Roi Ferdinand, le Roi de France pense qu'il serait bon d'ajouter une Amnestie pleine et entière, pour tout acte politique fait depuis 1822, jusqu'au jour de promulgation de la Concession Royale. Ainsi disparaîtrait de la Constitution Espagnole, le vice de fond et de forme, qui met en péril toutes les Monarchies Légitimes. Le Soussigné ose croire que des Propositions si justes et si modérées obtiendront l'assentiment de tous les Cabinets de l'Europe. Le Gouvernement Français ayant fait, au désir d'éviter la guerre, tous les genres de sacrifice: ayant peut-être trop longtems lutte contre l'opinion publique, soulevée par les provocations de l'Espagne,-le Gouvernement Français est arrivé à cette dernière limite de concession, qu'aucun Pouvoir qui se respecte, ne peut impunément dépasser. Blessée dans ses intérêts essentiels, La France ne peut plus fermer les yeux sur les dangers qui La menacent, sans cesser de faire les vœux les plus ardents pour la paix. Elle a déjà pris, et continuera de prendre, les mesures propre à mettre fin à un état d'incertitude qui compromêt à la fois, Sa sûreté, Son honneur, et Sa dignité. Quelque soit l'évènement, La France aimera toujours à compter sur les Bons Offices dont le Gouvernement Anglais veut bien lui renouveller la proposition. Elle mettra Ell-même tous ses soins à resserrer les liens qui unissent si heureusement les deux Monarchies et les deux Peuples. Son Excellence M. Canning. CHATEAUBRIAND. SIR, No. 14.-Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir Charles Stuart. Foreign Office, January 28, 1823. SHORTLY after I had dispatched the Messenger yesterday, M. de Marcellus delivered to me the Official Answer of M. de Chateaubriand to the Note addressed by me to M. de Marcellus on the 10th instant. As it appears from your Excellency's Despatch of the 24th, which also reached me yesterday, that M. de Chateaubriand, though he stated to your Excellency the substance of this Note, had not furnished you with a Copy of it, I think it right to inclose a Copy for your information. Upon a first consideration, I am by no means sure that it will be necessary to reply Officially to this Note of M. de Chateaubriand; since it, in effect, admits all the material propositions of the Note to which it is an answer. The Questions brought forward by France at Verona are acknowledged to have been French Questions, in the sense in which they are in my Note described to have been such; that is to say, the interest of France is stated in those Questions, not as distinct from the interest of Europe, but as more immediate-and it is not denied that the refusal of His Majesty's Plenipotentiary to concur in the decisions of Verona, was founded on the omission by France to substantiate any specific ground of complaint against the Spanish Government. In the subsequent part of M. de Chateaubriand's Note, while the assertion of my Note of the 10th instant,-that Great Britain had in 1820 declined anticipating hypothetical Cases in which it might be impossible to remain at peace with Spain,-is disputed; the only two Cases which are cited in exception to that assertion, are Cases wholly independent of the principle of interference in the internal Concerns of other Nations. It is averred, that we admitted the necessity of War against Spain; first, if Spain herself should be guilty of aggression against other States, and secondly and specifically, if she should attempt to possess Herself of Portugal. Unquestionably, with respect to either of those Cases, Great Britain would admit, not only prospectively and hypothetically, and as to Spain, but positively and directly as to any Power whatever, that aggression against any of its neighbours would justify War; and that aggression against Portugal would impose upon Great Britain the duty of protecting Her Ally. But these admissions leave the Question as to the right of interference in the affairs of Spain, where it was. With respect to that part of M. de Chauteaubriand's Note which describes the nature of the Demands intended to be made by France upon Spain, and takes credit for the moderation of them; your Excellency will not fail to observe, that our difference with France and the Allies throughout, is not as to the Arrangements which it might be desirable to obtain from Spain, but as to the principle upon which France and the Allies propose to require them. The We disclaim for Ourselves, and deny for other Powers, the right of requiring any Changes in the internal Institutions of Independent States, with the menace of hostile attack in case of refusal. moderation of such demands in no degree justifies in our eyes such a mode of enforcing them; and this distinction it is the more important to keep steadily in view, and to impress upon the French Government at a moment when, for their sake and at their desire, we are suggesting to Spain, in a tone of friendly counsel, alterations similar to those which France is proposing as the alternative of hostilities. Your Excellency will speak in this sense to M. de Chateaubriand, when you acknowledge on my part the receipt of his Official Note; from the general tone of which, and from the friendliness of its expressions towards this Country, you will inform M. de Chateaubriand that His Majesty's Government derives the liveliest satisfaction; at the same time that It views with deep regret the tendency of that part of the Note which appears to indicate an expectation of hostilities with Spain. I am, &c. H. E. The Rt. Hon. Sir Charles Stuart. GEORGE CANNING. Class B. No. PARIS AND MADRID. ... ... ... Page 1822 28 28 Foreign Office, Dec. 9, 28 28 29 Foreign Office, Dec. 29, 29 30 30 1. Mr. Sec. Canning to Sir William à Court... Foreign Office, Dec. 3, 2. Mr. Secr. Canning to Sir William à Court ... Foreign Office, Dec. 9, 3. Mr. Secr. Canning to Sir William à Court 4. Mr. Secr. Canning to Sir William à Court 5. Mr. Sec. Canning to Sir William à Court 6. Mr. Sec1. Canning to Sir William à Court 7. Mr. Secr. Canning to Sir William à Court 8. Sir William à Court to Mr. Sec. Canning 9. Mr. Sec. Canning to Lord Fitzroy Somerset, 10. Mr. Secr. Canning to Sir William à Court ... 11. Mr. Secy. Canning to Sir William à Court 12. Sir William à Court to Mr. Secr. Canning ... 13. Mr. Secy, Canning to Sir William à Court 14. Sir William à Court to Mr. Secr. Canning ......... 38 Incl.