in a century, would lofe its induftry and commerce. The wars in which France might be engaged, would fut up exportation, probably on all fides: whilft, as a neutral frate, the paffages to it were every where open. Geneva, independent, was a monument of glory to the great nation, from the refpect it thewed to property, and the protection it gave to weakness. If France perfifted to prefs the acquifition, no refiftance would be made: but walls and beggars would be the only fruits of the conqueft." The partifans for the incorporation, however, formed a vast majority. Out of three thousand one hundred and ninety-feven voters, two thousand two hundred and four gave their fuffrages for the union: and Geneva was accordingly declared, by the fupreme council, to be incorporated with the French republic, on the twenty-feventh of April, 1798. The treaty of union, on the feventeenth of May, was ratified by the French government. The principal articles of the treaty were thefe: The Genevefe, whether in France or other countries, were declared Frenchmen born: those who were abfent, might, at any future period, return to France, and enjoy all the rights annexed to the quality of French citizens, agreeably to the conftitution, with the exception of only thofe perfons who had committed hoftilities, by their pens, against the French republic. To fuch of the Genevefe as were unwilling to remain French citizens, permiffion of refidence was granted for three years, for the fettlement of their affairs. The inhabitants of Geneva were exempted from all real and perfonal requifition, during the prefent war, and till the general peace, and difpenfed from the lodging of troops, in cafe of cantonment, or paffage, except for a thousand men, in the public barracks. The public eftates were to remain the property of the Genevese, except the town-house, the library, the archives, and two large buildings for the lodging of troops, all which were declared inalienable. Thofe eftates were to be difpofed of as the Genevese thould think proper: but, in return, they were to be refponfible for all debts contracted by the republic. The arfenals, artillery, and military ftores, were to be given up to the Genevefe, in homage to the French republic. Eftates belonging to companies, or corporations, were left to the difpofal of their refpective members. All public and private acts, of every kind, anterior to the union, were to remain in full force, according to the laws of Geneva. And the export of merchandize then at Geneva, except fuch as was English, was to have free circulation in France, without. being subject to new duties. Tribunals, civil, criminal, and commercial, were to be eftablished. One other article of the treaty, between the Genevese republic and that of France, it may be worth while to mention, as it fhews the opinion entertained by the French of that noted clafs of men, the Genevese lawyers, to whofe interference, in public affairs, the petty broils of Geneva had been, on fundry occafions, chiefly afcribed. The vaft number of public notaries, for fo small a state, or, as they were called, advocates, by the gradual deaths of the incum bents, was to be reduced to eight. On the other hand, the republic of Geneva renounced all its alliances with foreign powers, and melted down all its particular privileges and public rights into the mafs of the French nation. The city of Geneva was foon after formed into the capital of a department, under the claffical name (affected on this, as on all other occafions), of the department of the Lake of Lemanus. Sufficient territory was taken, from the adjoining cantons, to give Lake Lemanus, its fhare of refpectability, with refpect to magnitude, amongst the other departments of the republic. Felix Defportes, the commiffioner of the French government, after the treaty of union was voted by the patriots, placed within the walls of Geneva, at the express demand of the Genevefe, an armed force, of about twelve hundred men, under the command of general Gerrard, which, he wrote to the directory, 66 was fufficient to reprefs the fury of the brigands, who threatened to. deftroy the friends of the French. It is upon the promise of my keeping among them the conquerors of the Rhine (fays Defportes), that the friends of France have mounted the tricoloured flag. I will not fpeak to you, citizens directors, of the enthufiafm with which our brave defenders were received by their new fellow-citizens: all their wants were anticipated: there was a general enulation to afford them every fpecies of accommodation: nothing was heard, on any fide, but fongs, which founded the praifes of the French heroes: every heart feemed to be united in the bonds of fraternity! So flattering a reception, fo real an attachment, fhould prove to you, citizens directors, how much -- the twig of Geneva figures in the fafces of the great republic." The ftates that received the French with open arms, or made but feeble refiftance, they treated at firft with a great fhew of complaifance and cordiality; though rapine, in all, fooner or later, betrayed the wolf in sheep's clothing! Towards the British nation, that had refifted equally their cajolery, their menaces, and their arms, their language and deportment was barbarous, outrageous, and vindictive. Though the expedition of England had for the prefent, they faid, been fufpended, it was not finally abandoned. The facility with