the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第31章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


he　evil　angels　who　kept　not　their　first　estate。　　A　satirist　of　great　genius　introduced　the　fiends　of　Famine；　Slaughter；　and　Fire；　proclaiming　that　they　had　received　their　commission　from　One　whose　name　was　formed　of　four　letters；　and　promising　to　give　their　employer　ample　proofs　of　gratitude。　　Famine　would　gnaw　the　multitude　till　they　should　rise　up　against　him　in　madness。　　The　demon　of　slaughter　would　impel　them　to　tear　him　from　limb　to　limb。　　But　Fire　boasted　that　she　alone　could　reward　him　as　he　deserved；　and　that　she　would　cling　round　him　to　all　eternity。　　By　the　French　press　and　the　French　tribune　every　crime　that　disgraced　and　every　calamity　that　afflicted　France　was　ascribed　to　the　monster　Pitt　and　his　guineas。　　While　the　Jacobins　were　dominant；　it　was　he　who　had　corrupted　the　Gironde；　who　had　raised　Lyons　and　Bordeaux　against　the　Convention；　who　had　suborned　Paris　to　assassinate　Lepelletier；　and　Cecilia　Regnault　to　assassinate　Robespierre。　　When　the　Thermidorian　reaction　came；　all　the　atrocities　of　the　Reign　of　Terror　were　imputed　to　him。　　Collet　D'Herbois　and　Fouquier　Tinville　had　been　his　pensioners。　　It　was　he　who　had　hired　the　murderers　of　September；　who　had　dictated　the　pamphlets　of　Marat　and　the　Carmagnoles　of　Barere；　who　had　paid　Lebon　to　deluge　Arras　with　blood；　and　Carrier　to　choke　the　Loire　with　corpses。　The　truth　is；　that　he　liked　neither　war　nor　arbitrary　government。　　He　was　a　lover　of　peace　and　freedom；　driven；　by　a　stress　against　which　it　was　hardly　possible　for　any　will　or　any　intellect　to　struggle；　out　of　the　course　to　which　his　inclinations　pointed；　and　for　which　his　abilities　and　acquirements　fitted　him；　and　forced　into　a　policy　repugnant　to　his　feelings　and　unsuited　to　his　talents。　The　charge　of　apostasy　is　grossly　unjust。　　A　man　ought　no　more　to　be　called　an　apostate　because　his　opinions　alter　with　the　opinions　of　the　great　body　of　his　contemporaries　than　he　ought　to　be　called　an　oriental　traveller　because　he　is　always　going　round　from　west　to　east　with　the　globe　and　everything　that　is　upon　it。　　Between　the　spring　of　1789　and　the　close　of　1792；　the　public　mind　of　England　underwent　a　great　change。　　If　the　change　of　Pitt's　sentiments　attracted　peculiar　notice；　it　was　not　because　he　changed　more　than　his　neighbours；　for　in　fact　he　changed　less　than　most　of　them；　but　because　his　position　was　far　more　conspicuous　than　theirs；　because　he　was；　till　Bonaparte　appeared；　the　individual　who　filled　the　greatest　space　in　the　eyes　of　the　inhabitants　of　the　civilised　world。　　During　a　short　time　the　nation；　and　Pitt；　as　one　of　the　nation；　looked　with　interest　and　approbation　on　the　French　Revolution。　　But　soon　vast　confiscations；　the　violent　sweeping　away　of　ancient　institutions；　the　domination　of　clubs；　the　barbarities　of　mobs　maddened　by　famine　and　hatred；　produced　a　reaction　here。　　The　court；　the　nobility；　the　gentry；　the　clergy；　the　manufacturers；　the　merchants；　in　short；　nineteen…twentieths　of　those　who　had　good　roofs　over　their　heads　and　good　coats　on　their　backs；　became　eager　and　intolerant　Antijacobins。　　This　feeling　was　at　least　as　strong　among　the　minister's　adversaries　as　among　his　supporters。　　Fox　in　vain　attempted　to　restrain　his　followers。　　All　his　genius；　all　his　vast　personal　influence；　could　not　prevent　them　from　rising　up　against　him　in　general　mutiny。　　Burke　set　the　example　of　revolt；　and　Burke　was　in　no　long　time　joined　by　Portland；　Spencer；　Fitzwilliam；　Loughborough；　Carlisle；　Malmesbury；　Windham；　Elliot。　　In　the　House　of　Commons；　the　followers　of　the　great　Whig　statesman　and　orator　diminished　from　about　a　hundred　and　sixty　to　fifty。　　In　the　House　of　Lords　he　had　but　ten　or　twelve　adherents　left。　　There　can　be　no　doubt　that　there　would　have　been　a　similar　mutiny　on　the　ministerial　benches　if　Pitt　had　obstinately　resisted　the　general　wish。　　Pressed　at　once　by　his　master　and　by　his　colleagues；　by　old　friends　and　by　old　opponents；　he　abandoned；　slowly　and　reluctantly；　the　policy　which　was　dear　to　his　heart。　　He　laboured　hard　to　avert　the　European　war。　　When　the　European　war　broke　out；　he　still　flattered　himself　that　it　would　not　be　necessary　for　this　country　to　take　either　side。　　In　the　spring　of　1792　he　congratulated　the　Parliament　on　the　prospect　of　long　and　profound　peace；　and　proved　his　sincerity　by　proposing　large　remissions　of　taxation。　　Down　to　the　end　of　that　year　he　continued　to　cherish　the　hope　that　England　might　be　able　to　preserve　neutrality。　　But　the　passions　which　raged　on　both　sides　of　the　Channel　were　not　to　be　restrained。　　