220 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



faction and the writer had been de- 

 stroyed, and others risen in their 

 turn. But were inflammatory 

 speeches or \\'ritinjTs to be con- 

 verted into aiuliorities for making 

 war ? Before we undertook a third 

 campaign, it was incumbent on ns 

 to review the former two, and to 

 consider whether tliey afforded 

 grounds to expect better success in 

 that for which we were preparing. 

 \Ve were involved in a miiltiphcity 

 of treaties, more expensive than 

 profitable, while wc continued to 

 act as we had done during the pre- 

 ceding campaigns, France had 

 lieen attacked bv the ablest Gene- 

 rals, at tl'.c head of excellent troops: 

 but it had been precisely where 

 the most consummate masters of 

 the art had pronounced France in- 

 Tulncrable. In defiance of an as- 

 lertion confirmed by two years 

 failure, we still persisted in the at- 

 tempt, on the credit of an officer, 

 brave and entcrprizing indeed, but 

 rot to be preferred fur his military 

 merit to those who had already 

 been unsuccessful. The advanta- 

 ges that had been obtained in Flan- 

 ders were short and accidental : it 

 was notorious that we owed them 

 to thedissentions amongtheFrench. 

 Since they had proceeded with 

 unanimity in the defence of their 

 country, wc had gradually lost 

 ground ; and the necessity of beirig 

 imanimous would always keep men 

 together in the field, whatever 

 parties might arise in the Conven- 

 tion among those who were strug- 

 gling for power. But, whichever 

 paity was predominant, the power 

 obtained was exerted in the most 

 formidable manner; and the French, 

 through the influence of the prni- 

 eiples they had adopted, and the 

 indefatigable capacity and cxertious 



of their nilerr., were become the 

 terror of their enemies. It beho- 

 ved U8 seriously to reflect on the 

 consequences that would probably 

 follow from compelling the French 

 to cherish those ideas, and keep 

 alive that desperate frame of mind 

 which enabled them to do such ex- 

 traordinary things. Were we to 

 continue in tliat violent disposition 

 towards them, which appeared the 

 design of the coalition, they n.;ust, 

 in th.eir own defence, become a 

 nn'litary republic, the more dan- 

 gerous for being placed in the cen* 

 ter of F.uropc, whence they might 

 disscniinate their principles among 

 their surrounding neighbo\irs. The 

 French were hut one people, and 

 the coalition consisted of many ♦ 

 but when a great people, rouzed 

 by indignation at ill usage, real or 

 so deemed, called forth all its pow- 

 ers and faculties, it instantly assume 

 cd a new character, and every man 

 rose above himself. 



Great occasions naturally gave 

 birth to great men, and dilKcuIt 

 emergencies produced the most 

 striking exertions. France was now 

 a rnilitiirv school, where every youth 

 was educated a soldier, not from 

 interested views, butar. enthusiastic 

 passion for the glory and independ- 

 ence of tlieir country. 



This being the real situation of 

 France, was it wise to continue a 

 war, prftgnant, from the causes spe- 

 cified, with imminent danger to 

 Europe, and wherein, shauld the 

 coalition be unsuccessful, it had 

 every thing to dread from the re. 

 sentment of the French ? It were 

 unworthy of sound politicians to 

 rely upon the utility of the treaties 

 we had entered into with the van* 

 ous powers in the confederacy : 

 fear and jealousy .would dissolve 



them 



