£08 ANN U A L REGISTER, HdL 



economy was little attended to in 

 this branch of the service. But 

 for what were we expending money 

 in new levies ? To encounter ideas 

 and opinions, which were not of 

 a nature to be subdued by force 

 of arms. Nor were ministers en- 

 titled to our coniider.ce for their 

 application of the supplies f;Tanted 

 to them. The injudicious con- 

 duct of ministry had been the ra- 

 dical cause of all the disasters that 

 had befallen the British arms ; 

 while tlie advantages that had been 

 obtained, were not the result of 

 their wisdom. The transient suc- 

 cesses of the allies at the opening 

 of the last campaign, were pro- 

 duced by numbers : as soon as 

 they divided their forces, they lost 

 ground. The failure at Dunkirk 

 was an unanswerable proof of the 

 incapacity of our ministers. It 

 was totally due to their mismanage- 

 ment and presumption, and occa- 

 sioned a long sei-ies of misfortunes. 

 Toulon was put into our L-ands by 

 the royalists, and retaken by the 

 republicans through v,-ant of timely 

 succours to keep it. Equal impru- 

 dence had appeared in a variety 

 of other measures. 



Mr. Jenkins justifi^dthe attempts 

 upon Dunkirk, in a variety of con- 

 siderations. It was attacked at the 

 only time when such a thing was 

 ■practicable. Had the business been 

 delayed, it must have been given 

 over till next year. The com- 

 manders of the allied army made 

 no objection to the enterpnze, and 

 nn adequate force was provided for 

 it. But unforeseen accidents ii:- 

 terposed ; and, in the mean time, 

 an immense aniiy came to its re- 

 lief. 



In support of the augmentation 

 of the army, Mr. Pitt argued that 



the power of Great Britain at seaj 

 however irresistible on that ele- 

 ment, could not, in the nature of 

 things, make an adequate impres- 

 sion upon an enemy, whose whole 

 strength was concentrated on landj 

 and who, for that reason, could 

 there only be asailed with efficacy. 

 It was to prevent the invasion of 

 the territories of their neighbours, 

 that the war against the French 

 had been undertaken; — it was 

 therefore at land they were to be 

 encountered. Great' Britain was 

 no less deeply concerned than its 

 allies, in putting a stop to the en- 

 croachments of France. Were it 

 to succeed in the projects it had 

 evidently formed, its aggrandize- 

 ment would be such, that all Eu- 

 rope must submit to its dictates. 

 This was far from being a mere 

 surmise. The style of the Con- 

 vention, their continual boasts and 

 threats, theaffected superiority with 

 which they treated other states, 

 the plans they openly avowed of 

 compelling all the powers of Eu- 

 rope to bow before them, — these 

 were unequivocal indications of 

 the arrogant designs they harbour- 

 ed against their neighbours. The 

 great scheme they had not only 

 formed but executed, of converting 

 the people of France into a nation 

 of soldiers,, manifested their real 

 views, which were those of con- 

 quest and subjugation. A nation 

 acting upon sucli principles, was 

 necessarily at cnniity with all others. 

 Wiiatcver'the original causes were 

 of the difference* subsisting be- 

 tween the French and the neigh- 

 bouring powers, the contest at 

 present \^as clearly. Whether they 

 should give laws to others, or cos- 

 tain themselves within their own 

 limits ? No exertion, therefore, 



ought 



