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PREFACE.

T will perhaps be thought neceffary to

IT

say a few words in excuse for the delay,

in our annual publication, which appears fomewhat later than the ufual time. The reader will be pleased to observe, that the papers relative to the rupture with Spain, which furnish a confiderable and important part of our work, were not published until MARCH 1762, though the events which they elucidate, properly belonged to the year 1761, which we were to treat. So that there was a neceffary delay, in order not only to fupply the unavoidable defect, which want of early information had left in our history, but also to make fome material

changes

changes in the plan of the whole, in confequence of the new lights that were afforded in those papers.

We heartily wish that, to our apology for this delay, we could add that the work has derived from it a superior degree of accuracy and correctness. But the public is fufficiently apprised of our disadvantages and defects; and we have fufficiently experienced an indulgence due, not to our abilities, but to the pains we have taken. They may be affured that this indulgence will not tempt us to an ungrateful negligence, or the least relaxation of our best endeavours.

THE

THE

ANNUAL REGISTER,

For the YEAR 1761.

THE

HISTORY

OF THE

PRESENT WAR.

CHAP. I.

Preliminary remarks. Treaty propofed and entered into by the belligerent powers. Mr. Stanley fent to Paris, and Mr. Buy to London. French machinations in Spain. Difficulties in the negotiation. Defign of the campaign in Heffe, and of the expedition to Belleifle.

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as long as the fortune of war continued in the fame train, we were from the beginning apprehenfive that the new negotiation which we have fince feen opened, and for

some time

carried on with fuch pleafing appearances, might in the iffue be attended with no better fuccefs.

There are indeed but two fituations in which peace can be very rationally expected. The firft fituation is that of equality; and this is, either where nothing is gained on any fide; fo that whenever mutual weariness, and unprofitable hoftilities have calmed the ardor of the warring powers, no intricate points intervene to fruftrate the first pacific difpofition; or it may be where the loffes are fo equal, that ex'changes may eafily be made, or the parties may reft mutually fatisfied with their advantage over each other.

The fecond fituation is that of neceffity; where one of the parties is fo entirely broken and reduced, as to fubmit to receive conditions on the footing of conqueft, and to purchafe repofe by humiliating and enfeebling conceffions. A peace upon this latter bafis is always the grand popular object. In every war we flatter ourselves with the hope of it, against an experience almoft uniform. In fact, it is to the laft degree difficult to reduce any of the great powers of Europe to this difgraceful neceffity. For to reduce any one of them to this ftate of fubmiffion, you muft, in a manner, reduce all of them to it. The war, if it continues, draws ftate after ftate into its vortex, until all Europe is involved. A fort of ballance is then produced, and the peace of conqueft becomes impracticable.

It would prove of the utmost mament to the tranquility of mankind, that this point were fufficiently regarded, and that they would wilingly adopt that fyftem of equality, to which fooner or later, with more or fewer ftruggles, they are fo often compelled to fubmit. When, feldom, a treaty is concluded on other terms, as the king of Pruffia has found by fevere experience, and as we obferved on a former occafion, is only a fhort ceflation, and not a perfect peace. But it must be acknowledged that this fituation, the moft coincident with their true intereft, is at the fame time the most contradictory to the paffions and prejudices of nations. It appears hard to lofe upon every fide every object of the war. A peace on this foundation will be cenfured, but it is the beft, on the fame principle that the fhortest follies are the beft; and that no injured pride is left to brood over a future war. Contrary to the opinion of the warm patriots on all fides, we therefore imagined that the year feventeen hundred and fifty-eight, in the clofe of the third campaign, was the happy moment for negotiation. At this time, however, no propofitions had been made. The propofitions of feventeen hundred and fifty-nine were but flightly regarded, and obvioufly could end in nothing. But in the beginning of the year, of which we are now going to treat, the fcene of negotiation was opened with far greater folemnity and parade; and as it was carried on with great diligence, it neceffarily makes a principal part of the hiftory of this year. It is indeed foméwhat fortunate both for the writers and the readers of thefe events that this treaty has intervened. The

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