Vol- H.
0n War and Peace,;
Btffte of tht( arrivals, we haTe5 received a
Londdh' paper, containing the lUowing
weTlHtten obfervations, traoflated from,
the Parisifonitcur We maker ao apologx,
for giving them to our readers, i , A a
FOR feveral years the fwcet
name of peace has relondea irora
one end of the world: to tlje? others
Thejibpe.of it is ,in thehearts,:pf
ail people, ana yn iucup ui ihwi;
who govern.. It is .the firft want
of the nations themfelves who' do
not take an active part iii I the war,
who have been; unable to; efcape
from its difaftroustiufluence.
Never, in faft, 4 has any war in
fo (hort a time, overthrown more
States, defolated , more i families,
fhaken more profoundly jthe bafis
of focial order than the prefent
conteft, equally aftjmifhing in its
principlearidfj refults; Vher fsj
the man whb fhould new be bold
enough to fay that blood enough
had not yet been fhed, and that the
glory and profperity of his. country
itiil required fome thodfands of
human viclims ? But fince a fingle
voice is not raifed for the conti
nuance1 of this deplorable war,
where then is that concealed power,
which keeps peace at a diltancej
while it is called for by all the
world? What is this boafted em
pire of opinion which governs, it
is laid, the world, j it the fecret paf
fions of fomg individuals counter
balance the evident interefts of na
tious? . j " I
This phenomenon merits obfer
vation, but it is not my pbjecl, to
explain it. j
If there could exift amah whofe
defire ol continuing the war might;
be pardoned it jdoiibtlefs would
be that man who f is indebted fori
his glory and his fortune to this
war, and whole experience arid ta-;
lents would be pledges of new tri
umphs in new contefts. j
It is not neceffary for me to
pronounce the name of this man ;
it is not necefiary for me to fay that
he has not fhewh hirafelf ambitious
for this increafe of military renown,
Ail Europe fees, that he afpires to
another kind of glory, if not more
brilliant, at lea ft more humane and
more permanent.. It is his defire
to govern ; which is more difficult
than to conquer. 1-
Alter having for the j firft time
conquered Italy, an outfet more
glorious than therailtary careers of
the greateft Captains, jie croiTcd
the Julian Alps, and found himfclf
on the Drave and Muhr, within a
few marches from Vienna. The
wi(h for peace was exprefled by
the enemy. Buonaparte checked
his victorious career, abandoned
the fafcinatiug hope of proceeding
to compel the Emperor j to peace,
even in the- very capital of his
flates fufpended hoftilities nc
gociated and concluded the treaty
of Leoben, which produced that
of Campo Formio. Frainee would
have never obtained fuch i vail ad
Vantages by a treaty5, had not igno
rance and blind paflionl' deftroyed
at Raftadt tjie work of anj enlight
ened moderation , -: ,
" It is incumbent on me to obferye
once more,, that when jthe fbrtul
nate revolution of the; :i8th Brii
maire had placed Bonaparte at the
head of the Government, the firft,
aft of his authority was to exprefs
his wifh for peace; and j that wifh
was rejected, with as little reafon
as decency, by the Britifh Miniftryr
xiucnue aimou iaouious campaign
of Marengo, the Conqueror figned
upon the field of battle, an armi
stice, which probably faved the re
mainder of the vanquifhed army, i
Moreau, after marches combined
with equal certainty ; and fcillt
moved forward from- fuccefs to
fucccls into the heart of Germany;
Who could maintain that the eneJ
my s army, as much difcouraged
as .weakened by a feries of difaftcrs,
would have flopped him in this
pre grefs ? But humanity' obtained
hat the ambition oLglory would
. : , r
"S, V "i ' ' ' . . r. J,
, , II beyond; air other, . confiderations, 1
preferred peace He granted aFa
.Vorable - armi flice to the enen)y ,
on condlttbn.of negociattng without:
cUy: ,v L,
tVThe end of war is viSory; the;
en,(i:of'vilory (hould be peace)
but every enemy can commence a'
war nit is the conqueror only' that
can-pi4t an end, to'it.si faeje
thoughts have been the rble 8f the?
