the approach of famine. It came, accompanied by defpair, and followed by the most fearful of deaths. For many days the Indians, confumed by hunger, but ftill meek and fuppliant, were feen wandering like plaintive ghofts around thofe fortreffes where their tyrants revelled in abundance. A vaft filence foon reigned throughout and the public ways and places were covered with dead bodies, and the rivers rolled them by thousands to the aftonifhed feas! Three millions of men perished! and their wretched remains, abandoned without interment, fo corrupted the atmoIphere, as to create a peftilence, which had nearly deftroyed this unfortunate nation! On recollecting thefe facts, diftinctly and eloquently stated by the hiftorian of the two Indies (Raynal), we may refent, but we can never be surprised at any conduct of the English government. It is the exclufive talk of that government to deceive, to corrupt, to fow divifions, and to employ for their profit all the violent and moft hateful paffions of the human heart. It is their talk to combat our revolution, after having contributed to excite it; to avenge the fall of the throne which they had previously weakened. They it is who give an asylum to the emigrants, and then cover them with humiliations-who pretend to fuccour thefe traitors, and then confign them to death. They landed them at Quiberon, and there not only abandoned them to the republican bayonets, but actually fired with grape-fhot on those who fought to fave themfelves by returning to the veffels which they falfely deemed hofpitable! It belonged to that government, in fine, at that epoch, fo glorious for Hoche and his brave companions in arms, to expofe as privates the officers of the ancient royal marine, and, on their Fall, to fay, with a finile but ill difguifed,-" There the best mariners of France have perifhed!” You must remember, citizens reprefentatives, the misfortunes which marked the firft year of the republican æra-Lyons in a state of infurrection-Marfeilles agitated-Toulon furrendered our magazines deftroyed, and our fhips either burned or carried off by a perfidious enemy. A civil war was then kindled in our territory and the rebels were armed and furnished with provifions by England. The infamous Puiffaye, whom even emigrants muft hate and cowards defpife-this confidential agent of Pitt was then organizing affaffination in the western dcpartments. What thall I fay of the fufferings of your colonies, inflicted and paid for by the English? Am I now to speak to you of their dogs, formed into regiments, breafted with spikes, and, after having been ftarved for the purpofe, let loofe among the ranks of our foldiers? It may feem impoffible to add to this long catalogue of their atrocities; but the conduct of this government to their republican prisoners prifoners adds a darker fhade to the picture, and must excite the indignation of every civilized country. From the commencement of the war, our prifoners were infulted. In despite of those proper regulations agreed to by all nations, they placed indifcriminately in the fame prifon officers and privates-a circumftance productive of unpleasant confequences, and injurious to difcipline. When objections were made to this abufe, the agents of the court replied with a Sardonic fmile, "You are republicans, you wish for equality, and you must therefore be treated equally." They were fearful, however, of reprisals, and foon after accepted the parole of our officers. Their hatred, however, ftill manifefts itself with refpect to our privateers; and certainly not without reafon; for if the national marine has hitherto been in a state of nullity, the auxiliary marine of our cruifers has inflicted fome fatal blows on the British commerce. That government has, in confequence, made a diftinction between the officers commanding in national veffels and thofe of privateers. The latter have ftill the, melancholy privilege of being moft ill treated, and are confined in the fame dungeons with their failors. We might make a volume of the acts of cruelty which have been inflicted on our fellow-citizens, in the unhealthy prifons in which they are crowded. Some are confined in old fhips, others in ill-constructed huts, where they are expofed to damp and cold: even ftraw is refufed to them, and they are compelled to lie in mire and ordure. They are called by the moft infulting appella tions, and, on their appearance before a licentious populace, dirt is flung in their faces. They are beaten, and even thot, on the fmallest pretext. These facts are proved; they are stated in a great number of papers referred to your committee. Judge of them by that I am about to read, and which is not of the most afflicting tenor. There are fome of them, the reading of which you could not poffibly endure. [The reporter then proceeded to read a long letter from the owners of privateers, captains and officers, at Nantz, containing a detail of thofe enormities to which in his fpeech he had alluded. Amongst other inftances, this letter mentioned, that an English foldier, for his amufement, had fired at a French prifoner, and fhot him dead: an English commiffary was fent for, but inftantly retired, after coolly faying, "It is only a Frenchman !"-Again, that a female who had lain in, was fuffered to remain for fortyeight hours, without being able to procure a glass of water!"Vengeance!" cries the reporter, vengeance against this cruel government!" The members immediately arofe, waved their hats, hats, and in concert with the galleries, repeated the cry of "Vengeance!"] Riou then moved the following refolutions: That the Executive Directory fhall inftantly take the neceffary measures, to infure the provifionment, maintenance, and confolation in their illness, of the French citizens, now prifoners in England. That they are authorized, for this purpose, to take the neceffary fums from the moft difpofable part of thofe funds which are affigned to unforeseen expenfes; and; if this refource thould not be fufficient, to make it up from the amount of the patriotic donations. The Batavian Conflituent Affembly to the Batavian People: THE day has arrived, when, for the fecond time, your liberty was to be defended, when the independence of this republic was to be protected againt the violent attacks of fedition, when, at length, the explofion of a plan as baleful as artfully contrived, was to be prevented by the vigorous meafures employed by your faithful reprefentatives for the fafety of the country; measures, without which, you would groan under heavier chains than you had ever carried; meafures commanded by imperious neceffity; meafures which we have been compelled to adopt by the criminal conduct of thofe men, who, though enemies to the fundamental principles of our laft revolution, have conftantly combined to hold in their hands the reins of government It was time to fill up this abyfs, dug between the conftituted government, and the fhapeless federalifm of fome people united in appearance, but each