CHARACTERS. 
Upon the French revolution, and 
the coalition of the European 
powers against France, it is but just 
to believe, that the difference be- 
tween these great men, was one of 
real political opinion. As far as it 
was a measure of mere foreign po- 
' licy, the one was tempted to it by 
the flattering hope of increasing the 
military power of Britain, and ex- 
tending her influence upon the con- 
tinent. At the same time it af- 
forded the best counteraction of the 
turbulent spirit of reform, which 
then so much embarrassed him at 
home, and which, had he not sup- 
pressed it, by occupying the public 
attention with foreign war, and by 
strong and unusual measures of do. 
mestic coercion,would certainly have 
effected a reform in parliament, by 
means which must have endangered 
the due equipoise of the well ad- 
justed powers which that constitu- 
tion combines in a mixed govern- 
ment. The other was led to ob- 
Serve more thoroughly the conse- 
quence of an attack upon the infant 
republic of France, and knowing 
that the coalition was composed, as 
all coalitions are, of powers jealous 
of each other, and that England 
neither possessed a great’ military 
establishment, nor a Marlborough 
to give toa small one an ascendancy 
over its allies, and a superiority over 
its more numerous enemies, wisely 
predicted that the conflict must end 
in rendering France a nation of 
soldiers, who would become the 
masters of all the continent. 
ether the minister, having 
quenched the flames of popular 
contention at home, might have 
chosen a happy moment for the 
cessation of the war abroad, is a 
question which puts the political 
Sagacity of Mr. Pitt to a test the 
917, 
most difficult for his reputation, 
But, it mast be considered, when 
perhaps he desired peace most it 
was unattainable; for he had exas- 
perated and aggrandized the enemy, 
and had raised up a war party, and 
created an unusual military esta- 
blishment at home. If this could 
have been avoided, it would have 
been well: since, in the end, great 
military establishments have génc- 
rally led nations to external cpn- 
quest at the expence of domestic 
liberty. On this ground and be- 
cause even successful war must have 
this tendency, Mr. Fox cpposed it 
with firmness, and, as we ought to 
believe, with sincerity ; for in sup- 
port of his opinions he employed his 
pen in the only composition which 
he ever avowed, and sacrificed even 
the friendship of Burke to his con. 
viction of their truth. 
To conclude our parallel, they 
were men of such transcendent ta- 
lents and towering ambition, that 
had they lived in a republic, one 
or the other would probably have 
been dictator; in an absolute mo- 
narchy, either might have founded 
a new dynasty ; while in a mixed go- 
vernment they were rival statesmen, 
alternately ministers, and during 
life the leaders of the house of 
commons, whose names may be 
fairly placed in competition with 
any of the ministers of modern 
empires, or the popular leaders 
of ancient republics. Let those 
who think less of them, consider 
how much more men are to be go- 
verned by their prejudices and 
their passions, than by their reason, 
and then endeavour to take the 
Jead in opposing or in directing the 
affairs of a mixed government, like 
ours, in times of difficulty, with 
greater talents, more virtue, and less 
3N 3 faction 