Firit, Conful's roeafures !:It;;ii
neither- in publicatiorisxior Aih
fpeeches, that we can formWopi
nion of the man who 'Lgqverns)r
In manifefloes, proclamations;
minifterial notes, I behold Ion.
every fide an equal horrror expref
fed for the effufion of human blood,
and equal defire to reftore tran
quility to the people. But after
allthefe vain proteflations, I, fee
that rivers of human blood conti
nue to flow and poifon all the
fources of order and of focial hap-!
jriinefs ; and I do not perceive tn
any quarter weiWhty interefts which
can counterbalance fuch vaft cala-
mities. Let us then invert igate,
riot in words, jjiut in their remits!
the real intentions of men. Ltjus
confider in that point of view, the
refult of the conduct recently a-'
dopted by our government to ac
compiifh a general pacification., , '
The court of Vienna prppofed
as the place of conferences for
peace a central town of France.
Luneville was fixed upon by the
Firft Conful. That court fent thi
ther a celebrated negotiator, equal
ly efteemed for his character and
his talents. He was received with
honour as a friend to peace. The
court of London roanifefted an in
tention of taking part in the nego
tiation, and thatt of Vienna ex
preffed a defire of treating with its
ally. The Firft Conful might have
recalled to his mind perfonalities
as indecent as theywere undeferved,
to , which the principal men of
the Britannic government had re
courfeagainfl him ; but he was too
much above infults to involve
his private refentment with fuch
immenfe ; interefts. He acceded
without hefitation, to an overture
which might: accelerate the peace of
Europe. . .. . '
Citizen Otto, who refidedj at
London as commiflioner of the go
vernment for the exchange of pri
foners, was immediately authorifed
to treat with the Englifh Minifters.
That negociation failed: and what
cannot be obferved without con -,
cern is, that the Englifh miniftry,
far from preferving any defireof
conciliation, appears to have been
ftudious to irritate ftill more :the
public mind, by a proceeding un
necelfarily impolitic, and contrary
to all the ufages of civilized nations
it has juft made: public the detaRls
of the negociatibiii ; ft " ;
r One government only hadgiven,
until the prefent moment, the ex
ample of f u ch a conduct, and it
was alfo the Englifh government,
after the negociation of Lifle. The
tone and forms with which.that ne-'
gociation was conducted and bro
ken off by an jmperioiis Directory
which w ignpiantah
every thing that was fuitable and
decent, might perhaps, juftify the
conducl: of the court of London."
But no w, when the, Firft . Conful
has afforded the example of the re
fpel which governments owe to
each other, aadf of the efteem
which is due to ackowledged Jaws
jn vdiplomatic trarifaclions, ; hat
motive can have , authorifed the
Englifh miniftry to publifh araica-J
ble Communications, deftiried by
their nature to remain fecret until
their publicity fhould be required,
by national intereft ? i
i. It is an eftabliQied maxim in fo
ciety, that letters of confidence
written to each other by individuals
cannot be publifhed by him who
receives them without the confent
of Him who has written tbera. un-'
tcis the tormer be in want of them
to : defend bis rights before the
courts of law, or his honour before
Why mould not this jnaxim of Iq
cial morality be equally' refDetcd
in political moraliy;?i Jt, is enfor
ced by grc4teHritcfeftsand conTe-crated-
by thie , ufages. of : nations.
Is not a violiari Jcfbefe ufages,
which are called the Ryrht of -Nations
st fubverfionof ibe bafis ' al,s
ready, too weako'nSvhicli ii place
By publifhjn.thel' papcr$ Itq
which n this . aflulidn zit madei'Slo?
Britifh miniftry has,tvrierhap's fclo
o e d t o i m o o f e . rl d t a n e ' n 1 i a h t f n i A
menj: but onthe niultitudeA lt nai
uuxcrvcu, iiiai in oruinary aiiputes
the tone and countenance of qne.df
the difputants made greater irn
preffion on the mafs df 'the fpela
tors i than,:.the;&undr&
the other. IfV has nhoifcht: that
the : cprifidet'eyj8h1uf
in tfae crobdnef-bifitkea woiila
uiipiic us j u uges j wuu r a i a v o u r
able prapofleffidnfeBttt'A
prepoflelfions are lightvand fugi-,
1 1 v e : t ho fe o t ? j u ft tee an d o frea-v
fon-alonc are permanfetK
, In looking to thei't oublicrtv:)
given to thenegpiati"o'n
OUo as-a proypcaUo1witnou''nib'
tiyc the rehch. Government
nothihgto apreheridlroni iuefictsfe
"Ne v e r : ,were i h t cntiph sj(mprei
ngKiiiianifeiiiedM
more candidr VA-i m brtf arialy fislo f
the progrefsof the negociation will
prove, I hopei 'w la Vjl advance.!
