PAPERS relative to the rupture with SPAIN, continued. [119.] The Earl of Bristol to the Earl of Egremont, Nov. 2. 1761. Received Nov. 14. The furprising change I have of late perceived in Gen. Wall's difcourfe, and the unlooked-for alteration of that minifter's fentiments with regard to the prefent fituation of this country, has determined me to dispatch the meffenger Potter to England, that your Lordship may be thoroughly informed of the haughty language now held by this court; fo different from all the former profellions made to me by the Catholic King's commands. Such strong reports of an approaching rupture between G. Britain and Spain, grounded upon feveral authentic affurances I had received, that fome agreement had been fettled and figned between their Catholic and Moft Christian Majefties, determined me to inquire minutely into this affair; and therefore I took an opportunity of mentioning to M. Wall, that I could not conceal the uneafinefs it gave me, to hear from all parts, both within thefe kingdoms, and from other countries, that a treaty had not long fince been concluded between the courts of Madrid and Verfailles; and therefore I defired his Excellency would fatisfy my doubts, by informing me, whether there was any ground for these rumours; and in cafe it were poffible, after all that had paffed between us, for fuch a convention as was hinted at, to have been concluded; then I hoped to be told of what nature this treaty was; whether offenfive, or fingly defenfive; what were the principal conditions contained in it; and with what views this fudden and clofe union between Spain. and France had been calculated: for I could neither hear fuch reports with indifference, nor give credit to the truth of them, without an explicit avowal thereof from his Excellency's mouth. Inftead of aufwering me directly, Gen. Wall began, by faying, that the King his mafter had reason to think the conduct of England unwarrantable; for his Catholic Majesty never could obtain an anfwer from the British miniftry, to any memorial or paper that was fent from hence, either by the channel of the Count de Fuentes, or through my hands: He told me we were intoxicated with all our fucceffes, and a continued series of victories had elated us fo far, as to induce us to contemn the reasonable conceflions France had confented to make to us for VOL. XXIV. a peace; but that it was evident, by our refufal of the Duc de Choiseul's propofals, all we aimed at was, firft, to ruin the French power, in order more easily to crush Spain; to drive all the fubjects of the Most Christian King, not only from their ifland-colonies in the New World, but also to destroy their feveral forts and fettlements upon the continent of North America, to have an easier task in seizing on all the Spanish dominions in thofe parts, thereby to fatisfy the utmost of our ambition, and to gratify our unbounded thirst of conquest. After M. Wall had worked up his anger to a height I had never before seen, he then faid, with uncommon warmth, That he would himself be the man to advise the King of Spain, fince his dominions were to be overwhelmed, at least to have them feized with arms in his fubjects hands, and not to continue the pallive victim he had hitherto appeared to be in the eyes of the world. I attended to this difcourfe without interrupting the thread of it; and, at the conclufion of it, I defired, with the utmoft ferenity, of Gen. Wall, to give me an answer to the queftions I had first started, and we would afterwards proceed to difcufs what his Excellency had been expatiating upon.. But the Spanish minifter only renewed fome of his former exclamations, by infifting, that we had fet the Spanish power at a defiance during this war; that we had attacked and plundered their vessels, infulted their coafts, violated the neutrality of thefe kingdoms, incroached upon the territorial jurifdiction of his Catholic Majefty's dominions in America, by fortifying ourselves in an illegal manner in the bay of Campeachy and the gulf of Honduras, erecting fresh fettlements, and feizing on logwood in a most arbitrary manner, befides denying the Spaniards a right they had fo long claimed, to fifh upon the banks of Newfoundland; nay, even wanting to put the Bifcayners and Guipulcoans on a worfe footing at prefent, with regard to their pretenfions to the bacallao-trade, than they had been by the treaties of Utrecht and that of 1721, where the article in relation to them was, That thofe Spaniards fhould enjoy quæ jure fibi vindicare potuerunt; whereas all my inftructions had run to declare their claim to be ftale and inadmiflible, and finally, to aflert that England hoped the Catholic King would Вь never never