CHAP. 1797. General Reflections on the or can fall back in the event of being outnumbered, without seriously endangering, by such a retreat, the safety of the other assailing columns. The Italian campaign demonstrates, in the most signal manner, the vast importance of fortresses in war, and the vital consequence of such a barrier to Campaign. arrest the course of military conquest. The sur render of the fortresses of Coni, Alexandria, and Tortona, by giving the French a secure base for their operations, speedily made them masters of the whole of Lombardy, while the single fortress of Mantua arrested their victorious arms for six months, and gave time to Austria to collect no less than four powerful armies for its deliverance. No man understood this better than Napoleon; and accordingly, without troubling himself with the projects so earnestly pressed upon him of revolutionizing Piedmont, he grasped the fortresses, and thereby laid the foundation for all his subsequent conquests. Without the surrender of the Piedmontese citadels, he would not have been able to push his advantages in Italy beyond the Po; but for the bastions of Mantua, he might have carried them, as in the succeeding campaign, to the Danube. It is melancholy to reflect on the degraded state of the Italian powers during this terrible struggle. An invasion, which brought on all her people unheard-of calamities, which overspread her plains with bloodshed, and exposed her cities to rapine, was unable to excite the spirit of her pacific inhabitants; and neither of the contending powers deemed it worth their while to bestow a serious thought on the dispositions or assistance of the twenty millions of men who were to be the reward of the strife. The XX. 1797. country of Cæsar and Scipio, of Cato and Brutus, CHAP. beheld in silent dismay the protracted contest of two provinces of its ancient empire, and prepared to bow the neck in abject submission to either of its former vassals which might prove victorious in the strife. A division of the French army was sufficient to disperse the levies of the Roman people. Such is the consequence of political divisions and long-continued prosperity, even in the richest and most favoured countries; and of that fatal policy which withers the spirits of men, by habituating them to degrading occupations, and renders them incapable of asserting their national independence, by destroying the warlike spirit by which alone it can be permanently secured. of the Finally, this campaign evinced, in the most signal manner, the persevering character and patriotic Unconquerspirit of the Austrian people, and the prodigious able tenacity efforts of which its monarchy is capable, when roused Austrians. by real danger to vigorous exertion. It is impossible to contemplate, without admiration, the vast armies which they successively sent into the field, and the unconquerable courage with which they returned to a contest where so many thousands of their countrymen had perished before them. Had they been guided by greater, or opposed by less ability, they unquestionably would have been successful; and even against the soldiers of the Italian army, and the genius of Napoleon, the scales of fortune repeatedly hung equal. A nation, capable of such sacrifices, can hardly ever be permanently subdued; a government, actuated by such steady principles, must ultimately be triumphant. Such, accordingly, has been the case in the present instance : CHAP. aristocratic firmness in the end asserted its wonted XX. 1797. superiority over democratic vigour; the dreams of Republican equality have been forgotten, but the Austrian government remains unchanged; the French eagles have retired over the Alps; and Italy, the theatre of so much bloodshed, has finally remained to the successors of the Cæsars. CHAPTER XXI. CAMPAIGN OF 1796 IN GERMANY. ARGUMENT. Great Difficulties of the French Government at the Commencement of this year -But her Foreign Relations had signally improved-Triple Alliance of Austria, Russia, and England-Painful division of Opinion in England on the war- -Violence of the Parties in the close of 1795-Attack on the King when going to Parliament Arguments of the Opposition on the war-Answer of the Government -Real objects in view by the different parties-Supplies voted by ParliamentBills against Public Meetings-Arguments against and for them-They pass into Laws-Reflections on these Statutes-Proposals for Peace by the British Government, which are rejected by the Directory-Operations of Hoche in La VendéePrevious successes of Charette and Stofflet during the winter-Death of StoffletHeroic conduct of Charette-But he is at length taken and shot-His Death and Character-Fine Observations of Napoleon upon him-Termination of the War in La Vendée-Preparations of the Austrians-Archduke Charles put at the head of the Army in Germany-Forces of the contending Parties on the Rhine-Designs of the Aulic Council-Plan of the Republicans-They cross the Lower Rhine, and gain some success-But are driven back across that river by the Archduke-Operations of Moreau on the Upper Rhine-His Origin and Character-Organization of his Army-Passage of the Rhine by Moreau-Admirable skill shown in that operation-Cautious Movements of Moreau-He advances towards the Black Forest The Archduke hastens to the scene of danger-Indecisive Action on the Rhine-The French gain success on the Imperial Right-The Archduke resolves to Retreat into Bavaria-Operations on the Lower Rhine-Erroneous Plan of the Campaign by the Directory-Admirable Plan of the Archduke to counteract itHe retires through the Black Forest-Indecisive Action at Neresheim-Operations of Jourdan-He advances into Franconia-The Archduke joins Wartensleben, and falls with their united Force on Jourdan- Who is defeated at Amberg-He is again routed near Wurtzburg-Great effects of this victory-Continued and disastrous Retreat of Jourdan-Archduke again defeats him, and drives him across the Rhine-Severe struggle of Latour with Moreau on the Danube-Archduke threatens Moreau's retreat at Kehl-Moreau resolves to retreat, which he does in the most firm and methodical manner-Defeats Latour at Biberach-And retires leisurely through the Black Forest-Battle of Emmindingen, between Moreau and the Archduke-Retreat of Moreau-Austrians refuse an Armistice on the RhineLong and bloody siege of the Kehl-Fall of the Tête-du-pont at Huningen-Reflections on this Campaign-Prodigious Contributions levied by the Republicans CHAP. XXI. 1796. CHAP. 1796. French Go in Germany-Disgust consequently excited there-Noble and patriotic spirit of the Austrian people-New Convention between France and Prussia-Deplorable State of the French Marine-Successes of the English in the East and West IndiesCapture of Ceylon-General Joy which these conquests diffuse in England-Con. tinued deplorable state of St Domingo-Treaty of Alliance between France and Spain-Overtures for a General Peace made by Great Britain-which prove unsuccessful-Alarming State of Ireland-Designs of the Directory, and Hoche, against that country-The Expedition sets sail-It is dispersed by Tempests-And regains Brest-Reflections on the Failure of this Expedition—Death of the Empress Catharine-Her Character-Retirement of Washington from Public Life— His perfect Character, and admirable Valedictory address to his Countrymen. WHEN the Directory were called, by the suppresGreat diffi- sion of the insurrection of the Sections, and the culties of the establishment of the new constitution, to the helm vernment at of the state, they found the Republic in a very critimencement cal situation, and its affairs externally and internally of this year. involved in almost insurmountable difficulties. The the com finances were in a state of increasing and inextricable confusion; the assignats, which had for long constituted the sole resource of government, had fallen almost to nothing; ten thousand francs in paper were hardly worth twenty francs in specie, and the unbounded fall of that paper seemed to render the establishment of any other circulating medium of the same description impossible. The taxes for many years back had been so ill paid, that Ramel, the minister of finance, estimated the arrears in his department at fifteen hundred millions in specie, or above L.60,000,000 sterling. The armies, destitute of pay, ill equipped, worse clothed, were discontented, and the recent disasters on the Rhine had completely broken the susceptible spirit of the French soldiers. The artillery and cavalry were without horses; the infantry, depressed by suffering, and dejected by defeat, were deserting in great numbers, and seeking a refuge in their homes from the toils and the miseries of war. The contest in La Vendée was still |