,. I fhall commence, with a. general
ob ferva tion . -The fie w hb;ha ve had
occafibn to bbferve the cosducVbf
Minifters and agents of the Englifh
Government in public affairs, have
refnarked that they proceeded in
them with extreme caution ; that
tney wrote jiutiei that: in every
matter of importanee they exprefled
in a vague and general manner :
thofe qualities belorig.to the nature
of the Government;.; every public
man knows that he can neither
write nor fpeak a. word- of which
he may "not be liable, fome day or
other, to give anf account to hi&
country, rromtms tnere refults a
general . fpirit of
circumfpeclion,
which increafes by habit, which
often Becomes pedantic, auftere, or
timid, beyond what prudence or
intereft requires. 1
I 1 ms tort ot deportment dti played
itfclf in a remarkable manner dur
ing the two ncgociations bf Lord
Malmefbury, and ftill more during
that of Citizen Otto; becaufc in
the latter the ufuall circtimfbe6tionr
of the Endifh charafter was for
tified by a fvftemauc wlfh to train
time without concluding any thing,1
, To any pcrfon who reads the firft
communications made by Citizen
Otto to the Britifh Minifter, for
the purpofe of opening! the nego
ciation, : it wilt , appear, that the
French iCommiffio!nerdid imme
diately and unequivocally make
known the obteel: tif his roifiion,
and the powers with which he was
invelted. L.ord Lrjrenville, on the
contrary, appears it firft to avoid
entering into the rrierits of the bu
fihefsi by recurring to the minu
iise of fprms;Cand (demanding
jplanatiobs without r
for inftance, nioqlcl; he - require
Citizen :;Otto to communicate; to
him the note addre fled to Baron be
Turgut by the Englifh AmbafiadoF
at ' Vienna, for thejpurpbfe of an-
nouncipg me intention qi nis xn
tannic Majefty to take a part in the
hegociation at Luneville ? Surely
JrdG'renvjlle . kiieW lthat note
perfectly well; t ?rj3 1 the circum
fiance of its havihttbeen commii
hicated to prariceyppt is alfo bbf
fervableV throughput . the whole
courfe of the negocration of Citizen
Otte,: that the Egliux Minifter
reaped advantage fWrn every diffi--culty
:; that he multiplied explana
tions, and tiat,he everi mana'rre
this obieBions in a imanner'to gain
delay;! and to pfotrkft that preme
ditated refufal witji which he fi-
nifhed the negociation. j
m I Bui let us.Jayv ajfiden all . forms,
and enter ior a. mpmcnt into
queftiwi' itfel f ; Jt .ije'd uccs
thitpbinu, TheKirigf England
with'Kis ally tti'eEmerpr ;Thc
Fiyft Conful consents ttp!ifiis vitfaT-f
out any objeQion., ButiHoulti we
cpntiriue bc; Jattkcd.vwhllb
treating' for s ah accmmdudbri ?
.This1' wpul d !be to blaceysbri 8Lvcry:
untavqurame loownsuo events
of Harare ejer morrient prpdurjg,
qhnges, ,bf, circUtnfUnceYtt which
ferve.ito ltrenrthen' f he ntHefitiorts
or one party, or lp influence, the,re-featmtnts-
oihb', other-.v wnce
and,A!uftri fplfc this is'fufpeHJibn
bf hoftilities had b'eeifcTiheDVeli
Mimai y io men iicaiiim ior, peace
a it. :,tL L -
neceflarv nrelimiriarv
be'eommon! to them. r It-.was , alfo
IcdHldrmable to the nature of tninas
Vm:.-'S t. r.- o-:
tnatT a maritime truce between
Eriirice and Endand fhould take
place i previous to their , entermer
4rttbthe difciifliont of 1 interefts
leWtiSftheiJprojec&p ar
mtftieeriwhich wasyreiected ; and
SSJEhlifh Minfter prefented a
cpuxiier-projeci, wmcn was iouna
.ijiadmiffible. In -thist-ftate of
thinffsi the French i Government
reduced 'the propbfttioris1blhe al
ternative either ;'QPiij6piunff'".: a-
commbn negociation with' Erigland
and Aultria, by concljuding'an ar-.
