STATE f^APERS. 



625 



the line, and by a valiant army com- 

 manded by the first generals in the 

 world. Of all kinds of menaces, 

 would not (hat of simpi .■ patience be 

 the most ternblc, which would en- 

 able Hs to persevere lor ten years in 

 this state of delay and of effort, 

 M'hich leaves (o our active hostilities 

 the knowledge and the choice of 

 the place, tiie (inie and the means of 

 annoyance. — These considerations, 

 and this contrast should, in my opi- 

 nion, have inspired the English go- 

 vernment with the wise rcsohuion 

 of taking the first steps to prevent 

 hostilities. It has not done so. It 

 has left to the emperor all tlie ad- 

 vantage of originating this honour- 

 able overture. It has given an an- 

 swer, nevertheless, to the propositi- 

 ons that had been made to it ; and 

 if this answer be compared with the 

 shamefnijy celebrated declamations 

 of lord Grenvillc, in the year 8, I 

 am ready to ackno\rledge, that it is 

 by no means void of moderation and 

 wisdom. I shall have the honour 

 to read it to you (Here he read 

 the letter of lord Mtilgrave.) The 

 character that pervades this answer, 

 is vague and indeterminate. One 

 , single idea presents itself with some 

 ' precision, that ol having recourse to 

 foreign powers ; and this idea is by 

 I no means pacific : a sup^rlluous in- 

 terference ought not to be appealed 

 to, if there be not a dcs-ire to em- 

 barrass the discussions, and to make 

 them endless. The ordinary conse- 

 tjuence of all complicated negotiati- 

 ons is to exasi)erate the mind, to 

 weary out good intentions, and to 

 1 throw back nations into a war, be- 

 come more furious from the vexation 

 of an unsuccessful attempt at an ac- 

 commodation. Nevertheless, on a 

 question regarding a multitude of 

 interests and of pa!>iiioa». which 

 Vol. XLVII. 



have never been in unison, we should 

 not rest upon a single symptom. 

 Time will soon dcvelopc to us the 

 secret resolutions of the government 

 of England. Should these resolu- 

 tions be just and moderate, we shall 

 see the calamities of war at an end ; 

 should, on the contrary, this first ap- 

 jiearance of accommodation prove 

 but a false light, intended only to 

 answer speculations of credit, to fa- 

 cilitate a loan, the acquisition of 

 money, purchases, or enterprises, 

 then we shall know how far the dis- 

 positions of the enemy are implaca- 

 ble and obstinate, and we shall have 

 only to banish all hope from a dan- 

 gerous lure ; and trust without re- 

 serve to the goodness of our cause, 

 to the justice of providenc, and to 

 the genius of the emperor — Whilst 

 expecting new hghts to illustrate the 

 obscurity of the actual state of af- 

 fairs, his majesty the enperor has 

 conceived that the imperfect disclo- 

 sure which his majesty the king of 

 England has thought proper to make 

 of the first overtures of F'luce, 

 called for a fnll eiplana»ion on his 

 part of all that he wished, ot what 

 he did, and of the answer of the 

 English government. At the same 

 tinif he has commissioned me to make 

 known to you, that he will ever feel 

 a real satistaction. dear to his heart, 

 in making known to the benate, and 

 to his peopl'.^ by frank, full and un- 

 ambiguous communications, every 

 thing that shall be connected with 

 the interests of its prosperity and its 

 glory, on every occasion when such 

 communication shall be consistent 

 with the principles of policy, and 

 the rules of discretion. 



After the report, a member pro- 

 posed aft address to his imperial ma- 

 jesty, to thank him for this testimo- 

 ny of coafidenee wbicb tjiift sTmate 

 S s haA 



