“Every article of supply furnished At a Court at the Queen's Palace, or brought to market, will be paid 2d September, 1807, present the for at a fair and settled price ; but King's Most Excellent Majesty as immediate and constant supplies, in Counoil. especially of provision, forage, fuel, “It is this day ordered by his maand transports, are necessary to all jesty, by and with the advice of his armies, it is well known that requisi- privy council, that no ships or vessels tions are unavoidable, and must be belonging to any of his majesty's subenforced. jects be permitted to enter and clear “ Much convenience will arise to out for any of the ports within the dothe inhabitants, and much confusion minions of the king of Denmark until and loss to them will be prevented, further orders; and his majesty is furif persons in authority are found in ther pleased to order, that a general the several districts to whom requisi- embargo or stop be made of all ships tions may be addressed, and through and vessels whatsoever belonging to whom claims for payment may be the subjects of the king of Denmark, settled and liquidated. now within, or which shall hereafter “ If such persons are appointed, come into any of the ports, harbours, and discharge their duty, without or roads, within any part of his mameddling in matters which do not jesty's dominions, together with all concern them, they shall be re persons and effects on board all such spected, and all requisitions shall be ships and vessels belonging to the addressed to them, through the pro- subjects of the king of Denmark, or per channels, and departments of bearing the flag of the king of Denthe navy and army; but as forbear- mark: but that the utmost care be ance on the part of the inhabitants taken for the preservation of all and is essential to the principle of these every part of the cargoes on board arrangements, it is necessary that all any of the said ships or vessels, so , manner of civil persons should re that no damage or embezzlement inain at their respective habitations; whatever be sustained ; and the comand any peasants, or other persons manders of his majesty's ships of war found in arms, singly, or in small and privateers are hereby instructed troops, or who may be guilty of any to detain and bring into port every act of violence, must expect to be such ship and vessel accordingly; treated with rigour. and the right honourable the lords “ The government of his Danish commissioners of his majesty's treamajesty having hitherto refused to sury, the lords commissioners of the treat this matter in an amicable way, admiralty, and the lord warden of part of the army has been disem- the Cinque Ports, are to give the barked, and the whole force has necessary directions herein as to the assumed a warlike attitude; but it may respectively appertain. a is as yet not too late for the voice of “ W. FAWKENER." reason and moderation to be heard. “Given in the Sound, under our Danish Declaration. hands and seals, this 16th day “ TONNINGEN, Aug. 24. of August, 1807." “All Europe is acquainted with (Signed as above.) the system which Denmark has fol lowed, 1 - Curing a period of fifteen years var and disturbance, with unceasperseverance. The rigid obsertanto a freeand impartial neutraand the conscientious fulfilment the duties belonging thereunto, 11med the object of all its wishes its efforts. The Danish governit its relations and comexions ng states, has never lost sight assheity, which was insepafrom the purity of its sentiments we of peace, and which it saspected of having once debilitated. Hitherto as blessed our underWithout injustice, without m of reproach from any of powers, we succeeded in ... a good understanding hole of them. This state sod tranquillity is suddenly it will hear. The basest, the most violent and cruel object which could ever have been taken up, has no other foundation than some pretended information, or rather that of a mere rumour of an attempt, which, according to the English ministry, was to have taken place, in order to draw Denmark into a hostile alliance against Great Britain. "Upon these pretended grounds, which the least degree of discussion would immediately have shewn as being founded upon arbitrary measures alone, the English government declared to the court of Denmark, in the most imperious manner, that in order to secure its own interests, and to provide for its own safety, it could leave Denmark no other choice than a war, or a close alliance with Great Britain. And what kind of alliance did they offer? An alliance, the first guarantee of which, as a pledge of the subjection of Denmark, was to have delivered up all her ships of war to the British government. There could be no hesitation as to the alternative that was to be adopted. This opening being made, as scandalous in its offers as in its menaces-as offensive in the manner as in the thing itself— left no room for negociation. The most justifiable and rooted disdain naturally absorbed every other feeling. Placed between danger and dishonour, the Danish government had no choice. The war commenced: Denmark was by no means blind to the dangers, to the losses, with which she was threatened by this war. Attacked in the most unexpected