miftice according to the modified
project which France had propofed,
or, of j negpeiating for a feparate
peace With England, by concluding
the armiftice according to. the nro-
s - u
jecY propofed by the Britifh Mi
Irt is tnpde .'of ftmpli fying the
queftipn and bf opemngitoT- Lrtl
land vfcol ways by which khe negp
ciation might be entered in to, it.is
difficult not to oercei ve moft clearlv
the fincere defire of fpeedily com'
nig a i qjucniiiuuij. f i nc two
efientiai points pfltBoriteft rwere
firft, the poffibilityadhe
tipns pi a , maritime armiltrce,; . fe
cbnd, the propriety ttf;a' feparate
peaccv Is :j
If i$ UnnecefTary to,; prove the
pofiibility of a maritime 'armiftice.
One wks concluded between France
and- England at the Cbngrefs of
tftretcht in; 1782. Itits true that
at hat Conir refs Dreltilri arie a haH
been figned before -tliei armiftice
wasraffteed to. " 1 he; concurrence
of thefe two meafures' is 'without
3bubt iavourab!b to cbneiliation
but it is ' nbt . indifiJehfablelThe
orie wpuici hot be;withutHhltitheri
a tep towards peace. - ' -);r
, : .xicuaes, who prevemea tne nn
tijh 'Miniftry from jbpofing pre
Kruinalies ? Ther hole of the
Chief Conful's conducl during this
Weir lfC5 dtiUW ' Us iO OOUUI,
but that h would 5 have Vreceived
with eagernefs a propofition which
could (tend to the aeceferatibri of
negociations. AndCtainly.EngV
land had at the epoch of the treaty
of Utrecht ftrongef 'reafons than
now tolr cjet an armiftice. France,
exhaufteu at home, defeated abroad,
without fjjiance, commerce- and a
navy, had every thirfg' tb'look for
in fufpenfion of hpftilitieVby fea.
At prefent, France," .viclorious in
Germany and Italy, recovered
from her internal commotions, rich
in her national refojlrces, has no
thing in common with what fhe was
then, hut the weak ftate of her
navy arid commerce. '
k. It mu ft be admitted, that the ar
rangements of a naVal armiftice
iibound with difficulties which are
riot to:be found in a continental
armiftice ; but thefe diffituhies are
an object for difcufhon, and every
thins? tkleafilv fettled when the ar
miftice is concluded 'with good
f4TA T1 vr-try, kV-
- Neither! is it doubtful; that a ina
rnime.jrrucCiWpuia;;navpt-Deema
b France.
oecame r.ngiaiia wnneqito tnae
common caufe , with: its 'filly 1' this
mould alfo
tenaea,,wnn reiuii&more.untavour-
able' to Enfffahd'fthari
That cbnfideration 'Was rieither difr4f.Iiiffb the' ' ,
ine lemb Jed nor eiuded'by thevrrnchJradyautages are. ln ravour 'OtbM ll
II J.r " i '- I fii'.- S! i.'l.r'l-ii'J' -S J Ji ' - f "t a .' 1.
itfelt to II Goverament1,1 xvhtcit'HemdetiltbiS'- vlan4:;forthefraedb'iol;fia?i
P&K1 ?niyf a .neceflair 1
preparative,; it?, tbclfuccefcof the
"SKPmfr:??- ngknd expe-,
rienceC.mtne courc bf it . forne
difadvantages, they bught tp be:
cMd ; aTacrifice which fhe
'V V r1 r ' dV c ot peace
tne
fetffement r nlLth,
adyantakefc which niiaht ref,ji tr-Ai
S?!SlcfJ5 b? butaompen.
