CHAP. 1795. Effects of the French successes upon other powers. CHAP. LVI. Effects of the French successes upon other powers.-The grand duke of Tuscany and the king of Sweden acknowledge the French republic,-Character and views of the king of Prussia.-After receiving a subsidy from England, be abandons the alliance-and concludes a peace with France.-Spain compelled to receive peace from France.-German princes.-Extensive dominion of the French republic-Renewal of the war in La Vendee.-The French emigrants in England fancy and represent royalism to prevail in France-plan of cooperation with the royalists submitted to ministers-scheme adopted by them— expedition to Quiberon-disastrous issue of-Requisition from Holland.-The French armies reduce the fortress of Luxemburg, and complete the conquest of Belgium.-Campaign upon the Rhine-indecisive.-Armistice of three months. -Naval operations.--Engagentent of admiral Cornwallis with a much superior French force-by a stratagem he impels the enemy to fly.-Lord Bridport defeats the French fleet off L'Orient, and captures their larges ships.Attempt of the French to recover their losses in the West Indies.-War în Jamaica with the Maroon negroes-Admiral Hotham defeats the French off Corsica.-Admiral Elphinstone reduces the Cape of Good Hope.-Internal affairs of France.—Ambitious views of the leaders of the convention.-Efforts of Napoleone Bonaparte, a young Corsican officer, excite general admiration.— The moderates at length prevail. THE successes of the French struck all Europe with astonishment; and it was evident, that the confederacy must be inefficient, without greater union of design, concert of counsels, and vigour of conduct. Some of the princes had avowed, that their object was the restoration of monarchy; but separate and private views had interfered with the successful prosecution of this purpose. It is probable that every sovereign would have preferred, in so very powerful a nation, ancient establishment to revolution. The effects and relations of the one were ascertained; of the other, could not be defined or comprehended. The French monarchy, when vigilantly watched, had been found compatible with the security of other countries: the principle of the new system was universal change. Hitherto no potentate had acknowledged the French republic, which they either hoped or supposed must yield to so numerous and strong an alliance; but the extraordinary progress of the Gallic armies altered their opinions and policy; reasoning from operations and events, instead of combining them with their causes, several princes conceived, that since the efforts of the confederates, planned and directed as they were, had been unsuc cessful, no exertions could avail. Convinced of the stability of the revolutionary scheme, sovereigns now began to deprecate the anger and court the friendship of such a mighty people. To the great surprise of politicians, the emperor's brother, the 5333 CHAP. LVI. 1795. republic. of Prussia grand duke of Tuscany, first acknowledged the French republic, concluded peace, sent the count de Carletti as minister to Paris; and, by a formal treaty, breaking his engagement with the coalition, promised in future to observe the strictest neutrali- The grand ty. One crowned head soon followed the example of this duke of Tus. prince: the regent of Sweden, in the name of his nephew, cany and sent the baron de Staal to Paris; and that ambassador appeared Sweden acin the convention, and assured the French nation of the friend- knowledge the king of ship which the court of Stockholm entertained for the republic. the French The king of Prussia, for two years, had been a very cold Character and inefficient ally: his jealousy of Austria had absorbed his and views apprehensions from France; and the participation of Polish of the king spoils engaged him much more powerfully than the restoration of monarchy. Prematurely despairing to be able to reinstate the heir of the Bourbons on the throne of France, he became disgusted with the war, and was not displeased that the hereditary rival of his family was weakened; and did not reflect, that the power which overwhelmed the Netherlands, and humbled Austria, was extending her means of eventually reducing Prussia. But examiners of conduct, who derive the measures and actions of princes uniformly from public policy, are apt to form very erroneous conclusions. Private passions and personal habits influence the counsels of kings. Frederick William was distinguished for his love of pleasure, and thought constitutionally brave, and occasionally active, a leading feature in his character was that indolence which is so usual a companion or follower of sensual indulgence. Like his uncle he was rapacious, but from very different views: the great Frederick sought and acquired territories and other possessions, for the aggrandizement and melioration of Prussia; his nephew appears to have desired the property of others, inuch more for the purposes of individual gratification. The extravagance that rarely fails to attend luxurious sensuality, had drained the coffers which the policy and economy of his predecessor had so very fully replenished. The plunder of Poland, and the sums