2] ANNUAL REGESTER, 1797. 
and seemed on a quick march to 
Vienna. The authority of the 
archduke Charles, nowcommander- 
in-chief of the Austrian armies on 
the Rhine, restrained dissentions 
and contests among general offi- 
cers: his“éxample inspired courage 
into every officer -and soldier : and 
his courage, guided by cool delibe- 
ration, as well as prompt decision, 
inthe very throat of danger and 
fate, was victorious. ; 
Yet, on the whole, on weighing 
the prosperous against the adverse 
events of the year, the balance was 
greatly in‘favour of the French re- 
public. Jourdan, though defeated in 
several engagements, by the young 
Austrian hero, had been able to ef- 
fect his vetreat to Dusseldorf. And 
Moreau, who, for want of a thitd 
French army, was exposed ‘on his 
flanks, to total excision or capture, 
had madea masterly retreat, and con- 
ducied the main body of his army, 
through many dangers and confitets, 
across the Rhine, into a situation of 
safety, within the Frebch frontier. 
Thus, though the French were re- — 
pulsed from Germany, the honour 
of their arms, evén in that quarter, 
was unimpaired, while, in‘another, 
they were gloriously triamphant. 
The policy of France was not less 
successful. After detaching Prussia 
and Spain from the confederacy, 
she had succeeded, through dint of 
artifice and intrigue, in connecting 
herself with -both of these powers 
by a close alliance. The former of 
these hadnot, indeed, publicly de- 
clared in its favour, but was well 
understood.to be so intimately con- 
nected with the republic, thafPin 
ease of absolute necessity, no doubt 
Was entertained of its determination 
to assist France to the utmost ef 
its capacity.” The latter haying, in 
the year 1705, concludedia peace 
with the republic, had afterwards 
entered into an alliance, defensive 
and offerisive, with it, that was 
explicitly levelled at Great Bri- 
tain. This treaty, which took 
place in August, 1796, was fol- 
lowed, in the commencement of 
October, by a formal declaration of 
war against England, and by the 
preparation of a formidable naval 
strength, toact in conjunction with 
that of France. In Italy, every 
prince and state was either in peace 
or confederacy with the French, the 
pope alone excepted; whose sitna- 
tion, however, was such, that he 
could not Jong defer submission to 
their own terms. Germany could 
not be reputed hostile to France. 
Though certainly averse to the en- 
trance of its armies into the empire, 
yet the secondary ranks of princes 
and states, of which it is composed, 
were not dissatisfied at the humilia- 
tidh of Austria, of which they dread- 
ed thé power and_ pretensions.’ 
Thése were permanent, and had 
often endangered the liberties of 
Germany : whereas, the itruptions 
of the French could never be more 
than occasional and transitory. .The 
precedents of former times had - 
shewn, that the politics of France, 
which. must continue the’ sane, 
whether it were a monarchy ora re- 
public, would always aim at hold- 
ing the balance between the head 
and the members of the empire. 
In the ort of Europe, the two 
kingdoms of Denmark and Sweden 
were too conscious of the impend- 
ing power of Russia, to lend them- 
selvesto the depression of France, 
which they now considered as ne= 
cessary to preserve the dominion of 
the Baltic equally divided between 
those three countries, 
ree To 
