He 101 pundmost forcibly avowed and urged ing last year expressed all this with, bis catiments on that bead ? How as much heat as he had this year grond extraordinary, it was still against this country, were not, acto return extraordinary that the general cording to the honourable mem ditation itself fhould come from ber, the only causes of war. ReTante quarter from which it proceed- ligion demanded that we thould beat Beled: A dread of France it seemed avenge her cause. Atheism was eitt to be a fundamental prin- avowed and professed in France. ; no alteration in her go- and pallions of men, Mr. Sheridan. he una tempat can change this prin- faid, that the honourable member he Ecoe, or ought to tulpend this ap- had great advantages in dwelling , that can no tenacious of this creed?subject upon which those who dis- triste Had he or could we have hand, or of, indifference on the comptuous revilings at their re- · with. Establishments, tests, and Hy in the routca, only in the last session of matters of that nature, were proet cez priment, he had expressly scorn- per objects of political discussion in of Greais et ad insulted them as a nation that House; but not general charges naguihed for ever, and to be of deism or atheisin, as pretsed to profeffered no more, and all in confe- their consideration by the honourand de çaxt of the change in their go. able gentleman ; thus far he would int de la primert ; that he described the say, and it was an opinion he had ith his coming as a gap and chasm in Eu- never changed or concealed, that great kao Their principles had done although no man can comınand his n Mr. Existe lid he, than a thousand conviction, he had ever considered mas cire held like Blenheim or Ramillies a deliberate disposition to make proprincipal could bere effected against them; selytes in infidelity as an unaccount. ed to expand thereven got power by their able depravity of heart. Whoever cincere cas, like the usurpation of attempted to pluck the belief or - French Crowell, he could have retpect- the prejudice on this subject, style . I es feared them at least, but they it which he would, from the bo-, not be su biotted out of the European fom of one man, woman, or child, eti be pay of power for ever! And the committed a brutal outrage; the had heteria had only to record “ Gal. motive for which he had never been bus prima da bella ficruise”—yet this very able to trace or conceive. But on die pademan, said Mr. Sheridan, hay- what ground was all this infidelity F 2 and uced or and atheism to be laid to the ac- truth, that a despotic government count of the revolution ? The phi- degrades and depraves human losophers had corrupted and per- ture, and renders its subjects, or verted the minds of the people; the first recovery of their rights but when did the precepts or per- upfit for the exercise of them. Bu versions of philosophy ever begin was the inference to be, that thos their effect on the root of the tree, who had been long slaves ough and afterwards rise to the towering therefore to remain 10 for ever, be branches? Were the common cause, in the first wildness an einem and ignorant people ever the first strangeness of liberty, they woulu be disciples of philosophy, and did probably dath their broken chain they make profelytes of the higher almost to the present injury o and more enlightened orders He themselves, and of all those who contended, that the general athe- were near them ? No-the leffois ism of France was, in the first place, ought to be a ten-fold horror of the no honour to the exertions of the despotism, which had so profanei higher orders of the clergy against and changed the nature of socia the philosophers; and, in the next men; and a more jealous appre or place, that it was notorious that all hension of withholding rights and the men and women of rank and liberties from our fellow-creatures fashion in France, including pofli- because, in so doing, we risked any bly all the present emigrant no- became responsible for the bitte bility, whose piety the honourable consequences : for, after all, gentleman feemed to contrast with precautions of fraud or of craft cai republican infidelity, were the ge- Tuppress or alter this eternal truth nuine and zealous followers of Vol- that liberty is the birthrightofman taire and Rousseau ; and if the low- and whatever opposes his potlef er orders had been afterwards per- fon is a sacrilegious usurpation. verted, it was by their precept and The amendment of Mr. Fox wa example. The atheism, therefore, then negatived, and the address a of the new system, as opposed to moved by Mr. Pitt, was carrier the piety of the old, was one of the without a division. weakest arguments he had yet heard On the 11th of February a sīmi in favour of this mad political and lar was message sent by his