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URING the first months that followed the constitution fettled in France towards the conclufion of 1795, the chief care of the government was to render it respectable, and to imprefs the minds of men with a perfuafion, that this great change was calculated for the benefit of the nation. It was not difficult, indeed, to perfuade the public that any system was preferable to that uncertainty which had occafioned fo many confufions. From this confideration, people at large willingly acquiefced in the new arrangements, especially as they promifed to restore internal peace, by arming government with fuch extenfive power, to prevent the breaking out of disturbances. But the means to which chiefly the directory trusted for the ftability of their honour was, to keep alive that martial spirit which had pervaded, with so amazing an efficacy, the whole mass of the French nation, and enabled it to perform feats of arms, of which

no records afforded any precedent in their history. As these fucceffes were attributed to that enthufiafın which animated them in the caufe of their country, and to the hatred which they profesled for monarchy, it was the business of their rulers to perpetuate fuch a difpofition, by affording it fupport and aliment; and this they faw would most effectually be done, by reprefenting the enmity borne to France as unextinguished, and that notwithstanding several of its enemies had openly laid down their arms, and agreed to conditions of peace, their rancour was still the fame. They had defifted from hoftilities, it was faid, only from compulfion, after repeated defeats, and from the dread which they felt, that unless they complied with the requifitions prescribed by a victorious and invincible enemy, juftly exafperated at their unprovoked aggreffion, he might give the fuller loofe to a revenge, which they were not able to refift.

In order therefore to imprint the deeper in the minds of those adverfaries, whom they had already so much humbled, the terror with which they were already inspired, the heads of the republic judged it expedient to extend the influence of their victorious arms, as far as fortune seemed inclined to favour them, and to compel their remaining foes to accept of the humiliating terms they had imposed upon the others, by reducing them to the like diftrefs.

From ideas of this kind flowed the lofty language spoken upon all occafions, both by the directory and the two councils. As two-thirds of these were precisely the fame men who had governed France under the name of a convention, during the three preceding years, it was not to be expected that their difpofitions would alter with their new appellation; and the other third, though not altogether so violent in their conduct, were influenced by those republican principles, without which no man could be reputed a true Frenchman, and which, in truth, were indispensible to procure an individual either esteem or advancement in any post, civil or military.

Another view, it may be prefumed, that stimulated the members of the directory, who were all men of tried parts and courage, was the defire of proving to their countrymen the fuperiority of individuals placed at the head of the state, purely on account of their abilities, to perfons promoted through favour, or the advantitious circumstances of birth and family.

But a motive still more cogent, both with them and the nation at large, was the earnest desire to re

pair the losses sustained, towards the close of the preceding campaign, on the borders of the Rhine. These losses happening so shortly after their prodigious successes in the low countries, and in Holland, had shewn that their enemies, however frequently defeated, had not decreased in valour; and that, when well commanded, they were still a match for all the enthusiasm of the French.

It was chiefly to recover this fuperiority of military prowess, that the directory was folicitous to place the numerous armies of the republic on the most formidable footing. They had maintained, in the campaign of 1794, a conteft with the bravest veterans in Europe, and had proved more than equal to them. By the fame reason it might be expected, that, the same spirit animating them, they would renew their victorious career, which ap. peared fufpended, through unforefeen causes, rather than terminated by a turn of fortune in favour of their enemies.

It was however neceffary to make a shew of pacific inclinations, without which both their own people and foreign states would be juftly authorised to accuse them of a wanton and lawless ambition, and more intent to gratify their private thirst of false glory, at the expence of their country, than studious to restore the bleffings of peace, now become the earnest wish of all parties.

While the rulers of the republic were thus employed, the allied powers were no less occupied in preparing for the renewal of hoftilites, little hoping that any fincere efforts for the obtaining of peace were likely to proceed from the French; French; and convinced, that until they should experience farther reverses, they would still continue inflexible in the determination they had folemnly formed, to annex their acquifitions in the low countries, and on the left-fide of the Rhine, irrevocably to the dominions of the republic.

A resolution of this nature precluded at once all ideas of peace. The retention of those fertile and fpacious provinces could not be fubmitted to without an evident alteration of the political system of Europe, of which France would poffefs a controul, that would perpetually disturb the peace, if not endanger the safety of all its neigh

bours.

The poffeffion of Blgium by the various branches of the Austrian family, during more than three centuries, had fo far habituated the inhabitants to their domination, that, notwithstanding the oppreffions they had occafionally exercised over them, they still retained a willingness to return to their obedience, provided they could have been fecured in the enjoyment of their ancient customs and liberties.

The Austrian ministry was duly sensible of this difpofition, and preferved, of course, the hope of recovering, by fome fortunate casualty, this richest portion of its inherit ance. The British ministry was no less bent on the restoration of the Austrian Netherlands to their former owner. The acceision of fuch immense and valuable territories to France, in so close a proximity, and almost in fight of the shores of this island, was an object of ferious alarm, and called up the attention of all men who reflected on the restless character of the French,

their inveteracy to this country, and their readiness to engage in any attempt to its detriment, especially at the present period, when they were stimulated by the most violent resentment at the interference of the British ministry in the affairs of their country, and its endeavours to restore the monarchy they had folemnly proscribed.

In this conflict of adverse projects, both the republic and its enemies were equally anxious however to appear inclined to peace, conformably to the loudly-exprefied wishes of their respective people, and, in truth, of all the people in Europe, who, either directly or indirectly, felt themselves involved in the ruinous confequences of this fatal contest.

