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body, and seriously maintain a doubt of that capacity to negotiate which fo many powerful and independent states have acknowledged, and to whofe decifion his Majesty has added the acquiefcence, and in a manner the authority of this country by a late miffion to the continent to negotiate an exchange of prifoners. For we humbly conceive that a nation cannot abfolutely be thought incapable of maintaining the accustomed relations of peace and amity, which is treated with, as capable of preferving and performing the ftipulations which may be entered into for the humane and ci̟vilized purpose of alleviating the rigours of war t.

Refeript of the Emperor, prefented by the Imperial Minister to the Miniffèrs of the States of the Germanic Empire, at Ratisbon, the 4th of May 1795"The minifters of his Imperial Majefty are charged to declare, in the name of his Majesty, the Emperor and King, to the envoys reprefenting the feveral Princes and States of the holy Roman Empire, that bis Majefty is ready to enter into negotiations with the French republic. His Majesty, without being too mindful of his own interest, will confult thereby_the real welfare of the Empire, and make it his fole care to procure to the Empire an acceptable, folid, and permanent peace. But his Imperial Majefty has alfo, at the fame time, the just confidence in all his co-states of the Empire, that they will co operate with all their power, to accomplish this defirable end, and not enter into separate negotiations with the French tepublic. His Imperial Majefty expects, however, the speedieft declarations on this fubject, and the Imperial Commiffioner will foon prefent a declaration from the Emperor and King, explanatory of the fentiments of his Imperial Majefly. In other refpects, his Imperial Majefty connot conceal, that the feparate treaty of peace concluded on the part of his Pruffian Majefty, even in his quality of a Prince and co-state of the Empire, has been most unexpected to him."

+ The following has been reported in conversation as the particulars of Sir Frederick Eden's miffion to France:

Sir Frederick was received at Dieppe by a French Commiffioner, who in-vited him to a conference, at which the object of the miffion was explained. The Commiffioner afterwards fet off to Paris, inviting Sir Frederick to accompany him; an invitation which was refufed by Sir Frederick, who had not received any directions to proceed thither. In due time the Commiffioner returned, and informed the English Ambaffador, that to an exchange of failors on equal terms, the French Government could on no account confent; but that he was ready to treat with him with respect to any other obje&ts. (Of this Lord Grenville ftated in debate he had no knowledge.) Sir Frederick is faid to have replied, that the French Commiffioner might have fpared himself the trouble of coming from Paris, and might have conveyed the determination of the French government by letter. The French Commiffioner faid, that he was directed to return to Dieppe, for the purpose of doing away the fufpicion that had been circulated, that the French republic would not treat with a monarchy; and of declaring that the French would treat with any country, whatever was its form of government. At the fame time he affured Sir Frederick, that, though the republic would not confent to an exchange of failors, yet that any officers fhould be fuffered to return to England, if Sir Frederick would make out a lift of their names; and that the republic would be contented with a promife from Sir Frederick, that an equal number of French officers should be permitted to return to France,

"That

"That we humbly beg leave to affure his Majefty, that in thus anxiously recommending a speedy negotiation for peace, we do not merely contemplate the general advantages which this country always derives from a ftate of repofe and public tranquillity. But as we have feen with grief (whilst we have been occupied in confidering the capacity of the present government of France to treat) fucceffive defertions from that general fyftem of alliance on which his Majesty and his people chiefly grounded hopes of fuccefs, fo if this reluctance to treat should continue, we cannot now help anticipating with poignant regret the eventful moment when Great Britain may be reduced to the fad alternative of either providing for the expences of all the allies, or of fingly maintaining a protracted and deftructive war in a caufe not originally her own*, and in which this country was embarked with the affurances of the active and zealous fupport of almost every European power †.

"That it is with confidence we therefore truft, that his Majesty's gra cious and benevolent inind will be impreffed by the separate and combined effects of those powerful confiderations, which we the more anxiously prefs upon his Majefty, as we approach his throne under a fincere and irresistible conviction, that the fenfe of the nation with whom his Majesty is engaged in hoftilities, as well as the difpofition of its prefent government, affords no unfavourable opportunity for negotiation; and that an ardent and univerfal

The grounds on which Great Britain was originally involved in the prefent conteft have been the subject of much controverfy: But it appears equally impracticable to difpute the propofition that we embarked in a caufe not originally our own; whether we engaged for the purpose of protecting the States General, or united with the Auftrians and Pruffians in their anxious defire to reftore the bleffings of its ancient government to France.

