The Sun.
London, England, 1808-02-09 00:00:00

plete sticceqs With which its execution waS crowned..
It remained to ingaire, whether the principles.
,upon Which it \V'as executed, were
contrary to the 1,114 Nationi, VCccinling to that
code as laid down_and a:led on in old. times, before
the bond in which it had united all civilized Nations
was burst by fhe,French itevolutien.- The first right
that grew out of that law, as well as of the' law of
`nature, was the right of secuPity, a right,- which..
could not be limited by any of the rights of neutra-
lity; a right, that it could never be disgraceful for
• any-Nation to aa upon, because it was' the most
imperious atiti sacred. duty of nations to assert; .and
imsequently• the most urgent and glorious duty. of
those who undertook the 'administration of a nation's
These he confessed, Were not new prin,
eiplei, they were not., tlie principles of the French
school
.; nor those of the new schools 1,0 had lately,
heard talk of. let it.seems a 'g."l..Tal cry issaised
against England, on account of this .measure.t— The
voice of Europe is said to condemn us—was the
voice of Europe now free ? or did any ''Power or
individual in it Venture to breathe a sentiment hos-
tile to the views of Buonaparte, more especially
to his' projea of humiliating. the naval supe-
riority of England, the source of her glory as•
well as. of her. wealth and power. Vittler all
these circnmstanceS, he coujnrca their 14ordships,
to pause befOre they would. cast any reproach on.
a measure which had Struck so formidable a blow'
against the designs of France, and which "cornbin-
ed in k all. the elements of splendid. achieve-
moms, wise councils, dextrous management,
.gi!aneforesight. He implored them not, in tang bo-
som of present:security, to look back upon past
dangers, with' a view to censure those Who had per.
for Med a service of great.magnitude, and thereby to
strengthen theeause ofthe enemy ; lest fUtute
nisters, in'a case'. of similar urgency and equal dan-
ger, should be deterred frond emulating the present:
glorious example, tinder the apprehension of being
stigmatised as the violators of neutral rights, and the
imitators of 'the injustice of the enemy.

Lord litireWNSONAnired the able speech of
the'Noble Lord WhO'preceded bins, but'did not rise
to follow hies' over the wide field of argnitent be had
(tone over. kliS objea Was to itisist upon tine chief
point, and sortie others that ornewhat personally
concerned himself. The Noble Lord then proceeded
to read severatextraas from Minutes which ho had
taken of conversations which passed between him
and the Emperor' of Russia, subsequent to the Treaty
of Tilsit, From these it appeared, that. the Noble
Lord, in a conversation with Count Strogonow, had
admitted, that cinder the, circumstances in 'which his
Imperial Majesty was placed, he was justified in mak-
ing peace. The EMperor, alluding to this conversa-
tion, asked the Noble. Lord, if he still :Whet ed, to that
opinion : to Which the Nob!o Lord not only an-
Siarered in' the .affirtnative, but arida', !hat every
thing which lid since happened tended,to confirm
him its that opinion. The Emperor Alexander had
also corninunicated'to him the terms upon 'which
the'Emperor of the • French was willing to make
peace with England, and these terms he did not bf.
sitate to say were-not only equitable terms, in his
Opinion, brit terms perfectly honotrrable for this
Country.. The paint, however, oh 'which the No-
hic.t4Ord would now chiefly insist, iga.the attack on
Copenhagen, and that that alone bad alienated the
Emperor di. Russia front us, and indhced him to de-
clare war ag;iinit Eitgland. That it had incensed
his Imperial Nlajesty to :such a degree, that., he re-
peatedly declared. ho should never make peace with.
