ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



971 



accomplishing what he promises, 

 from his negotiations in Turkey 

 and Persia, and the threat he has 

 expressed of invading our Indian 

 provinces, are we aulliorized to 

 hold him so cheap as to feel no so- 

 licitude on the subject? We must 

 by this time be satisfied that the 

 means we have hitherto employed 

 to oppose his ambition, are insuffi- 

 cient and nugatory ; and our mi- 

 nisters cannot flatter themselves 

 that by perseverance in their old 

 maxims they can work effects con- 

 trary to those which they have 

 over and over again experienced, 

 and that they can still claim the 

 confidence of the nation which 

 they have so often disappointed. 



*' It is evident that the taking 

 part wit!) the old established go- 

 vernments, or the new ones that 

 act on their principles, has only 

 shown our ministers that they de- 

 ceive themselves, while they have 

 overlooked, in every part of the 

 world, those materials which Buo- 

 naparte has used, and of which 

 they would not even deign to ac- 

 knowledge the existence. Will 

 they, after what every one knoivs 

 of Turkey and Persia, disregard 

 these facts, and take those broken 

 and heterogeneous masses for ho- 

 mogeneous and integral states ? 

 Will they continue to act on this 

 principle, and send troops and 

 subsidies to those countries, with- 

 out being conscious that they ."-end 

 them to the assistance of nubody, 

 and to attain no object but dis- 

 grace ? Arc they so hardened in 

 ignorance of facts, and stupidity to 

 events, as to be totally unable to 

 comprehend the elements of Buo- 

 naparte's progress ? Are they de- 

 termined to shut their eyes against 

 lliat which every one sees, and to 



defend themselves from the ac- 

 knowledgment of their errors by 

 invincible obstinacy ? Are they de- 

 termined to continue the war, 

 while they reject the only obvious 

 means by which it can be waged 

 with success i Would it not be 

 more consistent to recommend sub- 

 mission, than to deprive us both of 

 the advantages resulting from war, 

 and the tranquillity of peace? But 

 they are entangled in difficulties 

 from which they cannot extricate 

 themselves. They see that peace 

 and submission are synonimous 

 terms. The bad success they have 

 experienced makes them consider 

 war as a dismal alternative. They 

 have not candour enough to ac- 

 knowledge their errors, and act 

 on a better system ; and ihey have 

 just enough ambition to wish to 

 keep their places. They are sen- 

 sible of the disgrace which awaits 

 their half-digested counsels, and 

 the fear of shame has not sufficient 

 influence over them, to induce ihem 

 either to act on more rational 

 princi()les, or to retire from situa- 

 tions to which they are unequal. 



«' Two lines of conduct are 

 open before us — either we may 

 submit to Buonaparte, and become 

 a part of his immense em|)ire, give 

 up our laws and institutions, our 

 personal freedom, the security of 

 property, the dominion of the seas, 

 the coiimierce of the world, and 

 what is more than all, the high cha- 

 racter we have hitherto borne as 

 a great people, or we must contend 

 with him in earnest, and oppose 

 the greatness of his projects, by 

 the magnitude of our own. To 

 continue blockading ports, taking 

 possession of here and there a 

 rock and a harbour, defending 

 Spanish juntas and Sicilian trbunals, 



and 



