The New Hampshire Gazette

From the LONDON GAZETTE.

Copy of the Answer delivered to the Count de Fuentes by the Earl of Egremont, Dec. 31, 1762.

The Earl of Egremont, His Britannick Majesty's Secretary of State, having received from his Excellency the Count de Fuentes, Ambassador of the Catholic King at the Court of London, a Paper, in which, besides the Notification of his Recall, and the Demand of the necessary Passports to go out of the King's Dominions, he has thought proper to enter into what has just passed between the two Courts, with a View to make that of London appear as the Source of all the Misfortunes which may ensue from the Rupture which has happened: In order that Nobody may be misled by the Declaration, which his Excellency has been pleased to make to the King, to the English Nation, and to the whole Universe; Notwithstanding the Insinuation, as void of Foundation as of Decency, of the Spirit of Haughtiness and Discord, which his Excellency pretends reigns in the British Government, to the Misfortune of Mankind; and notwithstanding the Irregularity and Indecency of appealing to the English Nation, as if it could be separated from its King, for whom the most determined sentiments of Love, of Duty, and of Confidence, are engraved in the Hearts of all his Subjects; The Earl of Egremont, by his Majesty's order, laying aside in this Answer, all Spirit of Declamation and of Hushness, avoiding every offensive Word, which might hurt the Dignity of Sovereigns, without stooping to Invectives against private Persons, will confine himself to Facts, with the most scrupulous Exactness: And it is from this Representation of Facts, that he appeals to all Europe, and to the whole Universe, for the Purity of the King's Intentions, and for the Sincerity of the Wishes His Majesty has not ceased to make, as well as for the Moderation He has always shewed, though in vain, for the Maintenance of Friendship and good Understanding between the British and Spanish Nations.

The King having received undoubted Informations, that the Court of Madrid had secretly contracted Engagements with that of Versailles, which the Ministers of France laboured to represent in all the Courts of Europe, as offensive to Great Britain, and combining these appearances with the Step, which the Court of Spain had, a Little Time before, taken towards His Majesty, in avowing its Consent (though that Avowal had been followed by Apologies) to the Memorial presented the 23d of July, by the Sieur de Bussy, Minister Plenipotentiary of the most Christian King, to the King's Secretary of State, and his Majesty having, afterwards, received Intelligence, scarce admitting a Doubt, of Troops marching, and of military Preparations making in all the Ports of Spain, judged that His Dignity, as well as His Prudence, required Him to order His Ambassador at the Court of Madrid, by a Dispatch dated the 28th of October, to demand, in Terms, the most measured however, and the most amicable, a Communication of the Treaty recently concluded between the Courts of Madrid and Versailles, or at least of the Articles, which might relate to the Interests of Great Britain; And, in order to avoid every thing, which could be thought to imply the least Slight of the Dignity, or even the Delicacy, of His Catholick Majesty, the Earl of Bristol was Authorized to content himself with assurances, in Case the Catholick King offered to give any, that the said Engagements did not contain any Thing that was contrary to the Friendship, which subsisted between the Two Crowns, or that was prejudicial to the Interests of Great Britain, (supposing that any Difficulty was made of shewing the Treaties. The King could not give a less equivocal Proof of his Dependence on the good Faith of the Catholick King, than in shewing Him an unbounded Confidence, in so important an Affair, and which so essentially interested His own Dignity, the Good of Kingdoms, and the Happiness of His People.

How great, then, was the King's Surprize, when in stead of receiving the just Satisfaction, which he had a Right to expect, He learnt from his Ambassador, that having addressed Himself to the Minister of Spain for that Purpose, he could only draw from him a Refusal to give a satisfactory Answer to His Majesty's just Requisitions, which he had accompanied with Terms that breathed nothing but Haughtiness, Animosity, and Menace; and which Seemed so strongly to verify the Suspicions of the unamicable Disposition of the Court of Spain, that nothing less than his Majesty's Moderation, and his Resolution taken to make all the Efforts possible to avoid the Misfortunes inseparable from a Rupture, could determine him to make a last Trial; by giving Orders to his Ambassador to Address himself to the Minister of Spain, to desire him to inform him of the Intentions of the Court of Madrid towards That of Great Britain in this Conjuncture, if they had taken Engagements, or formed the Design to join the King's Enemies in the present War, or to depart in any manner, from the Neutrality they had hitherto observed; and to make that Minister Sensible, that if they persisted in refusing all Satisfaction on Demands so just, so necessary, so interesting, the King could not but consider such a Refusal as the most authentick Avowal, that Spain had taken her Part, and that there only remained for his Majesty to take the Measures which his Royal Prudence should dictate for the Honour and Dignity of his Crown, and for the Prosperity and Protection of his People: And to recall His Ambassador.

Unhappily for the publick Tranquility, for the Interest of the Two Nations, and entire Good of Mankind, this last Step was as fruitless as the preceding ones; the Spanish Minister, keeping no Measures, answered dryly, "That it was in that very Moment, that the War was declared, and the King's Dignity attacked, and that the Earl of Bristol might retire how, and when, he should think proper."

And in order to set in its true Light the Declaration, "That if the Respect due to His Catholic Majesty had been regarded, Explanations might have been had without any Difficulty, and that the Minister of Spain might have said frankly, as Monr. de Fuentes, by the King's express Order, declares publickly, that the Said Treaty is only a Convention between the Family of Bourbon: wherein there is Nothing, which has the least Relation to the present War; and that the Guaranty, which is therein specified, is not to be understood but of the Dominions, which shall remain to France after the War." It is declared, that, very far from thinking of being wanting to the Respect, acknowledged to be due to crowned Heads, the Instructions given to the Earl of Bristol, have always been to make the Requisitions, on the Subject of the Engagements between the Courts of Madrid and Versailles, with all the Decency, and all the Attention possible; and the Demand of a Categorical Answer was not made till after repeated, and the most stinging Refusals to give the least Satisfaction, and at the last Extremity: Therefore, if the Court of Spain ever had the Design to give this so necessary Satisfaction, they had not the least Reason, that ought to have engaged them to defer it to the Moment, when it could no longer be of Use.

But, Fortunately, the Terms in which the Declaration is conceived, spares us the Regret of not having received it sooner; for it appears at first Sight, that the Answer is not at all conformable to the Demand: We wanted to be informed if the Court of Spain intended to join the French our Enemies, to make War on Great Britain, or to depart from their Neutrality. Whereas the Answer concerns one Treaty only, which is said to be of the 15th of August, carefully avoiding to say the least Word, that could explain in any Manner, the Intentions of Spain towards Great Britain, or the further Engagements they may have contracted in the present Crisis.

After a Deduction, as exact as faithful, of what has passed between the Two Courts, it is left to the impartial Publick to decide, which of the Two has always been inclined to Peace, and which was determined on War.

As to the rest, the Earl of Egremont has the Honour to acquaint his Excellency the Count de Fuentes, by the King's Order, that the necessary Passports for him shall be expedited, and that they will not fail to procure him all possible Facilities for his Passage to the Port which he shall think most convenient.