They have these topics is that which I have chosen for" and called the name of it Jehovah-Nissi : the title of this letter, and upon which, I" for he said, Because the Lord hath sworn, observe, you made some very pertinent re"that the Lord will have war with Amalek marks in reference to Bonaparte in your "from generation to generation." Now, Jast Register. In so far as you there en- what are the French people but a race of deavoured to hold up to public execration Amalekites, who have, in a great measure, the crime of assassination, you fully met renounced Christianity, and who bend the my views; but, when you seemed to re- knee to the God of nature, and to that idol commend a termination of the war with monster called human reason? That the such a people as the French, and to advise French have, in a great measure, renouncus to enter into treaties with them, and ac- ed Christianity, is clear from their having knowledge them as brethren, I found I abolished its political establishments, and could not go any farther with you in opi- left it to struggle the best it can for its own nion. I found, on an examination of these existence. No revenues, no emoluments, arguments, that they were contrary to the no provision made by the state for its miideas almost universally entertained in this nisters! no respect paid to its temples, no country; and, if adopted, that they might regard to its festivals, no veneration for its prove fatal to our religious and political rites and ceremonies! What is there saestablishments. But what was of still cred in religion which they have not progreater importance, I discovered that it faned? Chalices, candlesticks, crucifixes, would be a direct violation of an express pixes, ostensories, images, shrines, and relaw of God to follow up your recommenda- liquaries; all have been converted into curtion. In short, it is evident to me, that the rent coin! Baptized bells have been transextermination of the French nation is abso- formed into cannon bullets, and consecrated lutely essential to the security of Great Bri- churches to armories and arsenals! Their tain, and its expediency clearly demonstra- bishops they have banished; their priests ble from reason and from scripture. You, they have persecuted; their whole hierarMr. Cobbett, need not be told, that God chy they have overturned! selected the Jews of old for the purpose of even sacrilegiously dared to turn the Holy clearing the earth of idolators, and putting Father (God's vicar on earth) out of the them, his chosen people, in possession of Papal chair, and to detain him in woeful "a land flowing with milk and honey," captivity.I know that some well-meanIn conformity to this example, it is incum- ing Protestants think, that, in all this, the bent on all godly nations to wage war French did little harm; or, rather, that against the impious, the sacrilegious, and they did much good. It was (say they) the ungodly: but it is particularly incum- only overturning the throne of Anti-Christ, bent on this our nation, as being by far the abolishing an idolatrous and blasphemous most godly nation on the face of the globe. worship, destroying an overgrown body of For the truth of this assertion, I appeal to superstition (as Addison somewhere calls all our controversialists for almost 200 it), and clearing away the nasty filth with years back, who have boldly affirmed, and, which the scarlet whore and her paramour I think, fully proved, that as of all forms had polluted the house of God. Such reof religion, Christianity is the most godly, flections I have heard made by Protestants, so, of all modes of Christianity, that pro-and even by some of the established clergy. fessed by the Church of England is the purest and most orthodox.- A nation, then, professing and practising this orthodox and pure religion, may well be denominated the people of God: consequently this people ought to exterminate all God's enemies. When the Amalekites, who vainly endeavoured to oppose the entrance of the children of Israel into the land of promise, were discomfited by Joshua (as is related in the 17th chapter of Exodus), "the Lord said to Moses, write this for a ❝ memorial in a book, and rehearse it in "the ears of Joshua, for I will utterly put " out the remembrance of Amalek from un"der heaven. And Moses built an altar, But these, I presume, were Protestants of the old school; disciples of Stillingfleet, Tillotson, Newton, and Hurd. Our modern divines, however, teach them a more orthodox, certainly a more charitable doctrine. They teach them that the Roman Catholics are our dear brethren in Christ; that their bishops and priests are confessors and martyrs for the true faith; that destroying their supposed implements of idolatry was sacrilege; and that robbing them of their revenues, was impiety: and so think I. The French, then, being an impious, sacrilegious, ungodly nation, a set of real Amalekites, and we the chosen people of God, it is plain that we ought to have 66 war