HA bits WILMINGTON G
ETTE.
No. ij.l
THURSDAY, MARCH 30,
tVol. L
1797
ARMISTICE ON THE LOWER RHINE.
COLOGNE, December 16.
An armiftice has juft taken place on the
Lower Rhine, and the generals of both ar
txies have agreed to the following article?,
fubjeet to a future ratification :
ill. The troops of the refpeclive armies
fliall go into cantonments for the winter, the
French behind the Wupper and the Auftri
ans behind the Sieg. , '
2d. The pofitions occupied by the two
armies refpectively at the moment the ar
miitice takes plac ?, (hall be rc-occupiedoof
the renewal of hoftilities. Till that period
the pofitions hay be guarded by polls not
exceeding 25 in L
3d. The Tet u Pont at Nieuwied ftiatl
bedifarmed, and the French lhall leave on
ly a guard of ftiftmen.
This convention was figned on the 7th of
Dec. by generals Kray and Kleber, and the
troops have, in Jconfeqnence, gone into win
ter quarters. a, divjfion of the army cl the
north, who wiere Rationed near Mulbeim,
go back into Yiolland. It is alio undeiilood
that the cava jry will be cantoned in tht dilt
ri5t of Guel ers.
reliance under the protection of f rovidente
-i-ort the wifdoin and firmuels of his par Ha
ni em, on the tried valour of his forces by
fea and by land, and on the zealy public
fpirit, and refonrces, of his kingdom, for
vigourous and effectual iupport, in the pro
fecution of a contelt which it does not de
pend on his majctry to terminate, and which
involves in it the fecurity and permanent in
tercfts of this country and of Europe.
" G. REX.'
January 2. &m
INVASION OK IRELAND.
We have now to impart to the public
I ONDON January 1.
We yeft ci day received Paris paperstothe
It.
27tn mclu live ihey contain a report that
the King of Prtrflia has ilfued declaraTTrm,
promifin.jr to defend Baden, Werttmheig,
-and thpfc other memhers of the Germanic Bo-.
dy, wyiio, in confequence of their laying
Hl'J' .tf Deace with r ranr wrV r lirnnicl
h hiltile meafures by the Emptrbr
Should there unfortunately be foundation
for this rumour, the fituation of the Empe
ror mull become embarrafting in thehigheft
degree, and Germany probably be dihraded
by mteltine war.
The German accounts from Italy ftnte,
that Buonaparte has made an unfurtcfsiul
attempt upon Mantua ; and the retreat of
the Auftrians is afcribed to a new plan of o
perations. Both armies received confidera
blc reinforcements; and Alvinxy's head
quarters were 45 Italian miles from thofe of
the French.
Mr. Secretary Dnndas, on the fubjetft of
the late negotiation for peace, brought up
on the 26th the following meflage from his
raajelty to the houfe of commons :
" George R.
" It is with the utmoft concern, that bis
majefty acquaints the houfe of commons,
that his earneft endeavors to effect the refto
ration of peace have been unhappily trull -rated,
and that the negociation in which he
was engaged, has been abruptly broken olf,
by the peremptory retuial ot the trench go
vernment to treat except upon a bafis evi
den: ly inadmiflible and by their having in
confequence required his majefty's plenipo
tentiary to quit Paris within forty-eight
hours.
" His majefty has directed the feyeral me
fnorialsand papers which have "been exchan
ged in the coorfe of the late difenifion, and
the account tranfmitted to his majefty of its
final refult, to be laid before the houfe.
" From thefe pap" his majefty trufts it
will be proved, to the whole world, that
his cond net has been guided by a fincere de
fire to effect the reftoration of peace on
principles fuited to the relative fit nation of
the belligerent powers and eflential for the
permanent imerefts of his kingdoms, and
the general fecarity of Edrope Whilfl his
enemies have advanced pretention at once
inconfiftent with thofe object, unfupported
even to the grounds on which they were pro
fefled to reft, and repugnant both to the fy
ftem eftablifhed by repeated treaties, and t
the principles and practice which have hi
therto regulated the intercourfe of indepen
dent nations.