which a fmall body of French had effected a landing, and made no fmall progrefs, in the north of Ireland, and who would have been effectually fupported, but for the unforeseen and uncontroulable accidents of winds and waves, was a convincing proof that a descent on the British coafts was neither impracticable nor difficult. They inveighed, throughout France, and by means of their confuls, commiffaries, and other agents in foreign countries, against the domineering fpirit and avarice of the English, who had begun to affume a dictatorial tone, fince the times of Cromwell, when a republic had raised their fpirits from a tone of fubmiffion to a haughty boldness, and had long been driving at univerfal and exclufive commerce. There was nothing, in the real character or fortune of the Englifh nation, that gave them a title to hold their heads fo high among the nations. For the interefts of humanity, they muft and would' be pulled down: and this was a glory referved for the great French nation. The Britis nation they not [H4] only only reprefented as a felfifh, fordid, and pitiful race of fhopkeepers, who knew no other glory or gain than that of money, but as favage monsters, of the moft brutish inhumanity. The directory, on fome vague reports from Nantes and other fea-ports, fent repeated meffages to the councils, in the courfe of May and June, refpecting the deplorable and dreadful fituation of twenty-two thoufand French citizens, prifoners in the dungeons of England, pining under clofe and rigorous confinement, under the malign influence of corrupt and peftilential air, without clothing, and only with fuch an allowance of food as might conceal, from common obfervation, the intention of the English minifiry to cut them off gradually, by every privation. They demanded a fupply, for the relief of their unfortunate country men. The falfehood and malice of thofe complaints was expofed to the eyes of all Europe, by an official inquiry, on the part of the British government and legidature, which proved, to the fatisfaction of all parties concerned, that thofe prifoners had invariably experienced all the kindnefs and indulgence of which their condition was fufceptible. It was demonfirated, on the other hand, by the moft unobjectionable evidence, that the treatment of the Englith prifoners in France had been, in many infiances, unfeeling and fevere in the laft degree. But nothing could afford a ftronger argument, of the atrocious difpofitions and intentions of the French government towards the English nation, than the inftructions of general Hoche to colonel Tate, which wire very properly.published about this time, the fpring of 1798, in order to undeceive thofe weakminded perfons in England, whofe abfurd and filly enthufiafm, in favour of the French republicans, had led them to approve and extol all their measures, even those that aimed at a fubjugation of this country. When Tate was difpatched to England, at the head of a body of fifteen hundred defperadoes, his orders were literally to wage a war of plunder and deftruction, little differing from the barbarous and bloody incurfions of the Tartars, in former days, into Poland. He was inftructed not to remain long, after his debarkation, on the coaft, but, having fet fire, in the dead of the night, to Bristol, with the dock and fhipping, to advance rapidly into Chefhire, and either to deftroy Chefter or Liverpool, or, at least,, to cut off all communication between these cities and the adjacent country. At thefe places he was to be joined by two or three more. French columns. The object of the expedition was three-fold: firft, to excite, if poffible, a general infurrection throughout the country; fecondly, to interrupt, harafs, and annoy, commerce; and, thirdly, to prepare the way and facilitate a defcent on the coafts of England, by dividing and diftracting the attention of the English government. The people were to be excited to revolt by a proper diftribution of money and of liquor; by declamations against government, as the authors of all public calamity; and by inviting the populace to a participation in the wealth of the affluent; to poor people a natural object of envy. To the populace, colonel Tate was directed to give up, as their, hare, hamlets, farm-houses, wood, wood, cattle, and grain. Predatory excurfions were to be made, in dif ferent parties, and these widely difperfed, in detachments of two or three hundred men each. Colonel Tate was directed to avail himself of every circumftance that might render the French caufe popular among the loweft and most numerous clafs of the people, by fparing and even protecting the poor, the old and infirm, widows and or phans, and laying the whole burden of the war, as much as poffible, only on the " opulent and great, the grand authors of all mifery." The people of England, general Hoche obferved, however depraved their morals, even in the moments of insurrection, still retained a degree of refpect for the laws, and for men in offices of civil magif tracy. It would, therefore, be prudent, as much as poffible, to fpare the property of judges, juftices of the peace, and other civil officers, and even of all the country gentlemen. Contributions were to be levied chiefly from peers of parliament, and other perfons of diftinguished rank and fortune; the rich clergy, generally odious, on account of tythes, non-refidence, and inattention to their duty; the