The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-12-04 00:00:00

THE LONDON PRESS.

THE DUTCH WAR. . -
We have good grounds for believing that the King is
as strongly opposed to the atrocious Dutch war as any of
his Majesty's subjects. We know indeed, the impudent
story that is repeated in the ministerial circles for the
purpose of raising an opposite opinion;--we,_ as well as
others, have heard the audacious tale, that Lord Grey
holds the King's- written assent to the occupation of
Antwerp k a French garrison. We utterly disbelieve
the story; we cannot believe that any administration,
even Lord Grey's, would dare the second employment of
such a trap to entangle the sovereign. We know that
King William the Fourth is too wise a man to allow such
an inversion of the order of the constitution as this,
`which would seem to make hith the servant of his ser-
vants,---the responsible King of an irresponsible alai-
nistration,—groUping the King and his advisers as the
heedless spendthrift surrounded by sharpers, ever on the
watch to catchlim putting his name to some improvi-
dent arrangement or ruinous speculation. No, it is im-
possible that Lord Grey can have dared to extort, or
even to accept any such written assent as that which it is
said he holds. The story, extravagant and incredible as
it is, affords, however, a valuable confirmation of what
has transpired through some respectable channels as to
the nature of the King's sentiments and opinions tipon
the subject of the abominable outrage offered to the King
of the Netherlands. His Majesty, whose feelings are
"right English all," hates the war for its rank injustice,.
and, as a prudent prince, views its present impolicy with
dissatisfaction, and its ulterior tendency with alarm. If
the King be not a hYpocrite, which nobody has ever yet
called him, foully as he has been slandered by Queen
Caroline's advocates of the bar and the press,—if the King
be not a hypocrite, this is his Majesty's view of the Dutch
war; and the story of the written assent has been trumped
up, merely to-meet the effect which Would naturally be
produced amongst the people, by a knowledge that their
Sovereign sympathizes in the common indignation
against this war. The device, indeed, betrays itself. If
the King were not reluctant, why bind his Majesty by a
written engagement ? If a knowledge of the King's. re-
luctance had not got abroad, why make the confession,
that so unconstitutional and dangerous a proceeding as
this tying of the King's hands a second time had been
resorted to ? There is no other answer to these ques-
tions than that.which we have suggested. The people,
then, being assured that their sovereign heartily concurs
in their disapprobation of Lord Grey's war "for the dig-
nity and interests of France," have a new motive for ex-
pressing, strongly and
_promptly, their abhorrence of the
iniquitous outrage. The feeling of dutifUl affection,
which irresistibly impels all loyal and good, men to rally
round a legitimate and patriotic prince, now summons
the people of-England to give full scope to the expression
id those sentiments, which they hold in common with
William the Fourth. Loyalty comes in aid of prudence,
patriotism, the sense Of honour, and the suggestions (if
conscience to command a loud denunciation of the wicked
foreign policy of ministers. Standard.