736 
faith, moderajion, and justice. His 
majesty had entertained hopes, in 
consequence of the repeated assu- 
rances, 2nd professions of the French 
government, that they might haye 
been induced to adopt a system of 
policy, which, if it had not inspired 
other powers with confidence, might, 
at least, have allayed their jealou- 
sies. If the I'rench government 
had really appeared to be actuated 
by a due attention to such a sys- 
tem; if their dispositions had prov- 
ed to be essentially pacific, alluw- 
ances would have been made for 
the situation in which anew govern- 
ment must be placed alter so dread- 
ful and extensive a convulsion as that 
which has been produced by the 
French revolution. But his majes- 
ty has, unfortunately, had too 
much reason to observe and to la- 
ment that the system of yiolence, 
aggressio and = aggrandizement 
which Paterno the proceedings 
of the different governments of 
Wrance during the war, has been 
continued with as little disguise since 
its termination.. ‘Vhey have con- 
tinued to keep a French army in 
Holland against the will, and in de- 
fiance of remoustrances of the Ba- 
tavian .government, and if repug- 
nance of the letter of three solemn 
treaties. ‘hey have, in a period of 
peace, invaded the territory, and 
violated the independence ef the 
Swiss nation, in defiance of the 
treaty of Luneville, which had sti- 
pulated the independence of their 
territory, and the right of the inha- 
bitants to chuse their own form of 
government. ‘They have annexed 
to the dominions of France; Pied- 
mont, Parma, and Placentia, and 
the island of Elba, without alloting 
any provision to the king of Sardi. 
mia, whom they have despojled of 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1803. 
the most valuable part of. his terri- 
tony though they were bound, by @ 
soleinn engayement to the emperor 
of Russia, | to attend to his interests, 
and to proyide for his establishment, 
lt may, indeed, with truth, be as- 
serted, that the period when has 
elapsed siuce the conclusion of the 
definitive treaty, has been marked 
with one continued series of aggres-— 
sion, violence, and insult on the 
part of the French government. 
Tn the month of October last, his 
majesty was induced, in consequence 
of the earnest solicitation of the 
Swiss nation, to make an effort, by 
a representation of the French. go- 
vernment, fo avert the evils which 
werethen impending over that coun- 
try. This representation was couch- 
ed in the most temperate terms ; 
and measures were taken by his ma- 
jesty for ascertaining, under the 
circumstances which then existed, 
the real situation and wishes of the 
Swiss cantons, as well as the senti- 
ments of the other cabinets of Eu- 
rope. His majesty learned, how- 
ever, with the utmost regret, that 
no disposition to counteract these 
repeated infractions of treaties and 
acts of violence was manifested by 
any of the powers most immediately 
interested in preventing them; and 
his majesty, therefore, felt that, 
with respect to these objects, his 
single efforts could not be expected 
to produce any considerable adyan- 
tage to those in whose favour they 
might be exerted, 
lt was about this time that the 
French government first distinélly 
advanced the principle, that his ma- 
jesty had no right to complain of 
ihe conduct,. or interfere with the 
proceedings of France, on any point 
which did net form a part of the 
stipulations of the treaty of Amiens. 
Tha 