expect this facrifice as the price of a union, which could never be confented to on those terms. Gen. Wall went on, by faying, He perceived he had in vain given hopes to his royal master, that a proper attention would be paid to the Spanish demands, and juftice be granted to atone for the repeated grievances of his Catholic Majefty's fubjects; yet he wanted to know where, when, and how, it was to be expected, fince we fhewed no regard to this country, which had hitherto withstood all the advantageous offers made by France to enter into the prefent war. Notwithstanding this fecond digreflion of his Excellency's, I did not delift from my point, but renewed my former queftions, by alledging, that the bufinets I came about, was to receive fome explicit answer to what I had before inquired after. At last, Gen. Wall replied, he had no orders to acquaint me with any measures but what he had formerly communicated to me, and fignified his not being at liberty to fay any more. At my return, the fame day, the Spanifh minifter began in his former ftrain, but multiplied the appearance of this country's grievances; talked of its being time to open their eyes, and not to fuffer a neighbour, an ally, a parent, and a friend, any longer to run the risk of receiving fuch rigid laws as were prefcribed by an infulting victor: His Excellency told me, the court of Verfailles, after having communicated to the Catholic King, every the most minute ftep taken during Mr Stanley's negotiations at Paris, and M. de Buffy's conferences at London, had determined to publifh to the whole world, the mortifying terms France had brought itself to fubmit to for the fake of peace; and to make known the arbitrary unreasonable demands of England, which fruftrated the good intentions of the Moft Chriftian King, whofe humanity had made him confent to put an end to the war, even at the dear price of yielding fo much as he had brought himself to agree to, in order, if poible, to fatisfy the ambition of G. Britain. I thought I had fufficiently liftened to all these accufations, and that a longer filence would be reproachful. I began, by exprelling my furprife, that, when I came to be informed of a step fo publicly difcourfed of in the world, I could not obtain the fatisfaction I folicited from one, who alone could clear my doubts, and folve my questions: that all I had been able to find out was, that it seemed determined to keep me in the dark; and in order to divert my attention from the fingle point I wanted to be inftructed in, I had only heard a complicated heap of grievances, flung out with a view to deter me from perlevering in the purfuit of getting my curiofity fatisfied. Upon that I went methodically through the various fubjects that had been started by the Spanish secretary of state.— When I recurred to my repeated inftances for information concerning the treaty, all that I could, with difficulty, extort from Gen. Wall, was, That his Catholic Majefty had judged it expedient to renew his family-compacts (thole were the exprefs words) with the Moft Chriftian King. I begged to know when thefe compacts had firit been agreed upon; and at what time, whether very lately, or fome months ago, they had received a fresh fanction. Here the Spanish minifter ftopt fhort, and, as if he had gone beyond what he intended, he faid, that the Count de Fuentes and M. Buffy had declared to his Majesty's minifters all that was meant to be communicated to them. E. Egremont to E. Bristol. Nov. 19. The furprise which your Excellency expreffes, at the unlooked-for and fudden change of fentiments and difcourfe of M. Wall, could not have exceeded his Majefty's aftonishment at the contrast, as striking as unaccountable, which your Excellency's dispatches of Sept. 14. & 28. compared with that of the 2d instant, exhibit. His Majesty read, with particular concern, the intemperate and rafh advice which that minifter talked of propofing to the King his master, grounded upon mere chimerical fuppofitions of intended hoftilities against Spain, which do the highest injuftice to the purity and integrity of his Majefty's intentions: And M. Wall muft himself know, that there has been a particular delicacy obferved, in concerting our plans for military operations, to avoid carrying hoftilities towards objects which might give the leaf jealousy or umbrage to the court of Spain; and therefore his Majefty can only confider fuch unjuft fuggeftions and groundless fufpicions, as deftitute of probability as of proof, as a mere pretext, in cafe that, contrary to all good faith, and the most folemn repeated profethions of friendly intentions, the court of Spain fhould April 1762. Papers relative to the rupture with