Star. — London, England, 1812-12-01 00:00:00

- .. arc l :c 7 ,..,a.._„. ...,. "414 4,11T vobLccd, 141S01) . *lone. " , 4E;;V.3f. f-over: ealserr . Y A Alit/lint. froin (ii i• l a te e nose pa any !lung fardier#_,llitt tat, ' .ib the T s 'p e ii ,X,WhicitirVery tricheidual ist the Hooke, 't ie d every individual in the country, inut warmly coincide , namely, 1 .) g i ve ever y p oss ibl e supp ort t o o t h e factitive Government in the great contest in • whi c h we are engaged. It goes no farther than to r ejoice at the forlinate, and to lament the unfortu- , Hate, o ccurrences of the last six months; to premise every aid t that. ni ,I , lie necewatey to improve the e arn er, to repair, lac letter e and to bring . the whole to a happy issue. .SO:lais "Sir, I, trust that every nun whohears me will ieo s e'and I am confident that an i nc alculable majority of the country at: large are Z 4 ,cithout the smalle.sudiesitation, tp.go.e-- r, it might have been thought, t - ff the Address 0000 by the Noble, y.oiel, howeeerAmexcection able in its general-principle , lead ;been alibied t o as; teßhout Comment or illustration, that ei*riian who ' * cur ed in it was boand,to the details es will as to ' • uneril principles, ...40 thet a ; all doubt wait isei. ' • ' on points whiels 'req e uirecl. fu I:the! inforrna- dee. It is Merely z doe sphlo . .e--in -the,spleit-of i ow ing tp guard niyfielf latest. finch 4a! ,sweep Fig *,tee c iesion s aod with 'he desire to interrupt unaatmny,' • po toitili . diiiositiol towards the Adcfress itself,.no -, e piety,,to pia, *OM present moment; . inferfogntp. nel en en points that, ip My eonception t require future.' e i ne i t iO e n, that I Presame, . Sir, . to addreis Ton, ;id rOdetain yon , and " the House" TOr a shOrt time, 'white I explain my senti!nents on several of the to -1 p i cs eumprebended .in the Noble Lord's.Address.:— Sh, the general view of our, situation naturally di vides itself into domestic and foreign; and the to. reign.portion of that view . into' the contemplation of three distinct wars, is which we are principals or - accessaries.-11e first is the war in the North of Europe, which we are cheering with our encourage- • new, but of which we are deeply . hiterested specta tors rather than active partisans. The ' second is the war in the Perinsula„caOied On principally from ' jur ov a resources, aided in.. sonic degree by . those of oar allies. The third is the war with America, ' in winch we are solely engaged, and in the conduct' At wbich, therefore, our Governaient is subject to' :en exclusive responsibility.—With respect, Sit; to the war iv the North of Dirope, it was well said by the ,Noble Lord who, spoved the Address, that it is the ' child of that great effort il a . the Peninsula which has . waled Europe to reflect on its condition, and has ' rented it to a straggle for emancipation. (.1/ear, hear.) . There can be bnt,pne feeling of unbou'ndecl ad a= • hut at the great effort Which has been made by Rus e .14a.r,iliear t hear) • .Noble,l3,as been the contest there "-:even *bere t . where the tyrant of the world dotal* leislY anticipatOlineily victory, and concluded from former iseettencee that one decesive battle would be the precursor of an abject peacethere, where be :thought he knew his man—there, where he forgot • ;that a change of circumstances might rouse a Whole ',nein to contend with laim.there ' .where imagining . *that, having issued a - bulletin _end taken a fort, his :work was done, he Uperpeetedly fount( a countless ppidation °Napped to the itathefprogress of his de ,,fing ambiticnir--WhifeelaWe,hear.). sii k there is men why Can contemplate; the recent occurrences the North of Europe without feeling his heat t burn ..s 'thin him. There is no man who can contemplate ..' them without rejoicing . at.the defeat of those p:inciples • .. ,Of false philosophy which, having first misled the world, 4 6ave,at length deceived those by whom they were ori ginally asserted. The invader of Russia flattered him self, as the Nqblebiovex cif the Address has justly °b uffed, that a nation, to which he affixed the appella tion of barbarous, and which he imagined to be in a :ccodition of slavery, could entertain no generous and :,noble sentiment. He forget that there is in every country a principle of instiuctive patriotism, which prevails over the vice of positive institutions; for, Sir, it is not true, aeit * beets for these last twenty years so loudly asserted; . that before .die people of any country determine - to resist an invader, they coldly speculate on their , own stare, and eater into a comparative view of their, condition, .and that, of 443 r• rounding nations._ilier, ~) - Sfr, .the, invader of Russia has tound thatahe physical feelings of, man, his sacred attachment to hichomet the ties of cus tuns, of family, of .kindred, were ehough to arouse resistauce to an ,invader, coming with promises of freedom and improvement ; not because it was i.ria iued he raiglit noerealise those prcAnises, but simply because he was .asi inVader and aloreigoer.