CONCLUSIONS. 



m 



of such an universal scourge as piracy* We see these 

 last-moutioned meauB (the coercive) adopted only upon 

 imperative necessity ; we see officers ikmt performing 

 i/mr part merely as they were bound to do both bj their 

 special ortlei's, and by the articles of wai' ; we see that^ 

 where they did exercise a discretion, it was on the aide 

 of mercy and forbearance, and to tlie sparing of many 

 Imndreda of Lives, whicli they might easily and prqfilMj 

 have sacrified. What part tlien of the charge m there 

 remaining un rebutted ? 



I have endeavoured, I hope successfiilly, to sfcate this 

 question, atid to support my view of it, in a dispassionate 

 and candid spirit^ avoiding all flights of fancy, even, it may 

 be, to an extreme of dulncss. I can scarcely doubt my 

 success so fer tliat^ if any of my readers shall have halted 

 between two opiiiious, simply frooi want of information 

 as to facts, thci/ will now be enabled to perceive tliat 

 , never — since Governments existed, witli superiors to 

 judge and to direct, with subordinates to obey and not 

 to jWi/e,— never has a more unreasonable attack been 

 made upoii men doing their duty, than Mr. Hume's 

 attack on the honourable and gallant men, civil and 

 military, whose duty it has been to act against the 

 Serebfis and Sakarrau pirates. 



The particular individuals, whom the honourable member 

 for Montrose, by holdii^g them up as abettors of oppression 

 and massacre, invites his country and the civihscd world 

 to execrate, are, as I have already observed, Admirals 



