HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



261 



in France ; on the. unprnductive 

 state of their revenue ; the ap- 

 proaching annihilation of their 

 assignats, the only nerve of their 

 power; the total ruin of their 

 commerce, and the discontents of 

 their nation, deterred only by the 

 terrors held over them, irom break- 

 ing out in a gc.icral insurrection 

 against ths tyranny of their govern- 

 ment. 



Thedebate closed by Lord Auck- 

 land's motion for the adjournment, 

 being carried by 113 againg 12. 



Fourteen resolutions of the same 

 import as those of the Duke of 

 Ledford, were brought into the 

 House of Commons bv Mr. Fox 

 on the sam^day. He therein con- 

 tended, that the sole motive for 

 the war had been the ostensible ob- 

 ject held out to the public, not only 

 betbre, but after tlie otherthrow of 

 the monarchy in 1/92, and even 

 ' subsequently to the horrors of Sep- 

 tember in that year. He allowed the 

 rectitude of the intentions then ac- 

 knowledged by ministry, that if the 

 French attacked our allies, or should 

 pursue plans of aggrandizement, 

 they would oppose them. The 

 principle of a right to interfere in 

 the settlement of the domestic af- 

 fairs of France, was not avowed 

 even after the coniTiencement of 

 hostilities; and no determined ob- 

 jection was made to treat with the 

 existing government of France. 

 Sue!) had been the line of conduct 

 adopted by ministry previously to 

 the close of the last session : but 

 since that lime it had altered gra- 

 dually, though the}' C(ju!d not cer- 

 tainly assign a more valid reason 

 fur iheirintcrfercnce at this, than at 

 that perioil. The war was under- 

 taken on the principle of self-de- 

 fence; but the nation was now in- 



formed of the necessity to prose- 

 cute it, from other motives; which, 

 if mentioned at first, they would 

 have disapproved. The stipulations 

 made with the different powers in 

 the coalition, were all to their ad- 

 vantage ; as we thereby engaged 

 to make no ^eace tiH whatever do- 

 minions they had lost, or might 

 lose, were restored to them, with- 

 out requiring similar terms on their 

 part. Tlie ministers of both Aus- 

 tria and Prussia were alike averse 

 to open their treasures. Prussia had 

 already apphed to government in a 

 direct manner : Austria had taken 

 an indirect method. 



Peace was affirmed to be unat- 

 tainable while the present govern- 

 ment of France was suffered to ex- 

 ist, which was pronounced subver- 

 sive of all other governments. But 

 the experience of ages had shewn 

 that between governments totally 

 dilFereiit, and even repugnant jin 

 .their very li.-^it principles, agree- 

 ment and amity could subsist- Wliy 

 should not a peace with France rest 

 on a fair trial, before we presumed 

 to declare it impracticable ? But 

 should we experimentally hud it 

 such, .^ven then the traiis.ition from 

 pcacc?tc6;^ju?; would be Jcss .difficult 

 than from an, unptospero.Ui wgpto 

 an honourable peace. . i^^« the 

 French principles, so virulently ob- 

 jected to, they were originallyi of 

 English grov\'th, .and traii^W||ed 

 with our colonies to Amerj<;^|^m 

 whence they found their way to 

 France After arguing, with great 

 energy, on a variety of otherpoints, 

 he co.icluded, that whatever the ob-^ 

 ject of ministry in prosecuting the 

 war might be, they ought openly 

 to avowit:andifit werethere-estab- 

 hshment of the former government, 

 its adherents would probably join 

 S 3 us ; 