—(licers Sri--r if this were to be the sole result of whir l • has ieken place in the North, it. would be an iuvalna ble addition—or, rather it would be a reeiv..4l of these ' dent maxims of nat i onal indeeepdence, which the convulsions of the modern world have althopet huriqd • is obliviOn. But is this ell Z. Can any rP 4 r l : who 'looks at the Pneselg- condition., of BoriaPanas WI •l Ghat wonderful ability welter, be pay have rep • Cued himself from _former ..difliculties, perhaps 'as - peat as . those-in •Whith he is now involved, and r , I am sure kinn not disposed to deny him the pot session of great 'ability ; but, I etpear, ,cau Any man , look at ,bis -present -condition, and ,so . dee:tile his ;feelings as not to entertain Koine hope of rants fa . yourable t ee the-pause of Europe ?"1 - lis e s4, is she I view which L taita.of this part of the subject, and si far as I can be apprised of the circurpst,nces, I give full credit to Ministers for the conduct whist, it semis they have . pursued towards Russia—a con . - , duct influenced, as it appears tome, by the soundest P9licl 44 far as it regards the commencement of the trate and their intentions to give• to the Emperor - Russia every poss ibl e a id -i n t h e p r osecution of t • But, here, Sir, .a question arises, which t do not wish mte` to * be answered, ' but respecting Utica some future explanation seems t 9 be indis rensibk. H ow hes it happened, that having made I fretties of Pe ace , upo n which we are called upon . to congratulate the-Prince Regent ; and having for 1 th e last six. months heard notes of preparation in every port of Sweden, that the power of Sweden I has not beefs brought to bear in aid of the corn -1 . rnort cause, at a 'inornent ;a hen, if ever, the inter- , - position of a third' Power might have been decisive I of the contest ? .To this question 1 do,not desire an .; • immediate reply ; but I cannot vote for an Ad- • e iteSS containing a •congratulation on the conchs :ion of a Treaty With Sweden, and at the same time observe Bonaparte' retreating, -and in a situ _ anon which an effective attack on his rear might . render doubly perilous, without reserving to my- ,' self the right of asking, at some future period e l Ghat iinpcilia* _ PPYSted the, "i9PerAiN of that it was .wise . languige ; baring held it htiiv eVer, it behoved in tr. strain evety nerve in' the Peninsula. Sir, while I cordially joiti hi .nilery 'ward of the• Address which congratulates his RoYal Highness on the - splendid exPloits of our distinguished army, and . of .their gallant and imnitrtal leader id'; that country, I must shy that, when, in Suldition; I am called upon to declare that the resat of those brilliant exploits hes a satified the hope and.expecta ticns oI the country, I mustbar myself against being supposed to concur in the interpretation to which,that part of the Address is liable. Do I, therefrre, count the victory of Salamanca ai nothing, even if its con sequences terminated .on the 'plains upon which it was fought t . Certainly' not. 1,„,wh0 held tip the barien field, is it was called, of Talavera, to the ad; miration of the country,. could scarcely be expected to withhold my applause of that of Salamanca, even had no result proceeded :tom it but the acquisition of national glory. But, Sir, lam compelled to take a differant view of the question, when I compare the hopes which the victc of Salamanca inspired, with .cony the situation of our alF.sirs in the Peninsula, which was presented to us at the opening of the present Ses sion. It is certainly impossible for any man not in an official situation, and consequently excluded from the molt authentic sauces of information, actually to demonstrate that we could have made greater efforts in 'the Peninsular war, or, if we had made greater efforts that they would have beton successfbl. On a former occasibp;l studiously guarded tis !self against giving a decided opinion that the scale of 0e war m the Peninsula was not as great. as our means might ena , ble us to make-it. But, Sir, thip I will say,•if there be in the power of Minisiers•'ahy means yet -untried —any effdrt yet unattepipted,-any resources jet un exPldred.y—any ACOmulation.of force yet omitted— any increase of energy yet delayed —not only that inch additional - - -- ought to be _immediately i~ litii ezertik ought to ant lely made, but that it ought to have been made long ago., The caPacity . tO do