tring the country. On this it is to be obferved, that thofe views are not fupported by any fact whatever; that if any act was in truth committed by individuals in those territories against the laws of the government established there, thofe laws might have been enforced upon the fpot, and the court of London has always been open to receive and redress all complaints of that nature. But that what is affigned in the manifefto as a mere cover and pretext for fraud, name ly, the exercife of the whale fishery by the English in those parts, is not, as there afferted, a right which the English claim under the convention of Nootka." It is one, which was not then for the first time eftablished, but folemnly recognized by the court of Madrid, as having always belonged to Great Britain, and the full and undisturbed exercife of which was guaranteed to his majefty's fubjects in terms fo exprefs as to admit of no doubt, and in a tranfaction fo recent, that ignorance of it cannot be pretended. Such, it feems, were the offences of the British government, and fuch the jealoufles and apprehenfion of Spain during the time when the courts of London and Madrid were united in the bands of alliance, and engaged in a common caufe; and it is on motives as frivolous as thefe, that the court of Madrid began to project an offenfive alliance with the king's enemies; a defign which it now profeffes to have entertained from the moment when it feparated itself from the common caufe, but which was long after that period difguifed under the moft pofitive and explicit affurances of neutrality. It is infinuated, that the good offices of his catholic majefty, for bringing about a general pacifi cation, had been tendered to Great Britain, and had been refufed. What degree of impartiality could have been expected from fuch a mediation, the difpofitions which Spain now avows herfelf to have entertained at that period fufficiently fhew; his majesty exercised his undoubted right of judging for himself and for his people, how far a negotiation, commenced under fuch aufpices, was likely to contribute to the honour and interest of his dominions; and he now finds the propriety of his decifion confirmed beyond a doubt, by the conduct and avowals of Spain. It is next stated, that in the profecution of the war, in which Great Britain is engaged, her views feem uniformly to have been directed to the annoyance of the Spanish poffeffions in America. In fupport of this accufation are adduced an expedition directed against St. Domingo, the conqueft of the Dutch colony of Demerary, and the fuppofed establishment of British commercial companies on the banks of the Miffiffippi, formed with a view of penetrating to the South Sea. This latter point is one to which it is impoffible to make a fpecific anfwer, because the British government has no knowledge of any fact to which it can refer. Within the Spanish territory, the Spanish government certainly poffeffes both the right and the power to prevent individuals from trading. Within the American territory, his majef ty's fubjects have by treaty a right to fettle and to trade; and they have also an exprefs right freely to navigate the Miffiffippi, by which the territories of Spain and of the United States are divided from each other. Unless, therefore, it can be fhewn that the British government has authorized any fettlement од on the Spanish territory, this complaint can afford no pretence for hoftility against his majesty. With regard to the expedition againft St. Domingo, and to the conquest of Demerary, it is impoffible to refrain from remarking, that however highly the rights of neutral nations ought to be refpected, and whatever delicacy his majefty might be difpofed to feel towards thofe of a power fo lately his ally, and not yet become his enemy it is a new and hitherto unheard of claim of neutrality, which is to be circumfcribed by no bounds, either of time or place; which extends equally beyond the date, and beyond the limits of poffeffion, and is to attach not to the territories of a neutral power itself, but to whatever may once have belonged to it, and to whatever may be fituated in its neigbourhood, although in the poffeffion of an actual enemy. The fubject, however, of St. Domingo, deferves to be more particularly adverted to, because the attempt on the part of Spain to cede a part of that island to France, is a breach of that folemn treaty under which alone the crown of Spain holds any part of its American poffeffions. The conclufion of fuch an article, without the knowledge of an ally fo deeply concerned as Great Britain in that ftipulation, both in right and intereft, was therefore an act, fuch as would have juftified any measures to which the court of London could have recourfe; yet fo earnest was the king's defire to maintain peace with Spain, that he repeatedly endeavoured to fix, by an amicable difcuffion with that court, the period when the right of Spain to the territory fo ceded was to ceafe, in order that any operation, which it might become expedient for his To the accufations which