And the letter closes by declaring that
“His Majesty has nothing more really at heart than to give, as far as he can with honor, to the King of Portugal all reasonable satisfaction that one power in amity can desire from another upon an incident so totally unforeseen and without intention of offence.”
Then follows this postscript:—
“P. S. Though it be sufficiently implied by the above words, all reasonable satisfaction, as far as his Majesty can with honor, that there are things which his Majesty could not possibly on any account comply with, I have thought it may not be improper, for your more certain guidance, expressly to signify to you that any personal mark on a great Admiral who has done so essential a service to his country, or on any one under his command, is totally inadmissible, as well as the idea of restoring the ships of war taken. You will therefore, in case, in your conversation with the Portuguese ministers, any suggestion pointing to either of those methods of satisfaction should be thrown out, take especial care to say enough to shut the door entirely against any expectation of that kind,—being at the same time particularly attentive to avoid, in the manner, everything that can carry the air of peremptoriness or harshness which may interest the delicacy of the King of Portugal. I am further to give you to understand, for your private information, that, if the circumstances of the supposed grievance should come out to be of sufficient magnitude, such is the King’s strong desire to give the most public and ostensible satisfaction to the King of Portugal, that his Majesty will not, I believe, even be averse to sending an extraordinary mission on this occasion.”[31]
The extraordinary embassy promised in this postscript was despatched to Lisbon; and here we have another letter of Mr. Pitt, dated at Whitehall, May 30, 1760, and marked “Most secret,” where he declares anew “the King’s immutable and affectionate concern for the dignity and independence of the crown of Portugal,” and enjoins upon his ambassador to “forbear entering into much controversial reasoning,” and to “accompany his answer with all possible gentleness and cordiality of manner, and with the most conciliating and amicable expressions.” It seems that the Portuguese minister had demanded the restitution of the ships, but accompanied by “the friendly and confidential declaration that a compliance therewith was not expected.” Mr. Pitt was anxious to avoid any such demand, as “an invidious use would not fail to be made of it by enemies, and perhaps by neutral powers.”[32] From the Memoirs of Pombal we learn how the British ambassador acquitted himself.
“The King of England sent an ambassador extraordinary to Lisbon to give the satisfaction which was demanded. It was Lord Kinnoul who was charged with it, and who acquitted himself of this commission as the Count de Oeyras [Marquis of Pombal] required. This lord declared openly and in full audience, composed of the foreign ministers, that the English officers who burnt the French vessels on the coast of Lagos were reprehensible, and that on this account the King, his master, sent him to Lisbon, in order to testify that he had no part in it, and that it was contrary to his orders that they had committed that act of hostility for which he made reparation.”[33]
The ships were not restored, nor was there any indemnity. But the case did not end here. In 1762 France declared war against Portugal, and in its declaration made the failure to obtain restoration of these ships one of the causes of war. These are the words:—
“Every one knows the utmost and violent attack made by the English in 1759 on some of the [French] King’s ships under the cannon of the Portuguese forts at Lagos. His Majesty demanded of the Most Faithful King to procure him restitution of those ships; but that Prince’s ministers, in contempt of what was due to the rules of justice, the laws of the sea, the sovereignty and territory of their master (all which were indecently violated by the most scandalous infraction of the rights of sovereigns and of nations), in answer to the repeated requisitions of the King’s ambassador on this head, made only vague speeches, with an air of indifference that bordered on derision.”[34]