The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-12-01 00:00:00

TII E STATESMAN.

to propose. The Noble Lord then read the Ad- enter into this awful conflict. 44 E *e pro-
dress. bably saki, " in this war, if you deem it proper
Mr. HART DAVIS, in a short speech, seconded on your own views of all the drciwnstances. We
the motion. I will help you as fu as we can; but we have no ma.
The Speaker then read the Address. litary aid to send to the North. In employing all our
The question was putting, when !military forces in Spain,we shall assist you more than
Mr. 'CANNING rose, and said, that though lie by'any subsidy or any army which we could possibly
desired not to interrupt the happy unanimity which afford to send you." This he took to be.the language
appeared in the Holten—though he had waited to find we held to the Russian Government ; but, then, we
the rumours he had hear i realized, and Amendments should have strained every nerve to carry this aid to
proposed from other quarters, having no .Amend- its utmost height : and though •he joined in every
meat himself to offer—being willing rather to fol. word of the Address respecting our gallant army, and
)oin than to precede others—yet be could not but its immortal leader, vet when he was called upon to
feel a strong desire on the present occasion, to ex- say, that the result of our campaign had sseistied the
cent the reasons 'city he was disposed to concur hopes and expectations of the country, he must guard
with the Address moved by the Noble Lord, and to against concurrence in that sense in whiclt the words
state, at the same time, the (Notifications and limita- of the Address might be taken. Did he then reckon
lions, which, in certain instances, must accompany the glorious victory of Salamanca nothing, if all its
his acquiescence. Whatever amendment he should effects had ended there ? No ! lie who held up with
have proposed, had he judged it right to submit one, proudbxaltation, what had been stiled the [wren tield
he should bare felt that, under an the circumstances ; of Talavera, should not withhold his triumph from the
cf the times, and in the present situation .of the splendid scene at Salamanca, if, with thevictorious ter-
Nouse, it was desirable, in deciding between different ; urination of that great battle, all its consequences had
forms, to be swayed its one view—that which should been no more! [hear, hear!] But there were different
the least pledge the judgment of Members, and degrees of praise, when lie compared his hopes from an
lrave what was doubtful the most open to future important victore, with its results on the campaign
vieliberations. On such principles he should deem 'as they stood at present. If it were in the power of
it tit to act, on the opening of the first Session of the Government, and the resources of the country,
a yew I arliament, which contained more new Mem- to send any -fresh aids, to accumulate our force in
hors than had, of late years, been ordinary the Peninsula; in order to push to the very utmost
such occasion; : and A% hen the affairs of the country 't extent our efforts there, stk.!' reinforcements ought
which were to he brought before them, were so vari- to be sent at the commencement of the campaign,—
ous and complicated, in the case of submitting an By what test was the probability of our affording
answer to a Speech from the Throne, which touched such assistance, and its efficacy, to be tried! The
on so many points, of which, though some might be onus of the proof lay with the Government. . Why
Ilf,rficiently -Men; ethers might require ernisadinable I not send it, if there were any means to do so? If
future enquiry. It would, therefore, be undesirable i there was any disposable force in the country, it
to precipitate a decision, though, probably, the ad- I Mould he shown why the array in the Peninsula was
dre,ses he had heard would be of a much more pre- f not augmented six months ago. If some pecuniary
cue natore. Rather than any of the last kind, he aid were wanted, the burthen was, to fillets- why the
seated incline to the present Address. As far as he duration of the last Parliament had net been a little
collected its purport, it properly abstained from prolonged to provide the n:eans of securing successes,
going further than pledging the support of the House, rather than now to be called on to retrieve adverty.
and the spirit of the country, already abundantly [Hear leeeeelle agreed to the proposed vote only
pledged, to every imaginable effectual support of the on condition that it might be shewn hereafter,
great contests in which the honour and interests of that the means of making those exertions did
the country were 50 deeply engaged: it rejoiced in not exist. The higher Lord Wellington was.pot to.
the good fortune, while it regretted theeill fortune wards the summit of glory, they must yet see whe.
