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white cockade; they called out for the Duke | found it a very difficult task to distinguish of Angouleme." Then came an Extraor- what was false from what was genuine. dinary Gazelle, and the firing of the Park But, taking the whole of the above stateand Tower guns, to announce to the good ment to be true; admitting that the people people of London the happy intelligence. of Bordeaux really received the British Were I to say all that I think as to the troops. as friends; expressed a hope that no manner in which it was thought proper to peace would be made with Bonaparte; went frame this Extraordinary Gazette, I know seven miles to welcome Marshal Beresford I would soon hear of this from a quarter, as their deliverer; rent the air with their which would probably make me repent of acclamations; hoisted the Bourbon colours; my temerity. But though I am restrained and displayed the white cockade. Supin my remarks upon it, I am not prevented posing, I say, this to be no exaggeration of laying it before the reader, nor can he be the state of the public mind in Bordeaux, hindered forming his own opinion upon the what must be our opinion of a people who morceau that has been given to the public, could, with these sentiments in favour of instead of the entire letter which it is ad- the former dynasty, submit so long as they mitted was received from Marshal Beres- have done to the tyranny and oppressions ford. of Bonaparte? nay, not only submit to his exorbitant impositions, but actually furnish him with the means of perpetuating their own slavery. We must either believe them to be the most contemptible and servile wretches on earth, or we must withhold our assent to the representations which have been given of their warm attachment to the Bourbons. We cannot safely question the latter statement, because we have the authority of Government for believing it. We must, therefore, adopt the former; we must believe that the inhabitants of Bordeaux, when they took the oath of allegiance to Bonaparte, swore against their own

Aire, March 14, 1814.-I inclose Marshal Sir William Beresford's private letter to me, written after his arrival at Bordeaux, from which you will see that the Mayor and people of the town have adopted the white cockade, and declared for the house of Bourbon."

"Marshal Sir W. Beresford's private letter, to which Lord Wellington's dispatch refers, is dated Bordeaux, 12th March, 1814. It states, in substance, that he entered the city on that day; that he was met a short distance from the town, by the civil authorities and population of the place, and was received in the city with every demon-consciences, and that their whole conduct; stration of joy. The magistrates and the all that they have said; all that they have city guards took off the eagles and other done in support of Napoleon's government, badges, and spontaneously substituted the for these ten years past, has been nothing white cockade, which had been adopted else but reiterated perjury and hypocritical universally by the people of Bordeaux.- adulation. If this be the case, and who Eighty-four pieces of cannon were found in can doubt it after reading the Courier, what the city; and an hundred boxes of conceal- reliance are we to have upon the declaraed arms had been produced already." tions of such a people? Where is the The Courier lately told us, that the dis-rule, where the criterion, by which we can patches received from our foreign agents were uniformly laid before the public in the exact form and shape in which they are received. How comes it, then, that a letter of such magnitude as that which announced the rising of the people of France against "the usurper," and their spontaneous declaration in favour of the Bourbons, should not have been published at full length? How is it that we have been deprived of the felicity which the perusal of so precious, so interesting, so valuable a document must have afforded to every friend of social order and unlimited monarchy? I leave it to others, more known than I am, to answer these questions; for, in fact, the news-papers have dealt so much of late in garbled quotations and garbled extracts, that I have

determine that the whole inhabitants of a place, who have been uttering nothing but lies for so long a period, are now telling us the truth? are now sincere in their professions?Were it not that I might be called to account for questioning the authority of an official statement, I might be disposed to think that some mistake had inadvertently crept into our Gazette. I might, perhaps, contend, that it was more consistent with human nature to suppose, that the people of Bordeaux were on this occasion acting a part more consistent with their own safety, and their own interest, than with their loyalty to the house of Bourbon. They could not be ignorant, if an invading army entered their city as conquerors, that they would be subjected to severe imposi

