he King in his speech on opening the new parliament,
during the course of the autumn. Lord Malmesbury was sent to Paris to
treat for peace. At this time, however, peace was not easily obtained;
the republicans were too much elated by their success in Italy and their
hopes from Ireland to listen to any pacific overtures with complacency;
and moreover an envoy, despatched about the same time to the court of
Berlin, with an intent, as was supposed, of drawing Prussia again into a
coalition, excited considerable jealousy in the minds of the directors.
Lord Malmesbury's mission was in fact a complete failure. On his return
his Majesty sent a message to parliament, declaring that the rupture of
the negociation did not proceed from the want of a sincere desire on his
part for the restoration of peace, but from the excessive pretensions
of the enemy--pretensions which were incompatible with the permanent
interests of this country and the general security of Europe. On the
next day the British ministry also published a manifesto, enlarging
on their own pacific dispositions, and setting forth the malignant
hostility of the French republicans. Copies of all the memorials and
other papers relating to the negociation were likewise laid before
parliament, and on the 30th of December the King's massage was taken
into consideration in both houses. In the commons, Pitt asserted that
the rupture of the negociations was wholly due to the directory, who
demanded, not as an ultimatum, but as a preliminary, to retain all
territories of which the war had given them possession; and respecting
which they had thought proper to pass a decree, annexing them
unalienably to the republic. He continued, "And not content with thus
abrogating the law of nations, as well as previous treaties, they have
offered a studied insult to his majesty by ordering his ambassador to
quit Paris, and proposing to carry on the negociation by reciprocal
couriers. The question then is, not how imich you will give for
peace, but how much disgrace you will suffer at the outset; how much
degradation you will submit to as a preliminary? Shall we then persevere
in the war with a spirit and energy worthy of the British name and
character; or shall we, by sending couriers to Paris, prostrate
ourselves at the feet of a stubborn, supercilious government? I hope
there is not a hand in his majesty's council that would sign the
proposal; that there is not a heart in this house which w