of the last six months, mid it promised every aid to titer his powers had been limited or crippled in the
push on happy occurrences to the most fortunate great operations he had undertaken, and the victo-
issuee, and to furnish' the means of more extended ries he had achieved. Difficult as it might be to
aad finally successful efforts. So far he was con- prove that more could haye been done than was done,
Vent, an incalculable majority of the people of this he in conscience believed greater efforts might have
*ceantry was prepared to go. Let it not be thought been made, as seriously, as that they might, if
tint be was bound to the details, and precluded from made, have been eminently and conclusively sec-
deubts and objections when illustration should be cessful. Wear, hear!] Those who indulged in
asked for. Merely in this spirit, to guard against the habit of desponding of the means and resources
any sweeping confusion, and not to interpose of this country ; who thought she took too high a
engem; interrogatories, it was, that ho then pre- stand among the nations; who would have her shrink
tented himself to detain them fora short time. The into her shell, and avoid all foreign contest ; might
fettered view of our siteetion was divided into the think him immoderate and absurd, even to insauity :
dreeestic and the foreign ; and the foreign might be but he would venture to ask, whether, if the great
cewed as consisting in three different wars. First, scale of our present efforts had been made the sub-
tint in the North tta.Furope, in which we were rather ject of a prediction, the prophet would not have
c;.eveing si,ectators than active agents. Secondly, been made the subject of ridicule? Resources and
that in the Peninsula, which almost wholly subsisted spirit this country possessed, he was confident, fully
en rwur own means and resources, with the assistance I equal to all that the great emergencies of the times re-
of our Allies in that Peninsula. Thirdly, the war in , quired. All he would ask was, to be satisfied that
America, in which we were principels and alone. As; every practical exertion had been made. This much
to the star in the Northi which had been aptly styled j he thought at least certain, that the imagination bed
by the Noble ladrictliechild of our successful efforts hardly devised a situation so favourable for our ex-
it' the Peiiiiisida, there could, he should imagine, be I ertions as the last summer. Never, since the corn.
nothing het unqualified admiration of the stern and niencement of the Revolutionary War, had the means
determined resistance to the Tyrant who had antici- of France been so fully occupied,—never had the
pared so great a conquest there—where he thought, 'hazard of the game she played been so great,—never
by the huskiness of his movements to achieve his had our risk been so mighty,—,and 'sever had we
eitject it bete he had reckoned as if he knew been nearer the accomplishment of our views.--
his man where be lead thought that by bud- I [Hear!] Oh! that while the armies of France
lying and deceiving, his work was done; but were withering in ungenial provinces of the North,
where, in advancing, he had found I countless po- we had pushed forward our exertions to the utmost
pulation raised against him and his invading force. lie in Spain, w ith such an army, under such a Geeeral,
could baldly bring himself to conceive It man whose ti for whom, not to say too much of him, lie would say
heart did not bums within him at the scene: none bat that a field of glory was prepared greater then any
some votary of that false philosophy, of those mkt- I that this country had ever yet had to record! We
taken principles, which, after misleading the world, IWO, by such vigorous and effectual measures, not
and in misleading the believer. It seemed impossible ! merely hive entered Madrid, but have made thee
to lock at the present state of this great conflict ; capital the centre of his operations. From thence he
Nrithont hope. Viewing the affairs of the North in : might soon have found himself on the Ebro, and
this tight ; giving credit to Ministers frt. having shapml even posited forks rd his victorious career to the Py-
their conduct on what .they considered the anuudest ',epees. The distresses and discontents in France
palicy ; willing to give theta confitieitca that they bad itself were pretty well known ; and while Russia
done the best they could towards ltuoia, it was yet was detainitig Bonaparte and his hosts in the
impossible not to own that there was a question to he North, guessing his retiring legions by her patriotic
asked,—not then, indeed, to be answered, but at and valiant population, Lord Wellington might,
some time hereafter,—respecting our Northern tree- : from the top of the Pyrenean mountains, have over-
ties. Row was it, that after bearing for six months looked provinces, beginning to be insurgent, and
the note of preparation in the ports of Sweden, no have given them the watch-word of general insur-
'Saes' lish force find ever yet been brought to bear in reetion. [Rear, hear At all events it 'vas quite
eny quarter, when, if ever, it might have been ap- clear, that economy in prosecuting war which restricted
plied toe salutary
-purpose ? He could at preseut its operations, was the very worst species of economy,
impute no blame; but he could not vote for congra. in the end : and that tenfold cost, with quickness, ,
tulationt, When he saw Bonaparte retreating from his : vigour, and decision, was the safest and the best
ciject, and no effort whatever made upon his rear, course. If such doctrines were generally applicable,
nal:out a desire tokenise what impediments _set In ho must feel them more plocUliarly applicable Its the
hamait foresight, or iqcapable of being overcome ay case of the third contest, of which our Government
Inman exertions, kad*prevented the benefits of treaty had the exclusive management. It was his sincere
from taking their effect what he stated, mas and anxious wish that two nations so related to each .
