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INTEKESTS OF GREAT BRITAIN. 465which connected England with the continent, and above allwith Austria. The partial suspensionof the embargo uponthe of thenavigation Scheldt, which rested on the offaith^treaties, *was a new specimen of the republican code of international law. But that which must have most disturbedthe of tranquillity England under the circumstances of thosetimes, was the danger with which the Republic menaced theUnite'd Netherlands. At the head of this state stood thehouse of Orange, which had been for five years past reinstated in its with this houseprivileges England, con; in^junction with Prussia, had concluded the triple alliance,and in the same had guaranteedto it its prerogatives.Itwas precisely against this very house, that the attacks ofFrance, in her desire to conciliate or maintain the supportof the popular party, were directed. Could a war undersuch circumstances be avoided ? Yet the war was not declared by England, but by France. The 1st Feb., 1793,was the day on which a declaration of war was issued at thesame time against England and the stadtholder."What was/' says Pitt,in one of his early speeches, "thestate of this country with respect to France, previous to thedeclaration of war on her part?We then contended, first,that she had broken a treaty with our allies, which we werebound to support: secondly, That she had engaged inschemes of ambition and aggrandizement,inconsistent withthe interests of this country and the general security ofEurope : thirdly, That she had entertained principles hostile to all governments, and more particularlyto our own.In consequence of all these circumstances, you then declared, in addresses to his Majesty, that if proper satisfactionwas not obtained, a war must be the consequence. Butwhile this was in agitation, they had themselves declaredwar, and been guilty of a sudden and unprovoked aggression upon this country.""Acts of hostility," says the minister, upon a later occasion, "had been openly threatened against our allies; anhostility founded upon the assumption of a right whichwould at once supersedethe whole law of nations : a demand was made by France upon Holland, to open thenavigation of the Scheldt, on the ground of a general andnational right,in violation of positive treatythis claim we;2 H