was

has been raised about the hoisting of the
Bourbon standard in the South of France,
will turn out like the clamour of Orange
Boven, which, whether the Dutch have
derived any benefit from it or not, has had
no other effect here but to raise the price
of many articles of the first necessity far
above their real value. But it has been
attempted by the conductors of the vile
press of this country, not only to persuade
the public, that the people of Bordeaux
have proved themselves to be the infamous
persons above described, but that "the
whole of the South of France is in a state
of insurrection against Bonaparte." They
have even gone so far as to assert, that the
British government have given their aid,
their countenance, and their support, to
the royalists who are now in France, and in
the train of the Bourbous. Had a state-
ment so unqualified as this appeared in any.
other journal than the Courier, it would
have merited silent contempt. But appear¬,
ing, as it has done, in a journal claiming
of govern
the character of being the organ
ment, and put forth with all the solemnity
of an official statement, it ought not to be
allowed to pass unnoticed. A pretended
news-paper, said to have been printed and
published at Bordeaux "by order," with-
out mentioning by whom, or under what
authority this order was given, has been
referred to as evidence of the fact. But it
will easily be seen from the nature of the
language used by the Courier, that the
writer of this journal intended it to be be-
lieved, that our government actually par-
ticipated in the measures adopted by the
partisans of the Bourbons, to restore Louis
XVIII. to the throne of France. The fol-
lowing is the article to which I allude:-
"These documents (says the Courier),
supposing, which we see no reason to doubt,
that the Bordeaux paper has given a faith-
ful report of Lord Wellington's and Mar-
shal Beresford's assurances, prove that the
British Government have DETERMINED to
afford their powerful support to the legiti-
male cause, to the rights of Louis XVIII.
as King of France.

tions; but if invited to come, that both their city in France, so very lately evinced their persons and property might be respected. devotion and attachment to Bonaparte by Accordingly, when it was first reported enabling him to recover his fallen fortunes, cry which that a deputation had been sent from Bor-I am inclined to believe, that the deaux to welcome the approach of our army, it was distinctly stated, that this "under a stipulation that no injury should be done to the inhabitants." By thus seeming to acquiesce in the occupation of the place, they were actuated by a very natural and judicious policy. Had they done otherwise, and offered resistance, they could not calculate on any thing but destruction, as they had not troops sufficient to oppose the invaders. But there is another view to be taken of the matter, which appears to me of some importance. Are we altogether certain that the invitation given to Lord Wellington by the inhabitants of Bordeaux, was not the result of a previous project of Marshal Soult to ensnare his Lordship; to place him in a situation where he could not defend himself, as at Torres Vedras, against a superior army; and thus compel him to seek for safety in his shipping? This, at least, has the appearance of probability; otherwise it is not easy to account for Sqult leaving the road entirely open for our troops, when he must have known (if it be true) that the inhabitants of Bordeaux were unanimous in their hostility to his master, and decidedly attached to the Bourbons. Besides, we find that Napoleon entertains no fears as to our army in that quarter, nor of any attempts which can be made to give importance to the cause of his rival. He withdrew part of Soult's army to support his operations in a distant part of the empire, though he knew full well that the consequence would be the immediate advance of the British army, and that there was a member of the house of Bourbon with Lord Wellington. Considering the active police established in France, and particularly the late energetic measures taken to counteract all attempts at counter-revolution, it is scarcely credible that Napoleon could be ignorant of the state of the public mind at Bordeaux; and if it is such as has been represented; it is not easy to persuade one's self that he would have neglected all those precautions which prudence dictated to be necessary, for the We entered Bordeaux purpose of counteracting the mischief which he knew would undoubtedly follow. I may as a city acknowledging Louis XVIII.; we be wrong in supposing that an understanding entered it as a city belonging to an ally. subsists between Soult and the people of Bor- Our General caused this to be distinctly undeaux; but when I consider the above circum-derstood. He sanctioned the conviction in the stances, and also recollect that the inhabi- minds of the people that we treated the tants of that place, as well as of every other Bourbon cause as our own.

02

The sacred

Hame spreads, under the belief that it is nourished and cherished by this great nation. Having broken the power of usurpation in Portugal and Spain, we have entered France, and taking a Prince of the legitimate family in our hands, he has proclaimed his object to be, supported by us, the overthrow of the usurpation of Bonaparte and the restoration of Louis XVIII. Lord Wellington and Marshal Beresford have COMMITTED THEIR GOVERNMENT, and it is impossible to suppose that they would have committed it without being authorised. The knowledge of this will spread with rapidity from the South to every other part of France, and sure we are that it will be a town of strength to the good cause. The principle is now fairly afoot: it has room to act, and we shall be surprised indeed if its progress be not as rapid as the most sanguine friends to the cause could wish. Guyenne is the most populous province, we believe, in France. Guyenne, Gascony, and Bearn, have declared themselves. Poitou and Saintonge are said to have manifested the same disposition, and we cannot permit ourselves to doubt that Brittany will be eager to throw off the accursed yoke. The proper steps have been taken to make the events that have taken place on the banks of the Garonne, known through out France. Above all, the tranquillizing assurance, that no change is intended in the state of property, an assurance which removes one of the main props of the Usurper's authority, is likely to have the most beneficial effect. Under all these circumstances, so full of hope and promise to the good cause, a cause in which are involved the real repose and happiness of the world, we cannot suppose that any of the Allies will longer entertain the idea of making peace with Bonaparte. Indeed he is not now Master of France; he cannot give security for the fulfilment of the terms of the treaty. He might be deprived of the sovereign authority the very week after this treaty had been signed with him.”. After perusing the above statement, will any one for a moment doubt that our government had long ago made the cause of the Bourbons the cause of Britain, and had det ermined to prosecute the war until they had overturned the throne of Napoleon? "The British government have determined to afford their powerful support to the legitimate cause, to the rights of Louis XVIII. as King of France."" Lord Wellington and Marshal Beresford have committed their government, and it is impossible to |

