Sept. 15th, 1794.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,
I am so late, that I have hardly time to write this private letter
to you, nor, indeed, have I much to add to my despatches.
There is, however, one point which it is material that you should
know for your own satisfaction. The despatches, as now drawn, bear
very much the appearance of contracted operations in Flanders,
without any very distinct statement of an intention to extend our
plans elsewhere. The reason is, that we doubt whether we ought to
trust the Government at Vienna with our secret in this respect. The
failure of our expected operations in Flanders, where we had hoped
to engage the principal attention of the enemy for the next month,
makes it impossible to try, with the small force of which we now
have the disposal, any operations of consequence in the Vendee; and
a weak and ineffectual effort there would both betray and dispirit
those whom we wish to support. We have therefore, for the present,
renounced the idea of doing more than barely trying to throw in
arms and supplies; and we reserve our attack for the spring, when,
if our present expectations do not deceive us, we shall have the
means of disposing of a very large force, independent of _emigres_,
&c.
In this way, the two parts of the war will operate as a diversion
one to the other, and we shall be able to push that, whichever it
may be, when we shall appear at the time most likely to succeed.
That will probably be the quarter where we act alone, and have
neither to depend on Prussian faith nor Austrian energy.
It is in the meantime discouraging to see how fair an opportunity
is lost by our not being able to profit of the present state of
things in France. God knows what may happen between this and the
spring. It does not appear to me that there is any foundation for
the report of the young King's death. If it was true, it would
solve at once the question of the acknowledgment of the Regent,
which Spain has formally proposed to us.
You will have received my letter on the point on which you asked my
opinion. If the decision is likely to go in favour of Ireland, I
heartily wish you were here, as I am afraid that there is less
discretion on that subject than there should be. The intended
successor to Lord W. is talked of more openly than I think useful,
at a time when there is yet no arrangement made for his quitting
his station. But what is worse than that, ideas are going about,
and are much encouraged in Dublin, of _new systems_ there, and of
changes of men and measures. Whatever it may be prudent to _do_ in
that respect, I know that you will agree with me that, till the
time comes when that question is to be considered, with a view to
acting upon it immediately, the less is _said_ about it the better,
in every point of view. When I see you, we can talk this over more
easily than by letters between Vienna and London; and yet I have
heard so much of it lately, that I almost wish it were possible for
you, even at that distance, to write something that might suggest
the necessity of caution; and that something you might even ground
upon the paragraphs in the papers, which, as you may have seen,
have been full of speculations upon it, particularly since
Ponsonby's journey here.
The notion of seeing your personal quiet and happiness committed in
this business, makes me feel more anxious about it than I otherwise
should, though it is otherwise sufficiently important, and that in
more than one point of view.