140] 
merous individuals among the 
Swiss who disapproved of the 
system of goverment prevailing 
in their country, and were desi- 
rous of innovations on the revolu. 
tionary plan. 
They had, however, in one in- 
stance, laid aside their usual dissimu- 
lation, and openly countenanced the 
alterations that had taken place, ina 
state, which, though of smallextent, 
had always maintained a respec- 
table appearance. This was the 
city of Geneva, Jong famous for 
the industry of the inhabitants, and 
their inflexible attachment to li- 
berty and protestantism. Their 
contiguity to France interested 
them more deeply in its concerns 
than any of its other neighbours : 
they were, indeed, descended chief- 
ly from the French; particularly 
the refugees from that kingdom, 
persecuted for their religious opi- 
nions, French was the native 
Tanguage of the place, and all the 
social habits of life were the same 
as in France. ‘The court of Ver- 
sailles had formerly exercised great 
interference, in the affairs of this 
Jittle republic; but had always 
aéted with decided partiality for 
those classes that constituted the 
aristocratical party. Through such 
powerful aid, it maintained a 
_ Superiority extremely offensive to 
the democratic body, which, 
though the most numerous, was 
mot the most considerzble. At 
the breaking out of the revolu- 
tion, this party conceived imme- 
diately the design of rendering it 
instrumental for the purpose they 
had long meditated, which was, 
to destroy the power of their 
antagonists, and to establish a 
pure democracy. The sovereign 
authority of the state was lodged 
ANNUAL. REGISTER, 1795. 
in the general assembly of the 
citizens, who were such, either 
by inheritance of purchase. In- 
dividuals born of foreign parents 
were styled natives, but excluded 
from the privileges enjoyed by 
the former. This was a subject 
of much grievance to them, and 
they determined to remove it, 
the first opportunity. In 1791, 
the political ferments in France 
were so favourable to their wishes, 
that they seized the occasion to 
propose a law for their admis. 
sion to all the rights of citizens, 
on paying a moderate fine: their 
demands were deemed so reason- 
able, that they were granted. 
Matters rested on this footing till 
the - next year; when, after the 
dethronement of the king, and 
the abolition of monarchy in 
France, a French army, employed 
in the redu€tion of Savoy, ad- 
vanced towards Geneva. The 
inhabitants, alarmed at this con- 
duét, applied for aid to the go- 
vernment of Switzerland, which 
immediately dispatched a body of 
troops'to their assistance. They 
sent, in the mean time, a depu- 
tation to general Montesquieu, who 
commanded the French, to in- 
quire the motives of his conduct. 
His answer was, that the Gene- 
vese had behaved with undue 
partiality to the emigrants from 
France, by permitting them to 
settle in their city and territory, 
The Genevese replied, that, far 
from harbourirg enmity.to France, 
they had been the first and were 
still the only people that had 
acknowledged the French repub- 
lic. These reasonings prevailed on 
the French administration to di- 
ret Montesquieu to remove from 
the Genevese territory. But the’ 
convention 
