The Sun.
London, England, 1802-08-05 00:00:00

REVIEW OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS.

A Pamphlet Ins lately come into our hands en.
tided " ;%evirvf of Pribl;c Affairs since the Com-
mencement of the present Gentrify," which appears
to us so Well worthy the attention of our Readers,.
as an Evitcme of the important events which have
'taken plce since the beginning of the year ISoi,
that we think it right to present our Readers with
some Extrads from it.

" The history of the numerous and surprising
everts which have distinguished the eight years,
during which Great Brit.tin has struggled with so
!Illicit glory and success for the preservation of her
Intkrendence and of her dearest Rights, cannot
ail to be highly interesting to posterity, as welt as
'useful to future Statesmen. -

The year which has closed this long and ter-
tibie contest, will, of course, be particularly re-
markable-, as being the epoch of Peace. To trace
the succession of events, which have preceded, and
led to the Treaties of London and Amiens, will be
the objea of the following pages.
" Thu year i Soo had dissipated those hopes
which had been raised with respe& to our foreign
interests, by the brilliant but too transient successes
of our Allies. Some of these had deserted our
.cause, others had been deserted by the fortune of
war ; and France, triumphant both in Germany and
Italy, under the Government of a single Ruler, who
arbitrarily disposed of all her resources, resumed on
tie Continent, the preponderance which she had
lost by the political errors of the Direaory, and by
the defeats of her Generals. The Peace of Lune.
vine, imposed by a merciless Conqueror, had finally
completed the submission of all the European Courts
to the terror of her arms, or to the influence of her
politics. Great Britain alone remained, who had
the ability and the courage to defy the one, and
to struggle against the other.
" This Country was still in the undisturbed pos-
session of her Naval Glory, her public Charatler,
her antient Territories, and the numerous conquests
which she had added to them. But her splendor
and prosperity had excited the envy of Powers
whicla,had hitherto professed themselves her friends,
and redoubled the animosity of her declared ene-
mies. The French Government had now only one
objea, which it eagerly prosecuted, that of destroy_
ing our power, cost what it might ; but it was still
unable, notwithstanding its absolute control over
Spain and Holland, to enter into any competition
with our Navy. As long as this disparity in
maritime strength should continue, France could
undertake. nothing of serious importance against
Great Britain. There remained no other means of
restoring the balance, than that of exciting new
enemies against us from among the Maritime Powers.
The situation of affairs favoured the. execution of
this plan, and the First Consul pursued it with
vigour, ability, arid success.
" From an Ally, the Emperor PAUL had become
an Enemy, if not vet in fad, at least -in intention
and wishes. As his Counsels were marked by the
caprice of his temper, and the impetuosity of his
character, he now displayed as mu-Ch partiality for
the cause of our Enemy, as he had, eighteen months
before, manifested zeal in opposition to them. The
First Consul did not suffer so favourable an oppor-
tunity to escape him. All the resources of policy
were adopted, all the means of intrigue employed
to enflame the animosity of PAUL, and to rouse it
into actual hostility. This it was not difficult to
effea, in spite of the suggestions of reason, and of
his real interest. The complete enfranchisement of
Commerce, carried on by Neutral Vessels in time
of War, was the principal bait held out, and caught
at with avidity. By the natural influence which he
possessed over the Courts of Copenhagen and Stock-
holm, and still more by the terror inspired by the
violence of his temper, and the menaces of France,
he compelled them to adopt his projeCts. A Con_
vention of Armed Neutrality, formed upon nearly
the same principles as that of 1780, bur much more
injurious to our Rights, soon announced this Con.
leder*, to Europe ; and lest any doubt should re-
main of its decided hostility to the interests of Bri-
tain, the Emperor instantly gave elders to seize our
Vessels in his Ports, to sequester their cargoes, 4sd
to condemn their crews to the hardships of capti:•-
vitv, want, and a severe climate.
" From the Gulph of Finland to that of Naples,
all the Ports; of Europe, except those of Lisbon and
Gibraltar, were shut against the Ships of Great
Britain ; and having no longer any Ally on the
Continent, from whence she could expea assistance,
she found that she had to contend with a Maritime
Confederacy, if not stronger, At least more flume_
Too* than that which had been formed against France
•in the beginning of the War. Affairs were in this
situation, when the new Century commenced.
" Although Viaory had not deserted our Stand.
arils, though our Spirit was unabated, and our Re_
sources anexhausted, yet it must be confessed, such
a total alteration in our relative situation, tvith
France and the rest of Europe, placed our Foreign
Concerns in a sort of crisis sufficiently alarming,
and made a distressing impression on the public
mind. Other more immediate causes contributed
at the same rime to produce this effea. Two suc-
cessive years of Scarcity had raised the Ptice of
Bread, and consequently of all other Provisions to
an exorbitant height. The great bulk of the peo-
ple, it is but just to acknowledge, supported their
sufferings with patience ; yet still some alarming
symptoms, which slimed themselves first in the
iletropolis, were repeated from time to time in
other parts of the Country ; and, as it generally
,happens, the Spirit of FaCtion and of j)iseontent
endeavoured to avail itself of the Public Distress,
and to make it subservient to its own dark designs.
" At the instant, Nhen the prospect of our situa-
tion both at home and abroad was thus gloomy, the
Minister, whose great talents had been unable to
avert the crisis at which we were arrived, on a
sudden aggravated the danger, by quitting the
Helm of State. He had displayed too much forti.
tilde under trials not less severe than the present, •
and had surmounted them with too much success,