The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-05-17 00:00:00

LETTER VI.

TO VIZ EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN.

Sia,—l thank you, that at a Crisis of such unex-
ampled moment, yon have allowed, in the cilium's
of your independent Paper, so much space to my
Letters on the too generally neglected question in
this country, though none at present touches us and
human society so nearly as WAR or PEACE. That
awful instant seems nearly to have arrived when the
'question will exist no longer; but the fatal die will
bare been cast, and ECRoPE replungedin War.
In the mean time, another Paper appears of the
16th April, Vienna, and said 'to be oilltial. After
the Papers from the same box of Pandora, of the
13th Muni and 25th April, it is difficult to believe
any thing from that quarter &forgery, on account of
its wanting the usual tone and character of diplomatic
procedure. And 'yet this startles belief, when we
are required by circumstances to admit it to be ge-
nuine. 1 early studied the Lam of Nations, but I
hire found too little application of the PRINCIPLES
Guotitts, :Itid of a still superior authority, VAT-
in the language and conduct of the Represen-
tsi;ves of those Sovereigns, who undertake to draw
the line of demarcation beyond which there shall be
nu legitimate Government.

This Paper takes the whisper of Cabinets, shortly
indeed, I doubt, to be made audible in the thunder
of cannon, for the voice of nations. It asserts that
" Congress has proscribed BON4PIRTI."—the term
is almost peculiar to the most horrid pages in history
—yet, by no authority of Congress BoziAp.s ItTI: could
he prtiscribeti ; anti it is a strange character, that of
proscription, With which to invest certain Ministers
of Powers professing to be assembled for the adop-
tion of pacific and tranquillizing measures.

It speaks in high terms of BONAPAaTE—for in
the confederate explanations of the origin of evil
we ere referred to no other source—as "repluug-
ing FRANCE into war, civil war,—though if these
be war, lie has exercised every possible forbearance
under the most irritating circumstances—into
" ettarchy," though he offers to Famice, for
her deliberation and acceptance, a Constitution
rondered still much more analogous to that of our
t: so in ENGLAND ; and into military despotism,
though a struggle is unremittingly attempted to be
raised against FRANCE, in which armies of forcipes%
are to be led into her territory, for the express pur-
pose of changing by force the again adopted Head
of her (les erument. And when against that force
the opposes not on army separated from the nation
trot of adserse interests, but the NATION as an
Army—HEMEL, in arms—her soldiers and citizens,
her army and her people identified. It is also a
new language in diplomacy to speak of the Govern-
ment of foreign nations legitimating, or, conse-
euently, illegitimating, according as it shall please
to decree the Government of another nation, which
is to et ery people esclusively its own.
!t splits too the erambe repelita, the endlessly
Tel eared unraried note of the despotism of one man,
which one man has proposed, immediately on his re-
turn to the Throne, a Constitution incompatible
with despotism ; and it speaks this as if despotism
mail be greater than to assume a right of saying,
" reject from your bosom the principle of the ear,"
haling repeatedly shown that by this they mean the
Bead of the Government; for tchont, and for her-
FRANCT: is armed and arming. That is, expel
or deliver up the Sovereign whom you have cordially
adopted, otherni:e we shall persist in forcing upon
you assistance nhieli you reject, as feeling it to be,
the most degrading computFion ; and for a purpose,
which, with all your force, you resist.
I trast that it that the time is coming when
" the rights of each _‹ition, the general interests, and
nstiee,"—l do not gay " reason of State," for that
•erm is very arnhignous,—shall decide. If so,
Flue, E will decide for herself, within herself; and
the powers and armies of usher States will in vain
interfere to compel or influence her decision.
France is in an attitude of armed vigilance and
defensive preparation, which it muy well be trusted
leaves no room for oppression, either from within or
from without. It is, therefore, much out of season
to talk of "her oppressor," and that she has asely
to free herself and return to the principles of social
order. Is she not free—has she not the means of
fieedom within herself—has she not a basis on which'
to rest it already in her possession, and now
strengthened and brought nearer to perfection, as,
lair, as firm, and as ample as any nation on earth ?
It she not in the principles and iu the adualpradice
of social order

I conclude, therefore, that PEACE may well be
maintained with FRANCE and BONAPARTE. They
cannot be compelled by weakness to break it. It is
their interest, it will he their glory and their happi.
req to maintain it; and should there hereafter be
an attempt to violate it, the strength, the union
(however unwarranted for offence, most just when
simply defensive), the military habitudes, and theever.
lotehful jealousies of the surrounding Powers, are
Litlicient security against aggression on the part of
ittamce, so far as it is given to mortals in the pre.l
unit stAte of society to provide against future possi.
lilities; yet all these considerations are stated and
elostrated in argument, style, and temper the most
o"easive and convincing, and appropriata applies.
114 u to pets, In a Letter "7:t:03 I hare read this