HISTORY OF EUROPE. [169 



is not, for the present, necessary to 

 call on the piinces and states of the 

 empire for their contingents, and 

 the discharge of the other duties 

 they owe to the constitution. A 

 true German and patriotic heart, 

 and an understanding enlightened 

 by so much sad experience, can 

 never be led into so great an error : 

 an error, which would deprive us 

 of the only means of concluding a 

 speedy peace, on fair and proper 

 terms, and such as might be solid 

 and lasting. It would be wrong, 

 for a moment, to lose sight of the 

 maxim, that the most vigorous pre- 

 paration for war is the surest way 

 to obtain peace. This we shall ac- 

 quire botli the sooner, and on the 

 better terms, if the enemy shall see 

 that we are in a state for continuing 

 the war, in case of his persisting in 

 an imperious tone, and pretending 

 yet once more to presciibe a peace, 

 accompanied with disgrace and 

 slavery, or that should put it into 

 his power to involve us in disgrace 

 and slavery hereafter. We have 

 been too often deceived by a pre- 

 cipitate hope of peace, on the part 

 of France, to be lulled, by the late 

 events, into a sleep of fallacious 

 security. It has been invariably 

 found, that every new faction in 

 France has talked a great deal about 

 peace. The word peace has been 

 always in their mouths, never in 

 their hearts. By the plausible as- 

 surances of peace they only aimed 

 at drawing over public opinion to 

 their side, and acquiring popularity. 

 They have uniformly commenced 

 new wars. They have never shewn 

 a disposition to makepeace on equal 

 terms. By peace, they mean no- 

 thing more than the extermination 

 of their enemies. 

 • "The revolution of the ninth of 



November, when closely contem- 

 plated, cannot, all at once, inspire 

 full concedence in the new govern- 

 ment. A part of the persons, into 

 whose hands the supreme power 

 has fallen, are the members of for- 

 mer councils, who, both by their 

 professed principles, and the whole 

 of their public conduct, have sworn 

 eternal enmity and mortal hatred to 

 all states not constituted like their 

 own; several of which they have 

 overthrown, and others of which, 

 in the midst of perfect peace, they 

 have perfidiously brought under 

 their subjection. Nor is the spirit 

 that reigns in the publications of 

 France of the most pacific nature. 

 In these, it is often said, that the 

 late revolution has no other end in 

 view, than to raise the republic to 

 the rank which she ought to hold 

 in the scale of European nations. 

 The old directory, in those writings, 

 is censured, not for having made 

 war on their neighbours, but for 

 having made war unsuccessfully; 

 for not having made new conquests, 

 and for having lost provinces that 

 had been before conquered. The 

 French proclamations set out always 

 with a discourse about victory, and 

 speak of peace only in the last place: 

 which shews that they do not yet 

 considercircumstances as sufficiently 

 favourablefor pacification ; and that 

 they have a mind, before the con- 

 clusion of peace, to try the chances 

 of war. The minister of war an- 

 nounces openly, that he is busily 

 employed in recruiting the army, 

 and providing all things necessary 

 for its equipment and support. He 

 adds, that he will join it himself, 

 and share its dangers, as soon as the 

 season will admit the opening of the 

 campaign ; and that he is preparing 

 new [pretended] triumphs. 



