cede a part of that ifland 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 meafures 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 troops to undertake there, might be directed against 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 ceflion actually 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 cate 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 traníaction, for collecting the VOL. XXXVIII.

proofs neceffary to ascertain 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 exprefs itipulations of the treaties between Great Britain and Spain.

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 utmoft vigilance of the government could not immediately dif cover 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 Bri-. tain has amply fhewn that fimilar complaints will arife from her conduct in the prefent war.

The utmost that can be de manded in fuch cafes of a power at war, is, that it fhould flew itself ready on all occafions to listen to the remonftrances and reclamations of thofe whom it may have aggrieved, and prompt and expeditious in redrefling 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 herself may fafely be called to bear witnefs. Nor would it be ealy 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 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 fpccify par ticulars on this head, is obliged to have recourse to an allegation of the depredations of Cortican pri

vateers.

There remains but one ground upon which the court of Spain pretends to account to the world for the rath 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 ambassador at the court of London. The fact, to which this relates, must have been grofsly mistaken before it could be made to appear, even in the eyes of Spain, a fit motive for the flightest reprefentation 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 fait commenced againft the Spanish ambaffador, was attended with fome peculiar circumftances of perfonal indignity? That the efult was intentional, and originated with the British govern

ment? or that, on being apprised 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 procefs itself was no more than a fimple citation to anfwer at law for a debt demanded? that the fuing this process was the mifiaken a&t 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 ariten in England from the ignorance of individuals, and from the ready appeal to the laws which the happy conftitution of the country admits and authorites, 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 pursued 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 waragainft Great Britain. Such are the topics of complaint upon which his majefty has repeatedly offered

the

the most unequivocal explanation; upon which he has long and carneftly 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 thofe 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 happinels, 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 irrefiftible neceffity, which induces it to purfue meatures 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 miftaken policy of Spain, her prefent conduct is to be attributed; that not from enmity towards Great Britain, not from any refentment of past 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, the has been compelled to act in a quarrel, and for interefts, not her own: to take up arms againft one of thofe powers in whofe caufe fhe had profeffed to feel the strongeft 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 circumstances, his majefty forbears to enumerate the feveral grounds of just 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 laft moment his earneft endeavour to avoid, and which he now ardently defires to bring to a speedy and honourable termination.

be by him communicated to the executive directory.

The fentiments of your court are too well known to the king to admit of his majefty's entertaining any doubt of the fatisfaction with which his Danish majefty will fee the intervention of his minifters employed on fuch an occafion, or of the earnestness with which you, fir, will concur in a measure which has for its object the re-establishment of peace.

I have the honour to be, with
the most perfect confideration,
Sir,

Your most humble,
And moft obedient servant,
GRENVILLE.

To the count Wedel Jarls-
berg, Sc. Sc. Ta.

No. 2.

Note. HIS Britannic majefty, animated with the fame defire, which he has already manifefted, to terminate, by juft, honourable, and permanent conditions of peace, a war which has extended itself throughout all parts of the world, is willing to omit nothing on his part which may contribute to this object. It is with this view that he has thought it proper to avail himself of the confidential intervention of the ministers of a neutral power, to demand of the executive directory palports for a perfon of confidence whom his majefty would fend to Paris with a commiffion to difcufs, with the government there, all the means the moft proper to produce fo defirable an end.

And his majefty is perfuaded that he hall receive, without delay, through the fame channel, a fatisfactory anfwer to this demand, which cannot fail to place in a fill clearer light the juft and pacific

I HAVE the honour to inform your excellency, that the note addreffed to the executive directory of France, in date of the 6th of the prefent month, was tranfmitted by M. Koenemann, charge d'affaires of his Danith majefty, to M. Delacroix, minifter for foreign affairs at Paris, who promiled that an answer should be returned to it after it had been fubmitted to the confideration of the government. Three days having elapfed in expectation of this anfwer, Mr. Koenemann went a fecond time to the minifter abovementioned, who gave him to understand, that the executive directory had not permitted him to return an answer in writting, but that he was directed to exprefs himself verbally to this effect:

"That the executive directory of the French republic would not, for the future, receive or answer any overtures or confidential papers tranfmitted through any intermediate channel from the enemies of the republic; but that if they would fend perfons furnished with full powers and official papers, thefe might, upon the frontiers, demand the paffports neceflary for proceeding to Paris."

I have the honour to be, with
the moft perfect refpect,
My lord,

Your excellency's most humble,
And most obedient fervant,
(Signed) COMTE DE WEDEL
JARLSBERG.

London, Sept. 3, 1796.

No. 4.