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:? r:' ; -"-El R-.A V'N C E. W ; . :
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Letter, front Rear Muira! Truguei to jb?. con
"inittee cfPtvlh Safety, fefpefiivg ike pre
Tent Jl die of tjs French nrvy, ' apAitsbfticers
Parts, July. 1.2", i.73 Second
f Veair. of the Republic, One and
Jii'diVifible.. f
, Citizens, - t:
1T SIGNIFIED to ts Mationril.Con.TcntU
X""on my apprchenijons, and I dare-j fry
tiofc felt by all good citizens, re fpiog the
difpofal of our naval forces, I owe farther:
details to the Cqmmittee of Public Safety,
refpcctingourrcfourceiand obftacte.. - The
publicity of. my opinion fl only dangerous,
wlien it apptj?.eour. enemies, of , what wq
have to fear T rom - them. Tfhe avowal .o t
our errors proves, on tfje contrary, but the :
energy which Cqjnpinfstesfbr them. Ic is
rriy . duty to- cd acc4 1 .nothing, and ?" th ;
courage of trullnireafca; with, thedanger
andjwaht of declajuig ft." ir-r-j i;nri j
I (hall fucega the.- taflc of trarin.-the
pl&ur of .auj humVte fta$e : 1 haveiaid alj.
thatd be fai df when I licwed the Spanifft.,
navy unfurling j&c broa1 pendantsoflefpo
tiTrii 1 tliQ lJedit(prtancan while. wer hide
ip burfioajja ; theflagoiih..Rcpublici ?
2ii(Jhpnranc30,yqs- $fir empire of olirrfOtd
WrCy it is now butHg wftnefs of iurutnA.
and Pf the Qutwgesrofou rivals. '.'
Abaou gift we;ta have,done ?( ; tVat
hw'wc done- .?hat. is left for us. it
WftyV blL' ults, nif j. .v.
f Ia.tkclaringf or, if- you,, choofc, . ,irt
coramencing.the war -a$aih ft- England, . Hoi-,
lxiii and Spain, " we ought to have calcuJLa
teethe forces of that triple confederacy ; .wc .
ought .to have, compared therii with our Ajri
forces i wc ouaht to hare prevented - their
' i . it .t.: j ..r r
junction, Uy cu tuuiuiircu, uic ji uui,
fources i to gain probable .fucceffics. We
jught ta have forefeen, tjial. the gold of our
xncmrei would Ue fcattered in our , arfenaJs
and ta our Heeta and to hae created at tnat
epoch i permanent : courts martial, I -who
would have exerclied ioceflant: vigifaiic.e,
Slid (everely puni(lied-the; firft hired iagitar!
jors. Thus we (hould have prevented i that
cruel- anardiy which at one time, under
iihe- maik of eiceflivc patriotifm, and at an
oiher, in the garb of op'en Airiftoeraey, has
- constantly impeded the telerity of oiir arm
amenrs and 'naval repaitii and the convey-!
incc of the fupplics fo indifpenfable to our
fquadrons on actual :.;fervice: I -fay more,
the troubles in our port -have - frequently
rendered impsmblc the . fitting out of (hips, .
and their failing from bur hatbours. j y
c It was not by political protcftatioris at
. the'Ottoman Porte, always awed by the
mcnaces.of Ra(Tn, and the calumnious re-
! ' ! .. : . . I , '
attempts of mutineers and daftards I : alfd
y iviflicd t!iat the Admiral jfhould hare ! time
to make himfelf known and refpeted. I The
v confidence cf art enrhufiafm without motives,
: foon ceafcrwith, the. latter. Ir i$ not a
flaviflibut. a corquere'd I fentiment, which
enfure a vi3bry; i - - .
cj By fea nothing is left to hazard-rto-
thing can compenfate for the manoeuvres .
nothing can atone for the Chief who would'
be able to perform a good one. Where re
iponhtrility is not equally divided, the means
proves laUing:- and it is this alone- which. ' ought to be diftindt : and this is the wtal
unitcs the General arid his ibldiers. Such theory of difcipline.