Spain. fhould have meditated or refolved on hoftilities against England: which as, on the one hand, his Majesty will, with his ufual moderation, endeavour to prevent, by all means confiftent with his own dignity, and that of the nation; fo, on the other, he will, with the utmost firmnefs and refolution, ftrenuously repel, with that vigour which becomes a monarch confcious of being attacked without caule or provocation, and zealous at all times to affert and vindicate the honour of his crown, and the rights of his fubjects. So unfatisfactory a refult of your Excellency's inquiries, reduces his Majefty to the difagreeable neceflity of demanding a precife and categorical answer from the court of Madrid, relative to their intention with regard to G. Britain in this critical conjuncture; and therefore it is his Majefty's exprefs command, that your Excellency do, without lofs of time, demand of the Spanish secretary of state, in his Majesty's name, an immediate, clear, and categorical anfwer to that queftion; and that you do affure M. Wall, with becoming firmness, and in the most explicit terms, that any procrastination, ambiguity, or evafion, will be confidered as ample and fufficient grounds, for authorifing his Majefty to take fuch steps as his royal wisdom fhall dictate, for the honour and dignity of his crown, and for the protection and fecurity of his people. At the fame time that your Excellency cannot be too firm and explicit upon this queftion, you will be particularly cautious, not to use the leaft harfhnefs in your manner, or mix any thing in your converfation with the Spanish minifter, which can have the leaft tendency to indifpofe or irritate him. Ditto to ditto, ditto date, most fecret. I have it further in command from his Majefty, to acquaint your Excellency, for your particular government in a matter of fo much importance, that if the court of Spain fhould have refused to give your Excellency the fatisfaction required in my moft fecret letter of the 28th paft, or the alternative, which, by my fecret and confidential letter of the fame date, your Excellency was permitted to take ad referendum; or that, ha ving demanded the categorical anfwer required of M. Wall, in my letter of this day's date, he fhould, either in direct terms, or by implication, acknowledge having entered into any agreement with, or entertaining any intention of joining 179 the French in this war, or of acting hoftilely towards the King, or any wife departing from their neutrality; it is the King's pleasure, That, in any of thofe cafes, your Excellency do forthwith come away from Madrid without taking leave, and repair with all convenient speed to Lifbon, where you will find a fhip of war ready to receive your Excellency, and to fail with you to England: and you are to fignify to the Spanish minifter, that either a peremptory refufal of giving any fatisfaction, or of difavowing any intentions to take part with our declared and inveterate enemies in the prefent war, cannot be looked upon by his Majesty in any light, but as an aggreflion on the part of Spain, and as an abfolute declaration of war. Ditto to ditto, ditto date, feparate and fecret. I am commanded by the King to acquaint your Excellency, that in cafe you shall have fufficient reason to conclude, there are little or no hopes of fuch an answer as your Excellency is ordered to demand from the Spanish minifter, you will, in that cafe, take the most private and moft expeditious manner that the thing will admit of, to give immediate notice of the critical fituation in which we stand with regard to Spain, to Maj. Gen. Parslow at Gibraltar, and to all his Majesty's confuls in Spain and Portugal, in order that they may put themselves, and his Majefty's trading fubjects, properly on their guard against whatever may happen; and your Excellency will alfo take the proper means to make the fame communication to Sir Charles Saunders. But when your Excellency shall find your departure from Madrid inevitable, you are, without lofs of time, to fend off, in the most secure, fecret, and expeditious manner, a letter to Adm. Saunders, and another to Com. Keppel, acquainting each of these officers that you have taken your final refolutions to leave the court of Madrid. E. Bristol to E. Egremont, Nov. 9. Rec. Dec. 3. The whole difcourfe runs upon an approaching rupture between the King and his Catholic Majefty.I never fee Gen. Wall, to talk upon bufinefs, but that he expatiates upon the haughtiness with which G. Britain has long treated the crown of Spain; as if we imagined, by that means, to intimidate this country from pursuing its claims; or that we fhould thereby avoid doing juftice to the Catholic King, concerning