officers of the navy and army, and, above all, the principal officers of the militia. It would be good policy to draw together artifans, manufacturers, and labourers out of employment, idle vagabonds, and even condemned criminals; not to be incorporated into the French le. gions, but to be formed into feveral diftinct companies, commanded by French officers. And, in order that the people of the country might be kept in the dark, with regard to the force of the French and their party, thofe companies were to be kept totally feparate from one another, and as ignorant of all military details as circumftances would admit. It was thefe new companies that would prove the grand organ of infurrection. For the purpose of deftroying the internal commerce of the country, it would be expedient to burn all fhips and boats on rivers and canals; to fet fire to` dockyards, magazines of coals or firewood, rope-yards, and all manufactories; to throw down bridges, demolish canals, and break up roads; which would alfo be effentially neceffary for the fecurity of the army. By thefe means, a great number of handicraftsmen would be thrown out of work, and confequently be led to adopt any project that might furnish them with the means of fubfiftence, and making booty, befides, without the fatigue of working. Militia corps were to be difarmed, and their arms given to infurgents. Arfenals and harbours were to be deftroyed, the mails ftopped, and defertion from the English regiments encouraged. In order to ftrike as general a panic as poffible, the legion, after the appointment of a place of rendezvous, which was to take place every five or fix days, was to be divided into different columns. The inhabitants were to be forced to ferve as guides; and fuch as thould refufe their fervice, inftantly to be fhot. In this kind of fervice magiftrates, or perfons belonging to them, were to be employed in preference to others, that fuch magiftrates might not be left to avenge, or punih others. All informations against thofe who fhould join the legion, to be punished with death. All informations given to the En glifh of the approach of an enemy, by the found of bells, or otherwife, to be given up, without mercy, to fire and fword. All engagements with regular troops was, as much as poffible, to be avoided. The French were to fall on the English only when they could come upon them in feparate parties, furprize their quarters, or cut off their outpofts. Nothing could be opposed to the columns of the French legion, but moving columns of the enemy. If thefe columns fhould be but weak, the columns of the French, united in one body, might pass them. If ftrong, the French might difperfe, and commit all manner of hoftilities in a hundred different places at the fame time. The great towns thrown into confternation by these proceedings would call in the troops, compofing the English columns, for their protection, against the difperfed parties of the French: who would thus be left mafters of the open country, and have it in their power to cut off both the inhabitants of thofe towns, and their protectors. The French legion were to carry nothing along with them but arms, ammunition, and bread: they would every where find clothes, linen, and hoes. "The inhabitants," fays general Hoche, "will fupply all your wants, and the best houfes in the country will be your magazines." If the French army fhould be obliged to quit its poft, either by the exhausted state of the country, or by the approach of a ftrong force fent against them, they were to fet off for another with all poffible expedition, by forced marches, and these performed chiefly in the night. During the day, they were to reft in woods and mountains. If, in the courfe of their march, 1 they fhould be obliged to halt, in order to procure provifions, they were to make choice of fome strong pofition, from whence they might fend out detachments, for the purpofe of procuring neceffaries, to the neareft villages. If it fhould become neceflary for them to force their way through the enemies line, they fhould not receive, but make an attack, and that always in the night. About eleven o'clock, or at midnight, they should detach two or three patroles of four or fix men each, with orders to set fire to a dozen of houfes in their rear, in different places. The enemy thinking they had taken to flight, would, in all probability, purfue them. In this cafe, they would have it in their power, either to avoid them, or tò lay an ambufcade, or to attack the rear of one of the enemy's columns; which, in the obfcurity of the night, and the confufion of a fudden onfet, they might eafily cut off. If the enemy fhould run to ftop the fire, the French would have the fame advantages: they might either avoid them, or, what would be better, fall on them, and put a number to the fword. If the Englifh fhould, in fuch a cafe, reft on their arms, and only fend out patroles for reconnoitring them, the French were directed to feize them, and cut their throats, without drawing a trigger. If they fhould find any pofition in the country, on the Irish channel, untenable, they were to haften acrofs the midland region, into the counties of York, Durham, and Northumberland, where they would be joined by parties of French. In this event colonel Tate was directed to fend an officer, in difguife, to general Hoche, in Ireland: which might be done, either by a fishing boat, |