with Amalck from generation to ge- not only by the voice of government, but "neration." It will be said, perhaps, or by the voice of the people (which, to a proat least thought, that this conclusion is verb, is the voice of God) through their rerashly drawn. But, I hope I shall be able presentatives in parliament, and by the to make the contrary appear. The objec- whole bench of Bishops. It is beyond a tion, taken in its full force, seems to be the question, then, that whenever government following: - Granting that we are now engage in a war, and when that war is the chosen people of God, as much as the sanctioned by the national representatives, Israelites were of old, and that the French it is the will of heaven that it should be "are as hostile to God and us as the Ama- carried ou, and carried on until its object be 'lekites were of old to God and the Israel- attained. If it be asked, what this object ites, it doth not follow that we have a at present is? I answer, that it must right to wage a continual war against them, be the total extirpation of the French unless we have a special connission from nation; putting out the remembrance • heaven so to do. To us the Lord hath not of Amalek from under heaven! -It "sworn that the Lord will have war with has been said, that the object of the the French, from generation to genera- war with France is to replace a Bourbon tion." Nor has he declared it to be his king on the throne; but this cannot be will, that the remembrance of France true: for when the nation had a king of 'should be utterly put out from under hea- that race, they were just as hostile to us as ven." This may be the wish of the war they are at present; perhaps more so: and 'faction, but it is not so clear that it is the if they had a king of that race to-morrow, 'will of God.'- -I answer: To ine it is they would not cease to be as hostile to us perfectly clear; for, let me ask, how the as before. In a word, with respect to us, will of God is manifested to any nation but they would be still down-right Amalekites: through the medium of its government, for these, too, had their kings, the last of especially in the case of making peace or whom Samuel hewed in pieces before the war? Indeed, I can see no good reason Lord at Gilgal.- But it has been hinted, why a nation should go to war at all, if that we are at war with France on account they do not consider the will of the sove- of French principles propagated in the code reign the will of heaven itself. When our Napoleon, and that we must continue this gallant troops were ordered across the seas war as long as these principles are cherishto subdue the Americans, did they hesitate ed and avowed in France, lest, peradvena moment to march, from the reflection that ture, they should cross the channel, and they were going to carry on an unjust war debauch the minds and morality of God's against the will of heaven? No; they em- people on this side the water. This, I barked in the implied idea that they were allow, has a plausible appearance; and I doing their duty; and the will of govern-am inclined to think that it may be one, ment to them was the will of God. Again, although not the only or principal reason, When government said to Marquis Wel-for persevering in the war with France. lington, "Choose men; go out; fight with "the French;" the noble Marquis paid the same obedience to that order; and our brave armies followed him, in the supposition that he was executing the will of God, by executing the will of his Majesty's mi-corrupt morality. And although the saine nisters, the vice-gerent of God's vice-gerent. charge is not explicitly brought against the This is a doctrine that cannot be too often Amalekites, we may believe that their and too deeply inculcated on the minds of faith and their practices were not so much subjects; it is the base of all subordination, better than those of the Canaanites; and from the King's servants down to my ser- therefore we may reasonably suppose, that yants. According to the Apostle Paul, this was at least one cause for God's swearevery common servant is to consider the willing eternal war with them. But still the of his master, every common master, as the great and the only ostensible cause was will of God himself. How much more are their "coming out to fight with Israel in not subjects, then, obliged to consider the " Rephidim ; or, as it is expressed in the will of the supreme magistrate as the will first book of Samuel," because they laid of the Supreme Being? But the will of" wait for him (Israel) in the way when heaven, with respect to warring against he came out of Egypt." On this acthe French, has been sufficiently. expressed, count, Saul was ordered to "Smite Amą, The order which God gave, by the hand of Moses to exterminate the Canaanites, was given, partly, to prevent them from contaminating the minds and manners of the Israelites, by their heterodox doctrines and "lek, and utterly destroy all that they hands as well as they; we want only a "have, and spare not; but slay both man portable sanctuary, which may soon be "and woman, infant and suckling, ox and constructed at a much less expense than 66 sheep, camel and ass," but the unsea- theirs. On the other hand, the iniquity sonable commiseration of this milk hearted of the French Amalekites is universally acmonarch, led him to disobey this order, knowledged to be full: their sins, like which provoked the just resentment of Je- those of Sodom and Gomorrah, have been hovah against him, who deprived him of long crying to heaven for vengeance; and his kingdom.