on the Spanish territory, this complaint can afford no pretence for hoftility against his majesty.

With regard to the expedition against 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 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, 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 cellion actually took place, by which it became, as far as the act of Spain could make it, a part of the territories of France.

To the accufations which made up the greater part of the remainder of the manifefto, refpecting the detention or capture of merchant fhips, or the violation of territory therein mentioned, it is fufficient to reply, that in every case of such a nature which has been brought to the knowledge of the British government, the most effectual meafures have been inftantly taken for inftituting inquiry into the particulars of the tranfaction, for collecting the proofs neceffary to afcertain the fact on which the charge was founded, and for submitting the whole to that regular courfe of proceeding in which juftice is to be rendered in these cafes, according to the established practice throughout Europe, and to the exprefs ftipulations of the treaties between Great Britain and Spain.

Amidft the wide and compli cated 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 exercise 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 fhort interval that has elapfed fince her declaration against Great Britain has amply fhewn that fimilar complaints will, arife from her conduct in the present 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 been iffued against the Spanish ambafador 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 flighteft 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-fuit commenced against the Spanish ambaffador was attended with fome peculiar circumftances 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 unwillingness or delay in proceeding to the profecution of the partics 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 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 forgiveness 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 adinits 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,

pre

precifely the fame measures have been purfued 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 purpofe 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 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 fome unaffigned motive of irrefiftible neceffity, which induces it to purfue meafures 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 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 majefty'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 has profeffed 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 majesty 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 fubjects.

Confident of having acquitted himself to the world of any fhare 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 earnest endeayour to avoid, and which he now ardently defires to bring to a speedy and honourable termination.

Mr. Wickham, his Britannic Majefty's Minifter Plenipotentiary to the Swifs Cantons, March 8, 1796.

The underfigned, his Britannic majefty's minifter plenipotentiary to the Swiss 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 neceffary inquiries) his answer 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 just 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 undersigned 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 undersigned is authorized to receive from monfieur Barthelemy the answers to these questions, and to transmit them to his court; but he is not authorized to enter with him into negotiation or difcuffion upon thefe fubjects. (Signed) Berne, March 9, 1796.

W. WICKHAM.

Note tranfmitted to Mr. Wickham by M. Barthelemy, March 26, 1796.

The underfigned, ambaffador 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 itself which that minister 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 herfelf the fources of abundance and profperity; if fhe fought for peace with good faith, would fhe propofe a congrefs, of which the neceffary refult muft be, to render all negotiation endless? Or would the confine herself to the afking, in a vague manner, that the French government fhould 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 Britifli government the favourable impreffion 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