autobiography-第16部分

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ed　to　the　Council。　　On　the　nomination　of　the　Minister　principal　the　Marshals　de　Segur　&　de　Castries　retired　from　the　departments　of　War　&　Marine；　unwilling　to　act　subordinately；　or　to　share　the　blame　of　proceedings　taken　out　of　their　direction。　　They　were　succeeded　by　the　Count　de　Brienne；　brother　of　the　Prime　minister；　and　the　Marquis　de　la　Luzerne；　brother　to　him　who　had　been　Minister　in　the　United　States。

　　　　　　　　May　24。　　A　dislocated　wrist；　unsuccessfully　set；　occasioned　advice　from　my　Surgeon　to　try　the　mineral　waters　of　Aix　in　Provence　as　a　corroborant。　　I　left　Paris　for　that　place　therefore　on　the　28th。　of　Feb。　and　proceeded　up　the　Seine；　thro'　Champagne　&　Burgundy；　and　down　the　Rhone　thro'　the　Beaujolais　by　Lyons；　Avignon；　Nismes　to　Aix；　where　finding　on　trial　no　benefit　from　the　waters；　I　concluded　to　visit　the　rice　country　of　Piedmont；　to　see　if　anything　might　be　learned　there　to　benefit　the　rivalship　of　our　Carolina　rice　with　that；　and　thence　to　make　a　tour　of　the　seaport　towns　of　France；　along　it's　Southern　and　Western　coast；　to　inform　myself　if　anything　could　be　done　to　favor　our　commerce　with　them。　　From　Aix　therefore　I　took　my　route　by　Marseilles；　Toulon；　Hieres；　Nice；　across　the　Col　de　Tende；　by　Coni；　Turin；　Vercelli；　Novara；　Milan；　Pavia；　Novi；　Genoa。　Thence　returning　along　the　coast　by　Savona；　Noli；　Albenga；　Oneglia；　Monaco；　Nice；　Antibes；　Frejus；　Aix；　Marseilles；　Avignon；　Nismes；　Montpellier；　Frontignan；　Cette；　Agde；　and　along　the　canal　of　Languedoc；　by　Bezieres；　Narbonne；　Cascassonne；　Castelnaudari；　thro'　the　Souterrain　of　St。　Feriol　and　back　by　Castelnaudari；　to　Toulouse；　thence　to　Montauban　&　down　the　Garonne　by　Langon　to　Bordeaux。　　Thence　to　Rochefort；　la　Rochelle；　Nantes；　L'Orient；　then　back　by　Rennes　to　Nantes；　and　up　the　Loire　by　Angers；　Tours；　Amboise；　Blois　to　New　Orleans；　thence　direct　to　Paris　where　I　arrived　on　the　10th。　of　June。　Soon　after　my　return　from　this　journey　to　wit；　about　the　latter　part　of　July；　I　received　my　younger　daughter　Maria　from　Virginia　by　the　way　of　London；　the　youngest　having　died　some　time　before。

　　　　　　　　The　treasonable　perfidy　of　the　Prince　of　Orange；　Stadtholder　&　Captain　General　of　the　United　Netherlands；　in　the　war　which　England　waged　against　them　for　entering　into　a　treaty　of　commerce　with　the　U。　S。　is　known　to　all。　　As　their　Executive　officer；　charged　with　the　conduct　of　the　war；　he　contrived　to　baffle　all　the　measures　of　the　States　General；　to　dislocate　all　their　military　plans；　&　played　false　into　the　hands　of　England　and　against　his　own　country　on　every　possible　occasion；　confident　in　her　protection；　and　in　that　of　the　King　of　Prussia；　brother　to　his　Princess。　　The　States　General　indignant　at　this　patricidal　conduct　applied　to　France　for　aid；　according　to　the　stipulations　of　the　treaty　concluded　with　her　in　85。　It　was　assured　to　them　readily；　and　in　cordial　terms；　in　a　letter　from　the　Ct。　de　Vergennes　to　the　Marquis　de　Verac；　Ambassador　of　France　at　the　Hague；　of　which　the　following　is　an　extract。

　　　　　　　　〃Extrait　de　la　depeche　de　Monsr。　le　Comte　de　Vergennes　a　Monsr。　le　Marquis　de　Verac；　Ambassadeur　de　France　a　la　Haye；　du　1er　Mars　1786。

