes him aflume an 
air of innocence and furpyife in (peaking 
of the prele nt ftate of things between the 
two countries. It fays, Hane he will al- 
ways remember the beneficial conte 
quences. which the reconciliation between 
France and Ruffia praduced im Europe ; 
that he never could conceive the motives 
of the mifunderftanding which for fome 
months has interrupted that ufeful har 
mony; that he fees with regret, that the 
departure of the Ruflian Coargé d’ Af- 
faires from Paris, which requires the de 
parture alfo of the Chargé d’ Affaires tvora 
St. Peterfoorg, feems to increafe the alie- 
nation between the two ftates to the 
higheit degree, while the difficulties which 
might have given rife to it are fo jitile | 
cleared up; and concludes with flating, 
that now and io future he is dilpoied to 
renew the ancient relations between the 
two countries. It is fingular enough to 
find the following epi in this note 
— He (Bonaparte) acknowledges that 
mutual afperity has often carried too far 
@ difyegard to decorum, in the dilputes 
