The Statesman.
London, England, 1814-02-28 00:00:00

4EF,LEI

INS ON THE STATE OP- Tlik
. ~
WAR.
-..i5..-.
MR,. EDITOR,—There is no etample of such a
contest as that now deciding in France--•t I is the II rst
instance on record, of one nation standing alone,
and all the rest of Europe confederated against it
and in what state is that single nation ?—She is ex-
Musty(' by a war of twenty-one years' duration, her
population has been drained by those immense armies
she has repeatedly sent forth, very few of which have.
ever returned to their native land. Whether this
dreadful waste of human existence has been the con:
sequence of the ambition of one man, as many who
take a narrow view of this 'Mel struggle, incline to
think, or whether the real contest has not, all along,
been between British influence on the one hand, and
French independence on the other, is not a point
intended here to be debated. I only mean to no-
tice the fact, that for above twenty years past this
war bath raged, 'which, according to Mr. CA N-
mit4a, has never changed its object, and in • that
period hath consumed certainly; above a million of
Frenchmen alone. It is surprising, that after such a
drain France should still have a large military force,
but where is thatforce ? It is either in foreign prisons,
or in fereigngerrisons; and it is in this state thus be-
reft elite assistance of all those disciplined and vete-
rast-defeaders- uhich theso.loog *fir* may have left
her, that she is now assailed by all Europe. The soil
of France iR now trod by men from the Danube and
the Douro, the Wolga and. the Weser, the .Tagus
and the Thames ;—the bearded Cossack, the un-
breeched Highlander, the stupid Laplander, the fierce
Tartar, and the savage Calmuc, join their physical
tercet° decide hit questions of metaphysical policy !
These wild people do not, like other folks, carry their
scientific knowledge in their heads, their political
skill resides in their swords, their spears, and. their ;
scymitars, by the virtue of which, they propose to"
decide Whit constitution of Government is best
adapted to a nation, not barbarous like themselves,
but famed for science, urbanity, and refinement.—
They.prespine !Ton the present weak and exhausted
state of the French peoplei; but ,if France, bereft
Of her regular troOps„ should, by a kind of• med-
ley army of raw and mongrel soldiers (not unlike
the train-bands of our towns, and posse comitatis
of otir "counties) repel this mighty Cnufederacy,
so f verily .believe she wilt, then will she show
Isitriilf •ifi a- stronger and' more formidable point
of view than she hes Amer yet appeared in.— 1
This' •ii like 'coming upon a strongman unarmed, to
try his' naked inherent force. But it is certainly to'
be latneuted that any insincerity should have been I I
resorted to, in order to make the enemy believe that
Peace was intended, so that he might be still less
prepared to defend himself; among the stratagems of
war are not to be included perfidious proles:ago, I
that subvert all goood faith among nations--that.
jere the cause they are designed to defend—anti pro.'
claim.to the whole world, that the Power against
wisSin sueh• diShonoumble artifices are used, must
still be an object of terror to its opponents.—This
*tent has also brought to proof the goodness of•NA.
YoLenn's title. Doubtless the best right by which
any King can govern is the approbation of his people.
There are not many Princes, who, had they been
put to their probation, could have shown so legiti.
mete a titles. Let• os bear no more talk then of NA-
POLEON beillValiiitrer. There is 1w other usurpa-
tion but upoeisCßights of the People—to tax the
French 4lntieroe with usurping the rights of the
Bourbons, is as complete nonsense as it would be to.
tax the Ilanoverians with usurping the rights of the
Stuarts.—Let us hear no more scandalous falsehoods,
neither about Norotxoses tyranny and oppression.
Such glaring and impudent falsehood expressed conti-
neatly in Prints on the side of Government, is the
way to bring that Government itself into contempt.
No man loves to be imposed upon. No man respects
that -which is not true, and surely no man can be-
lieve that NAPOLEON would hate found the support
he has done, if his Government had been that of
teranny and oppression.—We very well know that a
military government may be supported by large
standing armies, but that was not the case here : thb
armies were gone,
,ante the appeal was made to the
People. The Allies were in the heart of France,
and the people .mighthere joined either their stand. '
a rd, or that of NAPOEEON; and if they had been so
oppressed as our-lying Ministerial Papers have re.
presented them to have been, so doubt they would '
have joined the former. BONAPARTE is no Sorceror, '
he could not raise up armies in France by magic, no
more than lie could cent rout the rigour of the ele-
ments iii Russia—to what then was he indebted for
his escape? In short, if they cannot show that NA-
roLeum deals in magic, the very weakest of their
silly Readers will begin to discover that they them-
selves
deal in imposition and falsehood.
• If the Allies on the Continent consult their true
interests, they wily be disposed to make peace with
the present -Emperor of France. On the other hand,
if.we are to believe what is said in the Ministerial
Papers, they who hold in their hands the destinies',
of Britain, as well as the commies purse that is to
uphold the war, are resolved .to forfeit good faith, '
consistency, popular respect, and indeed every thing
else, rather than make Peace with BONAPARTE.--•
In general it is found that he who commands thel
purse commands all other things. It was lone
since sarcastically observed by AEISTOPILANE3 in his
comedy of•Pluttss, that althotigh Jurerze rules es.
mime in Heaven, yet PLOT'S is the God that governs
this world. Let as suppose, than; that an applies:-
tion of that omnipotent influents should be aepUmil
by the war faction of this country to Continentsl
ratio! r let us suppose that faction masters of tie
fate of Euro , /hat sort of settlement would they
.r.itike of it ! y Would dethrone BONAPARTE Of
017 e
coarse, 'and to e effectual miasma to break the
power of the French nation, as also of that revolts-.
'denary spirit which they so much dread in Europe.
They would pare down that mighty empire to a dimi.
motive kingdom, and place upon the throne a King of
their own making; perhaps with no better success than
BONAPARTE has bad, in his project of attaching
to his leterset a number of satellite Sovereigns ; for
thii Bouanooe have never been more famed for gm.
titude than the other old reigning families. They
hope, however, that adversity Wu so humbled that
family, that they would find in it a creature to suit
i
their porposei-owe that would be content with half
0 loaf rather than hare no bread ; owe that would