at this moment it is less necessary to examine the causes of the
disasters that have struck us than to apply their remedy rapidly. When
the edifice is on fire, I do not join the rascals who would steal the
furniture, I extinguish the flames. I tell you therefore you should be
convinced by the despatches of Dumouriez that you have not a moment to
spare in saving the Republic.

Dumouriez conceived a plan which did honor to his genius. I would render
him greater justice and praise than I did recently. But three months
ago he announced to the executive power, your General Committee of
Defense, that if we were not audacious enough to invade Holland in the
middle of winter, to declare instantly against England the war which
actually we had long been making, that we would double the difficulties
of our campaign, in giving our enemies the time to deploy their forces.
Since we failed to recognize this stroke of his genius we must now
repair our faults.

Dumouriez is not discouraged; he is in the middle of Holland, where he
will find munitions of war; to overthrow all our enemies, he wants but
Frenchmen, and France is filled with citizens. Would we be free? If we
no longer desire it, let us perish, for we have all sworn it. If we wish
it, let all march to defend our independence. Your enemies are making
their last efforts. Pitt, recognizing he has all to lose, dares spare
nothing. Take Holland, and Carthage is destroyed and England can no
longer exist but for Liberty! Let Holland be conquered to Liberty; and
even the commercial aristocracy itself, which at the moment dominates
the English people, would rise against the government which had dragged
it into this despotic war against a free people. They would overthrow
this ministry of stupidity who thought the methods of the _ancien
régime_ could smother the genius of Liberty breathing in France. This