262 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



u« : if the constitution accepted by 

 the late King, we might reasonably 

 expect the co-operation of the con- 

 stitutionalists. Were it even a con- 

 stitution framed on repubhcan prin- 

 ciples, this was preferable to no 

 avowal of any determinate object : 

 but whatever plan was adopted, we 

 ought to rest persuaded that the 

 conquest of France was the pro- 

 ject of folly. After the loss of 

 200,000 men, she still was able to 

 meet the coalition with a superior 

 strength, and to overwhelni it with 

 fury and numbers, if not with regu- 

 larity and discipline. 



In answer to Mr. Fox, Mr- Jen- 

 kinson urged tliose ninny argu- 

 ments that had so often been 

 brought forward to justify the war. 

 He added, that the principles on 

 which the rulers of France founded 

 their power, excluded all ideas of 

 moderation; whoever, in the suc- 

 cessive changes of men in power, 

 had ventured to act on this prin- 

 ciple, had been destroyed. Siich 

 a systejn must not therefore be per- 

 mitted to exist. Jie then moved 

 tke previous question. 



Before this was put, Mr. Sheri- 

 dan animadverted ore 'the ^sanguine 

 hopes entertained by government, 

 '■notwithstanding that the allied ar- 

 mies had been obhged to retreat 

 be'fbre the French, and that every 

 tljlyli' intclligencf weakened the 

 ^pfet;tation of future success. 



In reply to Mr. Fox's resolu-? 

 tions and prefatory discourse, Mr, 

 Pitt asserted that they weie de- 

 signed to stand on the journals of 

 theHouse, as an abstract of the sen- 

 timents of opposition. He denied 

 the silence of government on the 

 object proposed by taking up arms. 

 Inthe King'smessagctothc House, 

 on the 28th of January, the pre- 



ceding year, it was particularly 

 specified, that we armed to guard 

 against the danger to be apprehend-* 

 ed from the power that had been 

 assumed for the most pernicioud 

 ends. The very movers of the re- 

 solutions had, at the clor.c of the 

 last sessions, concurred in tlic proi 

 priety of such a degree of intL*r- 

 ference in the domestic affairs of 

 France as might prove necessary 

 for the security of this country. 

 But the resohiiions opposed all in- 

 terference, even now that we were 

 at open war : this, however, was 

 a right sanctioned by the practice 

 of all nations : Mr. Fox himself 

 had explicitly recommended in our 

 late interposition on the belialf of 

 the Stadtholdcr, that such a form 

 of government should be settled 

 in Holland as would most effcc-» 

 tually secure our interests in that 

 coimtry. 



It having again been asserted, 

 that a majority of tlie inhabitants 

 of France were inimical to the pre-f 

 sent governmfnt,Mr.Fox adduced, 

 in proof of the contrary, the inac- 

 tivity of the great numbers on 

 whose resolute endeavours to force 

 their way at any rate to a junction 

 with Lord Moira, we had so con- 

 fidently relied. But this reliance 

 on the general devotion of the 

 French to the royal cause, h^d con- 

 stantly proved an illusion. On du- 

 mouriez's defection, he was only 

 followed by some intimates and a 

 few soldiers. At the taking ol 

 Valenciennes, the garrison remain- 

 ed faithful to tiie Convention. 

 When the royal standard was erec- 

 ted at Toulon, how small the num- 

 ber tjiat repaired to it ! The truth 

 was, that however (he French 

 might wish for ai. other system of 

 government, tjiry had too much 