and dishonourable manner, exposed in a separate province, and in a manner cut off from all the means of defence, and forced into an unequal contest, she could not flatter herself with escaping a very material injury. Un The English governer having long neglected its intrests by a shameful inactivity, ter having betrayed its allies vexatious and uncertain strughas suddenly developed all its sad activity to attack a neusad peaceable state, without any at against the same. The tor dissolving the ancient and connections which united Dento Great Britain, have been pared with as much secrecy as ptitude. The Danish governsaw the English ships of war on their coast, without even the jecture that they were to be emMoved against Denmark. The island Zealand was surrounded, the caantal threatened, and the Danish teratory violated and injured, before the court of London had made use of a single word to express the hoshity of its feelings. This hostility, however, soon became evident: Euope will with difficulty believe what spotted spotted honour, however, still remained for her to defend, as well as that reputation which she had earned as the price of her upright conduct. Denmark, therefore, flatters herself that, on the part of the powers of Europe, she will not appeal in vain. Let impartial cabinets judge whether England was under the political necessity of sacrificing another state without hesitation, to her own safety; a state which had neither offended nor provoked her. Depending upon the justice of her cause, trusting in Providence, and in the love and loyalty of the people to a prince, whose mild sceptre, under Providence, is swayed over a united, brave, and faithful people, the Danish government flatters itself that it will be able to acquit itself without weakness of the painful task which has been imposed upon it by necessity. The government of Denmark believes it has a right to reckon upon the interest and justice of the cabinets of Europe, and they particularly hope for the effects of the same on the part of those illustrious sovereigns whose objects and alliances have served the English for a pretext, and to give a colour to the most crying act of injustice, and whose object is to offer to England the means of making a general atonement for an act of violence, which, even in England, every noble and generous mind will disown; which deforms the character of a virtuous sovereign, and will ever remain a scandal in the annals of Great Britain." British Declaration. "His majesty owes to himself and to Europe a frank exposition of the motives which have dictated his late measures in the Baltic. "His majesty has delayed this exposition only in the hope of that more amicable arrangement with the court of Denmark which it was his majesty's first wish and endeavour to obtain, for which he was ready to make great efforts and great sacrifices, and of which he never lost sight even in the moment of the most decisive hostility. "Deeply as the disappointment of this hope has been felt by his majes ty, he has the consolation of reflecting that no exertion was left untried on his part to produce a different result. And, while he laments the cruel necessity which has obliged him to have recourse to acts of hostility against a nation with which it was his majesty's most earnest desire to have established the relations of common interest and alliance, his majesty feels confident that, in the eyes of Europe and of the world, the justification of his conduct will be found in the commanding and indispensable duty, paramount to all others among the obligations of a sovereign, of providing, while there was yet time, for the immediate security of his people. "His majesty had received the most positive information of the determination of the present ruler of France to occupy, with a military force, the territory of Holstein, for the purpose of excluding Great Britain from all her accustomed channels of communication with the continent; of inducing or compelling the court of Denmark to close the passage of the Sound against the British commerce and navigation; and of availing himself of the aid of the Danish marine for the invasion of Great Britain and of Ireland. "Confident "Confident as his majesty was of "Nor was the danger less immi the sources from which this intelli-nent than certain. Already the army gence was derived, and confirmed in destined for the invasion of Holstein the credit which he gave to it, as was assembling on the violated terriwell by the notorious and repeated tory of neutral Hamburgh. And, declarations of the enemy, and by Holstein once occupied, the island of his recent occupation of the towns Zealand was at the mercy of France, and territories of other neutral states, and the navy of Denmark at her disas by the preparations actually made posal. for collecting a hostile force upon the frontiers of his Danish majesty's continental dominions, his majesty would yet willingly have forborne to act upon this intelligence, until the complete and practical disclosure of the plan had made manifest to all the world the absolute necessity of resisting it. "His majesty did forbear, as long as there could be a doubt of the urgency of the danger, or a hope of an effectual counteraction