The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-24 00:00:00

810

retain only such as are sufficient for our own consun►p-
tion. It would betray a puerile vanity to suppose that
the inhabitants of the Norlll and South of Europe cannot
dispense with our industry ; or that they should be such
simpletons to encourage an intercourse, in which all the
advantage would be on our side. Surely there is no Engr
lish►nan, whose understanding is so limited, as to think
that a Spaniard, or a German, or an Italian, cannot break-
fast without our colke and sugar, or clothe himself, with-
. out ordering the articles in Leeds, or Manchester. Such an
idea is not worth refutation; and too drivelling to require
a comment.

But our selfish politicians may have foreseen this objec-
tion ; and, unable to answer, will endeavour to elude it.
Our efforts, they say, however obstinate, cannot retard the
progress of BUONAPAItTE, or impede the execution of his
projects against our trade. That they are productive of
certain loss, without collateral, or prospective advantage.
That they exhaust our treasury, and destroy the flower of
our army ; without being able to prevent the enemy from
sealing hermetically (a favourite expression), the ports of
. the Continent. And as all our exertions are so much
money, blood, and labour lost ; it would be more prudent
to husband them for a future contingency—a probable
struggle on our own shores. We deny absolutely the po-
sition and its deductions. it is impossible for BUON,I-
- whatever terror his power may inspire; whatever
measures of rigour his hostilil may invent, to scat the
Continent hermetically, or partially ; as long as the respec-
tive Governments arc interested in cultivating our friend-
ship, or look to it for future support. They may insert
the tyrant's fulminating decrees in their Court Gazettes;
they may even submit to the mortification of allowing his
agents to superintend the exports and imports in their
principal harbours; but as long as they consider the pro-

sperity of Great Britain as material to their own ; as essen-
tial to the general safety and independence, they will be
. careful not to promote measures detrimental to its con-
tinuance. The film, which obscures at present, the sight
or the Russian Cabinet, may disappear instantly, and will,
iu all probability, bekre the middle of next year. In their
present purblind state, they have nevertheless sufficient
light to discover the urgency of evading BUONAPARTE'S de-
crees; and not obstructing the commercial intercourse be-
tween their country and this. This is the general sentiment
of every cabinet on the Continent ; and will increase in con-
viction and intenseness, in proportion to the development
of the tyrant's power and ambition. But why is this senti-
ment so strong and universal? It originates in the convic-
tion that Great Britain is vitally interestedrm the inde-
pendence of the Continent ;—that !;he never can, nor will
neglect any favourable opportunity of promoting an object
so essential to her own prosperity ;—that the integrity of
her power, her very independence, are endangered, should
France reduce the whole of Europe to the same state of
vassalage, to which a part is already brought. This truth
is so strongly impressed upon every Government that the
ty it down as
race, we have

and WILL
Is blood and
that off i.

(able

Supreme Junta, in ,tpttranima4ed Address, lay
the invariablzl:- ;,. .: i 134.—" The illlian
contrasted -ii irigtr.... ~, ,continues,
conTrifug. : 'd, .
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isaw
ireastifes, , "I' ..• ••• -4,1 V ;
, ude, and
't trA ilir‘L.4.l . •
NSA,>,.
Theo ob • •:"....- -,..„--►rr' . 4•1•' /Men, ;capa ,