38
ANNUAL REGISTER, 175S.
" men, and even of all the com- " mon people, in all parts of Ger- " many where 1 commanded the " King's forces. They lived there
- ' in the midll of abundance ;
" every one was pleafed; it fills my " foul with anguilh, to find that " at pfefent the French are held
- in execration ; that every body
"* is difpirited, and that many of-
- ' iicers publicly fay things that
- are criminal, and highly punilh-
" able. The evil is i'o great that
- ' it demands im. mediate rcdrefs; I
- ' can eafily judge, by what paffes
" in my own breaft, of what our " generals feel from the fpeeches
- ' they muft daily hear in Germany,
- ' concerning our conduft; which
- ' indeed would lofe much to be
- ' compared with that of our allies.
" I niufl: particularly complain of
- ' the delays and irregularity of the
- ' polls; a fervice which is very ill
" provided for. I am likewife
- ' difpleafed with the negligence
" of our generals in returning an- " fwers; which is a manifeft breach " of their duty. - Had I com- " manded the army, a thoufand
- ' things, which are done, would
" not have been done; and others, •• which are negledled, would have " been executed. I would have " m.ultiplied my communications; " I would have had ftrong ports " on the right, on the left, and
- • in the center, lined with troops.
- ' I would have had magazines in
" every place. The quiet and fa-
- ' tisfatlion of the country fliould
- • have been equal to their pre-
" lent diflatisfaftion, at being ha- " rafi'cd and plundered; and we
- fliould have been as much be-
" loved, as we are at prcfent ab- " horrcd. The conicquences are '< 100 apparent to need being men- •* lioncd. I muft infill en thcfe
- ' things, bccaufe late redrefs j3
" better than the continuation of " the evil."
M. dc Belleifle being eftabliflied in his office, turned all his atten- tion to the cure of the evils, which he lamented, and exerted all the power that remained in the nation, to put their army in Germany once more upon a refpcftable footing. The expedition into Germany was originally a meafure as contrary to the true interefls of France, as it was to julHce and equity; but having adopted that mealure, the confequences which arofe feemed to demand that it fhould be pur- fued with vigour; Therefore the conr:eftion with the Emprefs Queen was drawn clofcr than ever, and nothing was omitted to give a greater ftrength, and a better or- der to the army on the Rhine. But thefe endeavours, which ftrained all the fmews of France, already too much weakened by the al- moft total ruin of feveral effential branches of their trade, drew away all the refources necclTary to fup- port their navy. It was then in a fufficicntly bad condition, from a want of feamen and ftores ; and there were no means found, or little attention ufed, to reftore it: fo that from a deficiency in the marine, it feemed to be equally impradicable to feed the war in America, or to preferve the coaft of France itfelf from infults. Such was the condition of our enemies, at the opening of the campaign of 17^8.
As to England, far from being exhaulled by the war, or difpirited by our ill fuccefs, our hopes rofe from our difappointments, and our refources feemed to be augmented by our expences; with fuch eafe and alacrity were the necelTary fup-^
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