The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-11-12

balance
The difculion of thefe queltions in detail
would embrace volumes---let US endeavor to
view them more briefly but ilill compre heniive-
iy.
To avoid difcuilions with which politicians
are familiar from the magnitude and regency,
we lay it down as fact 4; that the combination
of Pi!nitz and all the fiihiequens aggrefiions
were uniuitihabe attacks made on Trance--and
that according to the laws or war, and the ma
tural 'naxims of moral iuftice, whatever injury
the aggreliors iuitained being the effect of their
own wrong dong, was not Il jut cau!e of COM
plsint, nor tit foundation for a renewed war.
For either the terms of pacihcaton between the
powers, were z'aiidor nHgatory. IF valid no.
thing but the breach of the conditions could
nulliiy them; 1t intended to be migratory, the
intincerty OF the contracting party who violates
the contract Is only an ageravation of the origin
al agereihon. The Coz qaeits made from the
aegretfors therefore were according to he laws
of war and the ufage of nations, and the force OF
treaties, jul and rigbtfai poas fions.
But then the balance of bosvsr-ave there's
the balance of power! Any whole curioity
may lead him to the peruial of Il pamphie, pub
hihed by the celebrated 14d9ijoa in 1907, enti-
tied "t5e trssat. fate otfbe yvar," wiif he isnot
mortified by the proititn.ion of great talents to
unworthy purpotes, find vaf body of circum-
ftanccs which will hear comparifon with the
presences upon which war is carried on at this
time but he will alto learn upon what futile
and ridiculous arguments, the balance Of power
and the objects of war are flitained and how
falthleis fortune has been TO fchcmes and enter
prizes which then filed the minds Of latefinen
with furpr'ze and the expectation of political
millennium, to be produced bv the nAtefmen,
armies and navies of Britain. Let US apologize,
iuppoiing thatthe wings of England who were
not jacohins ever profeIed an opinion OF human
perteetibh'y or promifed n political millennium,
from the haheas corpus and the bill of rights
lie will find that the arguments againa the grand
monarque, the pope and the pretender, and the
balance OF power, were then urged with as
much zeal and plaufhlity as the albeit viudica-
tors of war call upon all Europe TO reGt the
French and TO r,itore Italy out of their grafp
The h"uie of Bourbon was then greater buga-
boo than the little Corlican; and it WIS deem
ed oftbe hrt neceiIity to the fecurty of Britain,
that Spain fhould be detached from the French
aliance-and become the balancing power of
Europe.
France from the year l64s to the convention
OF PdniZ IN 1871, though engaged i'm many wars
ot long duration, aud enormous waite of men
and money, during the whole of the lalt centu-
ry, particularly when the uuverial cry was, the
ambition of France and her luft of univrfft!
monarchy, yet during that whole period her
territorial acquiiitons were confined to two
provinces, which were Obtained rather by fami-
ly alliance than BY arms and few towns, for
which the contracting powers had equivalents.
When attacked by the combined powers, it
IS depiorably true that her retaliation was terri
ble, and her partitions Of territory formed fnb-
lime but melancholy iatire on thofe who attack
ed her. We look in vain, however, for the ter
r'torleS lott by kuilia. Melancholy indeed is
the reelection that her two armies of 90, 900 men
each, were TENT only to manure the II eds of TIA
ly and the valleys of Heveta and that the
wrecks which returned to Ruiiia were not a fall
teventh OF the wholp. 1t is not to retrieve the
lultre OF her arrns-not to revive and transfer tn
the brow of fome kindred brute, the fanguinary
laurel which was bilted on the brow of Suwar-
row, that the Ruiians iend armies into Gallicia
or the Morea; or that for two years lhe has been
preparing in Corfu the materials of war, which
the combined powers now will, rs ufua attri-
butte wholly TO the aggreiiions of France. The
fleets which patled the Pofphorus in 1902 8 anc.
4, were not drawn thither in confequencc of the
erection OF Lombarby into kingdom, or the
annexation OF Genoa to the French empire
But IT is mott probable that thefe menacinr
maneuvres, theie fnfpicious expeditions, the!e
mutual, and, on pacific principles, unaccounta
BILE collections of military machinery on the
coats of the Adriatic, were the moving caufrs
ana inc Oeu Jultiication OF that ambition, OF that
concentration and accumulation of power,
which it is now made the profeled Object of
the war to undo and diflever
We muiG look for other motives in the policy
of Ruffia, than any injury which ihe has expe-
rienced or apprehends in any legitimate puriliit
from the power of France. We mutt look for
the caufe in the Turkifli empire to which the
ambition of Rulija afpires.
This policy is not very much involved, as it
proceeds from the difinet views and nterefts of
three or foHr powers, who, notwithstanding
their attachmenttothe balance ofpowers, would
each of them, were the others not in the way,
facrifice the Turkiih empire.
Catherine III. retifted every temptation to en-
gage in the war aganlt France, unefs the COM
bined powers would content to the difnember1
ment of the Turkilh empire. Germany and
Pruliia were brought to content upon the prin-
cpies of a new PARTITION of Poland England
held out upon commercial principles; but in
1905, when Pruiiia had made feparate peace,
aud the conquef of Holland had COMPOUNDED
the other powers, then England agreed to the
facrifce of Turkey, and it was principle de-
cdrcd in the treaty by which .he engaged 10 take
an active part againf France. The politicians
OF that day rIarveled at the military prcDarat-
ons of Catherine, but the caufe of her ineffective
parade of $4,000 men was nor fufpected to pro-
coed from Great Britain. The rapid march of
Bonaparte IN l796 to the neighborhood of Vien-
mn. and thP E6erol,tg ,uhicb bs sv.rorI;G.J o.,