CHAP. ་འགོ LV. 1795. its object was to confirm laws. One-third of the members The ment was vested in a DIRECTORY of five members. directory was to be partially renewed, by the election of a new member every year; none of the members who thus went out could be reelected till after a lapse of five years. The directory was to be elected by the two councils, in the following manner: the council of five hundred was to make, by secret scrutiny, a list of ten persons; from which the senate, by secret scrutiny, was to select one; the judicial power was to reside in the judges of the department, chosen by the electoral assemblies; with a tribunal of appeal, chosen by the same for the whole nation. The directors might invite the legislative body to take a subject into consideration, but could not propose any topic of discussion, unless concerning peace or war. The directory was not invested with the power of assembling or proroguing the legislative bodies. This constitution showed, that the French politicians had now formed some idea of the utility of a control of estates. It was, estates is however, extremely defective in its executive function, which was not endued with sufficient power to prevent the encroachment of the legislative bodies. The bestowal of the executive power upon five persons, necessarily produced distraction and contest. It was impossible, in the nature of man, that five supreme rulers should long act with harmony. In its executorial efficiency, this system bore some resemblance to the constitution of 1789; in its two councils, it manifested a tendency to surpass the democracy royal. French politicians now con vinced that control of necessary. Death of the late THIS year, the son of the late king, styled by the king's son. royalists Lewis XVII. died in the temple; and the king's brother, now representative of the house of Bourbon, assumed the title of Lewis XVIII. 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, he 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.-Engagement 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 largest ships.-Attempt of the French to recover their losses in the West Indies.-War in 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. LVI 1795. Effects of THE successes of the French struck all Europe CHAP 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 successes of monarchy; but separate and private views had inter- upon other fered with the successful prosecution of this purpose. It the French powers, LVI. CHAP. 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 comprehend 1795. duke of and the king of Sweden, 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 prin- . ces conceived, that since the efforts of the confederates, planned and directed as they were, had been unsuccessful, no exertions could avail. Convinced of the stability of the revolutionary scheme, sovereigns now began to depre- : cate the anger and court the friendship of such a mighty The grand people. To the great surprise of politicians, the emperor's brother, the 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 neutrality. One crowned republic. head soon followed the example of this prince; the regent of Sweden, in the name of his nephew, sent the baron de: Staal to Paris; and that ambassador appeared in the convention, and assured the French nation of the friendship which the court of Stockholm entertained for the republic. THE king of Prussia, for two years, had been a very and views cold and inefficient ally: his jealousy of Austria had of Prussia. absorbed his apprehensions from France; and the participation of Polish 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 ledge the French Character of the king LVI 1795. measures and actions of princes, uniformly, from public CHAP. policy, are apt to form very erroneous conclusions. Private passions and personal habits influence the counsels of kings. Frederic William was distinguished for his love of pleasure; and, though 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 Frederic sought and acquired territories and other possessions, for the aggrandizement and melioration of Prussia; his nephew appears to have desired the property of others, much 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 making a promise that he did not intend to perform, removed his pecuniary difficulties, and created a new fund for pleasurable enjoyment: he could now revel in his seraglio without any apprehension of fiscal embarrassments. These circumstances and considerations, in the opinion of persons thoroughly acquainted with the disposition and private life of Frederic 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 166 new acquisitions in Poland, and disgusted with the war, "forgot, in the arms of his mistresses, his former objects, "his recent defeats, the danger of the empire, the dispute "of kings, and the interests of his sister the princess of "Orange." 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 territo k This account is strongly supported by Segur; a man of penetration, who appears to have thoroughly comprehended the character of Frederic William. See vel. ii. chap. xiii. 1 Vol. iii. p. 206. 216 LVI. 1795. After receiving a subsidy from England, he aban dons the alliance, and coneludes a peace with France. Spain compelled to receive France. CHAP. ries 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 should interpose his good offices. Having thus accomplished, by policy, peace with Prussia, the next object of France was, to peace from compel Spain to withdraw from the confederacy. The war of the republicans with that country had been uniformly successful. Their armies had surmounted the defiles of the Pyrennées, 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 n lbid. p. 60. German princes. m See Otridge's Annual Register, p. 62. |