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RISE OF THE CONTINENTALdiscussed, at the time, not so much on account of its immediate importance, (thoughit was important both in a maritime and commercial view,) as on account of the generalprinciple on which it was founded. On the same arbitrarynotion they soon afterwards discovered that sacred law ofnature, which made the Rhine and the Alps the legitimateboundaries of France, and assumed the power, which theyhave affected to exercise through the whole of the revolution, of superseding, by a new code of their own, all therecognised principles of the law of nations. They wereactually advancing towards the republic of Holland by rapidstrides, after the victory of Jemappe ; they had ordered theirgenerals to pursue the Austrian troops into any neutralcountry thereby explicitly avowing an intention of ;invadingHolland. They had already shown their moderation andself-denial, by incorporating Belgium with the French republic. These lovers of peace, who set out with a swornaversion to conquest, and professions of respect for theindependence of other nations ;who pretend that theydeparted from this system only in consequence of your aggression, themselves in time of peace, while you were stillconfessedly neutral, without the pretence or shadow of provocation, wrested Savoy from the king of Sardinia, and hadproceeded to itincorporate likewise with France. Thesewere their aggressions at this period and;more than these.They had issued a universal declaration of war against allthe thrones of Europe and ; they had by their conduct, applied it particularly and specifically to you they had passed;the decree of the 19th February, 1792, proclaiming thepromise of French succour to all nations who should manifest a wish to become free :they had by all their language,as well as their example, shown what they understood to befreedom ; they had sealed their principles by the depositionof their sovereign ; they had applied them to England, byinviting and encouraging the addresses of those seditiousand traitorous societies, who, from the beginning, favouredtheir views, and who, encouraged by your forbearance, wereeven thenpublicly^ avowing French doctrines, and anticipating their success in this country ;who were hailing theprogress of those proceedings in France, which led to themurder of its,king :they were even then looking to the day