The Sun.
London, England, 1801-02-03 00:00:00

these *ill be withhat4o,fron) ttp. L
can be placed upon the argument, that by so (Wing,
their own Littlest .w.esild suffer, esPeCially 'when
the tharafter of the Ittnperor l'Aut is (:onsidered.
Add to this, the benefit which we derive at pn!s,ent
:from the supply "of. Grain from the Baltic, Scc.
•.This, source of supply will at once be dried Up ;
'and I ask the House whether it will at once
.divest the Country of any hope of such. relief ?--
But notwithstanding all this, it may he replied,
that-unless we resent the recent injury, the na-
tional honour will be stained. But here it will
be necessary first to inquire whether Ministers
by their conduft have not aaually provoked .this
aggression ? Their. former violent conduft and
vexatious as towards Genoa,. copenhagen, &c.
are well remembered7,-At all events, it ought to

he inquired, whether this diSpUte might not have
been avoided? In order to this,. a. mere instruc-
tion to our Cruizers might have been sufficient.
True policy would haie been, for His Ma-.
jesty:s Ministers to have avoided this dispute,
as was the policy of Lord CiiAl:H AM in the
war of 170, as stated by Lord Cistaim
The opinion of Lord CAMDEN respeaing-the con-
do& to be pursued towards Neutral Powers was,
that our Enemies must be cut off to the utmost
from the Supply of Naval Stores ; but that great
eaution should be taken not to alarm or, Offend
Neutral Powers, that their complaints shoUld
attended to, and great moderation exercised to-
wards them. But I may be told, that a Conven-
tion has aaually, been signed by the Northern
Powers, and that the only alternative, is either to
abandon or assert our right. But we, must first
see what the nature of the Convention is--:---We
are told, that it has been formed upon the ground_
of.the Convention of 1780 But i never heard
that it had been objeacd to Lord.Noa-rn, that
he did not. go ..to war with the same Powers in
consequence of, this Convention : yet, Lord
Norm's condua in
.this respea was, in a mea-
sure, -sanaioned by the new Rock:INGHAM Ad.
ministration, and that which succeeded it.---,
In the Treaty of Peace, all mention of the Armed
Neutrality was omitted ; the exercise of. our
claim had been suspended. One. of. the first acts
of the Right Hon. Gentleman's Administration
was the Commercial Treaty with France. In 'it_
the full principles of the Armed Neutrality were',
carried into effea ; and'since we had acceded to
thia'demand in the case of one great Maritime
Power, was it a sufficient cause of War to object
to' the same claim advanced by tither Powers ?,
1793, the Provisional Treaty was made be-
tween this Country and Russia, which renewed
fotmer Treaties, granting to Russia the liberty
of carrying all artmcles,.the produce of that Coen.
try, to Enemies' shores, with an exception of
Contraband. ' It may be said that this Conven..
tion being signed by Denmark and Sweden,
. with
Russia,- with whom we have another dispute,,
shews , the hostility of the measure ; but the
mere signature of a Convention by two Powers
with a third with whom we may be at War,
does not, give us a just ground of attack.-7
It may be also replied, that we are Lot now in
that state of sveaktiess we were in at the end of
the American War.' It is true, our Naval Supe,
riority is at present decided ; are. nor now,
as at that time; avoiding the Fleets of France
and Spain in. the Channel ; but arc' there nut in
the internal state .of. the Cowry. such circinn„
stances as would (if at any time) tocuieate every
principle of forbearance, and to avoid every fresh
aa of hostility.? On these accounts I think Hi
Majesty's Ministers act a very impolitic part,
and-are involving the
.Country in great danger.
I call upon the House to pause.and inquire, and
not pledge itself to adopt their determination, at
least till it has found their condua to be cwt.
neaed with the maintenance of the National
Safety and Honour. • When we consider our state
at the end of an B,year War, which has brought
unparalleled distress on this. Nation, and the ants-
carriages of Ministers, respeaing Belgium, Hol.
land, &c. , I ask, what can be -expeaed from
such men, but That after pew-. national humiliations
for dending the presentllaitn, we ihall at last' he
reduced to the necessity- of abandoning it; even
when-the abandonment will prove ipeffeaual to
restore 'tranquillity to Europe ? And I say, Sir,
that we are bound to exaa from Ministers an ac-
count of that 'conduel which has extraaemi from
almost every. Country iriEurope (although at fast
leagued with us against France), nothing but
hatred and revenge. But this Confederacy against
us could not have been the work .of it. day.
.11
Ministers foresaw it, why then did they rejed
the overtures for Peace made by. BONAPARTE
last year ? And if they did not forsee the ap..
proaching storm, where was their wisdom ?
From what happened respeaing the detention
of the Swedish • Convoy, the disposition of
~that Power was evident ; nor were the senti-
ments of Prussia much less doubtful. Ministers
thought last year that time overtures made by
France to 'Austria should be rejected. Austria
meted accordingly, and what was the consequence,
but that by their advice, a dreadful chasm was
occasioned from the Map of Europe l - Nor was it
one of the least fatal effeets of our policy towards
Austria, that Austria herself may entertain hatred
against, us, and become a party to this new
Treaty. We refused to negotiate with France
when a bankrupt in credit and resources, and
now we' .are told' in, the Speech, that We are
ready to treat with the Enemy when he spews
a more moderate, disposition ; that is, °when
France -is restored in powdr anti credit, and
threatening us•with an invasion whilst we are de-
serted by ,our Allies! I might advert to the in-
ternal state of the Country, but shall only
say, 'that in case of an alarm .of invasion, 'it
is impossible not. to ;egret the condo i of Mi-
nisters, in frittering away_ and disposintomf the
Militia and standing Force,of the Country in the
manner they have done. Add to :all this; the
depreciation of the raper Currency, the bey den
of Taxes, and a Scarcity little short of Famine;
yet 1 wish not to discourage the country, her
rather that we may, form a just-appreciation of
the circumstances in which_ave.atra-41404...ai1d:
how to extricate ourselves from the danger :
much ability and- adtivity. were wanted.; our