112 AKNUAL REGISTtR, 1794. 



condemn tht legal proceedings of 

 their neighbours y but such was 

 their arrogance, that they repro- 

 bated whatever differed froni their 

 own, wi hout cohsidciing the dif- 

 I'erence of timeBand circunistanCes. 

 The style of t!ie British ministry 

 was in consequence no less pre- 

 sumptuous and inconiiistent. They 

 demanded for themselves aftd tlieir 

 tonfe>!erates what they must be 

 conscious would never be granted, 

 indemnity for the pasf, and security 

 for the future. They required a 

 just a: d 'proper government to be 

 seitfed in France ; as if such a go- 

 vernment were not already esta- 

 blished by the nation, which at 

 orMre was entitled and competent 

 to decide on so weighty a subject. 

 The period was fast arriving, when 

 Friince would be requested by 

 Great Britain to listen to terms of 

 peace. But the French republic 

 would in its turn insist on the esta- 

 blishment of an equitable govern- 

 ment in the British nation, where- 

 in the rights of the people should 

 beproperlyconsidered. 1 heFrench 

 would then look upon the rulers 

 of England in the same light as 

 they now view the republican go- 

 vernors of France, as an associa- 

 tion of usurpers ; and the people 

 of France would refuse to tieat 

 with any but the people of Eng- 

 land. 



Such was the substance and pur- 

 port of the French answer to the 

 declaration of the British minisiiy. 

 It was received with great applause, 

 not only in France, but also by that 

 numerous party in England which 

 disapproved of the ministerial mea- 

 sures, and reprobated the war with 

 France as pregnant with the most 

 fatiil consequences toGreat Britain. 

 ^^'hethe^ France remained a re- 



public or relapsed into a monarchy, 

 tlie loss of blood and of treasure 

 would still be iminensc, and not re- 

 parable but by a long course of 

 years. Shoold France again be- 

 coitie a kingdom, it would natu- 

 railly rcsumfe its former system of 

 politics. The gratitude ot princes 

 was proverfch'al, but not to be de- 

 pended on ; and thfc ambition of 

 the House ot Bourbon had long 

 bi en notorious. But wfefe the po- 

 pular party to prevail, and the re- 

 public to be settled on firm foun- 

 dations, what would the resent- 

 ment be which the F.ench would 

 bear to 't.e Englis for having en- 

 deavoured to deprive them ot that 

 form of ^ro.ernment whica they 

 preferred to ail otner, -nd to reduce 

 them, to their preceding state of 

 slavery and wretchedness ? Such a 

 resentment would not probably lie 

 dormant and inactive : it would 

 continually break out in tlieir dis- 

 courses, and lay the foimdation of 

 inextinguishable hatred. Througli 

 means of treaties, public hostilities 

 might a while be prevented j but 

 war would only remain in a stale 

 of susj>ension. The spirit of inve- 

 teracy would always be looking 

 forward to opportunities of exer- 

 tion. When these arrived, they 

 would animate the French nation 

 against (he English. Tliese would 

 not be actuated by a similitude ot 

 motives, and could not therefore 

 be supposed to feel the same anti- 

 pathy to the French ; who woulti, 

 of course, come into action with a 

 much greater degree of vigour. — 

 Doubtless, the English would be- 

 have with their usual courage i but 

 they would have an enemy to en- 

 Counter much more fortfiidable and 

 dangerotis than heretofore, from 

 lh:,t desire of vengeance which is 



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