194] 
their governors, it: was impossible 
to preveat the Cape of God Hope 
from falling into the hands of 
the English ; and several important 
possessions of these States, in the 
Kast Indies, have shared the same 
fate. 
While all this was taking place, 
the British ministry conceived the 
plan of attacking also by land this 
free republic, and of employing tor 
that purpose those soldiers, who, 
being more attached to the prince 
of Orange than to their country, 
emigrated on the flattering pro- 
mises of England.—The fugitives 
were not only well received in the 
States of his Britannic Majesty in 
Germany, but were even kept in 
the pay of England; and if the de- 
sertion of the greater part of the 
army of the republic could have 
been brought about, there is no 
doubt but they would have been 
Jed against their country under 
English commanders, for 
purpose of renewing here, if the 
fact were possible, the scenes of 
1787: of kindling up, as in La 
Vendée, a disastrous civil war, and 
of thus destroying the Batavian 
republic by intestine commotions. 
Is it therefore surprising that the 
Ratavian nation, now free, seeks 
to reinforce itself against such un- 
precedented and numerous out- 
rages, by an intimate alliance with 
a republic which snatched it from 
the gripes of its enemies? A treaty 
of peace and alliance was accord- 
ingly concluded at the Hague, on 
the 16th of May, 1795, between 
the two free republics of France 
and Holland. That treaty of mu- 
tual defence by which the inde- 
pendent Batavian nation, supported 
by a powerful neighbour, and un- 
shakeu by the influence of a foreign 
‘ 
the. 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1796. 
minister, will be put into a con- 
dition to employ for the future its. 
forces against its aggressors, and of 
paying them in their own coin, 
has also been cemented. 
His majesty, the king of Great 
Britain, after so many _ hostilities 
have been exercised, was at length 
pleased to proclaim, on the 19th of 
September, 1795, by his council of 
state, a manifesto of war against 
the republic, but in which no 
ground of complaint was alledged. 
His majesty, it is true, says in this 
manifesto, ‘‘that for some time 
divers acts of outrage, contrary to 
the honour of his majesty’s crown, 
and of the legitimate rights of his 
subjects, had been committed in 
the United Provinces, and that the 
ships of war which sailed from the 
ports of the United Provinces, had 
received orders to take and sink all 
British vessels.” The actscontrary 
to the honour of his majesty’s crown, 
which have been committed in the 
Netherlands, are the acts of his ma- 
jesty’s own troops, and the English 
nation will, undoubtedly, sooner 
or later, punish their authors; and 
with respect to the orders given to 
the ships of war of the republic, to 
repel violence by violence, has not 
the independent republic, so cru- 
elly treated, a right of resistance? 
His majesty had forgotten that the 
Netherlands were no lounger under 
the stadtholderian yoke, and that 
his majesty’s ministers had Jost for’ 
ever, as we trust, for the safety of 
the country, all influence over the 
independent Batavian republic. 
It is, therefore, with a perfect 
confidence in that love of the 
country, in that energy, and in 
that courage with which liberty 
alone can inspire a nation, for a 
long time insulted and SEprerss 
that 