net as hlame„ for the Swesiish treaty was not yet ether, by consanguinity, by one common language, I
before them. In •that treaty, however, he should and by mutual interests, as Great Britain and Ame-
remark, that thu partici did not stand on an equality, t rice, should not only be in alliance: but when dig-.
for we haul a hood to bestow. In diplomacy, the putes ran to so great an exteat, when once the diei
eickenwletlement of a, new dynasty, or what some ; was cast, and hostilities had commenced, it betatne
might' team an usurpation, claimed an equivalent this country to be more prompt, and by every vigcoi
consideration. If our treaty with Sweden us; the rous etiart to bring the struggles of war to a speedy]
simple restoration of both parties to an old and aoticluthae. The Address stilled the Declarationitiq
equal footing, it was improvident ; for the acknow. j War by America as made time When circutta.
siedgment of the Frenchman, who was now Crown; *Mutes existed favourable to'tne return of nenioab*
-Niece in that country, demanded an equivalent ; i relations. He must proteiie that his Royal Ni
'avitat that equivalent should be he would not then ness, in the Speech, spoke from sources of in 1.1
•state. In looking at 11. e war in Russia, as arising tint' not within the knowledge of any Gentleman as
'from the war we had carried on in the Peninsula,l a Member of that House. But lie must fairly my,
that conjunction naturally suggested to his mind an- that when the Declaration of War reached this
'other view of the state of the latter war. Hitherto country, which, lie believed, was on the day on
:we bad prosecuted hostilities in the Peninsula by our 1 which Parliament was prorogued, he had not the
•own means, assisted cushy by the natives of Portugal I smallest expectation from the face of the documete.;
and Stein. Bat, if on the faith of our contributing itself, that what had been done here would remove
bur shoo e,• as we had done, and perhaps more than thel'oll4;dr war; for the Orders in Council; held
our individual share, tawattls the general liberation, out here Me the only impediment to reconciliation,
wit !lout directly contributing to Russia pecu'njary suc. were postponed' in the Declaration for minty other
Cour, or military aid :if on that foting we went() view I points of grie4nce which we had not takeu, anal
the_ contest of the North as arising out of that in the I perhaps could Vot take steps to remove. The de-
re‘ninsuhr, the exertions we mode inehe latter became claration was es vino determined for war, if every
the matter of timelier cottaideratioasamUlapartauce. demand was not complied with. The repeal of the
He believed, and ht approved of ethat he might sop- Orders, therefore, could not restore the relations of,
eose we'hod said to Resole, when she was alma to pool it did appear to lileithat war was certain.—

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Mr. GRArrsN observed, that it would come on
soon.

The husinesiof Governinent was to see how it should
be effectually carried on. The best way to. do that,
•wes that which went the quickest towards peace. by
trying at once the foil extent of our means, and mak-
ing the enemy feel and dread our power. He would go
to the extremest verge of forbearance to keep peace,
but he would not dilute his war measures into a weak
and sickly regimen, unfit for the vigour of the octet-
sion. He would not convert the acute distemper of
war iet• a chronic distemper, and Incorporate it
with the systere. The present dispute had grown up
with petty profits and small gains, till at last actu II
war was fixed upon us. Two years ago, to hare
prophesied that after six months ope war between
America and England, America should boast the old%
naval trophy. end that we could only say, that we
had not been conquered !—An Englishman would
have resented such a prophecy as an insult. [Hear !)