-M. de San Miguel to Sir W. à Court Madrid....................... Jan. 12, 17. Mr. Sec3. Canning to Sir Charles Stuart...... Foreign Office, Jan. 24, 18. Sir William à Court to Mr. Secr. Canning ... Madrid......... 19. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Sec. Canning...... Paris.......... 20. Mr. Sec'. Canning to Sir William à Court ... Foreign Office, Jan. 26, 21. Mr. Sec. Canning to Sir William à Court ... Foreign Office, Jan. 28, 22. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Sec. Canning...... Paris............, Jan. 28, 23. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Secr. Canning...... Paris............ 24. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Secr. Canning...... Paris............ Jan. 30, 25. Mr. Secr. Canning to Sir Charles Stuart...... Foreign Office, Feb. 3, 26. Sir William à Court to Mr. Sec. Canning ... Madrid......... Jan. 21, 27. Mr. Secr. Canning to Sir William à Court... Foreign Office, Feb. 9, 28. Lord Fitzroy Somerset to Mr. Secr. Canning, Madrid......... Jan. 25, 29. Sir Charles Stuart to Mr. Sec. Canning...... Paris............ 30. Sir William à Court to Mr. Secr. Canning 31. Sir William à Court to Mr. Secy. Canning ... Madrid......... Feb. 4. ... ......... ....... Madrid......... March 5,- ខ៦ ៦៦ PARIS AND MADRID. No. 1.-Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir William à Court. (Extract.) Foreign Office, December 3, 1822. In order that you may be fully informed of the manner in which the Question of Interference in the Affairs of Spain has been treated at the Conferences at Verona, I have directed Copies of the principal Communications received from the Duke of Wellington on that Question, to be prepared for you; and I herewith transmit them to you for your information. No. 2.-Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir William à Court. (Extract.) Foreign Office, December 9, 1822. ON the day after I had dispatched my last Messenger to you, M. de Colomb, the Spanish Chargé d'Affaires, requested a Conference; at which he first read, and then delivered to me, the Extract of a Despatch from his Court, of which I inclose a Copy.* No. 3.-Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir William à Court. (Extract.) Foreign Office, December 9, 1822. I HAVE received this morning, the Duke of Wellington's final Dispatches from Verona. No argument will be left unemployed on the part of His Majesty, which may tend to allay a warlike disposition in His Most Christian Majesty's Councils. His Majesty's Mediation between France and Spain, if solicited by Spain and accepted by France, would be gladly given and earnestly exerted, to settle the Disputes between those Powers, and to preserve the Peace of the World. If Spain be disposed to solicit that Mediation, She will entitle Herself to it, First, by redressing our grievances,-and, Secondly, by a confidential and spontaneous assurance, that His Catholic Majesty and His Family are altogether safe from violence. Upon this latter Point, it is not intended that you should make any direct demand to the Spanish Government. It could not properly find its place in a diplomatic Communication to the Minister of His Catholic Majesty. But M. de San Miguel may be easily led to understand, how important an aid would be afforded to any interposition of ours in behalf of Spain, if We could accompany it with the declaration of our entire conviction, that on this point Europe has nothing to fear. No. 4.-Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir William à Court. (Extract.) Foreign Office, December 17, 1822. I TRANSMIT to you an Extract† of a Despatch which has been received from the Duke of Wellington at Paris. * See Enclosure in No. 7, Verona and Paris, page 13. † See No. 8, Verona and Paris, page 16. You may confidently assure the Spanish Minister, that no effort has been, or will be left untried, on the part of His Majesty, to prevent a War against Spain. No. 5.-Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir William à Court. (Extract.) Foreign Office, December 28, 1822. IRE-DISPATCH Your Messenger with the inclosed Copy of an Official Note* presented to the French Government by the Duke of Wellington, the day before his departure from Paris. You will communicate it to M. de San Miguel; and if desired, will furnish him with a copy of it. No 6.-Mr. Secretary Canning to Sir William à Court. (Extract.) Foreign Office, December 29, 1822. SIR CHARLES STUART has transmitted the Answer of the French Government to the Official Note presented by the Duke of Wellington, at Paris. In that Answer (of which I enclose a Copy†), the French Government, while it declines accepting the proferred Mediation of His Majesty, on the ground that there is no specific Point of difference, to the removal or explanation of which, Mediation can be distinctly applied, expresses nevertheless the pleasure with which it views the "conciliatory dispositions" of the British Government, and the hope which it derives from those dispositions, of the continuance of Peace in Europe. Sir C. Stuart, at the same time, reports to me, the Instructions which have been transmitted by the French Government to their Minister at Madrid. M. de Marcellus has been with me this morning for the purpose of making, by order of his Government, a similar Communication. As the object at Verona was to induce us to make common cause with all; so the object of France, since she has to a certain degree reconsidered for Herself the measures framed at Verona, appears to be to induce us to concur in Her separate and mitigated measure. The truth is, as you are aware, that our objection to joining in the measures settled at Verona was an objection of principle not of degree; an objection not capable therefore of being overcome by a mere modification of the execution of them. It would have been idle to offer our Mediation to France, if we had been prepared to unite with Her in the conditional menace contained in the Despatch which she has now addressed to Her Minister at Madrid,—a menace softened perhaps in its terms, and less precise as to the conditions on which it depends, than those of the other Continental Powers, but still vicious in principle, as at once demanding of * See Enclosure in No. 10, Verona and Paris, page 17. † See No. 11, Verona and Paris, page 17. ‡ M. de Villèle to M. de Lagarde, Paris, Dec. 25, 1822. |