58 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



any quarter, and, above all, the pro- 

 priety of proving to the world that 

 the spirit of national resistance had 

 not entirely deserted the Dutch, 

 and that they did not prefer the 

 throwing themselves into t]ie hands 

 of the French to the danger of re- 

 pelling a foreign yoke at the risk 

 of their lives and individual pro- 

 perty ; — all these various motives 

 combined, had induced tlie public, 

 in every country, to look on the 

 siege of Nimeguen as an event that 

 would terminate in great celebrity, 

 from its duration, the number of 

 brilliant actions it would produce, 

 and the unyielding obstinacy with 

 which it would on both sides be 

 accompanied. 



The sudden and unexpected dis- 

 appointment of all these expec- 

 tations put an end to the hopes 

 that had been entertained, that, 

 Jaying aside the animosity of par- 

 ties, the Dutch would at length 

 cordially unite in opposing the 

 threatened invasion of the French, 

 Plain reason pointed out the in- 

 fatuation of committing themselves 

 to the good faith of strangers inte- 

 rested in keeping thcra under subr. 

 jection, and preventing thrm from 

 acting as an independent people. 

 Those Dutchmen who exhorted 

 their countrymen to subvert their 

 present government, and call in 

 the assistance of tlieFrencJi to erect 

 another on its ruins, did not con- 

 sider that so mighty and so vic- 

 torious a nation would, like all 

 other conquerors, consult their own 

 views, and reude" those wjio sub- 

 mitted to them the instruments of 

 their future wars and con<]iiests. 

 Historical experience spoke inva- 

 riably this language ; and the pre- 

 tended establishment of liberty, so 



continualiy held forth as an in- 

 ducement to join the French, wasi 

 either the plea of that fond cre- 

 dulity w hich is incident to igno- 

 rance, and the usual concomitant 

 of fanaticism and all violent pas- 

 sions, or of that general enerva- 

 tion, seltishness, and indifference to 

 their country, which seems to have, 

 fallen on so great a portion of thp 

 Dutch nation. The Hollanders 

 had been now so long unaccustom- 

 ed to war, that ihey could not well 

 be expected to measure their 

 strength v/ith troops that had con- 

 quered the Empertjr. As little wi;s 

 it to be expected that there should 

 be any cordial union between the 

 Belgians and Batavians for the sup-r 

 port of the Emperor and the Stadt^ 

 holder, whose jwwer and govern- 

 ment were odious to so great a por^ 

 tjon of their respective people. 

 If the Flemings and Dutch had 

 been at liberty to follow their own 

 inclinations, they would have re-? 

 mained neutral like the Danes, 

 and the people of Hamburgh, 

 There is a period of declination 

 and degradation in the history of 

 states, when fliey become reconr 

 ciled to the idea of acting a sub- 

 missive and cunningpait,and wheii 

 they resemble tlic beadles and door-, 

 kcvperii of those churches in 

 Switzerland and Gcrma/iy that 

 are open to Lutherans and Cal- 

 viniyts in their turn ; and who pay 

 equal respect to whichsoever of 

 these sectarians is in actual po5' 

 session. 



That the French were deterr 

 mined to conquer ibr ihemselves^ 

 and in oider to attain thiit tn4' 

 would employ all the means that 

 could accelerate it, was obvious to 

 all pejs&Db of discernment. The 



• most 



