Star.
London, England, 1803-05-31 00:00:00

om rai ;taiii OP tza

,)1111411IR UL
The perkrfenedpf shaft who Would attribute the
whole of the dill:feta:at/le define of Minifters to poi
fefs themfelves of the Allittel of Malta is not eafy to
be accounted for. We
,lliall not fuppofe that they
are aauated by any unwotthy motive, or that they
endeavour wilfully to mirreprefent the cafe. It is
soften no eafy matter to find oht the circumftances
which operate to bias the jocigtitent—but when the
mind is warped, the faa may be esfily afcertained by
the futility of the arguments retorted to.
The jollification of Minifters, however, and the
neceffity of the war, relis upon a plAin and ample
argument, level to the capacity of every man. If
the FIRST CONSUL, from the period of (igning the
Treaty of Amiens, has (hewn no cordial difpofition,
no with to unite frankly and with undiffembled amity
with this country, to cultivate and improve the be-
neficial relations of commerce—if, inftead of reducing
his military ellablifhment, he is daily increafing it in
a molt alarming and unprecedented degree 't
shat
meafure remained for a prudent Minifter or this
country 1 The praftice which every European Potme'r
has latterly purfued, has more than fanaioned, has
eftablifhed the necelaty of augmenting their forces
in an adequate proportion to that of their neighbours:
Such then was the unhappy dilemma to which the
bad faith and fufpicious condo& of the FIRST CONSUL
had reduced this country, either to walle its ftrength
and refources in an armed but inglorious truce, or,
after the example of their anceftors, the ancient Ger.
mans, to reek for a fecure peace and the enjoyment
of their independence, by an appeal to arms. The
hand that writes this would be the haft to fubfcribe
mandate of bloodfhed and defolation ; but if, under
the femblance of peace, we are to have the burthens
and the mire/fiefs of a Rate of hoftility ; if the trea
fort of the nation is to be wafted, if taxes mull be
impofed for the maintenance of fleets and armies, let
the caufe of liberty and of outraged humanity re-
ceive Tome advantage from our fulferings, let them
be employed in reducing to reafon a tyrant intoxi,
cared with his elevation, who has enflaved his own
people, and infulted us.
But not content with this mifreprefentation, the
advocates of France have artfully evaded or dirguired
another plain faa, which would undo at once, their
chain, of argument, 111411 we call it, or rather of de-
clamation? While they charge us with a violation
of the moth Article of the Treaty of Amiens, they
would have us forget that the intrigues of the French
Government had rendered that Article not merely
nugatory, but abfolutely impollible of execution.—
This fad is admitte.l by the very authority to which
they appeal, the No,- of the math Nov. aos, of the
EIAPIROR of Russia, who, in that very Paper, re-
commends a modification of the Treaty as far as re.
'peas the ifland of M.,lta. The circumftance is Hale
kern frequent repe:ttion in the public papers and in
the debates of Parliament; but the obfiinacy of cer-
tain individuals renders it neceffary once more to al
ludo to it. The ream ation of the Wand to the Knights
of St. John of Jerufalem, and the guarantee of its
independence, is the objelt of the Treaty—But the Or-
der of St. John is virtually annihilated. By the in.
fidious arts of that perfidious Government (for we
have no right to refort to any more remote cattle),
the States from which the revenues of the Knights
were derived have been induced to confifcate them.
The Knights have now no means to infure the de.
fence of the Wand, or even to maintain themfelves.
Thus, if the Government of France bad (hewn no
hoftile difpofition whatever fince the Treaty of
Amiens ; if the Cam Comus bad not violated the
rights of &id& fubjeas ; if he had not endeavoured
to obtain military limeys of our eoafts and harbours;
if be had not taken forcible poffeffion of Piedmont,
Parma, Placentia, and the Maud of Elba ; if he had
not violated the treaty of Luneville, by the unprece-
dented and hone invafion of a State, the indepes.
dense of whidi was guaranteed by that Treaty ; if be
had not eoitsmitted another flagrant violation of
treaty in his condo& towards the Batavian Govern-
' ment ; if he bad not excited the juft apprehenfions of
the &id& Government by his avowed views upon
I Egypt ; Rill the article refpeaing Malta was fruftrat-
!ed, and fruftrated, there is realm to fufpea entirely
by his own machinations.
Still, while a chance remained for the execution of

