XXI. continued successes and triumphs of France, BOOK the grand duke of Tuscany, first of all the potentates who had joined the coalition, ventured 1795. to recognise the Gallic republic; and through the intervention of his minister count Carletti, concluded at Paris a separate treaty of peace with the convention, and resuming openly his original system of neutrality, he declared in a public proclamation dated March 1, (1795), "That whilst he enjoyed the satisfaction of seeing Tuscany superior as it were to the occurrences of the times, resting peaceful and quiet on that neutrality which was constantly respected by the French republic, he found himself involved in those unpleasant transactions which are already known to all Europe. Although his royal highness was unable to resist them, yet he consented to nothing but the removal of the French minister resident at his court--the only act which the imperious circumstances of the times could extort from him; and his royal highness now expressly repeals all acts of adhesion, consent and accession to the armed coalition against the French republic." The regent of Sweden also following with equal wisdom the pacific policy of the grand duke, sent the baron de Staal to Paris to assure the French nation of the friendship entertained for them by the court of Stockholm. BOOK Peace be tween France and Early in the new year the French armies on the Rhine and Neckar reduced the strong fort 1795. du Rhein, on the western bank of the river, which covered the city of Manheim; and formed the blockade of the important town of Mentz. During the winter, negotiations had been publicly carrying on between the Convention and the court of Berlin; and on the 5th of April a treaty of peace was signed at Basle between the two powers, the chief condition of which imported that the French should continue to occupy that part of the Prussian territory situated on the left bank of the Rhine, actually in their possession-all definitive arrangements to be postponed till a general pacification shall take place with the German empire. By a subsequent convention a line of demarcation was drawn, comprehending the northern circles of Germany, beyond which the French consented not to carry their arms; and soon afterwards peace was concluded with the French republic by the landgrave of Hesse-Cassel and the ELECTOR Of HANOVER! A declaration dated from Berlin May 2, was promulgated by his Prussian majesty in vindication of the wise and necessary measures adopted on his part. "After three bloody campaigns, fertile in death and desolation, was not suffering humanity," says this excellent manifesto, so 1 XXI. 1795. opposite to that formerly published, " brought BOOK Uninterrupted conquest still attended the BOOK portant fortress. A variety of engagements XXI. succeeded, in which the republicans had uni1795. formly the advantage; and, at length, gaining the open country, no impediment seemed to remain to prevent their marching to Madrid. But the king of Spain, seized with just terror, transmitted orders to Don Domingo d'Yriate, whom he had nominated his plenipotentiary at Basle, immediately to conclude a treaty of pacificaPeace be. tion, which, on behalf of the French, was signFrance and ed on the 22d of July by M. Barthelemy. By Spain. this treaty France agreed to evacuate her conquests in Spain, and the catholic king ceded to the French republic all the Spanish part of the island of St. Domingo-an invaluable acquisition, and capable of unlimited improvement. tween Surrender burg. The campaign of this summer in Italy afforded no incident worthy of historic notice: it is sufficient to say that the French failed in their attempts to establish themselves in the open country of Piedmont, On the 7th of June the impregnable fortress of Luxem- of Luxemburg, which had been in a state of blockade from the time that France had subjected the circumjacent country, capitulated upon the most honorable terms. The garrison consisted of 10,000 men, commanded by mareschal Bender, a brave and skilful officer, who might, and undoubtedly would, have continued to de XXI. 1795. operations Rhine. fend the place, upon the works of which little BOOK impression had been made, if he had not deemed the release of so large a garrison more than an equivalent to the emperor in such circumstances for the surrender of a fortress which it was utterly out of his power to succour. The possession of Luxemburg completed the conquest of the country to the left of the Rhine, with the exception of Mentz, which had now been fruitlessly besieged for several months. The Austrians, Indecisive commanded by generals Clairfait and Wurmser, on the maintained an uninterrupted intercourse with the garrison, from Cassel, on the opposite bank. It being at length perceived that the city could not be reduced until a perfect investment was formed, a very large body of the French troops, under general Jourdain, passed the Rhine for that purpose at Dusseldorf, which surrendered without resistance the Austrians retiring to a strong position on the Lahn. Another body, équal in force, commanded by general Pichegru, effected the passage of the river at Manheim, of which city they took immediate possession, on terms very favorable to the inhabitants. The investment of Mentz was now at last accomplished, and a confident hope was entertained of its speedy capitulation; but the event shewed the uncertainty of war: a division of general Pichegru's army being ordered to the attack of a post |