majett religious crusade. to the House of Lords, who took i Mr. Sheridan next argued on an into consideration on the following observation of an honourable mem- day; when an address to the sam ber's, who had said, that we re effect as that of the Commons wa fused to make any allowance for moved by lord Grenville, and le the novelty of the situation in conded by the duke of Portland which France stood after the de- An amendment was moved by lort ftru&ion of its old arbitrary go- Sanhope, accusing his majesty? vernment. This Mr. Sheridan ministers of producing a rupture prefled very forcibly; infifting that between this kingdom and France , it was a mean and narrow way of and requesting to be informed of viewing the subje& to ascribe the the objects which his majesty provarious outrages in France to any poses to obtain by carrying on a sther cause than this unalterable war against France. A second amends Nes burka wildad NoId hone nature of ling tiga llow.com HISTORY OF EUROPE. 69 gbeddment was proposed by lord deed that would venture to defend ts fubiet Inderdale, which, after lament- it: and this being disavowed as the f their relating the French declaration of war, cause of war by his majesty's minilof them seres his majesty of the most firm ters, it was unnecessary for him to be, eta erró efectual support, in repelling dwell upon it. 2dly, that various s tilates et des hoftile attempt against this things have been done by the lo for tra metry, and in such other exer- French, manifestly extending be teu as may be necessary to induce yond their own country, and affect:y, the france to consent to such terms of ing the interests of us and our al- brokat pribication as may be consistent lies; for wlrich, unless satisfaction with the honour of his majeliy's was given, we must enforce satisall the on, &c. faction by arms. This he confiAfter a debate of considerable dered as the only principle on length , in which the address was which the necesity of the war could further supported by the duke of be truly defended, and in this he Lend, and the lords Morton, Stor- was sure the great majority of jealousmat , Kinnoul, and Hawkesbury; the House and of the country were and opposed by the marquisof Lant- of the fame opinion. His object downe, the two amendments were was to record this in an addrefs; 5, we riket fuccefively negatived, and the mo- and whatever objection there might for the tion for the address carried in the be as to time or circumstances, after 2 zbrative without a division. could he obtain the sense of the or of err Though the several questions House purely upon the principle, s eternal : which had been agitated, fince the he should be very fanguine in his thrighide commencement of the feflions, in hopes of success. Such a record les šis sabah Houses, evidently proved, would be a guide to their conduct aylupatia that the conduct of ministers had in the war, and a landmark on de spprobation, as they themselves which to fix their attention for che nie poleted the confidence of parlia- the attainment of peace. In exa Dent ; the opposition, though di- mining the alledged cases of prominished in numbers, seemed to vocation, he had maintained that bare increased in energy, and to they were all objects of negotiation, esert themselves with a more con and such as, till satisfaction was expatrated activity. Mr. Fox, ac- plicitly demanded and refused, did uzingly, on the eighteenth of not justify resorting to the last exPrimary , introduced a series of re- tremity. He had perhaps also said, Setans , with observing, that the that minifters did not appear to Receity of the war might be de- have pursued the course which was tended on two principles : first, naturally to be expected from their the solus animus, or general bad profeflions. He did not mean to dilpohtion of the French towards charge them with adopting one this country; the crimes they have principle for debate, and another pomemitted among themfelves; the for action ; but he thought they hilens they have endeavoured to had suffered themselves to be imkablith, if systems they might be posed upon, and milled by those talled; in short, the internal go- who withed to go to war with reument of their country: On France on account of her internal this principle, there were few in- government, and therefore took all occasions F 3 occasions of representing the French are not of a nature to justify war in as utterly and irreconcileably ho- the first instance, without having stile to this country. It was al- attempted to obtain redress by neways fair to compare the conduct gotiation. of men in any particular instance “ That it appears to this House with their conduct on other occa- that, in the late negotiation be fions. If the rights of neutral na tween his majesty's ministers and tions were now