_HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
lish were plunderers on too many 
occasions, and dictators at sea. Still, 
however, they had done no more 
in the present war, than what had 
been authorized by long established 
custom; and under every restraint, 
a@ commercial correspondence with 
England had been, experimentally, 
found extremely profitable. If their 
industry enabled them to derive be- 
nefit from other nations, these also 
received no less profit from them. 
An exclusion of their trade would 
redound, therefore, equally to the 
detriment of both parties. 
Foiled in their endeavours to shut 
all the European ports against the 
English, the French determined, 
however, to exclude them from 
_ those of which they had the com- 
mand. A proclamation had been 
issued by the English government, 
permitting the exportation of_mer- 
chandize to Flanders and Holland. 
Bet the Dutch convention was di- 
rected to publish a counter procla- 
mation, prohibiting the importation 
of goods from England, under se- 
vere penalties; and enjoining the 
people of the united. provinces to 
renonuce all commerce with a na- 
tion that bad treated them so ini- 
mically, and whose intentions were 
to deprive the Dutch republic of its 
trade, after depriving it of its an- 
cient freedom, by the forcible esta- 
blishment of a stadtholder. Having 
expelled a sovereign imposed upon 
them against their consent, they 
were bound in duty and honour to 
refuse all conneétions with those, 
who were endeavouring to subjeéct 
them again to his yoke. 
A similar prohibition of English 
manufactures had taken place in 
Franee, during the administration 
of Roberspierre, and had for some 
time been strictly enforced. But 
F167 
the advantages resulting from a 
commerce with England had gra- 
dually superseded the fear of offend 
ing against this prohibition ; and it 
was little attended to at this ime. 
A weighty motive for not-enforcing 
it was, the necessity of giving vent 
to the cargoes of the English ves- 
sels captured by the French priva- 
teers. But after the government 
in Holland ‘had come to the deter- 
mination of forbidding the entry of 
English goods, it thought itself the 
better entitled ,to. require the adop- 
tion of the like measure in France, 
as Holland, in adopting it, had com- 
plied with the requisition of the 
French government. This appeared 
so unanswerable a mode of reason- 
ing, that the directory, however 
disinclined to compliance, found it- 
self under the necessity of giving 
satisfaction to the Datch confede- 
rates, who were so determined as to 
admit of no denial, that they threat- 
ened to rescind their resolutions, 
unless the same were taken by the 
French government. Hu 
The regulations proposed on this 
occasion were very severe; they 
not only! prohibited the import- 
ation of English merchandize in fu- 
ture, but ordained the re-exporta~ 
tion of what had been imported. 
Harsh methods were, at the same 
time, adopted, to secure the obser- 
vance of these regulations; and 
though they were unacceptable to 
multitudes, so intent was the legis- 
lature on diminishing the resources 
of England, that the prohibitory 
decree, together with tke heavy 
penalties annexed to its infringe. 
ment, was tarried by @ large ma- 
jority. 
Great were the expeétations of 
the enemies to England, that this 
exclusion of its merchandize and 
(M 4] manufactures 
