The Sun.
London, England, 1820-07-28 00:00:00

THE purr SYSTEM.

" We now proceed to say a few more words upon the as-
sertion ' that Mr. PITT involved his country in war, and
rendered us a party to a confederacy of despots, against a
great nation, struggling to burst the chains with which it bad
been bound for centuries.' These are high-sounding words;
but unfortunately, they are not at all applicable to the subject
in dispute; and are

" Like a tale told by an ideot,
Full of sound and fury, signifying nothing•"

Long before what the writer, from whom we have quoted the
above assertion, terms a confederacy of despots,' took place,
the struggle for liberty was over in France. The day-spring
of freedom, which had dawned so fair and promising, was
followed by a dismal night of licentiousness and misrule.

In the words of the immortal Burke, On the side of reli-
gion it was atheism, and anarchy with respect to Govern-
ment;' and be justly characterized the predominant pOtitical
feeling, as an irrational, unprincipled proscribing, confis-
cating, plundering, ferocious,' bloody and tyrannical (demo-
cricy.'—The decided contempt evinced by this ' tyrannical
democracy" for the laws of nations, and their open infractions .
upon the rights of their neighbours, fully justified the con-
federacy' not of ' despots,' but of legitimate Sovereigns; anx-
ious only to secure their own and their people's rights.
" The ' confederacy of despots' has, however, in fact, no-
thing to do with the conduct of England, or with the ' Pitt
System.' The Government of England declared its determi-
nation to adhere to a strict neutrality ; and we have the
confession of both our enemies and friends, that this deter-
mination was adhered to; whilst there is a series of highly of-
fensive acts on the part of the French Government, ending
in a declaration of war, nut by the hostile Ministers of Great
Britain, but by the pacific administration of France. To ad-
duce all the proofs which are in our possession on this sub-
ject, (and which no man need be ignorant of, who will only
give himself an ordinary degree of application) would require
' a volume, instead of the scanty room which the columns of a
weekly paper can afford ; we will however mention a few
of the most prominent, and, for the present, dismiss the
subject'.
" It is well known, that in the month of •kugnst, 1791, the
Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia held several con-

ferences with Monsieur and the Count d'Artois, the result of
which was, a declaration, signed by the Emperor and King,
in which they state, that they considered the situation of his
Majesty the King of France, as an object of interest to all the
Sovereigns of Europe; and they pledged themselves to take
measures for the purpose of placing the French Mimarch in
a situation in which he could act with Freedom, provided
other Powers would render their assistance. Applications
were made to these other Powers,' amongst whom was Eng-
land; and the Emperor himself declared to M. de Bonilla, its
the mohth of September following, that ' he was assured of

the co-operation of all the Powers, with the exception of
England, which was- determined to observe the most strict
neutrality.", This declaration proves, that England did not
take any part in the conferences at Pilnitz, and was no party
to the coalition then forming against France. This is not an
isolated proof, but one of many, which we could adduce'
would our room permit ; it is corroborated by the declarations
of the French Ministers themselves, and therefore cannot be
disputed.
Another proof of the pacific disposition of the Government
of Great Britain, was given by the reduction of the army and
navy early iti 1792 ; the failing to renew the Hessian subsidy,
which had expired; and the repeal of taxes to the amount of
200,0001. per annum. Indeed, on the 21st of February in
that year, Mr. Pitt declared, in his place in the House of
Commons, that ' it was not unreasonable to expect that the
peace they then enjoyed, should continue at least fifteen
years; since at no period of the British history, was the pros-
pect of war further removed, whether the internal situation
of the kingdom, or its relation to Foreign Powers was consi-
dered: Indeed it was acknowledged, by Brissot, that En-
gland had observed the most strict neutrality, till after the
- 10th of Aug. 1791; whilst the national conventio-. extended
this term tr-the beginning of the year 1793. It is not a little
remarkable, that at the period, when, according to these ad-
missions of the enemy, England was strictly neutral, and
when she had reduced her army and navy, that France should
take measures for augmenting both her land forces and her
marine. The increase of the former might be accounted for
by the proceedings of the continental sovereigns ; but the
latter could only be aimed at England.
s, In the month of April,jl792, the French national assembly
declared war against the King of Hungary and Bohemia.

* Bouille's Meuioirs,