7S. ACE OP Po ARS; 
ffom our empire, rather than that 
thefe minifters fhould incur the lofs 
of their offices, w¢ are unable to fee 
in what Great Britain would be the 
gainer. Ifaninvafion of thefe realms 
fhould be the refult of delaying to o- 
pen a fincere negotiation tor peace, 
fully as we rely upon the zeal and 
bravery of our countrymen for the 
event, we do not conceive that the 
mifchief of fuch an attempt would 
in any degree be compenfated by 
finding, at the clofe of it, thofe mi- 
nifters ftill in their offices. Above 
all things, we deem it highly inex- 
pedient that any numerous or im- 
portant clafs of the people thould, 
in fo perilous a moment, conceive 
themfelves to be placed in the al- 
ternative between foreign conqueft 
and domeftic ufurpation. We 
think that in this crifisno excufe is 
left for not calling forth the whole 
wifdom, and all that remains of the 
energy of the Britifh nation ; that 
itis among the crimes of thefe mi- 
nifters that they have exhaufted in 
idle alarms, for factious purpofes, 
thofe refources which oughi to have 
been preferyed whole and unbro- 
ken, to meet the difafters which 
are impending over us; and for 
having fet up a cry of loyalty a- 
gainft liberty, to the deftruction of 
that real ftrengih by which alone 
our fhores and our altars can, in the 
laft extremity, be defended. 
4thly. Becaufe fuch a fyftem is’ 
dangerous to our prefent fafety and 
exiftence as an independent {tate’; 
and the fupport uniformly given to 
to if, tends to degrade and vilify 
this Houfe in’ the opinion of the 
ople. For the firft time in our 
iftory, the continuance of a minif- 
ter in office feems to be made a 
condition -af the conftitution. If 
that minifter, after having reduced 
Te 
his country to the loweft ebb of 
fhame and mifery, fhall continue to 
receive and to difpenfe all truft:, 
honours, and emoluments, and to 
be fupported in his abandoned 
courfes by this Houfe, no motive 
will remain to love and reverence 
a conftitution exhibited in thefe co- 
lours to the people, through the 
medium ‘of this Houfe. Feeling 
no intereft in our proceedings, they 
will lofe all refpect for our charac- 
ter, and all belief in our honour. 
5thly. Becaule we believe the pre- 
fent minifters to be utterly incom- 
petent to the cure of the evils they 
have produced. As the principles 
on which they have made the war 
offer no profpeé for its fuccefs, 
thofe on which they have hitherto 
negotiated for peace, afford’ no 
hope for its attainment: as the im- 
providence and incapacity with 
which they have conducted the war, 
have contributed fo largely to pro- 
duce the calamitous fituation of 
Europe, and to build up the pro- 
digious power of the French repub- 
lic, we conceive that they poflefs 
not the means of obtaining fafe or 
honourable terms of peace for this 
country. We cannot expect that 
they will hereafter cherifh or en- 
courage that fpirit of liberty under 
which, in former times, our great- 
nefs has grown and been matured. 
We are rather impreffed with the 
fear that, under the fame pretences’ 
which have caufed all our prefent 
difafters, large military eftablith- 
ments will continue to be kept up, 
with a view of crufhing all its ef- 
forts, and rivetting ftill clofer the 
fetters of the people ; that, releaf-| 
ed from the preffure of foreign ho- 
ftility, they will have recourfe to 
coercive meafures in that unhappy 
country, where their oppreffions 
M2 have 
