. 
88] 
cused; positively denied the charge ; 
<nd that to pass sentence upon them, 
wy hont bringing them to an open 
trial, argued an apprehension that 
they would not have been. found 
guilty by an impartial jury. It was 
aio urged, that to violate the 
firms of aconstitution was to vi- 
olaie the constitution itself, of which 
those forms were designed to be the 
safeguard; and. that, ‘even allowing 
the conspiracy to haye been no fic- 
tion, af no legal qurors could be 
-brought to condemn the congspira- 
tors, he would) amount, to a,plain 
proof that the public was with them, 
and approved. of jtheir design: in 
which case they, would stand ac- 
quitted by the highest authority. 
fo théimany cevsures and invec- 
tives cast upon-the republican party, 
for its conduct on this pith 
the answer, which was generally al- 
low: ed to be the most plausible, and 
by many: reputed satisfactory, was, 
that if the conspiraters: had been 
formally tied, they must inevitably 
have been found guilty, aud con- 
demned to die: in which-case it 
woutd not have been in the power 
of government to remit te sen- 
tence. it was more humane, there- 
fore, as well as more prudent, to 
banish them; a punishmert which, 
by sparing their lives, prevented the 
edium vthat must have. been in- 
curred, ty the eftusion of so much 
bloods 
The.ineffeetual expedition of the 
French io lreland, in the month of 
December, 1796. did not put an end 
to the expectation they bad formed 
of being able to make an effectual 
impression upon that part of the 
British, empire.. On the return of 
the fleet to Prest, a proclamation 
was published, vberein the troops, 
embarked for. that service, were 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1797, 
told, that another attempt was in 
preparation, which would only be 
deferred till the return of more fae 
-vourable weather. 
Whether a_ second expedition 
avas actually intended, or that go- 
vernment meaned only to keep up 
an alarm in Great Britain; every 
appearance of such, a» design was 
maintained. Sailors and soldiers 
resorted, from varjous. quarters, to 
Brest, where general Hoche had 
fixed bis head quarters. But .the 
whole month of January, and more 
than halt of Febrvary elapsed, be- 
fore any active measures took place : 
and those ‘that. were then taken, ap- 
peared of a nature that shewed an 
intention rather to perplex the 
British ministry, than to prosecute 
any regular design. agaist’ this 
kingdom. 
“.corps of about fourteen hundred 
men was embarked in four vessels, 
three of them large frigates, which, 
sailing from Brest, stood round the 
ceast of England, and entering the 
Bristol channel, about the 20th ‘of 
Febreary, anchored. in the harbour ‘ 
ot Htracomb,, on the north of Des 
vonshire, where they skuttled se- 
veval merchantmen, and would pro-, 
bat'ly have destroyed al] the shipping 
there, had they not been apprised 
thata bedy of troops was marching. 
againstthem., This was the North 
Devon regiment of volunteers, 
commayded j|by colone Orchard. 
Leaving llfracomb, they stood-over 
to the headland off St. David's, in 
Pembrokeshive, and came to an an- 
chor in a bay near Fishguard. Here 
their troops were disembarked. But 
their landing was attended with 
great diffulty. As they were totally 
unacquainted with thecountry, they 
came ashore at a place full of rocks, 
which they were obliged to tin 
wit 