' In this fit nation, his majefty has tie
confolation of reflecting, that the continu
ance of the calamities of war can be impnt
od only to the unjnft and exorbitant views
of his enemies; and his msjefty, looking
forward, with anxiety, tothe moment when
they may be difpofed toad on different prin
ciples, places, in the mean time, the fulleft
moll fatisfacKory intelligence refpecting
French fleet which lately failed from Bre
. . : '19 i v
On Saturday morning a dnputoh waSf
ceived at the admiralty from vice adm. Co
poys, dated on Monday laft, the 26th ul
off Brett; . That dil patch ftates that tttir
Britifh Admiral had received intelligence; oT
the French, fleet having been difperfed in a
gale of wind ; and on ;he morning of the
day on when he wrote, upon a fog clear
ing away, he perceived fix fail of tne ene
my's line Itanding right towards his fleer.
The French unfortunately perceived their
danger time enough to effect their efcape
into Breft. The admiral likewife Hates the.
lols of t he French! ilSX :
guns, the Sedufanr, which is mentioned in
the French Journals of the ?h Pec. She
had no lei's than 1800 feamen and troops on
board, upwards of iooo of whom perjlhed.
On Saturday night difpatches were like
wile received at the admiralty from admiral
Kingfmill, dated the 29th ult. from Cork,
ftating that 8 fail of French liue of batiie
Ihips, with fomelri gates, &c. appeared off
Bantry bay, on cite fiuthwell coadmf Ire
Ian 1, o;itheaa I , on the 24th tliey anchored
, in the bay. .Fney remained tlicre, the wlml
blowing hard, till the 27th,'whenthey mule
fiil to pat to fea, witu a foul wind. They
did not a tempt to land a man during the
time they tlaid in the bay ; but a boat, in
fii flavoring to p.ififro'n oiiefhipto anothnr,
was blown on (hore, and a lieutenant and ?
1050 which were in the boar, were iwade -pri-,
fon ers. Thefe Hate, that this i; iart of a
fleet which lately failed Crom Breit i that
they had met w th fome fevere weather fince
tliey iia 1 been out, and that their n et nan:
been dilperfed ithat Hocbe was to command
the expedition, but that they did not even
then know its deltiuation. The prople of
the country, upon the firft appearance of
the French fleet, armed themlelves, and
(hewed the m ft loyal difpofltion , and if the
weather had permitted an attempt at laud'
ing, there is no doubt that they would havd
given the enemy a proper reccp'ion. It was
theopiuionof feafaringmen, tuat thcFrcnch
flea could not weather the rocks at the en
trance of the bay in at empting to get Out
os the 27th. Notice had been immediately
ftfnt to admiral Colpoys on rite firlt appear
mice of the French fleet, and orders were
immediately difpatched to lord Bridport, to
put to fea on the receipt of the intelligence
at the admiralty, fo that we hope to hear a
further account of thefe (hips before they
can recover Bred harbour.
Laft night about ten o'clock an exprefs ar
rived in town with diftntcbe from Dublin
Caftle, to the Duke of Portland, upon the
above fubietft. The account at Dublin ra
prefented the French fleet at Bantry bay to
confilf of 15 fail of the line, bnt we have
every reafon to believe that admiral KingU
mill s (latement ti more correct.
The following official letter appeared in
a Dublin paper of the 30th am
To the Lord Mayor of Dublin.
Dublin Caftlc, Dec. 29
" My Lord,
" The laft acconnts from pen. Danrymple
are by his aid-de-camp, captain Gorton, who
left Bamry at ten A. M. on 1 nel.lay, and
arrived here this morning. 1 7 fad of French
fhim of the line were at that time at anchor
at the lower part of Bear lfland, bin it fuch
a diflance as their force conKt not he nicer
tained. The lieotenant of a French frigate
was driven on fliore in his boat, going from
hit vcflel fwhichwas difmafted) to the ad
tniral He confirms the account of the fleet
being French, ami with views hoftile to Ms
country ; but does not appear to know wn
tber the whole fleet (which confided oft
bout 17 fail of the line, 15 frigates, audU
eluding rranfports and luggers, amoHntfnjj
to 50 fail) were all to aflrmbleat Bantry bay.
