Star.
London, England, 1816-02-02 00:00:00


•

mk •
41111.11.111111111121-
muntry Sl4O Europe. Even then their candligfied
been tempered with too much lenity, and the Maw
'hewn him bad encouraged and enabledlins coax=
cite fresh troubles in the heart of Europe,. and to
awaken anew the spirit of war and devastaties.....
Towards France, mildness alone had been displayed.
She had been-left with an extent of territory greater
than she bad possessed before she bad sent forth that
fire which had ravaged the earth. He was glad that
we had joined in that exercise of moderatioa—othat
re. had sacrificed all our great conquests, and only
asked what was for the good. of all. "When after-
wards the Sovereigns proceeded in Congress to heal
the'breaches and repair the disorganization due to
the excesses of France herself, she had been put on a
,footing to meet them there as an equal, and to share
with them in the task of remedying the evils she had
caned. Could a more conciliatory conduct have
been. adopted towards hers But before the labours
of the Congress had been completed, Bonaparte had
burst again from his retirement, and, rekindled the
spirit of violence.and war. Assisted by treachery,
not recalled by the will of the nation, he had re.
entered -Paris in a military ovation, and proved to
Europe that the fee'ings of the French army, unsoft.
ened by concessions, was in fact nothing else but the
lust of conquest. Warned by the past, all Europe
determined rot to incur again die dangers she had
run, and joined to endeavoor to pet down for ever
that restless military, spirit. He titinked GOD that
the same success with which the country bad often
been favoured in the support of a just cause, had
again been vouchsafed to our arms at Waterloo.—
•That seemed to have been the last contest between
the Good and Evil Spirit. Only one man and one
nation -eotild have achieved the triumph, and the
Doke of Wellington had as mach surpassed in ge-
nius, as the cattle for which he fought did in impor-
tance. No battle had ever led to such decisive re-
sults. The King of France had immediately returned
to his capital, and Bonaparte, as on former occasions
of danger, had once more abolcated-and disappeared.
Yet the situation of the world was still awful when
'the retreat of the Disturber was haknown, and he
might still be expetted to burst upon the peace of
the world. He did not appear till in our ship and
on our coasts he came a prisoner to beg for admission
and protection amongst us. It was a painful sight
to see grandeur fallen, and to compare what be was
With what he might have been. It *as a painful
sight to behold him at the feet of the country, .the
object of his inveterate hostility, and begging protec•
tion from her as from his o most constant, his most
powerful, and his most generous enemy." He highly
approved of the answer which his Majesty's Mintsteis
bad given. They had created him with all due kind.
tress, but without neglecting the interests of the world
and the grand object of the war. And they had
wisrl).refused to acknowledge in him any title, which
might inspire him with fresn hopes of being able one
day to vitiate again the peace of 'Europe. The
Speech informed the House, that whilst occupied in
snaking arrangements to secure the repose of the
world, the principles admitted were those of inodera-
tion'; also, the Allies were obliged to adopt some
precautionary measures. It was a matter of great
congratulation, that we now had a person to OINK
with, whose bad faith we had no reason to suspect,
and in whom we could place entire confidence, and
this afforded us a fair prospect of permanently secur-
ing the object of the war. It was certainly desirable
that our moderation should not at once desert us—
but experience had taught us not to leave France
more powerful than it was necessary, and to take suf.
fiz le:.t precautions so be capable oirepelling any effort
she might once more attempt to male. AU Otis was
eff.ctcd by the conduct adopted towards- her. He
particularly approved of the restotation to their law.
till possessors, of all the paintings and statues 'rifled
by her from other nations, as he was sure that the.
French people and the French soldiers had always
considered them as a trophy of their triumphs, which
ve had not courage to take away.— (Hear, hear.) It
was due to the proprietors and to the French them.'
selves, not to leave those spoils in the hands of their
ravislors, to feast their eyes with the memorials
of their departed grandeur. We might thank our
negotiators that we had taken nothing for ourselves.
It was proper for the Prussian Commandei to go to the
Louvre and retake what belonged to his country
but for us to act the part of friends to the rightful
owners, and that we had worthily done. Those vast
stores of art which would have so highly ornamented
our country, we had entirely disdained, and in this
act of justice, the French, to use the words of our
noble Commander, o had received a great moral
lesson." It was also unnecessary for him to inform
the House, that we had not claimed any thing for
ourselves, beyond what had been stipulated by the
Treaty of Paris. We had fought purely for safety,
and not for aggrandizement. Well then might he,
call upon the House to agree that no period of greater
glory could be recalled, except the fortunate reign of
Queen Anne, when, also in the cause of Europe, we
. were fighting the same ambition and in the same
country, 'and admiring the exploita.of a General un-
terpassed in the anoals of his age. And when peace
had been concluded, though the terms did sot meer,
brash general approbation, yet let it be remembered,
that is was followed 'by 1.5 years of tranquillity to
the country. Could any one assert that an opportu-
thy had occurred in the whole course of the late
• war, in which we could have concluded a similar
Treaty to the. presents before we had removed the
military spirit out of France I One point he should
bare been sorry to forget. In the Treaty of Utrecht
we had used our influence, sot only in Europe, but
in Africa, to appmpriste to ourselves for SO years
the monopoly of the Slave Trade. How different
bad our conduct this time been' Our Negotiator
Iliad obtained, at least -so it was stated in the public
papers, from the French Goverument, the complete
recognition of the abolition of tisat trade. It was
impossible that this should not excite gratitude,. and
be felt sufficiently justified in calling upon the House
to concur with him in an address el warm congratu-
Lilian. Vat hi should not discharge his duty, if he
did not allude to the difficulties and distresses which,
bad been an accompanying result of oar glorious
efforts. We could hot fairly judge, however, the
'present difficulties and distress of the country, unless,
we compared them with those from whisk we had
been delivered. Supposing that we had preferred a
• state of apparent peace mid real war; and made-a
. bad treaty with the Ruler of Franc, we sbould'ex-