more at present the test of the, capaCity to have ,done more at a former period. If a teinforoement can be'sent oUt now, the omit is on Ministers' to prove tbat'it could not have been send out before, If any measure can now be adopted by - Which the . ..clispOsable.force of the country may be atigmonted; the biarden Is on Ministers to prove that Such a meoture could not have been ceiken'six monthi ,ago ; When; instead of retrieving reverses, it might Aave ensured a continuance of success. If MinisterS have it iu contemplation at present to call on the country to make any extraordinary effort, why was Nit tbat call mad'e in July last ? Le y was not deci although it may be accompanied with tenfold cdst, is best calculated to advance the real interests of this country. If, Sir, I feel this doctrine to be appli cable so the contests in Russia, and in the Peninsula, how much more applicable must I consider it to that third contest in which we are exclusively engaFei--:-I mean the war with America? I will not detain the Home with expressing that which every man in the country must feel in common with myself—an anxious wish that two natious, bound by so many ties (.f consan guinity and ,interest, should remain in a state, not merely of arhity,.but of alliance. hut, Sir, it is with Atierio as it must be with other coun:ries, under si. mita, circumstances. When once the die was cast, I when once war became inevitable, it became us to be 1 prompt in our measures, and; by vigorous proceed-. tags, , to bring the contest to a speety and successful terruinatioq. The Address moved by the Noble Lord states, that wz. 'learn rom his Royal High ness, that the Declaration of War by America, was issued at a time when circumstances had led him to hope; that the disputes between the two countries . tnigni be amicably arranged. If, Sir, the Address bad stated that to be our opinion, I could not have assented to it. We receive this opinion from his Royal Highness, and we must presume, that be speaks from sources of intelligence tint open to us. As far as that ge.ieral observation, which all whcollear me are en. enabled to make as well asmyself, goes, I must say, that at the moment. when-the Tteclaratierrot War reached this wuntry from America, I believe it reached u. in the day on altieh the last Parliament was prorogued. I, for one, did not entertain the slightest expectation, nor was there on the face of the document tbe least justification of any expectation, that what had been dune in this country would remove the causes which had induced America to go. to war with us. For in that Declaration, the. Fescindi of the Orders in Council which had _ - ti en insisted on in America, and still more:by those who argued in favour of America on this side of the water, were studiously postponed, and other grievances advanced, which this country had not taken any steps, and which perhaps we could not take any steps to remove. If America -ever intended to close with us on the Orders in Council, she evi dently reviewed that intention; and deliberately, and ex anima, determined that she would go to war with on, unless we made every concession that she d 6 e manded. It was evident, Sir, that the revocation pf the Orders in Council could not be supposed, by any rational mind, likely to restore peace ; and there- Sir, until I obtain much better information than ay was . _ the f re, ,____ lait Scssicin oi" the last Pa rliamoot prolonged for that of which I am at present possessed of, Imust ~ 'purpose,. I cao, therefore, concur in the congratula- comes= to think that war was certain, and that all tlon on, and bnplied ap,probittion of the conduct of thet remained to this country was, to determine how the war in the Peninsula,. poly ean the understanding thaws could best be carried on. The best way to 'that it shall be hereafter sties n to the-House, that carry on any war is the way that will lead soonest Government did not possess the means of making ro peace. Vigour, not forbearance, exertions to an. , that little additiotjal effort, , which .seems alone to extent calculated to make the enemy feel and dread have been wanted, in order to bring the contest t our power. 'Sir, I would go to the extreme verge Itn a favoutable termination. In .this view of the • fit concession to preserve peace; but when the pre subject; the higher we estimate- Lord Wellington's seivation of peace becomes hopeess, I would not di.l merit, and no man is disposed to estimate it more , lute my measures of hostility in the expectation that 1 bilfb4 than myself, the more must we regret any : such aregimen would be salutary : I would not make misplaced economy, and shrinking frcm exertion war, which is naturally an acute distemper, a chronic that had a tendency to cripple his means, and one, and incorporate it with the habitual system of prevent him from attaining those important ob- the country-- (Hear, hear.) This war with America, Teets which his great mind had in contempla- which.vigour might soon have converted kit° peace, i tion. It is difficult for any man not in office hag nursed up this petty policy until it is probably I ',to prove the affirmative that more might have fastened upon us for a considerable period. I will done by Government in the Peninsula.