BERR OP ERTS REY LOR EN at a PN 
272, «State of Public Affairs in March, 1803. 
viz. an infinuation, that General Stuart 
had fought to caufe his aflaffination! If 
the honourable charaGer of the Englith 
General was not a fufficieat refutation, 
we fhould fay that-fuch an object was not 
worth powder and /bet; and thofe who. 
would ‘caufe the affaflination of fuch an 
agent, muft be as fond of bloodfhed as the 
French have lately fhewn themfelves. 
Another oficial paper has equally at- 
tratted the attention of the public. On the 
‘arf of February the Legiflative Body and 
‘the Tribumate affembled at Paris.. Ac- 
cording to cuftom, an Expcsé, or View of 
the State of France was laid before them. 
Tt takes an extended view of the relations 
of the Republic, both as to the colonies 
and foreign ftates ; but the moft interefting 
part iswhat regards ourown country. It 
remarks, that Briiith troops are {till in 
Egypt and Malta—that England is divided 
into two parties, the one which made the 
peace and wifhes to maintain it, the other 
which has fworn implacable enmity to 
France. ‘ But whatever may be the fuc- 
cefs of intrigue at London, it will never 
force other nations into new leagues ; and 
the French Government afferts, with juft 
ptide, that Exgland alone cannot now con- 
tend with France.’ Such is the vaunting 
ftyle of this fingular official paper, for the 
fubftance of which we muft refer to the pub- 
lic papers. 
Madame Leclerc arrived at Paris in 
the courfe of the preceding month, and 
preparations were making for a magni- 
ficent funeral of her jate hufband. ‘In 
the mean time, a malignant fever has 
raged in the French metropolis, which at 
firit was fuppofed to have been imported 
from St. Domingo: but the Officers of 
Health, convened for that purpofe, have 
attributed it entirely to the unfettled ftate 
of the atmofphere. ; 
While we were thus proceeding in our 
fpeculations concerning the political ftate 
of France,our pen wasarrefted by the alarm- 
ing profpect of hoftilities between the two 
countries. Of the matter in agitation we 
profefs to be ignorant. The alledged 
caufe is the jealoufy excited in the Britifh 
miniftry by the immenfe warlike prepara- 
tions in the ports pf France‘and Holland. 
Thefe were profeffedly deftined by the 
French government for the reduction of 
its revolted colonies ; while the Englith 
government have evidently fufpected they 
intended to ftrike a coup de main againtt 
this country.: We cannot be without our 
apprehenfions that, on the part of the lat- 
ter, it muft have been fomething more than 
furmife; for, that expenfive armaments 
(April 1, 
and preparations fhould have been en- 
geged in upon a mere-fufpicion, we can 
{earcely believe, efpecially after the really 
pacific difpofitions which our government 
has indicated upon all occafions. : 
Ata drawing-room of Madame Bona- 
parte, on the 15th March, a very curious 
‘and unprecedented ccnverfation is report- 
ed'to have taken place on this fubject, be- 
‘tween the Chict Contul and the Britifh 
Ambaffador at Paris. That fuch a con- 
‘verfation was actually held we have not 
the {mallet doubt, but the different fate- 
‘ments.vary fo much from each other, that 
we can fearcely give any of them to our | 
readers as the words of Bonaparte All 
however agree with refpect to the fubftance 
of the converfation, and the, following 
feems the moft probable, becaufe it is the 
leaft exaggerated : 
The Firft Conful being prefent at the 
drawing room of Madame Bonaparte, 
which took place on the (22d Ventoie), 
13th March, and having found Lord 
Whitworth and M. de Marcoff ftanding 
together, faid tothem, * We have fought 
‘for fifteeri years, and it feems there is a 
ftorm gathering at London, which may 
produce another war of fifteen years more. 
—The King of England has faid; in his _ 
meffage to the parliament, that France 
had prepared offenfive armaments ; he has 
been miftaken; there is not in the ports of 
France any confiderable force, they having 
all fet out for St. Domingo. He faid there 
‘exifted fome differences between the two 
cabinets ; Ido not know of any. It is true 
that his Majefty has engaged by treaty that 
England fhould evacuate Malta.—It is pof- 
‘fible to kill the French people, but not to 
intimidate them.’ 
‘© At the conclufion of the drawing- 
room, the Englifh minifter being near the 
door, the Conful faid to him, * The Du- 
chefs of Dorfet has paffed the moft unplea- 
fant feafon at Paris; I moft ardently wifh 
fhe may pafs the pleafant one alfo; but if 
‘it is true that we are to have war, the re- ~— 
{fponfibility, both in the fight of God and 
man, willbe on thofe who fhall refufe to 
execute the Treaty.” 
WEST-INDIES. 
The war in St. Domingo is carried on 
with a ferocity unprecedented, even in the 
hiftory of favage nations. It is literally 
a war of extermination: and we think the 
barbarities on the fide of the Freneh are, 
if poflible, even more atrocious than on the 
fide of the negroes. —Whole thip-loads of 
thefe unfortunate creatures, men, women 
and children, many of whom muft have 
been innocent, have been funk in the * 
