The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser. — London, England, 1808-02-09 00:00:00

I lig submission to Fraaee, but they were not without hope and coosolation. In yiehhti; this sore add reluctant obedonice, they must have looked to bet ter days, they must have looked to a country where 'amour was inviolate, where integrity sat euthroned, mad funned the character of the nation to which they inight resurt as a tallying point, when oppur twiny should serve, and make a great effort for the recovery of their liberties and slide iendence : But such a country as that, where is she now ? Where is she taw?-1 do not, however, wish to prese the argument to its full length against Mi nisters, or to hold them to the full extent of the responsibility which they have incurred. I impute uothing more to than than a too zeady acquies cence upon light grounds. This is enough for my tintpuset and if it be ondeniable, then, limy, if you rajeat the motion, the voice of the country, from ose end to the other, will concur in condemning their conduct. A Noble Lord nos admitted, that war is unavoidaoly a scourge to the innocent, and therefore contends that the Danes have not sal feral more than the most blaineleasi people have doae in similar eireum stances of iteceisity. I grant that war generally affects nentral and mooffending nation.' ; but this was not 'nerdy a scourge, a chastis.ineut indieteil upon the Danis, it sy .it to entail upon the innocent, horriple dettractiore The planner of this ex se I:non ought Cot to. ha., supposed lie was prepiring merely a scourge. He' sognt to have looked to wo.neu weeping over their slaughtered infanta, children hangiug upon the corpses of thair mutilated perents, the young and the aged, the innocent aiid the old, sacrilical en one dreadful Ma•is of death, horrur and confusion. !rine is the picture which the idan -er of the cape '. ditfon might to have hod in his conte:riplation. I would ask him what would be said of a highwia,- mau, who should fire a blunderbuss into a carnage foil of defenceless uoorleading women, because tie coachman did not deliver up the remiss into his bands, theoisment they were demanded 1 And yet it is a paralel case. I really see no differenee be. twetu went. By those, however, who would not allow this character to apply to Denmark, it has been said that she was so inveterately, so inairri gaily huatile to this country, she oily waited the hest o,sportunity to renew the northern confedet a .y, mind *hew herself an open and decided foe. NOW, if this argitusent be - good fur airy thing, ahem . is yaw consistency 1 Why did you not act up to it, and in the manner midi a sentiment requites? Why have yen left it hi her power to do tile re.., of which you are so much afrsal ? Way site her an opportunity to bir tint thorn in y sides from which you apprehend so much injury ? Why have yoa left her 10 possession of Zealand, of the Belts, and the Sound You only act n , to a port or yunr arguinent. You hare forgotten half your &Diem .1 on say you were comaynied by so. enmity. Be it so ; but if you sego • upon t .at ground you must advance a positive neceoity, no. thing short of nn alisolate necessity. A speeds. live necessity is nonsense, it is a solecism in awns. You can draw no hue. In necessity there aro no degrees, no vanations, or shades. Every thin; short of neee..4ity is only policy, expediency, convenience, wesueh like. It may then he asked, how are you to define the line on the °that. stile ? Nothing is more r 147. It is Yleaued by huuour, by integnty, by right and justice. These are sentiments sad principles that can never be ruisimilersto.scl. Their nature and lien to cannot be mistaken : they cannot be mired with base meta!, or confounded with what is dishouourable and unjust. Had Denmark been false, still these are the principles with winch we 'hourld have met her hostility ; we should have met her with honour, with - fortitude:but where is our fortitude, if, iu the reduced state of the enemy's navy, and the bdlient coudition of our own, we were frightened by lb Danish ships of the ling ? shade of Nelson, do not despise us ! We do not ail think Ws meanly of tundra'. It has been said, that this country, stoma in itself, if united and trut to its own interests, may laugh to acorn all the assemblage of fareika force that could be brought to bear against her. If this be the ease, what ought we to have dour now ? Were we to run to the leant relouree of stripping Den mark of ships fax a year ? It cannot he sand that we hare done more. Denmark still possesses docks ; she lase timber and all the means oral pre parations for building a navy. Do you think she wants mechanical force and assistance She may ant have good officers; but possessing the root of strength, she cannot long want the irapplement, and every thing iteces..e-y to complete and develope it. Whereas by Ca, act. which at the most gives only as iasufficieut and transitory advantage. 