The National Register.
London, England, 1813-06-20 00:00:00

SUND.76", JUN 20, ISI3.

IFICAL DIS2UISITION.

ON THE PRACTICABIT.IIY OF PEACE.

We have shown in our last, that there is a decided ten-
dency, not only in the wishes, but in the circumstances of
the world, towatds peace. Later occurrences have con-
firmed that opinion; and the Armistice that has checked the
tide of war and desolation in the Noah, may be considered
as the first step towards a general pacification. The probabi-
lity of• such an attempt being now fully established, it only
remains to consider its policy and practicability.
A Paper, diAinguts'ned by its vitnlent abuse of all those
who do not think Marqui.s- WILLLsLEY the greatest man in
the world, and by the 'YerSatility of its opinions on other
topics, has aircaly decided the question of policy in the
• negative, bY plc nc,tincin , in its wisdom, " that should we
be invited by Passia and• Prussia to the proposal of holding
a general Con& ess, we-must with-out an' instant's hesitation
answer No." From this decision;." hOWever. emphr.tie and
authoritative; we shall take the liberty-of, appealing, and
shall state tlie reasons of • our dissent. At a lime when the
nations of the continent, tired of a war, which ,they per-
ceive to be fruitless. and• which they • fear 'may prove fatal,
have agteed to hold a COngress, ''in which the -claitiA
and interests of all the Belligerents .may be .discussed
an
amicably settled, the first -and natural Consequence 'of a
r•-t • -
. refusal on our part to be included among:the rielgociating
Powers, would be to turn them all•againttos. It would fie
justifying the misrepresentations of the French, who have al-
ways endeavoured to pet suade the world that we have found
war so profitable and so necessary- to • the •thaintenanee.of
our naval superiority, as to discourage and frustrate every at,
tempt at pacification ; and that as long as we retairr that ma-
ritime influence, it will be iMpossible for them to lie at ,refit.
Where suspicion does not exist, it would create it. -Besides,
the nations -of the Continent,. alibouah chiefly. occupied
with the fear, and the means of repressing the usurpations,
of France, and willing,- for that put-pine, to accept our aid,
do not see without jealousy our pre-eminence in ficedom,
-prosperity and power. Their fall is rendered more conspi-
cuous by our elevation. Whilst almost (very contest with
the Gallic Emperor has curtailed their dominions, and im-
paired their independence; the long struggle we have main-
tained with the same Power,.bas only served to call out the
hidden resources of our land, the heroism of our country-
men, the genius of our commanders; 'and to place us in a
mere exalted situation. Survivors of the liherty of the
Continent, we alone retain a roil unpolluted by the foot of
an invader, a constitution undespoiled by the hand of revo-
lutionary innovation, au army augmented in numbers, per-
fected in discipline, and loaded with accumulated I;lories
1.4,1 No.CCLXXXV.T.

by war, and a navy. unequalled in the annals of the paJ.
Whilst these are grounds of exultation for Britons, they •
are springs of envy to the rest of mankind. This liassion,
smothered by the necessity under which other nations have
hitherto laboured of requiring our assistance, may bleak out
in all its fury,• should the arts of France„ assisted by. an im-
politic refusil on our part to accede to a general Congress
(a measure which does not bind us to accept any improi e;
terms), succeed in convincing the -world, that war is th?
source of our prosperity, and that we are obstinately htirt
on sacrificing the general interest to our own, without even
condescending to inquire whether the conditions propmed
be such as to justify their rejection. And shat is mere
likely to produce such an effect, even on our present Allies,
than the line of conduct recommended by TeeTiv't.s, under the
pretence of regard for our national dignity -J As though na-
tional dignity could be debasea. and national intere,ts in-
jured, by our consenting to join other nations in devising
means to restore peace to the world !. To refuse so peremp-
torily would be to secede fi om the great family, and to ae-
c4re perpetual war to the rest t of on' .vhorn
could then expect nothing but the severest retaliation. - if
tve wish to further BUONArARTCS views, and to arm hint
once more with the good•will and the co-opeiation of the
Continent against us, let Its follow the advice given by the
partibansof Lord WEL --otst.r;-,7, and rej,set, without pausing
to consider, whether right or wrong, the - proposal which
' has no doubt already been pack to include us among the
Powers negociating for peace, as inadmissible and insulting.
If we wish, on the contrary, to secure to ourselves the a—
sistance of some, if not of all our present r4lie., in case we
should. find it impossible to make peace, let us show that we
are not afraid to negociate ; that as nu. -cause is jtk:t and one
views reasonable, we are ready to state hroa,Ey and openly
the motives by which we are actuated Zaat there is nothing
bidden and mysterious in our policy, inconsistent with the
interest,, and V cOnsequeffily kept from the eye at' the woi
LetuS show our reasons f n. rejecting peace and pr,ferrin-g-
-war, if the occasion
.be such as to require it. They NY LI
he canvassed, and as they w;l1 be just, must be r.mroved.
By such conduct we shall most effectually counteract the
arts and skill of the Trench negociators. What is stated
openly in Congress, cannot be made a matter of private in-
trigue and misrepresentation. The purity of our ny)tives
being. known, must be acknowledged, and the injustice or
the demands made by our enemy being
will be resisted, not only by ourselves, but by all the .othr r
Powers who possess any regard for right. Thus, ii we can-
not make peace consistently with our honour and our in-
terests, we shad wage war with the approbation, and most
likely, the hearty assistance of other nations, convinced of
the unreasonable pretensions of our toe. A peace, thus
concluded, would iw guaranteed by too many Sovei eios
to
be easily or im punch, infringed :—A war thus cornmeth:ed,
would unite them all in support of Clie right ca-tne, and th
aggressor would he proclaimed and homed down as the e,
won enemy of mankind. (it' this > A POI. CON e•; lode
apprehensive, awl it is that fear that has' already u...ide
•