nor.

in the choice of expreffion, which fhews how careful the miniftry were not to embarrass their future projects by any firm or fpirited declaration from the throne. When all hopes of peace are loft, his Majefty tells his parliament, that he is preparing, not for barbarous war, but (with all his mother's foftness,) for a different Situation. An open hoftility, authorised by the Catholic King, is called an act of a go-verThis act, to avoid the mention of a regular fiege and furrender, paffes under the piratical defcription of feizing by force; and the thing taken is defcribed, not as a part of the King's territory or proper dominion, but merely as a poffeffion, a word exprefsly chofen in contradiction to, and exclufion of the idea of right, and to prepare us for a future furrender both of the right and of the poffeffion. Yet this fpeech, Sir, cautious and equivocal as it is, cannot, by any fophiftry, be accommodated to the measures, which have fince been adopted. It feemed to promife, that whatever might be given up by fecret ftipulation, fome care would be taken to fave appearances to the public. The event fhews us, that to depart, in the minuteft article, from the nicety and ftrictness of punctilio, is as dangerous to national honour, as to female virtue. The woman, who admits of one familiarity, feldom knows

B 3

knows where to ftop, or what to refuse; and when the counfels of a great country give way in a single inftance,-when they once are inclined to fubmiffion, every step accelerates the rapidity of the defcent. The miniftry themfelves, when they framed the fpeech, did not forefee, that they should ever accede to fuch an accommodation, as they have fince advised their master to accept of.

The King fays, The honour of my crown and the rights of my people are deeply affected. The Spaniard, in his reply, fays, I give you back poffeffion, but I adhere to my claim of prior right, referving the affertion of it for a more favourable opportunity.

The fpeech fays, Imade an immediate demand of fatisfaction, and, if that fails, I am prepared to do myself justice. This immediate demand muft have been fent to Madrid on the 12th of September, or in a few days after. It was certainly refused or evaded, and the King has not done himself juftice.-When the first magiftrate fpeaks to the nation, fome care should be taken of his apparent veracity.

The fpeech proceeds to fay, I shall not difcontinue my preparations until I have received proper reparation for the injury. If this affurance may be relied on, what an enormous expence is entailed, fine die, upon this unhappy coun

try!

try! Reftitution of a poffeffion, and reparation of an injury are as different in fubftance, as they are in language. The very act of reftitution may contain, as in this inftance it palpably does, a fhameful aggravation of the injury. A man of fpirit does not measure the degree of an injury by the mere pofitive damage he has fuftained. He confiders the principle on which it is founded; he refents the fuperiority afferted over him; and rejects with indignation the claim of right, which his adverfary endeavours to establish, and would force him to acknowledge.

The motives, on which the Catholic King makes reltitution, are, if poffible, more infolent and difgraceful to our Sovereign, than even the declaratory condition annexed to it. After taking four months to confider, whether the expedition was undertaken by his own orders or not, he condefcends to disavow the enterprize, and to restore the island,—not from any regard to justice ;-not from any regard he bears to his Britannic Majefty, but merely from the perfuafion, in which he is, of the pacificfentiments of the King of Great Britain.-At this rate, if our King had discovered the spirit of a man,-if he had made a peremptory demand of fatisfaction, the King of Spain would have given him a peremptory refufal. But why

this unfeasonable, this ridiculous mention of the King of Great Britain's pacific intentions? Have they ever been in question? Was He the aggreffor? Does he attack foreign powers without provocation? Does he even refift, when he is infulted? No, Sir, if any ideas of ftrife or hoftility have entered his royal mind, they have a very different direction. The enemies of England have nothing to fear from

them.

After all, Sir, to what kind of difavowal has the King of Spain at last consented? Suppofing it made in proper time, it should have been accompanied with inftant reftitution; and if Mr. Bucarelli acted without orders, he deferved death. Now, Sir, inftead of immediate reftitution, we have a four months negociation, and the officer, whofe act is difavowed, returns to court, and is loaded with honours.

If the actual fituation of Europe be confi dered, the treachery of the King's fervants, particularly of Lord North, who takes the whole upon himself, will appear in the ftrongeft colours of aggravation. Our allies were mafters of the Mediterranean. The King of France's prefent averfion from war, and the distraction of his affairs are notorious. He is now in a state of war with his people. In

vain

vain did the Catholic King folicit him to take part in the quarrel again ft us. His finances were in the last diforder, and it was probable that his troops might find fufficient employment at home. In thefe circumfances, we might have dictated the law to Spain. There are no terms, to which the might not have been compelled to fubmit. At the worst, a war with Spain alone, carries the fairest promife of advantage. One good effect at leaft would have been immediately produced by it. The desertion of France would have irritated her ally, and in all probability have diffolved the family compact. The fcene is now fatally changed. The advantage is thrown away. The most favourable opportunity is loft.Hereafter we shall know the value of it. When the French King is reconciled to his fubjects; when Spain has compleated her preparations; when the collected ftrength of the houfe of Bourbon attacks us at once, the King himself will be able to determine upon the wif dom or imprudence of his prefent conduct. As far as the probability of argument extends, we may fafely pronounce, that a conjuncture, which threatens the very being of this country, has been wilfully prepared and forwarded by our own ministry. How far the people may be animated to refiftance under the prefent administration,