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and wished for reft. That he was little difpofed to controverfies, or what is called a detailed oppofition, That at his time of life, if he could not do fomething by fome fort of weight of opinion, natural or acquired, it was ufelefs and indecorous to attempt any thing by mere ftruggle. Turpe fenex miles. That he had for that reafon little attended the army business, or that of the revenue, or almoft any other matter of detail for fome years paft. That he had, however, his tafk. He was far from condemning fuch oppofition; on the contrary, he most highly applauded it, where a just occafion existed for it, and gentlemen had vigour and capacity to pursue it. Where a great occafion occurred, he was, and while he continued in par liament, would be amongst the most active and the moft earnest, as he hoped he had fhewn on a late event. With refpect to the conftitution itself, he wifhed few alterations in it. Happy if he left it not the worse for any fhare he had taken in its fervice.

Mr. Fox then rofe, and declared, in fubftance, that fo far as regarded the French army, he went no farther than the general principle, by which that army fhewed itself indifpofed to be an inftrument in the fervitude of their fellow citizens, but did not enter into the particulars of their conduct. He declared, that he did not affect a democracy, That he always thought any of the fimple, unbalanced governments bad; fimple monarchy, fimple aristocracy, fimple democracy; he held them all imperfect or vicious: all were bad by themselves: the compofition alone was good. That these had been always his principles, in which he had agreed with his friend Mr. Burke, of whom he faid many kind and flattering things, which Mr. Burke, I take it for granted, will know himfelf too well to think he merits, from any thing but Mr. Fox's acknowledged good-nature. Mr. Fox thought, however, that, in many cafes, Mr. Burke was rather carried too far by his hatred to innovation.

Mr.

Mr. Burke faid, he well knew that thefe had been Mr. Fox's invariable opinions; that they were a fure ground for the confidence of his country. But he had been fearful, that cabals of very different intentions, would be ready to make use of his great name, against his character and fentiments, in order to derive a credit to their destructive machinations.

Mr. Sheridan then rofe, and made a lively and eloquent speech against Mr. Burke; in which, among other things, he said that Mr. Burke had libelled the national affembly of France, and had cast out reflections on fuch characters as thofe of the Marquis de la Fayette and Mr. Bailly.

Mr. Burke faid, that he did not libel the national affembly of France, whom he confidered very little in the difcuffion of thefe matters. That he thought all the fubftantial power refided in the republic of Paris, whofe authority guided, or whofe example was followed by, all the republics of France. The republic of Paris had an army under their orders, and not under thofe of the national affembly.

N. B. As to the particular gentlemen, I do not remember that Mr. Burke mentioned either of themcertainly not Mr. Bailly. He alluded, undoubtedly, to the cafe of the Marquis de la Fayette; but whether what he afferted of him be a libel on him, must be left to those who are acquainted with the bufiness.

Mr. Pitt concluded the debate with becoming gravity and dignity, and a referve on both fides of the queftion, as related to France, fit for a perfon in a ministerial fituation. He said, that what he had fpoken only regarded France when she should unite, which he rather thought the foon might, with the liberty fhe had acquired, the bleffings of law and order. He, too, faid several civil things concerning the fentiments of Mr. Burke, as applied to this country.

MR.

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may not be unneceffary to inform the Reader, that the following Reflections had their origin in a correfpondence between the Author and a very young gentleman at Paris, who did him the honour of defiring his opinion upon the important tranfactions, which then, and ever fince, have fo much occupied the attention of all men. An anfwer was written fome time in the month of October 1789; but it was kept back upon prudential confiderations. That letter is alluded to in the beginning of the following fheets. It has been fince forwarded to the person to whom it was addreffed. The reafons for the delay in fending it were affigned in a fhort letter to the fame gentleman. This produced on his part a new and preffing application for the Author's fen

timents.

The Author began a fecond and more full difcuffion on the fubject. This he had fome thoughts of publishing early in the laft fpring; but the matter gaining upon him, he found that what he had undertaken not only far exceeded the measure of a letter, but that its importance required rather a more detailed confideration than at that time he had any leisure to bestow upon it. However, having thrown down his first thoughts in the form of a letter, and indeed when he fat down to write, having intended it for a private letter, he found it difficult to change the form of addrefs, when his fentiments had grown into a greater extent, and had received another direction. A different plan, he is fenfible, might be more favourable to a commodious divifion and distribution of his matter.

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