The National Register. — London, England, 1813-12-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. g)ar !king, Constitution, alto talcs. PUBLISHED AT NO. 11 ) NEWCASTLE-STREET) STRAND. Pfircx 9d• 3 1 2. SUNDAY, DECEMBEit 19, 1813. TO SAMUEL WHITBREAD, ESQ. M. P. LETTER 11. mor SIR-- AIItbOWAII Lord CAST - thought fit to accept of your co-operation jin. they vi,7erous prosecution of war, I trust that he will not avail himself of it to negociate a reace honourable to a certain Belligerent Power ; and as have no d ,übt but that Power will make inadmissible pro posals before the end of the recess, I foresee an approaching rupture between voii and the Ministers whom you have so lately joined. Po not mistake me; Ido not mean to assert that they are less desirous than you may be, of a general and solid peace, liOnourab!e to their country ; but -I am convinced that they entertain very different notions on the nature of that peace which a "Great Prince," like NAPOLEON, would deem consistent with his oan honour. It would, besides, be a far more difficult task for Lord C AST LER EAGII to be come a stout, genuine and entire Opposition man, than for you to support Government, when you found that it bad conducted the war in such a manner as to deserve your approbation, and that of the people. Those I(linisters whom you bad declared incapable of ruling the helm ofi the State, amidst the difficulties and dangers of the present. xra, have nevertheless succeeded in arm ing enslaved Europe against her oppressor, As, since the death of Mr. PITT, you have condescended to call him a great Statesman, allow me to recall to your mind, the remarkable expressions which he used in the llouse of Commons, when your friends were bitterly re• proaching him with the continuation of the war against tfie French Revolution, whilst the Powers of the Continent signed treaties of peace with the ReVolutionary Govern ment then existing in France : " lf," said he at the close of hjs speech, " Europe should ever recover her independence, and enjoy it in that security, she will not target that she will owe it to the exertions of this small island." Permit tne to add, that it is to tfre men who have closely followed the principles and political system of this gi eat Minister, that Europe is iodebted for the gladdening prospects of returning lade pendence and felicity, which his genius, and h.is pule and enlightened patriotism, had prepared. You vvill probably imagine that I am, what is generally called, a ministerial man : for it is sufficient to praise the good performed by Ministers, 'to he charged with approving, through mere party spirit, or any other motive equally mean, all that they have done, or may do. You will, however, be mistaken. However great my admiration for Mr. PITT, I think he was wrong to negociate for peace with the French Revolutionary Government: and however sincere my gratitude, as a Briton, towards the pre sent Administration, I shall never sanction the treaty of Amiens, which was signed by most of thy. Were I a Mi nisterial man, in the common' acceptation of the word, I should consider that treaty as an useful experiment, which served to open the eyes of the people to the danger; of peace with that Belligerent, for which you already demand an ho nourable peace. But I am, on the contrary, fully convinced, that the treaty of Amiens had no other effect than to protract vol. VI. No. GCC the popular illusion respecting tne possibility of concluding a .afe pace with Revolutionary France. It is the vigorous and successful war which we have waged with iiWOl.l , PART the firm determination, hold!v and energetically proclaimed, *of continuing it, when the rest of Europe shrunk d!smayed at his ',tower—it is the imposing attitude of England, hreathitoi defi ance to that dreaded and gigantic colo•sns, th:it have rendered war popular, and that take away fora Nlinisters theinselves the choice of granting conditions of peace to the French Go vernment as long as it will be revelutionary. It is the noble example of fidelity to its King, to its laws, to its relii;ion, its manners, its habits, and even its ptejudites, given by the English nation to the world, that has triumphed over that innovating principle which had-o - verthrown Europe and pre pared her servitude. And yet,'; it is at - the moment when . this tremendous weapon is almost wrenched fioni the hands of ,him by whom it has lieen so fatally wielded, that , you stand forward to interfere in his behalf and demand its re storation What do yon understand, Sir, by a peace honourable ie Napoleon. Will you leave him a poi-lion ‘ , l his ertiquests ? Then what security you keep against his ambition and his outraged pride? !las he not given sufficient proofs of that vengeful spirit and perfidious disposition which ferns the leading features of his character ? Besides, what por-, tion of his conquests would you leave him, which would not expose to constant dangers, iloltand, Italy; and Germany ? France has no longer any eoliinies. St. Domingo, the most important of thetas all, is loft hoth• to her and to Europe, and Gu aialoupe has been ced ed to Sweden- as the price of her accession to the Coali lion, and its possession guaranteed by England, whose arms, • had conquered it. This measure, wise at the time it took place, because it prevented Sweden from ever *dile, ing to the Continental System, in case it should he re..es•4lAished in the North, has cleated au almost iminvenbuntaWe oith colty in the way of negotiations, the object of which should he, an honourable peace for all the Behge coo l . For it cannot be donlEed, that even wlem reduced to. the list extremity, NAPOLEON would claim the recta -1 ration of the French colonies. or i,tdeinui es - to sup ply their loss. Unless, therefo' e, the very basis of the overtures should be a declaration, that the colonies *heti . d not be restored, nor any indemnities granted to him, it would be dangerous to begin a negoeorion which most last long enough to enable hira to recruit his armies without en -1 crewiag his expenses, whilst the force of he A!lics would dect ease, and the expenditure of England augment. You, undoubtedly, calculated that peace was 'not close at hand, when you liberally offered all the ,resources of the coentry to prosecute the war with vigour, and yet the conditions which you have affixed to it, when capi tulating with Minister*, tan have no other tendency, than to delay the conclusion of that very peace for which you Ping so ardently. Since you think an honourable one with Nit* PO LEON practicable, and that which you have made with . Government is since' e, allow me to suggest - a mode of faci litating the object of your wishes, which, 1 trust, you will . not deem unwise. hV r