3on !me done pan-self a great and per injury. Yon have done an act that de prives us of all chance of advantage that might re sult from a new realer of thing.i. or an; change of circuinstaivees upon the Continent on Europe.— Rosana is now our enemy, not mealy in form, bat she is full of rawcour of heart against you. If this be the temper of Itusion, what then must be the feeling of Denmark. with its capital destroyed, and ais portion of its inhabitants buried in it. rains? I really wonder that a better case has not been male out. l's what a state must this comae, stand, when Ministers. io such a case, depend for their just tication and defence, not up ,n facts, but open speculation? If they had brought nut a Mitipsfactory explanation. I would hare thought them entitled to the best thanks of the enuntry ; bat if they have not done an, if they will not give even a decent or plausible reason for their conduct, what are we to think of them ? Tina we had a right to taped from them : and if they bad adduced even emit a raison for their ex traordinary evader:, they would receive the adnii ratioa of the country. Hear ! near! Some sat...sfactery reason or eeplensettos the country Tae ennetry is shy, to it--the country feels its honour implicated in the attack on Denmark. mad that boron- is its dearest interest and care. If the country has not been clamorous ranch expienswou--if it has.betrayed raiaians of , amnions--I'll toil you the wawa why. At one . the 'twig& of the Roman History, whoa the nghts of the pool, were Anomaly "misted. and far ..1 jaatice teaapled larder foot. and the peo pl• -elm/wet passive, their conduct was attributed totae d ind of the militara. sod the fear that user tio woo lead to a cha evils: but that is ant the . Ago psis sic of Pnglao I with respect to irk •• on Denmark. Their silences does not arise from 'path/ es iiiegost. They hare beet silent, because they looked to Porliatinent ; because they have looked to you to militant and maintuio the caanseter of themselves and their country in the eyes of Europe. The Earl of Ll3lERlCKraid,howevergratifjutg it might be to the Noble Lord* to have the paper. laid before them, he felt surprised to see a Nuole Baron (Lord Hutchinson) come forward in that House, anal relate a private conversation with the Emperor of Russia, when he was the representative of this Nation at that ('ourt. It is said we had so much iujured the honour and morality of tin& country, when we took possetisiun of the Dauish Beet, that it has not left u, the means or c et re coveriug that great and gloti name of justice, that we have heretnfom so ably sustained through the midst of the different wars we have been cu gaged in. Could the Noble Lords tleiq, that during ere lust war the Danes had dour us much injury ? they did not act as neutrals, but as secret euenties. In the begin ii ittg of the Wit war, they allowed' our enemies to carry their prises into Norway ; although they were not condenmed by u Danish Tribunal, they allowed a French Consul to preside, mei coodetun your vessels. In the year *799, llis Majesty** then Ministers found themselves so iojnred by the conduct of the Danes, that they ap_plied to the Court of Petersburgli to i!ppoint a Minister to rentoustrate at the Count of I..naark, amid to rat a stop to the measures that they had been ca: tying ou to thU great detriment of the Allies. The Danes, at that time, ysere so sensible of their improper conduct, that their Mi nister i n this country, sail also at St. Petershargh, had tlear baggage packed up, expecting au imme diate recall. In loot, Lord Nelson was obliged to ..;o oft to Copenhagen : the issue of that bushaets was so well karma to the House, it would be only wasting their time to Recapitulate it. Thew was nut a Noble Lord in that House' who would give the af fairs of Denmark a serious consideration, but would be °bli t zed to-say that Denmark had been our secret ;sad inveterate. enemy far twenty jean past. There were is :1 of the line of Danish ships at Copeuingen. awl twn on the