254 



ANNUAL 



REGISTER 



, 17^i 



coming more irresist'.ble ; but in- 

 stead o' 70, we li id little more 

 than 60.000 Prussian-; to aid us in 

 the approaching campaign ; and 

 these far from chosen troops. Up- 

 on what then did wc build those 

 sanguine hopes we were so confi 



tion of cessions in the West Indies. 

 Thi^ would completely degrade us 

 in the eyes of Europe, and prove 

 ultimately the worst of policy, by 

 detaching- from us every ally whom 

 the reputation of our national faith 

 and honour had hitherto tStijrht to 



dently bid to i:'.d>;lge? The French loi'k up to us with the hi^^^hest con- 

 rovalis'ts themselvescomphiinedtiiat fidence and respect. To preserve- 

 we held up no piecise and deter- 

 minate object to their view ; and 

 assigned this as a material discou- 

 ra'^'ement, as it led tlicm tosuspecc 

 that plans of dismemberment and 

 partit ion were in reserve for France, 

 if the coalition were to crush the 

 republicans. But this appi-ared a 

 hopeless attempt, wliile the bonds 

 of union between the confederates 

 were so feeble: — it were imb-cilily 

 to imagine that they felt a common 

 cause with this country. I'iiey 

 dissembled an attachment, while 

 they felt our ability to supply their 

 •wants ; and whil; this coimtryand 

 its allies remained on tliis respec- 

 tive footing", they were too wise to' 

 desert us. But as they entertained 

 n-) cordiiility for us, it were a con- 

 temptible debility to retain any to- 

 waids them. Ti'.e soouer we clo- 

 sed the difference betueen Great 

 Britain and Frar.cj, the readier this 

 latter wouM be to meet us half 

 way, and even to sacriiice soine of 

 the acquisitions we hud made in tjie 

 West Indies, in order to secure a 

 cessation of enmity on our part. 



The Earl of Man^fieM insisted 

 strongly on the good policy of tlie 

 treaty. The subsidy he allowed to 

 be the largest ever given ; but no 

 precedent subsisted of so critical ;m 

 emergency. He expressed a fa- 

 vourable opiniru of the King of 

 Prussia's integrity, and violently 

 reprobated the ideaof comprou"!;- 

 siiig with the French in eivpccta- 



this reputation unsuUed, we should 

 not I'.esitate to stand firmly by the 

 coalition, till such a government 

 was established in France as would 

 secure the future i)eace of Europe. 

 Lord Luuderdale noticed the^e 

 last words, as an avowal that mini- 

 stry were aiming at a specific mode 

 of government in that country, 

 nolvvithstanding the reiterated as- 

 surances that this country claimed 

 no interference in the internal ar- 

 rangements of France. He expli- 

 dtly d<-manded whether, after the 

 King of Prus' ia had broken the prior 

 treaty, binding him not to desert ' 

 his allies nor the prosecution of 

 the war but by reciprocal consent, j ] 

 it became us to trust him ? 'I'he 

 breach of the latter might as readily 

 be expected. A proof" how little 

 Prussia thought itself interisted in 

 tliibvvar, was the enormous subsidy 

 it required lor its co-operation. 

 The grand foitndation of all otir 

 fallacious hopes, — the fatal illu- 

 sion which ministers were at .so 

 much pains ar,d even expence, if 

 fame reported truly, to foster in 

 their own mir.ds, and to communi- 

 cate to that of the public, was, that 

 the capital of Friuice was in a stateJ 

 of rapid consumption, and must 1 

 soori come to an end : and he re- 

 minded the Huu, eofthe instance 

 in which ph)sic.il productions, ta- 

 lenis and virtues, bad triumphed 

 over the accumulations ; nd the re-.| 

 veu:ies of an extensive commerce. | 



Notwith-. I 



