war, there might have prevailed a variety and difference of opinion, concerning its origin, its juftice, or its neceffity, and that even during the period of the last Seffion, now furely only one impreffion and one opinion can actuate the heart and head of every man refpecting the neceflity of following up our advantages, and of purfuing the conteft with vigour and perfeverance, as the only means by which it can be ultimately clofed with honour and fuccefs.

The arguments that had then been urged in favour of a pacification, and the appearances which then arofe, induced his Majefty's Minifters to make two attempts at a negociation for peace. The dawn of rational liberty began to break upon the horizon of France, and a fpirit of mildnefs and moderation had effected such an extraordinary change in the minds of the French people, that the Government fuppofed a peace might be concluded, and that the French Government would obferve the conditions. But what have fince appeared to be the views and intentions of the French Directory Fluthed with tranfient fuccefs, and dazzled by their victories, did they not conceive the moft fanguine hopes, that the preffure of our difficulties, and of dangers, would compel us to fue for peace? There were not wanting even at home those who inclined to the fame idea, and who dreaded that the weight of our burthens, and the accumulation of our national debt, would make us look for peace as a means of alleviation. There may be occafions, I confefs, where carrying on even a juft war, may be attended with fuch dangers, and where the infecurity of peace is far preferable to the rifks of carrying on fuch a war. But thefe are points which I do not now intend to examine. That we have had many and great difficulties to contend with, no impartial obferver can deny: our credit was fuppofed to have experienced fome decline; apprelicnfions were entertained of the approaching ruin of our Funding System; and a national bankruptcy was faid to ftare us in the face; indeed, fuch was the gloomy defpondency of fome weak and ill boding minds, that the neceffity of peace was clamorously urged, and even the acceptance of any terms which the Directorial haughtinefs might condefcend to impofe. But, however the rulers of a nation ought at times to be guided by the will and veice of the people, it is not the character of a firm or wife Government to be diverted from its purpose by every momentary impulfe. Indeed, among the peculiar and more prominent features of the British character, are

steadiness

fleadiness of principle, foberness of mind, and coolness of judgment, that feek and await the evidence of truth, and that imprefs upon their decifions the lafting stamp of conviction. But on the prefent queflion, it is by no means difficult to decide; it requires no nice or intricate reasoning; its decifion ftands upon a fimple appeal to facts. It is unneceffary now to state, that had not the war been profecuted with vigour, and had not our exertions been called forth, and ftrained as they have been, not only might we have been expofed to total ruin, but furely we must have incurred degradation and difgrace. But fortunately the full vigour of the British nation has been called forth: a spirit of resistance to the infolent attempts of the enemy has been excited; a confcioufness of our own ftrength and dignity has fpoken fo forcibly to our minds, that no perfonal fervices have been fhrunk from; no pecuniary contribution has been refused; no facrifice of any kind has been withheld or declined.Spirit and refolution have awakened the courage, and marked the conduct of the people. A new fyftem of taxation was reforted to, and fucceeded; the ufual fyftem for raifing the fupplies was fufpended or relinquifhed. The Country had ftriking inftances before its eyes of what it had to expect from the pride or prefumption of the enemy. England faw and felt, that upon vigorous exertion alone could it fafely rely; and there was no exertion that it was not willing and prepared to make. This difpofition was ftrongly evinced in the amount of the Voluntary Contributions, which has far exceeded our most fanguine expectations. From being a people of peaceful purfuits, and little familiarifed with the ufe of arms, we have fuddenly become a nation of well difciplined and warlike men. The enemy obferved the ardour that glowed in our breafts, and the vigour that nerved our arms. They have defifted from the vain threat and impotent defign of infulting and invading the Britifh fhores. They have fhrunk from their madly meditated fcheme of defpoiling us of our wealth, and deftroying the fources from whence it sprung. Whatever may have been their plan of plunder, of profcription, and of maffacre, a plan which, in whatever light it might be viewed, would be found as wicked in intention, as it was terrible in afpect; that plan our vigi lance has watched, and our prudence has confounded.

In their attempts upon Ireland they have not proved more fuccefsful. In vain have they fupplied the difaffected with arms, and effected a partial landing. The few troops they

fucceeded

fucceeded in difembarking have, by the valour of our troops, and the fkill of the noble Commander who led them, been compelled to furrender. About the fame period another force was prepared in Holland, and embarked in the Texel, deftined to co-operate in the fame defign; but their fate is known, and their attempts were fruftrated by the vigilance and activity of our fquadrons,

The fecurity we derive rom thefe fuccefsful exertions, and from the now thorough inability of the French to invade our country, permits us to contemplate with juft pride and exultation, the more dazzling fcenes of glory that have opened on Great Britain, among which ftands fo peculiarly confpicuous the most brilliant victory that has ever been recorded in the annals of this or any other country, a victory which has triumphantly thewn that nothing can baffle the fkill, or damp the courage of our British tars. But it is not on its fplendour alone that we ought to gaze; its utility fhould alfo arrest our attention; it is evidently fraught with folid and incalculable advantages. The threats that have been thrown out against our Indian poffeffions, and the fears we for a moment entertained for their fecurity, have proved equally vain and unfounded. But all thefe advantages, great and glorious as they doubtlefs are, which arife from that ever memorable victory, fink in importance when compared with the impreffion and effort which it has produced on the Continent. There we may prefage from it the moft aufpicious refults; and, however keen may have been our regret that our noble and gallant Admiral should not have fallen in with the enemy's fleet on it's progrefs to its deftination, when nothing could have prevented it's complete annihilation, maturer reflexion on the confequences will wholly remove that regret. Had the hoftile fleet been then attacked and deftroyed, would not the world be now ignorant of its deftination? Should we have had fuch convincing and damning proofs of the artful intrigues and perfidious machinations of the French Directory? Should we and the world have had occafion to obferve, and obferving to guard againft, the dark and dangerous treachery with which the Directorial craft and cunning endeavour to inveigle the powers with whom the French nation is united by treaties, and whom it pompously profeffes to esteem and refpect? For has it not at the very moment it was repeating thofe profeffions, and holding out those proteftatations of attachment, has it not, I fay, attacked the Ottoman Porte in what it conceived to be its moft valuable and vulnerable points, flattering itself, no doubt, with the idea that the power whom it thus wantonly and wickedly attacked was