suppose that they would have committed it without being authorized."-Certainly not. If they were authorized to pledge the assistance of our government, they did right to commit it. They could not with propriety have done otherwise. But then how are we to reconcile this pledge, with the repeated professions of ministers for these last ten years, that they had no intention of intermeddling with the internal government of France? How account for their recognition of the title of Bonaparte, by sending Lord Castlereagh to enter into negociations with his minister, by acknowledging his title of "Emperor of the French" in our public parliamentary debates, and in a variety of other instances?

-How, I say, can we reconcile this marked and unequivocal sanction which our government has given to Napoleon's claim to the crown of France, with what the Courier now tells us has all along been the secret and hidden intentions of ministers? Either the Courier deceives the public (and this is nothing uncommon) as to the views of government, or this country is acting a part the most disgraceful imaginable, and which must render it an object of contempt among all other nations. If the former is the case, then ought the author of these lies to suffer the punishment which his conduct merits. If there is such a thing as a libel upon a government, surely the individual who attributes to its actions that which is manifestly infamous, ought rather to be made to feel the weight of an ex-officio information, than he who, perhaps inadvertently, has told too much of the truth.In a subsequent Courier, something appeared like a retraction of what it had previously advanced respecting the alleged countenance given by our government to the Bourbons.

-The Times newspaper also, which carries its viperation even farther against the French Emperor than its brother in iniquity, would fain recal all that it advanced upon the subject. It even gives the lie direct to the Courier, when speaking of the assurance said to have been given by Lord Wellington and Marshal Beresford to the partisans of the Bourbons. "No such occurrence (say the Times) took place in the present instance; and, indeed, if it had, the government would still have been at perfect liberty to disavow the unauthorized acts of its officers." But the Courier, feeling indignant at this treatment, and evidently repenting its former concessions, now thinks proper to reiterate the original statement in the following terms :—“ It

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we are at war.

is asked, do Ministers think it necessary | Empire, through which he has passed. to justify themselves from the charge of How then we, in this country, can think countenancing the Bourbons in the South?' ourselves capable of bringing about a counTo be sure they do not: war justifies us inter-revolution; how, single handed, we doing what we can to annoy our enemy. can calculate upon restoring the throne of Our orders to our Naval Commanders are the Bourbons, appears to me to be one of to sink, burn and destroy. By land we the silliest notions that ever entered the must distress the enemy as much as we heads of any people. Even with the forces can; and even if we had no attachment to of nearly all Europe in our pay, and the EX the Bourbons as the lawful family, still we command of means almost unlimited in should be justified in countenancing them, their extent, we have not been able, after or any other party that was against Bona- a war of more than twenty years, to make She parte."- -I am willing, for once, to give any sensible impression upon France. the Courier writer credit for what he says has no doubt been frequently brought to a very about giving his support to any party that low state, much lower than she is at present; declares against Bonaparte; for I verily but the greatness of her difficulties, her believe, if he thought he could form a repeated disasters and defeats, have only league with the Devil to overthrow Napo- served as a stimulus to her energies, and, in the end, to place her on a more eleleon, he would put his name to the contract to-morrow. But I am not disposed vated station than the one she previously to assent so readily to what he says respect- occupied. If, therefore, she has already ing the countenance given by ministers to baffled all the attempts of the former cothe Bourbons. It is true, our commanders alitions; if, when her government was in have a right to annoy the enemy's forces by the hands of feeble administrators, and land and by sea; but this is a very different her armies frequently betrayed by the matter from giving our support to a party, treachery of her generals, she triumphed who meditate the subversion of the govern- over all her foes; if when the South of ment, established by the people with whom France was almost entirely overrun by the In a recent proclamation adherents of the Bourbons, and the recolof Marshal Soult, he accused my Lord lection of that unfortunate family yet alive Wellington, though I would fain hope un- in the minds of thousands, she was able to justly, of exciting the French to civil war, avert the storm that threatened her ruin; -to revolt and to sedition.According how much more must she be capable of to the Courier doctrine, this would be extricating herself now when her affairs are justifiable. Yet how often has this writer in the hands of a chief who knows how to affected to repel the charge, with indigna- govern and how to conquer; who, in all tion, when brought against the Allies by circumstances, appears to possess the full Bonaparte, whom alone he accuses of medi- confidence of his subjects; who has estatating the overthrow of other States, and in blished a code of laws in France, calcuwhom only he considers this to be a crime. lated, in a very superior degree, to promote It is unnecessary to multiply words to show, their happiness; and who has given to perwhat has been so often demonstrated, that sons and to property a greater security than no country whatever has a right to dictate was enjoyed at any former period in that the law to another, even in any circum- country. It is idle, it is ridiculous to say, stances; much less when the people whom that what has passed at Bordeaux affords it is attempted to controul, hold an elevat- evidence, that the whole people of France, ed rank in the scale of nations. In the or even a small portion of them, are prepresent instance, and supposing all that pared for a counter-revolution; because it the Courier has told us about the Bourbons is quite obvious, even supposing a fair reto be true, it is clear that this country has presentation to have been given of the buinterfered without the concurrence of our siness, that the defeat of Soult, which renAllies. I do not see that Alexander has dered the approach of Lord Wellington's declared himself explicitly on the subject, immense army to Bordeaux almost certain, but there now remains no doubt as to the was sufficient of itself to produce an effect sentiments of Austria, and even the Crown favourable to the Bourbons, whose cause Prince of Sweden, if his interference is to care had been previously taken to make the be considered of any importance, has actu- inhabitants believe his Lordship had esally prohibited, by a formal edict, the poused, and whose misfortunes he was wearing of the white cockade in those parts about to avenge. Restore Bordeaux to its of the Netherlands belonging to the French former situation, by removing our army to

