16 
When every messenger who arrived 
from the continent, brought the 
account of some nation conquered, 
or state subverted by the ambition 
of France; he was astonished, that 
the hon. gentleman could still con- 
sider France, as only a commercial 
rival. Since the peace, Piedmont 
had been annexed to France, and 
Switzerland enslaved. He considér- 
ed this country approaching to its 
dissolution, and going the way of 
all flesh. The Continent of Europe 
formerly contained neartwenty in- 
pendent nations, now it has but four 
or five; and if France, within so 
short a space of time, has been 
enabled to subdue so many nations, 
it seemed a simple question of arith- 
metick, what time she would require 
to subdue the rest. It must be also 
recollected, that her means have 
been encreased in the same propor- 
tion, as the means of defence in other 
nations has been diminished. The 
balance of power on the continent, 
is completely gone, and France can 
bring against us, the full force of her 
superior population. When he con- 
sidered what she had already done, 
and the situation in which we stand, 
he could not help exclaiming with 
Macbeth, 
«Can such things be, 
And overcome us like a summer’s cloud, 
Without our special wonder? You make 
me strange, 
Even to the disposition that I owe, 
When now I think you can behold such 
sights, 
And keep tbe nat’ral ruby of your cheek, 
When mine is blanch’d with fear !” 
The first eflect of the peace, was a 
great saving of expence, as if our 
wealth would encrease faster than 
the power of France; but this pros- 
pect of gain began to fail us, for we 
were obliged to keep such high 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
peace « establishments, as nearl? 
equalled the expence of those of 
the war. In point of gain how- 
ever, the statesman would not always 
weigh money against the sword, and 
commerce against continental poli- 
tics; but France could, when she 
attains this imperial power to which 
she aspires, cut up at pleasure, all 
the sources of our commerce, and 
ofour gains. If France is suffered 
to continue her career, if she is per- 
mitted to extend this system of 
agerandizement and encroachment 
unopposed, if we are to look on 
with apathy and cowardly indifier- 
ence, what can we expect, but that 
when she has accomplished her de- 
signs upon the continent, that she 
will immediately fall uponus? He 
therefore thought, that we should 
now retain those things which were 
still in our possession, as arms for 
our own defence and protection: 
he thought the time was come, when 
no administration could save the 
country, without the most cordial 
co-operation from the country itself. 
Arguments could be found for every 
description of people ; forthe gener- 
ous, the patriotic, the high-minded, 
and the liberal: he would appeal to 
the jacobins too, not as lovers of 
social order, or of monarchy, but 
as men of spirit, as lovers of what 
they call liberty, and men of hot 
and proud blood: he would ask 
them, would they be content that 
this country should be crushed be- 
neath the yoke of France? To the 
inert, inactive, and selfish, he would 
put the question, what security was: 
there that in the present course of 
things, they would be allowed much 
longer either to enjoy their fortunes, 
or their ease? If the country 
shculd be once subdued by France; 
every 
