13188. UNTERREDUNGEN DES KÖNIGS MIT DEM GROSSBRITANNISCHEN GESANDTEN MITCHELL.
[Leipzig, Januar 1761.]
Mitchell berichtet an Holdernesse, Leipzig 3. Januar 1761 (secret): „. . . I now proceed to relate to Your Lordship what passed with the King of Prussia in the different conversations I have had with that monarch upon the contents of Your Lordship's dispatch of the 12th of December, and as Your Lordship refers me for my instruction and future guidance to a paper entitled Précis de la dépêche etc.,632-1 I shall answer to the three articles contained in it, in the same order they are stated in that paper.
As to the first, the King of Prussia does not think that the renewing of the declaration made at the Hague in November 1759632-2 is the proper way to begin this negotiation. His reasons are that the experience of last year has shewn that this method is dilatory and uncertain, nor can it be expected that, where so many parties and so many different interests are concerned, they can instantly agree upon any general plan of pacification, without Consulting with each other; which, alone, requires time, even if their views and interests were the same, but as they are certainly very different, he thinks, this declaration by giving the alarm may serve to unite and confirm the present warlike system, as those powers who are for continuing the war would not fail to move heaven and earth to fix such of their allies as may be wavering or inclined to hearken to terms of accommodation.
Besides this general argument, His Prussian Majesty mentioned another which is certainly of great weight in the present moment, viz. the party in opposition to the Senate of Sweden have already carried some questions in the general Diet. What lengths they may be able to go, is uncertain; but the King of Prussia has remitted money, as the most effectual means to strengthen that party. Now it is to be feared that, if at this juncture any such declaration was made, the party for the Senate might avail themselves of it, by representing peace as very near at hand, which affords a specious and national pretence for continuing with their old connections, at least for one year more, in hopes of being considered and indemnified at the general pacification.
Upon the whole, His Prussian Majesty is of opinion that a secret insinuation on the part of England made to the French court by some person of confidence632-3 — he named Prince Lewis of Brunswick — is<633> a more probable way of bringing on a negotiation, and attended with fewer inconveniences than the declaration proposed.
With respect to the second head, His Prussian Majesty says that he has already done everything possible to gain the court of Russia. He then called to mind what he had attempted last year, without success; and he has very lately sent a person to Petersbourg to make a new trial.633-1... But the King of Prussia does not seem to promise much from this new negotiation.
His Prussian Majesty looks on the court of Dresden as too inconsiderable to have any influence, and on the court of Vienna as too ambitious and inveterate to be treated with; especially as, on all former occasions, they have been the last to hearken to terms of peace.
When I mentioned the third article to the King of Prussia, he answered, with great frankness and in perfect good humour, that, as at this time he saw no appearence of obtaining a general pacification, he had no objection to England's attempting to make a separate peace with France, provided it could be done upon reasonable and secure terms. Those, he mentioned, were that France should accept of a perfect neutrality, evacuation and restitution of the possessions they have in Westphalia, withdraw their army from Germany and engage to give no assistance, directly or indirectly, of men or money to the Empress Queen, or any of her allies, farther than the 24 000 men or the value of them, as stipulated in the treaty of Versailles.633-2
As to the pecuniary succours, mentioned in the end of this article, the King of Prussia asked me whether it was meant that he should take upon himself the expense of the whole. I answered that was not expressly said. He replied he had no objection and believed that, by his economy, a considerable sum of money might be saved; that he was extremely sorry to become a burden to his allies, but would make it as light as possible; and when I insinuated that it might be proper for the information of His Majesty's ministers to make out an estimate of the sum he thought necessary for the maintenance of the German troops — including the actual subsidy —, he answered that, to do that with any exactness, the numbers of infantry and cavalry, the train of artillery, the specific agreements for the payment of the soldiers and officers, of the forage and other emoluments allowed must first be known; that he could easily give an estimate of the expenses of any number of troops upon his own establishment, but, without the information above mentioned, it was impossible even to give a tolerable guess.
In some mixed conversations I had with the King of Prussia afterwards he threw out that, by what his ministers had written him from England, he understood that the whole body of German troops in the King's army were to assist him in case a separate peace could be made<634> with France; to which I answered that I had not the least knowledge of the intention of the King my master upon that head. To this His Prussian Majesty replied: « It belongs to the King to determine what succours he will give, which I hope will be considerable enough to prove a real assistance, and such as may make an impression upon the courts of Russia and Vienna, so far as to lead them to think of peace. » He then hinted that an army of 40000 men, under the command of Prince Ferdinand, could make head against the army of the Empire, joined by the 24 000 french auxiliaries ...“
Nach der Ausfertigung im Public Record Office zu London.
632-1 Vergl. S. 175. Anm. 4.
632-2 Vergl. Bd. XVIII, 759. 760. 762.
632-3 So nach dem Concept im British Museum; in der Vorlage: „consequence“ .
633-1 Vergl. Nr. 12593. 12597.
633-2 Vergl. S. 168.