The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1810-03-27 00:00:00

that Oner.eautesti; to its raihtory operations, could
• it be a.shitct to such restrictuous ue %tete hrre con-
tended fer. If Lord Chatham was allowed to be
airy authority on the collect, it would appter by
his isibtructionts to the itochfort ENpetlitiou, that
theft waft no 00:4110I1 for hriog so purricular. They
-would See, that thwitgla the ripedilinti titled, the
Parliament of that thy the wot begin to murmur
slid accuse ; but, us ;he coutrary, regarded the en.
slertrieing with approbation ulid iTnlluse. Did he
Vepeeed with such ii-cet crriaiiity of success,

. .
rwere.his iiistractirinsso iletiiiite and circum-cribed,
et eine Gentlemen seemed desirous that nil others
shotilit be? o; he barely commanded that they
should attl t, as fur as wog prrcticable, which
r ovetizabili e left to by decided by the °Mew of
the Expedition. Isle Cent 011 te dircei, that, after
smereding or fidliog at Itoelifeit, they she uld
proceed to Poi t L'Orient or Bourdeaux, or
tiny other, as appeared more advisable. Lord
Chatham's opinion wits still far her to be collected
ft oiu his answer to Sir John Nlordanut's supplication
fer more positive inetiuctions us Commander of the
Eiiirdition. his Lordship's reply stated, that he
fsi r John Mordaunt) was commanded by the King
to judge of the practicability of the service upon
tile spot, the King not deeming it right, in justice
to his seiviee, that particular orders should be is-
sued to cramp the exercise of a just discretion. He
thought he had now brought the question to this, that
it was not necessary to have that perfect mathematical
arrangement, which could not be expected its hu-
man affairs, and more especially among.the con-
eat/varies of war, but that Statesmen should decide
noon all the circumstances add defend theinselves,
if defence was called for, upon the rational of the
question, and not upon authority. But he
should say a kw words upon the opinions of
the Cowinander-in-Chief, and of Colonel Gor-
don; first, us to the Commander-m-Chief, be
*ever did understand the opinion given by him,
-as setting forth the impracticability of the under.
tating. He had said, that it appeared more rape-
- diem to approach Antwerp by the Scheldt ; the in-
ference !'• nu which was, that he would not have
considered it as altogether impracticable. or he
would have stated it distinctly, instead of giving an
•epinion as to the melon► of carrying it into enecti-
Mtn. He had certaitily stated that it would be at-
Ileefied with great risk; but the reason lie gave
Per thinking so, was, lilt facility with which the
asemy could collect his forces. As to Colonel
salon, no man could have a higher opinion of his
jet:4min and talents than he had. Colonel Gor-
don had mated, that the operation would be at-
Ifirmded with great risk ; but they should consi-
der what the tisk was applied to. He hod said,
that if a !adding was effected by the boats of
the fleet, well manned, the Expedition might be
bronght to an earlier issue, but that it would be
attended with great hazard. Nothing certainly was
more true, than that if the attempt was made by
boats armed in that manner, the hazard would be
great and difficult; but the apprehension in his
judgment di I not apply to a different manner of
proceeding, and plat, of operation*. Generals
(lope and Brownrigg bad given it as their opinions,
that if the Expedition hail arrived early in August,
it might have proceeded to Antwerp. Gentlemen
tatted a greet deist of a coup de-uraim, but they
would do well to consider the maitre of a coup-dr- I
again, and the practicability of it in this instance.
',rime were the grounds upon whicti he thou.dit
those opinions should not bt considered :Is decisive
end amorrative upon Gove iiiiii CO% Ile would now
proceed to 'mite the grounds upon which Omer:—
meta ected, and 1..11,1.• them to decide whether iloy
were jn,tilied to li,,zarding the experiment con-
eistent iy , as they thon4ht, with public prudence?
It was not deteirnined on with the narrow view of
destroying the enemy's ships at Antwerp. licit was
only one of the objects. It had hymn stated that it
might hire been iiiiilertaken earlier ; but he was
confident the evid• ice Would support him in the
assertion, that it could not have been fitted out at
to rattier period; it would also support him in
the isiertion, that there was no other service to
put fis Competition with it ; that was the po;ut
of vied/' iii • which the House should look at
it. !loin ttfiad elpretrel doubts of its policy,
and considered it as ins act by which we turned
our backs on the peninsula ; others had objected to
it as an abaieloonicat of the north of Germany...-
He would allow that Austria wished to Intel an-
other pond in preference to that which *a, under-
taken; but he should feel no difficulty its priding
that the one undertaken was the only one which
they had it in their rower to attempt, with any pros.
pact of success. The fact of its having been in-
cenveniest, et that particular time, to apply our-
selves to any other point, was no proof of the im-
po:etice of country ; and he had stated it, be-
cense he was anxious to shew that they were not
influenced by any contracted selfish view, but
that Europe should be convinced we were motions
for her interests in general, as well as for oar
own. He was sire, that such iiifarinatiou could
not be attended with any ill consequence, but that
it would teach the people and the Deus.: to be slow
to condemn any government for not performing
what would have been desirable, if it had hap-
pened to be practicable. The object wits not
a selfish object, it was dictated by a desire to
serve the Coutioset ; to create a diversion in favour
of those who wore struggling against the despotism
of Prance; and he would allow, that if soy more
convenient part of the coast, for the purposes of
diversion. afforded the same facility with the Scheldt,
it should hare been tried in preference. It had
been said, that the Expedition did nor, and could
not producer diversion ; he begged that they would
consider the state of the Continent when the Expe-
ditma was intended, and when it went. Four days
before he had taken the King's pleasure upon it,
the Wile of Aspern was fought ; and elide the
fate of the Continent was pending, they must have
a mean and unjust opinion of their forces, if they
thought that 40 thousand British soldiers would not
have a probability of being &inert in the scale.
Even after the battle of Wagtails, the hope was not
eta; tigoished. They called upon I • to prove that the
forces of the enenty caine from the Danube ; but it
would be equally a diversion. if a force was detest.
ed at Antwerp. He. contended that there would be
* cruelty in making any attempt to which their
means were not adequate; but the operation to the
Scheldt did brio; troops from the Danube, and
teid been, in then own sena. of the word. and it''.
cording to their own rigid interpretation. a 41%141.1014