loudly held forth; the agents of the French govern. X if the danger to be apprehended ment, the said minifters did not from the aggrandizment of any take such measures as were likely power was magnitied as the just to procure redress, without a rup. 1 caules of the present war ; and if, ture, for the grievances of which on looking to another quarter, we they complained; and particularly in saw the rights of Poland, ot a neu that thev never stated distin@ly tral and independent nation, open- 'the French government any term ly trampled upon, its territory in- and conditions, the accellion to vaded, and all this for the manifest which, on the part of France, would be aggrandizement of other powers, induce his majetty to persevere in a and no war declared or menaced; fyftem of neutrality. not even a remonfirance interpoled, “ That it does not appear tha for if any had been interpoted, it the security of Europe, and the was yet a fecret, could we be rights of independent nations blamed for suspecting that the pre- which have been liated as ground tended was not the real object of of war agzintt France, bave beer the present war---that what we attended to by his majelly's minif were not told was in fact the ob- ters in the case of Poland, in thi ject, and what we were told, only invation of which unhappy coun the colour and pretext? try, both in the last year, and mor Mr. Fox then proceeded to enlarge recently, the most open contemp on those topics which had of late of the law of nations, and the mof 10 often cmployed his eloquence, unjufiifiable fpirit of aggrandize and concluded with moving the fol- ment has been manifested, withou lowing refolutions : having produced, s far as appear · That it is not for the honour to this House, any remontirano or interest of Groun Britain, to from his majeliy's minitiers. make war upon France, on account “ That it is the duty of his ma of the internal circumstances of jeity's minifters, in the present crifi: that country, for the purpose either to advise his majefly against enter of suppiefing or punithing any opi- ing into engagements, which ma nions and principles, however per- prevent Great Britain from makin nicious in their tendency, which a separate peace, whenever the in may prevail there, or of ettablish- tereit of his maiefty and his people ing anong the French people any may render iucn a measure advitea particular form of government. ble, or which may countenance ar “ That the particular complaints opinion in Europe, that his majetty which have been itated against the is acting in concert with other powi conduct of the Preho susernicit eis, for the unjutuitiable purpoled compe Againli it iance arity of ent pompelling the people of France to minions, may compel him to un. “ That feeling the most earnest Mr. Grey, Mr. Jekyll, Mr. try the calamities of war, by every means consistent with honour and E. dr. Smith, and Major Mait- with safety, we exprefled to his ich beds and opposed by Mr. Burke, majefty, at the opening of the pre Wr. Jenkinson, Mr. Powys, Sir fent feftion," our sense of the & George Cornwall, Sir Henry induced his majetty to observe a ago Hoghton, and Mr. Windham. strict neutrality with respect to the LATES The House divided on the previous war on the continent, and uni- 270 ference in the internal affairs of Iteps his majesty had taken would 226 der a firm and temperate conduct effectual for preferving the blet- lezen trom moving, on the 21st of cern, we now find ourselves oe, boid feruary , an addrets to his ma- bliged to relinquish that hope, ; which, as it contains the without any evidence having wand atire political creed of the oppo- been produced to satisfy us that Thapa to a party, we shall recite at large. his majesty's ministers have made After a short introductory speech, such efforts as it was their duty to a which Mr. Grey declared his make, and as, by his majesty's 2001. Erih to be recorded as one of thorei mort gracious fpeech, we majesty's faithful commons to leliker. That an bumble address be cond his efforts in the war thus fa pointed to his majefty, to affure tally commenced, so long as it thall prefence Limarliy , that bis faithful com- continue; but we deem it a duty mut, animated by a sincere and equally incumbent upon us to foduent attachment to his person bicit his majetty's attention to those di amily, and to the excellent refons or pretexts, by which his erotitution of this kingdom, as fervants lave laboured to jutiify a Bell as by an ardent zeal for the conduct on their part, which we er breit and honour of the nation, cannot but consider as having con til, at all times, be ready to lup- tributed, in a great measure, to Hipot his majefty in any measures, produce the prefent rupture. sori a due observance of the “ Various grounds of hoftility have were F 4 |