The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1808-02-04 00:00:00

effect the geood o,
elusion of EngOW merest—
i the continent. This warning was repeated in the
treaty with Oldenburg, yet served not to rouse her
from lethargy, she assents to the justness of the
.ir
ranch Decree, end pronounces ours tyranni-
eid.—Had then our conduct beew that which
the Right Honourable Gentlemen' advise, the
eloquence of this evositai._estifild be' mute, the
thunders harmless, comadltal with thole we should
have' card from the same coosistent °gentlemen.—
That caution is no part of Danish intellect might
be gathered from the apathy with which they re-
ceived the Declaration of General Bernadotte,
when in Hungary, that he was about to execute
a mister stroke of policy which should be effected
promptly. This it was believed was an expedition
intended against Denmark, and it was generally
expected tbat this intimation had its weight on the
Prinee of Demnork, at least so far as to cause him
to eider into a secret agreement with Bernadotte,
at Kiel, where they were suppooed• to have had
a private interview, on the 27th July. What
other connte then could we have takeu ? • I know
not could even the ingenuity of the Learned Bench
opposite aflord a single plausible mode of con-
duct to puree in contradistinction to that adopt-
ed. France has since justified her attack on
Portugal ; on its refusal to acquiesce in her De-
crees, would she have treated Denmark with more
kuity ? What has been done, was done merely
for .nip own safety, nor have we followed the ow-
cunt *deice of the consistent Right Hcm..Gent. but
Lave becocsatialled with proportioning the means to
theevils to bevedreased ;. our condset to Russia has
been northat of fear but prudent delay, wetted hopes
of coviciliating him whom it was vain to exasperate.
Would it have been right or politic to sail past the
harbour of Copenhagen, full of shipping, and gone
to reap the laurels of difficulties, and the bootless
glory of consistency, in the harbour of Cronstadt,
where there were but a few rotten hulks? That Rua-
sia was indisposed to promote the interests of this
c--tuntry has been proved by the testimony of one
of the first characters ofthe age, then resident at
the united Courts of Russia, Prussia, and the head-
quarters of the French Emperor ; be was an eye
and ear witness of the Secret machinations of those
Courts, to the disadvantage of this country. 04r
conduct, if we should be obliged to seek for ire
justification in that of the late Ministry, would be
amply supported by the piece-lents of Madeira
and Lisbon, in their administration. If the
Right. Honourable Gentlemen and his friends
felt so atrongly on the injustice • and impolley
of this measure, why' not at once adopt a manly
line of conduct by opposing it on its merits?
Why motion,
not bring forward a specific disap-
proving of the conduct of Ministers, and act
shelter their opposition under the pretence of ask-
ing for documents which they know cannot but
granted, and of which they are not earnest in their
demand for the production ?"
Mr. PONSONBV, across the tattle. stated, that
it wioshis intention', ° on a future day, to submit t
motion on the merits of that measure.
Mr. WINDHAM then rose, and spokeli the
following effect :-.44 Sir, the- manner in which the
Right Hun. Secretary has alluded to transactions
in which the character of the late Administration
is involved, the mode in which he. has introduced
those occurrences, together with the ingenuity
"WitfileMetitit. harmisrepreseuted these, his made
it absolutely necessary for me not to stiffer the im-
treeimi such conduct is calculated to make, '
I -
pass without direct animadversion and complete t
posure. When first those allusions were made, I was
not ..veil prepared for an exact recollection of them ;
bat the misrepresentation has been so grer*, and
the inferences attempted to be made, so totally
dried by the facts, that I cannot well describe
my astonishment at the attempt of the Rigla
Honourable Gentleman in venturing to bring
them forward. I have heard much in the course
of my lift •of the benefits of stage effect. I
know the influence of a sonorous voice, graceful
action, iced suited gesticulation, upon vulgar minds'
I know how admirably calculated such acquirements
° are to please the fancy and to warp the judgment
of the tholiahttess and the trifling ; but I did little
expect either to witness the attempt of the Right
Hon. Secretary, or the success of that attune
'upon the cultivated and enlightened minds of '
grace auditory. If Demosthenes meant, by '
action which he considered the first, second,
third consideration in oratory, mere acting. I
assuredly the Right Honourable Gentleman .
exhibited this night every ingredient of the latter
qualification. But he has not contented hitaser
with the exhibition of his versatility in this 1
hirable qualification. He has ventured to instil
himself upon cases not only not analogous. bat'
direct and pointed contradiction to the question .
issue. He has ventured to defend the measure
against Copenhagen, by assimilating it to a form,
transaction, differing altogether in its ncipl
and perfectly distinct in the effect. Ind deed,
ever there was a case which directly went to I
condemnation of another, it is the comparison .
the fact towbich theßight Hon. Secretary alluded,
with the roeritsofthe measure which hehas attem p •
to justify urn that precedent. "We sent," said
" an expedition againet the Danish fieetom they
principle upon which a former Administration
directed the Earl of St. ViMent to take possession
of the fleet of Fortiori" Never was there
comparison in the circumstances of any two
The only similarity was, that both fleets were
out, in the prior case to the Tagus, and in the
ter to the Baltic. So far they proceeded
passe. But what then was the disfereuct ?
did not do what the 11..iniCs Ministers have
done. We would net do it under such cite
stances. But, says the Right Bon. Secretary. " .
the late Ministers, condemn our measure ag—
Copenhaten, although you did the same against
Portugal. ' To this we answer, that tbuugb in
same condition, we did not Perform the same
The navy of Portugal was threatened with at
by Bonaparte. Independent of loose info,
teen, such as seems alone to have operated I
minds of the gentlemen oppmite, we had it
the expressed word of that enemy. An i
bad actually been assembled at Bayonne,
the purpose of violating the neutrality of '
tugal, and ultimately procuring her fleet.
such a disposition of cumumo.--- -

eerie French garriPpoass is order to
dearideniteas of aunaparke, the QX-
-41 ateradedise and initaeste front