5 TAYT Eo PAP ERS: 
treaties. We learned the cruel 
manner in which the istand of St. 
Eustatia was devastated, by seizing 
on the possessions of the merchants, 
which, when collected, formed 
‘treasures ; while richly laden vessels 
returning from the ocean, were sur- 
prised unawares in the channel by 
small vessels, which readily. made 
them their prey. By such vile means, 
unworthy ofa generous nation, did 
‘the British ministers dishonour the 
flag of their king ; for can it be 
considered in any other point’ of 
view, than that of aéting, under 
the royal flag, the part of pirates ? 
The Batavian republic was at 
length, after so many losses, forced 
to provide for her defence, to main- 
tain her rights and independence 
by the dint ofarms, and to protect 
her commerce and her possessions. 
Ah! if she could then have com- 
bated under the banners of liberty, 
how would the English ministry 
have repented of its rashness and 
perfidy! But the English cabinet 
knew all its influence in this coun- 
try. It was aware that it could 
succeed in shackling within the re- 
public the preparations of war: it 
was certain of finding in Holland 
partizans who would contrive to 
put into his possession our ships of 
war, and who would find the means 
to prevent the display of all our 
strength. The event soon proved 
that the English ministers were not 
mistaken. They mocked our fee- 
ble efforts, which, even before 
they were carried into effect, 
were paralized in their outset b 
the adherents they had in this, 
country. These adherents suppli- 
‘ed them with intelligence of all 
that was concerting here, Sup- 
ported by the Stadtholderian influ- 
ence, they even contrived to render 
[194 
nugatory the orders given by their 
high mightinesses for the junction 
of the Batavian squadron with the 
French fleet. Jt was easy for the 
English ministry, after such tred= 
sons, to obtain successes in that 
war. And this is what they call 
glory! But when a particular oc- 
casion presented itself—when a 
fleet belonging to the states “acci« 
dentally met with an opportunity 
to display its courage and its valour 
the Batavian mariners, although 
novices in fighting, proved ‘that 
they had not degenerated from the 
bravery of their ancestors. They 
drove the English fleet, covered 
with confusion and shame, into 
its own port, without having lost 
one of the merchant vessels’ they 
had under convoy. . 
A war carried on in such a way 
necessarily terminated in a treaty of 
peace burthensome to the States. 
Instead of being indemnified for 
the incalculable losses they had 
sustained in their commerce, they 
considered themselves as fortunate 
to be enabled by the speedy assist- 
ance of the French forces, which 
checked the English in the two 
‘Indies, to save apart of their pos- 
sessions ; while they found them- 
selves obliged to yield to the enemy 
the important faétory of Negapat- 
nam on the coast of Coromandel ; 
and to allow toBritish vessels the free 
navigation of the coasts of the Mo- 
lucca islands, notwithstanding it 
might have been foreseen that the 
navigation of the English in those 
seas would tend to nothing less than 
the complete destruction of our 
trade in the East Indies. 
We shall not enter into details 
concerning what passed in the see 
quel, when the Batavian nation, 
seeing how much its interests were 
constantly 
