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472 RISE OF THE CONTINENTALtherefore, as the war lasted, itmight naturally be expectedshe would earnestly exert herself to draw more closely together the ties which connected her with the other allies. Asearly as the 18th Feb. of this year, 1795, a new defensivealliance was concluded with Catharine II., with reciprocalguarantees of possessions held by either party, which, likethe first, was unproductive of any material consequences;on the 20th May,a contract with Austria these two :werethe foundations of the triple alliance, concluded on the 28thSeptember; the conditions of which have not been madeknown to the public.A new loan was granted to Austriain the same year.The renewal of theconnexion with Russia happened inthe same year in which Catharine consummated her designsagainst Poland, by a third and final partition. Englandabstained from any active interference in these proceedings.Pitt, in his negotiations respecting the treaty of Russia withTurkey, had experienced how hazardous it was to interferewith the designsof Catharine. Whether the British cabinetwould have manifested this passive spirit in more tranquiltimes, may admit of doubt ;that resistance, under the existing circumstances, would have disturbed the good understanding with her allies, and perhaps, if it had been energetic, would have led to a war with Russia, is as evident, as itis improbable that any resistance could have prevented thedismemberment. Nevertheless, the opposition in parliamentdid not neglect to avail themselves of this ground for assailingthe minister. He answered them briefly in his speech of May10, 1796, in reply to Mr. Fox. " 1 Are ministers to beblamed," said he, " for not doing what it would be hazardous in them to attempt? and would it not be hazardous topropose a mediation where both parties were not ready toagree ? To have erected ourselves into arbiters, could onlyexpose us to difficulties and disputes, if we were determined,as we ought to be, to enforce that mediation on the partieswho refused to admit it. And what is the great use whichthe honourable gentleman seems to be so eager to derivem \ Speeches, vol. ii, p. 169. It is a part of the ordinary tactics of the opposition to embarrass ministers by reproaches forto having suffered this or thathappen in Europe. The most recent events of history afford evidence ofthis. The reproaches would have been without doubt much more violent inthe opposite case.