Графични страници
PDF файл
ePub

fidering, that the effential and immutable difference fubfifting in the relative fituations of Great Britain and America made that doctrine, which, in oppofition to the arbitrary power of the crown, was confidered as the bafis of liberty in England, the effence of tyranny to the colonies; and the unreftrained power of taxation in particular, was on feveral accounts more likely to be abused by a popular assembly, in its exercife over a distant community, than by an abfolute monarch. On the other hand, the great body of the whigs, headed by various families of the highest rank, to whom power had been chiefly entrusted fince the era of the revolution till the acceffion of the prefent fovereign, held the war in abhorrence and deteftation; and they conceived resistance to be equally justifiable to the tyranny of the many as of the few, or the mere will of a defpot. The commercial part of the community, with the city of London confpicuous in the van, were for the most part extremely averfe to the war, from which they experienced great inconvenience; and which, unfettered by the entanglements of political theories, they perceived by the clear light of common sense to have no rational end or object. A confiderable proportion of the clergy, men candid, impartial, intelligent, and truly attached to the principles of civil and religious liberty, joined in lamenting this disastrous and fatal quarrel. The whole body of diffenters, and the fectaries of all denominations, threw the entire weight of their numbers and influence into the fame fcale; many of these employed their pens ably and eloquently in the cause of America, amongst whom by far the moft diftinguished was the celebrated Dr. Richard Price, a diffenting minifter of extraordinary learning and talents, who had recently written with profound skill on the subject of the national finances, and the powers of the finking fund; the reftoration of which he urged with great energy. And his ideas on the fubject, though long treated as chimerical, have been at length adopted by the present minifter, Mr. Pitt, whofe famous finking fund bill was framed in ftrict confor

mity to the ideas fuggefted by this excellent and difinterested patriot, who difdained any other reward than that resulting from the confciousness of the fervices he had rendered to his country. On the prefent occafion he published "OBSERVATIONS on the juftice and policy of the WAR with AMERICA," which had a rapid and prodigious fale, and produced an incredible number of replies; for to reply was easy, though to confute impoffible. "IN a FREE STATE," fays this admirable writer, "all the fprings of action have room to operate, and the mind is ftimulated to the nobleft exertions. The subjects of free states have in all ages been moft diftinguished for genius and knowledge. With what luftre do the antient free ftates of Greece fhine in the annals of the world! How different is that country now under the Great Turk ! The difference between a country inhabited by MEN and by BRUTES is not greater. These are reflections which should be constantly present to every mind in this country. There is nothing that requires more to be watched than power; there is nothing that ought to be oppofed with more determined resolution than its encroachments. Sleep in a state, as Montefquieu fays, is always followed by flavery. In governing distant provinces, and adjusting the clashing interests of different focieties, it is particularly neceffary to make a fparing use of power in order to preferve power. Happy would it have been for Great Britain, had this been remembered by those who have lately conducted its affairs. But our policy has been of another kind. By a progreffion of violent measures, every one of which has increased distress, we have given the world reafon to conclude, that we know no other mode of governing than by force. But our rulers fhould have confidered that freemen will always revolt at the fight of a naked fword, and that the complicated affairs of a great kingdom holding in fubordination to it a multitude of diftant communities, all jealous of their rights, and warmed with spirits as high as our own, require not only the most skilful but the moft cautious and tender management. The confequence

confequence of a different management we are now feeling. We fee ourselves driven among rocks, and in danger of being loft: pride and the love of dominion are principles hateful enough, but blind resentment and the defire of revenge are infernal principles. One cannot help indeed being astonished at the virulence with which fome speak, on the present occafion, of the colonies-for what have they done? Have they croffed the ocean and invaded us? Have they attempted to take from us the fruits of our labor, and to overturn that form of government which we hold fo facred? On the contrary, this is what we have done to them. We have tranfported ourselves to their peaceful retreats, and employed our fleets and armies to ftop up their ports, to destroy their commerce, and to burn their towns;-and yet it is wE who imagine ourselves ill ufed. Had we never deserted our old ground; had we nourished and favored America with a view to commerce, instead of confidering it as a country to be governed; had we like a liberal and wife people, rejoiced to see a multitude of free states branching forth from ourselves, all enjoying independent legislatures fimilar to our own: had we aimed at binding them to us only by the ties of affection and intereft, and contented ourselves with a moderate power rendered durable by being lenient and friendly, an umpire in their differences, an aid to them in improving their own free governments, and their common bulwark against the affaults of foreign enemies; had this been our policy and temper, there is nothing fo great or happy that we might not have expected. Instead of this, how have we acted? -It is in truth too evident, that our whole conduct has been nothing, to say the best of it, but a series of the blindeft rigour followed by retraction-of violence followed by conceffion-of mistake, weakness, and inconfiftency. Did ever Heaven punish the vices of a people more feverely by darkening their counfels? In the Netherlands, a few states similarly circumftanced with thofe of America, withftood for 30 years the whole force of the Spanish monarchy when at its zenith,

