1816.] 



tM'o grand divisions of the policy of the 

 last twenty years. Tb.e first part runs 

 from the commeucenient of the revo- 

 lutionary war, up to tlie moment when 

 Bonaparte damned himself in the esti- 

 mation of every honest man ; and 

 slicwed, that no sovereign was safe on 

 Lis throne, nor any people seeure in the 

 possession of peace, while he had the 

 power to overthrow the one, or disturb 

 the other. Up to that time I esteemed 

 and admired him ; from that moment I 

 Lave detested and ahhorred him. And 

 from that 'time I have thought it good 

 policy to be at war wit!i him, supposing 

 it was unsafe to be at peace with him. 



None would rejoice more sincerely 

 than I should at the accomplishmcut of 

 the objects of the peace societies, to 

 the formation of whicli you have con- 

 tributed such early and important aid. 

 But I caunot help regretting your a|i- 

 parent want of consistency in blending 

 with exertions in the cause of peace, 

 the constant eulogiam of its most de- 

 termined eneuiics, and the equally con- 

 stant expression of chagrin at the ter- 

 mination of the sanguinary contest 

 which deluged Europe with blood du- 

 ring a period so lamentably' long ; as if 

 peace was not the real object, but only 

 the means by which other ends were to 

 be attained! 



Often has it been remaiked, and cer- 

 tainly with great trutii, that mankind 

 Lave greatly contributed to draw upon 

 themselves the calamities of war by the 

 glory with which they have encircled 

 the heads of its victorious leaders. How 

 much, then, do you fall into this error, 

 by holding up to admiration and praise 

 tliose blood-hounds, who have com- 

 mitted such horrible devastations and 

 countless murders in every country in 

 whicli they have brandished their nier- 

 eiless and destructive arms. At the 

 head of these men stands the late Em- 

 peror of France. Praise him, if you 

 will, for many excellent civil regula- 

 tions, for his encouragement of litera- 

 ture and the arts, and for his substituting 

 in France permanency of rule for the 

 anarchy and evcr-var> ing pow cr which 

 preceded his assun)ption of the govern- 

 ment of that country; for, in doing this, 

 though you may be wrong in the jjraises 

 jou bestow, you will not contribute to 

 perpetuate that illusion of military 

 Ifiory, Hhi(;h is, i>erha|)S, the greatest 

 cbsfaele the Peace Societies will have 

 to overcome. 



I must do you tlie justice, however, 

 to admit, tliat your eiror in (his respect 

 htti Hi litnitj): conlined to the iuvudcr 



Great Political Questions stated. 



103 



of Spain, and the murderer of millions 

 of its inhaititants, to " tlie bloody Su- 

 chet,"the "accursed Soult," the "faith- 

 less Ney," and the other subordinate 

 actors in that most horrible of tragedies. 

 It docs not extend to those warriors 

 whose victorious arms not only ren- 

 dered to the cause of pc.-tce the servic* 

 of coupling with the example of that 

 climax of villany, the ultimate punish- 

 ment of tiic monster who conceived it; 

 but, in the end, accomplished the pro- 

 fessed object of your wishes, and of tli« 

 societies you are so anxious to esta- 

 blisli— Peace ! 



The friends of peace, instead of re- 

 gretting that its attainment v, as accom- 

 panied with the downfall of Bonaparte, 

 and the overthrow of his system of go- 

 vernment, have reason to rejoice at that 

 circumstance, as the only one which 

 could give permanency to it. Look to 

 I''rauce during his reign, and under t(i« 

 iiifiucnce of his sj .stern of government, 

 and in what state will you find it? — Re- 

 plete in every part with tlie elements «}f 

 war! To what did its Emperor owe 

 his elevation to the imperial dignity — 

 its nobles, their rank — its rich mcii, their 

 possessions? By what means (admit- 

 ting the influence of example, and none 

 can doubt it) could others Lope to as- 

 cend to nobility and acquire riches?—^ 

 What have its children, born in the last 

 twenty years, been taught?— In what 

 profession have tlie greater part of them 

 been brought up ? — What have they all, 

 by being all liable to it, expected to b» 

 employed in? — What is a nation go- 

 verned by such a monarch, with such 

 nohle.s, in which rank and opulence are 

 attainable almost solely by such means ; 

 and where such is the object of educa- 

 tion, likely to render jjerpetuai? To all 

 these questions there is but one answer, 

 and that answer is — War! 



This was the case during the govcrn- 

 meut of Bonaparte: it was the eflect of 

 his government, and of his institutions, 

 and his wars. Yet, is that government 

 and those institutions praised by the 

 persons who call themselves the advo- 

 cates of peace! To my view, nothing 

 ajipears so likely to thwart the elliorts 

 of Peace Societies, as the praise aud ad- 

 miration of military inoiiarchs and mi- 

 litary nobles, and of institutions, th« 

 governing principle of which is, that 

 every man is a soldier. „ 



Kentish-Town ; July 15, 181G. ' 



•«* Onie for all, we feel it proper to 

 state, on the very iin)>oi'taut subjects of 

 this let Iff, tint, in the devastating war» 

 aj;uiu)t t'iuuce, wliich ori^iuated in ] j'9ijin<l 



