128] 
sions of respett or deference, on ac- 
count of family or of opulence, than 
this promiscuous mixture of youth 
of all descriptions, subjected to re- 
gulations and treatment common to 
all, and carefully taught to value 
nothing in’ each other, but personal 
worth and talents. 
The attention paid by the direc- 
tory to the public peace and wel- 
fare, and the lenity of its conduc& 
upon all occasions, induced the mul- 
titudes, whe adhered’ to the ancient 
forms of religion, to avail themselves 
of the liberty of opinions, and of 
worship, established by the new 
constitution; they now claimed and 
enjoycd whatever had been decreed 
in their favour ; and, excepting the 
ecclesiastical grandedr of their for- 
mer ceremon: clad nothing was want- 
ing to satisfy their reasonable ex- 
pectations ; but their zeal for the 
restoration of the pontifical authori- 
ty in France would not permit 
them to rest contented. ‘The go- 
vernment had even, under the pri- 
mary constitution, and with a mo- 
narch at its head, dissolved the con: 
nexion with the see of Rome; but 
the bigotry cf its votaries prempted 
them to form public assemblies, with 
the professed design of renewing ir, 
Bat this proved tco audacious an 
attempt to meet with the least 
countenance from government; the 
pope was justly considered as a de- 
cided enemy to the French re- 
public, both in a spiritual and po- 
litical light: it had not only cast off 
all submission to his authority, in 
church matters, but had also seized 
his dominions, and annexed them 
to France, notwithstanding the un- 
disturbed possession of them by num- 
bers of his predecessors, during 
many centuries. To re-establish a 
correspondence with the court of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1795. 
Rome, in these circumstances, was’ 
an attempt so inimical to the re. 
public, that it was immediately pro- 
hibited, and the synods, that had 
been appointed by the Romish 
party for the accomplishment of this 
purpose, were strictly forbidden to 
assemble. No resentment, how. 
ever, was shewn beyond this simple 
prohibition ; but as religious ran- 
cour has the fatal tendency to ren. 
der men irreconcileable, the firm- 
ness exercised, on this occasion, by 
the government, raised them nu- 
merous enemies, in the superstitious 
_Multitudes they had offended, by 
refusing to comply with demands 
evidently unseasonable. ‘Lhe libe~ 
ral. manded beheld with grief the 
obstinacy of those unhappy pre- 
judices, that peculiarly distinguish 
the Romish persuasion, and that ren 
der it so inimical toevery other se& 
of Christianity. 
While these great alterations had 
been taking place in the internal 
government of Frances a variety of 
transactions with foreign powers 
had happened, conducive to the end 
which French politics had princi. 
pally in view. ‘This was, todimi- 
nish the number of their. foreign 
enemies, in order to employ ad- 
ditional exertions against those that 
remained. Exclusively of the paci- 
fication with the two great powers 
of Spain and of Prastia, other ami- 
cable treaties had been concluded, 
Early in the month of February, ne- 
gotlations had been opened with 
the grand duke of Tuscany. The 
successes of the French armies oa 
the borders of Italy, during the 
preceding campaign, and their ap, 
prebended. approximation to that ~ 
prince’s territories, had excited so. 
much alarm; and the naval prepa. 
rations, making i in the ports on the 
Medi. 
