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of the antient government of a great country, and of all its laws, orders, and religion, by the corruption of mercenary armies, and by the feduction of a multitude bribed by confifcation to fedition, in defiance of the fenfe, and to the entire deftruction of almoft the whole proprietary body of the nation. The fatal effects of this example must be felt in every country. New means, new arms, new pretexts, are furnished to ambition; and new perfons are intoxicated with that poison.

8th. Because our eagerness in fuing for peace may induce the perfons exercifing power in France erroneously to believe, that we act from neceffity, and are unable to continue the war; a perfuafion which, in the event of an actual peace, will operate as a temptation to them to renew that conduct which brought on the prefent war, neither hall we have any of the ufual fecurities in peace. In their treaties they do not acknowledge the obligation of that law, which for ages has been common to all Europe. They have not the fame fentiments nor the fame ideas of their interest in the confervation of peace, which have hitherto influenced all regular governments; they do not in the fame manner feel public diftrefs, or the private mifery of their fubjects; they will not find the fame difficulty on the commencement of a new war to call their whole force into fudden action, where, by the law, every citizen is a foldier, and the perfon and properties of all are liable at once to arbitrary requifitions. On the other hand, no attempt has been made to fhew in what manner, whether by alliances, by force, military or naval, or by the improvement and augmentation of

our finances, we fhall be better able to refift their hoftile attempts, after the peace, than at the prefent hour. If we remain armed, we cannot reap the ordinary advantage of peace in economy; if we difarm, we fhall be fubject to be driven into a new war, under every circumftance of disadvantage, unlefs we now prepare ourselves to fuffer with patience and fubmiffion whatever infults, indignities, and injuries, we may receive from that infolent, domineering, and unjust power.

9th. Because the inability of humbling ourfelves again to folicit peace, in a manner, which is a recognition of the French republic, contrary to all the principles of war, the danger of peace if obtained, the improbability of its duration, and the perfeverance of the enemy throughout the interval of peace in their mifchievous fyftem, is not conjecture, but cer tainty. It has been avowed by the actual governors of France, at the very moment when they had before them our application for a paffport. They chose that moment for publishing a ftate paper, breathing the moft hoftile mind. In it they stimulate and goad us by language the moft opprobious and offenfive. They frankly tell us, that it is not our intereft to defire peace, for that they regard peace only as the opportunity of preparing fresh means for the annihilation of our naval power. By making peace they do not conceal that it will be their object-" to wreft from us our ma ritime preponderancy-to re-eftablith what they invidiously call the freedom of the feas; to give a new impulse to the Spanish, Dutch, and French marines; and to carry to the highest degree of profperity

profperity the industry and commerce of thofe nations," which they ftate to be our rivals, which they charge us with "unjustly attacking, when we can no longer dupe," and which they throughout contemplate as their own dependencies, united in arms, and furnishing refources for our future humiliation and deftruction. They refort to that well known and conftant allufion of their's to ancient hiftory, by which reprefenting "France as modern Rome, and England as modern Carthage," they accufe us of national perfidy, and hold England up, as an object to be blotted out from the face of the earth." They falfely affert that the English nation fupports with impatience the continuance of the war, and has extorted all his Majefty's overtures for peace" by complaints and reproaches;" and, above all, not only in that paffage, but throughout their official note, they fhew the most marked adherence to that infidious and intolerable policy of their fyftem, by which they, from the commencement of the revolution, fought to trouble and fubvert all the governments in Europe. They ftudioufly disjoin the English nation from its fovereign.

10th. Because, having aced throughout the courfe of this awful and momentous crifis upon the principles herein expreffed, and after having on the present occafion, not only fully reconfidered, and jealously examined their founduefs and validity, but gravely attended to, to, and fcrupulously weighed the merits of all thofe arguments which have been offered to induce a dereliction of them, confcientiously adhering to, and

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firmly abiding by them, I thus folemnly record them, in juftificacation of my own conduct, and in discharge of the duty I owe to my king, my country, and general interefts of civil fociety.

WENTWORTH FITZWILLIAM.