which he received from England for inaking a promise that he did not intend to perform, removed his pecuniary difficulties, and created a new fund for pleasura ble enjoyment: he could now revel in his seraglio without any apprehension of fiscal embarrassments. These circumstances and considerations, in the opinion of persons thoroughly ac quainted with the disposition and private life of Frederick William, afforded an additional weight to the political reasons by which he was determined to separate himself from the alliance. "The king of Prussia (says Segur), contented with his new "acquisitions in Poland, and disgusted with the war, forgot, in Ok This account is strongly supported by Segur; a man of penetration, who appears to have thoroughly comprehended the character of Frederick William... See vol. iii. chap. xiii. 1 Vol. iii. p. 206. LVE CHAP. the arms of his mistresses, his former objects, his recent de "feats, the danger of the empire, the dispute of kings, and the "interests of his sister, the princess of Orange." 1795. After receiving a subsidy from England, he aban dons the alliance, and concludes a peace with France. ceive peace France. During the year 1794, a negotiation was opened between France and Prussia; and, in April, 1795, peace was concluded. The articles of this treaty were entirely favourable to France; such, indeed, was the temper, as well as the situation of the French at this time, that no other would have been admitted. The Prussian territories on the left bank of the Rhine were ceded to France, and those only on the right restored to Prussia. The regulations for the internal settlement of the countries which were thus ceded, were referred, for final discussion, to the period of a general peace between France and Germany. It was agreed, that a cessation of hostilities should take place and continue in the north of Germany, which henceforth should be considered as neutral ground; and that those princes whose dominions lay on the right side of the Rhine, should be entitled to make proposals to France, and to be favourably treated; in behalf of whom, the king of Prussia Spain com- should interpose his good offices. Having thus accomplished pelled to re- by policy, peace with Prussia, the next object of France was from to compel Spain to withdraw from the confederacy. The war of the republicans with that country had been uniformly suc cessful. Their armies had surmounted the defiles of the Py renées, hovered over northern Spain, and threatened to penetrate into the heart of the country, and advance to Madrid. The king of Spain saw no expedient to save himself from ruin, but the conclusion of peace. All resources had been exhausted; the nobility, the gentry, the clergy, the monastic orders, had all contributed; the orders of knighthood, which have large possessions in Spain, had lately made liberal donations to government, besides a tax, laid on their revenues, of eight per cent." No class had been remiss in pecuniary assistance to the state; but want of personal spirit, or discontent at the measures pursued by the ministry, seemed to pervade the mass of the nation. In such a situation, the court of Madrid formed a resolution to withdraw from the confederacy. Peace was accordingly concluded, agreeably to the dictation of France. The conditions were, that France should restore to Spain all her conquests in that kingdom, and that Spain should cede to France all its part of the island of Hispaniola in the West Indies; together with all the artillery and military stores deposited in that colony. France also concluded peace with the greater number of the German princes. Holland was now formed into a democratic republic, on the model of France; and the power and wealth of these provinces was henceforward entirely at the disposal of the French republic. "Never (as German princes. m See Otridge's Annual Register, p. 62. n Ibid. p. 60 REIGN OF GEORGE III. LVI. 1795. Extensive of the French re "the able author of the Annual Registerp observes) since the CHAP. "days of Charlemagne, had the empire of France extended over so many regions and people." A list of recent conquests was printed, and affixed to a tablet which was hung in the hall of the convention, and copies of it were sent to the armies, to- dominion gether with an enumeration of the victories by which these acquisitions were obtained. They consisted of the ten provinces public. of the Austrian Netherlands; the seven united provinces; the bishoprics of Liege, Worms, and Spires; the electorate of Treves, Cologne, and Mentz; the duchy of Deux Ponts; the palatinate; the duchies of Juliers and Cleves. These accessions were all rich, fertile, and populous countries; abounding with men as zealous in their cause as the French themselves. On the south side of France, their conquests were, the duchy of Savoy, with the principalities of Nice and Monaco in Italy. The population of all these countries was estimated at thirteen millions; which, added to the twenty-four millions contained in France, constituted a mass of thirty-seven millions, inhabiting the centre of Europe, and capable, by that position alone, if united under one government, to defy the enmity of all their neighbours; to exercise an influence amounting almost to universal sovereignty. So completely did the pressure of the confederacy drive the French nation to military enthusiasm ; and such astonishing effects did that sentiment, operating upon the genius and energy of this extraordinary people, produce against an enemy who acted without a common principle or concerted union. 