　　　　　　　　〃Le　Roi　concourrera；　autant　qu'il　sera　en　son　pouvoir；　au　succes　de　la　chose；　et　vous　inviterez　de　sa　part　les　patriotes　de　lui　communiquer　leurs　vues；　leurs　plans；　et　leurs　envieux。　　Vous　les　assurerez　que　le　roi　prend　un　interet　veritable　a　leurs　personnes　comme　a　leur　cause；　et　qu'　ils　peuvent　compter　sur　sa　protection。　Ils　doivent　y　compter　d'　autant　plus；　Monsieur；　que　nous　ne　dissimulons　pas　que　si　Monsr。　　le　Stadhoulder　reprend　son　ancienne　influence；　le　systeme　Anglois　ne　tardera　pas　de　prevaloir；　et　que　notre　alliance　deviendroit　unetre　de　raison。　　Les　Patriotes　sentiront　facilement　que　cette　position　seroit　incompatible　avec　la　dignite；　comme　avec　la　consideration　de　sa　majeste。　　Mais　dans　le　cas；　Monsieur；　ou　les　chefs　des　Patriotes　auroient　a　craindre　une　scission；　ils　auroient　le　temps　suffisant　pour　ramener　ceux　de　leurs　amis　que　les　Anglomanes　ont　egares；　et　preparer　les　choses　de　maniere　que　la　question　de　nouveau　mise　en　deliberation　soit　decide　selon　leurs　desirs。　　Dans　cette　hypothese；　le　roi　vous　autorise　a　agir　de　concert　avec　eux；　de　suivre　la　direction　qu'　ils　jugeront　devoir　vous　donner；　et　d'　employer　tous　les　moyens　pour　augmenter　le　nombre　des　partisans　de　la　bonne　cause。　　Il　me　reste；　Monsieur；　il　me　reste　Monsieur；　de　vous　parler　de　la　surete　personelle　des　patriotes。　　Vous　les　assurerez　que　dans　tout　etat　de　cause；　le　roi　les　prend　sous　sa　protection　immediate；　et　vous　ferez　connoitre　partout　ou　vous　le　jugerez　necessaire；　que　sa　Majeste　regarderoit　comme　une　offense　personnelle　tout　ce　qu'　on　entreprenderoit　contre　leur　liberte。　　Il　est　a　presumer　que　ce　langage；　tenu　avec　energie；　en　imposera　a　l'audace　des　Anglomanes　et　que　Monsr。　le　Prince　de　Nassau　croira　courir　quelque　risque　en　provoquant　le　ressentiment　de　sa　Majeste。〃

　　　　　　　　This　letter　was　communicated　by　the　Patriots　to　me　when　at　Amsterdam　in　1788。　and　a　copy　sent　by　me　to　Mr。　Jay　in　my　letter　to　him　of　Mar。　16。　1788。