The extent of his Majesty's alliance may be learnt from a declaration to the government of Genoa by Lord Hood and Sir Gilbert Elliot, dated St. Fiorenzo, the 26th of Auguft 1794, announcing the raising the blockade of Genoa, which concluded by declaring, "that his Majefty referves to himself the reclamations which the interefts of his fubjects, and thofe of his allies, which confift of the greater part of Europe, and of the humau race, render indifpenfibly necellary, refpecting the future conduct of the republic."

The following extracts furnish ftrong prefumptions of the difpofition of the French nation, as well as of the leading men of its government, towards peace.

Speech of Boily D'Anglas, January 30, 1795.

"And when a part of our enemies, difcouraged by our fuccefs or enlightened by our experience, feem willing to let the earth refpire; when the people, indignant at the calamities with which they are overwhelmed, seem every where commanding their governments to put an end to the horrors of war; fome cruel and crafty politicians would perfuade them, that we alone are infenfible to the cries of fuffering humanity; that we alone muft thirst for their blood; that no peace can with us be safe or honourable; that the continuation of the war is advantageous to them; and, finally, 302 this

universal wish for the restoration, on fair and honourable grounds, of the bleffings of peace, openly avowed by many of your Majefty's allies on the continent,

this abfurd contradi&tion, that, on the one hand, our pride and our ambition are too formidable for us to be treated with, and, on the other, that our efforts have too much exhausted us not to afford hopes of certain fuccefs by continuing the contest.

"We ought, citizens, out of refpect to humanity, to expofe thefe contradictions, reply to thefe calumnies, hold up the light to every eye, and unmask thofe machiavelian governments, which, fporting with the blood of men and the fortune of the people, aim at railing a coloffal greatnefs on the ruin of the principal powers of Europe. We ought to convince all virtuous men that we detelt war, without fearing it; that we are always ready to put a flop to its horrors, when a peace fhall be offered to us confiftent with our dignity, and capable of guaranteeing our fafety. We' ought, at the fame time, to advertise the people of all nations, that, ready to negotiate with franknefs, we will not fuffer our arms to be paralyfed or our triumphs to be fufpended by negotiation, falfe or fubtile."

Cambaceres Speech in the Name of the Committee of Public Safety, zď March 1795.

"Peace is the end of war; fo many wars have been entered into through caprice, and continued to promote private intereft, that governments have given to their fubjects the full measure of their tyranny, and their perver. fity. It is ambition which makes kings arm; it is juftice which arms the people; and where is the people who having difpatched the league of their enemies, overthrown their projects, and confounded their ambition, would refuse the most flattering of all glories, that of giving peace to the world, after having conquered it?

"The diplomatic fyftem of a republic is not embarraffed like that of courts. Neither rights of blood, family compacts, nor marriage interests. thwart its meafures. It knows no rights but those of nations; the human fpecies is its family; and it allies itself only to the interests of the people: Its policy ought, therefore, to be fimple and easy. Such will be yours.

Penetrated with the great principles of the independence of nations, of the reciprocity, the equality of rights and of duties among political focieties, thofe who will be charged in your name to negotiate with the ftates who may manifest a pacific difpofition, ought to be able not only to maintain the rights and the dignity of the French people, but to affure other nations of external and internal fecurity of our faith in treaties, and of the equity of our intentions, refpecting navigation and commerce.

You cannot be accused of perpetuating the horrors of war: You will not have to answer for the blood which may continue to flow. The republic, triumphant, prepared to fly to new triumphs, is defirous of peace; the wishes an univerfal peace, and fuch a one as for ever would affure the repose of the world.”

Extract of a Declaration of the King of Pruffia to the Co-eflates of the Empire, relative to the Treaty of Peace he has concluded with France. Berlin, May 1, 1795.

All confiderations on thefe, and many other relations, became certainly the more urgent and inviting, as at the termination of the last unfuccessful campaign, the crifis threatened on one fide to reach the most

dangerous

continent, pervades with equal influence the minds of your Majesty's loyalə faithful, and affectionate fubjects at home *."