—tie would pay his tribute of admiration and re-
gret to the gallant hero who, by land, had fallen,
for individual heroism was in alt instances equally
glorious ; but he could not consider our military
success; in America as matter of east triumpo. 11,
bad never supposed that we should he coninered by
Anerice.—[llear !] He never could have thought,
that the mighty nary of England would have slept'
1 while her commerce was swept from the seas; and
that et the end of six mouths we should be found
proclaiming in a speech from the Throne, that the
time was at length come to be active and energetic,
and to chew England and the world that England is
what England was. Never, that we should send our
Ambassador with our ships to our own North Ameri-
can tow its,and attack the American ports with our lines
et lure. There might, however, remain circurnsta aces
yet to be disclosed to account for all this ; bathe would
'say, that on the face of appearances, and in the decla.
ration of war, there was evidently a studied de-
termination to postpone the period of all accommo.
' dation. As for the desire of America to get pos-
session of Canada, it was a project which he thought
not likely to he frowned upon severely, eve(' by
those parties in America which were considered
friendly, to us. But let it be recollected too, that an
Ambassador was appointed by the American Govern-
ment
(who was now freckle; the progress of the
conqueror) to lay the homage of republican liberty
at the feet of the devastator, and to sign a treaty at
Moscow against the intleeendence and liberties of
mankind. It might be tnentioned, that these pro. 1
vinces, which have proved so loyal arid courageous,
foist the single exception, at present of any part of i
our empire where Catholic subjects are Nile entitled '
1
to all the privileges of subjects by law.—tifeera— ',
In defence of our system of fot'hearing war,—of half.
afraid hostility,—we had been told, that sve had i
many friends in America to conciliate, and that we I
ought to do every thing in our power to put our- I
selves completely In the right. He would be most
careful to be in the right. The most splendid of I
victories would cause no satisfaction, and excite little !
admiration in his mind,if they were achievediu a, caose
that was radically unjust. But he thought it unfair to
speak rf the sentiments of an English pay in Ame.!
rice. When we spike of an English party, we should
think of them as good Americans, aed speak of them
as americans merely, who prefer an English to a
French alliance. Were we quite sere we were play- 1
ing the game of the friendly party ? if he looked 1
at Inane, and found any party constantly predicting
evils as the consequences of public measures, the '
very way to undo them would be to render all their;
prophecies futile and contemptible. [Hear, hear II
He had lately met accidentally witlt what was called •
the speech of one who was of the party considered ;
friendly to us in America, and who warned them I
against war by the terrible things which Great Bri. i
tain could do. The speaker began by examining
their maritime frontier from New Orleans : " If you
calculate," says he, " on the goodness of the Eng-
lish, you will he deceived !" No ! they have not I
been deceised! " Great Britain," he adds, " is a 1
wily active nation, and used to war. She will not !
wait until you defend your sea-ports !" Now,
such friends as these ware of no use to us, be-
cause
we took care to make all their predictions :
useless ! But if making the cause appear just
was so desirable, we had a shorter way of pro-
seeding.
The declaration came to us in the end
of July. It imputed, besides the Orders in Coun-
cil, various substantive grounds of quarrel.—
Is
it not the custom of nations, when one goes '
to war with another, and imputes to her wrongs
and injuries, that the other makes her a public an-
ewer? Is not that her initiative in hostilities ? Why, '
then, were not these customary means taken to rebut
the American charges ? Why is an answer not now
on our table, and dispersed throughout Europe, con-
taining a refutation of unfounded accusations? We
should have been more particularly desirous of doing
this, if there were any probability of an immediate
peace, for in that event we might hate been left to
all time with the original charges against us unan.
sweted and unrefuted publicly. In one article of
charge it was stated against es, that we demanded of
America, to force our manufactures into France.
That would, indeed, have been an unjust demand.
He bad no doubt that we never made it: but it ought
to have been refuted. On another point he felt par-
ticularly, as it imputed, as a cause of war, that in ;
1809, when pacific dispositions were said to exist, i
a mission was sent from hence, the object of which
was to dismember the American provinces. That
fett to hare been directly contradicted. He felt the!
