Star.
London, England, 1814-01-15 00:00:00

by which
persuade man.
kind, that it Milli-to some cans be a question whb.
tber to iciatiesee under. the infliction of foreign-do.
*nicht Might not be preferable td the v.indicating.im-
perfect institutions against it: 'that sophistry, X trust.
is laid at lest for our time. Another topic more pe-
culiar tt.)talt men Country has at times been interposed
to discourage the prosecution of the War, and draws
the inme..attention, as many well Meaning Persons
have been occasionally ranked among its supporters.
That, this country alone was sufficient to its own. de-
tenee,shfiicient to its own happiness,—siafficient to
its own independence, and that the complicated corn-,
binations of. Continental policy were always hazard-
ous to our interests, as well as hurthensome to our
means, has been at several periods of this war a
favourite doctrine not only with those who for other
reasons wished to obstruct the conduct of the war,
and to embarrass the measures of the Government,
but with men of the most enlightened minds, of the
most benevolent views,- and the most unsuseeeted de-
votion to the interests and constitution of their
country.
46 Can any man now look back upon this trial •
which we have gone through and point oat any Terioti
during the last twenty years in which the plan of itti
sulated policy could have been adopted without, in
the event, at this day having prostrated England at
the foot of a conqueror ? Great, indeed, has been the •
call upon °et exertions ; great, indeed, has been the
drain. upon our treasures ; long and wearisome has the
struggle been, and late is the moment at which peace
.is brought • within our reach ; but even though the
difficulties may have been enhanced, and its dulation
protracted by it, yet is there any than who seriously
doubts whether the having associated our destinies
with the destinies of other nations, or not that, which,
under the blessing of Peavmexca, has eventually se-
cured the safety of all ? It is at the Moment when.
old) a trial has come to its Issue that it is fair to ask
of those who have suffered under the pressure of pro-
tracted exertion, (and of whom, rather than of those -
whom I now addresse-efor by whom have such pri-
vations been felt more sensibly ?) it is now, I says the '
time to ask, whether upon a review of the whole
contest any man can point out the period at which
such a peace could have -been made, as 'should at
once have guarded the national interests, and corres-
porid;:d 'with the national character ? I am addressing
myself now to those, and to those only,' who think
the character of a ..nation an essential part of ifs
strength, and consequently of its safety.
" Is it when the Continent was at peace; when,
looking upon the Map of Eutope, you saw but one
mighty and connected system—one great hiniinary,
with 'a number of attendant satellites circulating
aroued him; was it at that .period that England
cpultihave m ide peace, and have remained at peace
for a tweltemonth ?—What is the answer ? Why*
that 'the experiment was tried. The resnit was; the
renewal of the war.' Was it' at a later 'period when .
the Continental System_ had been established, when
tivo:thirds -of .the.ports of the Continent were shut
against you—when but one link, as it were, was want,
stag to bind that Continent in a circling Chain of iron,
mrimOshoula eicte4 youArean intercourse. With the
other nations of-Europe At that moment peace was
most earnestly recommeinled toyou— at that moment,
Gentlemen, I first came among you—at that mo-
ment I ventured to recommend to you persever-
ance, passive perseverance; and to expie,s. Lope,
that by the mere strain of an .unnatural effort the
massive bonds forged for your restraint might at no
distant period burst asunder. I was heard, Cerra
tletften, by you with illtitilgtuce ; I know nut whether
with conviction ; but is it now, to be regretted that
we did not at that moment 1 ield to the pressure of
oar wants or of our fears ? What has been the issue I •
The Continental System was completed, with the
sole exception of Russia, in the year 181'2. In that'
year the pressure upon this country was undoubtedly
painful. Had we yielded, the system would have
been immortal : we persevered, and before the con-
clusion of that year the system was at an end ; at an
end as all schemes of violence are sure to terminate,
not by a mild and gradual decay, such.at Waits upon
a regular and well-spent life, but by sudden dissowe
tion : at an end, like the breaking -up of a. winter's
frost. But yesterday the whole Continent was bound
up, as it were, in chaias of ice, and presented to the
view one drear expanie of barren uniformit) 1 to-day
the breath of HEAVES unbinds the wil—ahe streams
begin to flow again, and human intercourse revives.
6. Can we regret that we did not lie down and die
under the sufferings of the inclement season ? or did
we not more wisely to bear up and to wait the change ?
44 Gentlemen, I have said that I should be asha-
med, and in truth.l should he so, to use the language
of exultation, if •it were. the language of exultation
only; but those who
.have
.suffered great privations
have a light to know that they have not suffered
them in vain; they have earned a claim not merely
to consolation, but to something more. They are justly .
ate be compensated for what they have undergone,
O lost,. or haxarded,by a contemplation of what they
hive gained. We have gained then a rank and au.
thority in Europe which for the life of the longest
liver of those who now hear me, must place this
country upon an eminence which no probable reverses
can shake—we have gainestr or rather we have recta•
vered, a splendour of military glory which 'places us
by the side of the greatest military nations in the
world.—Twenty, nay ten years ago, while there was
not a British heart that did nit beat with rapture at
k the exploits of our navy, there were few who would
not have, been content to compromise to that repu•
tation alone; to claim the sea as exclusively our pro.
vince, and to allow France and the other Continen-
tal Powers to contend for superiority by land.
46 Let Portugal, now led to the pursuit of her
flying conquerors—let liberated Spain—let France
herself, 'invaded in her turn by those whom she had
overrun or menaced with invasion, attest the ta-
urophs of the British army, and the equality of her
military with her naval fame. •
6, I do not say that these are considerations with a
view to which the contest, it otherwise terminable.
ought to have been purposely protracted ; but, I say,
that upon the retrospect we have good reason to re-
joice that the contest was not closed ingloriously .4nd
iesecutfely, when the latter events of it have ,*ern
such as have established our security by our
I say,.we have reason to rejoice, that during The pea

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