stocks, which ungat have been ready ia two tnootha, aati Id mil belonging to Russia at Cronstadt, which made 36 sail ; and would the Noble Lords say this was a force that we were not to apprehend danger front ? that it was so small a fleet that it could uot. give sus a momentary uneasiness? He did tot believe that we could with ease, (as extensive as our navy was), keep such a fleet in awe : There was a part of the Empire which would have been muchendangeo. ed, Ireland. He woold not say he loved it as well nM he did England ; but if this country had not iscen the place of his nativity, he could not say that he could have found a diifirenee. It was well known with what facility a passage could be made to Ire land. It was to he remembered the disposition of the people of that country. It was chiefly icilia bited by Catholics. lie did not wish It to he thought that he was speaking of that body in ge neral, when be amid there was a sect or seed amongst theist that re,uataed from the late rebel lion ; but at the mine time he believed there were Catholics of property ia that country, who would be as loath to accept of the French fraternal embrace as any Protestant; and he would go further, and say, that he believed that every Catwalk hi that country that had property, would lose their ex istence for their Kitts and Constitution ; that they wished for etaaacipatton, that they wished to have equal rights with their fellow.usemwas nat oral, and he would not attribute any blame to than for it, nor would he say that they ou..lit not to have theta ; but still he had nut the treat depeudeme on the loyalty of that c.eintry that the Noble LotAt op posite to him had. Ile was con. imed that the: Nlinisters.had time fag cenfoletice of the people. and did not doubt but thedecision of the House that night would 'hew it. • The Earl of JERSEY spoke in farm: of the motion. Lord HAWIiriBURY 1241, there never *as a subject came hetes that Howe that gave him more anxiety, on s.-count of the Aare he had in that business a ith his Noble Colleague.. 1k Of hit friends never did contend that necessity should oblige this country to depart from morality. As rich as he did deplore that His Majesty's Minis ter., hail not the 'approbation of - the Nolde Lords on the opposite side. he would have still more de plored, if they had not done their dnty. There had not been any thine done contrary to the law of nati o ns, 11 bat was the law of walrus' The beat writers cm the sniiject told therm that it was the same law as hetweea man and man in a state of nature ; there had heel' modifications of it to suit the reined age, hitt *hen it was broken throuo by other pewees, it was tune to bring it bail It in its primitive state. But it was mkt, it ass not la arms that we were to fly; hitt what a nuld be left us in • state of nature. where nor preservetion was attacke I ? Ile wonht rat the ewe of an individual —suppose an individual had declared war against the human raw. and pat eery law, bath mead end divine, *lisle • wenl.l it not be jest:646le to seize the arms he bad foe the destruction of the human race He felt that, ender the circum stances in self eh they were placed, and as painful as it was to carry into it:wittiest the seizure of the Da nish fleet, it was done in that mill and Minium war, that always characterised the British arms. Confd any oar doubt, fires the papers and infor.nation before them, of the enemy's wishing to combine the whole powers of the Colitineut against us ? Then the 14 question was, Is heiller they woold have joined them? And the 3.1 was. whethers if thee had entered into web a coifs deracy, they could have carried it into execution? At the time of the Treaty of Tilsit, could any emote' iinsibt the effect 'that treat s was to bave, is former ; ; an armed mari time ronfederary tte: , st 0.1? Was not the fleet of Denmark the ter of that cnnresleracy ? 'What was their avowal ? That they were to keep re. tent.. the Caotineat, and to eiccfude on- riwnels f-oes their ports. 'Did not Prissia. 