HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
that nobleman, who had formerly 
concurred in the abolition of that 
office. . 
These discussions being thus ter- 
minated, the address was moved by 
sir Francis Knatchbull, and second- 
éd by Mr. Canning ; who observed, 
that though unfavourable circum- 
stances had occurred abroad, they 
ought not to prevent a vigorous 
prosecution of the war: they had 
been occasioned by the desertion 
of our allies, and not by the mis- 
conduct of ministers. The fall of 
Roberspierre, and the subsequent 
changes in the government of 
France, did not warrant this coun- 
try to attempt atreaty. The French 
divided their enemies in two classes: 
the instigatorsof the coalitionagainst 
_ them, and those whio had joined it 
through compulsion. We weve in 
the first class, the Dutch in the 
‘second; the treatment of the Jat- 
ter would shortly shew what we 
had to expeét; but a pacification 
with them, at present, would bring 
$0 little security, that no diminu- 
_ tion of our fleets and armies could 
ensue, and our expences must re. 
main as great as ever. 
Mr. Wilberforce objefted to the 
address,as pledging the house to 
earry’on the war till a counter. 
revolution was effefted in France. 
Thealterations in that country made 
hn ml in his opinion, more in- 
ned to moderation than hereto. 
fore. Jacobinism had been sup- 
3; and the 
overnment had 
assumed an aspeét of lenity, incom. 
le, who were sincerely desirous 
ren, with the general sense of the 
peace. The coalition, he ob- 
‘served, was dissolved, and we could 
not expeét to overcome, with our 
Single strength, a nation that had 
resisted so powerful a confederacy, 
[153 
pressing upon them from abroad ; 
while they were, at the same time, 
assailed with near fifty insurrections 
at home. He did not think a mo- 
narchy the fittest form of govern- 
ment for the French, at the present 
juncture. Were monarchy restored, 
the country would not be pacified, 
as its friends and enemies would 
still preserve their animosities, and 
the latter still remain the superiors 
in number. It ought to be recol- 
lected, by those who thought a 
counter-revolution in France, prac 
ticable, that six years had now 
elapsed since the first revolution ; 
during that space, a new genera~ 
tion of young men had been ¢are- 
fully trained, and brought up, in re- 
publican principles; and numbers 
of the elderly, and others averse to 
these, were either dead, or had 
emigrated to other countries, He 
concluded by moving a negotiation 
for peace, which, whether success 
ful or not,,would prove to the 
people that the government desired 
peace. The nation would then 
feel the necessity of uniting with 
Ministers, whose offers of recon. 
ciliation had been reje¢ted-by the 
enemy, and would cerdially give 
their vigorous support to what no 
one could deny, in such a case, to 
be a just and necessary war. 
The motion of Mr. Wilberforce 
was seconded by Mr. Duncombe 
and Mr. Burdon, but opposed by 
Mr. Windham. The ill success of 
the war he solely imputed to the 
miscondu€t of some of the allies. 
Comparing the events of the pre. 
sent with those of former wars, 
he asserted that all that could be 
said on this subje€t was, that 
hitherto it had only been nega. 
fively successful. The most alarm. | 
ing circumstance attending it, 
. wag 