The French, in the mean time, having, by the dint of negociations, as well as of their arms, brought some of the principal members of the coalition into their own terms, flattered themselves with the expectation of becoming equally fuccefsful with the others, and held out language promiflory of equitable conditions, in order to allure them

to treat.

Bafle, a city of note, in Switzerland, was now become the centre of political transactions between the different powers, whose diplomatic agents had fixed upon it as the most convenient place of refidence, on account of its fituation between the Belligerent parties, in a country allowed to be neutral. The prin cipal negociator, on the part of the French, was the celebrated citizen Barthelemy, at that time in high credit with the directory, for the fervices he had rendered the government of France, in the treaties that had been confided to his management, nagement, and the issue of which had been so advantageous to the republic.

To this gentleman application was made, on the eighth of March, by Mr. Wickham, the British envoy to the Swiss Cantons, in order to found the real dispositions of the French government. The object in communicating the propofitions directed to the French agent, was, to afcertain, by his answer, whether the directory were defirous to negociate with Great Britain and its allies, on moderate and honourable conditions, and would agree to the meeting of a congress for this purpose, and whether, at the fame time, it would specify the conditions on which it would treat, or point out any other method of treating.

The answer received from M. Barthelemy, in the name of the directory, was, that it felt the fincerest defire to terminate the war on fuch conditions as France could reasonably accept, and which were specified in the answer; but one of these positively insisted on the retention of the Austrian dominions in the low countries; affigning, as a reason, their formal annexation to the republic, by a conftitutional decree that could not be revoked.

A reply, founded upon an argument, which proved no more than a decided refolution never to part with these acquifitions, without alleging in fact any other motive than their will, displayed an arrogance in the directory, in the opinion of their enemies, that instantly put a stop to all farther attempts to negociate. No alternative, it was now faid, remained to these but to yield unconditionally to their demands, or to try the fortune of arms. Were this to prove adverfe,

they could hardly infist upon more mortifying terms, nor the allies be more disgraced.

The directory feemed at this period resolutely determined to act with a high hand, and to fet all the enemies of the republic at defiance. It intimated to the magistracy of Basle, that a rumour was fpread, purporting a design in that city and canton to favour the irruption of the imperialists through its territories, and that a great part of the helvetic body concurred in this design; which was a manifeft infraction of the neutrality they had engaged to observe between France and its aggreffors. An explanation was demanded in so haughty and peremptory a style, that the regency of Basse felt itself highly offended, and returned so spirited an anfwer to the directory, that they dispatched another message much more fevere than the first, requiring an immediate explanation of the rumour in question, and accompanied with menacing infinuations, in case all hoftile intentions were not disavowed. The cantons were so deeply involved in this business, that being unwilling to come to a formal rupture with fo formidable an antagonift as the French republic, they judged it prudent to give them the completest assurance of their deter mination to preserve the strictest neutrality. A minister of an ac ceptable character was deputed to Paris: this was Mr. Ochs, a gentleman of principles favourable to the revolution. He fettled all differences to the fatisfaction of both parties; and Switzerland was delivered from apprehenfions of hoftility.

This tranfaction took place towards the end of March and beginning ginning of April, when the French were preparing for the enfuing campaign, and feemed refolved to pursue the most active and vigorous measures against the remaining

members of the coalition.

The directory had three objects in contemplation; an invafion of Germany, another of Italy, and the complete reduction of domestic infurgents. Of these last it entertained the greatest apprehenfion, from the defperate resolution they had hitherto displayed, and the unyielding perseverance with which they continued to oppose the repeated attempts to reduce them. The severity exercised towards all who were fufpected of favouring them, inftead of relaxing the attachment of their adherents, ferved, on the contrary, to increase it; and the unfhaken fidelity they observed in concealing those designs and plans of the infurgents to which they were privy, and in which they co-operated with unabated zeal, affifted and animated their refiftance to a degree that feldom failed to enable them to recover from their defeats and lofles, and to take the field with fresh courage and resources.

Previously then to the great enterprizes meditated against Italy and Germany, the directory thought it indifpenfible to clear France of its internal enemies. Their connections with the most formidable and dangerous rivals of France, the English, made it evident, that while the royal party fubfifted unsubdued, it would probably, as it had done in the preceding year, throw fuch embarrassments in the military operations, intended against foreign enemies, as would clog and impede the plans proposed; and, aided by the fleets and forces of England, tie up the

hands of government from those exertions, without which the war on the frontiers of France could not be carried on with any decisive success, and must probably be protracted in such a manner as might afford time and opportunities to the foe of recovering from his paft difafters, and regaining the ground he had loft.

Fully determined to remain chiefly, if not entirely, on the defenfive, until the interior of France should be wholly pacified, or the opponents of the republic effectually difabled, the directory pitched upon one of the ablest men in the commonwealth to carry this resolve into execution. This was the celebrated general Hoche, whose military talents and fuccesses were at that time inferior to those of no officer in the French service. He was invested with the chief command in the departments that were in a state of insurrecton; and, happily for his employers, acquitted himself in a short space of time to their highest fatisfaction.

The refiftance of the infurgents was not conducted on their former plan: they had, as it were, confamed that stock of zeal and de votion to the royal cause, which had produced fuch amasing effects, and rendered them fo long the terror of the republican armies. The pacification concluded with the government of France by Charette, and the other chiefs of the infurgents, had deprived him in a great measure of the influence which he, with a number of refolute leaders, had exercised over them; and when they determined to excite another insurrection they found an alteration in the difpofition of the commonalty, that foon made it apparent how fecble