Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1815-09-20
POLITICAL.
From BelPs [LondOnl Messenger.
Mr.. PITTS SYSTEM
Offhe balance Of PORE

~ me balance q ToZrer.
AS very strong party spirit was most
prematurely manifested in the House of
Commons upon the occasion of what was
understood to he the arrangements of
Congress, Lord Castlereash, as the best
explanation Of the views OF himself and
colleagues, iii conserving to these DISPOSE
tions, has produced document from the
Foreign Office, in which 4 minute is made
of tue opinion of MIR. Pitt upon the suite
bic settlement Of tn state OF Europe. Il
has happened to this minister as to most
other truly great men, that his value has
never been properly known til the loss
j of him has caused it to be felt but as the
passions ana prcjudiccs of his political OPP
ponents n ave now passed over, we begin
nationally to do justice to his character.
Il was his rare merit th2t he W cot mis-
ledbytAe spleniitl novelti5 OF TIE times &
that in an age Of err r & IF olisch evpus but
sc luctve theories. he held fast the b t c,
wisdom of for er times, and by nis uusha-
ken constancy, preserved his country fro =
suffering IN the common run. 1t is always
great ~ rise above tie kUei Of tire age TO
sahich .i,e belong but it is still greater to
resist the powerful contagion, the spread
ing epileo.ic, of a whole continent run
mad. And this was the uerit Of Mr.. Pitt.
lie was almost the only character Of his
day, il rot indeed the only one, who re-
tame his sobriety of mind ami st the
turbulence of the age. He saw rs clear
~, ami perhaps more SO, because more
coolly, than Mr.. Burke himself, the cha
racter and certain effects CT the French
revolution, am he opposed it with more
prudence, because with more art and po-
Icy.
The State Paper which the ministry
have produced, and which say Justly be
consi cred as the political testament of
Dr. Pitt, will doubtless be read by our
readers with all the attention which
such subject merits, and therefore we
shall net here reCapilulate its substance
But, as some OF the principles may seem to
require an explanation, we shall con-
hnc ourselves at present to this expo
sition, and endeavor to executeitf briefly
and as intelligbly as possible.
The notion Of the balance OF I ,ser first
originated in italy, 1T time when tn
coultry was subdi,i'ed Into prinCipali-
tics + unequal strength, and when it be-
came necessary for the weaker 10 seek
support gainst the strongerby mutual Il
iances ana coufeleracies The objects a
gaiast whom these associations were
made, wee chiefly the Venetians, the
kings of France, and tie enper.Is of
Germany and the histories OF those ages
which resemble rGmarCes in th il variety
and Ill cfes, arc full Of the ncgociauJns
OF the States of Florence and Milao, to
form on dissolve the confe or cies, accor-
ding as their int est required j. From
Italy The same uoti u The political ba-
lance very early passed to Eugland and
Germany, and has now for many years be-
come the opted policy Of every Euro
pean kingdom.
IN the wars of king William and Anne,
LOUIS the 18th, by the invasion of Hol-
land, the Netherlands ami Germany, hsd
at one period Of his reign carried the pow
er or france TO most dangerous he git
and cufederacy was Immediately es-
I tabished against him, to reduce him with
On the bounds of his own empire. This
| contederacy, and the wars of Marlb0-
4 rough, have always been considered as
the first practical emf rcemeDt Of the no
ton Of the balance OF power and this
word, we bel eve, was first adopted and
acknowledged n the negoc LIONS for the
treaties of Utrecht and AK la Chapehe
The powers of Europe then naturally de-
handed of themselves, by what means
Louis had been enabled so easily 10 over
run Europe, and therein to acquire and to
accumulate power, which rendered him
dangerous 70 the world The answer was,
that Holland hGd no sufficient barrier, and
that the empire, having no buiwarks, no in
tcrmediary power TO receive the first as
Sault and 70 rally for its defence, was o.
pened 10 any invader, and that the F,ench
armies had thereby penetrated iutoits CEN
ire almost as soon as the war was com
InenCed.
FROM these circumstances, originated
the fur main principles Of European poll
cy, vii IN avowe1iy, or at least tacitiy,
have b en- observed in all succeeding trea-
ties to the period Of the French Revolution.
Tue first is, that Holland required mere
efficient barrier, and that every opportu-
nifty ought TO be taken to strengthen her
The second is, that Prussia should be the
head of a Northern confederacy, which
should oppose any cncroachments Ct
France upon the Lower Rhine. The
third is, that Austria should be protected,
Oh the one side by Prussia, and Gu the other
by her connection with the States Of the
Empire And the fourth is, that Italy should
bE maintained in her state of subdivision in
q to small states, and that Austria should be
4 her protector, and the other states Of Eu-
4 rope the guarantees.
Succeeding events, however, have prov
ed ihlt the system IS very defective, and
particularly With respect to Prussia, Italy