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ply with an application made by Spain for pecuniary fuccours, as neceffary to enable her to act against the common enemy. The failure of fuch an application cannot certainly be matter of furprise to any one who confiders the fituation and conduct of Spain during the war. It can hardly be alledged, even as an excufe for the precipitate peace concluded by Spain, not only without the knoledge of her allies, but in contradiction to repeated and pofitive affurances; but it is difficult to conceive how fuch a refufal can be made the ground of hoftility towards Great Britain, or with what confiftency the inability of Spain to profecute the former conteft without pecuniary aid from its ally, can have become a motive of engaging gratuitously in all the expences and difficulties of a new war against that very power.

With regard to the condemnation of the St. Jago, (a prize taken from the enemy by his majefty's naval forces) his majefty has only to reply to the injurious affertions on that fubject in the Spanish manifefto, that the claims of all the parties in that caufe were publicly heard and decided according to the known law of nations, and before the only competent tribunal; one, whofe impartiality is above all fufpicion.

The conduct of his majefty refpecting the naval ftores, which were claimed by Spain on board Dutch veffels, has been in like manner exempt from all blame, nor was any unneceffary delay interpofed refpecting thofe cargoes till the unequal conduct of Spain, and the ftrong and juft fufpicion of her hoftile difpofitions, made it im

poffible for his majefty to confent to fupply her from the ports of his dominions with the means of acting against himself.

The next charge relates to the alledged misconduct of fome merchant fhips in landing their crews on the coafts of Chili and Peru, with a view of carrying on there an illicit commerce, and of reconnoitring 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 spot, and the court of London has always been open to receive and redrefs all complaints of that nature. But that what is affigned in the manifefto as a mere cover and pretext for fraud, namely, the exercife of the whale fishery by the English in thofe 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 cftablished, but folemnly recognized by the court of Madrid, as having always belonged to Great Britain, and the full and undifturbed 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.

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Such, it feems, were the offences of the British government, and fuch the jealoufies 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 fri

volous as thefe, that the court of Madrid began to project an offenfive alliance with the king's encmies; 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 pacification, 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 herself to have entertained at that period fufficiently fhews; his majefty exercifed 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 intereft 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 ftated, that in the profecution of the war, in which Great Britain is engaged, her views seem uniformly to have been directed to the annoyance of the Spanish poffeffions in America. In fupport of this accufation are adduced an expedition directed againft 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 specific

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anfwer, because the British government has no knowledge of any fact to which it can refer. Within the Spanish territory, the Spanish government certainly poffefs both the right and the power to prevent individuals from trading. Within the American territory, his Majefty's fubjects have by treaty a right to fettle and to trade; and they have alfo an exprefs right freely to navigate the Miffiffippi, by which the territories of Spain and of the United States are divided from each other. Unlefs, therefore, it can be fhewn that the Britih government has authorifed any fettlement on the Spanish territory, this complaint can afford no pretence for hoftility against his majefty.

With regard to the expedition against St. Domingo, and to the conqueft of Demerary, it is impoffible to refrain from remarking, that however highly the rights of neutral nations ought to be respected, and whatever delicacy his majefty might be disposed to feel towards thofe of a power so 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 neighbourhood, although in the poffeflion 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

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tede 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 mea; fures to which the court of London could have recourfe; yet fo earneft 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 troops to undertake there, night be directed againft the French alone. And although no explanation could ever be obtained from the court of Madrid on this fubject, his commanders on the fpot were reftrained from acting, and did not act against the Spanish part of the island, till the ceffion actuálly took place, by which it be. came, as far as the act of Spain could make it, a part of the territories of France.

To the accufations which make up the greater part of the remainder of the manifefto, refpecting the detention or capture of merchant ships, or the violation of territory therein mentioned, it is fufficient to reply, that in every cafe of fuch a nature which has been brought to the knowledge of the British government, the moft effectual measures have been inftantly taken for inftituting inquiry into the particulars of the tranfaction, for collecting the VOL. XXXVIII.

proofs neceffary to afcertain the fact on which the charge is founded, and for fubmitting the whole to that regular, course of proceeding in which juftice is to be rendered in thefe cafes, according to the established practice throughout Europe, and to the express Itipulations of the treaties between Great Britain and Spain.

Amidst 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 difcover 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 exposed to temporary moleftation. The fame obfervation was not lefs applicable to Spain in her war with France; and the fhort interval that has elapfed fince her declaration against Great Britain has amply thewn that fimilar complaints will arife from her conduct in the present war.

The utmoft that can be demanded in fuch cafes of a power at war, is, that it fhould fhew itself ready on all occafions to listen 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 readinefs of the British government to fulfil thefe duties, in every cafe where they have been called upon to do fo, even Spain herself may fafely be called to bear witnefs. Nor would it be easy to L

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cite a more striking 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 from 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 specify particulars on this head, is obliged to have recourfe to an allegation of the depredations of Corfican pri

vateers.

There remains but one ground upon which the court of Spain pretends to account to the world for the rafh and perfidious flep which it has taken in declaring war against England, and to excufe to Europe the calamities which cannot fail to refult from fuch a measure; the fuppofed decree of arreft afferted to have iffued against the Spanish ambaffador at the court of London. The fact, to which this relates, muft have been grofsly miflaken before it could be made to appear, even in the eyes of Spain, a fit motive for the flightest representation or complaint, much more a juftifiable 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 circumftances of perfonal indignity? That the 1efult was intentional, and originated with the British govern

ment? or that, on being apprifed of the offence, the court of London had fhewn fome unwillingness or delay in proceeding to the profe cution of the parties concerned in it?

Who but would be aftonished to learn that the process itself was no more than a fimple citation to anfwer at law for a debt demanded? that the fuing this procefs was the mifiaken 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 authorifes, 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 occured only a few weeks before, precifely the fame measures had been purfued by the government to vindicate the privileges of foreign minifters, and have uniformly, and without exemption, 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 again ft Great Britain. Such are the topics of complaint upon which his majefty has repeatedly offered

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the most unequivocal explanation; upon which he has long and earneftly endeavoured to perfuade the court of Madrid to enter into a full and amicable difcuffion, for the purpofe 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 enemiesit 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 fome unaffigned motive of irresistible neceffity, which induces it to pursue measures alike inconfiftent with its intereft and with its honour.

It will be plain to all pofterity it is now notorious to Europe, that neither to the genuine wishes, 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 majesty's enemies, from the dominion ufurped over her councils and actions by her new allies, fhe has been compelled to act in a quarrel, and for interefts, not her own: to take up arms against one of those powers in whofe caufe fhe had professed to feel the ftrongest 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.

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 thofe of his majesty and his subjects.

Confident of having acquitted himself to the world of any share in originating the prefent war, he finds in the manifeft and unprovoked 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 endeavour to avoid, and which he now ardently defires to bring to a fpeedy and honourable termination.

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IN obedience to the orders of the king my mafter, I have the honour to tranfmit to you the enclosed note, and to request of you that you will forward it to his Danifh majefty's minifter at Paris, to

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