58} 
expose them to the hatred of those 
princes and states at whose cost they 
were ‘performed. France, under 
Lewis XIV. had’ deservedly in- 
curred the odium of all Europe, 
on this very accounts ‘The victori- 
ous’ career of that monarch had 
lasted nninterruptedly many years : 
yet, notwithstanding the terror dif- 
tused by his successes, his neighbours 
gradually recovered from their fears, 
and finally brought him to the 
verge of ruin. In the same manner, 
by persisting obstinately in over- 
running and subjecting every coun- 
try, not able at present to.resist 
them, the French would indispose 
all their neighbours. Convinced 
of the necessity of making it a come 
mon cause, these would silently, but 
firmly, frame an union of strength 
and ‘interest against France, which 
would certainly feel the effects of it 
soon or late,‘as that ambitious mon- 
arch had done. ~It was rash to ex- 
pect that fortune would never desert 
the standards of the republic. Pru- 
dencé dictated the necessity of mo-. 
deration, if it meaned to secure the 
advantages it had gained. But sub- 
jugations and conquests must even- 
tually prove its ruin, as they would 
require the strength of the nation 
to be continually on the fullest 
stretch. This was a situation it 
could ‘not bear. Boundless ex- 
ertions would, by degrees, deprive 
it of the means, not only of retain- 
ing the acquisitions it had made, 
but of preventing the reaction of 
the many enemies that would then 
be ready to avail themselves of the 
diminution of its force. This would 
infallibly result from an adherence 
to the present system of revolution- 
izing- and giving laws to all its 
neighbours. France, in these per- 
ANNUAL, REGISTER, 
179%. 
_nicious attempts, had been drained 
of its bravest men, and though the 
triumphs it had obtained in the field t 
were signal and extraordinary, yet } 
the power thereby acquired rested 
on the most precatious grounds, as 
on the least reverse of fortune, the 
difficulties they would have to en- 
counter would become greater than 
before, and their means to over- 
come them necessarily less. The 
external loss of men, in the prosecu- 
tion of this destructive war, waged 
in so many countries, and with so 
many powerful and resolute ene- 
mies, and the torrents of blood shed 
in the internal feuds and commo- 
tions that had distracted the nation, 
had thinned its population in a de- 
gree that good policy forbad even 
to mention. These various, con- 
siderations demanded an immediate 
change of conduct in those who 
were at the head of the republic. 
Instead of continuing and extending 
hostilities, pacific measures ought to - 
be adopted, and the utmost solici- 
tude prevail, to create no additional 
enemies; by interfering in the af- 
fairs of nations that were desirous 
of peace, and of settling any dif- 
ferences in a manner satisfactory to — 
the interest and dignity of the re- 
public. Wi, 
Such were the opinions of a strong, 
and numerous party in France, at 
this time. In pursuance of a deters 
mination, formed to put a stop to 
the hostile spirit that actuated the 
executive government and its ad- 
herents, Dumoulard, one of the 
most-vigorous supporters of the op- 
position, moved, on the twenty- 
third of June, that a committee 
should be appointed, to investigate 
the proceedings, that had, taken 
place in Italy, respecting: the twa _ 
; republics 
