The National Register.
London, England, 1812-12-06 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

EC. G.

was sure, be equ Ily satisfactory to the House, when they censidered
the state in which they were, about the period of the end of the last"
session of Parliament. What they reflected on the condition of some
efthecounties at that time, they would be inclined to Oak that his
Majesty't Ministers had a very. difficult lade to perform, and would
agree ha what had been so ah!y stated by the Noble Mover and Hon.
eecoetter of the Address, ilea there was great ause tor congratulation
in the termination of those diffieulties, by the means which Pas
meet had provided, although calculated to repress the system of insub-
oreination that then unhappily existed. Ile. begged to assure the
Right Hon. Gentleman and the House, that Ministers would not be I
inclined to rebut any censure that might be applied to them, on the
ground of relaxation in their effrrts to carry on roost vigorously the
war io Spain—there jiad been no relaxation on their parts—neither hid
they neglected any means by which it was possible for them, by
reatious provisions, to obtain possession of a greater disposeable force.
-
He begged leave to caution the House ag tinst being led to expect too
much 'from successes, or to despair at reverses, even though they
might be such as Oat ed the allied threes in the lines at TorresVedras.
When the House reflected that at the commencement of the cam-
paign; 'the French force on the Peninsula amounted to ',,.00,003 men,
h
which was perhaps reduced by detachments sent to the North to
la.),000, at the periad of the battle of Salaenenca, they would be in-
clined in take a different and mere correct view t the subject. 'f hey
would observe that such a force, when spread aver the face of Spain,
might maintain the possession of the country, by keeping d'wn the .
spirit of its population; which t hey were now unable to do when col-
lected into two great masse;. He could assure them, that Lore Wel-
lington had 'received supelies and reinforcements to a greater extent
than ever. In the course of last year. 20,000 men had been sent to
join him, and lie (Lout G.) should he able to centered, that though
i;ree reinforcements had not erriecd since the battle o Salamanca,
des areet fv,m the impos.ibility of sending men sooner than had been
(tune. lie agreed that the aid to Russia ought to be given in Spain ;.
aid he was also ready to admit, that its the North• opened prospects at
greater siteress, insomuch ought they to make more streouous efforts
en the Peninsula. With respect to the war in the North, the Right
Gentlemah had laid what was necessary for him to a evert to,
her) a narrower compass, as he had not made any charge in so fir as
Russia was colleen:el. He and all the world Intake feel. and none felt
it inure than the illustrious person at the head of that vast Empire,
who was so likely to mei orate the destinies of the world, that it was
not to be expected hem this country to, make larger sacrifices, or in
other quarters, than those in which she was engaged. That great
Monarch did hot call on us fa pecuniary support. He said, " you
are fightieg my cause, and the cause of the world in Spain, and ,hare
it is that sour (Witte will be most available and eflicacieus."•H is Im-
perial Majesty .felt this. to be the common policy in the common.
cause, and instead of boking to uefor aid, be has looked to a far starer.
add nobler source—he has lecked to the patriotism, the liberality, the
(inbound:el liherality, the spirit, and the loyalti• of his people. to
uphold him in the great struggle for independence; in which he is
&gaged, and to us he has looked for the elnctual carrying on of the
contest in Spain-. It the ex •rtions ofSweden, necessarily steelier then
those of Russia, had reu eired the pecuniary aid 'of this country, to
cause a diversion in the tear of the French armies, Ministers wrntld,
have been ready to have assisted her operations to that tweet. He
declined entering further into this matter at present. France leo!
reemnited aft unqualified aggression on the Swedish Mn: arcilYi
which hid as yet barn only in t by a somewhat qualified resistance.
What were the motives for collecting the force upon her coasts, it
wntild not be expected for him to explain ; but it would be seen reit!'
a feeling of hope and exultation. that between these great Northern
Powers, for they were b nth weal, our of their late centention, which
had led to the dismemberment of the province of Finland from •
Sweden :—ont of that contention a system had arisen, which happily
had net prevented their being linked together in the bonds of the
closest friendship and alliance. This fact apneered to be obvious
frqpn the very commencement of the campaien. when it teas cease to
Perceive that a perfect understanding existed between the countries.
It was evident that Russia reposed conli :ence in Swede lam the
witUrawal of the mass of trooes in cantonments in Finland. But
these who were not satisti with this demonstration of friendship,
must have every apprehension relieved by the personal interview at
Al), after which cighteen thousand men from the port el Swinburah
were chspatchel to itiga, where they arrive. 4 in time to join General
Vat ittgeusteitt at the critical period which enabled him to turn the
-scale of the war in that quarter, ant defeat the object of the enemy's
right wine. He might also be permitted to say, that if there had not
been any actual military exertion on the part of Sweden, vet that
much benefit heed been reaped front the p ~tore which she assumed.
Russia hal a well.tounded confilence in the amity of Seoe'en, and the
demonstration made by the latter power, had ra,aivsed co,o!)0 ref 1112
e eny's force. With respect to America—on this branch he had ae
a !did .teal task of explaoation imposed upon him, from the Right
Hon. Gentleman's assuming too much in point of fact, which he was
compelled to deny. He agreed with him, that in ir c ,ciatioo too much
forbearance had been shewn towards America; and had this not been
se, he could not believe Ministers would stand so well with the
House and the country as they would do if they had not :hewn (what-
ever AUICTILC3 did) that they were most unwilling to depart from old

