[24] Boissy d'Anglas.
[25] "This Court has seen, with regret, how far the tone and spirit of
that answer, the nature and extent of the demands which it contains, and
the manner of announcing them, are remote from any disposition for
peace.
"The inadmissible pretension is there avowed of appropriating to France
all that the laws actually existing there may have comprised under the
denomination of French territory. To a demand such as this is added an
express declaration that no proposal contrary to it will be made or even
listened to: and this, under the pretence of an internal regulation, the
provisions of which are wholly foreign to all other nations.
"While these dispositions shall be persisted in, nothing is left for the
king but to prosecute a war equally just and necessary.
"Whenever his enemies shall manifest more pacific sentiments, his
Majesty will at all times be eager to concur in them, by lending
himself, in concert with his allies, to all such measures as shall be
best calculated to reestablish general tranquillity on conditions just,
honorable, and permanent: either by the establishment of a congress,
which has been so often and so happily the means of restoring peace to
Europe; or by a preliminary discussion of the principles which may be
proposed, on either side, as a foundation of a general pacification; or,
lastly, by an impartial examination of any other way which may be
pointed out to him for arriving at the same salutary end.
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