either too dull to apprehend their defigns, or too feeble to refift them? But a blow has fince been ftruck that has aftounded the monfter, and permitted Europe to refpire and revive. Are we defirous to trace and difcover various other advantages of this unparalleled triumph, let us obferve its influence on the negociations at Raftadt, and we fhall there fee fprung from it the firft fymptom of fpirited refiftance to the ambitious encroachments of the enemy. At Naples and throughout the whole of the Neapolitan dominions, its effects are not lefs confpicuous.and encouraging. Wherever the joyful tidings have refounded, men and meafures have taken a new tone and complexion. Such are the precious fruits which the wifdom of a people may reap from the triumphs won by their valour. And is this the moment to arrest fuch a people in fuch a glorious career? Would we attempt to difpirit their hopes and unnerve their vigour at a moment when their intrepidity and perfeverance hold out and fecure to them the molt valuable advantages, a higher credit, a more extended commerce, a melioration and encreafe of the public revenue, and that to a pitch that rivals, nay, exceeds that of the most profperous periods of the most profound peace! Surely fuch is not the moment to damp their zeal or fufpend their exertions. Some, however, will argue that thefe very circumstances of profperity and fuccefs fhould di-, rect our attention to peace, and enable us to effect its attainment. To peace, fecure and honourable. I truft, I am as fincerely difpofed as thofe who hold thefe arguments and language; neither am I difinclined to feek it from any rooted averfion to this or that form of Government, or from any antipathy to this or that defeription of perfons who may hold the reins of any Government. But it is to the peculiar character of the French Government, to the fph it that actuates, to the temper that colours their principles and their practices, that I would earnefily folicit the attention of this Houfe and of the country; because thefe are the grounds upon which we should form our judgment and regulate our conduct:-Do we with to fee those principles and practices exemplified, let us look to their behaviour towards Switzerland and to the infant Repablies which they have createll, and pretended to patronize. While the conferences were holding at Raftadt, and a negociation for peace was carrying on between them and the Emperor and the Empire, have they not violently feized upon an important poft in Germany? Indeed towards almost every power their conduct is the fame, And befides, is this the moment to relax our endeavours when the Emperor of Ruffia is difplaying a manly and magnanimous policy, eager to fecond our operaVOL. 1. 1798.

F

tions?

1

tions? And are we thus cruelly and unwifely to damp the fpirits and destroy the hopes of the Belgic infurgents, whofe principal reliance is our affiftance, and who fo anxiously look for deliverance from our generous compaffion? What would all this in reality tend to but to palfy the lifted arm of the British nation, by lulling founds and delufive expectations? What, in a word, would be the refult, but to reprefs the indignation and refentment that burns in the breaft not only of every government, but of the people of every nation, against Gallic infolence and Gallic oppreffion? On all these topics on which I have already touched, I truft I have met with the general concurrence of the Houfe. They would likewife, no doubt, concur equally in deteftation of the rebellion in Ireland, and the detection of the fyftem on which it was concerted and acted on. The encrease of our commerce, credit, revenue, &c. muft furely excite fimilar congratulations; and I fondly hope that by a firm refiftance to our inveterate enemy, and by a noble emulation of the conduct of our ancestors, which has raifed us to the proud pre-eminence in which England is now feated, we may bring to a fafe and honourable conclufion the most arduous and trying conteft in which any nation has ever been involved.

Sir H. P. S. Mildmay feconded the motion for the Addrefs by faying: after the able and eloquent fpeech in which the noble Lord has defcanted on the topics of his Majesty's fpeech, I feel, Sir, that it is wholly unneceffary for me to go over the fame ground; nor am I confcious of fufficient ability to attempt engaging the attention of the Houfe. The glorious victory which the noble Lord has fo forcibly defcribed, furpaffes every power of panegyric, nor fhall I enfeeble the praife already bettowed upon it by any unavailing attempt of my own. It gives me the higheft confolation to obferve the fpirit and ardour that feems to animate the whole country, and which promiles the most fuccefsful iffue to the conteft, the continuation of which is rendered unavoidable by the obftinate ainbition of the enemy. All the facrifices that could be made have been made for the interefts of humanity. It is not only, therefore, the encouragement which naturally arifes from our recent fuccefes that should animate our conduct, but also on the broad policy of exerting the most vigorous and unremitting efforts until we can accomplith the reftoration of peace, upon fuch terms only as an eftablished Government can floop to accept. Thele terms we are entitled to expect and command from the variety and importance of our victories, and our rapidly encreating political influence over the other Cabinets of Europe. For this powerful influence,