principles and ratlines. (Hear, belt, hear t) But lie denic.t their th
sear, after it 'nil been commenced, was carried on with greater for-
bearance than was inaiseensablyhadopted from a consideration of the
other tomcats ia which the nation was unhappily engaged.• Neither
the House nor the Right Hon. Gentleman were to learn, that though
we were actually at war with America, yet that negociations had not
.hselthely terminated. A mission had been entrusted to Admiral
Warren, and a proposition subs jute, by him to the American Go- -
vetoment. to which no answer had been received up to this day. This
proposition was intended :o have been mart through Mr. Foster, but
as he had lett the country lactose the dispatch arrived, the huainess
hod of necessity devolved upon the Admiral on the station. Under
these circumstances, waiting for the reply of the American Govern-
talent (thought he did not meat by this to lead the House to any san-
guine expectation as to the result,) he was sure the House would feel
that Ministers would have more coesulted their feelings than their
judgments, had they hastily put forth the answer they telt themselves
so competent to give to the assertions and claims of America. The
Right Hon. Gentleman had touched upon oee or two other .points
which required little notice. Ir was true, as he stand, that the Bri-
tish Government had never endeavoured to force, through neutrals,
their manufactures into France. With regard to the mission, he did
not think it necessery that- Ministers should publish any disavowal of
it now. They had disavowed it in their places in Parliament, as the
Right Hon. Gentleman had done tonight, and, like hinr; declared
they ;lever knew of it until published by the American Government.
That the lion. Gentleman opposite ( Mr. Whitbread) had not pursued
his chasge upon it with greeter eagerness, was a pretty strong proof
that no blame could he thrown on Ministers on that account ; and
I besides all this. he had to assure the Right Hon. Gentleman, that
Government had disavowed it to the American Cabinet, to satisfy
whom they h;:1 sent over all the papers they were acquainted with
on the sulaject. In Russia the spirit of desperate opposition to our
enemy's aggressiors was, as noticed in the Speech, unparalleled in
history. The peva is of that country had been spoken tan barba-
rians, and as being a century behind other oations in civilization, but
could they find in any country a. resistance to itivasian equal to that
glorious spirit which was now diaplayed, fir ing every rat.k and descrip-
tion of men in the vast R it-siut Empire ? Nor wet it for course
alone 6..0 the Peisalans had shone con-Tic:nous during this contest.;
that heroic valour for we kit thse: ware famed on ibriner occasions
was one now their only praise. The -military councils and
skill of the Comm:milers also shone ere-eminently ; and th . whole
conduct of the centeeien proved them to he equal to he most difficult
situations 'Ma Irving emereeneies. The interests cf tl:is people were
new identified with our own in the most gratifying manner, by their
fleets appanachirg our herhoura-ean aciinn which taas calculated to
.make the French fief Ow even the less of another capital would
not involve the loss of ti cir fleet, or he censidet cal any mere than the
former as the loss of the come rv. In this -the Emperor Alexander
had shown a glorious eeample eiwilat a Monarch ought to be, and the
true peliey of a MOnarch, wilich, had it kern acted liven by others,
Europe would not h lee hen is it epre,ent state. lie had not placed
his streneth in a capital city, but truved to the spirit of hie cottatry
for the pledge t• statol by hiin, ;red repel the invaders, and in this he
had not hesn disappointed.
hlr. WHIT.II rti An loeked upon the Treaty, which the Noble Loot
mentioned as now going on whh America, to be merely a pretext.
it behoved M ilisters to pause hot ire they ex tilted et n hat they
called the preposterous slat -of our RthiCS. I t W.li a rite, as an hon.
Gentleman whi spoke b. fire had said, too true, that thane are three
wars in which we are.epAiged ; yet W. Were.: now in a proud situation.
I n the 'bird of these WaN we stand alone. It was a !inlet disaatoola
war, and one which was likely to cut the very sinews by which we
• should assist our other wars ; yet this %yes a time at which we were
to ( x nit.- The Noble Enid had compared the. retreat of K3lltt:SC,fr to
that of Moreau, but did not recelle. t !lie situathm it the two Gene-
- ens. Metcalf re;reated through a hostile country, wt- iah he bed
cenqttered ; reentuaoti'reereated into his I,Wn crantri , the rest:men
of which were at his coin:need. It was meetionerl that we lee, oe..
felted the oicericans, but no to-noon was trtede.of the lase of the
Guerriere and another ah;p, and ye t this was a tine to exult. In his
veto - last dispatch, l.ord Welneeten saes, that, to his regret, he has
heen.obliged io abandoo ae object which eareile have gone tar to
M ratt ter-
Imate the war ; he has been pued by the French Army, and yet
this was a time to exult. Becausell(3,i.'!%artz. has been ob.iged in
. Russia to retreat, althnegh his power is I y no eteans annihilated ; are
we on this account to think ours •hoo . r rum pliant ? We have been
foiled in our ohject in one pee c and tVe Emperor of irance in
another ; therefore this is a time wl en it would be both dieniiied aid
Proper try arrange terms for an hersiurable peace. Notwithstanding
the spieneid atelii• vementa of our antic ie Spain, we Are now as far as
I ever from the expulsion of the French firm the. Peninsula. • Although
by an unexoected event the rojeets of Beonapene have been Heeled,
yet fran. his consurronate skill end expel i :need velour of his troops.,
we canoot expect that Eia rev naes will be more teen tetoporary and
void. For th•• sake of suaerieg humarity—f -r the sake of our
country, and to give Spain au cpportunity of establiaiiin); a govern.
ment, he was most anxt tor that an endeavour to obtain peace sheuid
be made. The Hen. Genie !lan then read se. long A sLendincia, in
' which these topics were inscrtel, whiedt he thought . u.;ht fict ,o be