. 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
‘ginning of April, when the French 
were preparing for the ensuing 
campaign, and seemed resolved to 
pursue the most active and vigorous 
measures against the remaining 
members of the cvalition. 
The directory had three objects 
in contemplation; an invasion of 
Germany, another of Italy, and the 
complete reduction of domestic in- 
surgents, Ofthese last it entertain- 
ed the greatest apprehension, from. 
the desperate resolution they had 
hitherto displayed, and the unyield- 
ing perseverance with which they 
continued to oppose the repeated 
attempts to reduce them. The seve- 
Tity exercised towards all who 
‘were suspected of favouring them, 
instead of relaxing the attachment 
of their adherents, served, on the 
contrary, to increase it; and the 
unshaken fidelity they observed in 
concealing those designs and plans of 
* the insurgents to which they were 
privy, and in which they co-operated 
_ with unabated zeal, assisted and ani- 
mated their resistance to a degree 
that seldom failed to enable them to 
recover from their defeats and losses, 
and to take the field with fresh 
courage and resources. 
- Previously then to the great enter- 
prizes meditated against Italy and 
Germany, the directory thought it 
indispensible to clear France of its 
‘internal enemies. Their connections 
with the most formidable and dan. 
gerous rivals of France, the English, 
made it evident, that while the royal 
party subsisted unsubdued, it would 
probably, as it had done in the 
preceding year, throw such embar- 
_ Tassments in the military operations, 
intended against foreign enemies, 
as would clog and impede the plans 
proposed; and, aided by the fleets 
aud forces of England, tie up the 
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hands of government from those 
exertions, without which the war 
on the frontiers of France could 
not be carried on with any decisive 
success, and must probably be pro- 
tracted in such a manner as might 
afford ume and opportunities to the 
foe of recovering from his past dis- 
asters, and regaining the ground he 
had lost. 
Fully determined to remain chief- 
ly, if not entirely, on the defensive, 
until the interior of France should 
be wholly pacified, or the oppo- 
nents of the republic effectually dis- 
abled, the directory pitched upon 
one of the ablest men in the com- 
monwealth to carry this resolve 
into execution. ‘This was the cele- 
brated general Hoche, whose mili- 
tary talents and successes were at 
that time inferior to those of no 
officer in the French service. He 
was invested with the chief com- 
mand in the departments that were . 
in a state of insurrection ; and, hap- 
pily for his employers, acquitted 
himself, in a short space of time, 
to their highest satisfaction. 
The resistance of the insurgents 
was not conducted on their former 
plan: they had, as it were, con- 
sumed that stock of zeal and de- 
votion to the royal cause, which 
had produced such amasing effects, 
and rendered them so long the terror 
of the republican armies.. The pa- 
cification concluded with the go- 
vernment of France by Charette, 
and the other chiefs of the insur- 
gents, had deprived him in a great 
measure of the influence which he, 
with a number of resolute leaders, 
had exercised over them; and when 
they determined to exciie another 
insurrection, they found analteration 
in the disposition of the commonalty, 
that soon made it appareat how 
feeble 