a Xpetacle, citizens, fuch fchools of naval
induftry would already have proved as be
neficial to us as TiStoricseYeii in the opini
on of our enemies. vi ; '
" Then we fiioiild have Tent fup'plitfs and
reenforceme.nts, which I conuanttyTeqiieft
ed, to St: Peter's and StL Antiouch, two
points fa important for our trade to the Le
rant. . . . . ' ; t ;:M--'j.--i
.;; I-hid furniflied fufficierit convoys j fpt
the arrival of ou.r grain, and the protection
of our cbaRing fetvicH. biit it was indifpeh-
iaoiy neceilary to-let our bell frigates be com-
, I, know that- adminiftratiori 3s forced
to Fear its own opinions, refpe&irtg the com
mand it may be inclined to confer upon the
ancient fea officers; but if it be enential to
befur'e oftheir principles, ought we to defpife
theiri talents -and becaufe it is rare now
adays, to fee thefe united together,: ought
we to condemn the principles beforehand
merely becaufe we have found talents irt an
individual ? I ani very far from centering
this kind of folicitude,' which for. my own
. part, I (hall never fear ; but why punifh irt
a free man the hazard which is regenerated
rnanded by the abtert officers, andxruize the . by equality ? Let us examine his conduct,
fea tp qbfeiiV'e the number ntiiation, and : follow his connections, interroaatc his foul a
:pT0jcs.ojv our ncrnies. If foine tinfore feen , and let us not reject experience, without
bcuig-fure of not committing an act of in
juftice as this would reflect upon ourfelvesi
Amnuiiuu. nw uuuui utc inn. ui virtue.s ,
there is none where this is not to be found $ ,
but jiiftice will alfo be a Republican virtue
if it. were not a duty -common to every man. i
; Several pfneers of the ancient marine.
not to bp fliaken by fedUction, have renoun-
circumflance,: fume gu(t oF-witidV :had 'dif-
per lea.tne fines', w.e mould nave-known it ;
V'e ihould have?) hern ready to choofe;bur 'e,
;imy,: and to tr unijph feparately over: their
league.; V V .-I '. )J --v
" , WHeh I.prbpofed: to jthe; fttcceuar f blF
Bertrand: to. coUedt the naval forces, eTcaped
from the criminal difpofitibbsof the King's
lIinifters, and to inake the greateft part of . ced: the deareft affections of the foul the
them rendezvous in the ; Mediterranean', -.we
had foon alter, on the i oth ofi Auguft, x 792 9
twenty three-flwps of the line, ahd forty fri
gate or corvettes' and wMe our defertefs
infultcdiourmirirle,, 104- Republicak mips,
well armed,: -and -well commanded! were
feekih lenRmie&on- thfeaiV-j "t-t--V
Whai-haYe-wc,k)ne hx'rJ--yh---l '
' ' y6u- knbw:i.tv citizens 5 we Havemade.
ho prbper a ttac k ; VJ have' niade- no": timely
deft nee ; wethuvc) coulbmed ; ho maritime
operation, and ai criminal: want of flcill- re.
diced tp nullity, att the epoch of !waHi a
navy whicji had already been formidable for
five months before the armaments lofi the
Allied Powers.?; -; ; ;;vv t"': .' '---c , y
Our.'. Cofatues V are almoft- open ; and'
however great the enemy's; infolence. may
be. vet' We muft Hill think.! that the idea' bf
4 - ill
whattwc; can-do, has made thsm refpet us
their infignificancy: This was, however, 'the
epoch which could eafily be forefeen, and at
which even inferior forces would have thun
dered upon the foe: I call to ' witbefs -the
prefentations of other Courts but: by : the courage of my brothers m 'arms, who cau
fnipoCng afpea of a fleet completely fitted judgeof the faiforsfCafti . y a
b ,r..i- ?.t5 ttr. ft Thf &ett nf the -Remlblie Was td have
fweeteft add mbftantiquated habits, to d-
voieithtmlclves 10 the defence: of freedom.
Well they are now dcrfecUted, arbitrarily
deprived: of their charge, dragged in : duh
geon& yet nothing proves' that they have
not truly .and feriouflV abjured the preju
'dice jvrtiill.Jtlicy tljcinfiVcS have
with; tyranny. No part of their conduct
can, impeach their military fervices ; no
overt act can: arraign them for incivifnv.