　　　　　　　　The　object　of　the　Patriots　was　to　establish　a　representative　and　republican　government。　　The　majority　of　the　States　general　were　with　them；　but　the　majority　of　the　populace　of　the　towns　was　with　the　Prince　of　Orange；　and　that　populace　was　played　off　with　great　effect　by　the　triumvirate　of　Harris　the　English　Ambassador　afterwards　Ld。　Malmesbury；　the　Prince　of　Orange　a　stupid　man；　and　the　Princess　as　much　a　man　as　either　of　her　colleagues；　in　audaciousness；　in　enterprise；　&　in　the　thirst　of　domination。　　By　these　the　mobs　of　the　Hague　were　excited　against　the　members　of　the　States　general；　their　persons　were　insulted　&　endangered　in　the　streets；　the　sanctuary　of　their　houses　was　violated；　and　the　Prince　whose　function　&　duty　it　was　to　repress　and　punish　these　violations　of　order；　took　no　steps　for　that　purpose。　　The　States　General；　for　their　own　protection　were　therefore　obliged　to　place　their　militia　under　the　command　of　a　Committee。　　The　Prince　filled　the　courts　of　London　and　Berlin　with　complaints　at　this　usurpation　of　his　prerogatives；　and　forgetting　that　he　was　but　the　first　servant　of　a　republic；　marched　his　regular　troops　against　the　city　of　Utrecht；　where　the　States　were　in　session。　They　were　repulsed　by　the　militia。　　His　interests　now　became　marshalled　with　those　of　the　public　enemy　&　against　his　own　country。　The　States　therefore；　exercising　their　rights　of　sovereignty；　deprived　him　of　all　his　powers。　　The　great　Frederic　had　died　in　August　86。　　（*　5）　He　had　never　intended　to　break　with　France　in　support　of　the　Prince　of　Orange。　　During　the　illness　of　which　he　died；　he　had　thro'　the　Duke　of　Brunswick；　declared　to　the　Marquis　de　la　Fayette；　who　was　then　at　Berlin；　that　he　meant　not　to　support　the　English　interest　in　Holland：　that　he　might　assure　the　government　of　France　his　only　wish　was　that　some　honorable　place　in　the　Constitution　should　be　reserved　for　the　Stadtholder　and　his　children；　and　that　he　would　take　no　part　in　the　quarrel　unless　an　entire　abolition　of　the　Stadtholderate　should　be　attempted。　　But　his　place　was　now　occupied　by　Frederic　William；　his　great　nephew；　a　man　of　little　understanding；　much　caprice；　&　very　inconsiderate；　and　the　Princess　his　sister；　altho'　her　husband　was　in　arms　against　the　legitimate　authorities　of　the　country；　attempting　to　go　to　Amsterdam　for　the　purpose　of　exciting　the　mobs　of　that　place　and　being　refused　permission　to　pass　a　military　post　on　the　way；　he　put　the　Duke　of　Brunswick　at　the　head　of　20；000　men；　and　made　demonstrations　of　marching　on　Holland。　　The　King　of　France　hereupon　declared；　by　his　Charge　des　Affaires　in　Holland　that　if　the　Prussian　troops　continued　to　menace　Holland　with　an　invasion；　his　Majesty；　in　quality　of　Ally；　was　determined　to　succor　that　province。　　（*　6）　In　answer　to　this　Eden　gave　official　information　to　Count　Montmorin；　that　England　must　consider　as　at　an　end；　it's　convention　with　France　relative　to　giving　notice　of　it's　naval　armaments　and　that　she　was　arming　generally。　　（*　7）　War　being　now　imminent；　Eden　questioned　me　on　the　effect　of　our　treaty　with　France　in　the　case　of　a　war；　&　what　might　be　our　dispositions。　　I　told　him　frankly　and　without　hesitation　that　our　dispositions　would　be　neutral；　and　that　I　thought　it　would　be　the　interest　of　both　these　powers　that　we　should　be　so；　because　it　would　relieve　both　from　all　anxiety　as　to　feeding　their　W。　　India　islands。　That　England　too；　by　suffering　us　to　remain　so；　would　avoid　a　heavy　land…war　on　our　continent；　which　might　very　much　cripple　her　proceedings　elsewhere；　that　our　treaty　indeed　obliged　us　to　receive　into　our　ports　the　armed　vessels　of　France；　with　their　prizes；　and　to　refuse　admission　to　the　prizes　made　on　her　by　her　enemies：　that　there　was　a　clause　also　by　which　we　guaranteed　to　France　her　American　possessions；　which　might　perhaps　force　us　into　the　war；　if　these　were　attacked。　　〃Then　it　will　be　war；　said　he；　for　they　will　assuredly　be　attacked。〃　　（*　8）　Liston；　at　Madrid；　about　the　same　time；　made　the　same　inquiries　of　Carmichael。　　The　government　of　France　then　declared　a　determination　to　form　a　camp　of　observation　at　Givet；　commenced　arming　her　marine；　and　named　the　Bailli　de　Suffrein　their　Generalissimo　on　the　Ocean。　　She　secretly　engaged　also　in　negotiations　with　Russia；　Austria；　&　Spain　to　form　a　quadruple　alliance。　　The　Duke　of　Brunswick　having　advanced　to　the　confines　of　Holland；　sent　some　of　his　officers　to　Givet　to　reconnoitre　the　state　of　things　there；　and　report　them　to　him。　　He　said　afterwards　that　〃if　there　had　been　only　a　few　tents　at　that　place；　he　should　not　have　advanced　further；　for　that　the　King　would　not　merely　for　the　interest　of　his　sister；　engage　in　a　war　with　France。〃　But　finding　that　there　was　not　a　single　company　there；　he　boldly　entered　the　country；　took　their　towns　as　fast　as　he　presented　himself　before　them；　and　advanced　on　Utrecht。　　The　States　had　appointed　the　Rhingrave　of　Salm　their　Commander…in…chief；　a　Prince　without　talents；　without　courage；　and　without　principle。　　He　might　have　held　out　in　Utrecht　for　a　considerable　time；　but　he　surrendered　the　place　without　firing　a　gun；　literally　ran　away　&　hid　himself　so　that　for　months　it　was　not　known　wha