Si^v 



*4. 



m' 



7 



HtSTOkY OF EUROPE. 



243 



K- 



*■ 



the advantageous descriptions of 

 {"ranee under the monarchy, he 

 too, said Mr. Fox, had travelled in 

 that country, and could WTth truth 

 affirm, that thecircumstances of the 

 peasantry were wretched and miser- 

 able to a degree not exceeded by 

 that of the poorest inliabitants of 

 any part of Europe. Dreading to 

 be reduced to that deplorable situ- 

 ation, could they refrain from in- 

 dignation and fury, when they were 

 told that the poweis in the coali- 

 tion against France had taken up 

 arms for the avowed purpose of 

 forcing them back to that state of 

 misery ? 



In answer to Mr. Fox, it was al- 

 leged by Mr. Dundas, that the pre- 

 sent rulers of France could not be 

 viewed as possessed of any stable 

 power. If appearances could be 

 " credited, they were not less hated 

 than dreaded by the generality of 

 th* people. Were tiiese well assured 

 of being supported, it was the opi- 

 nion of good judges, thatthcywere 

 ripe for an insurrection against the 

 rtpublicaasysten>. It would, there- 

 fore, he wanting to ourselves to 

 omit the opportmi'ty of trying 

 what might be elYecicd by embody- 

 ing th«se numerous emij^rants tliat 

 had long testified a desire of being- 

 employed in st)meentcrprize against 

 the usurpers of power in their own 

 country, and to restore its ancient 

 government. An enferprizc of 

 this kind was tlie more di.scr\ing 

 of encouragement, that none could 

 be so weil acquainted with the 

 mtans of fjrwardin.( it in France; 

 n.Uives of tlial country, conversant 

 in all itsaiFairi.and in possession of 

 nnmerous connexions, united to 

 tliein by relation or friendship, and 

 aii'.ve a!!, by an identity of scn- 

 tunents on the traniaction^ of the 



tim^s. But a motive, paramount 

 to all others, for using our utmost 

 efforts to compel Fiance to change 

 Its systeiT) of government was, that 

 while it subsisted, no other system 

 was safe. 



As to the fate awaiting the emi- 

 grants, if unsuccessful, they ktiew 

 it, and had made up their minds 

 for what might happen, undismayed 

 and fearless of events. No less 

 tiian a force of 500,000 men had 

 been mentioned as requisite for the 

 subverting of the French republic. 

 Such a force would be highly ac- 

 ceptable to every one that sincere- 

 ly wished for a suppression of the 

 enormities that had so long afflictcil 

 France and menaced all Europe ; 

 yet a more moderate number would 

 suffice for that purpose, and ex- 

 onerate this country from the un- 

 happy necessity of lavishing so 

 much blood and treasure for the 

 accorrlplishing of so desirable an 

 end. 



Mr. Dundas was supported by 

 Mr. Burke, wlio declared it was 

 more for the honour and bene- 

 tit of the emigrants to accept of 

 this opportunity of recovering their 

 just rights, than to linger away 

 their lives :ii banishment and de- 

 pendence. He then spoke witli. 

 his usual asperity of the proceed- 

 ings and character of the French, 

 against whom the coalition of all 

 governments was, in his opin'ion, 

 fair and lawful, as the foes of those 

 civil and religious rights hitherto 

 enjoyed in the worst of times, and 

 through all the vicissitudes of poli- 

 tical events, by the various classes 

 of society, wiiliout disturbance or 

 fear of deprivation. Under pretext 

 of assert ng the liberties of man- 

 kind, ihcy sought the e>;tension of 

 iheir domitiiojis, and the ixitreua.' 



