142 
to the fuccefsful remonftrances of his poli- 
tical opponents. 
A fimilac miftake had nearly involved 
us ina war with Spain; and with the 
tecorded folly of a former conteft relative 
to the Falkland’s iflands before his eyes, 
the eloquence and abilities of Mr. Pitt 
were brought into the field, for the ex. 
prefs purpefe of demonftrating the pro- 
priety of a war with the court of Madrid, 
relative to the peltry of Nootka found. 
He mutt be allowed the merit, however, 
of having fpeedily feen and confeffed his 
error, by entering into a convention with 
Spain; but this was not effeéted, until 
an armament had been fitted out, and 
great expence incurred. 
Two other grand meafures remain'to be 
mentioned: the firft is the reftoration of 
the ftadtholder by means of a Prvffian 
army, in the wifdom of which his col-, 
_ leagues and his enemies alike agreed. The 
fecond relates to the king’s illnefs, on 
which oceafion he again found it to his 
advaniage to take conftitutional ground, 
and, with a happy verfatility, once more 
build his arguments on the privilege of 
the people. On this occafion he frenu- 
oufly denied the right of the Priticé of 
Wales to the regency ; and although as 
ufual he difplayed an offenfive degree of 
perfonal haughtinefs, yet his law was 
found, and his tenets confitutional. On 
this grand queftion, he enjoyed the laf 
gleam of departing popularity. 
A great, a novel, and an important 
fcene, now opened to the public eye, which 
foonteemed with grand epochs, aud at 
lensth- became portentous of the moft fi- 
nifter events. It is almoft unneceffary to 
remark, that the fubje& to which we now 
allude was no other than the French revo- 
Jution. A great minifter might perhaps 
have profited by this conjunéture; and 
Mr. Pitt began early to prognofticate that 
events never appeared more promifing than 
at that precife time, no period of cur hif- 
tory having exhibited fo peaceful an af- 
pect! We were at that very moment, 
however, on the brink of one of the moft 
terrible wars that England had ever wit- 
nefied ! i 
The convocation of the ftates general 
was foon followed by the capture of the 
Bafiille, and that event by the firft coali- 
tien of foreign powers on the continent, 
with a view either to reftere the monarch 
te his original authority, or to partition 
France in the fame manner as they had 
done Poland. Whatever might have been 
their fecret refolves, (for they are allowed 
to have at times aflame | 4 very equivocal 
Memoirs of the Right Hon. William Pitt, [March }, 
afpect,) they in effet produced firft the 
imprifonment, and then the execution of 
Louis XVI., in dire& oppofition, indeed, 
to both the fpirit and letter of the new 
conftitution. | jhalty 
The Englifh ambaffador was now re- 
called, and the minifter of France, by an 
exprefs order notified in the London Ga- 
zette, January 24, 1793, commanded ** to 
depart this realm on or before the 1ft day 
of February next.” The oftenfible caules 
of aconteft, accompanied by fo many pre- 
fent, and pregnant with fo many future 
evils, may be refolved into two: 1ft. the 
opening of the Scheldt, and 2d. the decree 
of fraternity ; the firft of which was af- 
furedly impolitic, and the fecond offenfive 
in the extreme. How far they afforded a 
fufficient caufa belli, is lett to the com- 
mentators on Grotius and Puffendorf, who 
will perhaps decide as ufual according 
either to national or party feelings. 
Never was a war lefs popular than at 
the moment juft alluded to; for the bulk 
of the nation, which had formerly detefted 
the French as flaves, had moft cordially 
rejoiced at their enfranchifement. They 
beheld with fufpicion a confiderable por- 
tion of the cabinet confifting of thofe who 
had advocated the conteft with America 3 
and in addition to this, a certain degree of 
‘perfonal rancour prevailed againft the pre- 
mier, and continued indeed, although with 
a confiderable degree of abatement, until 
the peried of his difmiffion. He was 
openly and ably oppofed, too, by men 
who at the very firtt warned him of the 
confequences, and in the true fpirit of 
prophecy predicted the final refult, 
Mr. Pitt, however, was not to be de- 
terred, on the contrary, he perfevered; and 
having received a frefh addition to his 
party, by the acceffion of a powerful por- 
tion of the minority, who are faid to have 
ftipulated for ftrong and decifive meafures, 
he carried on the war according to his 
own plans and principles. From that 
moment all oppofition was fruitlefs ; and, 
indeed, ail oppofition in fa&t ceafed: for 
whatever his political enemies might be in 
point of talents, in refpect to numbers 
they were infignificant and contemptible. 
‘The conteft was of courfe carried on 
with redoubled energy, and_all the cfficers 
of the French marine, having been nobles, 
and confequently /a/pedied, either with- 
drew or were difmified ; fo that the fhips 
of war, aswell as the colonies appertain- 
ing to that power, became a prey to the 
fleets and armies of England. Egypt, 
too, was reconquered from the foe; and 
our foldiers on that occafion diftinpuifhed 
themfelves 
