Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

"jealousies of France, which ought ever" when Russia gets Finland.

66

66

[ocr errors]

66

[ocr errors]

66

66

to a

66

66

66

Sweden,

to wake in the breast of a Briton, and to Norway; and Austria and Prussia old dispose both the public and the ministry" territories, which they had for ever given false and mischievous principle," up for lost, England, whilst all others "which has been sanctified under the name "gain, should lose? Why, when they in"of generosity. We have no objection to crease their power, she should diminish "all for which that is the term, when pro-"her's? We have seen no reason given "perly understood, and we have certainly" which is not too absurd to answer. Eng"no wish to perpetuate feelings of enmity" land has made sacrifices, she has been or revenge towards France. It is per- "for twenty years making sacrifices for "haps the best political reason which can" the independence of Europe; why then "be given for our joy at the restoration of" should she be required to make additional "the Bourbons, that we can be at peace "ones? Her vast national debt shows the "with France under the ancient family, "sacrifices she has made; and if Austria, more in the spirit of peace than when un- Russia, and Prussia, can plead pecuniary "der a base and unprincipled usurpation. "sacrifices also, we shall demand why they "But let us not ignorantly forget that tho' are to be allowed to balance them with "Bonaparte be overthrown, France is still" an extension of territory, whilst Great "the same; that she is radically and "Britain is to retain her debt, and at the 66 systematically our enemy; and let us not, same time diminish her possessions? The "in the folly of our good nature, pour those "gross injustice of the requisition, and the "gifts and offerings into the hands of "gross folly of countenancing it by the "France, because she has been compelled" cant of not being behind in magnanimity, by her sufferings to ease herself of the" is most apparent from the consideration, "load of an oppressor, which may strengthen" that there is no reciprocity implied in "her for future aggressions. France is such an arrangement as shall restore the "to be placed as before the war; this "conquered Colonies to France. The other: S6 seems to have been the principle of the "Allies gain independence and territory Allies, when negociating with Bonaparte." by the defeat of the French; but Great "We then heard it echoed from one to "Britain gains neither. She was indeanother, that England was the only pendent before, and would have remain"Power who had sacrifices to make, and "ed so; she had lost no territory, and "that she was willing to make them. If "therefore had none to recover. All she "she was presumed to possess this degree gains is the liberty of trading with the "of good nature when Bonaparte was the "Continent; and in that trade the Allies 66 person proposed to remain on the Throne" are as much interested as she; and are "of France, at least she is not expected to "we then to purchase from France this narrow her generosity, now it is filled by "liberty by the cession of Colonies,, when "a Bourbon. Now, it may be very mag"France has no right, and now no power, "nanimous in the Allies to propose that" to prevent us from enjoying it? In every England should give back to France" view the idea of such surrenders is pre"all her conquered Colonies; but for our- "posterous." selves we see not why a British Statesman “should admire this magnanimity of making free with other people's property, or "what justice to the nation there is in "such proposals. It is easy enough for "those Powers who have nothing to sur"render, in order to accomplish the object, "to speak of placing France as before the "Revolution; but it must be shown why "all the Allied Powers shall depart from "the contest with the fruit of success "in their pockets, and Great Britain "should go away rather stripped and “mulcted than rewarded for her honour"able perseverance, or rather suffered to "enjoy the fair acquirements of her own insulated valour and exertions. Why,

66

66

[ocr errors]

66

66

66

[ocr errors]

Upon the subject of Colonies I might first address myself to the English nation, and ask them what benefit they could pro-. mise to themselves by such an extension of dominion, and that too, of a kind not at all contributing to our security or happiness. I much question, whether the restoration of Colonies to France would be any real benefit to her. We have seen, that she has not wanted the aid of Colonies in her late wars: and, perhaps, it might be well for her, if we must consider her as radically the enemy of Great Britain, that the latter should expand her wings of conquest and dominion over all the Colonies in the known world, as the most likely means of producing her final weakness and ruin, as the ex

tension of dominion has now produced the OUR VAST NATIONAL DEBT! Yes, · want of the power of resistance in France. may it please your Majesty, it is, indeed, a But, all that I, or any one else, might be thumper. It requires thirty-eight millionsable to urge on these topics; however of pounds sterling to pay the interest of it; › clearly we might be able to shew, that in- or, in French livres, 912 millions; a sum, flated dominion, that external resources, I believe, twice as great as Napoleon was that borrowed vigour, all tend to the final ever able to get from his forty-four millions fall of States, and however numerous the of people, to carry on all his undertakings instances by which we might illustrate and and all his wars. This sum, this sum neenforce this position, nothing that we could cessary to pay the interest of our debt say would affect the object of this writer's alone, is enough to make one's head swin observations and doctrines, which is mani-to think of. But these same writers are, festly to cause the people of England to believe, that, to give up Colonies to France would tend to give her strength, and that we ought to do all that we can to keep her in a state of feebleness; and, envy out of the question, for the present, we will now inquire upon what grounds the justice of this is endeavoured to be upheld.

