The faction is not local or territorial.  It is a general evil.  Where it least appears in action, it is still full of life.  In its sleep it recruits its strength, and prepares its exertion.  Its spirit lies deep in the corruption of our common nature.  The social order which restrains it, feeds it.  It exists in every country in Europe; and among all orders of men in every country, who look up to France as to a common head.  The centre is there.  The circumference is the world of Europe wherever the race of Europe may be settled.  Everywhere else the faction is militant; in France it is triumphant.  In France it is the bank of deposit, and the bank of circulation, of all the pernicious principles that are forming in every state.  It will be folly scarcely deserving of pity, and too mischievous for contempt, to think of restraining it in any other country whilst it is predominant there.  War, instead of being the cause of its force, has suspended its operation.  It has given a reprieve, at least, to the Christian world.

The true nature of a Jacobin war, in the beginning, was, by most of the Christian powers, felt, acknowledged, and even in the most precise manner declared.  In the joint manifesto, published by the emperor and the king of Prussia, on the 4th of August, 1792, it is expressed in the clearest terms, and on principles which could not fail, if they had adhered to them, of classing those monarchs with the first benefactors of mankind.  This manifesto was published, as they themselves express it, ’to lay open to the present generation, as well as to posterity, their motives, their intentions, and the disinterestedness of their personal views; taking up arms for the purpose of preserving social and political order amongst all civilised nations, and to secure to each state its religion, happiness, independence, territories, and real constitution.’—­’On this ground, they hoped that all empires and all states would be unanimous; and becoming the firm guardians of the happiness of mankind, that they could not fail to unite their efforts to rescue a numerous nation from its own fury, to preserve Europe from the return of barbarism, and the universe from the subversion and anarchy with which it was threatened.’  The whole of that noble performance ought to be read at the first meeting of any congress which may assemble for the purpose of pacification.  In that piece ’these powers expressly renounce all views of personal aggrandisement,’ and confine themselves to objects worthy of so generous, so heroic, and so perfectly wise and politic an enterprise.  It was to the principles of this confederation, and to no other, that we wished our sovereign and our country to accede, as a part of the commonwealth of Europe.  To these principles with some trifling exceptions and limitations they did fully accede.  And all our friends who took office acceded to the ministry (whether wisely or not), as I always understood the matter, on the faith and on the principles of that declaration.