England, midi declared,
satishaion had been done
to her by this Country. This wars his own private
opinion also, and he. would InSi4t, till.the.hour of llis
, death, that our condua at- Copenhagen was the
sale Came of,the war with Russia. /Mild) was said
of the difference of opinion which prevailed in Russia
on these paints. • In Russia, as in othercountries, a
variety of opinions prevail ;, but the general opinion
of the, better ifirornsed, condemned the Copenhagen
Expedition. 'As to What was Called the English
Party in Russia, they did little honohr to the Cohn-
try' whose cart c prefesi to esponse. Their°
sentiments were; he eas stir``:: no real Eng-
lishman wonid'thi'el: r):,iioptitig, The Noble Lord
'duchy invei2iy.! th,e; curt-dot:1s: li,,ngnage
in 'which
the cliaraler of Attie A10:.%1.n.,,ftr it was a
diaig,raesi to this ciriintry, nctte:v not
have been • ondured ; when I tlts C6ti%itry:}ever al
lowed itsoll to ,-;p:!;1!:- of ioreign I.).)tentates.:.and
reign nations, but of Oeorinn slid
. civility, And triat OMt v at War with
them. He waSsarpr:vd at the liberty that bad been
taken with his dispeoNts, And at the language arsd
siemitnepti which ;;oputc,dtnititn tll another
Once : OntiiioWi to be codeqed
from scraps awl extr.tAs ; the i,vtluit, of hid- corres.:,
poiidenee arid p'iO ought so have:been pub-
pitied, and • from thoin, riillr tively lid cis, au idea
should be tiraWn of the tendmcy of his .opinions.
!I' he 'minutes of the c4svers,:itions winch be .had
bad with the Einpirror Alexander, he had Colli-
municated to his Majesty's Ambassador at Peters-
burgh, and knowing the honour of that Noble
Lord,, ltu was sure they were transtnittedby him ,to
Majesty's Ministers. They could net therefere
ignor;int of I s OpinlOtift, The Noble Lord cob-
eluded with repeating his conviaion, that the -war
With Russia was wholly and solely 'occasioned by
the seizontbitho Danish !Meet.

Lord-ERSKINE Contended, that not only the
rapers moved for by his Noble • Friend should be
produced, but also- whatever information had been
received respeaing the lava! preparations of Den-
mark, or the intentions of that 'Power to join'in a
maritime confederacy against this Country. Thin:Was
information which, ha concluded, would not be pro-
duced, because no such information had been re-
ceived, and tbus the House was to be left without a
single do.:ument to support the extraordinary, un-
precedented, and to justitiiible meastires against Co-
penhagen. This consideration of the hoitility of
Denmark was now wholly put out of the question,
and the aa was defended on the ground of the Law
of Nations'. Hut he would contend, that no prece-
dent for, such a measure- was to be fonnd in the- Mi..
tory of Europe, It Wan by the principle oS the
:Law of Nations that' the condua cit.:Miuister3
was 'to be judged", they were not'theh called
upon to atiprove or condemn -the--thing; or its au-
titers ; they wanted infornmtion'tnerely to emth;',.!
tht!in try fo'rm a ilifigititm thiq ccuki
in re;:dlng Liaory Of civilized tiatioh,
tat Was the progiv,,v it:Lyn/mm:4 that Wd6 to bte

traced in .law and civilization a-mout`the
the world, This was the first instance in which the
prittelpres 'of - that -ameltertion ha& beep trampled
upon by us. Revolutionary France was, the ill !.,t to
violate thoselprihciples, Old in support of diem
for our secuAty, we had *cried on a war against that
Country at the expellee of two hundred millions 61
money. France then made the Treaty of Piluitz her
..pretext,_a.s.. this. Country now does..that of Tilsit.
France gave them no evidence of such a Treaty, nei-
titer do Ministers now. He had Opposed the Co-vein-
mencin the late %var.-not because he condemned the
principle, but bet.,,aeise he did not think that the war
would aecoMpliSh lea-professed Objea.' He opposed .
the war upon that ground-, t hough it Was supported by
the watchless eloquence of the Minister who theu
presiqed over his Majesty's ; an eloquence-
which far exceeded any thiriglhat had ever been ex-
hibited.in any esseirtbly of a civilizett:nattert, %This
Country bad always put itself forth as the Conser-:
vator of the Peace of the World ; and well she might,
standing as she doeS upon a rock, inaccessible
to the cdmition enemy. If she had persevered in
her' honourable career, the tyranny of the Continent'
woi:ild go when the Tyrant vas gone. What, would.