at other times, continually assuring us, that this debt is nothing of serious import, and they even go so far as to assert, that it is an indisputable proof of our prosperity. At any rate, I hope that your Majesty will take care not to run the risk of such a debt, reflecting on the fatal consequences which a former debt produced to › It is alledged, that England ought to your family. But, this debt of ours. Have give nothing up to France, because the we not had the expending of the money? rest of the Allies give nothing up to her. Have we not, in our wars, had the money's This is not true; for the rest of the Allies worth? If we have paid money, Europe give up all that part of France, of which has found men. Are we to have the ser- ' they have possession; and it is notorious to vices for the money in the first instance, all the world, that, without them, we could and then demand dominions for the money not remain in France for a single hour. at last? This is a sort of double-handed They, we are told, all get something, and game, reduceable, I conceive, to no acwe nothing. They cannot all gain, seeing knowledged, or even supposed, principle of that Europe is no larger than it was before. equity. Besides, upon what ground are If, upon the whole, they get no territory, you (for you it is) to be called upon to leave why should we? But, if the King of in our hands any equivalent for this debt? Great Britain gets nothing, the Elector of You were not the cause of its being conHanover does; for how has Hanover been tracted; the war was never professed to recovered but by the exertions of the Al-be carried on for you. We made a treaty lies? We are told, that they get territo- of peace and friendship with him, whom we ries which they had given up as gone for now call the usurper of your throne. We And did not we look upon dear carried on the war, as we professed, for Hanover as gone for ever? Besides, we truly British objects." If we say, that are told, that we get nothing but trade we have taken the Colonies for ourselves, with the Continent. Do we not get, or and that you and your interests are out of see, Antwerp out of the hands of France, the question-that is fair; but, then, let and also the ports at the mouth of the us not be permitted to claim from you any Scheldt? What prevents the Allies from gratitude, and to request you to disarm suffering Antwerp to become a great mari-your people for our sake. time arsenal? What prevents them from But, that all these pretexts are false erecting here a formidable enemy to our appears from the context; for this same fleets? And, if they do not do that, do we writer calls upon us to remember, that gain nothing? Have we gained nothing" though Napoleon be overthrown, France in the fleet of Denmark; in the Dutch" is still the same." What! Is there no fleet; in the fleet of Spain; in the destruc-difference? After all, is there nothing tion of almost the whole of the maritime effected? Is France still as dangerous force of the House of Bourbon? What, to us as she was before? Why, if she be after all this, will any reasonable man say, 66 radically and systematically our enemy," if we still cling to the Colonies of France, what have we done? What have we gainstill hold them, lest France, which we re-ed? If there is to be " war with Amalek present as being in the lowest abyss of beg-“from generation to generation," what is gary, should become too powerful? But, become of the subject of our recent rg

ever.

[ocr errors]

joicings? Why have we wasted so many even then.-But, how could a generous candles, such rivers of oil, and stripped people expect it, after having approved of

66

the laurels off the few leaves which the winter had not turned brown? If France a treaty to pay for 600 thousand men to be "radically and systematically our ene- be kept on foot against France? We "my," to what end have we spent 800 mil- cannot eat the cake and have it too. We lions of additional debt and 400 millions in taxes? To what end have we saddled cannot expect to have all these services. our great great grand-children (if Bank- and all this glory without paying for it. notes last) with such an enormous load? "What!" exclaim the patriotic maidens What! Have we done this to restore to of fixed incomes, are we to still pay the France a paternal government? Have we incurred all this expence, and shed ri"Property Tax, now that the monster vers of blood to give happiness, as we pre"Bonaparte is overthrown?" But, my tend, to our radical and systematic enemy? dear ladies, pray bear in mind, that you From this mass of inconsistency, falsehood, vanity, envy, and malignity, I turn must expect to pay the Reckoning. There are to conclude, in a few words addressed to 600,000 Austrians, Prussians and Russians, your Majesty. You will now clearly see, Croats and Cossacks, who have been fightthat, in this country, no very small por-ing for us in defence of freedom, social tion of that powerful instrument, the Press, is employed in endeavours to pre-order, and religion; and would you not vail upon the Allied Powers to impose hard pay for their return home to their own and disgraceful terms upon you and your happy countries? Do you consider what people; that this same press is beginning already to endeavour to revive and perpemight have been the consequence, if a tuate deadly animosity in the breasts of French army had got into England? ReEnglishmen against France. When you flect; pray reflect a little upon the terrible have seen the clear proof of these facts, risk which you ran. And, if you do that, I only wish you, your ministers, and your people, to observe and to bear in mind, I will not believe, that you will grudge to that it is this same press which is weary-pay the Property Tax for the rest of your ing the very air with their advice to you, lives. Besides, will not this tax go, in to slight and degrade your army, to break your promised amnesty, and to adopt all those vindictive measures calculated to plunge France into long and bloody civil

wars.