the Prince Regent, and you will form a pretty just idea of the degeneracy of this body of Christians. With regard to the subscription, however, it should be remarked, that the country Quakers are more mo

a distance, and thus banishing from the minds of the people all fear of punishment in their persons or property, and it will then be seen how they will act. It may then be said, with some appearance of truth, but not till then, that the sentidest than their London brethren; for they ments which they avow, are the genusend up their remittances under one head;

ine and spontaneous effusions of a free while the names of the latter are displayed

people.

FRENCH SUFFERERS AND THE QUAKERS. "He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye." Prov. c. xxviii, v. 22. Sir,-You have made some very judicious and sensible remarks on the Quakers making so prominent a part in the list of Subscribers to relieve the Germans; and you seem to think their principles would lead them to do the same for our enemies, the French; for that the latter are in the same situation as the former, you have proved by documents from the Moniteur, entitled surely to as much respect as the letters published by Ackermaun, the printseller and caricaturist. I am afraid, however, that upon due inquiry and observation, you will find the Quaker society as degenerated as the rest of us, and that they are guided by a few men, whose wealth having brought them into connexion with Government, they are eager on all occasions to evince their loyally, or, in other words, their attachment to the Powers that be. Commerce has been the evil on which this society has split; commerce, which, as Thomas Paine observed, "they follow with a step as steady as time, and an appetite as keen as death." The influence of this baneful pursuit I remember to have been first visible during the American war; but its rapid strides during the present war are almost incredible. We have now Quaker bankers, Quaker merchants, and Quaker contractors; yes, Mr. Cobbett, even contractors; men, whose dress shew then to be the pillars of "our Israel," will go from their silent meetings, and contract to supply Lord Wellington's army with flour, &c. Now, if the Society allows itself, on all public matters to be guided by this description of persons, they must necessarily be widely different from what they are represented to have been in the time of Barclay and Penn, Compare the manly and nervous address on peace of the former of these eminent men to the profligate Charles 2d, and the late ondescript address of the Quaker body to

in the daily papers, with all Pharisaical pomp; but this, I suppose, must rest with their Secretary, Mr. HOWARD, who seems to know the modern mode of working on the benevolent! Nay, this man has taken upon him to print the names of the Quaker subscribers in London, and to send them all over England, to excite others to imitate their example; and, perhaps, to shame those sensible and reflecting men, who think they can take as much care of their money, and do as much good with it as other peo ple. The dissenters are continually brawling against the degenerate clergy; but with what face can they do it, when such a proceeding as the above is tolerated in that sect, where so much manly independence used to be found! I am afraid. I shall trespass too much upon your indulgence; but I wish to ask, how it happens, that in this German subscription, the Royal family and nobility are quite omitted? I do not perceive one name distinguished either in the political or literary world. Our ministers, also, do not come forward. Have no applications been made in these quar ters? If so, I suppose they think proper to leave all the charity to the honest and well meaning, for such I believe are most of the subscribers, and they only want discrimination to make them good and useful citizens.I am your sincere well-wisher, GEORGE TRUEMAN.

Pimlico, March 14.

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