have been the opinion of other nations of this illus.!
tribuS Country, ifshe had made..sacriff&s.4ind en.;
countered risks in 'adhering to her old principles. 'So
far' frotn gaining ;security .by abandoning them,
she exposed :herself to ruin. In his .Opinion, the
Law di Nations had been violated; .and,he should
explain his notion of the matter bra Very simple'
illustration., If a fire were to break out 'in the Hay-,
market, it would be justifiable to pull clown an ad-
: joining house to prevent the spreading of the flames :
hut a man would be by 110 means justified tor:pull-
ing, down his neighbour's house, sit Hyde Park, lest
the conflagration should reach his house ; still less.
on a rumour of such a fire, when no tire had taken
piece in the Haymarket, 'or on a report alone that
some malicious
.person intended to set the house
there on. fire. He would prefer that France had the
Danish Fleet, rather thaii we the enmity of the Da-
MA people. They thought they had get' rid of
danger, but they had got into the midst of it. The
conduct of the English in ,the massacre of all the
Dames' in a reported invasions by Sweiti; recorded in
the first volume of Mr. Hume's history, teas an me-
' logousease. Theinvasiem did take place, which had
not been before in contemplation, and a dreadfnl re-
taliation was , the consequence. If the .fact was that
Denmark was hostile, we should have.encountered
and beat them manfully, instead of giving them new
names, as the gypsies do to the children they steal.
He should vote for the'Motion of his Noble Friend,
because the information he called for.was absolutely
necessary to enable their Lordships: to estimate a
measurei which had rendered the hostility of the
whole world, :which had been before forced and re-
loaoot,, both hive and voluntary.
Lord. BO R G D PAT 6b4er ved- that a noble Lord
opposite-(Lord Hutt:lll6smq had transtultted
patches libilie,'Stating there had been secret Articles
attached to the Treaty of Tilsit; and especially One
that might lead to hostility with this Country, and
tilatti Weeks before he had -received an account of the
Expedition to Denmark. After that fa& howicould
the noble Lord state that the war with Russia had
arisen out of the Expedition, and nut out: of the Tre'-
ty of lifsit. As to the reforenc'e made to the 4-all_
rity of the use made of the Treaties Of curl
, Tilsit; he should only observe, that a noble -Baton
(Lord Grenville) had- stated in, that
.House," he he.
lieved no such Treaty ai the Treaty of Pilniti
isted. . But if it had exis!ed, there was analogy
between that which had ne'secret articles anti thav
of Tilsit, which had. (In the 'general tntestion 116
ctintended, the Danes had not the Means of ',resist-
ing the French force on their iroutiers. The neces-
sity of the ease justified Ministers in this Expedition,
,the principle of which was redically the same.upon
which the Handel Madeira had been captured last
war. As Ministers Were:in possession of intbrinatiott
relative to the intentions of the French Government:
and the total inability of the Danes to defend them-
selves, their conduct 'was tblly justified.
Ear/ 'll(ICKINC1/411/S1UEE, thought more
ofneial docuMents ought to, be produced:. The De-
claration of his Majesty stated that,secret informa-
tion had been received which led to the attack upon
Cottenita;;en but all the statements their Lordships
hairheard, skewed - that thel;xpeditiott had sailed
before any intelligence had been received of the
Treaty of Tilsit. Never lied .l'arliailient juStilled
the principles of a new, war Upon such information.
