HISTORY 
remained unaccomplished, and as 
far out of the reach of all reason-~ 
able expectation, as at the first mo- 
"ment of its being attempted. All 
parties seemed, at this period, to 
‘ unite in the like strain of reasoning. 
-Numbers of those who had warmly 
espoused the cause of the minister, 
thought that a sufficient trial had 
been maie of the various schemes 
he had brought forward, in order 
to compel the French to revert to 
their former situation; and that, 
having failed, prudence enjoined 
him to desist, and to Jeave the re- 
establishment of the French monar- 
chy toa future period, and more 
auspicious opportunities. =~ 
That party, which had opposed 
the war from its very commence. 
ment, were loud in their reproba- 
tion of its continuance, and re- 
proached ministers with a total want 
of foresight, in not seeming to have 
apprehended the difficulties they 
would have to contend with, and, 
with equal inability, to encounter 
them. As the events of the war 
countenanced these reproaches, the 
public joined in them, and the go- 
vernment was thought very repre- 
hensible in persisting against reite- 
rated experience, in a contest that 
threatened to waste the strength of 
the nation ineffectually, and the aim 
of which, were it attained, would 
hot prove an indemnification for its 
cost. 
Ideas of this nature were now 
generally predominant, and became, 
at last, so prevalent, not only among 
the multitude, which had long been 
swayed by them, but amony the 
more reputable classes, that a variety 
of associations were formed, and 
meetings held, for.the avowed pur- 
pose of petitioning the legislature in 
favour of peace. The city of Lon- 
a 
OF EUROPE. [3 
don led the way, and, in a common- 
hall, the votes, for a petition, wee 
four thousand, and only one hun- 
dred against it. 
The terms in which it was con- 
ceived were extremely pointed. 
““ None of the ends proposed by 
the war, (to use the words of the 
petition) had either been, or ap- 
peared likely to be, obtained, al- 
though it had been carried on at an 
unprecedented expence to this coun- 
try, and had already produced an 
alarming increase of the national 
debt, augmented by subsidies, paid 
to allies, who had notoriously vio- 
lated their solemn engagements, and 
rendered no adequate service for 
large sums actually received by 
them, and wrung trom the credu- 
lity of the generous and industrious 
inhabitants of this island.” It con- 
cluded by expressing a firm and de- 
cided conviciion, that the principle 
on which the war appeared to be 
carried on, neither was, nor could 
be, essential to the liberty, the glory, 
or the prosperity, of the British em- 
pire. 
Other addresses, in a similar style, 
were resolved on in several of the 
principal cities in the kingdom. 
The adherents to ministry endea« 
voured, on the other hand, to pro- 
cure counter petitions: but these 
were faint and languid in compari- 
son to the former ; those who framed 
them, did not venture to speak in 
justification of the war; they went 
no farther than to leave to minis- 
ters the choice of their own time for 
pacific negociations. 
A circumstance that had greatly 
indisposed the mercantile and trad- 
ing classes against ministry, was, the 
refusal to permit the Dutch people 
of property to. deposit their money 
and etfects in England, without pay- 
[B3] ing : 