\Per interest In It, aihe unworthily held, at the
•4` the s of the Secretary of State for the'
es ment.-111ear 1 Ile would say, in
Of
Del
House and of the country, that be

He (Mr. Canning) thought of not mentioning this,
but feared it mieut seem an omission in him. lie
concluded by gibing his coreial assent to the Wedges
contained in the Address, of the hearts- of that
House and the country, to prosecute the contest foe
the procuring a Oki peace, which there appeared
'nu means of obtaining now with honour and safety,
and which, if so attatuv. !o hereafter, it would bi
neecssiry to arrive at, tiy the grobtest tigour, awl
the must strenuous efforts, by the ad.iptioa of which,
the truest economy would be consulted, and the her.
flour, char►-tir, and iudepeadence of the country
maintained.

After Mr. Canning had peucluriAl, eipressions of
applause from dideient party of the!House continued
fur some minutes. No other Member rose for some
time, but upon the Speaker again putting the Ques-
tion en the Address,
Lord CASTLEI:EAGII rose and said, that he felt
that his blajesty's NliniAer4 were tolled upon to
give some explanation upon many of the eli:es va-
thins which had been made in the speech of the
Right Hon. Gentleman. He had delayed rising 'iii
now, as he was anxious to see whether tiny Geat le-
man on the opposite side of the House also wished
fur explanations from Ministers on any of the topic:
adverted to in the Speech; but as no Geittleman out
that side of the House appeared at present to requiro
any explanations, be should confine himself to those
which the observations of the Right Honour:thin
Gentleman had made necessary. In the first place
he shriuld observe, that it was a matter of no incuit-
siderable exultation for the cqnitre,and of satisfaction
to 'his .Miteity's Ministers, that although the Speech
dwelt much upon the improvements which have taken
place' in the state or our afFAirs during the present
year, tin Member seemed inclined to deny the cot-
iectnets of those statements; and the only expiatta-
t called for, was upon general topics, and general
consideration:. The Right Hon. Gentleman had be-
gun very naturally with dividing his speech into to.,
spans; the first with regard to our domestic, and the
second with regard to our exteitr.l situation, it 's as
a gratifying circumstance, indeed, to Alinittere, w
they recollected the internal situation of the count. v
in the latter end of the last Session, to tied that such
is its rresent situation. that no Gentleman now saw
any thing in it to make it necessary to call for any
explanation on this head. It was most pleasing, in.
deed, to Ministers, whuse duty it Intl been to pro-
pose measteee certainly strong bat necessary, to find
that the deluded peeple in the country had retraced
their et role and that the regeneration of our internal
peace pre eeeiled rather front the feeling et the peow
lac themselves, than from any harsh application of
the laws which had been enacted. Toe manner in
which tile Right lion. Gentleman hail shaped his
observations, appeared to call upon him for nothing
more than to record his general view of the grounds
hich he intended to rest the defence of the
measures pursued by his Majesty's Ministers. lis
mu't, however, say, that the principal part of the
Hight lion. Gentleman's speech rested to assunip.
time: and suggestions which' were altogether untroe,
and which, as having no existence hi point of tact,
could nut support au argument applicable iu any flee
gree to the conduct of Ministers. The Right Ho-
nourable Gentleman bad very naturally divideel
hies "olalet4rations on our external affairs into
three branches. The first, than which nothing
could be more important, the situation of afhirs
in the North : the second was our war in the
Peninsula; and the third, that contest in which this country
is now engaged with Ame-ica. The Right Him. Geutlemau
had confessed that it W.li not in the power of this country to
p irtake hugely in the war Win, cirnnng un in the North, or
to nerve the arm of Russia by any considerable supplies of
men and money. It had therefore nppearee. to him, and M ie
natters did not mean to deny it, that the country was on
that nceout the more pledged to make its dircrsi .... in the war
of the. Peninsula a. !reit as its means weed.' ether He meant
to contend, huwevcr, that Minister: had applied to that object
the entire means which the resources of the country could at-
ford, without straining them heyole that healthy pitch ham
which nlone their permanence conld be espected He did not
think that those Gentlemen, at least uh.sse main principle
was to husband our resources, mid to keep itiwn the ellen to of
the center in Curcio war, timid now time round upon the
present Molester', and taunt Orin with bevel mail:: too
small efforts in the Peninsula. He wished ter it when those
questiotia should come to be regularly discussed, the House
woad take cool and temperate view of the state of the wy
in the reilicsula; and that they would not allow themselves
to be can ied away, as was tin/ often the Case out or din/111, try
every sudden impression arising from +nieces. or 'ail are W hen
the great General who now cumulate+a our armies in the Pe.