The　republicans　who　ruled　France　were　inflamed　by　a　fanaticism　resembling　that　of　the　Mussulmans　who；　with　the　Koran　in　one　hand　and　the　sword　in　the　other；　went　forth；　conquering　and　converting；　eastward　to　the　Bay　of　Bengal；　and　westward　to　the　Pillars　of　Hercules。　　The　higher　and　middle　classes　of　England　were　animated　by　zeal　not　less　fiery　than　that　of　the　Crusaders　who　raised　the　cry　of　Deus　vult　at　Clermont。　　The　impulse　which　drove　the　two　nations　to　a　collision　was　not　to　be　arrested　by　the　abilities　or　by　the　authority　of　any　single　man。　　As　Pitt　was　in　front　of　his　fellows；　and　towered　high　above　them；　he　seemed　to　lead　them。　　But　in　fact　he　was　violently　pushed　on　by　them；　and；　had　he　held　back　but　a　little　more　than　he　did；　would　have　been　thrust　out　of　their　way　or　trampled　under　their　feet。　He　yielded　to　the　current：　　and　from　that　day　his　misfortunes　began。　　The　truth　is　that　there　were　only　two　consistent　courses　before　him。　　Since　he　did　not　choose　to　oppose　himself；　side　by　side　with　Fox；　to　the　public　feeling；　he　should　have　taken　the　advice　of　Burke；　and　should　have　availed　himself　of　that　feeling　to　the　full　extent。　　If　it　was　impossible　to　preserve　peace；　he　should　have　adopted　the　only　policy　which　could　lead　to　victory。　He　should　have　proclaimed　a　Holy　War　for　religion；　morality；　property；　order；　public　law；　and　should　have　thus　opposed　to　the　Jacobins　an　energy　equal　to　their　own。　　Unhappily　he　tried　to　find　a　middle　path；　and　he　found　one　which　united　all　that　was　worst　in　both　extremes。　　He　went　to　war：　　but　he　would　not　understand　the　peculiar　character　of　that　war。　　He　was　obstinately　blind　to　the　plain　fact；　that　he　was　contending　against　a　state　which　was　also　a　sect；　and　that　the　new　quarrel　between　England　and　France　was　of　quite　a　different　kind　from　the　old　quarrels　about　colonies　in　America　and　fortresses　in　the　Netherlands。　　He　had　to　combat　frantic　enthusiasm；　boundless　ambition；　restless　activity；　the　wildest　and　most　audacious　spirit　of　innovation；　and　he　acted　as　if　he　had　to　deal　with　the　harlots　and　fops　of　the　old　Court　of　Versailles；　with　Madame　de　Pompadour　and　the　Abbe　de　Bernis。　　It　was　pitiable　to　hear　him；　year　after　year；　proving　to　an　admiring　audience　that　the　wicked　Republic　was　exhausted；　that　she　could　not　hold　out；　that　her　credit　was　gone；　and　her　assignats　were　not　worth　more　than　the　paper　of　which　they　were　made；　as　if　credit　was　necessary　to　a　government　of　which　the　principle　was　rapine；　as　if　Alboin　could　not　turn　Italy　into　a　desert　till　he　had　negotiated　a　loan　at　five　per　cent。；　as　if　the　exchequer　bills　of　Attila　had　been　at　par。　　It　was　impossible　that　a　man　who　so　completely　mistook　the　nature　of　a　contest　could　carry　on　that　contest　successfully。　　Great　as　Pitt's　abilities　were；　his　military　administration　was　that　of　a　driveller。　　He　was　at　the　head　of　a　nation　engaged　in　a　struggle　for　life　and　death；　of　a　nation　eminently　distinguished　by　all　the　physical　and　all　the　moral　qualities　which　make　excellent　soldiers。　　The　resources　at　his　command　were　unlimited。　　The　Parliament　was　even　more　ready　to　grant　him　men　and　money　than　he　was　to　ask　for　them。　　In　such　an　emergency；　and　with　such　means；　such　a　statesman　as　Richelieu；　as　Louvois；　as　Chatham；　as　Wellesley；　would　have　created　in　a　few　months　one　of　the　finest　armies　in　the　world；　and　would　soon　have　discovered　and　brought　forward　generals　worthy　to　command　such　an　army。　　Germany　might　have　been　saved　by　another　Blenheim；　Flanders　recovered　by　another　Ramilies；　another　Poitiers　might　have　delivered　the　Royalist　and　Catholic　provinces　of　France　from　a　yoke　which　they　abhorred；　and　might　have　spread　terror　even　to　the　barriers　of　Paris。　　But　the　fact　is；　that；　after　eight　years　of　war；　after　a　vast　destruction　of　life；　after　an　expenditure　of　wealth　far　exceeding　the　expenditure　of　the　American　war；　of　the　Seven　Years'　War；　of　the　war　of　the　Austrian　Succession；　and　of　the　war　of　the　Spanish　Succession；　united；　the　English　army；　under　Pitt；　was　the　laughing…stock　of　all　Europe。　　It　could　not　boast　of　one　single　brilliant　exploit。　　It　had　never　shown　itself　on　the　Continent　but　to　be　beaten；　chased；　forced　to　re…embark；　or　forced　to　capitulate。　　To　take　some　sugar　island　in　the　West　Indies；　to　scatter　some　mob　of　half…naked　Irish　peasants；　such　were　the　most　splendid　victories　won　by　the　British　troops　under　Pitt's　auspices。　The　English　navy　no　mismanagement　could　ruin。　　But　during　a　long　period　whatever　mismanagement　could　do　was　done。　　The　Earl　of　Chatham；　without　a　single　qualification　for　high　public　trust；　was　made；　by　fraternal　partiality；　First　Lord　of　the　Admiralty；　and　was　kept　in　that　great　post　during　two　years　of　a　war　in　which　the　very　exi