he knew, particularly emigrants; but nothing would
be so hateful to the people of this country, or any
other where there existed the least love of freedom,
nor could anything be more destructive to the tranquillity
and happiness of Europe. Were we to join Dumourier
in a declaration not to rest until we had put to death
those detestable regicides, calling themselves philosophers,
and all the miscreants who had destroyed all lawful
authority in France? If we were, he would venture
to say, this would be a war for a purpose entirely
new in the history of mankind; and as it was called
a war of vengeance, he must say, that we arrogated
to ourselves a right which belonged to the Divinity,
to whom alone vengeance ought to be left. If
the Minister said that on our part there was no intention
to interfere in the internal government of France,
he must then ask what were the views of the other Powers,
with whom we now acted in concert against France.
Was it to make a partition of France, as they did
of Poland? Or should he be told, that as far
as regarded the affairs of France under the present
Power, he was talking of none who ought to be mentioned
as a people; that the sans culottes were too
contemptible a race to be mentioned; he would say,
he meant to ask what was to become of the whole nation
of France? If he was told that it was impossible
for the crowned heads, acting in concert upon this
great occasion, to have any but just and honourable
views, he would answer that the subject was of too
much magnitude to be allowed to pass in such a manner;
and in his suspicions he was justified by the example,
and fortified by the observation of an honourable
gentleman (Mr. Jenkinson) with respect to the father
of the present Emperor, that no man ought to take
his word for one hour. No material alteration,
he believed, had taken place in the views of that
Court since the death of that prince, nor of others
in the present confederacy. Were we to forget
that the King of Prussia encouraged the Brabanters
to revolt, and then left them to their fate? Were
we to forget the recent conduct with respect to Poland?
Were we to forget the taking of Dantzic and Thorn?
Indeed he thought that those who every day told us,
in pompous language, of the necessity there was for
kings, and of the service they did to the cause of
humanity, they should at least have spared the public
the pain of thinking of these subjects, by not entering
into the views of that unnatural confederacy.
Indeed it was impossible for him to dismiss the consideration
of Poland, without adverting to an eloquent passage
in the work of a right honourable gentleman, who was
an enthusiastic admirer of the late revolution there.
Here Mr. Sheridan quoted the following passage of
Mr. Burke’s Appeal from the Old to the New Whigs: