One attempt, indeed, has been made (it was in the Morning Chronicle of Saturday) to attribute the whole of the resistance made by Berne, exclusively to the wise resolution taken by the Government of that Canton, in altering their Constitution at the suggestion of the French Directory, and at the approach of the French Army.— We see at one view the meaning of this insinuation, and of the lavish commendation, and spirited nonsense with which it is accompanied. In the course of the next week, we shall see, or we are much mistaken, in some one of the Prints, whichever that may be, soldé par le Gouvernement François, an exhortation to imitate this wisdom of the Bernese Government, and to repel the Invasion of BUONAPARTE by a Radical Reform of our Government and Constitution at home. It delights us to be able to meet this well-intentioned remark, by stating, that if the Government of Berne had, instead of wasting its time, and lowering the spirit of its Subjects by a vain, a cowardly, and contemptible acquiescence in the proposals of France, for the modification of their Constitution, thrown themselves at once on the loyalty, the enthusiastic attachment of the Peasantry of the Country, and indulged the ardour manifested by them to rush upon the Enemy-the French, in all human probability, would not now have been under the Walls of Berne.

It may be some satisfaction to those who wish to resist the French with other weapons than Concession and Reform, to learn that the most glorious exertions in the struggle for the common Liberty of Switzerland, have been made by those of its Inhabitants, who, far from entering into the discussion of the speculative Reforms suggested by the Diplomatic Tyrants, or the Armed Philosophers of France, have resisted at once, without discri

mination

mination or delay, their persuasions to innovate, as well as their attempts to subdue.

The Cisalpine Government, sustained by some French Troops, having-invaded and revolutionized some of the Swiss Baillages in Italy, chose to continue their depredations into the little Canton of Uri, where, however, the Peasants assembled and attacked them, in the good old style, killed many, made near 300 Prisoners, and took two Drapeaux. After disarming the Prisoners, they sent them across the Alps, to find their way home.

Even in Districts where the Revolution prescribed by the French had made some progress, so far were the Peasants from taking any part in the measure, and so far from conceiving that it produced additional strength to their Country, that they have remonstrated loudly with their Governments-have demanded to be led against the Invaders; and have expressed themselves in a manner that indicates at once a love of their native soil, unqualified by party prejudices or political discontents, and a spirit, which nothing but a want of energy on the part of their Rulers to make a proper use of it, could render ineffectual.

The discontent of the Vaudois at the revolutionary outrages which had been committed in their Country, and the penitence of those who had been induced to encourage and promote them, occasioned them to emigrate in shoals, and to seek, by enlisting under the Banners of those Cantons which yet held out, an opportunity of expiating their disgrace, and of avenging their injuries upon the heads of the Invaders.

At Soleure, the Peasants, on enrolling themselves for . service, demanded of the Government the arrest of the active Partizans of France, and amongst others, of fuch of

the

the Members of the Legislature as had distinguished themselves for their defence and propagation of Democratic Doctrines. The Government have wisely complied with the demand; and the fiercest Demagogues are accordingly in confinement.

We recommend this fact to the notice of the Morning Chronicle, when next it speaks of the measures of precaution necessary to be adopted on the approach of an invading Enemy.

From all that we collect of the state of SWITZERLAND from other quarters than the French Papers, we cannot but still indulge the hope, that the resistance likely to be experienced by the French Army in some of the Cantons, may give them reason to repent of the temerity and wickedness of their conduct.

The Lesson that these circumstances speak to this Country, is too plain to be misunderstood, and too awful to be neglected.

Is France Now capable of waging a War of Aggres sion?

Is she now defending herself against a Confederacy of Despots ?

Is she Now fighting not for Aggrandizement, but for Self-preservation?

Is she Now anxious for Peace which her Enemies refuse her?

Will Mr. Fox Now avow these doctrines, by which he has for years misled the judgment of a small portion of the Country? And if he is (as he must be), heartily ashamed of them, why has he not the manliness and honesty to come down to the House of Commons, and in the face of his Country to recant and to disclaim them?

VOL. II.

D

IRELAND.

IRELAND.

ALL our advices from Ireland, tend to confirm us in the opinion which we confidently announced last Monday, that no relaxation was intended by the Government of that Country, in that System of Vigour which the crimes and outrages of the UNITED IRISHMEN have unfortunately rendered necessary for the Peace and Preservation of the Kingdom.

We are happy to find, that the Military Order of the 26th of February, upon which so much doubt has prevailed, and so much misconstruction been practised here -is in that Country universally construed as being directed purely to Military purposes; and as applying exclusively to those parts of Ireland which are not declared to be in a state of Disturbance.

The discoveries which have been made in the course of the last week, are not of a nature to call for, or to justify any other measures, than such as may be calculated to meet with energy and effect, a Conspiracy the most wicked and malignant that ever threatened the existence of a Government, and the security of a Country.

The following Letter, which we have received, among others, from the most unquestionable Authority, will serve to give those persons here, who have lent a ready ear to LORD MOIRA's Declamations, some notion of the correctness of that Noble Lord's Intelligence, and of the degree in which the measures of kindness, and concession, and good-humour, recommended by him, are calculated to meet the dreadful exigencies of the moment.

ΤΟ

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ANTI-JACOBIN.

SIR,

Dublin, March 5, 1798.

You will have probably heard many of the particulars respecting the measure which was taken by Government on Monday last, in seizing the PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE of UNITED IRISHMEN for LEINSTER, in the house of Mr. OLIVER BOND, a wealthy Woollen Draper in this Metropolis. I shall confine myself to a single fact.

It appears from the Papers seized in this Committee, that at a Meeting of the same Body on the 19th of February, the very day on which Lord MOIRA made his motion in our House of Lords, the Committee, after resolving on the appointing of " Military Officers to ORGANIZE "the different Counties, under the direction of the EXE"CUTIVE," came to the following Resolution:

"Resolved, That we will pay no attention whatever to any attempt that may be made by either House of Parlia"ment to divert the public mind from the grand object we “have in view, as nothing short of the complete Emancipa"tion of our Country will satisfy us."

Such was the measure voted Unanimously by the PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE of LEINSTER, in the house of Mr. OLIVER BOND, on the day when Lord MOIRA made his Motion for Conciliatory Measures in the House of Lords, and when his Lordship represented the UNITED IRISHMEN as a set of injured Innocents, whose only aim was a temperate REFORM of the House of Commons, and a permission for Catholics to sit in Parliament !