to it, in the means or in the dispositions of Denmark. "But his majesty could not but recollect, that when, at the close of the former war, the court of Denmark engaged in a hostile confederacy against Great Britain, the apology offered by that court for so unjustifiable an abandonment of a neutrality which his majesty had never ceased to respect, was founded on its avowed inability to resist the operation of external influence, and the threats of a formidable neighbouring power. His majesty could not but compare the degree of influence which at that time determined the decision of the court of Denmark, in violation of positive engagements, solemnly contracted but six monthis before, with the increased operation which France had now the means of giving to the same principle of intimidation, with kingdoms prostrate at her feet, and with the population of nations under her banners. But "It is true, a British force might have found its way into the Baltic, and checked for a time the movements of the Danish marine. the season was approaching when that precaution would no longer have availed; and when his majesty's fleet must have retired from that sea, and permitted France, in undisturbed security, to accumulate the means of offence against his majesty's dominions. "Yet even under these circumstances, in calling upon Denmark for the satisfaction and security which his majesty was compelled to require, and in demanding the only pledge by which that security could be rendered effectual-the temporary possession of that Fleet, which was the chief inducement to France for forcing Denmark into hostilities with Great Britain-his majesty accompanied this demand with the offer of every condition which could tend to reconcile it to the interests and to the feelings of the court of Denmark. "It was for Denmark herself to state the terms and stipulations which she might require. "If Denmark was apprehensive that the surrender of her fleet would be resented by France as an act of connivance, his majesty had prepared a force of such formidable magnitude as must have made concession justifiable even in the estimation of France, by rendering resistance altogether unavailing. "If Denmark was really prepared to resist the demands of France, and to maintain her independence, his majesty proffered his co-operation for her defence-naval, military, and pecuniary aid: the gaurantee of her European territories, and the security and extension of her colonial possessions. "That the sword has been drawn in the execution of a service indispensable to the safety of his majesty's dominions, is matter of sincere and painful regret to his majesty. That the state and circumstances of the world are such as to have required and justified the measures of self-preservation, to which his majesty has found himself under the necessity of resorting, is a truth which his majesty deeply deplores, but for which he is in no degree responsible. "His majesty has long carried on a most unequal contest of scrupulous forbearance against unrelenting violence and oppression. But that forbearance has its bounds. When the design was openly avowed, and already but too far advanced towards its accomplishment, of subjecting the powers of Europe to one universal usurpation, and of combining them by terror or by force in a confederacy against the maritime rights and political existence of this kingdom, it became necessary for his majesty to anticipate the success of a system, not more fatal to his interests than to those of the powers who were destined to be the instruments of its execution. "It was time that the effects of that dread which France has inspired into the nations of the world should be counteracted by an exertion of the power of Great Britain, called VOL. XLIX. for by the exigency of the crisis, and proportioned to the magnitude of the danger. "Notwithstanding the declaration of war on the part of the Danish government, it still remains for Denmark to determine whether war shall continue between the two nations. His majesty still proffers an amicable arrangement. He is anxious to. sheathe the sword, which he has been most reluctantly compelled to draw. He is ready to demonstrate to Denmark and to the world, that, having acted solely upon the sense of what was due to the security of his own dominions, he is not desirous, from any other motive, or for any object of advantage or aggrandisement, to carry measures of hostility beyond the limits of the necessity which has produced them. "Wesminster, Sept. 25, 1807." Danish Decree. The government of Denmark has issued a decree, entitled "Orders respecting the conduct to be observed during the present War, with respect to English goods and persons detained." It is dated on the 9th ult. and directs all Englishmen throughout the Danish territory to be detained, and all English property and goods to be seized. The regulations in this respect are similar to those acted on in France and Holland, and therefore need not be detailed at length. We copy, however, the articles affecting private correspondence, and the debt and credit of the subjects of both countries. 24th. Immediately after the detention of an Englishman, an en quiry is to take place; and if any. 3 B each |