Jenks' Portland Gazette

[Conn. Courant.]

LOUIS XVIII --- The following particulars relative to Bonaparte's demand from the Prussian court, on the subject of Louis XVIII, is taken from a late European paper.

"A private letter from Berlin, dated March 10, says, 'Citizen La Forest, the French Minister at our court, received a courier from Paris, on the 2d. inst. and immediately went to the hotel of the count Haugwitz, where he remained for nearly three hours, and soon afterwards Haugwitz demanded and obtained an audience of the King, and when it was over informed the French minister of his return, who, though late in the evening, called upon our minister again, and afterwards dispatched the courier back to Paris The next day another French courier arrived, and had another conference with our minister, who had another audience of his Sovereign, and afterwards conferred with the French minister, who again sent away the second courier within ten hours after his arrival. These transactions and this bustle caused many inquiries to be made in our diplomatic circles, and the rumours were as numerous as uncertain. Since that time, four more French couriers have arrived; it is commonly believed, that Bonaparte has demanded some severe measures with Louis XVIII. who yet resides at Warsaw; and that our government has refused the demand. What it is, we know not; but report says, that Bonaparte has demanded that Louis XVIII. should be given up as implicated in the late pretended conspiracy; --- whilst other reports say, that he has only required the inspection of the papers of the exiled monarch, and that he may be confined in some Prussian fortress, until peace with England. This letter though written in a very cautious style, indicates both the pretensions of the usurper, and the opinion he has of the counselors of his Prussian majesty, and when he dares to insult a legal Sovereign with a demand so humiliating, so offensive, so contrary to the laws of humanity, of hospitality, a demand so pertinent and so cruel, which, if acquiesced in, would make one King the accomplice of a regicide in the murder of another. In better times when princes were selfish, and their ministers less corrupt, such a demand would have been regarded as a declaration of war,' and every crowned head would have armed in the defence of an unfortunate monarch, whom no man can reproach with a vice, whose virtues are as manifest as his misfortunes, and who, from our private but authentic information, we know was a stranger to the projects of Georges, as well as of the plans of Pichegru, and of the sentiments of Moreau."

We have seen persons who left Warsaw last month, and they positively assert that Louis XVIII. who resides there under the name of Count de Lille, seldom leaves his house, but goes to church --- sees no other company but his relations, or those French noblemen who have united their destiny with his own, and that he is chiefly occupied with domestic attentions to his unfortunate niece, the duchess of Angouleme, the daughter of the royal martyr, Louis XVI Even the Prussian generals, prejudiced as they are in favor of Bonaparte, pay that respect to the virtues of Louis XVIII, which they owe to his rank.