'n apologising to this musky for the peace she lia.l m ule, avow, that it was the "wean erFsesee. and under so other term s cosh! she have aewairesli 'a peace. and she was onlieed„ from dire necessity, to simu;esee ? It ass net the inibrwatine that the puhre lid home tbren, that deteruiinert Hit Ma';es!y't Ministers to act as tip.? tiorl-1t was prisithe ii.forwmtion from a nervase sourer. wlii-h world coorinee the cunt violent of their Lordship' vibe &snip:wed of the °it meature. It was true, that any measure testing on ruformatiou, the nature of which prevented disclooure, was in all c9:4:5 liable to cavil ; but there have been instances where Parliament have considered such information a grouad safficient for it to act upon : and particularly where the measure arising out of that information was sup ported by strong concurrent probabilities. It was needless in that House to continent upon the avowed designs of France to confederate in secret hostility against Great Britain even those nations whom she could not 'recite into actual war. Yet if a doubt remained. the case of Portugal must dissipate it. Subsequent information had proved that it was the determination of Bonaparte to have seized the fleets of Denmark and I's:Kluge,. To the former Government his Minister gave the immediate oetion of extinction or decided hos tility with this country. Can the House be lieve that Denmark was the only neutral to be spared, that her means were of no value in the eyes of the enemy of this country ? Much had been said of the odium attached to this country from this measure, among the various states of the Continent. Ile could not credit it. The Coo- Uncut can have no feeling more strong than a dread nod horror at the devastating power of France.— 'the Continent mu►t. and did know, that Great Britain is the only parser that stood between her and universal dominion. It was the caritas that ar some future period would revive the Powers of Europe to it sense of their degradation, and to • recovery of their rights. Was it an ordinary Ms! that there was but sue independent Power on the Continent of Europe ? arid was Great Britain to suffer such means as the flettsof Denmark and Por tugal to fall within his grasp ? Was it to suffer .him to realise his wish of seising ships, colonies. and commeree ? Upon these three grounds, first, the designs of Frauce; secondly, the practicabi hey of the attempt; and, lastly, the magnitude of the object, as connected with the existence of this country, he contended that Ministers were hound, by their duty to their Sovereign and country, to have executed this necessary measure. Earl St. VINCENT declared, that with the co operation of Great Britain, the island of Zealand was less exposed to invasion from Holstein, than Great Briniest was from Boulogne. He also ob served that he was well acquainted with Copen hagen for the last forty-eight yeurs, and wa► con vinced that the Danish fleet was in an equal state of preparation every year before. as on the late uu justifiable attack. Earl GREY, in an able speech, of which we regret the length of the debate, and the late ness of the hour, has prevented a full report, con tended that the menace against Copenhagen impaired the best basis of our orenrity, by sullying our national fame, and degrading the honour of the country. He took a comprehensive view of three positions on which Ministers rested their de fence; he admitted, that after the disastrous issue of the war in Poland had added Russia to the melancholy catalogue of Rations prostrated at the fret of Frame, the views, and. ressurces, and influence of that Power, would natnrally be exerted to turn ugairust this country every means of annoy ance and hostility ; but there vow a couseleratioa, front the views of policy which might be supposed to govern her councils, that in his opinion tended to preveat the invasion of l)entnark, or any viola tion of her neutrality. If France menaced tier with Ifol,tein, she possessed a preponderating menace in the alliance situ England, and in the support she would receive from our great military and ma ritime means. So that were Bonaparte intent upon the ultimate possession of her marine, the means of ter tatuileleat to that °biro, was, by accelerating tier ailiairce w nth Great Britain. and thus placing her hopes beyond the possibility of being gratified. The Noble Secretary has counselor:iced to the House the opium:is of certain officers. Really it was nnparalleled in the ennui:: of Postiament, to see Mntiner, On a motion for the production of pa pers. iu the habit of reft►+ing them, state same mo ment that they iusalt the lionise sod their Sovereign, by reading partial and garbled extracts. With re spect to the information obtaitied, it was in answer to a oration put %%lieu in a state of war with Den mare. Would the same answer be given, if the question bad stated that it was the intention to sup , port Zealand with the navies of Denmark, Sweden, and Great