The National Register.
London, England, 1814-07-31 00:00:00

SUNDAY,,--JULY 31, 181,1.

No. 35'9.

ON THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS.

To-morrow shall festivities, such as England never yet
witnessed, celebrate the return of Europ,ein peace.
Would it not have been wiser to have delayed the re-
joicings till the day of itg consolidation ? Anticipated
triumphs sometimes end in defeat, and the messenger dis-
patchud with tidings of joy from the field of battle; at the
beginning of an action, is sometimes overtaken, ere his
arrival, by the flight of the fancied conquerors. The tbs•
cussions of negeciators lie subject to the same vicissitudes
as the conflicts of war. A successful commencement is
no pledge for a fortunate termination. Whether in the
pre.ent case hope has proceeded beyond reason, and
notwithstanding all our triumphs and magnanimous sacri-
fic:..s, the peace with France is not likely to be followed
by the lasting tranquillity of Europe, is matter for serious
investigation. To elucidate such a question may seem
easy to the politician, who -.sakes his wilting desk
his oLservatory, and, from the limited spites,. of his
closet, pretends, by an effort of judgment or a flight
of imagination, to regulate the destinies of that
wortd he does not explore. The task appears of
greater moment and difficulty to him, who has sought
for information at the very birth-place of gloat events.
Ile who has is itea the seat of revolutions, Mho has wan-
dered amidst the ruins of thrones, overturned, almost as
soon as elected, who has seen ancient d)liasties resuming
their departed sceptres and framing nt w constitutions,
and has heard the expression, and studied the sincerity of
the public mind under such mighty cha:zes., feels that the
problem of European tranquillity is not easy to be solved.
With such experience, however, he may be allowed to ap-
proach the question, and in order to do it effectually, must
begin by withdrawing the film which the excessive splen-
dour of success has thrown over the eyes of the most re-
flecting, and enable them to Lee the true state and know
the real feelings of continental nations.

" Look over the fields of Europe, say the incredulous 4
and you will see no cause to apprehend fresh convulsions.
All is happiness and liberation. The memory- of past evils
has died away, and the restoration of legitimate Sovereigns
has set the key-stone to the renovated structure of Conti-
nental peace and felicity. Does not the Bourbon stand-
ard supplant the Imperial banner ? his not the House of
Orange recovered, enlarged, anal established its authority
over the Dutch Republic ? Is not Ferdinand VII. so se-
curely reinstated in Spain, that he can wantonly persecute
and prosctibe the patriots who for seven years defended,
-their country and his rights against ntimbertess -hoists
of nmprincipled invaders ? • Is not *the kiii!
I'ol. VII. No. C.CC.I.V.Ir

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PRICE 9d•

enabled to 'restore the blessings of the Inquisition to his
regained Piedmontese kingdom ? Are not the Princes
Germany whose territories had been swept by. the
Land of Conquest into largo masses, and erected into new..
Severeiguties, now free to parcel outtheir statesand revive
their prosperity ? Is not Italy once more. divided. into
unnumbered Principalities ? Nay, has not the blessed tree
of Popery been replanted in its native soil, and endued
with fresh power to spread its branches. over the whole
Iman race ?" Suchare the grounds on which most of the
sanguine votaries of hope build their expectations : they
arc unfortunately also some of these which encourage the
restored monarchs to think themselves secure in their sta-
tions. They fancy that the chief object for which oppressed
nations sighed during the long night of tyranny, was the
return of their legitimate Princes, and that, having at last
obtained the fulfilment of their wishesi.. they: arc corn:
pletely happy. Bence they do not sufficiently study Now
to make them so. Convinced that the state of exhaustion
to which they have been reduced by the waste of their. re-
sources' and the slaughter 'of their population, under their
late masters, renders them unable to make any new exer-
tion tt..:;ainst-freill neglect or injustice, they do not always
guard against the comMittal of both. But they are rais-.
taken in their calculations. The people by whom they
have been recalled, or received, expected, not only .a
change of masters, but of measures. They asked at their
hands, not the repose of exhaustion, but the reparation of
their losses. They cared little for now laws awl con,t:tu-
tions,• provided those then established were kept and
obeyed'. They had been compelled to give flu it rubes to
a conqueror who repaid them \V nilitary glory. They
were disposed to sacrifice that vain glory provided they
should spire the feeble remains of their wealth. How
have their expectations on all these points been folfilli d ?
Let them answer .for themselves. You have been. libe-
rated, industrious Dutchman, from the most ruinous opt
pression. Your trade, checked in all quarters, was almo!--
annihilated; and your purse, squeezed by insatiable t
gatherers, would not have afforded.you the means of sup-
porting existence, had the day of your emau6paLion b -ea
delayed. " SineeTely ' did I. rejoice at the rcvoletien
which hurled our despot from his throne," will the honest
Batavian reply; " and at the flight of his gold-hunting (JOUR..
niers. I then drew my ducats from their concealment and
bade them gaily. See the light and-expect to dour le their num-
bers. But new governmentslequire new establishments.
Constitutions are not made gratuitously:and
cai►►'otim-
poseose the bin-then of Sovereign authority on a Pr'
colt grantifog him the means -of supporting
lience,--. since our day' 'of liberation, the taxes
pay exceed,...by twenty' per cent. those drawnt
the Most,grindine period'of French oppreskion
von are free, ye 'noble• an4l disinterested Germ
do net. Weigh the Naive of emancipation in a
scale: No nvvieGolierninent has been imposed.u.

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