uld have entirely prevented it. The
Continental system had made it a necessity, so that a great part of the
population depended on it for subsistence.

In the beginning of December 1808 we remarked that the Russian courier
who passed through Konigsberg and Berlin, was regularly detained four,
five, and even six hours on his way to Hamburg. The trading portion of
the population, always suspicious, became alarmed at this chance in the
courier's hours, into which they inquired and soon discovered the cause.
It was ascertained that two agents had been stationed by the postmaster
of the Grand Duchy of Berg at Hamburg, in a village called Eschburg
belonging to the province of Lauenburg. There the courier from Berlin
was stopped, and his packets and letters opened. As soon as these facts
were known in Hamburg there was a general consternation among the trading
class-that is to say, the influential population of the city. Important
and well-grounded complaints were made. Some letters had been
suppressed, enclosures had been taken from one letter and put into
another, and several bills of exchange had gone astray. The intelligence
soon reached the ears of the Prince of Ponte-Corvo, and was confirmed by
the official report of the commissioner for the Imperial and Royal
Post-office, who complained of the delay of the courier, of the
confusion of the packets, and of want of confidence in the Imperial
Post-office. It was impolitic to place such agents in a village where
there was not even a post-office, and where the letters were opened in
an inn without any supervision. This examination of the letters,
sometimes, perhaps, necessary, but often dangerous, and always extremely
delicate, created additional alarm, on account of the persons to whom
the business was entrusted. If the Emperor wished to be made acquainted
with the correspondence of certain persons in the north it would have
been natural to entrust the business to his agents and his commissioner
at Hamburg, and not to two unknown individuals--another inconvenience
attending black cabinets. At my suggestion the Prince of Ponte-Corvo
gave orders for putting a stop to the clandestine business at Eschburg.
The two agents were taken to Hamburg and their conduct inquired into.
They were severely punished. They deserved this, however, less than
those who had entrusted them with such an honourable mission; but
leaders never make much scruple about abandoning their accomplices in
the