The conduct of Prussia to Saxony had heel'', mention-
eft as. an analogous Case ; but the: King , PruSsia
had received a Copy of the Treaty coneltidedagainSt
him, and afterwards, to remove the Odium of the
publiihed the Treaty in his Deelaratioq to the
'World. As to what noble Friend (Marquis Wel-
Lesley) had Said of the diffietilty of defenditig,the Pas-
Sage of the Belt, he had the authority elan eminent
-Naval Officer, to say, the anchorage for large Vessels
was very good, and with a proper ma-tuber of Gun-
boats, a naval force stationed its the Belt could pre-;
vent, the passage of any considerable force from the
continent to Zealand, Th 6 Danes he concluded
would have defended theinselVes,and it, as had,been
stated, as the ground of the VOte of Thanks,' they
had j 5,00-0 Troops it) Zealand, this forcei with the
2:4,000 they had in nolitein, would enable them to,
defend the island ekanally. Elven if France had
threatened Denmark as she bad Portugal, who could
know. brit the Cro'Vn Prince would have retired to
'Zealand as a place of security, as the Prince Regent
had,td the Brazils ? He eensidered a vier Withltus-
sia as inevitable, from the Conclusion of the Treaty
of Tilsit, and therefore he thought the Riissian fleet
ought to have been seized, and with that in our i)ci,S,
session, we pbould hive had tt:better chance of snc7
ceisful.'negotiatien. As to the ittavii. Upon the
'Danish fleet, and its sobs 'go! tent capture, he feared
this Country would have caiay.:.! to lament the
ditiou,

" 'canto tempus Brit, in etnn optaverat4toptum;
" 041 spoliA INAdigintiutt', ,
" Othrit."
Lord ifiIIiTIOITBY contended, if we bad not
seized on the Danish fleet, the Thinei would hate
taYen the first ovortunity to enter into the Priaritinie.
,Confederacy this Country, *as in the forcuL;r
instance, which led to ono of the greatoNt oav;il
itehicv(-..,otentsrecOr;L:d t.iUr ...vas per
lyips this very aCiiittven4.:iit that nohie I.0!(15 to
think we were so bccer against o...rantark. But there
was a great difference, bit which it wits iliffiolit to
trace, betweuu that tle,;l-4e of (I;inacr, v.7.11ie1l could

li'reSii,ted by ordie,er, means, t\teit
de.4sj an iMpendieg necessity. we seere not to •
retegrifrioaCtive whilst the enemy W,14 rt l i ittal I
after inept() his apeouut of in.ems. against Ass. . If e
Buonaperte had declared, in the must entheotie men-
tier; tt -.eafi- his intention to seize the Danish-Ili:et,
such a decimetre-tcould not lave reodered iii Oh,
jeA mere obvious. It was.hupossible te,appoSellae-
naperte,.after..hav-ites.annihilateci.sphe- Artuies ot. ha.e
Continent, 'would 'have gufired Denmark to retain
her indtipendericj. We tied trusted to the DeClar::-
Cons ofaciimsri: toolong. She had notnieritd-stich
confidence ; she made no preparations for defenee,
It was only e‘ilien the EngliSh and Hatteveriarts were
advariciog 'to rescue the North that she' essein'eled,
Troops in Holstein..
.The" information of
.the seer
arrangements at Tilsit •reached this Country preVieus
to the sailingef the ExPedition; which was prepared
for another purpese, Lint direaed to that with a
promptioide; alacrity, and vigour, that refit:o'4l44
highest credit on the Government. The'Eepedition
was fully jusGfied en the grounds whist) wereiriche
anti therefore- no more• information was 'ne-
cessary. If We had a morel certainty that-fbeEnertly
intendettro-seize-rmentral town for our annoyance,
we would be idStified in anticipating him, though in.
the •ebstraa the, aa nol be just.. le4,,seis.eue,..
priSedto tied stick hot Far expreSsed at just..
to Copenhagen,hy those who had approved of the 1::Xe
pedition aVteit Constentinople. He could easilycona;
Ceivo one Might approve the at ttick iipon col= hap 11;
whilst he disapproved of that 'to the parkiiutelles ; he
ooldeoneeiyetteat a person might,cdndenni.both,but
he could scarcely think it possible ter. one to approve
theattadteopots Constantinople, 'Where there was no
obvious.necessity,emdcondemn that. a-gainst Copeit-
hage,n,V.ll4:' wits' ;se OeceSsary Rer our' seen!-ity.
There Was one great difference`betweeiViVern ,:one
was completely successful, and the other hail com-
pletely failed: ...I\l6 prinelple of ‘.the LaW of Nations
had been violated, for this Country had been. actiek
Upon the pliticithete 'self-710'6116e, and ,olt st.lCh
grgonds,as would justify 'in individual in aggression.
