1796.) 
of appropriating to France all that the laws ac- 
tually exifting there may have comprifed under 
the denomination of French territory. To a 
demzad fuch as this, is added an exprefs decla- 
¥ation,; that no propofal contrary to it will be 
made, or even tittened to: and this, under the 
pretence of an internal regulation, the provi- 
fions of which are wholly roreiga to all other 
Nations. 
. While thefe difpofitions ‘hall be perfifted in, 
nothing is ‘eit for the king but to profecutea 
war equally juft and necefiary. 
Whenever his enemies {hall manifeft more 
. pacific fentiments, his majefty will at all times 
be eager to concur in them, by binding himfelf, 
in concert with hisallies, toall fuch meafures as 
“hall be beft calculated to 1e-eftablifh general 
tranquillity, on conditions juft, honourable, and 
_ permanent; either by the eftablithment of a 
congre{s, which has been fo often, and fo hap- 
pily, the means of reftoring peace to Europe; 
or by a preliminary difcuffion of the principles 
which may be propofed on either fide, as a 
foundation of a general pacification; or, laftly, 
by an, impartial examination of any other way 
which may be pointed out to him, for arriving 
_ at the fame falutary end. © 
Downing-firect, April 10, 1796. 
Thefe ftate papers have fince made their 
appearance in the Paris Journals, and asa 
confequence of the foregoing note of the 
Britifh minifter, the FRENCH DiIrEc- 
TORY have publifhed the following 
ADDRESS TO THE FRENCH ARMIES. 
Defenders of the country, the moment ap- 
proaches when you are again to take up your 
victorious arms ; the moment approaches when 
you are to quit a repofe to which you confented 
in the hope alone that it would lead to an ho- 
nonourable peace; but the feas of blood which 
have flowed, have not yet fatiated the rage of 
your enemies. ‘They unqueftionably imagine 
that we are about to abandon the fruits of our 
victories, at the very moment when fuccefs 
is ready to'crown them. They jmagine that 
we are about to demand of them, as cowards, 
a peace which we have offered them as generous 
enemies. Let them conceive thefe unworthy 
expeCtations ; we will not be furprifed; they 
have never combated for liberty——but what they 
cannot be ignorant of, is that the brave armies 
with whieh they with again to try their ftrength, 
are the fame by which they have been fo often 
fubdued. No}; they have not forgotten the 
prodigies of French valour; they ftill recolle@ 
with terror, both the redoubts of Gemappe, 
and the plains of Fleurus, and the frozen rivers 
of Holland; they recolle& that the Alps and 
the Pyrenées have oppofed to you but feeble 
barriers ; and that the penin{ula of Quiberon be- 
came the tomb of all the paracidial flaves, 
which, in the hope of fubjeéting you to- the 
voke of a matter, dared to fet their feet on the 
foil of the republic. If they could have for- 
gotten all this, you will bring it to their recol- 
leftion by blows fill more terrible 5 you will 
Negociations for Peace. 
245 
teach them, finally, that nothing can refift the 
efforts of a yreat nation which determines to be 
free, 
Brave warriors, you have afforded the exam- 
ple of a difintereftednefs, which cannot exitt 
unlefs among republicans. Oftentimes, in the 
midft of the greatett icarcity of provifions, of 
an almoft abfolute want of the mo‘t indiipenfa- 
ble objects, you have difplayed that heroical 
patience which, joined to your impetuous va- 
lour, fo. eminently d-finguifhes you, and will 
fignalize you to ali nations, and to the eyes of 
pofterity. Republican foldiers, you will pre~ 
{erve this great chara€ter; and at the moment 
when your fituation has been ameliorated, when 
with an unanimous voice the ieprefentatives of 
the nation have taken meatures to provide effi- 
cacioufly for your wants, you will redouble alfo 
your vigour and courage, to put an end to a 
war, Which can be terminated by new victories 
alone. 
In vain has the French government- manifeft- 
ed to all the powers which wage war azaintt 
France, a fincere with to reftore at length the 
repofe of exhaufted Europe ; it has in vain 
made to them the most juft and moderate pro- 
pofitions; nothing has been capable of remor~ 
ing their deplorable blindnefs. Yes, brave 
warriors, we muft ftill have vi€tories ; and it ig 
your energy alone that can put a ftop to this 
devaftating tcourge. Prepare, therefore, fora laf 
effort, and let it be decifive; let every thing 
yield to, let every thing be diffipated by your 
phalanxes ; let the new flags of your enemies, 
cairied off by your triumphant bands, form, 
with the preceding ones, the trophy with which, 
in the name of France, always great in her mif- 
fortunes, always juft in her profperity, the equi- 
table peace you will give to the world will be 
proclaimed. 
And you, generous defenders, who fhall have 
cemented that peace with your blood, you will 
foon return to the bofoms of yeur families among 
your fellow- citizens, to enjoy your glory—ter- 
rible ftill, in your repofe, to all the enemies of 
the republic. 
LETouRNEUR, Prefident. 
In fome of our public papers, great fur- 
prize has been exprefied, that more public 
notice has not been taken by the French 
government, by the ancients, and the 
council of five hundred, of what has been 
termed, ‘’ The overtures of the Britith 
court to the government of France.’’ But 
there is certainly fomewhat the lefs occation 
to. wonder, if it be confidered that the 
mode of application, adopted by the Eng- 
lith miniltry, was manifeftly not of a very 
conciliatory nature. “he French minifter 
was required to anfwer /mferrogatories, 
propefed by the Englith minifter, and at 
the fame time was intormed, that the Eng~ 
life minifter was not authorized to enter 
into any negociation or difculfion with the 
French minifter upon thefe fubjects. This 
“does not fecm a very courteous method of 
introducin g 