our ill-grounded fettlements upon the Bb 2 Logwood Logwood coafts, as well as with regard to our denying the Spanish fubjects the liberty of fishing upon the Newfoundland coafts. Ditto to ditto, Nov. 23. Rec. Dec.. 14. It will not be poffible for me to redispatch a meffenger to England for feveral days, notwithstanding my having had another long conference with M. Wall, at which I entered minutely into every argument fuggefted to me by your Lordship. Al though I dare not flatter myself with having gained any ground upon the Spanish minifter, yet I never before observed his Excellency liften with greater attention to my difcourfe, than at our late meeting. When he answered me, it was without warmth; when he applied to me, it was friendly; and after long reasoning on both fides, we parted with reciprocal proteftations to each other, of our earnest defire to continue in peace. Gen. Wall allo promifed me, to acquaint his Catholic Majefty circumftantially, with what had paffed between us. Our enemies have unjustly afferted, that the Indians who are befieging the Spanish fort of Penfacola, were prompted to that undertaking by the King's fubjects, and are even now aflifted by the Georgians, in carrying on their attacks. I do not think Gen. Wall gives credit to fo great a falfehood, advanced by the French; but if the Catholic King could harbour fo ungenerous a fufpicion of our conduct, I hope I have faid enough to bis minifter, to prove, how very far we fhould be from countenancing fuch a proceeding, much less promoting fo hoftile a measure, against a power whofe friendfhip G. Britain was feeking to cultivate. I feized on that favourable opportunity of expatiating on the infeparable connection of interefts, that could not fail (I hoped foon) to unite us, notwithstanding the mean artifices, and infidious attempts, which France, under the fpe cious veil of friendship towards the court of Madrid, had employed to fow diffenfion between us; and that merely with a view to drain thefe royal coffers of its 1reafure, to be expended for the fupport of their declining colonies, without any real regard to the Spanish pretenfions. Tranflation of a paper delivered by C. de Fuentes to E. Egremont, Dec. 21. [being an answer to a memorial delivered by the Earl of Bristol to the court of Spain.] My Lord Bristol expreffes, that the King his nafter has nothing more at heart, than 2:1 to ftrengthen the most cordial and the most fincere friendship with the King. b All this difcourfe is only to bring in, that ha it ought not to be furprising, that his court withes, and requires, from the Spanish minifters, a communication of the treaty lately concluded between the King and his Most Christian Majesty, or of the articles that relate to her. You know how eafy it would be for the King to give a pofitive anfwer; but his own dignity hinders him from it; confidering this demand as a neceffary condition for entering upon a negotiation with Spain, on differences, which they own have fubfifted a long time; without which (he fays) how can his Majefty perfuade himfelf to enter upon a negotiation with Spain? Whoever fhould hear talk of entering upon a negotiation, would believe, that it was not as yet begun, and that our differences had never been spoke of. It is a very fingular method of that miniftry, not to mention fo many memorials and conferences which have paffed within thefe fix years, and particularly after the King fent you to that court, by which both our just pretenfions, and the inconteftable right of our complaints, are proved; always confirming, that without a reparation, it is impoflible to cement the good correfpondence of the two monarchies. My Lord Bristol promises, that, if the King makes known the existence or nonexistence of the faid treaty, or his engagements relative to the English, the King his mafter, this obftacle once removed, is determined, without loss of time, to enter into an amicable difcuffion of the matters which make the fubject of the disputes of the two crowns. Even what his court pretends to, ought not to be confidered as of great value to her, fince fhe only offers in return, what we are tired of doing. What other difcuffion of the matter of our difputes, than what has been agitated, during fo long a negotiation? what other expedients can be found, to fave the honour and dignity of the two Kings, that have not been propofed, and exhaufted, in a contest of fix years? The most noble expedient, and which does the most honour to fovereigns, and to thofe who are not fo, is, not to poffels, without right, the property of another perfon; to reflore it, and even to chaftife the ufurpers, without waiting, if it can be, till the injured demands