Theeiterny had departed from the Law of NatiOns,
and we were consequently not.biiondto adhere to, it.
If we had adhered ete the principles of the Noble
Lords on the other side', 'in the late disturbances'in
Ireltind, we should begoing to law with the leabiKs.,
whilft they, were going to war with us. Upon the
whole, he thought that his Maiesty's Ministers hid
in titled themselves to the approbation el that 4-lou4e,
and to the gratitude of their Country: ,
Earl 11101 RA asked whether our proud princiPleS
of public faith, our high notions of national honour,
-were to be abaedoned, and we Were -now to imitate
theTrinciples of , Buonaparte, which we had sci
of-
ten reprobated;? All the 'excuses ,which had' hitherto
been made for the coudua of the 'Danish Expeiitien
Were now Cait away, and the broad principle de-
fended upon the ground of Speculative convenience
only. I le had no doubt that there was no part of
Eurepe in which BtiontiParte had not sought the
means of annoying this Country ; for be had pros'
1'630 to do ho. Bin what presumption Was the-e,
that Denmark had any „collusion with France'
This,. :hoWever, Was s'Ap4rfluous, beCause the in-
tention of Denmark was new pet out of the tines-
tiee, -and the attach -jteititied on the ground that
the fleet miehthectripltiyed,agaiost: this Country;
But the policy of I.Xinruerls was -clear 'atid.dktinct,
not so Much from her adunl force as from there-
' lative sitwition: of the. parties. The colleelion of
the Danish..ferce in' 'ffolstein was, he wks in-
cline to bilievee anterior to' the period mentioned
by the Noble, Lord (Lord Harrie.vhy). it was on
the attack, upon Henover, .by t he French, that the
• Danish army. assembled. on the' frontier to
their•nentrality: If the !Yews hail been attacked,
lie was: convinced thet, as they Were, by
Prince who exposed knee...ft to' every danger in de-
fence of his country, tiny would have fought brave!.
it was not from numbers, but from disposition,
that we could' calculate the, prospes:t success.
Buonaparte had not attacked thelbees,:because the .
inoMent of the attack would throw, them into the
arms of England: If they hail 35,000 men in Z2a-
land, that tierce wOuld enable them' to, defend that
Island against any army ; and, even if the Euemy
should land, it would be sufficient to defend one 61.,the
Strongest fortresses, which would-be open to receive
supplier,. whilat_the Enemy ihonld be:cut off frriet all
conimunication, except by means of 4 superioferaval
force. He should prefer that Buonaparte had dbuble
the amount of the-Danish Fleet, than that ge. should
have tarnished our honour.- . The subjugated Powers
of the Continent yielded, a reluctant stibnaission
to France, tvaiting for an oppertnelty to throw otr
the yoke.' But ter this they must.look to a conntry.
ontainted.in honour as a ralkeing point. Such this
conntry bad been till this tatalEmwdition. He sin-
cerely wished, that Ministers could make out agood
defence, which *old- acquit the 'honour of the
Cpuotry. Bat if their Lordships should reject the
motion of his Noble Friend,. the whole Country
would join in the Condertmetion of the authors of the
Expedition. If Denmark were really hostile, 'why
leave her in a condition to be still a thorn in our side ?
If the Expedition were joStifiable on necessity, it
• must be aOnal, and .not speculative necessity. The
line was easily drawn 'by honour and by integrity,
and not by'snch principles as would serve as a Justi-
. fication for any tyranny. There .was in *the people
of this Countria noble principle, which made. them
laugh to scorn all calculations of any superiority of
:force. The enemy can !Add ships, 'having all flit!.
1113ter;21S, and is not limited as to the time of carry'-
iwitge are
n () threat,.v e
naggaagi
coos
nt a war in s
ycoh: enx?lcntrel. zcia:inan,re.
;step- may be ruin. This false step
on rain;.; hut it brings us nearer toit, for it• has.dC_
strayed all.hope of. a faveniable change in Europe.
Jlo was sorry abetter
ease had not been tuadiettr.
