HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



35 



of Spain even whilst the Spaniards 

 continued true to themselves, with 

 what confidence could we hope for 

 our own safety ? With nations, as 

 with individuals, punishments fol- 

 lowed fast upon the footsteps of 

 dishonour. 



Mr. Ponsonhy rose, not to op- 

 pose the address, but in the pre- 

 sent awful circumstances, to make 

 some observations, and offer some 

 opinions, which he conceived to be 

 of importance to the honour and 

 security of the country. — His Ma- 

 jesty last year concluded a treaty, 

 by which it was stipulated, that if 

 the King of Sweden should be at- 

 tacked by his neighbours, this 

 country should concert with that 

 sovereign, as to sending out an 

 auxiliary force to his aid. — How 

 far there had been any thing of con- 

 cert — How far there had been any 

 thing of council — How far there 

 had been any mutual communica- 

 tion, or common understanding, 

 between the government of this 

 countrj' and his Swedish Majesty, 

 in conformity with the treaty, we 

 might form some judgment by the 

 expedition of Sir John Moore and 

 his army sent out in the course of 

 the last summer. — What was the 

 result of that expedition ? Was it 

 because Sir John Moore was kept 

 in ignorance of the mutual coun- 

 sel and concert of the two govern- 

 ments: or was it because there 

 did not exist in the councils of his 

 Majesty's ministers either method, 

 system, or design, that that officer, 

 without a single musket being 

 fired, or one battalion of it being 

 formed in order of battle before 

 an enemy, was compelled actually 

 to make his escape from Stockholm 

 in disguise ? Mr. Ponsonby pro- 

 ceeded to arraign the attack on 



Copenhagen. — >If that rash and 

 inglorious expedition had not taken 

 place, the Danish navy would now 

 consist of ships of war blocked up 

 in the ports of Denmark, instead 

 of being converted, as it now was, 

 into a more active and successful 

 means of hostility against our com- 

 merce, than the navy of any power 

 in Europe. Had the assault on the 

 navy of Denmark deprived it of 

 the services of a single sailor ? No. 

 Ministers contented themselves 

 with taking away their ships of 

 war. Had their marine conti- 

 nued safe, it would have absorbed 

 those exertions of their numerous 

 seamen which were employed in a 

 predatory warfare against our com- 

 merce. This was another instance, 

 besides that of the expedition to 

 Sweden, of that ministerial vi- 

 gour which was to chai-acterize the 

 government of those now entrust- 

 ed with the confidence of the 

 crown. 



After these transactions in the 

 north of Europe, Mr. Ponsonby 

 proceeded, the affairs of Spain 

 next engrossed the attention of the 

 world. The government of France 

 having made its iniquitous attempt 

 upon the Spanish nation, an op- 

 portunity of ardent hope to this 

 country, and of probable deliver- 

 ance to Europe, presented itself, 

 such as we had not witnessed since 

 the revolution of France in 1789. 

 This was an event of the greatest 

 importance, an event big with the 

 greatest consequences, and which 

 demanded the greatest attention of 

 the King's ministers : they, and 

 they only, were capable of form- 

 ing a just opinion concerning it. 

 It was impossible to conceive that 

 such a country as Great Britain 

 could view such passing events 



D 2 with 



