HISTORY OF EUROPE 
the third, and yet he did not think 
it adviseable for this country to en- 
gage ina war singly against France, 
merely for continental objects. 
Although we should be always pre- 
pared to act according to circum- 
stances, yet we could not pretend to 
controul existing circumstances. 
He must declare it to be his most 
decided opinion, that if (under the 
present circumstances of the coun- 
try and of Europe) peace could be 
maintained with honour to our- 
selves, it would be better than a 
renewal of the contest. His right 
hon, friend had also misunderstood 
him, when he supposed that he had 
held forth desponding language, at 
the conclusion of the peace. He 
was sure that if war became neces- 
sary, the spirit of the people of this 
country would be always found 
equal to the contest. As to Swit- 
zerland, he must say most positively, 
that the resistance of that country 
was by no means instigated by the 
British government; and that no 
encouragement had been held out 
to them by this country. Some 
honourable gentlemen, in their 
compliments to Mr. Pitt, appeared 
to consider that the present admi- 
nistration wanted the firmness ne- 
cessary to theirsituation. Noman 
was more disposed to bestow praise 
on the conduct of that gentleman 
than himself; but events had hap- 
pened in the latter part of his ad- 
ministration, which shewed that 
wt was not in the power of the 
greatest talents to command suc- 
cess. The right honourable gentle- 
man had described the state of 
the country, as most prosperous 
when he retired from office. He 
Seemed to have forgotten, that 
there was at that time a com- 
15 
bination of almost the whole of 
Europe against us. He had for- 
gotten the dismay and anxicty which 
pervaded the public mind before the 
battle of Copenhagen, and the suc- 
cess of the Egyptian expedition, 
Some gentlemen seemed to think 
our navy had been dismantled, 
and our military force imprudently 
disbanded; but, in truth, there 
never was before, a peace in which 
our naval establishment had been 
so strong, and that of France so 
weak. The right hon. gentleman 
had said that he did not so much 
regard the conditions of the peace, 
as the animus in which it was made. 
As to the animus of France, if we 
were to wait till it was completely 
friendly to this country, we must be 
at war for ever. The policy of mi- 
nisters was now, and ever had been, 
to resist any unjust demands from 
gny foreign power; and if a stand 
must be made, to make it in the 
first instance. It was their wish to 
preserve peace as long as they could, 
consistently with the policy and the 
general circumstances of Europe. 
The altered situation of Europe 
must certainly be a subject of re- 
gret to every lover of this country; 
but it must'be acknowledged, that 
we had it not alway in our power to 
redress whatever we might feel to 
be our grievance. He concluded, 
by trusting that the conduct of his 
majesty’s ministers would always be 
found consistent with the principles 
they professed, and would give oc- 
neyal satisfaction to the country. 
Mr Windham particularly direct- 
ed his argument against the obser- 
vations of Mr. Fox, who had formerly 
praised the French revolution, and 
who now considered France, merely 
on the footing ofa commercial rival. 
When 
