The National Register. — London, England, 1813-12-12 00:00:00

THE NATION ...„ tont mug, cogitation, -an UN. .11PUBLISHED AT No. 11, NEWC ASTI. E-ST it VET, SiTDAND. N 0.311. Our opinion respecting Mr. WHITBREAD'S late manly conduct in Parliament. and the purity of his motives, has already beeir ex pressed in the most unequivocal mantle!. After so many years of bloodshed and devastation, and when more than two-thirds of the families in Europe ncourn the loss of several of their members, no heart, alive to the least feeling of humanity, can refrain from breathing a sigh for peace. To conclude a treaty, which, whilst it afforded us and the Continent full security, should not be in consistent with the national honour of our enemy, was the inten• tion publicly avowed by His Majesty's Ministers, and candidly expressed in the PRINCE REGENT'S declaration at the opening of Parliament, when Mr. W HITBREAD made the Speech which ha s occasioned the following remarks by one of our valuable corres pondents.. It, therefore, appears to us, that the charge on that Gentleman, of having eased conditions to the support be grant ed to Government is unfounded, since he only coincided with the intentions of Government itself. As, however, the view taken by our correspondent of the dangers of making peace at present seerall perfectly correct, we insert his communication in that spi rit of impartiality, which ought invariably to regulate the conduct of a British Journalist. TO SAMUEL WHITBREAD, ESQ• Star—You have lately renounced thit system of opposition to the measures of Government, wlich, since the dawning, of your political life, you had pursued with a degree of ob stieacy which seemed rather the result of a naturally liti gious disposition than the fruit of enlightened patriotism At a period so fertile in glory and advantages, and so honour able to the Ministers by whom, if not entirely prepared, it has tong been confidently foreseen and expected, I should think your conversion and your oiler sincere, had you not imposed upon it conditions, which, in fact, render it nuga- tory. Aistract theories are, in all countries, the weapons wielded by the opponents of Government. What is honoured by a misapplication of terms with the name of Philosophy, Philan thropy, Toleration, and Reform, is only the text of the de clamatory effusions with which all those whom temper, am bition, or perverseness mould into the agents of party, endea vour to clog the wheels of the Executive. From repeated observations, I am convinced that your natural disposition led you into the Opposition, and that when you erred, it was in the firm conviction that you were right. Your conduct, during the ephemeral administration of your friends in 1806, and the kind of capitulation which you endeavoured to ob tain, when you proffered your support to the present Minis- tens, satisfactorily prove that your errors are those of your wind and do not affect the honesty of your heart. On the latter occasion it would have been wiser in you, perhaps, to have followed the prudent example of your party arcito have surrendered at discretion: As often as you have reproached Ministers with refusing CCCXL. SUNDAY, DECEIVIBEIt 12. 1813. to make peace with a foe, who has noticept any of the trea ties which he had signed, and who has frequently declared that England and the French Empire could not subsist to gether, you must have been considered as uttering one of those common place accusations, which only proceed from those who aim at popularity. But now that wise and vigo rous messures have hastened the day when our country may hope for a solid and honourable peace ; now that the Conti nental Powers, (with whom the enemy never signed a peace, unless its first clause were a declaration of war apinst us) are leagued with us to compel him to' fall hack within his an cient limits ; now that the praise of having enfranchised Europe, descends with the assent of all nations on pa- - tient and energetic England, you demand for her implacable foe, for him who has so often sworn her destruction, and who, at this very moment, charges her with the eman cipation. of the Continent from its shameful yoke, as with an heinous crime—for such a man you demand an honourable Peace ! It was the first, and I trust will be the last time that such a proposal shall be heard -in the British Parlia ment. It is not there that the interests of France are to be discussed ; but since you thought proper to make such an appeal to our national generosity, allow me to put some questions to you, which, if answered when you shell have another opportunity of delivering your sentiments in }oar place, on that important subject, may give you a juster claim to the popularity which you have laboured to attain, and which, lam apprehensive you will not find greatly en creised in consequence of your late application in behalf of • NAPOLEON. First then, Sir, allow me to request you will expl.lin what 3ou understand by au honourable Peace for all the Bellige• rent Powers, the present Frencli Empire included ? If I do not mistake the views of the Allied Powers, and especially those of England, who, through the system con. ceiced by Mr. PITT, and followed by his successors with unyielding perseverance , h as at last checked the torrent that devastated the world, the, object of the present war is to restore, either on its ancient foundations, or on a Dflr and more solid basis, the balance of power ha Europe. Spain is not yet delivered, although our immortstt WELLINGTON has planted the British standard on the French territory. A portion. of Germany is still occuf pied by the troops of France, and though we may -an ticipate the day when the independence of Holland will be secured, the enemy still holds a stron g line which he may defend a long while, before he can be reduced to beg for peace at the price of all his conquests. His kingdom of Italy has not yet been penetrated, (as the provinces which the of -have reconquered on the A driatic shores. formed part the reach empire), and until Austria be able to send a larger PEACE WIT!! FRANCE. AIR EGISTER. . • :1* •*, * . 1 11Viift: • • ilizics 9d•