The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1832-11-27 00:00:00

TIE LONDON' pitEss.
SPEECH OF THE KING •CrF FRANCE.

The speech of the--King.oflhe French to 'the dianitierti.
which we published in our papei of yesterday, has -been
taken by our liberal contemporaries to mean well, to
mean ill, and to mean nothing at all. For the .Times
tells us, that the speech of the King of the French:appears
" the most moderate, reasonable, anti nrrpreterrding -ad-
dress, that has been delivered from the throne of France
for the last seventeen years ;"—the Herald, that the
speech of the King of the French "is a pompous and
weak pl•oduction, worthy of a pen gnided-by-the -inspira-
tions of a council of doctrinaires ;"—the that •
the speech of the King of the French " does not call for
any particular comment." The .opinien-iif•this Utter-en- •
-tic was clearly meant to be correct. It was undoubtedly
intended that the speech of his Majesty of the French
shoal "call for no particular comment." • If the object
of speech be "to conceal-our thattghts;"voalias 7g.eT.
dom -been-more adroitly employed than' on this occasion.
Extravagance or economy, clemency or rigour, war or
pe;we, the speech may recommend either, or any, or all,
according to the inclinations of its interpreters. " Fsl
lal la," says the King of the French, or words to that ef-
fect. We say, like Jaliet inthe tragedy, "he speaks—
yet he says nothing." -But nithongli we learn, from the
addre,s 'of 'Louis Phillippe 'to his Chambers, very little-as
to the intended pOlicy of-France, we get a little insight
into the spirit by •which that policy is likely to be influ-
enced. His I%jesty states that, .in spite of the _ellorts of
hiQ government, the treaty of the 45th of November,
1831, which went to effect the separation of Belgium and '
Holland, remained unexecuted; that the ''means Of con:-
ciliation appeared•to•be exhausted; -that the end was not.
attained. •"1 conceived," says the King of the French,
"that such a state of things,could'not be prolonged with-
out compromising the dignity and the interests of France.
The momeat had •arrived to enforce the 'treaties and to
fulfil the enagements.-contraeted towards Belgium. The .
King of Grreat Britain participated in my sentiments."
What were the sentiments in which the -King of 'Great
Britain is said: to have participated? Sentiments of
reluctance to compromise 'the dignity and -the -interests
of France. Admirable' Why is war, by'the Whigs de-
nounced, by the same Whigs courted and commended?
Why is economy; by the Whigs enforced, by the same ,
Whigs- abandoned and. contemned ? Whyis commerce,
by the Whigs -patronised, by -the same Whigs checked
and thwarted? Why is public opinion, by the Whigs
enthroned, by the same Whigs insulted and deposed ?.
Because, in the downright phrase of Marshal Soult, "such
a state of things.could not be 'prolonged without eompro.
m isinn• the' dignity and the interests of France ?"—Morn
ing Post."

THE UNPOPUT.A.R WAR.
'The address of General Chasse to his troops is such as
might have been expected from a gallant officer com-
manded by his Sovereign to preserve his position, and
fight to the last, without any reference to the nature of
the contest or the chances of success. He holds out nol
prospects of ultimate victory, but expectsirom his com-1
panions in arms a resolute purpose, like his own, to
maintain their honour, and to display their courage, even
in defeat. * * * Our great hope, however, is, that
tine ?siege of Antwerp may begin and terminate hosti-
lities, and that the increasing number of Dutch ships
brought into our ports may be more effective than the se-
di:ions addresses or petitions of our conservatives, in con-
vincing the Dutch merchants that the people of England
are decidedly opposed to their monopolizing claims, and
that peace, with the enjoyment of the trade of England,
is at least as profitable as the retention of Antwerp, with
an English embargo.—Times.

