122 
of the ancient government of a 
greatcountry, and of all its laws, 
orders, and religion, by the cor- 
ruption of mercenary armies, and 
by the seduction of a multitude 
bribed by confiscation to sedition, 
in defiance of the sense, and to the 
entire destruction of almost the 
whole proprietary body of the na- 
tion. The fatal effects of this 
example must be felt in every 
country. New means, new arms, 
new pretexts, are furnished to am- 
bition ; and new persons are intoxi- 
cated with that poison. 
8th. Because our eagerness in 
suing for peace may induce the per- 
sons exercising power in France 
erroneously to believe, that we act 
from ‘necessity, and are unable to 
continue the war; a_ persuasion 
which, in the event of an actual 
peace, will operate as a temptation 
to them to renew that conduct 
which brought on the present war, 
neither shall we have any of the 
usual securities in peace. In their 
treaties they do not acknowledge 
the obligation of that law, which 
for ages has been common to all 
Europe. They have not the same 
sentiments nor the same ideas of 
their interest in the conservation 
of peace, which have hitherto in- 
fluenced all regular governments ; 
they do not in the same manner feel 
public distress, or the private 
misery of their subjects ; they will 
not find the same difficulty on the 
commencement of a new war to 
call their whole force into sudden 
action, where, by the law, every 
citizen is a soldier, and the person 
and properties of all are liable at 
once to arbitrary requisitions. On 
the other hand, no attempt: has 
been made to shew in what manner, 
whether by alliances, by force, 
military or naval, or by the ims 
provement and augmentation of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1796. 
our finances, we shall be’ better 
able to resist their hostile attempts, 
after the peace, than at the present 
hour. If we remain armed, we 
cannot reap the ordinary advantage 
of peace in ceconomy ; if we dis- 
arm, we shall be subjeét to be 
driven into a new war, under every 
circumstance of disadvantage, un- 
less we now prepare ourselves to 
suffer with patience and submission 
whatever ‘insults, indignities, ' and 
injuries, we may receive from that 
insolent, domineering, and | unjust 
power. 
9th. Because the’ inability of 
humbling ourselves again to solicit 
peace, in a manner, which is a re- 
cognition of the French republic, 
contrary to all the principles of 
war, the danger of peace if ob= 
tained, the improbability of its 
duration, and the perseverance of 
the enemy throughout the interval 
of peace in their misckievous  sys- 
tem, is not conjeéture, but cer- 
tainty. Ithas been avowed by the 
actual goyernors of France, at the 
very moment when they had before 
them our application fora passport. 
They chose that moment for pub- 
lishing a state paper, breathing the 
most hostile mind. In it they stimu- 
jateand goad us by language the most 
opprobrious and offensive. They 
frankly tell us, that itis not our 
interest to desire peace, for that 
they regard peace only as the op- 
portunity of preparing fresh means 
for the annihilation of our naval 
power. By making peace they do 
hot ‘conceal that it will be their 
objeét—“ to wrest from us our ma- 
ritime prepondérancy—to resesta= 
blish ‘What * they invidiously calf 
ithe freedom of the seas; to give 
a new impulse to the ‘Spanish, 
Dutch, and French’ marines ; and 
to carry to the ‘highest’ degree of 
prosperity 
— eS —- ese | aS | 
