266 Memoirsof the late Right lion. Charles James Fox. [Oct. J, 



our national debt, and llio pi-ofperity of tlic ponpie, by Hcrlarini; liimfclf h fVicnd 

 the pinpirc, the other gloried in htholci- tu a iclbnii ot' tlie Ikiiilc ot" Commons; 

 in^ a whole people refcucd fVniri the pioll and when Mr. Flood's propotUion to that 

 opprcflive fervitudo, and, at the liiiiic rffcc't was brouglit forward, he boldly 

 ti.ne, augured ihc moll auf[iicious re- avowed his convcrfion. On the other 

 fiilts in favour of the human race. hand, his adverfary, who had Ibleninly 



" The conduct of the French troo[», pledged hind'eif to the very nioafnre 

 (he ohlVrvod.) during the late coninio- which he now oppofcil, was reduced to 

 tiojw, tt nded greatly to remove one of a nioft mortifying dilemma, 

 the objeWions which he had always en- As it was a leading principle in tlie 

 tiM-taJncd agoinlJ (landing arniies. By conduct of Mr. Xo\, that, wivhmit the 

 rcfufnig to obey the dictates of tie uioit urgent occafion, peace was the bell 

 Court, they had fet a glorious example policy on the part of a coinmcrcikd na- 

 t« all the military of Europe, and had tion, fo, I'rom the conimencenKut of the 

 fliewn, lliat by merely bccoi^iing i'oldiers, revolutionary war, he pcr[)ctual!y niain- 

 they did not ccafe tobe citi/.cns." taincd, " that we ought to hulhand our 



It were graatly to bo wiilied tliat the rrfources." In 1794 he deprecated the 

 grand political experiment attempted in idea of continuing hofillities without any 

 France had been left to its own fate, fettled object. After condenuiing the 

 The intervention of the neighbouring pofititm, " that, while the .Tacolim h(- 

 ftates only ferved to aroufe the warlike tcni cxificd, no peace could take i)lace 

 genius of a miglity people, to call forth \vith France," he alkcd, " provided ho- 

 the numerous rcfources of a rich and ex- nourable terms could be obtained, whe- 

 tenfive empire, and fniaily to eirablifh a ther it would not be more advifeable to 

 military deipotifm, tliat, after overturn- trull to our caution and vigihmce for the 

 ing every land-mark of civil JiVierty, hvis prefervation of the country, than to cou- 

 nearly extinfiuillied the indepcudence of tinnc hoftilities with an enormous vvallc 

 Europe. ^ "'' blood and treafure, but not more pro- 



Mr. Pitt is fuppofcd to have been at dn/'tive of fecurity than a pacification } 

 firil dragged into the conted with reluc- Allowing the danger to be equal in either 

 tance. No fooner had he entered on it, cafe, that which freed us from an ini- 

 bowever, than, as ufual, he did not heli- mcnfe charge was qucftionlefs preferable 

 tatc at the means by which he was to fe- to the other. It was \ain (lie ad- 

 ciirc the end in view. Incorruptible ded,) to calculate the reffiurccs of the 

 fiimfelf, he ppmed the public pnrfc with- French at the rate of a commercial ])ro- 

 out fcruplclo othoi-s. 'Yhc heroic age of jiortion. 'I'hcy had no commerce ; they 

 profiifion feemed to have arri\ ed, and he derived no cxpettations from any other 

 •iidributpd money, and titles, and ollices, funds than the produ('(ions of their foil ; 

 with fo liberal a hand, that •the Oppoli- the depreciation of their ]-aj)er-money had 

 tion beiiclics were thinned of their mem- not depreffed their a'.fairs ; and when- 

 Lcrs, and bis ancient enemy was left to ever men were willing and reiolved to 

 contend with a handful of adherents liearwith hardlhips, hiltorical experience 

 ayainft a holl of foes. bad proved that their rcfources were in- 



On this occ;ciion the mind of the exhauflible. 

 Premier ftooped to little perfonalities ; " In war it fomethncs happens (conti- 

 for, not c(mtent with triumphing, he w:is nued he,) tlmt courage and rage fupply 

 detemiined alfo-to infult, and the name the place of ordinary arms. Xenopiion, 

 of Mr. Fox was accordingly (Iruck out of in his Cyropa-dia, obferves, that iron 

 the liftof i'rivy-Counfcllors ! connnands gold, and when their al)'igiifits 



The latter, on this, ;is on all other oc- i'ail, the rrcnch may llill fupport holiili- 

 cnfions, proved magnanimous in advcr- ties by the plunder of their neighbours. 

 fity. To the clamours relative to his dif- It n)ufc be allowed, indeed, that this is 

 atfefiion l»e calmly replied, "That he but a fleeting refourcc, yet when a nation 

 never had approved of the excclfes of has abandoned habits of peace and in- 

 the French Revolution, and that lie was dultry, and acquired the views and man- 

 alike the enemy of all abfolute forms of ners of predatory warriors, it is a re- 

 government, whether ar. abfolute mo- fource that enables it to fpread dcfolation 

 narchy, an abfolute ariftocracy, or an ab- far and near." 



ffllute democracy, and approved only of a The latter part of thefe remarks ])roved 



mixed government like our own." llrictly prophetical, and nov.-, wljen, in 



Nearly at the fame time he had conci- tlie fuluefs of time, we are enabled to 



k*ted tlie &il'ectiuns of a large portiou of judge calmly of events, itmuftbe owned 



1 that 



