1803.) ( 
at | 
) 
STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS, 
In March, 1803. 
FRANCE. 
HE conduét of the Chief Conful 
continues to juftify the charafer 
which we gave of him a few months ago. 
Whatever he might be in the field, where 
we allow his talents were extraordinary— 
in his internal government he is more’a 
man of promifes than of performance. 
His {chemes are great, and even extra- 
vagant; but his means are totally in- 
adequate to their execution. He has 
promifed to reftore the commerce of France. 
It languifhes, if poffible, even more than 
during the war; and, ftrange as it may 
appear, numbers of Frenchmen derive an 
acceptable affittance from the cafual ex- 
penditure of thofe whom curiofity draws 
from England to vifit the metropolis of 
the Gallic Empire. He cherifhed the 
idle hope that the manufactures of France 
would rival thofe of Britain. _ Mendicity 
and wretchednefs pervade the provinces ; 
and the poor are finking for want of re- 
lief. He eftablifhed the Catholic Religion; 
he has appointed Bifhops, and even nomi- 
nated Cardinals. ‘Ihe Clergy are to this 
hour unpaid their wretched ftipends; and 
they find, that they fubfifted better on the 
elemofynary bounty of Englifhmen, than 
they can under the unaccomplifhed en- 
gsgements of the Emperor of the Gauls ! 
While fuchis the miferable ftate of the 
country—difcontent and intrigue are over- 
awed by a vigilant adminiftration, and an 
active police. France too, depopulated 
of genias and talent, by fucceflive years 
of affaifination and bloodfhed, feems to 
poflefs no perfons of fufficient fpirit and 
firmnefs to affert the laws, or withftand 
the abufes of power ;_ while the mafs of 
the people, fickened by the evils refulting 
from a fucceflion of revolutions, are 
happy to refort to any government as a 
remedy againft the miferies of change. 
Whether thefe circumftances will eftablith, 
or not-—the Confular Throne ; 2nd whe- 
ther Bonaparte is to be the author of a 
mew dynafty, time only can determine. 
At one circumftance we cannot help 
feeling fome furprize—and that is the tar- 
dinefs of the preparations for St. Do- 
mingo,. It mutt certainly be a grand ob- 
ject with the Chief Conful to accomplith 
the conquelt of that ifland, and yet we 
hear of no levies adequate to fuch an at- 
chievement. Tite deficiency in the French 
marine is another fubject of furprize, fince 
it is confidently afferted, that the Chief 
@eaful has made application to our gos 
vernment for a fupply of fhipping to tranf- 
port his troops to that devoted colony. 
On the policy of a compliance with this 
requifition, doubts are entertained ; but, 
we confefs—we have none. In favour of 
the meafure, the fecurity of our Welt- 
India poffeffions is pleaded, on the con- 
trary—in politics, as weil as in morals—~ 
fiat Fuflitia ruat Calum is a found 
maxim: and whatever danger might re- 
fult from the Blacks in St. Domingo, we 
cannot help regarding the French as a 
much more formidable enemy. 
There is another fubject which has oc- 
cafioned much converfation in France, 
and throughout Europe.—To us it is a 
matter of confolation. We allude to the 
return of Citizen Sebaftiani, from what 
may be called his miffion of intrigue in 
Egypt. In our laft Review of Public’ 
Affairs, we fiated our apprehenfions of a 
connection’ between the Ottoman Porte 
and the Chief Conful of France. From 
the report of this Military Ambaflador, 
however, it does not appear that any fuch 
conneétion exiits, at leaft as far as Egypt 
is concerned. The miffion of Citizen Se- 
baftiani is reprefented as for commerciai 
purpofes; but with whom he was to efia- 
blifh commercial relations in Egypt is 
not eafy to guefs! When he arrived at 
Alexandria he had a_ conference witb 
General Stuart, in which he infiffed oz 
the execution of the Treaty of Amiens; 
and, after urging the Englifh General on 
the fubject of the evacuation of Egypt, 
could only obtain for anfwer, ** that he 
had received no orders from his govern- 
ment to that effect.” As his miflion was 
unauthorized by the Ottoman Porte, he. 
feems to have been wholly employed in 
‘paying court, in the name of the Chief 
Conful, to the petty chiefs and the popu- 
lace. He fays,-** lie inftilled into the 
different chiefs the love of the Firft Confui 
towards Egypt, and the intereft which he 
took in its happinefs,”” The report is 
full of trifling converfations and incidents, 
by no means interefting. As a military 
man, Colonel Sebaftiani has probably 
made himéelf well acquainted with the 
firength of the different. pofitions, and the 
face of the country; but as the French 
are without a navy, unlefs the Firft Conful 
can form a connection with the Porte, it 
is impoffible he can effect any thing in 
Egypt; and of this there is not the least 
probability. Another mater, contained 
in the report, is almodt below contempt, 
* Viz, 
