286 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1794. 



to stop the contagion, and never 

 f to cease their utmost endeavours 

 to accomplish this object, till it 

 was completely effected. 



To the foregoing remarks, it was 

 added by Mr. Pitt, at the close of a 

 speech, wherein he went over 

 much the same ground with Lord 

 Mornington, that whatever might 

 be the future constitution of France, 

 whether monarchical or republiean, 

 provided it were divested of the 

 principles on which the present 

 government was founded. Great 

 Britain might accede to a pacifica- 

 tion. A monarchy was doubtless 

 the most eligible of the two, as be- 

 ing the most acceptable to the 

 judicious and moderate in that 

 country, and less tending to in- 

 volve it in quarrels with its neigh- 

 bours: but while France remained 

 in its present state, war was pre- 

 ferable to peacr. 



A long speech was made on this 

 occasion by Mr. Sheridan, in an- 

 swer to that of Lord Mornington. 

 Undue advantage, he said, was 

 taken of the passions attached to 

 human natiu-e, in order to excite 

 the indignation of the British 'ttab- 

 lic against the French., on account 

 of the enormities they had com- 

 mitted in the course of the revo- 

 lution. The guilt and infamy of 

 their conduct no person could de- 

 ny ; but U only aiTected them, 

 and no people had any other riglit 

 than to lament the misfortunes of 

 that "country, without assuming, 

 however, the least interference iu 

 its domestic affairs, unless by ami- 

 cable mediation Vetween the par- 

 ties. But had Europe acted this 

 friendly part? Had it not, on the 

 contrary, since the commencement 

 of the revolutiqn, expressed a de- 

 cided aversion to one of the par- 



tics, and a manifest partiality to 

 the other ? Had it not proceeded 

 from words to deeds, and espoased 

 the cause of the court in such a 

 manner, as could not fail to exas- 

 perate the people of France ? 

 Doubtles"., the popular fury and its 

 consequences were deserving of 

 execration ; Still, however, it did 

 not follow that the whole nation 

 ought to be punished for the crimes 

 committed Yiy the multitude during 

 the rage of tumult and insurrec- 

 tion. The French were bursting, 

 as it were, out of the prison of a 

 long slavery : tlicy had recovered 

 their liberty, but knew not how 

 to u^e it : they were hurried by v 

 rcsenttneut to retaliate on their ^ 

 oppressors the ill usage they had 

 suiTered, and had carried this re- 

 taliation to the most unjustifiable 

 and criminal excess. But was it 

 either equitable or wise in the 

 Eiu'opean powers to coalesce for 

 their punishmeiit ? They had an 

 unalienable right to freedom, in 

 common with all the hmnan race ; 

 and allowing the vengeance they 

 had wreaked on their former mas- 

 ters to have' been ungenerous, 

 base, and cruel in the extreme, it 

 had been contined to France ; and 

 foreign potentates ought to liave 

 rcflectedjthatby leaving the French 

 to act towards each other without 

 interposing between them, thougli j» 

 that country would probably have m 

 been deluged with blood, it would 

 have been tl^e blood of Frenchmen 

 alone, and humanity would not 

 have to regret the additioaal de- 

 struction of the many thousands, 

 whose lives had been thrown away 

 in this fatal quarrel. But it was 

 not from sentiments of compassion 

 to the French, or to mankind, that 

 this interferecce had arisen :' it 



on- 



i 



