STATE PAPERS. 



139 



restraint of justice, humanity, and 

 religion: bat .hese efforts, produc- 

 tive as they necessarily have bfen 

 of internal discontent and confns'on 

 in France, have also tended rapidly 

 to exhaust the natural and real 

 strength of that co -ntrv. 



Althou 'h 1 c?nnot but regret the 

 necessary con'.inuance of the war, I 

 should ill consult the essential inter- 

 ests of mv people, if I were desi- 

 rous of peace on any grounds but 

 siich as may provide for their per- 

 manent t'lfety, and for the indepen- 

 dence and security of Europe. The 

 attainment of these ends is still ob- 

 structed by the prevalence of a sys- 

 tem in France, equally incompati- 

 ble with the happiness of that coun- 

 try, and with the tranquillity of all 

 other nations. 



Under this impression, I thought 

 proper to make a declaration of the 

 riews and principles by which I am 

 guided. 1 have ordered a copy of 

 this declaration to be laid before 

 you, together with copies of several 

 conventions and treaties with differ- 

 ent powers, by which you will per- 

 ceive how large a part of Europe is 

 united in a cause of such general 

 concern. 



I reflect with unspeakable satis- 

 faction on the steady loyalty and 

 firm attachment to the established 

 constitutionand government, which, 

 notwithstanding the continued ef- 

 forts employed to mislead and to 

 seduce, have been so generally pre- 

 valent among lill raiifis of my peo- 

 ple. These sentiments have been 

 eminently manifested in the zeal 

 and alacrity of the militia to pro- 

 vide for our internal defence, and 

 in the distinguished bravery and 

 spirit displayed on every occasion 

 by my forces both by sea and land -. 

 tliey have maintained the lustre of 



the British name, and have shewn 

 themselves worthy of the blessings 

 v/hich it is the object of all our ex- 

 ertions to preserve. 



Gentlemen of the House of 

 Commons, 



I have ordered the necessary esti- 

 mates and accounts to be hid be- 

 fore you, and 1 am persuaded you 

 will be ready to make such provi- 

 sion as the exigencies of the time 

 may require. I feel toosensibly the 

 repeated proofs which I have re- 

 ceived of the affection of ray sub- 

 jects, not tolrment the necessity of 

 any additional burdens. It is, how- 

 ever, a great consolation to me to 

 observe the favourabl ? state of the 

 revenue, and the complete success 

 of the measure which was last year 

 adopted for removing the embar- 

 rassments affecting commercial ere- < 

 dit. 



Great as must be the extent of 

 our exertions, I trust you will be 

 enabled to provide for them in such 

 a manner, as to avoid any pressure 

 which could be severely felt by my 

 people. 



My Lords and Gentlemen, 



In allyour deliberations, you will 

 undoubtedly bear in my mind the 

 true grounds and origin of the war. 



An attack was made on us, and 

 on our allies, founded on principles 

 whicli tend 'o destroy a;' property, 

 to subvert fbf laws and religion of 

 every C'vilized nation, and to in- 

 troduce universally that wild and 

 destructive system of rapine, anar- 

 chy, and impiety, the effects of 

 which, as tney have alieady been 

 manifested in France, furnish a 

 dreadful but usetul lesson to the pre- 

 sent age and to posterity. 



It 



