I
rejoice at any obstacles that are put to British commerce; I rejoice when I
hear of our merchants suffering and I quite delight to hear of a
bankruptcy.
They, the English merchants, contributed with their gold to
uphold the corrupt system of Pitt and to carry on unjust, unreasonable and
liberticide wars. Yes! it is perfectly fit and proper that the despotic
governments they have contributed to restore should make them feel their
gratitude. If the French since their Revolution have not always fought for
liberty, they have done so invariably for science; and wherever they
carried their victorious arms, abuses were abolished, ameliorations of all
kinds followed, and the arts of life were improved. Our Government since
the accession of George III has never raised its arm except in favor of old
abuses, to uphold despotism and unfair privileges, or to establish
commercial monopoly. Our victories so far from being of beneficial effect
to the countries wherein we gained them, have been their curse. We can
interfere and be prodigal of money and blood to crush any attempt of the
continental nations towards obtaining their liberty; but when it is
necessary to intercede in favour of oppressed patriots, then we are told
that we have no right to interfere with the domestic policy of other
nations. We can send ships to protect and carry off in safety a worthless
Royal family, as at Naples in 1799, but we can view with heartless
indifference, and even complacency, the murders committed in Spain by the
infamous Ferdinand and his severities against those to whom he owes his
crown, all of whom had the strongest daim to our protection as having
fought with us in the same cause and contributed to our success.
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