Meffage from his Majefty to the Honfe of Lords, 12th Dec. 1796. George R.

HIS majefty is concerned to acquaint the houfe of lords that his endeavours to preferve peace with Spain, and to adjust all matters in difcuffion with that court by an amicable negotiation, have been rendered ineffectual by an abrupt and unprovoked declaration of war on the part of the Catholic king.

His majefty, at the fame time that he fincerely laments this addition to the calamities of war, already extended over fo great a part of Europe, has the fatisfaction to reflect that nothing has been omitted on his part which could contribute to the maintenance of peace, on grounds confiftent with the honour of his crown, and the interest of his dominions; and he trufts, that, under the protection of divine Providence, the firmnefs and wifdom of his parliament will enable him effectually to repel this unprovoked aggreffion, and to afford to all Europe an additional proof of the fpirit and refources of the British nation.

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order to be fully prepared for the vigorous and effectual profecution of the war, if the failure of his majefty's earneft endeavours to effect a general peace, on fecure and honourable terms, fhould unfortunately render another campaign unavoidable. And his majetty will not fail to take the firft opportunity to communicate the refult of thefe difcuffions to the houfe. In the interval his majefty conceives that it may be of the greatest importance to the common caufe, that his majefly should be enabled to continue fuch temporary advances for the fervice of the emperor as may be indifpenfably neceffary, with a view to military operations being profecuted with vigour and effect at an early period; and his majefty recommends it to the houfe to confider of making fuch provifion as may appear to them to be most expedient for this purpose.

G. R.

Meffage from his Majefty to the House of Peers, 26th Dec. 1796. George R.

IT is with the utmost concern that his majesty acquaints the houfe of lords, that his earnest endeavours to effect the refloration of peace have been unhappily fruftrated, and that the negotiation in which he has been engaged has been abruptly broken off by the peremptory refufal of the French government to treat, except upon a bafis evidently inadmiffible, and by their having in confequence required his majefty's plenipotentiary to quit Paris within 48

hours.

His majefty has directed the feveral memorials and papers which have been exchanged in the course

of the late difcuffion, and the account tranfmitted to his majefty of its final refult, to be laid before the houfe.

From thefe papers, his majefty trufts, it will be proved to the whole world that his conduct has been guided by a fincere defire to effect the restoration of peace on principles fuited to the relative fituation of the belligerent powers, and effential for the permanent interefts of his kingdoni, and the general fecurity of Europe: whilt his enemies have advanced pretenfions at once inconfiftent with thofe objects, unfupported even on the grounds on which they were profeffed to reft, and repugnant both to the fyftem established by repeated treaties, and to the principle and practice which have hitherto regulated the intercourse of independent nations.

In this fituation his majefty has the confolation of reflecting, that the continuance of the calamities of war can be imputed only to the unjuft and exorbitant views of his enemies; and his majesty looking forward with anxiety to the moment when they may be difpofed to act on different principles, places in the mean time the fulleft reliance, under the protection of Providence, on the wifdom and firmnefs of his parliament, on the tried valour of his forces by fea and land, and on the zeal, public fpirit, and refources of his king doms, for vigorous and effectual fupport in the profecution of a conteft, which it does not depend on his majefty to terminate, and which involves in it the fecurity and permanent interefts of this country, and of Europe.

G. R.

Note,

Nale, transmitted to M. Barthelemi, by Mr. Wickham, March 8, 1796.

THE underfigned, his Britannic majefty's minifter plenipoteniary to the Swifs Cantons, is authorized to convey to monfieur Barthelemi, the defire of his court to be made acquainted, through him, with the difpofitions of France, in regard to the object of a general pacification He therefore requeits monfieur Barthelemi to tranfmit to him in writing, (and after having made the neceffary enquiries) his anfwer to the following questions: I. Is there the difpofition in France to open a negotiation with his majefty and his allies for the reegablishment of a general peace, upon juft and fuitable terms, by fending, for that purpose, minifters to a congrefs, at fuch place as may hereafter be agreed upon?