How often have I not myfelf employed fuc
ccfsfully for discipline; the love and the re f
pect wlthHvhicH they infpired the feamen
under their command. - '
., ' Citizens, funer not the " fad and difaft
rous pleafute ofhumblihg good arid t gallant
officers, to -be prefefed to the' welfare of
your country.
: 1 fblicit for my comrades and felf; all
the eyes of vigilance alf the fererity oif cen-
moie thail our inactivity encouraged them. fure : but. I mould deferve the contempt of
.Tlic Spariuqajdjon arrived in a niais bn my fellow-citizens if I were afraid. to appeal
purcoaits4 "it'wsfoon Jfeparated -oy. the from ; their Tiuitruft to their impartiality,
winds 5 it does .not -even think of umthW a- Oh how ulnuft would he be, that would
gain ; its fcjuuctidn is cpnfidered -ai.unne- feek in; my expreffiow a fentinient different
ceflHry ; thepamardi? have, a .dUqrr-fenfe; bf froni that - which dictates them If r;fomc
out, completely fupplied with prqvifions,
cading anchdr in the Dardanelles, and be
fore Cohftantinople,. that we ought o hare
determined Turkey to fhire no ionger the
empire of the Black Sea, by procuring to
; that country the fofleflibri' of the Crimea.
The DivTin, ever hefieged by titled fpics,
. .would have been feduced by a riaval army
rttAw atits cdmmind. '
f Had w;e chofen to reject the courage
ous operations on which national character
authorifed us at the fame time to depend ;
had we chofen to adopt a fimplc- plan of
xlefence, I had alio preicntedJt outi wun
d our fdencc abroad to be compenfated'by
the greatcft activity in our ports. : ' !
i " I intended to eVerci(e the army whofe
cnmmaml was entrufled to me.'in cOnftant
erolutions, and to form, by ari indifpenfable
difcipline', the new. fold iers and ! ofiicers of
liherrv r- as likkwifo the tVefhf tefamen who
abound in our-flxets I Withe fbr,7 ;jInei
iTcr ceafed to demand, thofe -Ia's which" in"
feconded the operations by land in Sardinia, r
It was cafy for us to feize that important Ifle,
after the taking bf Nice and Savoy ; . but lorig .
expectation a defence thn preparing
want of difcipline an antlcivic and merce
nary terror-bafe jealoufies land plots,; fru--ftrated'
thatenterpr!ze.; 4 f v.'; '; ;;:f
Let us caft aVil over thofe misfofsfunes ;
the onry meajiS -ito diniinifh their effectsy is
; to toniider them as leflbns. --T; j-1
: ShipSjT meni coura?c thofe efements
are in- Our hearts and in our hands. Em-
fliould miftake me. and confound the "lore
of my. Country with the love of command,
.1 mould be-able j then tp diuihguifh both ';
: I (hould prove my fubordination to the Chief
fet'OVer me, the whole of my zeal: -you
would foon acknowledge that my efforts, to
obtain reprefiive and reguliiting laws, are
the refult of the congenial and mod intimate
conviction which I feel that ' difcipline ii
the eflence of true Courage, and the fafe
pledge of fuccefs. : . .....
.(Signed) .v . TRUGUfeT'
ReaT. Admiral, com manding the Na
. val Arrriy of the republicr'in the Medi-
.' '. t : -I ' 1 .: ' f .'..II' ' i M -!f'.
. terrancan
U O N D O N, AuctJST loandra.
The j?ng of Pruffia with liis victorious
publican troops In IferTain and thc 'NOrthern
part of Al&ce do-not excee' 40,000 men.
ihiobville, which is expected to be one of
the 'firft objects of attack after the reduction
of Landau 'is ganifbned by a rabble which
fcienceJ of which every agdrit oiight Well to . fttles.itlcit volunteerswithout .Oeneraisi or
undewtandjtne-wnoic,1 ana;-ma vrericrai, a "jf ,-vi"r"w, v-wi .-
pofition, a fingle moment oi' cnthuuafm may nuuoxi of an army.
of fame and liberty ; this the navyftands in
need of, and in fact, it is evenV what , the
Ra-nablic-berfclf wants. ButKre therrers
of dmiiiiftfation are follOwedby-tlie reateft
evils. The fea fervice depe)ids;on -an exact
everv focicty ought to curb and terrify . the
..: v ' . . X' r . ! : . . '? U
. i - t i . .. ;.., !.