236 
tual value of Corsica became immense : 
it would cheerfully have been paid for 
—with Pondicherry, that flaw in the 
oriental jewel—or with Demerary, the 
sink of so much spiritedly expended 
commercial capital—or with Martinique, 
which had learned the profit of subjec- 
tion to Great-Brituin—or with the Cape, 
so admirably surveyed for the use of 
other landlords,—or with Malta, the key 
that unlocks for its possessor the barrier- 
gate of Enrope—by a sovereign, who 
was a foreigner while Corsica was not 
French. 
On the continent of Europe, England 
had but one interest—to prevent the 
northern: agerandizement of France, the 
extension of the French line of ‘coast. 
Any other form of growth might take 
place, without detriment to us. It was 
our obvious policy then to seenre, at any 
price, the alliance of Prussia, which 
could alone defend and incorporate and 
preserve the north; and by the gift of 
Hanover, (born and educated a Briton, 
the owner would no doubt have gloried 
in the sacrifice, and the country would 
as willingly have granted profuse mil- 
lions of indemnity) to purchase a repe- 
tition of the campaign of 1787, which 
delivered Holland from French ascen- 
dancy. The alliances of both Prussia 
and Austria are not permanently com- 
patible: their mterests in Germany are 
hostile, and on those interests their fa- 
vourite politics turn, It was expedient, 
therefore, to renounce all connexion with 
the Imperial cabinet; or even to incur 
its enmity, for the sake of the consequent 
amity of Prussia. What was it to us if 
the French had dictated a peace at the 
gatesof Vienna; and if they had usurped 
suddenly the whole of Italy and the 
Morea and Egypt? Such sprawling ac- 
cessions to their dominion, would have 
been more costly to garrison, and far 
more difficult to guard from subsequent _ 
rebellion, than the compact contiguous 
Delta of the Rhine. Yet the fleets of 
Britain, and the troops of Russia, could 
be brought to interrupt the southern 
progress of the French ; while only fee- 
ble, after-date, ill-directed, aguish ex- 
peditions, were run aground in Holland. 
But Holland was merely a republic 
overthrown: in Italy there were two 
kings and the bishop of bishops to save. 
Of course the interests of the country 
were to be betrayed for the interests of 
the creed. 
How fine a force of ships and men 
HISTORY, POLITICS, AND STATISTICS. 
was sent to the West-Indies. Those 
who saw the earlier embarkations of the 
troops, will long remember the glorions 
show: the sparkling pomp and scarlet 
magnificence of their attire—their arms 
glittering in novel polish—their move- 
ments drilled in punctual grace—their 
march on board, amid Rule-Britannias, 
performed in anticipated triumph, with 
the sonorous skill of an assembled or-' 
chestra—tall picked soldiers panting for 
adventurous tasks, collected before the 
land was exhausted by recruiting, or 
compelled to seduce aukward labourers 
from productive industry—men bound- 
ing with youth, glowing with health, 
stately with courage ; models for a pain- 
ter or a sculptor ; worthy to be the 
patriarchs of a new Circassia—and about 
what were they employed? To preserve 
some sugar-islands from negro-insur- 
rection for the French. Jealousy against 
liberty formed the basis of the creed of 
anti-jacobinism: it seemed, therefore, 
the wisest employment of the country’s 
strength, to keep under the revolt of 
slaves, without even the simple reckon- 
ing whether the insurgents were the 
property of the adversary, or our own. 
If half the men buried in San Do- 
mingo had been landed at New Orleans, 
new ‘T'albots would there have planted 
successfully the ensigns of Britain, and 
have added to the property of the Eng- 
lish crown, the whole course of the 
Missouri. The royalists of France 
might there have found, under our sway 
a safe asylum, and would have hailed, 
with willing lip, Louisiana as their coun- 
try. Embracing, as in a belt, those co- 
lonies of which we had already fostered 
the adolescence and conceded the eman- 
cipation, these new districts would in 
their turn have received our language, 
our industry, and our laws. They have’ 
indeed passed into pure hands; but the 
redundance of British population and 
capital, would more rapidly have scat- 
tered and made to germinate there the 
seeds of prosperity. 
In 1797, Mr. Burke died, long the 
most brilliant ornament, latterly the mis- 
fortune of his country. ‘The principles 
of the /igue were those which, from the 
writings of French jesuits, he transplant- — 
ed into England, and they at one time 
seemed in danger of leading to similar 
proscriptions of the incorrigible among 
his opponents. Mr. Pitt’s genius evi- 
dently felt rebuked before him ; but re- 
sumed, after his departure, amore Eng- 