— ask any man, whether, if two years ago, in the con.; 'But if 1 were put to the question, I must say, that temptation of a war with America, and with the con .t)een L in my conscience I believe •they might have dune sideratiun of the character, the might, and the gran [more. I believe that greater efforts might have been deur of this couutry, it had been prophesied to him, lshade, and I believe , that if those efforts had been that after six months of hostility, the only maritime ecsade, they would have proved eminently and con- trophies would be on the side of the enemy, and our elusively successful. To those, ST, who habitually only consolation that we had not been conquered by despond of the means and resources of the country ; land, he would not have thought such a prediction an who think .that she has taken her stand too high insult 1 It is true, Sir, we have not been Conquered. iniong the nations of the earth, aed that she ought in America by land. lam sure lam disposed to pay: to retuin to her pre* level, shrink into her shell, my tribute of admiration to our gallant troops, and of and avoid all attempts at foreign conquest, 1 may ex' regret for their heroic leader, with as much sincerity of i pose myself to the imputation of insanity, when I feeling as any man ; for individual heroism and self talk of extending our military exertions. But I will devotion, under any circumstances, are glorious ; but task those Gentlemen, whether it the efforts which we Sir, whathas happened is not a matter ofgreattriumpb. have latai bee 4 making bad been-predicted tea years I really sever did suppose r i bkt wg 05051.4 be on; . _ . s. •., .. . . beden, ivhicli it rlinriliwinkri l dre*tiSilrirt• • it, llte SiefiVtieetY 4irisiti iii 4 64344 i. 004.1 iiiiia• it never itihiliti inie MY Mind that • o. .. .. • pate, or iii Initiate wiiciOns to remove . Ido not lilaine with an air of absolute...lncredibility ? Sir, t ieve Should le compelled to seek for such a c.•risolation. quire: • e treaty —1 wish 'only to in seith,ttieden . that the resources of the co un tit, / belie v e th a t the It D eice entered into me Mind thAt the might' naval is not befor e th e H ouse i t 'ti e t h ere f or e argue u p o n , spirit or the country, are full n adequate to a Consi...power of England would be allowed to sleep while It only from the g enera l i n f ormat i on respect i n g it s d era i l * extens i on of the exert ions that have hitherto i our comnierce *as Swapt from the surface of the &tour, which every one p ossesses . B ut , Si r , i t o u g h t b een ma d e ; and therefore to justify my cordial con- ! Atlantic. It never entered into m: mind that at not to be forgotten, whenever this subject may come currence in the approbation which has been done, I ' the end of six months wat with America, it woul. to be deliberately considered in Parliament, that in must be satisfied that those iocreased exertions Chili be proclaimed in a speech from the Throne, tha concluding this Treaty, the Court of St. James and not sooner have been accomplished. This at least the time was now come when the loog.aithl:eldi that of Stockholm, did not stand on an exact footing ! is certain, that the imagination of man can hardly. thunder of Britain must be launched against an ;at' of equality. We had a boon to grant, for which . : devise a situation of affairs in Europe so favourable placable foe, and the fulness of her power rah . , we bad a right .to expect an equivalent. In all 'to a great effort as that which has recently oc- bited. It never entered my mind that we slicur. diplomacy, all pi times, the acknowledgment of a turne d . Not. only since the commencement of the send a fleet to our ports in North America, and the. new dynasty (to say nothing of an usurpation) present war, but since the commencement of the re. we should then attack the American town, with a entitles to an equivalent ; and if the Treaty with volutionary war, the power of France was never so Rag of truce. I have said, Sir, and 1 repeat; teat : Sweden simply restores peace on an equal footing, thoroughly occupied. Never has she played so . when his Royal Highness tells iis t .Il b at tic period 'it Is an improvident Treaty; for the acknowledge. deep a