HoW, will the Country-stand before Europe;:; if. die
Ministers evade. the question and shelter thorns Ives
behind declamation. . All 'Forty was out of the
qeestien-.On this occasion. If the,Ministers should
hying forwtnel infortnalion to.juStify themselves, he,
would be.the first to appland their condOt. -Bet. if
they slid}:ilcl grant no more informatien, they wouldli
incur tiro deep eandemnationof the ConntrV's , The'.
people 'silent, 'net from :'rat 11y,' but;hefett:tte.'
they leeked to.the Oerision'Of
, wag plos,Ad that
tees had uL.Crested their dMl,:lec. i'n•;v:lte
far,mGiap,.toast the.y might, wlwo goadc.d in
'bale:, or taunted by Fitirc:v,ln. ha-taftipi,?,l to.imitrge;
; a precedent wh;cla, was better kept in the • hy,4,:ti

..t*htth'N'e'c'thser"Auce, • He had listened with Wen-,
lien to the 'speeds of the Noble Lord on the
other side (Lori Hutchioson), for whose talents
no person entertained a higher respe& than he did,
bitt did not feel hit opinion altered. However
it might treat's, the curiosity of the public to have'
Bleat Potentiles introduced into these discus-
sions, and private conversations with such eminent .!
-ssersenages detailed, he would appeal to-their Lard-- :;
ships whether such a course was wise. —.What
culties might it nut impose upon future Noi;ociators,
with- whom foreign Princes would not be inclined
to cotnntaiticate, lesfltlreir conversations should be
twde public This was likely to be
telt in any future negociation, -for we ,were not
to be for ever at war With, itll the world. As to
the Expedition to Copenhagen, that wasfully justi-
fiable, because he could sheet', that froth the com-
mencement of . the last war the Danes had been
hostilely disposed towards this Country. They cA.,
couraged and allowed privateersand enemies' vi3eli
to carry their prizes into Bergen, in Norway,. and
to sell them there, condemned in a Court tormed
bX
the French COesnl at that Port, -In the year 170 .
his
.Majesty's- Ministers felt -theAhterats of thii
coontrysoaffe&ed by the condua of Denmark, that
they sent instralions to our
,MiniSter at Petersburgh;
to intrent ofthat Court to join its remonstrance with
thosefof boriginister at 'Copenhagen, to procure an
al tetationiU 'the hostile belies/ ionr: almimiark: SOcil
also had been the opinion or, the RuSsian.Cou;:t.rera-
tive tolhe sentiments. of that of Copenhagen, that
when sending.a fleet .and army to co-operate
the allies,.it was, apprehended that thel).lnes itiould
have attempted to prevent them from passing t"
Sound, in-which case even the Hessian- Commander,
by secret orders, wa4 dire&i-dittiltfild the' troops slid
attack Cdpenliagen. cistantq',of Deninark
lia
been equally suspicious during
,the List,tweni y.eaOl
If the sixteen ships of the line, Which untierstood
werein the;ports of Russia;, Were irddcd- to the cO
belanging to Denmark, there would be. ito doubt that
the 36, whatever might be, the gallantry. of the
king of Sweden, would have forced: his t
of the line to Co-operate' \chit. thtii-rn The Ntib`"
Lord could not leuk,npon a fieet.iiite4hat a" in-
considerable force; especially, in a ;pert so eon'
vm eent for the Itivit4ioo of hr land;' the Pas"
sage north about. As to the;.statp of Leland, 15)N.
could assure. their Lordships, tot the. loop ,°f
that country were no longer 'divided, by religious,prea
judiees, and; SVdtilil be ready to defeant then country
against anyinvader. They unde.istOo4 tee well what
a conquered people had to e,xpe& front the French
Despot, not to be prepared to .risk every thing in
the,defence of their Country. There were still a tat
of the. Jacobin fa&ion in the Country, cvlto were
ready to do any mischief, and it was, not to be wen*
dered at if they had succeeded in sedticiug a few den
_hided peasants to .join them in their riotous,coursz
The great body of the :nation Was sound and loyal,
and a French invading force would, in no -paeref
the Empire meet a more general or 'determined re-
sistance. ha
The Earl of JERSEY supported the motion;
contended that the • necessity.was not so 'Clear ,115 tit
warrant the-attack made on .Copenlinen, `Tilt: re vva>r
no evidence that Deittnark was, nor tirspos,d to resi4t
any attempt qiaje by, Fr'ariCelo, iuterfi:re, tv'ith her
neutrality ; ,and the;l3ritish orival-,Prce ani,elat at least
have enabled tics - Dani4l) army to keep .4Z031,44 to
defiance of all that France could cio to obtain pus"
session ail. .1 ".