nimmla, had even been obliged to 'areal is, the niost retired
part of the whole Peninsula, to the hues of Torre: Vedras,
even then it had been pi overt that was no reason for despond-
ing of the ultimairmteeess of the war Out Ilf 11E4 p.isitims
Ise had advanced to the performance of th glorious and ex-
traordinary achievements, the recompenee of which would
prohni.ly soon he be submitted to the consideratiou and gi ati-
lade of Midi:mime This greet and consummate General had
already achieved more, when compared with the means at his
disposal, than almost any other General of whom we have
heard ur read. I:ut because, et the glorious. battle of Sala-
illative be had hut dislocated the armies of the enemy its
Spain, and olshged them to abandon rho e features upon
which they twined their plain of (original, and to which
they had so long clung with per ,eterine ability, there were
many ahu immediately supposed that the rover of the roemy
iu Spain was completely extinct, and that Lord Wellington had
nothing more to do than to march alireety to th' Pyrennees
Those who looked more narrowly into the subject, and viewed
it with a soldier's eye, could not avoid levier: that Lord
wellieetou still had many difficulties to surnioilut. In the
beginning of the last campaign, the French force in the Pe.
Onsets was little short of 400,000 men • and a,thongli that
nuntiier was subsequently dinainiahenl, by ditachue sts sent
to Frances for the purpose of reinforcine the armies in the
north, yet at the time of the battle of Salamanca, there were
still Meant lso,ooo of their troops in epain. The situation of
the French arini.a was, however, retry different before that
great hank. They bad formerly been diffused over the
whole face of the country, and at their ease held the greater
part of the provinces in Split' in complete milljectio:l. How
different wits dirk situation in Spain, when they lathe,' of
driving the British mat* into the sea? When, however, they
haditailen hi their main objects, and had been obliged to
abandou the provinces of the south, to assume a more concen-
trated form, it was evident that Lord Wiillingtoie3 situatiun
was one in which there were great didiculties to encounter.
It was impossible not to admire the stroll snuquior hops
with width the public mind looked to the delivernnee of
Spain • bit every one innet be' convinced that Lord Moline-
tour 1;4 done every for that object which the means in his
power wunid enable lnieq to, (leer, leer.) And be should now
state, that those means were greeter than on any former oc-
ceellooltad ever been put fortleby this couotry, i n tbeeconcee
of the last Year tin legs Same 40,000 men had beets sent CI
Spain. Large itinforeemeets•heal hen sent since the battle
of Sal/manes ; and be wouldseatere to say, that if the regia•
ler perlud of discussion dioall arrive, he wind(' prove, to the
satithaetion of the Hots* that tbter;inforeemente could sot
hive been seed toristees”lftiche woold cohti4eivitly lay, that
it wag impotisible,tbar.greater eivertiont mode. be, sande thee
what his Royal Higbee* theCounisontlee in Chief had made:
to *flog Ivy all the.regimen* castiued tbi foreign service from

Ski no earth* knowledge of it, that he never was
**arty to if, and that he never knew nor heard of it
till it web imputed to this Government by America.
Atfor Adlesica, then, every effort should be used to
extend the scale of warfare, and make it decisive;
and, in giving his vote, he hoped that this Address
would prove the foundation of it. He would touch
on but one topic more, one omitted, is the Address..
lie did not mean to impute blame for this, but he
must refer to it—he meant the consideration of. what
were called the Catholic Claims.—Pear!?-Th
House must be certain that this question' must sea
come on. He had most willingly resigned it to thil
wands of that venerable and patriarchal person, who
lied se often brought forward this question in that
House.
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