game, never has her hazard been so mighty, of the American declaration of war, there were cif :went of a new dynasty, and incidentally of the never has her ruin been so near its accomplishment. cumstancea which led him to believe that peace F?enehman who is now the Pri nce ; clearly ,g ! iee to —While the strength of France was withering in the might be restored; it may be that ileac circum- Ithis country a right to demand•an equivalent whin- North, . oh that we had the means of pushing to a stances were of a nature of which we anti the public rage. What that advantage ough t t o ha ve be e n success ful extent the efforts which we must now are wholly ignorant, but which in du. time may, II will not' now say, but I .contend that we • ought - make to retrieve disaster I With such a General, perhaps be discloseci, and may then bear out such a to' have obtained some advantage, *ln Wail* sat and such a cause, what might we not have justly ex- belief: But certainly, on the face of the American the'conduct of the war in Itusait,,as arising' out of petted !—a General of whom it is not too much to declaration, any man must observe a studied nand to and 'ectiedutageel by the War' ia. thel'eoinseta, the , say. that whatever might have been the means ea- prevent pacification, or at least to defer it ; and as to view of ft so 'properl.y taken by the Noble'Lordr,a trusted to hime they would have been used with the Canada, the desire entertained by the Anaricaa Gu (*esti eonitderation - Isi imkeiied upon us. Hitherto greatesteffect—Whitever the scope *opened to him vernment to possess that prov.nt.: is !set much frown ive 'hare carried on the war in the Peninsula with no .en the theatre of Europe, he would have tilled with ed upon, even by 'those Americans who are theleaat MUNI to any Other nations than those which inha- • glory to himself and his country—(Hear, hear.)— disposed towards this country. As an additional hitidlhe 'Penittiula itself. But if, on the faith of our a General, of whom it is not tco much to s.,y, that prooi of the true tone and character of the Apical- eonthinilig Mb efforts iri the Peninsula r the Russians • looking at what he has already done, no one can deny can declaration, let it not be forgotrCri, Lhat imam hive began* 'their war in the North, then we are that, with a comparatively small increase of force, diately after the promulgation*ot it an Ambassador bound to consider them no longer as separated from 'he might have occupied Mad: id, not merely as the to France was appointed, who traced the steps of the 'the interests of Portugal ancr-SPain, and our obliga. • cart-011*y, but asahe centre of his uperaions ; that Gallic Conqueror through the realms which he had tions accumulate to prosecute vigorously a contest on he might have carried his army not merely to the devastated—an Ambaso.dor,heanng the homage of a 'the faith of' a continuance of which Russia involved .Ebro but to the Pyranuees ; and that considei ing the Republic, to sign, amidst the (lest: uction of sloscow, Iterself in hostilities-wi t h • Frante. • Judging, Sir, ' present state of France, and the general discontent a treaty inimical to the i udepeodeuce a.t - Opstin 1 1 .- 'from what hat occutred, I uhequivarcally approie the - teat mast pervade that country—considering the When such was the effect of republican virtue ..actiose language whichhat been held towards Rus s ia. I ' situation of Bonaparte, met by an unexpecte d and of liberty, faint were the hopes that could be &wished believe our gonitniment has said tome Court irf St. i unprecedented rebuff, the Russians clasping round of a disposition on the part of America tb conciliate Peterehurgh, - " if you engage in .4 war with France , and gradually diminishing his famished legions, he Great Britain. Much has been said of the natural af 'with' a *kw to your own inte r e s ts, w e will help you' might have advanced to .the boundaries of Spain, fection that ought to subsist between the two cowl as to' as.we may be able ; but depend not tin our di.: and overlooking the French provinces, becoming tries: Sir, I admit the force of common blood, of reef and immedlite r aid. Our . principal earn! must : insuigent, have given the watch-word of liberation common interests, of common language. But we are bet madein the Peninsula , and in making them there ; from oppression.--(Loud cries of Hear, hear.)