N. B. The King of France having put off the final arrangement of the Constitution, until the 31st of May, I shall postpone, till after that time, my proposed comparison between it and our happy thing of the same name.

SUMMARY OF POLITICS. THE RECKONING. This is a most copious subject, and I can only just notice here, that it is said, in the Parliamentary Debate Reports, that the War Taxes, except the trifling duty on goods going from one part of the coast to the other, are to be kept on for another year, at any rate; or, at least, there is no promise that any part of them shall be sooner taken off; nor, indeed, that they shall be taken off

part, into the pockets of those, who, as officers, have been serving in our army, and whose half pay is now to be augmented? Have you not relations amongst these? And, how do you expect that they are to be supported without taxes? Have we not the Duke of Wellington, that "first

[ocr errors]

captain of the age," as our newspapers call him; have we not him and his noblecomrades to reward? And, would you not share in the expence of rewarding. those, who, in all human probability, have. contributed to the preservation of your lives; nay, more, your honour? Good Heaven! when you reflect upon the services rendered you, can you complain of: the continuation of the Property Tax, which only takes from you one pound note out of every ten? O, fie, Ladies!

AMERICAN WAR,Some mention Las

been made of this in Parliament; but I paper for gold; a measure open also to any must put off my remarks till my next.

new Coalition that might be formed against us. If it be argued, that the nation is still very rich, it is answered, that the greater will be the incitement for plunder. The resources of the, Allies in men are immense, and as we cannot prevent the increase of their shipping, they may shortly, and very shortly too, make the liberty of the seas their pretence, and prove equally successful as when fighting for the liberties of the land! perhaps even now the storm is gathering!-The expected arrival of the Allied Sovereigns in this country may tend to accelerate the event. They will be received with pomp, with ceremony, with acclamations, with illuminations, and with fêtes.To them, as was done by Hezekiah to the ambassadors of Belodack Baladan, Prince of Babylon, will be shewn, in full display, all our riches and their sources. The very magnificence of their reception by their princely host; the luxury of a Lord Mayor's feast, and the splendid appearance which will be assumed by all those who will be permitted to approach the royal visitors, will give birth to reflections as to the manner in which such wealth was acquired, and the means employed for securing its immense influx.

JOHN BULL'S SECOND THOUGHT. MR EDITOR--It is now said France is subjugated, and restored to the Bourbon family in a crippled state.-Norway, we are told, is bartered away to Sweden, whom we are to assist in securing possession of it. America, we are assured, is to be abandoned by the Allies for us to RECOLONIZE it! The Allies, our Allies, will have glorieusly fought for, and obtained, the Liberties of Europe. Peace is to be universal and permanent. They boast that we shall all be happy under the paternal sway of our own legitimate Sovereigns!-and that discontent will not exist, or at least will be compelled to hide its head! But it has happened, before now, that a man, aftor struggling hard with a disease, has, even after the discase has been subdued, miserably fallen a victim to the medicines which have been administered!—We have seen a coalition of different Sovereigns overcome the most powerful nation, and the most skilful General in Europe. Whatever may be the ostensible pretence for this, the real cause will be found in the French having first made laws for their Monarch, and next having beheaded him-Some deep-sighted politician may whisper, crimes most unpardonable in civilized Europe, and among regular Governments. In cases of murder, it is well known that length of time does not occasion prescription. If we look into our own history, then, it will be seen that we have been equally guilty as the French. Did we not behead Charles? did we not confiscate the church land? Did we not send James and his family a packing? How come we, then, to throw the first stone? By means of a Coalition we succeeded-ave, and another Coalition may specdily inflict a similar punishment on us.-Coalitions may now become the order of the day; and if interest, sometimes denominated public good by Princes, should step in, a Coalition against England would be full as practicable as one against France. It may be said that such Coalition would fail for want of money; that, in the present war, we had been the bankers of the Allies. Yes, with a vengeance, we have sent them our money and reserved only our bills; so that this very argument overturns itself; for if we have given the Allies money, they, or their subjects, are now in the actual possession of it, while we are compelled to substitute

