HISTORY OF EUROPE. [107 



been treble the number of the ene- 

 my, it must have embarked. There 

 was, in his mind, a dear, evident, 

 and absolute necessity for making 

 a sacrifice, in order to embark with 

 security. Mr. Sheridan's motion, 

 on a division of the house, was ne- 

 gatived by 2 1 6 against 45. 



On the twelfth of February, 

 lord Holland made a motion, in the 

 house of peers, to the same effect, 

 on the same subject. His lordship 

 was of opinion, that the principal 

 share of the disgrace, with which the 

 expedition was attended, was to 

 be imputed to ministers, and none 

 to the commander, the officers, or 

 the army. Ha\'ing pointed out 

 what he considered as great errors, 

 blunders, and omissions, and also 

 some of the advantages that must 

 result from enquiry, he said, " We 

 know that it is natural to impute 

 the blame of unsuccessful military 

 operations to the commander of an 

 army. In this country, such blame 

 may not be imputed ; but, in Eu- 

 rope, the charge will be made, and 

 it stands supported by the state- 

 ments of general d'Essen,inthe Pe- 

 tersbargh Gazette. It is necessary 

 to demonstrate the truth, by a fair 

 investigation. By no other course 

 can you satisfy the demands of your 

 national honour, and your mibtary 

 reputation. At a moment, too, 

 when it is decided that the war 

 should be continued to a period 

 which we cannot fix in idea ; when 

 new expeditions are, it is ru- 

 moured, about to be undertaken, 

 it becomes you to ascertain how 

 they arc likely to be conducted, by 

 inquiring what has been the ability 

 and tlic wisdom displayed in other 

 instances, by those who plan and 

 conduct them. Is it not proper to 

 inquire wluithcr ministers may not 



again be encouraging those delu- 

 sions by which they have already 

 been misled ? They rely upon the 

 favourable dispositions of the French 

 people to justify their attempts for 

 the restoration of the house of Bour- 

 bon. The proportion of the dis- 

 affected, in France, seems, however, 

 to be less than it was in Holland. 

 If the expedition to the Helder 

 failed, by the rashness, the negli-. 

 gence, and incapacity of ministers, 

 will you encourage them by your 

 acquiescence in past misconduct and 

 former disgrace, to embark in 

 schemes so much more doubtful in 

 their policy, and likely to be so 

 much more perilous in their con- 

 sequences ? I move, therefore, that 

 the house resolve itself into a com- 

 mittee of the whole house, to in.? 

 quire into the causes of the failure 

 of the late expedition to Holland." 

 The earl of Moira coincided with 

 the noble lord in his sentiments re- 

 specting the illustrious personage 

 who conducted the expedition.— 

 That he did not appear in his seat, 

 on the present occasion, he was 

 convinced, proceeded from deli- 

 cacy, lest his presence might re- 

 press the full disclosure of opinion 

 on a question on which he felt 

 himself so deeply interested. Were 

 that illustrious personage to yield to 

 the impulse of his own mind, he was 

 satisfied that he would solicit in- 

 quiry. But the great objection to 

 such a wish was, that it necessarily 

 connected itself with the public 

 good, and therefore he preferred 

 to submit to ill-grounded calumny, 

 rather than risk the interest of the 

 country, by a personal vindication. 

 As to the general question, he put 

 it to the candour of the noble lord 

 not to press it against men who 

 stood upon a ground where it wa$ 