— told by natural hiitotians, that affection descends;-- we Shall do more towards Your assistance. than by j —At an events, Sir, this is clear—that economy that parents love their children more than children atof pecuniary or military support &ware sheuld be *in war, which restricts and husbands our efforts, is love their parents :.and I put it to those who, in this able toafford You." That! *take, Sir, to have been the . worst description of economy; and that a great • country, speak of America with parental affection, i.ae•langeage held to Russia . ; and if so, I contend, ! exertion, tending to a sudden i :Won of the contest, whether they do not count a little too much on .... a reciprocity of feeling on the part of America . —Before, however, I leave the subject of Canada, I beg leave again to guard myself against the possibi lity of being so misunderstood, as to be supposed ca- i pable of undervaluing the heroism there displayed— the allegiance which remained proof against all temp- . tation. Let me also (adverting to a Vote of Parlia ment last year) remind the House, that these I'ro vinces of Canada, so assailed, and so attempted to be seduced, are the single specimen in the British Em pire., in which the Catholic is allowed to legislate side braide with the Protestant in the House of Assent blY, and to fight side by side with Lira in the - field.— (Near, hear.) Sir, from this fact, I draw this infer ence; if we cannot become wise from our own rea soning, let us at least derive a lesson of practical wisdom from the conduct of those whom we unani mously admire.—(Hear, hear, hear.)—For this sys tem of forbearing war, of mitigated and Iralt,afraid hostility, we are told there is a two-fol.! reason. We are told that we have friends in America whom we should endeavour to conciliate by mildness, and that we should be careful w put ourselves, and to slew ourselves completely in the right: No Man can subscribe more readily then I do to the latter propo sition. Snmuch so, indeed, that I confess, I should contemplate the most splendid victory that ever de corated the historic page with little admiration, if it were gained in a canse manifestly unjust. It also may.be wise to give that preponderance to the party in America—l will not call it English, for that would be unjust. , --good Americans, who love their coon ! try, and who maintain the opinion that an alliance with England is preferable to an alliance with France. Besides, Sir, are we sure that by th is mitigated hostility we are .really playing the game of the party friendly to us ? I doubt it. If I imagine a country divided into parties, one of which predicts the evils that must fodow hostility with England; I cannot conceive a mode better cal culated to..diminish the influence of that party than by making the hostility, when it does come, harmless; thus rendering the prophets contemptible, S and en abliog those opposed to them iii politics to appeal to experience from their forebodings. But is this an ideal picture ? I found the other day the report ofa ' speech made by one of the party in America, whom we are told we ought to conciliate by forbearance.. This Gentleman (General Gcrman) endeavoured to deter his countrymen from war, by an anticipation of the evils which Grept Britain could inflict upon America the moment that war was declared. In an Address to the Senate he observed—" that the .1 lira consequence of the maritime superiority of 'Meat Britain would be the loss of New Orleans, from -which the English could not be dislodged without a great sacrifice of blood and treasure : that they might then pass northward along the American coast to Charleston and Norfolk r"--(-and he asked,. " if they thought it possible to defend those p laces , or that they would not be in the possession of the English in six days P' He assured the Se. nate, that if they calculatd on the forbearance of the English, they would be deceived ;" and went on to ridicule the idea, that, after the step of de. daring war had been taken, any thing would post pone the vengeance of Great Britain. The step has been taken, and the prophet can be no linger re spected. He is lost to us to any useful purpose. —Every one knows, that the inconvertiencies which ' it is in the power of an enemy to inflict, on -the breaking out of a w. u. frequently retard that event. These inconveniences have passed by, and America has less reason to wish for the discontinuance of hos tilities. if, however, any man can thew me, that six months spent in impotent hostility, and that so negotiate with an enemy's Beet instead of cap it, are the modes of malting a cause just, I to such proof. But, Sir, if it be so very d to put us in the right on this question, sure= • was a shorter way. The declaration (4 war ea die ' part of America was received about the end of kap It imputed to us, besides the Orders in coma: • , (which have been sufficiently discussed here to rest thr any farther . observations upon them name/miry), other substantive grounds of quarrel ; whick.4 6 .• ! ow l im the, face of the world sod of posterity • mi ~-~ I I I C 1b.1./ f a_ i t is 0