‘TAA 
‘Explanations were required from 
the court of Vienna, and given with 
that clearness, precision, and mi- 
nuteness, which became the can- 
dour and dignity of his Apostolic 
Majesty the King of Bohemia and 
Hungary. Being in every respect 
satisfactory, they could displease 
only an assembly and societies who 
wished to disturb the public peace, 
and who, by intrigues and crininal 
maneeuvres, obliged the King to 
yield to the violent impulse of his 
ministry and the assembly, and, 
contrary to all justice, contrary to 
all reason, and contrary to the evi- 
dent interest of France, to declare 
war against his neighbour, his re- 
lation, and his good and faithful 
ally the King of Hungary and Bo- 
hemia. ‘The usurping assembly 
flattered themselves that they could 
subdue Europe, as they had sub- 
ued France, by corrupting their 
troeps, seducing their subjects, and 
rendering odious the paternal au- 
thority of sovereigns; by command- 
ing crimes; by giving rewards to 
those who committed them; by ir- 
ritating and flattering the passions 
of the people ; and, in a word, by 
dissolving all the bonds of moral 
and political society. They flatter- 
ed themselves, above al], that they 
should revive and propagate that 
error which had misled the pro- 
vinces of the Austrian Netherlands; 
they trusted they should carry thi- 
ther the flames of insurrection; find 
there a number of partizans; de- 
vour the rich patrimony of the 
churches ; seize on the property of 
the nobility; abolish the lawful au- 
thorities of the states: and, as they 
caused to be repeated with com- 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
plaisance by the ministry of their 
will*, they wished to carry away 
the specie of the Low Countries, 
and to replace it with that paper 
money which circulates on the cre- 
dit of violence; which is secured 
only by usurped property; and 
which, by its discredit at home, is 
sufficiently proved to be illegal. 
They thus trusted that they should 
be able toreward the crimes of their 
satellites and the activity of their 
patriotic agents, with the spoils of 
their neighbours, and the riches of 
a peaceful and industrious people. 
On this criminal basis, detestable in 
the eyes of all nations, they found- 
ed their wish for war, as well as 
their plan for executing it; and 
they congratulated themselves for 
having extorted this proposal from 
ajust monarch, whose whole life 
has attested his love for justice, his 
fidelity towards his allies, and his 
ardent desire for preserving the 
tranquillity of Europe. 
The triumph of the assembly, 
however, was not of long duration. 
Providence, in blessing the arms of 
a sovereign unjustly attacked, de- 
servedly punished those rebellious 
troops to their King, who, detaining 
him prisoner in Paris, came, in his 
name, to make war on his allies. 
The army of the French revolt- 
ers, beat at Tournay and Mons, 
and defeated at Florenne and Gris- 
nille, attempted an invasion of 
Flanders, an open and defenceless 
country; but being soon after o- 
bliged to retire, the usurping assem- 
blyt were taught that his Aposto- 
lic Majesty had none but courage- 
ous soldiers, as well as faithful sub- 
jects, and that nothing of their pro- 
* Report by M. Dumouriez, on the affair of Mons. 
+ Letters of M, Luckner, June 25th, 29th, and 30th, 1792, 
jects 
=~ 
