Page:The Annual Register 1758.djvu/223

 STATE PAPERS.

Snar; but this rout being naturally longer and more difEculr, It could not be accepted of; and from this time the eieftor took occalion to break off the negociation, arid throw the blame on the pretended injuftice of the French conditions."

Then, after giving fevera) reafons why the King of England, Ele(ftor of Hanover, ought to have accepted of the terms offered, and why they could not accept of the terms he propofed, they proceed thus:

From the concurrence of all thefe reafons, it refults, that the Elfeftorof Hanover in his overtures for a neutrality, aimed only at get- ting time; that he never intended to accept of it, and that he has re- fufed it unjuftly and on falfe preten- ces. Itrelults further, that the King of England, Elector of Hanover, having been the author of this war, and having, to the neutrality offered him, preferred the party of fup- porting the Kingof Pruffia's caufe, and to take up arms againlt the king's and emprefs queen's troops, he has declared himlelf the aggref- for againft their moll chriftian and imperial mrijefties, and an accom- plice of the breach of the public peaccj and that he was to be treated asfuchby the king, by the emprefs, and by the empire.

This propofitionj befides its ad- herent jufiice, has acquired a new degree of force by the behaviour of the Hanoverian troops, both with regard to thofe of the king and of his allies. The firft, far from con- fining themfslves according to the affurance given of it by the eleftor in public iniiruments, to the de- fence of the territories of the elec- torate in cafe of a defign to attack them, entered with open force into the ftates of the Eleftor of Co- logne, where thofe of France were;

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they pillaged thefubfidencesdeftin- ed for the French army, carried off the grains and forage, difperied the troops of the empire's contingent : in a word, they have committed all kinds of violences in the Hates of theEledor of Cologne, the king's a'ly 5 yet would not his majefty be^ gin hollilities againft the Ele«Elor of Hanover; and eveil, if poffibie, to avert them from his dominions, he cauled a demand to be made by the Marfliald'Etrees to the Hanoverian general, of a free and amicable pafage through his electoral fiigh- nefs's territory; but that prince had already difperfed m a nife Hoes againft the entrance of the French troops into Weftphalia: and the Duke of Cumberland fent anfwer by Gene- ral Sporken, that he was ordered, to attend to the defence and con- fervation of the Hates of the King of Pruflia and of his allies, and to hinder the paffage of any foreiga troops through the laid ftates.

At length the Hanoverians hav- ing provoked bis majefty's troops by hoftilities of every kind, the moment came for repelling force by force, and to make them and their alliesrepent of their outrages; and vidory feconded the juftice of ths king's arms, by the fucceffive ad- vantages which the French troops obtained over them.'^

They then come to the con- vention of Clofter-feven, as fol- lows :

But the king's generous fen- timents have nev<;r ftiorte with greater luftre than in the capi':ula- cion of Clofter-feven. The Plano- vefian armv being forced to Hy be- fore that of the Marfhal de PJche- lieu, had been obliged, as its lad ffiift, to betake itfelf to Stade- la a more dangerous condition it could not be. It was the concern

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