HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



259 



il, rind was easily converted by 

 llie furious republicans into a de- 

 testation of the very office of King. 

 Such was the radical cause of ail 

 the enormities that had been per- 

 ■petmted in France. 



The Duke then advefted to tlie 

 apprehensions so ofien expressed, 

 ihatwar was necessjry topreventthft 

 entrance of French principles into 

 this country : bnt was it among a 

 people enjoying snch rational li- 

 berty as the English, that Such 

 jffinciples would be admitted ? 

 They could be welcome only 

 among a people made frantic by 

 oppression. True freedom was the 

 surest bar against licentiousness. 

 But ministers, in the heat of their 

 violence against French principles, 

 had imitated, in various respects, 

 the t)'r3nnicaltondcctof theFrench 

 government. No pe.ice of any 

 permanence, it was alleged, could 

 be expected with Franee: but what 

 treaties were proof against infrac- 

 tion, when opportunity and inte- 

 rest prompted men to break them? 

 But breaches of public faith seldom 

 failed to be attended with condign 

 punishment. Reflecting seriously, 

 therefore, on the probable conse- 

 quences of continuing a contest 

 tiilherto so unproductive of the 

 etfccts we had promised ourselves, 

 and on the uncertainty of the re- 

 liance we had rashly placed on our 

 confederates, it was our duty to 

 consult our national Sif^ty, by re- 

 fusing any longer to sacrifice our 

 people and our substance in the 

 vain pursuit of so unattainable an 

 end as the subjugation of France. 



liOrd Auckland affirmed, in an- 

 swer to the Duke, tliatthe war was 

 undertaken on just grounds ; and 

 that wc hgd ne other alteinative to 



preserve us from internal confusions 

 and miseries : but despondency 

 was inconsistent with so clear a 

 truth, as, that the infatuation of 

 the French must, in the nature of 

 things, quickly terminate. Provi- 

 dence, he asserted, would not per- 

 mit such a system of destruction 

 to overrun mankind. We shortly 

 should arrive at a close of this un- 

 fortunate, but indispensable war, 

 and conclude it more auspiciously 

 than either the open or the secret 

 enemies of this country had taken 

 upon them to -prognosticate. In- 

 duced by these motives, he would 

 move for an adjournment. 



He was seconded by Lord Darn- 

 ley and Earl Fitzvvillir^m. The 

 latter observed, that it was highly 

 becoming so high spirited i peo- 

 ple as the English, to interfere in 

 the defence of Europe : they had 

 done it before, under the auspices 

 of King V/iUiam; and had resisted 

 the ambition of France in the days 

 of Louis XIV. with ihe universal 

 approbation of all nations. 



It was observed, (in the opposite 

 side, by the Duke of Grafton, that 

 four years ago government would 

 have involved this country in war 

 with a longstanding ally, in order to 

 preserve the balance and the liber- 

 ties of Europes ; but was now 

 labouring to destroy both, for th;i 

 purpose of restoring an arbitrary 

 government in France. 



To adopt tha resolutions pro- 

 posed, would, it was asserted by 

 Lord Mansfield, be highly dis- 

 honourable to parliament, after 

 having so repeatedly approved the 

 measures against which they were 

 framed. France, he affirmed, and 

 not Great Britain, had provoked 

 til - war. In proof of this affirma- 

 6' 3 tion. 