fiord- HA /P 1 R.VINZY was anxious to. _Lear
.
opinions of as Many Noble Lords as possible before
he came todeliver-hire" but his anxiety to. .reply
to
some obser.-atidna thin had dropped from soniti
Noble Lords opposite, Would not allow him to (tete
addressing the Honse any longer. So well. s=t6'64
was he of the justice and propriety of What had hoen
done at Copenhagen, that he would, if it had been.
necessary, have shed the last drop ef his blood to'
have accomplished it in the inannerit'had.boo-. felt4'
Noble Friend who spoke second i nstit is dew te, lEOO°
elOquently gone over the whole chatter (lithe cesc,tbilt
little remained for him to do, e....x.ce7t to re-statc
to reply to the ohjealoits that had been thrown uot•
His. Noble Friend' had beau arraigned for expressiiii
a disregard of moral ties and obligations, but he ha'
not clone so. He trusted that inor.'. ot)ligat ions ‘vue• -
as much regarded by him end his Noble Friends as
by any other persons, and tiler reit ii interes; r"r
dispense with that regard in the present iostance:
F:ixPedition to Copenhagen woolcl sintid julstifiL v
oi) the highest prineiples of public rig! t, It 't'ai
necessary to define moral principles. 'There could be
no difference list° the nature of those principles or
thd thities resulting from them. It was o}rl is the al}'
tPlteation of the principles to faAs that any doel3P'
could arise. The Law of Nation's ..W..15 /0211ded.
is
the Law,of Nature; and oneuation was bound to 31.1 T•
ther 1n the earmiion-we,liii of Status, just as elle halt'
victual was b;iund t
-`) ilmAther in civil society— Th.o
only diii*nce.was, that in civil societY there were tt'.-
lxttrtals to. 'between man and man :in toe et-NW
mon-weattb of States there was no such tribunal, eti!.
-_
the differences-of one Stat- with another wet ej-u.-,t
two indhldnals were-tonarrel in a stete'onw
before there was any .tribqunal,'any umpire i .
between them. If one wielceli, and -violeei pers!,
were to make an attempt on another, :end_ t° eaddele,
your to get pbssession of all 'Possible means I,`' -Le*
stroy him, would not that other be wanting ,')
linty to hiMielf, if he did not labour to anticipate I'l
fi
in getting possession.of ihese means ? It thecae rri4
should be determined to attack the house, and siloci,
get possessiOn Of the threshhold,would it uOt be ht'ttrl
,4,
to drive him from the. threshhold, And get pa ws
st..of it for the defence of the house? The two que6"l",'
principally
,for,the consideration of their I,ordslir:
were, stovilether the-thing was necessary. to be doe
and secondly, whether being necessary, it bed bulro'
execrated in the mildest manner. The merits °ft
141 edition resolved themselves into Owe -distll,l a
uses. The: fir,st was,. whether the enemy lied 1911110-1.
a design to unite all the Powers of Europo in fr,
`solved
league against us, and whether he the
`solved to force Denmark into that league)
sled
econd was, whether the enemy having wrl7,ei,
the design, it.was praeticable; and thirdiY. the
sign being entertained. and being.prieticable,
,sx!
as to
tiler the objet tgtAliet was. of snehMagnitude
warrenc a deviation from all the rules of ler°Pric, iv;
.No doubt cOuld be entertained of the iutentitscr"ie
the enemy, froM the time that the shtltting of
port4.ol th Continent-.against Britain
25 the certain consequence of the ~Treat),' 4), ,eel,
w and :when the torts of Prsia were, ~)"

I