The National Register.
London, England, 1808-01-03 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

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borrowing remains as great, as when the first instalments of our
funded debt was advanced; and will, in all probability, continue
so until the last farthing he mortgaged, not only of our present
war taxes, but of every tax that can be raised. We enter into
the g►atitication, which these circumstances must afford to the
Ministers of the present age: but we must be allowed to trent-
ble for posterity.
From this short view of our internal situation, by which our.
prosperity is chiefly to be estimated, we turn to the considera-
tion of our external relations. Great. Britain is now placed in
a condition in which she may distinctly ascertain whether her
own internal resources are perfectly adequate to her defence,
or NV hethar she cannot, without external aid, resist a combina-
tion of external enemies. The most powerful Prince that has
ever reigned in Europe, a man raised from obscurity by his
own transcendant talents, has succeeded in reducing every sur-
rounding nation to a complete subserviency, and has converted
them all into instruments of vengeance against this hated nation.
The plans of vengeance which he has devised, if not wise, are
are at least vast and magnificent. Comparing our wonderful
resources with those of the countries under his own 'dominion,
and i►npress.d with our striking superiority, he has con-
ceived that our external commerce, the only advantage
which we seem exclusively to ;possess, is the source of all
our riches and aggrandisement; and that, if deprived of this
fountain of wealth, we should soon sink into miserable decay,
and become humble suppliants for his forbearance and favour.
In conformity with these views, he has undertaken to cut off
our intercourse with foreign nations; and as he has not the
power of blockading our island by sea, he has resolved to compel
overy nation of the Continent to exclude our merchandize from
its shores. In this vast enterprise he has already succeeded
beyond all previous calculation ; and, with the exception Of
Sweden, which cannot long resist his influence, there is not a
single harbour in the Continent of Europe, into which an
English vessel can obtain a friendly admittance.
The folly of these enterprives, and the very false judgment
which Bonaparte has formed of the real sources of British great-
ness, will speedily be evinced. Ile will find that the interrup-
tion of our continental commerce may distress a few manufactur-
ersand merchants, but will neither di►ninish the sum, of our na-
tional industry, nor even the receipts of our Exchequer. In
time he would discover that his estimate of our finances is not
less absurd than the calculations of some of our own wise politi-
cians, who, twelve years ago, affirmed that France could not
possibly support the expences of another campaign.
It must he truly consolatory to our countrymen, to he assured
that no nation In Europe can exclude our commerce, vt idiom
bringing upon themselves tenfold greater distresses than they can
possibly make us sustain. The commencement of war with Bri-
tain entirely deprived France of all direct commerce in her own
♦essels with other nations, and the late severe edicts which Bo-
naparte has issued, with a view to prevent the importation of
our productions by means of neutrals, has cut from his subjects
every source of comfort and opulence which they derived from
an intercourse with foreign nations. All the states which he has
reduced to subjection are equal or greater suifrrers, The Dutch,
who not only prospered but subsisted by external commerce,
and who had hitherto been saved from the deepest distress by the
connivance of their rulers at a secret troth: w ith Britain, are
now, by the strict inforcement of the prohibitory laws, reduced to
such a calamitous condition, that they have even ventured to mur-
mur their miseries in the face of their oppressors. Russia loses
her external commerce, and the means of internal cultivation;
PrUssia is placed in the same unhappy predicament ; Spain finds

r

. 3.

left on her hands those raw materials which she has not the capi-
talor the industry to manufacture ; and Portugal must desist
from the cultivation of her vineyards, the former sources of her
wealth, when she can no longer find a market for their produce.
From these considerations, it appears, that Bonaparte cannot
proseeute his schemes of vengance againit the external cothmerce
of Britain, without bringing far daeper distress on France, her
allies, and dependents : that, in short, the more fiercely he deals
his blows, he will the more rapidly shatter the weapon which
he aims against the impenetrable helmet of our prosperity.
Nor has the discontents which his impotent enmity excites to he
overlooked. There is not a maritime province within his do-
minions, or the reach of his influence, which does not smart un-
der the rigour of his prohibitory edicts, and send forth its mur-
murs against them : and the Russians already begin to give es i-
dent indications, that the timidity of their Court will not long
be able to overcome a general sense of national interest.
When we turn our eyes from the Continent of Europe, we see
vast entrances open to our commerce, which cannot he shut
against us, either by the arts or the arms of our enemies, and
which can only be lost by our own misconduct. The Americans,
indeed, have begun to assume that tone of presumption and in-
solence, which is natural even to infant Republics, from a con-
sciousness of their own vigour and energy; but by a mixture of
moderation and firmness, the angry demagogues of that country
may speedily be silenced. There, as in Europe, Britain would
be a loser; but America would be tenfold a sutiCrer. In tilts,
pursuit of maritime rights which she has not the poser to as-
sert, she would only incur the certain destruction of her com-
merce, and the deprivation of the most indispensable comforts cf
life.

The establishment of the Portuguese Governor ot in South
America, promises to open to our most productive otanufactvue,
an extensive market, which must for a long series ot year rot—
tintte progressively to increase its demnds. We :.ave here ea
Ally bound to us by the strongest ties, who can have no inter-
course with any other nation but by our permission, and who
can have no reason to desire any commerce hut our own. If I%e
can only inspire the (government with a liberal policy, the Bra-
zils must long prove an invaluable treasure to this country.

Our colonial posAessions in the East and West Indies, present
a less flattering appearance. We, indeed, see no reason to en-
tertain any apprehension from those imaginary expeditions O.
the French and Russians, with which some ingeniow speculators
have imagined that Illndostan would be overwhelmed ; but
insults have lately been uttered to the most sacred prejudices of
the natives ; the foundation hits than been laid for infinite dis—
contents and insurrections; while a great portion of the C 11111.•
merce of India is Orono into the hands of other nations by the
baneful operation of a chartered monopoly.. In our West In-
dia islands, great discontents prevail : our planters, from an
imprudent avidity to accumulate rapid fortunes, have cultivated
sugar to au extent far beyond what any market in the world
can receive; and the sufferings, to vt hich they are necessarily
subjected by this imprudence, are aggravated by the perseve-
rance of the mother country io cutting on' their intercourse tv
other nations.

We refrain from expatiating on our national armaments, a,
the strength of these must depend on onr resources. NI c bast+ a
navy more than sufficient to crush all the maritime forces of taiu
world; and an army perfectly adequate, from its numbers, to
our internal defence. But it is in these armaments that we
perceive a total rant of that economy and order w licit are abso-
lutely necessary to prevent the ruin elm) of our innuer,e re-
SOUrCet.