2. Would there be the difpofition to communicate to the underfigned, the general grounds of a pacification, fuch as France would be willing to propofe; in order that his majetty and his allies might thereupon examine in concert, whether they are fuch as might ferve as the foundation of a negotiation for peace?

3. Or would there be a defire to propofe any other way whatever, for arriving at the fame end, that of a general pacification?

The underligned is authorized to receive from monfieur Barthelemi, the answer to thefe questions, and to tranfmit to his court: but he is not authorifed to enter with him into negotiation or difcuffion upon thefe fubjects.

Berne, March 8, 1796.
(Signed)

W. WICKHAM.

Note, transmitted to Mr. Wickham, by M. Barthelemi, March 26, 1796.

The underfigned, ambassador of the French republic to the Helve tic Body, has tranfmitted to the executive directory the note, which Mr. Wickham, his Britannic majefty's minifter plenipotentiary to the Swifs Canton, was pleafed to convey to him, dated the 8th of March. He has it in command to anfwer it by an expofition of the fentiments and difpofitions of the executive directory.

The directory ardently defires to procure for the French republic a juft, honourable and folid peace. The ftep taken by Mr. Wickham would have afforded to the directory a real fatisfaction, if the declaration itself, which that minifter makes, of his not having any order, any power to negotiate, did not give room to doubt of the fincerity of the pacific intentions of his court. In fact, if it was true, that England began to know her real interefts; that the wished to open again for herself the fources of abundance and profperity; if the fought for peace with good faith, would the propose a congress, of which the neceifary refult muft be, to render all negotiation endless?: or would the confine herfelf to the afking, in a vague manner, that the French government should point out any other way whatever, for attaining the fame object that of a general pacification?

Is it that this ftep has had no other object than to obtain for the British government the favourable impreflion which always accompa nies the firft overtures for peace? may it not have been accompanied

with the hope that they would produce no effect?

However that may be the executive directory, whofe policy has no other guides than opennefs and good faith, will follow, in its explanations, a conduct which fhall be wholly conformable to them. Yielding to the ardent defire by which it is animated, to procure peace for the French republic, and for all nations, it will not fear to declare itself openly. Charged by the conflitution with the execution of the laws, it cannot make, or liften to, any propofal that would be contrary to them. The conftitutional act does not permit it to confent to any alienation of that, which, according to the exifting laws, conftitutes the territory of the republic.

With refpect to the countries occupied by the French armies,andwhich have not been united to France, they, as well as other interefts, political and commercial, may become the fubject of a negotiation, which will prefent to the directory the means of proving how much it defires to attain ipeedily to a happy pacification

Baile, the 6th of germinal, the 4th year of the French republic, 26th of March, 1795:

(Signed) BARTHELEMI.

Note of obfervation.-The court of London has received from its minifter in Switzerland, the answer made to the questions which he had been charged to addrefs to monfieur Barthelemi, in refpect to the opening of a negotiation for the re-establishment of general tranquillity.

This court has feen, with regret, how far the tone and fpirit of that anfwer, the nature and extent of

the demands which it contains, and the manner of announcing them, are remote from any difpo tition for peace.

The inadmiffible pretenfion is there avowed of appropriating to France all that the laws actually exifting there may have comprized under the denomination of French territory. To a demand fuch as this is added an express declaration, that no propofal contrary to it will be made, or even liftened to: And this, under the pretence of an internal regulation, the provifions of which are wholly foreign to all other nations.

While thefe difpofitions fhall be perfifted in, nothing is left for the king but to profecute a war equally juft and neceflary.

Whenever his enemies fhall manifeft more pacific fentiments, his majefty will at all times be eager to concur in them, by lending himself, in concert with his allies, to all fuch measures as fhall be beft calculated to re-establish general tranquillity, on conditions juft, honourable and permanent, either by the establishment of a congrefs, which has been fo often, and fo happily, 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-freet, April 10, 1796.

Explanatory Article, framed by the Commiffioners for carrying into ef fect the Treaty between Great Bri tain and America.

WHEREAS

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