72] 
relation to pecuniary affairs, were 
by many of this party warmly cen- 
sured as toosevere. Thesums levied 
by the French in money, and in re- 
quisitions of all species of necessa- 
ries, were computed in the course 
of this year, at more than four mil- 
lions sterling, without including the 
Iosses of the inhabitants by plunder, 
and extortions of divers sorts. The 
grievance of which they principally 
complained, was the obligation im- 
posed on the trades people and 
shopkeepers, to take from the French 
officers and soldiers a stated quan- 
tity of assignats; the value of which 
being next to nothing, the accept- 
ance of them in payment, however 
low they might be rated, was al. 
ways a certain loss. 
Since the time of the Romans, 
the system of maintaining armies at 
the expence of the conquered, was 
hardiy known but to barbarous na- 
zions, which, indeed, ravaged coun- 
tries and plundered the inhabitants, 
for the very purposes of subsistence. 
The French had now renewed that 
destru¢tive system. Contributions 
had been occasionally levied by all 
the belligerent powers in Europe ; 
but not carried to so enormous an 
extent as they now constantly were 
by the viétcrious armies of France. 
Not content with the acquisition 
of territories, and the taxes to 
be drawn from them, according to 
rates already settled by their an- 
tecedent possessors, they drew from 
them whatever could possibly be 
procured by every kind of exac- 
tion. In this light, the numerous 
conquests, made by France, were 
viewed by its rulers as means of 
support, and the most was made of 
them for that essential purpose. Ex-., 
clusively of the immense booty be. 
coming their own as the lawful 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
prize of war, they cast a scrutinising 
eye on the” circumstances of those 
who submitted to their power. 
Thus it was, that, in the campaign 
of 1794, the sums they obtained by 
the seizures of every kind they were 
perpztually making, either of hos. 
tile stores, merchandize accumu- 
lated for the use of armies, or by 
levying enormous contributions, 
were sufficient to maintain their nu- 
merous armies, and proved an-ease- 
ment of the highest importance to 
their finances. Without these ad- 
ventitious resources, they would not 
have been adequate to that vigorous 
prosecution of the war, on which, 
they were conscious, their all de. 
pended. During the space of about 
twelve months, the plunder of the 
magazines and store-houses belong- 
ing to the allied armies in the Fle- 
mish provinces, the British accumu- 
lations especially, together with the 
immense quantities of hard specie 
colleéted from the Austrian Nether. 
lands, supported the immense num- 
bers of French daily pouring into 
that country. The reduétion of 
Holland effected the same objeé& in 
1795+ 
Flushed with so many advantages, 
they doubted not to see as prospe- 
rous a termination of the campaign 
of 1795 as of the preceding. The 
spirits of the national convention 
were so clated, that they spoke of 
their enemies as destined to be short- 
ly subdued by theirarmies. They 
had no less than eight on foot in the 
conquered dominions of the coales- 
ced, powers, besides those that were 
on foot in France, to support or re- 
cruit them if necessary. Pichegru, 
now become the terror of the low 
“countries, commanded in both Bel- 
gium and Holland. His assistant 
conqueror, Jourdan, was stationed 
along 
: 