and

and at laft humbled its pride, and emancipated itself from its tyranny. The citizens of Syracufe, also thus circumftanced, withstood the whole power of the Athenians. The fame happened in the conteft between the houfe of Auftria and the cantons of Switzerland. There is an infinite difference between fighting to deftroy and fighting to preserve liberty. Were we therefore capable of employing a force against America equal to its own, there would be little probability of fuccefs: but to think of conquering that whole continent with thirty or forty thousand men, to be transported across the Atlantic, and fed from hence, and incapable of being recruited after any defeat; this is indeed a folly fo great, that language does not afford a name for it. Perhaps I am not in the prefent inftance free from the weakness of superftition, but I fancy I fee in these measures something that cannot be accounted for merely by human ignorance. I am inclined to think that the hand of Providence is in them, working to bring about fome great ends. But fuppofe the attempt to fubjugate America fuccessful, would it not be a fatal preparative for fubduing yourselves? Would not the difpofal of American places, and the diftribution of an American revenue, render that influence of the crown irrefiftible which has already stabbed your liberties? Turn your eyes to INDIA: there, more has been done than is now attempted in America: there, Englishmen, actuated by the love of plunder and the fpirit of conqueft, have depopulated whole kingdoms, and ruined millions of innocent people by the most infamous oppreffion and rapacity. The juftice of the nation has flept over these enormities. Will the JUSTICE of HEAVEN fleep? ARE WE NOT NOW EXECRATED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GLOBE?"-For this publication the writer was defervedly honored with the thanks of the city of London, and the freedom of that metropolis was prefented to him in a gold box, by an unanimous vote of the corporate body.

During the paufe of anxious suspense preceding the commencement of the memorable campaign of 1776 in America, it will not be improper to take a general review of the ftate of Europe for fome years paft, and of its actual fituation; his majesty having in his late fpeech afferted, that the difpofition of the feveral powers of the continent promised a continuance of the general tranquillity.

FRANCE, in an historic sketch of this kind, muft neceffarily occupy the fore-ground of the picture. The death of Louis XV. who, for the long term of nine-andfifty years, reigned with abfolute and arbitrary fway over that vaft monarchy, had taken place nearly at the commencement of the present troubles (May 10th, 1774.) He was fucceeded by his grandfon Louis the Dauphin, who had scarcely as yet attained the twentieth year of his age. This young prince had in the year 1770 married the ArchDuchefs Marie Antoinette, daughter of the emprefs-queen

-a princefs endowed with all the fascinating graces of her fex; by which apparently aufpicious alliance, according to the fhort-fighted views of human policy, the peace of Europe, fo often difturbed by the contentions of the rival houfes of Bourbon and Auftria, feemed to be firmly cemented and fecured. A great acquifition of revenue and territory had recently accrued to France by the death of Stanislaus, king of Poland (February 1766,) in a far advanced age; in confequence of which event, the duchies of Lorraine and Bar, poffeffed by that monarch in full property during his life, reverted to France, agreeably to the treaty concluded A. D. 1736, with the court of Vienna, under the fortunate aufpices of cardinal Fleury,

The latter years of the life of the late king of France were paffed in a series of political conflicts with the feveral parliaments of that kingdom, particularly the parliament of Paris; which high and august tribunal ftill retained, by means of its conftitutional privilege of enregiftering the royal edicts, without which they had no legal validity, fome

degree

« ПредишнаНапред »