Pall Mall, Nov. 12th, 1795.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,
You will receive by this post the "Gazette," with the account of
the late successes of the Austrians. These accounts came in
yesterday at so many detached periods, and that circumstance, with
others, occupied every moment so completely, as to make it really
impossible for me to send you any detail of them by the post. I
enclose for your better understanding the "Gazette," a Prussian map
of the siege of Mentz, when the French occupied it. The position of
the French in this business has been very nearly the same with that
of the allies, as marked in this plan.
Craufurd's account of the successes is certainly understated, but
particularly in what relates to the loss of the French; because,
besides the killed and wounded--the number of which all the private
accounts state to have been exceedingly great (as it must be in
that precipitate retreat)--the enemy have lost very great numbers
by desertion.
No doubt is entertained of our having Manheim very soon. I am not
sanguine enough to hope that Pichegru will stay to be surrounded by
Clerfage, who is marching up the left bank of the Rhine, or that he
will suffer the latter to force him to a battle, which he may so
easily avoid by retreating towards his own frontier, now covered by
Landau, Luxembourg and Tours, &c., &c. The disappointment of the
French projects, and the destruction of so great a part of the army
which had been employed in them, are therefore, I fear, the chief
advantages we shall reap from these successes, except in what
relates to the impression produced here and on the continent, the
effect of which is almost beyond calculation.
Our Bills are going triumphantly through the two Houses. The
general impression of the House of Commons was, I understand, as
favourable as it could possibly be, and you need not be told what
the feelings of the House of Lords are on this subject. We shall
not have Pitt's Bill up till after the call. If you should not then
be in town, I should much wish you to send your proxy; and if you
have no objection to do so, and had rather put it in my hands than
any other, I will disengage myself in the interim from one of those
I now hold.
What have you done about our meeting? Shall I attend it or not? Let
me know which you wish, and I will do accordingly.
Ever most affectionately yours,
G.
I should be much obliged to you to return my map when you have done
with it, as I keep all these _historical_ maps that fall in my way.
1796.
THE PROSECUTION OF THE WAR SUSTAINED BY REPEATED MAJORITIES IN
PARLIAMENT--MR. BURKE'S SCHOOL FOR THE EDUCATION OF EMIGRANT
CHILDREN--BUONAPARTE APPOINTED TO THE COMMAND IN ITALY--LORD
MALMESBURY'S MISSION TO PARIS.
The motion for negotiations with France had been again brought forward
towards the close of the last session of Parliament, and was again
negatived. Mr. Pitt still insisted upon the impossibility of France
being enabled to prosecute the war, with her finances in a state of
ruin, and seven hundred and twenty millions of assignats in circulation.
Great changes had undoubtedly taken place. The National Assembly had
been dissolved, and a regular form of Government established in its
place; and although at that time Mr. Pitt rejected the idea of proposing
any terms of peace to the Republic, he admitted without hesitation that
if the new Government were put into activity with the acquiescence of
the nation, so as that the voice of the people could be heard through
their representatives, all obstacles and objections to negotiation would
be removed. Thus the question stood at the close of the year 1795.
The subject was renewed at the opening of the session in 1796, with the
same result. Mr. Pitt resolved it at once into a question of confidence
in Ministers. If the House thought that confidence could not be safely
vested in them, the proper course was to address His Majesty to remove
them. He still maintained that the French had exhausted their means of
carrying on the war; and that, with respect to negotiations for peace,
the point to be considered was the probability of obtaining just and
honourable terms, which, it was evident from their public declarations,
the French were not disposed to admit. The confidence of Parliament in
the wisdom and discretion of Ministers was unequivocally testified in
the large majority by which the motion was rejected.
Failing to attain their object in this direct form, the Opposition
resorted to other means of harassing the Administration. In a motion on
the state of the nation, Mr. Grey entered into an examination of the
financial condition of the country, exposing the enormous expenditure
and heavy taxation entailed by the war, at a time when a more discreet
patriotism would have avoided such details. He showed that during the
three preceding years seventy-seven millions had been added to the
funded debt, and that, in addition to the parliamentary grants, upwards
of thirty-one millions had been expended without the consent of
Parliament. Notwithstanding these disclosures, however, Mr. Pitt
proposed a second loan of seven millions and a half for the prosecution
of the war, which the House immediately acceded to.
In both Houses, the efforts of the Opposition to overthrow the
Administration were followed up with indefatigable activity in the shape
of condemnatory resolutions and motions of addresses to the Throne; and
in all instances they were defeated by overwhelming majorities. The
session terminated in the middle of May, when Parliament was dissolved
by proclamation, His Majesty thanking both Houses emphatically for the
uniform wisdom, temper, and firmness by which their proceedings had been
characterised.
The destitute condition of the French emigrants who sought an asylum in
England on the breaking out of the Revolution, and whose numbers were
continually increasing, excited universal commiseration. The attention
of Government was earnestly directed to the means of providing for them,
and measures were adopted for giving the utmost efficacy to the public
sympathy. Amongst the persons who interested themselves actively on
their behalf were the Marquis of Buckingham and Mr. Burke. The object to
which they mainly addressed their exertions was the education of
emigrant children whose fathers had perished in the convulsions of their
country, or who were unable to obtain instruction for them. The forlorn
situation of these friendless children, in a country with whose language
they were unacquainted, had attracted the notice of Mr. Burke, with whom
the project originated, and who applied to Government in the first
instance for assistance to enable him to carry out his charitable
design. The appeal was liberally responded to. A house was taken and
fitted up for the purpose in Buckinghamshire, at Penn, near
Beaconsfield, the residence of Mr. Burke; and, by an order of the
Treasury, the Duke of Portland, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis of
Buckingham, Mr. Burke, and others were appointed trustees for the
management of the school, which had been established in the first
instance by Mr. Burke at his own expense. The following interesting
letter from Mr. Burke contains some particulars concerning this
institution, which had just been opened. The "clean and not unpleasing"
costume spoken of by the writer consisted of a blue uniform which he had
assigned to the boys, with a white cockade bearing the inscription of
"Vive le Roi." Those boys who had lost their fathers were distinguished
by a bloody label, and the loss of uncles was marked in a similar manner
by a black one. At this time Mr. Burke had the sole management of the
school, and watched over its progress with unabated solicitude to the
end of his life. The Commission nominated by the Government had not, it
appears, been communicated to him, and he justly complains to his
correspondent of the embarrassing position in which the oversight, or
neglect, had placed him. The Marquis of Buckingham took a warm interest
in the education and welfare of the boys, and, as a means of fostering a
martial and loyal spirit amongst them, made them a present of a pair of
colours and a brass cannon, which were exhibited with great pride and
exultation on all public occasions.