230 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1803. | 
CHAP. XIX. 
Declaration of War—Different Opinions thereon—State of both Countries 
at its Commencement—Mode of Warfare which each naturally resolves 
upon.—Attack of the lesser French West India Islands by England 
—lI'rance prepares to extend her conquests on the continent.—. 
Attack of Hanover by the army of General Mortier—Operations there 
—Entirely reduced, and occupicd by the armies of the French repubhc.— 
Navigation of English vessels in the Elbe and Weser impeded—Blockade 
by anEnglish squadron of the mouths of those rvvers.—Farther violation 
of the German empire by the French.—Preparations of Denmark sus- 
pended.—French armies invade Naples and the territories of the Pope. 
—Ancona and Tarentum occupied by them at the same time.—French 
project of invading Great Britain—Preparations therefor—Means of 
defence of the latter power —Holland and the Italian republic compelled 
by France to engage in the war.—Unjustifiable detention of all the 
English subjects residing ins France-—Great national exertion and 
spirit of the British nation—V olunteers.—¥rench and Dutch colonial 
possessions attacked.—St. Domingo lost to the French.—St. Lucie and 
Tobago taken.—Gallantry of the British force——Demerara and Isse- 
quibo taken.—Present views of Bonaparte.—Situation of France and 
England at the conclusion of the year. 
N the 18th day of May his ma- 
jesty’s declaration against 
France was laid before both houses ot 
thought attributed that accumula- 
tion of injury, which rendered the 
war inevitable on the part of Great 
parliament; thereasons therein as- 
signed were very universally allowed 
to be suflicient grounds of war, had 
the ministers of Great Britain done 
their duty : there were many how- 
ever, who asserted, that if, instead 
of a feeble and inefficient adminis- 
tration, the country had possessed 
ene every way worthy to direct the 
energies and resources of a great 
empire, and support its national 
character, the aggressions of France 
might have been early prevented by 
timely remonstrances, and _hos- 
tilities averted. Those who thus 
Britain, at Jeast as much to the in- 
eapacity of the existing government, 
as to the encroaching spirit of 
France, and the restless ambition 
of her ruler, In whatever causes 
it might have originated, or in what 
manner it might have been avoided, 
were questions however, which re- 
spected more the responsibility of 
the English ministers, than the ne- 
cessity of commencing war: and 
it was universally allowed, that the 
uniform system of hostility, aggres- 
sion, and insult, exercised by the 
French government for the last 
twelve 
