I had spoken of the Corsicans in
the Contrat Social as a new people, the only nation in Europe not
too worn out for legislation, and had expressed the great hope there
was of such a people if it were fortunate enough to have a wise
legislator. My work was read by some of the Corsicans, who were
sensible of the honorable manner in which I had spoken of them; and
the necessity under which they found themselves of endeavoring to
establish their republic, made their chiefs think of asking me for
my ideas upon the subject. M. Buttafuoco, of one of the first families
in the country, and captain in France, in the Royal Italians, wrote to
me to that effect, and sent me several papers for which I had asked to
make myself acquainted with the history of the nation and the state of
the country. M. Paoli, also, wrote to me several times, and though I
felt such an undertaking to be superior to my abilities, I thought I
could not refuse to give my assistance in so great and noble a work,
the moment I should have acquired all the necessary information. It
was to this effect I answered both these gentlemen, and the
correspondence lasted until my departure.
Precisely at the same time, I heard that France was sending troops
to Corsica, and that she had entered into a treaty with the Genoese.
This treaty and sending of troops gave me uneasiness, and, without
imagining I had any further relation with the business, I thought it
impossible and the attempt ridiculous, to labor at an undertaking
which required such undisturbed tranquillity as the political
institution of a people in the moment when perhaps they were upon
the point of being subjugated.
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