; 
/ 
| wiolation of public faith and of the 
+ moft facred treaties, of fetting the 
| Sig opinions and laws of man- 
| ind at defiance, and of wifhing to 
difflolve or overthrow all thofe 
compacts between nations, which 
had been conftruéted as mounds for 
the prefervation of their mutual 
peace and fecurity. In this tem- 
per, and with thefe opinions, the 
Germanic body, through the me- 
dium of its dict, only waited for 
the arrival of the proper feafon, and 
the concurrence of the proper 
means, to carry the effect of their 
xefentment, and the redrefs of the 
anjury offered, at once into execu- 
tion. 
Thus from the habit of giving 
a looie and unbounded fcope to 
haughty, contemptuous, and arro- 
gant language, of turning all mat- 
ters, however ferious, to ridicule, 
which did not entirely cerrefpond 
with their own ideas, or diredtly 
fuit their liking, and by a di¢tato- 
rial and peremptory mode of pro- 
_ ceeding, in all points correfponding 
with the Janguage and manner, 
were the feeds ot a fevere, bitter, 
and extenfive war, capable of events 
' and ennfequences far beyond all 
calculation, moft induftrioufly fown 
by the national aflembly in that 
wide and powerful empire. Where- 
as, if a due attention had been at 
firt paid to propriety of language 
and conduét, if the femblance f 
juttice and equity had been oblerv- 
ed, by duly examining and confi- 
dering the rights of the princessand 
the obligations of treaties, and if 
the refult of tits enquiry had been, 
the propofal of a fair compenfation 
to the former for the furrender of 
their feudal rights, there is not the 
fmalleft room tor doubting, that this 
‘trouble!ome -buancis would have 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. [135 
been eafily accommodated ; and if 
the princes had even in fome de- 
gree overrated their demands, poli« 
tical prudence would have fhewn, 
that it was more eligible to fubmit 
to fome {mall prefent pecuniary ex- 
tortion, and thereby get quit of a 
claim which could never be renew- 
ed, than to fuffer, particularly in fo 
critical a feafon as the prefent, fuck 
a bone of endlefs difcord to conti- 
nue conftantly in view. 
When it was too late, the aflem- 
bly #emed in fome degree to be- 
come fentible of its error, or at leaft 
to be alarmed at the effect which it 
was already producing, and feveral 
months after the abolition of the 
feudal rights, it carelefsly voted an 
indemnification to the Germar 
princes. But the feafon for conci- 
liatory accommodation was now 
paft; the refentment of the injured 
had rifen to its utmoft pitch; they 
perceived that the indignation of 
their friends, neighbours, and co- 
eftates in general, was equally ex- 
cited with their own; they had been 
forced to appeal to another fource 
for redrefs, which they knew would 
fooner or later, be obtained, and 
that probably accompanied with 2 
pleafing gratification of their ven- 
geance. Under theée circumftances, 
and in this temper, they refufed ‘to 
fell or to barter their birthrights.- 
The afflembly thewed a ftoical ‘in- 
difference, which they feemed te 
think confonant with the ftern and 
inflexible dignity of Republicans, 
upon this refufal. ‘Chey, however, 
ordered the offer of indemnification 
to be repeated, and left the matter 
after to take its ordinary courfe. 
Nor was the national aflembly 
more fortunate with refpect to the 
government of the French colonies 
in the Wett Indies, than i# was im 
[74] es 