Gen Hoche was on board, commanding a
confiderabl force. r
I have the honour to be,
1 ' My Lord . -1.
I PELHAM.
BANTRY BAT.
This place, the fo often fuooofed
aiice. iahtuat&i .1ho.1t Mi W.s from the
city, and ?o from the harbour of Cork, on
the fouthwelt coaft of Ireland ; it is a fafe
and fpacious bay, and deep enough for fhips
of any burden. It is peculiarly favorable
t Inch an enterprize, tlie adjacent country
being fertile, plenteous in the extreme, it
it veiy littl dillance from Kerry, but from
the military garrilbnsofCn k harbotr, Cai-'
lifle fort, Weftmoreland fort, "Haultourline
ifland, the beach of the Cove of Cork, the
city of Cork, from Kinlale and Chades fort
in Kinfale, a force of volunteers, regulars,
cavalry and militia equal to opprfing any
J numher&f troops which the Frenchfieet may
aurmpt 10 .anu, may ne eauiy cdiccicu.
We received on Saturday by expvefs, Pa
ris paper of the 26th and 4th lfr Th
molt iuteietting it 1 1 el 1 i gei ice t h e j bring, ai d
it i? tnterefting indeed, is the account of a
declaration faicl to be' made by ihe king of
Pruffia, expreffive of that monatch's deter
mination to protect thofe princes of the em
pire who have figned feparate treaties with
the French, and have, on that arcount, re"
fufrd to fupply iheir contingencies for the
Imperial army, 'againlt puniOiment they
have reafbn to dread from their juftly of
fended chief. Thus then, has the unfortu
nate death of the Imperial Catharine already
begun to operate on the politics of the con
tinent ; for without this event, this treach
erous monarch would not have dated to
lanc'tion in others, that breaih of allegiance
which "Be hatf committed himfelf, and which
has offered a inoft pernicious example tr his
own fubjecrs, who are not bound to him by
any tie more flrong, more facred, than that
by which, as a prince to the empire he was
bound to its lawful chief.
We may then, probably, have to thank
his Prurfian nnjefty for the haughty rejecti
on of our terms by the (lefporic fovcrcigns
ot France, and lor the conlcquent prolonga
tion of the war We may hae to thank
that machiiveiiti policy, whic'- marks the
whole cotidutft ot his Italian ntinifteri
which regards the obligation of treaties ss no
longer to be ohl'erved than ambition dictates
and interelf luggelts their obfervance , which
conhders the bonds of good faith as olijrc'11
o( derihon , and which looks on the ties of
honour with contempt: for the nbftinacy
and arrogance of our minifters, founded on
prem fes that reflect eternal difgrace on
thole who made them. Thisdifhonnurable
attempt to enfeeble the exertions of our ally,
whole fuperiority of mind, whofe elevated
character, whofe inviolable adherence to
treaties, and whofe glorious perfeverance in
an honourable caafe in fhort, iheperfeet
contraft of whofe character mnft naturally
have excited envy and diflike, cannot be too
ftrongly reprobated, not only by every Bri
ton, but by every friend to truth and virtue.
Let not, however, this puuic prince in
dulge s premature exultation on the deve
lopement of his dark machinations; let him
recur to the page of hiftory, and he will
And fufnVient reafon for believing, that he
will never be fuffered quietly to overthrow
the Germanic conftitution, which he is
bound by an oath to protect : nor by the dif
fufionof thofe jacobinical principles of antir.
chy and innovation, which he folenudy
pledged himfelf in the face of Europe to te
fi(t, to acquire a preponderance in the em
pire, founded on the bafe invafion of the
facred rights of a prince who has never vio
lated any engagement, nor forfeited, in any
degree, his claim to the rrfprct and efteem
of the prefent age, and of pollerity. Thcc
arc Hill, we truft, fuftkient force and energy
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