

246 ANNUAL RE G IS TE PT, ir04; 



supported this acldress by a variety 

 of aiguments. The views of Aus- 

 tria and Prussia, he asserted, were 

 evidently lunbitious and unjust. 

 Theirponduct towards Poland suffi- 

 ciently proved their intentions to- 

 wards France. Whatever pur de- 

 clarations had been for the constiv 

 tution accepted by the late King of 

 Trance, it was not approved by 

 Austria. There was no faith in 

 ether of these powers. Had tlieir 

 first invasion of France been suc- 

 cessful, the balance and freedom of 

 Europe must have been lost. 



The views of the combined pow- 

 ers were justified by Mr. Jenkinfon, 

 who stated, that the main object of 

 the war ^va3, to recover from the 

 French the countries they had 

 taken. The means employed to 

 ubtain this end were entirely pro- 

 per. We could not be too solici- 

 tous in preventing the French from 

 extending their dominions. The 

 case of Poland, however blamcable 

 the conduct of the powers inter- 

 ested in the transactions relating to 

 that state, was nowise applicable to 

 the present war. 



In reply to Mr. Jenkinson, it was 

 asserted by Mr. Fox, tliat both mo- 

 ral and religious considerations 

 should induce us to contrast the 

 benefits derivable from our politi- 

 cal connexions with the irnomini- 

 ous consequences attendnig them. 

 Neither the French Convention, 

 nor Jacobin club, had produced in- 

 stances of perfidy so criminal as 

 that of the King of Prussia to the 

 Poles. After encouraging them to 

 form a constitution, he had in the 

 lapse of a year united with its dis- 

 approvers, ar.d assist-^d in its des- 

 truction, from tiie hope of sharing 

 in the dilapidation of the Pohsh 

 monarchy. The different style in 



which the French and their armies 

 were spokcvi of, seemed to imply 

 that the «;rimes of princes and of 

 courts had a right tt) pass unnor 

 ticed, vhile those arising from 

 anarchy merited the severest cou. 

 demnation, and demaiidi-d the hea- 

 viest punishment. What could be 

 baser than the- conduct of Austria 

 at the time of Dumourie/'s defec- 

 tion ? While the army that he had 

 commanded was thouglu to adhere 

 to his sphemes. Prince Cobourg's 

 maniiesto declared a resolution to 

 assiiit him in restorinsr the French 

 constitutirtn of l/SD, founded oq 

 the principles of liberty. But as 

 sqon as that army h;id forsaken its 

 General, that manifesto was imme- 

 diately retracted. Tlie treatment 

 of that General after ne had relin- 

 quished the service of the Conven- 

 tion, shewed what others had to 

 expect who .should imitate him, and 

 put their trust in the honour or the 

 pohcy of the allies. V/as it in 

 Prussia, in Austria, or in Russia we; 

 could confide, when we recollected 

 their respective behaviour to Po: 

 land ? But was France to be re- 

 duced, would the well-known ani, 

 mositics among the alltes permit 

 them to settle the affairs of that 

 nation without broils and contests 

 among themselves ? Happily, how- 

 ever for Great Britain, the demands 

 of the coalition upon htr were so 

 unreasonable and exorbitant, that 

 all the impartial world must excul- 

 pate her, were she to throw off so 

 opprcisive and unnecessary a load. 

 In answer to Mr. Fox, those ar- 

 gimieiits were urged by Mr. Pitt 

 that had already so often been ad- 

 duced. Jt was happy, he said, that 

 so mznj powers thought it theii- 

 interest to unite %vith this country 

 against France j and it were ex- 

 tremely 