Britain? There is, also, in the arguments of Ministers, this mealiest error—that they con ' eche that the resistance of Denmark to trance would be followed by desertrn on the partial Eng land. it ass no proof to say, that because, is the year nut. Denmark was hostile to us, than there fore. she was ready. on every future occasien, to confederate against as. Writ not more I kely to suppose that her sense of what she before suffered would operate to pre duce aditierent line of cuuehict? That when she reflected on the destruction of her commerce. the hoe of her colonies, and the sei zure amuse of her ships, she would rather avoid the li ae of action that would unavoidably terminate in a similar testa ? Would she not take also into her calculation the great increased maritime mean of the power whom s►te was propobiog to provoke ? The Noble Lord has alluded to certain dispatches of mine, as convey ing a dread of a hostile feeling en the part of Deumack. He was nght in not go ing into the details, but merely limiting bainselt to a general iosinuat►on. Still it was impossible not to complain of the indecency to the pub lir. and the nal - airline to the individual con cerned, in puhlishing partial and garbled ex tracts. It was done against himself and • respect able and highly meritorious character. Mr. Gar licke. the Late Minister at the Court of Denmark. His dispatches were in another place most foully quoted. and what was considered ass possible ere, commanding diligence and caution, has been by -Mminers. for the worst purport, converted into ■ defence for themselves. There had been much ..tens laid upon conversation and intern ems, but there was nothing of that noun aent danger which coald aioae justify the mrssore. Ministers say they ha 3 receised various information from every fOreign swan with wbo.n they were in cor respondence. Why not give the redraw,* or the dates ? They disl not get intelligence to this effect from Ur. Carlisle. Again their authority has Irani from the disarleciatl in Ireland. Lomita - 41c, how ever err might einawintiee the IrCepre and 'Atile the es etation, of the diaries red, w such now le lit Itela.sd. has too much prioleme and t obey to I P acqusMt them with his tiews seed intenf.cns. respect to 'tussle, their conduct was inexj•lii. They pass by the principal, and punish the cent Power, whose only crime was a submis s i on to schemes of the very power whom they lusher' couciliate. Russia, one of the priutipal passe, the arrangements of Tilsit, was to be cuaciinited Why not extend the same principle to the D ah who, according to the statement of Ministers, it compelled by those very arrangements to enga ge hostile confeclenation? Where was the consistency? It was suited to the intelligence alleged to be received from God knows where, and from (sod knows t. ho ts . Who was the informant ? Was he the Minister of the Court of Portugal ? Where was lie ? Kas I l e gone to the Brazils, or was he at Lisbon ? Th ey well knew they had no such information, and ther e . fore it was that they have net attenipted to produc e it. The Noble Lord has disclaimed any nachos tion to explode the public low of Europe, or those principle% of moral justice, the adherence to which had elevated this country to its once proud av i d dignibed station amongst the nations of the world. He would-not be though t ia the advocate of th e new system of universal non, which has n ow s ee , substituted in their p ace. Still there were others of the Noble Secretary's friends, who were of a more lively disposition, who have smiled at the contemplation of falling, if that iv: 4 our destiny, with old Putfendorf in their hands.-- Was it for sneh a result that this war has been so . long conducted ? Was it for this that the thus ' dens of Mr. Pitt wore levelled, and the arrows of the Antinhcoban directed agninst ievolationary France and its admirers ? It was hot enough to recouctle the House to this attack on Coptubtay,en, to thee that the danger was great, it must be imminent and immediate, as it were in a compound ratio et the magnitude of the danger and the nearness of the execution. Let them not deceive themselves by thinking the danger was removed. It was La the possession of sixteen bulks could compen sate for the implacable hostility and the ii.. veterate rancour of a brae and injured uation. But Ireland was sated from insasic.i. Why this appreliens'.on for Ireland, and not for England ? Are Irishmen less brave, less hanly, lers red is the participation