The National Register.
London, England, 1808-02-01 00:00:00

FEB. 1.

power, his opinions happened to tally very closely with those of
Sir Francis Burdett; and Mr. Cobbett began, without hesita-
tion, to declare Sir Francis the only honest politician, the only
man to whom this country could look for salvation; although,
two Nears before, traitor, and firebrand, and incendiary, were
the best names which he was accustomed to bestow on the Ba-
ronet. People began to wonder what an union between these
hostile elements would produce; and certainly the effects were
very wonderful,for Mr.Colobett now began to rail fiercely against
Anti-Jacobins, and even to aim many sly thrusts at Nobility and
flovalty. But nature is not so soon overcome. No sooner were
the burning of Copenhagen, and the capture of the Danish fleet
autionneed, than Mr. Cobbett felt all his former propensities
an akencd. Ile shouted aloud his applause to the measure ; de-
clared that it must be just because it was vigorous ; and leaving
poor Sir Francis anti his pacific friends on one side, he has since
entered u ith new zest into his former course, calling out fur war,
pa.petual war
The late supposed overtures for pence, through the medium of
the Anstriaa Ainbas-adur, gave him much uneasiness; but in his
Lest number, he :ails tells us in that sportive sty le, u hick suits the
protraction of national disaster., that " this pacific ugling is now
"at an end." lle thea proceed. to discuss the observations of the
Muni/cur on out answer to the Rossi:in Declaration ; and is very
angry with that paper for asserting that our ancestors did nut
maintain their maritime power by ;write; " on tyrannical prin-
" Ile in;ists that they did act on what are called tyran-
nical principles ; and that " Irma the time this country bore the
" name of England, it claimed a right of sea dominion, as abso-
" lute as that which any Sovereign, or State, has upon the
" land." This is a curious piece of historical information, and
we should be glad to know where Mr. Cobbett came by it : but
it were needless to question hint on this subject ; he despises old
musty records; be !lever looks into such food for book-worms ;
and when he finds occasion for an old historical fact, he takes a
far more clever w ay—he fancies it. It would, indeed, have been
rather curious in our Saxon ancestors, had they begun to vapour
about the exclusive Dominion of the Seas, when the Danes not
only beset their coasts un all sides, but even landed great armies
ithout molestation, and at length conquered England. If Mr.
Cobbett would draw historical facts from records, and nut from
fancy, he would find that the first formal assumption of the Do-
million of the Seas, in the sense in which it is now understood,
took place in the reign of an Usurper, in .tile reign of Cromwell :
and that vs hen this Usurper, in conjunction with the Long Par-
liament, twirled the Navigation Laws, the Lord- Chancellor
Clarendon declared it as his opinion, that the Dutch would ra-
ther endure any extremity than submit to such an extraordinary
encroachment on the rights of maritime nations.

Mr. Cohbett, how-es-Zit, seems desirous not altogether to lose
the praise of moderation. lle declares that he is not absolutely
the advocate of eternal war, but that time are certain terms on
Lich he would be willing to make Peace with Bonaparte. lle
even utters this Usurper au alternative. He tells him that %%c
shall be ready to make Peace with hint, if he will either evacu-
ate Denmark, Holland, Spain, and Portugal, and restore them
to full and complete independence; or stipulate that no ships of
war shall be built in these countries, or sail out of their harbours
during Peace. And what return would he make Bonaparte for
doing so much which we could not oblige him to do? Why,
he would allow him to seize ;Ismael' territory as he chose in the
interior, provided he never approached the sea-coast, or took
any steps to be able to defend himself against our maritime do-
minion.

Mr. Cohbett, indeed, in one respect, is a very particular ad-
vocate Of Bonaparte. Ile accuses him of no injustice in con-
quering and appropriating the countries around him : he frankly
dedarei that " conquest gives right of dominion;" and he re-
cognises Bonaparte's title to his conquests as perfectly valid. lle
only claims the same rights for England ; and insists that we are
very justly entitled to prevent a single flag but our own from
sailing on the seas, because s; e have the power to do so ! This
is admirable political morality ; and will prove as useful to the
highway robber as to the conqueror. If superior force con-
stitutes right, them the ruffian who plunders a defenceless travel-
ler, has a perfectly good right to his booty : and it is on the
very same principle that a stronger state has a right to seize and
Plunder a weaker neighbour. Such tenets may be very con-
genial to the mind of Mr. Cubbctt ; but one is surprised at he
should venture to publish them to the world, lest his llampshiit
neighbours should be afraid to accompany him to town across
Bagshot-heath Nations have often been guilty of extreme
violence, but they have usually endeavoured to veil it under
luute sinciuus protest, nor have ventured ty vow that they had