Appendix Containing Corsican State Papers

Abstract The justice of our war against the republic of Genoa is as well known to the world as the necessity which has induced us to take up arms to free ourselves from the most dishonourable and insufferable tyranny of the unjust occupiers of our island and enemies of our liberty. Despite the moderation with which we have always conducted ourselves in this just and admirable endeavour, the Lords of Genoa, becoming more and more filled with pride and, to our cost, growing every day more bold, make it our indispensible duty to change our conduct in their regard, manifesting to the public our motives and reasons, so that everyone may be persuaded of the rectitude of our determination and of that impartiality which forms the character of our nation. During the thirty years in which we have waged the present war to drive the republic of Genoa completely from our island, we have never in any way attempted to disturb the maritime trade of subjects of that dominion, sympathising rather with the unfortunate situation that obliges them to live under a government which, with its present constitution, cannot be other than tyrannical. But now we see the obstinacy and efficiency with which the aforesaid re-public strives to blockade and debar every trade route of our own nation, seizing with their warships in Corsica not only any ships they meet sailing under our flag, but with growing boldness even burning and insulting those of the other most respectable nations of Europe, which for reasons of trade come to berth and sail from ports and landing stages belonging to our island. And finally we see that our leniency and dignity are in no way reciprocated by the Genoese subjects, and that they even incite their prince to deprive us of the benefit of trade with any other power, flattering themselves by this means to make our country entirely surrender to them the monopoly of the goods with which those garrisons which we ourselves keep blockaded are obliged to supply themselves.