the Treaty, the good faith and upright intentions of
the Britifh Miniftry were tnanifefted by their anxiety
to carry into cilia the flipulations which regarded
the very objea under our confideration, the ifland of
Malta, They promoted, by every means, an elation
of a Grand Mafter ; orders were given, without heft.
Cation, for the admifron of the Neapolitan troops ;
and every preparation was made for the evacuation
of the Ifland with the fame unficfpeeing fineerity with
which the French and Batavian Colonies have been
(urrendered. 'At this erifis, the impediments which
we have juft noticed, were interpofed ; at the fame
time the mialon of S gam, and the avowal of
the Cams Comex's. hinsfelf, proved inconteftibly the
defigns of the French Government upon Egypt. In
filch cireuinftanees, was it an unreafonable defire,
that for the (ecurity of our hull* poreifions, we might
be permitted to maintain a garrifon in Malta for
Iten years, or until fuch arrangements might be made
Iwith the other European Powers, as might afeertain
the independence of the Order of St. John, and

quiet the !oil apprehenfioltt Which the told and une-
quivocal avowal, of the French Government had ex-
cited ?diked let any man of cool rofiettion afk, what
motive could pollibly influence the French Govern-
ment to rejea fuels a propofal ?—lt could be only,
becaufe the continuance of Malta in our poffelllon
would fruftrate their views upon Egypt ; for Malta 1
as we before oblerved, is only of confequence in this.
view. We could not, by the poffelSon of this ifland,
injure the polfefflons of France on the coalls of the
Mediterranean. Any other Ration in that fea would
enableustodothis much more effectually; yet Orange
inconliflence, if the Court of the Thuilleries could ,
be fuppofed to be honeft !) they have no objeEtion
to our occupying another Ration in the Mediterra
nean. It is Malta, Malta alone, which with them
is the obje& of contention, and why ?--The anfwer ,
is obvious on a moment's reflation.
We have forborne to notice the infolent demand of
the CHIRP CONSUL, to place a Britifh Preis, and even
a Britifh Parliament, under fuch reftriaions, as no
heart that beats with the facred impulfe of liberty
could endure. We Mould Rill forbear to mention it,
becaufe it would only evince that total ignorance of
our Con flitution which has charafterifed the Corfican
upon other occafions, were it not, that this circum-
fiance reveals two fentiments, by which he is actuated.
Fiat, his determined hatred to liberty in every form,
and under every appearance. This is confirmed by
hi 3 curious Mandel°, publifhed in the Hamburgh
Gazette, where he indulgesin the trite andcommon de
clamation againft liberty, as the parent or the nude of
faElion. Doubtlefs it would be pleating to the CH IE IF
CONSUL to filence the voice of truth in this and every
other country of Europe, in the fame Manner as he
has filcnced it in France—by the found of the I
drum and of the trumpet. Doubtlefs he would re. I
joice in feeing our prifons cronded, as he has
cronded his own, with men who dare to think and 1
reafon differently froth himfelf. He could eafily
find room in Guiana for a Colony of Englithmen ;
nor would the merits of Mr. Fox's late eloquent and
ingenious pleading in favour of the Confular Go-
vernment obliterate the memory of his former crimes.
The orator, we fear, were he under the controul of
the Crites CONSUL, mull partake of the fate of all
who have ever dared to Taira their voices in the caufe
1
of freedom, and' warble hisnative wood.notes wild,"
under the fultry fun of Guiana, or in the defarts of
Africa.

The other feature which this extraordinary de-1
mand (erred to difpl.iy, was that inordinate inclina
tion which the FIRST CONSUL has always thorn to
interfere in the domeflic concerns, and regulate the
Cnunfels of other nations. We thank molt cordially
the fpirit of our Mini!lry, for repelling, with beet-ins •
ing dignity, this infolent attack—By this conduet they
refcued themfelves from a molt contemptible flavery,
and the nation from indelible difgrace.