made Amidft the wide and complicated operations of a naval war, extended over every quarter of the globe, it is not improbable that fome diforders and irregularities may have taken place, which the utmost vigilance of the government could not immediately discover or reprefs; and that in the exercife of the undoubted right of a power at war, to fearch out and feize the property of the enemy, the rights of neutral nations may, in fome inftances, have been unintentionally expofed expofed to temporary moleftation, The fame obfervation was not lefs applicable to Spain in her war with France; and the short interval that has elapfed fince her declaration against Great Britain has amply fhewn that fimilar complaints will arife from her conduct in the prefent war. The utmost that can be demanded in fuch cafes of a power at war, is, that it fhould fhew itfelf ready on all occafions to liften to the remonftrances and reclamations of thofe whom it may have aggrieved, and prompt and expeditious in redreffing their injuries, and in reftoring their property: and to the readiness of the British government to fulfil thefe duties, in every cafe where they have been called upon to do fo, even Spain herfelf may fafely be called to bear witnefs. Nor would it be eafy to cite a more ftriking proof of the friendly difpofition of the king's government, and of the particular attention manifefted towards the rights and interefts of Spain, than arifes froin an impartial examination of the detail of what has paffed on this fubject. It will be found that the caufes of complaints, whether well or ill-founded, which have been brought forward, are much fewer than ever have occurred within the fame period in former times. And the court of Spain, when called upon to fpecify particulars on this head, is obliged to have recourfe to an allegation of the depredations of Corfican privateers. There remains but one ground upon which the court of Spain pretends to account to the world for the rafh and perfidious ftep which it has taken in declaring war againft England, and to excufe to Europe the calamities which cannot fail to refult from fuch a mealure; the fuppofed decree of arreft afferted to have been iffued against the Spanish ambaffador at the court of London, The fact, to which this relates, muft have been grofsly mistaken before it could be made to appear, even in the eyes of Spain, a fit motive for the flighteft reprefentation or complaint, much more a jufti. fiable caufe of war between the two kingdoms. By the ftrefs which is laid upon this tranfaction, who is there that would not be led to imagine that the law-fuit commenced against the Spanish ambaffador was attended with fome peculiar circumstances of perfonal indignity? That the refult was intentional, and originated with the British government? or that, on being apprifed of the offence, the court of London had fhewn fome unwillingnefs or delay in proceeding to the profecution of the parties concerned in it? Who but would be aftonished to learn that the procefs itfelf was no more than a fimple citation to anfwer at law for a debt demanded? that the fuing this procefs was the mistaken act of an individual, who was immediately difavowed by the government, and ordered to be profecuted for his conduct, and who made (but made in vain) repeated and fubmiffive applications to the Spanish ambaffador for forgivenefs and interference on his behalf? that cafes of the fame nature have frequently arifen in England from the ignorance of individuals, and from the ready appeal to the laws which the happy conftitution of the country admits and authorizes, without the previous intervention or knowledge of any branch of the executive government; and that in all fimilar cafes, and particularly in one which had occurred only a few weeks before, precifely the fame measures have been pursued by the government to vindicate the privileges of foreign minifters, and have uniformly, and without exception, been accepted as completely adequate to that object, and fatisfactory to the dignity and honour of the fovereign whom the cafe concerned? Such then are the frivolous motives, and pretended wrongs, which Spain has chofen to affign as the juftification of her declaration of war against Great Britain. Such are the topics of complaint upon which his majefty has repeatedly offered the moft unequivocal explanation; upon which he has long and earnestly endeavoured to perfuade the court of Madrid to enter into a full and amicable difcuffion, for the purpose of averting from his own fubjects, from those of his catholic majefty, and from Europe, the extremities of war. When upon grounds of fuch a nature, and with the offer of negotiation repeatedly prefented to its choice, a power has wilfully and wantonly chofen a war, in which its profperity, its happinefs, and its fafety, are hazarded, and in which it will have as much to fear from the fuccefs of its allies, as from that of its enemies-it furely is not too much to prefume, that, even in its own eyes, that power is not juftified for the proceeding which it