STATE PAPERS. 
trouled by an armed force, came on 
under that conftitution. The true 
voice of the majority of France was 
for the firft time heard, and heard 
againit the aual government of 
that wretched country. The ar- 
mies were called in to ftifle that 
voice. ‘The principal leaders of the 
two legiflative councils were {eized 
and tranfported without any form 
of trial:—~a new and unheard-of 
thing even in the hiftory of their 
injuitice; — nearly two-thirds of 
France were disfranchifed ; the 
prefs filenced; the clergy again 
profcribed, and the moft arbitrary 
and ferocious meafiires threatened, 
as well as fome abfolutely taken, 
againft all that remains of the no- 
bility, gentry, and magiitracy of the 
ancient monarchy. The power 
Aow eftablithed is notorioufly the 
very fame in chara¢ter, in maxims, 
and in condné, as well as for the 
moft oe exercifed or fupported by 
the fame men, with the govern- 
ment which exifted at, and foon af- 
ter, the commencement of the war; 
and which was truly defcribed in 
his Majefty’s declaration of the 29th 
of Oétober, 1793, as a “ ftate of 
things that could not exift in France 
without involving all the furround- 
ing Powers in one common danger, 
without giving them the right, with- 
out Impofing it upon them as a du- 
ty, to ftop the progrefs of an evil 
which exifted only by the fuccef- 
five violation of all law and all 
roperty; and which attacked the 
undamental principles by which 
mankind are united in the bonds 
of civil fociety.” It was againtt 
that government “’that his “Ma- 
jefty then called upon the peo- 
ple of France to join the ftandard 
of an hereditary monarchy, in order 
to unite themfelves once more un- 
der the empire of law, of morality, 
233 
and religion.” |The continuance 
of the fame fort of governthent, 
changing never as to its fandamen- 
tal principles, though fluctuating 
perpetually as to the perfons of the 
ufurpers who occafionally tyrannize 
over the enflaved people, has con- 
firmed me more than ever in my 
full affent to the wifdom of his Ma- 
jefty’s declaration then made. 
6thly. Becaufe, though the moft 
abfolute and overruling neceffity 
could hardly palliate, much lefs 
juftify, the facrifices which the late 
negotiation would have made of 
our dignity, honour, and jndepen- 
dence, together with our acquifi- 
tions; yet we have the fatisfaction 
of knowing how and when his Ma- 
jefty’s minifters advifed him in his 
declaration to repeat his offers of 
peace. They alfo know that nos 
thing in any degree approaching to 
fuch neceffity exifts. The relative 
fituation.of this kingdom with re- 
gard to France, is much improved 
fince laft year. We have loft no- 
thing ;—we have gained fomething. 
The extenfion of the enemy’s do~ 
minion, under the name of protec- 
tion, in the interior of Italy, gives 
him little additional means of im~ 
mediately annoying us. The ma- 
rine af thofe allies, through whom | 
alone he hoped to aét againft us, has 
been crippled by our glorious vic- 
tories. We are fecure from him, 
and he is left open by the indifput- 
ed fuperiority of our navy, to our 
attack, if his Majefty fhall be ad- 
vifed to call forth the fpirit and 
energy of his people, and to carry 
fuccour and affiftance to the majo- 
rity of that nation groaning under 
the tyranny of the ufurpation, and 
manifefting, on every occafion, fen- 
timents of difaffection and hoftility 
towards the eftablifhment deceit- 
fully and cruelly impofed on them 
as 