that it is all owing to the sovereignty of the
seas. To the Sovereign of all the Russias,
he may add, that this little Island might have
room to dance in one of his Imperial Ma-
jesty's provinces. Why, then, he may ask,
should not Russia have as extended a com-
merce, and an equal share of the sovereign-
ty of the seas? It may also be hinted, that
a certain portion may be granted the con-
federates, for their assistance in recovering
the whole.- -With the aid of England,
might these confederates argue, we have
just conquered a country containing thirty
millions of inhabitants; with the aid of
these we may easily subdue a population of
ten millions, and of these ten millions a
twentieth part, at the least, will gladly trans-
plant themselves and their manufactures to
the Continent. Thus we may free the seas
and increase our commerce, &c. &c.
As the visit of the two Emperors, how-
ever, is unavoidable, it may, perhaps, be
more to the profit of the country, if, in their
reception, we display less of our luxury and
more of our poverty. Let them be con-
ducted to our prisons and our poor-houses,
and to our decaying manufacturing towns;
let, them enter the peasant's half-thatched

diture of the brother of the King is calculated at one-fourth, exclusive of the pri vate property and the appendages.-That of the nephews at the sixteenth part.---The maintenance of the children of France, in the direct line from the King, male and female, will be hereafter provided for.

The Conscription.-The continuance of the Conscription is abolished.—The Peace and War Establishments of the Army will be fixed by the law, which will in like manner determine the modes and extent of the recruiting service.-The military expendi ture of each year.-The way in which advances shall be made.-Similar regulations with respect to the marine establishments.

active service, and that for retired or peusioned officers, and soldiers, will be taken into serious consideration.-The marines will experience a similar attention.

cottage-let them be made acquainted with the magnitude of our National Debt-with the immense sums annually collected by Government, and the way in which it is distributed; let them inform themselves, providing they do not divulge it in this country, of the immense quantity of paper now in circulation; and thus, after dining at a luxurious board, and when retiring to rest on a splendid couch, they will naturally conclude, that however great the commercial resources are in England, want predominates; that, though luxury abounds at Court and among the great, ninc-tenths of the people have misery to their share; and that, upon the whole, England is like a certain bird, which, having more feather-The provision for the army retained in than flesh, is not worth powder and shot. Prudence will, however, suggest to us that we ought to keep up our large standing army and not disband our militia; that we ought to have recourse to a Conscription, a Landwher, or a Landstrum; and, at all events, that we ought to send our foreign legions out of the country, lest, in the heat of battle, they should go over in a body to the enemy. Let us by the experience of others grow wise, and avoid the fate of Napoleon at Leipsic.On the other hand, as the people are now content to bear heavy Public Liberty.-The care of the extaxes, they will not murmur at their conti-ternal relations of the kingdom; the mainnnance. Government may, therefore, still tenance of the rights and possessions of subsidize, as usual, only changing the ob- the kingdom; the care of its political relaject, and instead of making them the cc- tions; the military preparations, with rement of a coalition, let the subsidies be con- ference to those of neighbouring States; verted to the promotion of discord; for it and the repelling imminent or incipient is much better to prevent a coalesced inva- hostilities, is entrusted to the King. But sion than to repell it: and it must be re-in cases of extraordinary movements of the membered this country has often been re- forces of the State, the King shall, withduced by invaders, and that what has here-out delay, give notice of the same to the tofore been effected by one invading nation may more assuredly be within the verge of possibility, when attempted by a COALITION OF ALL EURope.

ARISTIDES.

Question of Peace and War.--The rights of Peace and of War shall appertain to the Legislative Bodies conjointly, subject to the following limitation:-War cannot be decided upon but by the special decree of the Two Chambers, upon the formal and necessary proposition of the King, and sanctioned by his Majesty.

Legislative Bodies, and make known the causes and objects thereof. And if the Legislature be not then sitting, the same shall be immediately convoked by his Majesty.When the Legislative Bodies shall deem the causes and objects legitFRANCE. The following are some ad-mate and admissible, war shall be declared ditional articles of the new French Constitution, which have transpired since I last adverted to the progress of the revolution in that country :

by the King in the name of the French nation. It shall then be deemed national, and the necessary supplics shall be provided.

-If the Two Chambers shall decide that Civil List.-The Civil List (or the war ought not to be made, the King shall funds of the annual expenditure of the order his Ministers, on their responsibility, King) is fixed at twenty-five millions of to adopt, without delay, measures for the francs, exclusive of his private demesnes cessation or prevention of all hostility.and those of the Crown.-The King to It appertains to the King to conclude and support his civil and military household. sign all treaties of peace, alliance, and The maximum in point of number for the commerce, and other conventions with Hatter is determined. The annual expen- | Foreign Powers, which he shall deem ad

[ocr errors]
« ZurückWeiter »