The Times tells us, that. we "almost commit high
treasen" in wishin success to the-King of the Nether-
lands, What. ! if tie war against his Majestybe not only
almost, I.)W altogether high treason, or a high treason-
able. misdemeanour, do we commit high treason in wish-
ing itlo fail ? Let it never be lost sight of, that this is a
war to which Parliament has not consented—a war ad-
visedly 'undertaken at a time when Parliament could have
nooPportunity of pronouncing an opinion upon it—a war
condemned by every Englishman who has spoken of
a war confessedly undertaken by Louis
_Philippe and the
King of England, solely hecause it is necessary to "the
dignity and interest of _France." ls it, indeed, " almost
high -treason" to wish for failure in such a war? Then
ninety-mine hundredths of the people of England are
traitors. But this is 'the common stupidity of-the Times,
ever to blurt opt violent wordS and extravagant propo-
sitions, insteaeof reasoning.. Was. it ever imputed as
"almost high. treason" to Mr. .Fax. or Mr.' (now Lord)
Grey, when they avowed theirlibnes of the failure of the
several coalitions against republican France ? Was it
imputed as "almost high treason" to Lord Chatham (a
greater name) when he exulted in the successful resist-
ance of the Americans ? No : the. 'conduct of Messrs.
Fox and Grey was deemed to he detestable, not because
they were thought to wish ill success .to an unjust war,
but because they chainpioned the cause of-an ambitious,
regicide, profligate, and atheist conunonwealth, corrupt-
ing E i urepe- by the depravity of ts morals, and molesting
neighbo.urs by unjust aggression—a -commonwealth,
whose hostility to England -was its least Offence, 'if that.
were any. In the cases of Messrs. Fox and Grey it: ould
have been all6Wed; as it was conceded in that of Lord
Chatham, that, if_they could be believed:to think the war
unjust, they had a right to wish its failure, and, as free
men, they had a right to express that wish—and so they
had—this is the common right of mankind. Our obliga-
tions to the majesty of eternal justice are -antecedent to.
any which can arise froth. the. place ofour.birth ; and
the bitter alternative is proposed to us between the defea
of justice and the reverses of our country, we, Must an-
swer, If we are honest men, "fiat justitia rust "atria.'
—Standard. •

If the military character of General Chasse were -un-
known—if he were, in the extreme'perils of war, an un-
tried-man, it would' be necessary' for 'those Who. would
form a correct judgment on ,his 'conduct tcYwait the mo-
meal of action, and see how his deeds correspond with
the energy of his declarations. But the 'character of
Chasse is not unknown—his martial ability and resolu-
tion-not untried. He surely is not the man who would
invoke the national pride and animate the warrior-spirit
of his countrymen just when about to drop the -point of
his sword before the enemy, and lower 'the flag round
which he had called 'up so many exciting -recollections.
.ff the!warwhich we are at pri,isent engaged in,
were a righteous or a necessary one,. it would be some:
consolation to think that we were defending our interests
or the cause ofjustiee under the new burdens which it
might, create ; .but, in attacking .Holland,wela ve -no such
consolation. We attack, in that unholy strife; cur own,
cominereial interests, and rely, more upon superior force
titan the strength which justice ever gives to a/good cause.
—Morning Herald.

DON PEDRO'S ARMY.
It is not surprising that, with theheterogeneous.mate-
rials of which the liberal army. is composed, .dissentions
thould arise amongst them. It was bardly.to be expected
(hat the soldiers three nations could entirely free
7rtan the natural jealousies to which their conflictingclaims
~uid give 'rise.. We should rather admire the unity and
rood fellowship. which 'have hitherto directed, their. dan-
;emus operations. It maybe observed,.also,_thatrin -all

•besiegedtowns, discontents are sure to arise from tht
state of irritable inadiiontto which the combatants are ex-
posed. Whit seems to 'be 'most wanted at Oporto is.a
'chid whoSeinifitary .dictaticin all parties cotild -have
unbounded contidenee. The Bake of Braganza, by his
birth, his position as the father of the Queen of Portugal,
and by his brave devotion to the constitutional cause,
unites in his own person many,of the qualities required,
infire'head bf this expedition. rut, unfortunately, he has •
not thatmilitary experience which alone can ensure.sue-
cessan his present attempt. Thus .the commanders of
the troops of three different nations—different in ..lan-
. 'page and in-halziifs,'but agreeing in the common bravery
which animates thein—are unceasingly struggling and
intriguingforthe .military posts of eminence. -Resem-
-blirrg,.im-rhisitstatice,The thinglity lieroes -Who warred on
ancient Troy ; but, like them, it has been proved, ever.
ready to lay aside their 'contending jealousies viten A'
common danger assailed them; not like them, we hope,
40-be-ekposea to a ten years' siege.—Courier.