1Q1?r'inoIC'which the conti.' i
nental armiftice lias procured for . i
j: -JAl.ilaP0lnt has. beea fatis-'
&9?Wjfwffed;byt French '3
Cornmiffioner. j lnja, the con-
tmental armiftice givei to the Court ' l
of. Vienna 4theV means. of rebrga- 'i
?J??ng i: armies of converting ,
imo foldiers, into arhls and iiores ?'j
of all kinds, the fubfidies fuiniihedjr.
by Englandrajjdbf, fortifying arid 1
viaaalhnjj thplace pf the fecond "
negleetdi-becaufc it.wzt imnnflihu -
QteWS ,thPldc.ceffes of the !
?M4al i'cpoic , oir ux ;
months. WQuldhayebeen fufficient
to "re-animate.the -zeaf
ol" droops, ;and.tto( weaken? the ,7
impjremqnji produced by r,
multipljed'; via'oriesthat mbraL j
mfluehce whTrh-aTfrTriArt.r,-. rr- $
of- theeonquerbr hyj. confidence:;
-ana' diramifhes
that jof, the con-i
quered by con
rarv fentimeht. i
e mO it- lmnOrtnt as!uanf3(Ti
WhiishFrancecbuid findm the ma. f
rtoc: ftuVewas unqueftionably V
klMW$Y&g-. the, garrifpn of
.Malta and the army of Egypt with
feinfor5eunts j and Hfttbfiftence;V
uu uic. Aujuuae maniteiled by the ?
vbb1 on ithatQccafiPti 'as
ffiSfeiy, Prefcrib tp him by ;
?uni a well as .the national
i9ttfjjL-;;Whatdid he require by "
i?Jj.ca of tuce ? j, For Malta,
iferteans of ekiftence;-i(brMhe "
m$P Egy?! the means of -de-
.feMirig itielt again ft , a cruel and
perfidious people. What a bar
barous political iyftem is that which ,
woI;orm an alliance with famine
for the purpofe bf deflroying war.
riprs whom it Was unable to van.
quiflilr Which refufes bread to an
e?exlt1y to whom! it holds out the
lboLreconcUiation !
lheeftifal ma'de bythe- Britifh
Mimbtyt lin its projea of armif.
l ) funrer cvn limited fuccourx
lthermy of Malta and
M?y9 prcftms itfclf under a
remarkable point of view.: Lord
rPle hadf eilablifhed as,:the
bafis'PMhe armiftice this fneeiou -
rP WCiple tbat tlie. pofition of 'the
f"5DOUm remain iucrt a
uiaf bqthe ofhetr woukl acquire
TSbvher, which it
wjd.rtptnaye jhad without ihe
arjfticfefei; brinciple. has-an
impofin apkrance pf juftice,
but by "airigbrbusi rapplicatioii it
would giyeV rife tb endlefs difficul
ties; -for during a fufpefibnl; of ;:;
hpIUHties.'between. tw'oj.natibBltat
warr there can never jbe t(uch5a ' ;
parity of circumftanceifuchian
equilibrium of interefti'ifiat-lbne
of the two fhould not find iome
advantages in the truce. :
Had France concluded an ar
miftice on the condition of not
fending fuccours to Jthe troops of
Malta and of Egypt, "fhe evidently
would have ulaced herfelf. in a
worfe condition inj that refpel than
if fhe had continuied in a;ftate of
war. In,the latte cafe,ftlhemight
hope to accomplifh whaVfhe had
already done, to aifpatSf tPilMalta '
and Alexandria fome')elsV)tfhich
might efcape the jvigilance bf hhe ' '
enemy's fquadrons. ; ' Burin t the
armiftice, according tothe;pian bf
the Enelifh. France .wbuU:heet
prived of , every refource;P'Was
uui iutn ta uuipenuon fyr.rarms- a 1
meafurej truly ho ft i 1 e. -tij '
iuTi'isan artfurebmbinahonr where -
H coodrfahb and thc. define of jebnei-' f
((
w
w
' i
.1
hi
Vi, 1!
11
8
I
5
rune rejected,4 1 he. far II conful
)
the-public tribunal.