Mrs POY /O BE UR ORE: 
men that the enemy might like, as 
men they could trust. dt was not 
favour that an enemy demanded, 
but candour : and this he believed, 
was what they could not find in the 
present ministers of England. 
The earl of Coventry declared, 
that he could not but still consider 
England as undone, if she agreed to 
the surrender of Belgium.* 
On a division of the house, the 
earl of Oxfoid’s motion was reject- 
ed by 52 against 16. 
It is highly worthy of observation, 
as truly characteristic of the selfish- 
ness of men, and especially of sove- 
reign powers, that, in this negocia- 
tion, the ostensible source of the 
war, the interests of the injured 
parties in France, the blood royal, 
the nobles, and the clergy, were, if 
mentioned at all, only glanced at in 
an indirect and indifferent manner, 
Nor was much greater regard paid, 
on either side, to the interests or 
wishes of the French and English 
nations at large. It plainly appeared, 
from the published correspondence, 
between the negociating parties, 
that notwithstanding their protes- 
sions of a wish for peace, the most 
guarded precautions were practised 
by both sides, not to cede or yield 
any portion of territory upon which 
peace could be established between 
thetwo countries. Though a real pa- 
triot, statesman, or king, may some- 
times arise for the consolation of the 
human race, it is in the nature 
of all governments and governors 
to be move solicitous about their 
Own interests, as contra-distin- 
guished from those of the governed, 
than of the wider circle of their 
countrymen, aud of human nature. 
Bat although goveruments, like all 
2 
[165 
bodies, are chiefly interested in the 
preservation and extension of their 
own power, although they be often, 
not tosay for the most part, scanda- 
lously indifferent to the good of the 
communities, cver whom, in the 
course of Providence, they are pla- 
ced, it is not true, conversely, that 
all that is in opposition to govern- 
ment, is patriotic, hamane, and just. 
Those inconsistencies and tergiver- 
sations in public, aud that laxity of 
morals in private lite, which had 
marked the charaeters of not a few 
of the members of parliament in op- 
position to the British administra- 
tion, together with a fiagrant desire 
of power, manifested in a constant 
endeavour to thwart the rainister in 
every measure, important ortrivial, 
right or wrong: these vices and 
follies, in certain individuals, diffu= 
sing, by the association of ideas, a 
suspicious aif, over even a con- 
stant adherente to pure principles, 
brought a general discredit and dis- 
grace on the whole of what was for- 
merly, and by some is still, called, 
the whig party, A party was gra 
dually formed in the uation, suspi- 
cious of both our ministerial and 
antiministerial faetions, And tais 
party, Which appeared to be daily in- 
creasing, encouraged a. small pha- 
lanx in the bouse of commons, to 
present themselves as.a rallying post 
for all who were animated with a 
sincere and disinterested desire of 
peace, ani the prosperity of the 
country. They disavowed al! animo- 
sity and rivality towards either of 
the two great parties, into which 
the legislature was divided. They re- 
commended unanimity at home, 
and moderation, justice, and the en- 
larged vie wsof a hunvane phiiosophy 
* There is an ambiguity in this mode of expression; as the French were in actual 
possession. 
the safety of England, 
But his lordship’s meaningis clearly determined by his apprehensions for 
[M 3] in 