it, My April 1762. Papers relative to the rupture with Spain. My Lord Bristol ends, with an article abfolutely foreign to our affairs, by declaring, that the most perfect unanimity reigns in the councils of G. Britain; and that the King is refolved to push the war with all poflible vigour, till his enemies will fubmit to a peace, fuitable to the fucceffes of the English arms, and which may have a folid and durable appearance. We have no idea of answering directly to this article: but the two conditions which the English defire in the peace, clearly contradict themselves, as all the world have just seen. Every impartial perfon will decide, that the conditions which have been offered by France, and rejected by England, were not difproportioned to the advantages of the English arms; and will attribute their inadmifCon to other views; which ought not to te indifferent to the other maritime powers, and who poffefs dominions beFond fea; and will be astonished to fee, that England, who wishes for a peace that appears folid and durable, is angry, Lowever, at the infinuation made to her France, representing to her, how beeficial it would be, to reconcile, at the me time, our differences, in order to aoid the danger of recommencing a new var, for our affiftance. My Lord Bristol demanded of us then, another memorial, If France had taen that ftep with the King's confent? she now demands of us, If the treaty ith France exifts or not? We anfwerd him fincerely, Yes; proving to him the regularity of it: and we added, on at occafion, to the expreffions of that Court, on the good correfpondence which ey wifhed for, how much they were eSeemed; but that it was neceflary, that the proofs of the fact fhould accompany tem: and, as if fuch a memorial had neer been given on our fide, and entirely getting it, another is prefented to us, with a new demand, with the former geeral expreffions, and with fo unexpected novelty, as the offer to enter into a neotiation, fo ftrongly difcuffed, that it as been reduced, during your embaffy, the laft Yes, or to the laft No. When once you fhall be informed of that I have just set forth, you may cquaint that miniftry of it, either by word of mouth, or in writing; in order that we may never be reproached, for hot having anfwered my Lord Briftol's nemorial; and in order that they may erceive the irregularity there is, that 18T the King fhould always fatisfy their curiofity, and that his juft demands fhould never be fatisfied. E. Bristol to E. Egremont, Dec. 11. Rec. Dec. 24. This is the only method I am allowed to take to communicate to your Lordfhip my intention of setting out as foon as pollible for Lifbon. I have obeyed the King's commands. —— I had prepared fome very long difpatches for your Lordfhip, but I was denied pofsthorfes to fend a meflenger, even to afk for paffports from the court of Portugal; and M. de Llanos has owned, in the most polite terms, that I could not, by any method, fend any perfon whatever to any part of Spain; for I know I am furrounded with their fpies. However, I have tried at a method I do not mention, for fear of this letter being deciphered, to convey the whole intelligence to Adm. Saunders, Gen. Parflow, and the confuls. Translation of an office-letter, Gen. Wall to E. Bristol, Dec. 10. [tranfmitted with the letter last above mentioned.] Your Excellency having exprefled to me, the day before yesterday, and being even pleased to put in writing, that you had orders to ask a pofitive and categorical answer to the queftion, If Spain thought of joining herself with France against England? declaring, at the fame time, that you fhould look upon the refusal as a declaration of war; and that you would, in confequence, leave this court: The spirit of haughtiness and of difcord which "dictated this inconfiderate step, and which, for the misfortune of mankind, ftill reigns fo much in the British government, is what made, in the fame inftant, the declaration of war, and attacked the King's dignity. Your Excellency may think of retiring when, and in the manner, is convenient to you; which is the only anfwer that, without detaining you, his Majefty has ordered me to give you. E. Bristol to E. Egremont, Dec. 6. most fecret. Rec. Jan. 9. With regard to the treaty lately concluded between the Catholic King, and his Most Christian Majefty, the fecretary of state faid, his Royal mafter did not judge it to be confiftent with his dignity, to grant either the communication of it, or to fatisfy the * [The papers are arranged in the order of the tranfactions at London, fo that the Earl of Briftol's letters are placed, not according to their dates, but according to the time of their being received at London.] British |