adopted, and that there must be some unaffigned motive of irrefiftible neceffity, which induces it to purfue measures alike inconfiftent with its intereft and with its honour. It will be plain to all pofterityit is now notorious to Europe, that neither to the genuine wifhes, nor even to the mistaken policy of Spain, her prefent conduct is to be attributed; that not from enmity towards Great Britain, not from any refentment of paft or apprehenfion of future injuries, but from a blind fubferviency to the views of his majefty's enemies, from the dominion ufurped over her councils and actions by her new allies, he has been compelled to aft in a quarrel, and for interefts, not her own: to take up arms against one of those powers in whofe caufe fhe has profeffed to feel the ftrongeft intereft; and even to menace with hoftility another, against whom no caufe of complaint is pretended, except its honourable and faithful adherence to its engagements. ན Under thefe circumftances, his majefty forbears to enumerate the feveral grounds of juft complaint which he has had occafion, on his part, to prefer to the court of Madrid, fince the conclufion of the peace between France and Spain; the many and grofs inftances of unjuft partiality towards his enemies, of undue protection afforded to their fhips, and of injuries committed, and allowed to be committed, on those of his majesty and his fubjects. Confident of having acquitted himself to the world of any fhare in originating the prefent war, he finds in the manifeft and unpro voked aggreffion of the enemy, a fufficient caufe for calling forth the refources of his kingdoms, and the fpirit of his fubjects; and he commits to the Divine Providence the iffue of a conteft, which it was to the last moment his earneft endea-. vour to avoid, and which he now ardently defires to bring to a fpeedy and honourable termination. Note tranfmitted to M. Barthelemy, Ambajador from the French Republic to the Helvetic Body, by Mr. Mr. Wickham, his Britannic Majefty's Minifter Plenipotentiary to the Swifs Cantons, March 8, 1796. The undersigned, his Britannic majefty's minifter plenipotentiary to the Swifs Cantons, is authorized to convey to monfieur Barthelemy the defire of his court to be made acquainted, through him, with the difpofitions of France in regard to the object of a general pacification. He therefore requests monfieur Barthelemy to tranfmit to him in writing (and after having made the neceflary inquiries) his anfwer to the following questions: 1. Is there the difpofition in France to open a negotiation with his majefty and his allies for the reeftablishment of a general peace, upon juft and fuitable terms, by fending for that purpofe minifters to a congrefs, at fuch place as may hereafter be agreed upon? 2. Would there be the difpofition to communicate to the underfigned the general grounds of a pacification, fuch as France would be willing to propofe; in order that his majefty and his allies might thereupon examine in concert, whether they are fuch as might ferve as the foundation of a negotiation for peace? 3. Or would there be a defire to propofe any other way whatever, for arriving at the fame end, that of a general pacification? The underfigned is authorized to receive from monfieur Barthelemy the answers to these questions, and to tranfmit them to his court; but he is not authorized to enter with him into negotiation or difcuffion upon these fubjects. (Signed) Berne, March 8, 1796. W. WICKHAM. Note tranfmitted to Mr. Wickham by MBarthelemy, March 26, 1796. The undersigned, ambassador of the French republic to the Helvetic body, has tranfmitted to the executive directory the note which Mr. Wickham, his Britannic majefty's minifter plenipotentiary to the Swifs Cantons, was pleafed to convey to him, dated the 8th of March. He has it in command to anfwer it by an expofition of the fentiments and difpofitions of the executive directory. The directory ardently defires to procure for the French republic a juft, honourable, and folid peace. The ftep taken by Mr. Wickham would have afforded to the directory a real fatisfaction, if the declaration itfelf which that minifter makes of his not having any order, any power to negotiate, did not give room to doubt of the fincerity of the pacific intentions of his court. In fact, if it were true that England began to know her real interefts; that the wished to open again for herself the fources of abundance and profperity; if he fought for peace with good faith, would the propose a' congrefs, of which the neceffary refult must be, to render all negotiation endless? Or would the confine herself to the afking, in a vague manner, that the French government should point out any other way whatever, for attaining the fame object, that of a general pacification? Is it that this step has had no other object than to obtain for the British government the favourable impretion which always accompanies the first overtures for peace? May it not have been accompanied with the hope that they would produce no effect? However that may be, the exe |