136] 
war. This was precisely the plan 
that Great Britain ought to pursue; 
and the abjuration of all others ren- 
dered France at present worthy of 
intimate connexion with this coun- 
try ; the French had already shewn 
a sincere disposition to become our 
unfeigned friends; they had copied 
zealously the British constitution ; 
and whatever of excellence their 
own could boast, was visibly deriv- 
‘ed from ours. In lieu of that ilii- 
beral antipathy to Englishmen, 
which had long characterized them, 
we were become the objects of 
their esteem and predilection; good 
policy dictated a return of this 
friendly disposition, and a careful 
cultivation of the pacific and com- 
mercial relations subsisting between 
both countries. He flattered him- 
self from these motives, which were 
equally founded on the reciprocal 
interests of the two nations, that 
no causes of any nature would be 
suffered to operate to the destruc- 
tion or the diminution of that amity 
which was so essential to the pros- 
perity of Great Britain and France. 
However foreign politics might re- 
present the situation of France as 
unfavourable to its neighbours, still 
it could not be denied that peace 
was the most desirable object to the 
people of this country: its welfare 
chiefly depended on friendly con- 
nexions with its neighbours; with- 
out which it could not exercise its 
commerce abroad, either with ad- 
vantage or safety, Among those 
neighbours, none were of more 
importance, in a variety of respects, 
than the French: to lose their 
good-will at a time when the trea- 
ties lately made with them render- 
ed it particularly beneficial, would 
besingularly imprudent; especially 
when we reflected, that by treating 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1792. 
them with slight or indifference, 
we should become the dupes of 
those who sought to indispose us 
against them, in order to render 
us subservient to those designs 
which, they were conscious, could 
not be carried into execution with- 
out our consent and co-operation. 
While the motion on this busi- 
ness was again negatived in the 
House of Lords, it was revived on 
the same day in the House of Com- 
mons, by Mr, Whitbread: —He 
reprobated, in terms of indignation, 
the temerity of ministers, in lavish- 
ing the nation’s money with such 
profusion, for an object wherein 
neither equity nor policy could 
justify their interference. Much 
had been said on their part to exas- 
perate the nation against Russia; 
its inimical conduct to this country, 
during the American war, had been 
recalled to notice, and placed in 
the most odious point of view: 
but in the transaction alluded to, 
it was well known that Russia was 
only one among many. The late 
King of Prussia, the celebrated Fre- 
derick, was the original contriver 
of the measure so injurious to this 
country, that went under the name 
of Armed Neutrality ; but the en- 
mity of that Prinee to Great Bri- 
tain seemed now utterly forgotten, 
and the influence of this kingdom 
exerted a particular zeal for the 
service of his successor. From the 
papers comtounicated from minis- 
try, it was piain that the Turks were 
the aggressors in the present war 
between them and Russia: they 
demanded the restoration of the Cri- 
mea, fairly won from them by open 
war, and ceded to Russia by a re- 
gular: treaty: they attempted, by 
force of arms, to recover it:—thts 
surely was aggression. The Em- 
press 
