tJ I STORY OF EUROPE. 21? 



tiitkout Application to Parliament, j^ Message to Parliamefit jrctn the 

 King, requiring the Succours necessary Jnr repelling menaced Invasion. 

 Adiiress in Artfircr. Motion ly Mr. Siieridan agulist Loans <f Money 

 to th' Crown to le used for Public Pwposes, without the Consent of 

 Parliamefit. Delates thereon in both Houses. In both carried. Motion 

 in the House of C',m.':tons, for enahtuig the Subjects of France to eiit.t 

 into i/ii Majei'i/'s Scn'ice bn the Continent. Debates thereon in boti 

 Homes. Car.k'ii. 



DURING these pariiaitientary 

 transaction:., the minds of all 

 men were anxious in what manner 

 ihe powers involved in the present 

 conflict intended to regulate their 

 movements in the ensuing cam— 

 paicrn. It was clear to all the un- 

 prejudiced, that whatever mijjhl be 

 the issue of this obstinate war, 

 whoever obtained the ascendancy 

 would use it With very little mo- 

 deration; The threats of the Aus- 

 trians and Prussians, at the com- 

 mencement of the war, and their 

 intentions to fulfil them, of which 

 the French entertained no doubt, 

 had filled these with a resentment, 

 the effects of which had been se- 

 verely felt by those two powers in 

 the campaitjn of 1793, Vvhen, thro' 

 the defection of Dumouriez, and 

 the confused situation into which 

 -it had thrown the armies of France, 

 the coalition was enablt-d, during 

 some time, to assume a formidable 

 appearance. Itdisplayed so firm and 

 systematic a determination to treat 

 France with unbounded severity, 

 and to cradicae, as it werej all 

 traces of its former {Greatness and 

 importance, that the FfeUch were 

 convinced no mediuin remaimd 

 for them but the basest itate of 

 subjection to their enemies, or to 

 eonip;'l them by defeats to renounce 

 the scliciiie'J of conquest, which 

 Kurope fully imderstood they had 

 formed respecting France. 'J he 

 campaign of ITf^IJ had nearly de- 

 cided the question. After some 

 •ugpensc, fortune beenied to h*ve 



declared in favour of France 5 and 

 that decision, to some good judges, 

 had appeared iiiial and conclusive. 

 Thecualitionwould doubtless Strug- 

 gle for a recovery of the situation 

 it was in, previously to thedisaster« 

 it had incurred at tile close of the 

 campaign ; but the causes of these 

 disasters, and of the superiority 

 which the French had gained iu 

 the held, subsisted in their full 

 force ; while the motives that had 

 formed the coalition seamed daily 

 to lose their influence, in propo)- 

 tion as its arms were unsuccessful. 

 Of thethreegreat pillars, as it were, 

 of the coalition, one was beginning 

 to give way : and of the other two, 

 one only could be depended on 

 for ability and resolution to pt.rsist 

 in the contest ; the meatiS of the 

 other being almost exhausted, to 

 say nothiifg of tl>e unwillingness 

 with which its I'estoration to its 

 primitive power' w as likely to be 

 viewed by a considerable j)Ortion 

 of its allies. The unity of France 

 against those three powers was held 

 by many profound politicians as 

 the very reverse of a disadvantage : 

 their different and almost oj)posJte 

 interests were looked upon as sni:r- 

 ces of discord, that would not fail 

 to operate to tiie dissolution of the 

 confederacy, or at least to the di- 

 minution of its ctTorls ngainst 

 Frarice ; which, though standing 

 alone, yet when driven to tl'.c most 

 desperate efforts by the tenor <*f 

 licing subdued by a mercile.,.; iiic, 

 would from that circumstance dc 



rit'e 