regarding only his own particular intereft. Our country has often felt the baleful effects of fuch an order of things: it is owing to it, that you never know your own proper ftrength: it is to it that England is indebted for the means of forming among you internal divifions: it is it that has chained down, nay, that has even extinguished a courage otherwife fo intrepid, and that patriotic spirit fo frequently manifefted. It is owing to it, in fine, that each page of our annals is filled with baleful events; and it is this which would bring us back infenfibly to the deteftable government of the Stadtholder, and which would make us to regret thofe chains which we have broken, with the affiitance of our faithful allies, and at the price of the greateft facrifices. It was time to remove all obftacles, and to organize every thing neceffary for the attainment of a fixed order of things. It was time to put an end to that state of confufion and uncertainty, which for three years has flopt up the fources of our happinefs, and conducted us to the brink of the precipice which we have juft this moment efcaped. It was time to direct our attention to a danger, which the patience and indulgence of the French people fo long endured, whole attachment is not cooled, notwithstanding the intrigues employed by a wicked faction to alienate them from us. It was time to render illufive all the attacks upon your liberty, attacks which were every day renewed. It was time to render useless the plans of those who, with a view of felf-aggrandizement, have endeavoured to fupport the federal regime, and to render the revolution, fo falutary in its principles, not only illufory for you, but even pernicious in its effects. It was time that the oath, which was made for the fafety of the country-an oath, which many pronounced with a falfe heart-an oath lately renewed in your prefence, fhould be realized by your true friends. For thofe, then, who have no object but the general good, and to point out / to the country the means of repairing the evils which cunning and treafon have caufed; for thofe, then, there is no other line of conduct to adopt, but to deprive thofe wicked beings of the means of injuring you again. The plan of establishing the reign of fome patrician families upon the ruins of the government of the Stadtholder, by attempting to opprefs the real friends of their country, of extinguishing their courage, and depriving them of ftrength to oppofe tyranny; the plan of fubjecting you to the infupportable yoke of an elective aristocracy, under the name of a popular government by representation, and making you embrace a fhameful flavery, by giving you nothing but the fhadow of liberty-this wicked plan, fo clearly expreffed in the form of the conftitution which you have just rejected, was never loft fight of; on the contrary, it became more and more dear to all its adherents; and the only difference between it and the attempts hitherto made for the fame purpose, is an increase of artifice and violence. It was referved for the French republicans to fecond the projects of true republicans, to extricate you a fecond time from the gulf into which they would have plunged you. We had no alternative between the laft political crifis and the prospect of feeing liberty for ever enchained; and what patriot could hefitate a moment in his choice? Yes, Batavians, we are feen in the cruel neceflity of putting in a ftate of arreft feveral members of your reprefentative affembly, and of removing others from the government, not with a view to injure them, or profecute them for their conduct, for we are too well convinced of the baneful confequences of a reign of terror; but to prevent them from undermining the foundations of our laft political revolution, and, by deftroying all obstacles, to direct your attention to a regular order of things, for the purpose of deftroying defpotifm, and thutting out all access to anarchy; a measure which will cement the fafety of the Batavian republic, and render it as ufeful to its allies, as formidable formidable to its enemies. Do we offer you an exaggerated picture of the ftate of things? Have we recourfe to calumny to infpire you with hatred towards honeft men? Or, do we render homage to truth? The attacks upon civil liberty, are they not manifeft? Are not the protection and favour fhown to the House of Orange well known? Was it not enough to be a patriot, to be despised and rejected? Have they neglected any means of destroying public fpirit? And has not the organization of the troops of the land been a long time the fource of complaints? Have they not endeavoured in your reprefentative affemblies to defend the committee of union? Have not feveral of your governors fhamefully combated the lenity of the republic?—the fole means of rendering us happy at home, and powerful abroad. Have they not retarded by every poffible means the formation of the national guard, that bulwark of liberty, as formidable to defpots as falutary to the happiness of the people? Is not commerce with our natural enemy tolerated? What do we fay? Is it not protected, in defpite of the laws? Is it not fuffered, in various places, to employ the armed force, to stifle the voice of the citizens, and to maintain with vigour an infolent defpotifm? Have they not employed the treasures of the nation, thofe treafures amaffed at the price of your fweat and your blood, to corrupt every thing, to make you accept, at the point of the bayonet, a constitution which you have rejected with indignation? Have they not, in every refpect, given vile egotifts an affurance of impunity? Have they not permitted a few individuals to enrich themfelves with the fruits of your labours, which you emptied in coffers no fooner filled than exhausted? Are not thefe nourished by the blood and tears of the orphan and the widow? Have they not rafhly, without any neceffity, and even against the intention of the French government, exposed the national navy, the weak remains of our former grandeur, to destruction? Have we not recenly remarked the deteftable efforts put in practice, to deprive us of the means of re-establishing our maritime force? and if the government had not been changed, would not the plan have effectually fucceeded? Has not the public credit been shaken by meafures as impolitic as perfidious? Have we not feen the different provinces openly oppofe the will of the national representatives? and are not the latter torn to pieces by the fpirit of party? Are they not rendered contemptible by the want of energy? and have they not, by half measures, broken the ties of adminiftration? Ah! while all this paffes under your eyes, and the lofs of the republic becomes inevitable by the continuation of thefe horrors, the national fpirit will never awake from its lethargic fleep. Will you not all arm to combat the enemies of your happiness, and to cruth them, if they obftinately perfift in their defigns? The defcendants of thofe heroes, who, without any other means than courage, |