Eylau: Precis Des Travaux de la Grande Armée
Follow-Up Letter of British Pleniportentiary in Response to Tallyrand’s Letter of 11 August: 14 August 1806
Paris, this 14 August 1806, at two oclock, p.m.
N.o XXIII. – Sir, We believe it our duty to warn Y.Ex. that, at a very late hour in the morning, on the 12th of the current month, we sent to you and their Exc., a response to the letter received the 11th of the same month. In this answer, we endeavored to again indicate the points, which appeared to us, required, in some manner, a preliminary explanation to allow us to conform to our instructions, and to continue the current negotiation.
The silence of their Exc. the French plenipotentiary in this respect, gives us place to suppose that in the current moment we do not have to await a similar explanation of their part.
It is according to this idea that we will wish to put a general end by the two nations, considering the little of appearance that there is to see it carried out. We feel that the request that we make like that of passports for our return, could be suitable for interpretations of a nature to delay the happy moment when the views of the French government will advantageously nears those which one had supposed of it. Until the removal of the possibility of a similar disadvantage, we believe it our duty to ensure your Exc. that any step which would have the effect to put obstacles on the renewal of the negotiation would be therefore even contrary with our intentions; although by the reasons which we detailed, we see ourselves obliged to put a end to our mission.
There is no more remaining but for us to ensure your Exc. that if, for the happiness of the two nations, it happened that we had been mistaken in the induction which we drew from the silence of plenipotentiary French, we will await during a reasonable time the explanations which their Exc. could have to communicate to us. To prevent however repetition of as painful a request for us to make, as it would be it for Y. Exc. to receive it, if the negotiations would not have a favorable exit, we request him to provide us with the necessary passports for us and our assistants, to be made available for use according to the circumstances. We have the honor of renew with Y.Exc. the insurances of our high consideration.
LAUDERDALE, YARMOUTH.
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