HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



219 



the comhatants remained uiidestroy- 

 ed or unsubdued. 



While the public was busied in 

 the altercatio'.is that continually 

 arose from these gloomy appearan- 

 ces and progiiosticaeions, the British 

 governmsit was firmly intent on 

 the means of bringinjr its plans 

 ajrainst the French republic to a 

 state of forwardness : the majori- 

 ties it counted in both Houses Were 

 such, as to overwhelm at once all 

 rer.istance. Never since the Ame- 

 rican war had its hands been so 

 strenirthened by tiie adherence of 

 its friends, and the accession of 

 those many opponents who, dread- 

 ing the influx of French principles, 

 were ready to sacrifice all consider- 

 ations of persons and party-attach- 

 ments, in order to join in counter- 

 acting them. As it were unjust to 

 doubt the sincerity of the declared 

 motives that actuated those in forsa- 

 king their former political connex- 

 ions> it would be equally illiberal to 

 question the repeated assertions of 

 these latter ; that their opposition to 

 the measures of government was 

 solely dictatedby the conviction that 

 they were erroneous, and by no 

 means proceeding from disaffection 

 to the constitution. They indignant- 

 ly complained that a motive so hein- 

 ous and unfounded should be so 

 frequently reproached to them by 

 the great plurality they had con- 

 stantly to contend with, and which 

 they accused, in th^'irturn, of load- 

 ing tlieu) with those vile imputa- 

 tions, as 31 revenge for their having 

 hitherto, with amazing patience 

 ?nd resolution, contested inch by 

 inch, as it were, every point that 

 in their opinion demanded litiga- 

 tion. Certain it is, that without 

 espousing the cause of either party, 

 each has adduced jemarkable in- 



stances of the variety of ways and 

 methods of attacking and defend- 

 ing opposite opinions ; and how 

 much wit, genius, and knowledge, 

 may be displayed by men of abili- 

 ties, on whichever side they may 

 be engaged. 



A pov/erful attack was made upon 

 the conduct of ministers on the 17th 

 of February, by the Marcjuis ot 

 Lansdown, one of the most conspi- 

 cuous me.mbers in the opposition. 

 He had uniformly combated th? 

 idea of a war with France on ac- 

 count of its revolutionary princi- 

 ples; and recommended the main- 

 tenance of peace with that country 

 as the safest policy that Great Bri- 

 tain could pursue in the present 

 juncture. He introduced on this 

 day, and supported with a multitude 

 of arguments, a motion for peace 

 with France. He had, he said, en- 

 tertained some hope that ministers, 

 at the iight of the tremendous dif- 

 ficulties they were about to en- 

 counter, might have reflected how 

 much more they would ingratiate 

 themselves with the nation by ter- 

 minating, than by continuing tliis 

 ruinous war ; but, from their vast 

 preparations and their numerous 

 alliances, he too plainly saw their 

 determination to persevere at all 

 hazards in this arduous conflict : — 

 this had induced hnn coolly, but 

 seriously, to investigate the motives 

 on which it was fouTidcJ. He 

 would not on this occasion appeal 

 to the passions of men ; he would 

 calmly asii, Whether the public 

 would approve the voting of thir- 

 teen millions dem;uided by ministry 

 to prosecute a v\'ar, tlie necessity of 

 which v.'as attempted to be proved 

 by extracts from a French pam- 

 phlet, written by the merr.ber of a 

 fattion in that country ? Both that 



l.iciion 