Lord Grenville rofe to refift the motion. His Lordship began with declaring that he was willing to admit the Noble Lord's propofition, laid down both in his argument and in the addrefs he had moved, viz. that a secure and honourable peace was the only one this country ought to look to and to expect; and he owned, he was happy to hear the Noble Earl declare in a decifive manner that fuch was his opinion. One affertion in the Noble Earl's fpeech, he must refute in the most direct terms, before he proceeded to fay a word about fuch parts of it as appeared to him to call for his obfervation; and dangerous point, but on the other, there began to rife in France, from the ruins of the precipitated fyftem of terror, a more folid government of moderation and temperance, and the wife fentiment of its being in want of peace; at this period there could be but one with, but one longing defire' in Germany.

"If after three bloody campaigns, fertile in death and devaftation, the, refources of the war were entirely drained, and all hopes of its further continuance with fuccefs had van fhed, if it became powerfully manifeft, that the Almighty hand of Providence had given to the torrent of the hoftile exploits at once fo decifive a turn, and that all further attempts to refift it would prove fruitless; if the enemy himself is not difinclined to embrace the offer of peace, and all hopes appear of obtaining it fooner than by an obftinate continuance of the war, did there ftill remain any choice? Could a wife and humane prince then with to fee the horrors of war Spread fill further, without meafure, and to no purpofe? Were not the provinces (already overwhelmed with mifery) fufficiently ravaged? Was not fuffering humanity bent fufficiently low?11

During the late difturbances in Paris the opinion of the leading men relative to the defire of the people for peace was strongly marked by their illuing a Proclamation (as a probable means of foothing the populace), declaring the probability of another treaty of peace being concluded with another of the leading powers of Europe.

On the authority of the late Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, it appears, that the war is unpopular in that part of his Majefty's dominions, as he ftates in his letter to Lord Carlifle, that by his influence and the credit of the perfons whom he had employed, &c. he had caused a spirit of union and harmony to fucceed to that general difcontent and difaffection, as well against the fyftem of the former government as against the war itself, which at the tune of his arrival manifestly and avowedly pervaded the bulk

of the nation."

That those at the head of the government of this country are not lefs verfed or lefs practifed in the little arts and managements alternately uled, to bring forward or fupprefs the prevailing opinion of the Public according to the convenience of its existing rulers, can hardly be doubted. And it may be left with fafety to a Public who have witneffed the art brought to a itate of unparalleled perfection, to decide whether Mr. Pitt might not long ago have boatted with equal justice, that he had managed to fupprefs that difcontent against the war which manifeftly and avowedly pervaded the bulk of this nation,”

he

he was happy to feel that from what he had heard, there did not appear to him much reafon for his intruding long upon their Lordships patience. The affertion to which he alluded was, that we had embarked in the war in fupport of the cause of our allies, and not on our own account. That he peremptorily denied. British interests alone had obliged us to depart from that neutrality we had fo long fcrupulously observed, perhaps too long; nor had we been led to depart from it, till it became indifpenfibly neceflary for the prefervation of the national honour, in confequence of repeated inftances of the moft wanton and unprovoked aggreffion on the part of the French. The queftion of agreeing to the addrefs propofed, was very different from the queftion of expediency of negotiation, because, if there was no good argument against attempting to negotiate, there were ftill many against that House coming forward at this time of all others, to regulate the conduct of the Executive Government. The question of peace and war, on which Parliament might interfere with the Executive Government, in certain cafes, was clear-they had that right moft undoubtedly; the question was on the exercise of that right. And a wife and prudent Parliament would neither defire to exercife, nor exercife that right without the ftrongest neceffity. Was there any fuch neceflity exifting at prefent, and if there was, where were their Lordships to look for it? It was altogether uncertain whether any negotiation at this time would procure peace; it was ftill lefs likely to procure what their Lordships muft defire-a fafe, honourable, and lafting peace. That object, this motion, if agreed to, would prevent. He defired the Houfe to reflect on the effect which fuch a motion, if carried, would have on the minds of the enemy. They would fay immediately, that Great Britain was confeffedly unable to carry on the war; and that it had been fo expreffed by Parliament. That conftruction, however falfe, would make them defirous of carrying on the war inftead of wishing for peace, because they would fee by fuch a refolution that Parliament had no hope of fuccefs. They would confequently imagine that this country, from deficiency of refources or fome other caufe equally cogent, muft obtain peace on any terms. Those Noble Lords, who were led aftray by an idea that by a negotiation peace might be procured, would, if the advice were liftened to, foon have fufficient reafon to lament their credulity. That peace might not be concluded, if the Executive Government were at this time to treat for it, was more than he could fay; but he was not fure it would procure what he wished for, a fafe, honourable, and fecure peace; and he would afk if any thing could be more encouraging to the enemy, or more dif couraging