194 
measure. It accuses us of having 
broken the peace, and violated the 
right of nations, and. it insulted 
our ambassador. Jc. professes to 
hate intolerant papacy, and it takes 
up arms to defend thie superstitions 
of Rome. It pretends to cherish 
liberty, and it is in allianee with 
the oppressors of Poland. | It reo 
proaches us with cruelties of which 
we .excerate and punish the au. 
thors; and it has filled Xsia with 
pillage and dead bodies, has hired 
savages to enslave the Americans, 
and ‘purchased men of a German 
princes fixing beforehand the price 
of each wound, of cach mutilation ; 
ina word, settling the tarif of every 
drop of biood of those miserable 
slaves. Jt charges us with ambi- 
tion, and foolishly strives to render: 
‘sab roaate rof all the colonies. It 
has the audacity to say, that we 
meke war without humanity; and 
it has attempted to avenge its dis. 
asters, by exposing twenty-four 
millions of men to a famine from 
which chance and our valour have 
protected us, It clamoars every 
where that we want to attack the 
independence of other states ; and 
it attempted to compel Genva, Ve- 
nice, Sweden and Denmark, to 
renounce the most respectable and 
the most sacred of all rights, that of 
remaining neuter amid the horrors 
of war. Finally, it has the assu- 
rance’ to declare, that it is not safe 
to treat, with us; that government 
does so, which, when in alliance 
with Russia, excited the. Furks to 
make war upon her, and afterwards 
abandoned them ;. that. govern. 
ment, which encouraged the Poles 
in their revolution, and, left them 
withoursupport ; that government, 
which: armed Sweden against the 
Russians,.and betray edit that go. 
; 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1795. 
vernment, which forced . Holland 
to fight against us, and afte# lend. 
ing it a feeble aid, confined its ef- 
forts to diminishing the account of 
its losses ; that government, in fine, 
which, after having seduced the 
unfortunate inhabitants of La Ven- 
dee and Toulon, tranguilly enjoyed 
the spe¢tacle of their ruin, 
Irresolute Spaniards, what do 
you expect ? if chance should dis- 
appoint our courage, if, persisting 
in your unaccountable coalition, 
you should paralize our efforts 
against your implacable enemy, and 
if that enemy, establishing herselt 
in our colenies, should destroy the 
aliment of our marine ? do you not 
see her already laying hold of your 
galleons, digging your mines, wrest- 
ing from you the empire of Mexico, 
that of Peru, Porto-Rico, Cuba ; 
driving you from all the seas, and 
from the heights of Gibraltar, in- 
sulting your, misfortunes, and en. 
joying your misery? In 1790, 
had she not already drawn the 
sword against you, because she 
thought you in no condition to de- 
fend y ourselves? Did not we turn 
it aside at the moment when, rec- 
koning on our troubles, she hoped 
to strike you with impunity 2? Do 
not her attempt upon Corsica an- 
nounce that she wishes to expel 
you fromr the Mediterranean, as 
she aspires at chasing you from the 
ocean ? 
Awake, then, at the call of 
truth; appreciate at their just Vax 
luc the calumnies spread against 
us ; see in the speeches with which 
the parliament of London resounds, 
nothing but the fear of peace, but 
the language of ambition unmasks 
ed, and let us take upon ourselves 
she care of our vengeance and of 
our safety, It is not only safe, it 
ix 
