The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 06 (of 12)Burke, Edmund
Philosophy
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 06 (of 12)
Burke, Edmund
Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1760-1820; Political science -- Early works to 1800
This is what his Majesty does not hesitate to declare relative to the
political safety and peace of his kingdom and of Europe, and with regard
to France under her ancient hereditary monarchy in the course and order
of legal succession. But in comes a gentleman, in the fag end of
October, dripping with the fogs of that humid and uncertain season, and
does not hesitate in diameter to contradict this wise and just royal
declaration, and stoutly, on his part, to make a counter
declaration,--that France, so far as the political interests of England
are concerned, will not remain, under the despotism of Regicide, and
with the better part of Europe in her hands, so much an object of
jealousy and alarm as she was under the reign of a monarch. When I hear
the master and reason on one side, and the servant and his single and
unsupported assertion on the other, my part is taken.
This is what the Octobrist says of the political interests of England,
which it looks as if he completely disconnected with those of all other
nations. But not quite so: he just allows it possible (with an "at
least") that the other powers may not find it quite their interest that
their territories should be conquered and their subjects tyrannized over
by the Regicides. No fewer than ten sovereign princes had, some the
whole, all a very considerable part of their dominions under the yoke of
that dreadful faction. Amongst these was to be reckoned the first
republic in the world, and the closest ally of this kingdom, which,
under the insulting name of an independency, is under her iron yoke,
and, as long as a faction averse to the old government is suffered there
to domineer, cannot be otherwise. I say nothing of the Austrian
Netherlands, countries of a vast extent, and amongst the most fertile
and populous of Europe, and, with regard to us, most critically
situated. The rest will readily occur to you.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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