HISTORY OF EURO? E./ 



[91 



Ottoman Porte, the old friend and 

 ally of France, is the conduct of 

 Buonaparte, who, in his proposals 

 for ncgociation, plays the double 

 dealer with that government to 

 whom he professes sincere attach- 

 ment, while the instructions to the 

 respectable officer whom he- leaves 

 behind are-of a quite contrary im- 

 port. These are the views of his 

 character, of the most recent parts 

 of his conduct, that I wish to con- 

 sider; I regard him in the character 

 in which he wishes to be under- 

 stood, as a negociator for peace ; 

 and I fancy the house has anticipa- 

 ted me in the inference which I 

 mean to draw from them. This 

 inference is, that, by the late re- 

 volution, we are deprived of all the 

 criteria of sincerity and fidelity 

 which we ought to find in a power 

 with which we could negociate, 

 and are obliged to rest on the sole 

 character of the French consul him- 

 self, with this disadvantage and 

 strong objection to it, that there is 

 not a single case on record in which 

 he has not violated his faith ; and I 

 state it again, and I am ready to 

 prove, that in all this catalogue of 

 crimes he himself has been the 

 actor of the principle parts; and 

 that not only when acting under the 

 order of government, but from the 

 uninfluenced impulse of his own 

 mind, and the dictates of his own 

 conscience, in which capacity he 

 appears in the several transactions 

 alluded to, and in all of which he 

 has conducted himself in utter con- 

 tempt of faith or friendship. If I 

 am right in stating these facts, the 

 conclusion I draw from them is, that 

 we should be sure that there was 

 something more of sincerity in the 

 ncgociation which he now jiniijoses, 

 llmii chaiactcriticb that which he ciii 



tercd into with the Ottoman Porte j 

 that there should be some proof 

 arising out of his conduct in the 

 transactions with which he was con- 

 nected to evince a truly pacific 

 disposition: but, unfortunately, no- 

 thing of this kind is to be found ; 

 the current runs the other way. In 

 short there is not a single step on 

 which you can get foot, that you do 

 not find marked with hostility and 

 breach of faith. But it has been 

 said, why not. make the experi- 

 ment ? If it should not succeed, we 

 should be just where we were be- 

 fore. This language I know has 

 been held out of doors. But I ask, 

 does any gentleman who hears me, 

 seriously mean to say, that in the 

 present relative situation of Europe, 

 this would be an experiment per- 

 fectly innocent in its nature.'' If we 

 succeeded in the last campaign in 

 calling forth the exertions of foreign 

 power, in exciting the energies of 

 Europe, and in making the most 

 illustrious eftbrts — if we have rea- 

 son to be proud of the share we have 

 contributed to these achievements, 

 is it a matter of indifference to dis- 

 solve that connection to which they 

 owe their birth, and to send the 

 other nations of Europe scrambling 

 for a peace, deserted and aban- 

 doned by us, their allies.'' Is this, 

 I say, a matter of indifference.'' 

 and yet this would be the first effect 

 of an acceptance of the overture. 

 But this question I shall leave others 

 to decide. I shall only contend, 

 that without something to rest upon 

 for sincerity in the proposal, and 

 fidelity in the observance, it would 

 be a degree of insanity to open a 

 ncgociation. On this point I may 

 be told, that the jiresent reduced 

 state of France aflbrds an ample 

 Bccurity : but this is a double-edged 