1 A disposition to insurrection still prevailed in La Vendee; Renewal of The objects of the the war in and at length broke out in new revolt. French during this campaign were, entirely to crush intestine La Vendee. rebellion; and, in contending with their two remaining enemies, See life of that gentleman. p Otridge's. o Generally believed to be Dr. William Thomson. in Phillips's Public Characters, for 1805. q The means by which they arrived at such an extent of power, the French exhibited in the following statement. In the space of seventeen months, they had won twenty-seven battles, and been victorious in one hundred and twenty ac tions of less note. They had taken one hundred and sixteen strong cities and fortified places; but what redounded chiefly to the reputation of the French, these successes had been obtained over the best disciplined armies of Europe, elated with their past triumphs over warlike enemies; and commanded by generals of consommate experience, and the most dazzling reputation. Their own armies, in the commencement of the contest, consisted of officers and soldiers, few of whom had seen service, and their commanders were very far from eminent in their profession. With these disadvantages, they resolutely ventured to face the tremendous combination formed against them; and in less than twelve months, from acting on the defensive, they assaulted their enemies in every direction, and struck them every where with so much terror, that several of them were meditating a retreat from the field of action, and total secession from the confederacy, by uniting with which they had sustained so many losses. See Otridge's Annual Begister, for 1795, p. 51. LVI. 1795. CHAP. Britain and Austria, to act on the defensive against the naval efforts of England, and on the offensive against the military force of the emperor. Persevering in the policy which common sense dictates to the objects of a hostile and powerful confederacy, they uniformly sought to detach its members separately and successively from the combination; and where negotiation would not avail, they employed force. Aware that against Austria their efforts would be much more effectual than against England, they directed their principal exertions towards their continental enemy. Luxemburg only remained in the possession of the Germans, on the left bank of the Rhine. The republicans proposed to reduce that fortress; afterwards, passing the Rhine, to make Germany the scene of war, and to press forward in Italy. Two armies were destined for the operations on the Rhine, respectively commanded by Pichegru and Jourdain. A considerable force was also sent against the insurgents, now consisting of the Vendeans and Chouans, and commanded by Charette. Large supplies of money sent from Britain, contributed to increase the number; and an expedition was undertaken from Britain, to co-operate with the French loyalists. Though this armament consisted chiefly of emigrants, the plan of operations was by no means conformable to their The wishes and views. Certain emigrants represented to our miniFrench sters, that La Vendee and its neighbourhood were far from beemigrants in England ing the sole scenes of French loyalty that in Guienne, Lantancy and guedoc, Provence, Lyonnois, and Alsace, there were numerous represent bodies attached to monarchy. They proposed a grand scheme royalism to prevail in of connected co-operation, by an expedition in six divisions, în France. the maritime parts to consist chiefly of English, and in the inPlan of co-land of Austrian, invaders. The votaries of Mr. Burke's senoperation timents and ideas eagerly seconded this proposition; but that royalists part of the ministry which, to use the political language of latsubmitted to ter times, was rather anti-gallican than anti-jacobin, which was ninisters : more intent on the annoyance of French power, than the dic with the tation of French government, was averse to so expensive and weighty an undertaking. Less ardent for the restoration of monarchy, they did not apprehend, that the numbers and force of its friends was nearly so great as conceived in the sanguine hopes of the emigrants and Burkites. These observed, that if any attempt was made, it must be with a view to be effec tual; that a small equipment would answer no useful purpose; a scanty force could not expect to prevail against the numerous hordes of republicans; and it would be better not to send any expedition, than to send a handful, which, instead of really aid ing the loyalists, would only stimulate them to certain destruction. The majority of the cabinet, however, appear to have adopted by them. scheme r The proposed plan of operations, and the correspondence with which it was accompanied, was kindly communicated to me by an emigrant nobleman of higħ distinction, who bore a considerable part in the expedition. |