of dangers, ar his enthusiastic, in a cause they love, than the people of England. In what part of the world have dr:, not evinced as much pare patriotism, us great love of glory, and as high a contempt for danc,er ? In what: part of the world have they ',hewn them. selves wantiog in all the proud requisites of c;:a racter, which animate the British soldier and sa:ler ? How was it, that for England there was no liar. whilst to guard Ireland, it was necessary to corn nlt an act of injustice said opprer.sion upon au Moment, unprepared people ? It was because the people England were happy, loyal, -and united. Whilst unhappy Inland was sacrificed to a blind and cruel policy. Change your system toward, that country, extend to its people the beuellta and blessings of the British Constitution, and without fear return to Denmark the ships you have seized. Let them be manned with all her sailors, sad wiin the implacable resentments of. the Continent et Europe, yet there will be little to apprehend. The security Ireland alone went* is freedtan from her exclusions, a relcicae hum your cruet system of injustice and infatuation. The It Earl next referred to the attempts made to Ministers to justify themselves by tat expedi tions to Constantinople, cases in no way ana logous; but as those subjects would speedily be submitted to the consideration of Parliament, he deeliticel entering fully into the merits of thc l / 4 .e transactiecs. Alter a variety of strong and unan swerable urguments, he concluded his speech he giving his assent to the ;notion of his noble frion.l. Lod LGRAVE replied with greatwariliTh." and defended the measure, as ne.ze,sury for prewerration of the country. Lord DARNLEY spoke in support of the me '- Sure. Lord SIDMOUTH foHowed on the same a te. and argyed warmly against the injustice sif measu►e.., The House then divided— Tor th. Motion. Coolest; 35—Proxies 13 is Nea-Cootests, Cod—Proms 37 Majority against t►e Maims s; The Maw 4uijourneml at FIVZ O'CLOCK ibis MORNING. _mars-3 per Cwt. Red 63i 3 per Got Cos. 61} T HEATKEIL--EINGS THEATiII: TIN Emaire. the Cowie Opera eif La FILM AWIT whit* Wear, a New Gnus/ Mrdrolorpeal Dart, talk* L• 6 wevr Dc Deaantaa.-DRURY-LAINE: Tier Lww sag, the Camay a Tut CIMANCIIII •INIM 'Mk ELI A Roans ~.—COVENT-404/LDES : MilftWir • New Ca sy, calk* Dumas DOLL Cans i se, Ilor: WILL IT Es. ? to alacli will be added i Tits heroes. _ THE BRITISH PRESS. • LONDON, TUESDAY. FasavasT 9. We bare received American Papers to the ath. Mr. Ross had not arrived, and it was reported its America, that the &surd frigate, on board of hews% bad been captured by the Patriotic, at, French 74 which some tune ago escaped from the Usesspeake. The report is, however, evidently unfounded, as the Petrie& has arrived in France ; and of courve if she had captured a Re.tish f6eate, it would have been ineutioned in tive Freaali Paper-. The Act for laying on the einlsar go was (arrival in the House of Representatives :iv msjonty of (2 to 44. NICII.OL4s. of upon ham?, prest, mud, au callea-„,• would L. a powerful menus to bring Great Britain and Frau.-c to terms. l•;utt.ta said, that France am contelol ing for tie ri?lits of Neutrals. and tLat Amt. mill; t., smitist ixr in becuriar tl e Cecile; of tit.: seas. These two r-utletaf.a tne sspi.osed is more shoat' executive secrets than most others.-- While the Xtit was nosier consideration in Congtr. Mr. 1.2 e yet • moved a claust to exempt Veeetsarn ployek/ iiiFisherini. Negatived--; eaa. 43--stays ‘1?. The Printing-office of Mi. ieuxxs, in Red war last nigla lt tr.. Fat L4INDON . Prated tv, G I)AVIDSON, No. 176 Do lf's" as.l d it tI 4:tfiCe. BIWA tot St 4 ..:wrist's fbeeeL. mired. bf 1.. a 7 ;, imi:.-arett, Live Ally-- (+rafts, t. r thz. P3lct, t. p.as ;NBA, w.II be eel? atkoso.4.l tw %arc nom v. XL eapplement, an , derelope it the mo.t gives advantage. 3 on lament injury. rives us of all *lilt from a new circumstances Russia is now o she is full of ram be the temper feeling of Des and a fame pew rains? t reall, been male ont. stand. when M their just rticatic open speculati satisfsetory er them entitled i bat if they ha girt even a d conduct, %Set This we hail a they had octane traordinary COO rata.° of the saCalfactory real p•A•t... Tae cc feels its horn Demos :it. and and core. if fsir each expiew impatience-41 of the periods ri,chtanf the pi . .1 jeatiee ph. -.• 13411aP4 p t 4 I.M d end of do 11,4%1 ia not the respect to .. r • PUN 911 1 rail Is. I Tcri /fora 11 1 I Ik_ psi *PI S . I