-I infer, then (and the we are unequivocally called to be the ininference, I think, is strictly logical), that struments of inflicting it.We had a it was not precisely the bad principles or right, then, to march our armies into practices of the Amalekites, which drew France, in order to take possession of it; down upon them celestial vengeance; but and because Amalek came out to fight with their coming out to fight with God's people us in Rephidim, we have an implicit and in Rephidim, and endeavouring to retard virtual order from heaven to make war with their march into the land of Canaan. Amalek until he be utterly destroyed. From a strict similarity of cases, I must Hitherto the parallel has been uniformly equally infer, that the main cause of our and astonishingly just; but there is here present war with the people of France, is at last a dissimilarity, which demands exnot their principles or practices, but their planation. When the Amalekites came to opposing us in our march to Paris.- -In fight with Israel in Rephidim, they were fact, if the fear of French principles had "discomfited:" but when the French came been the sole or chief object of the war, it to fight with us we were discomfited, would not have been necessary; it would and obliged to make a sudden retreat. not even have been expedient, to march I think I hear some incredulous scoffer our armies into France or Holland; we tauntingly say, if the people of this counhave only to guard our coasts against their 'try are God's chosen people, how came introduction hither, as we do against the they to be defeated, and prevented from introduction of smuggled goods. We marching to Paris by these modern Ainamight have treated French principles as lekites?'This, I confess, is a hard we treat French liquors: the duties on question; and, perhaps, the solution I am them might have been made so high, and going to give, may not seem altogether the penalties so enormous, that they could satisfactory. It may be that many of our not have readily been imported; or if im soldiers, and some of their cominanders, ported, could not be within the reach of had not sanclified themselves previously to the rabble, who were the most likely to be the engagement. -It may be, that they corrupted by them: whereas, by sending were Amalekites in practice, although Isour soldiers, who form a considerable por- raelites in profession. It may be, that tion of that rabble, into France and Hol- the measure of their iniquity, although not land, we gave them an opportunity of tast- quite so full as that of the French, was ing French liquors and French principles, sufficiently so, to make God abandon them and thus relishing both; for French prin- on those occasions, by way of fatherly ciples and French liquors are equally agree- chastisement, to induce them to repentance able to the bulk of mankind, who have not and reformation.- Or it may be, that the discernment to distinguish between one or more of them have touched "the what is pleasing to the senses and perni-"accursed thing." A rich brocade, or a cious to the soul, and who perceive not piece of Brussels' lace, may have tempted easily the latent poison that is mingled in some Achan to "put forth his hand, and the delicious draught.- -Our offensive" take them, and hide them in his tent;" war against France, then, had some other and, perhaps, the sin is yet unexpiated! object; we wanted to gel possession of the But, as I am unwilling to throw any decountry, as the Israelites wanted to get gree of blame upon our brave soldiers, [ possession of the land of Canaan: and I will not urge mere possibilities as causes of know not but that we had as good a right the failures we have experienced; but to the one as they had to the other. We rather charge these failures to the negliare God's own people as well as they;-in gence and inattention of those who planned his name, and at his will, we march and the expeditions. We must not, then, be move as well as they;-we have a Moses disheartened by the want of success which te direct us as well as they-we have has hitherto attended our arms; nor diAarons and Hurs to support his heavy verted from marching to Paris, because we of the sun; and I pledge my existence that the French Amalekites will be discomfited; and that our troops shall march to Paris without further impediment. -Whether, at the time, it will be proper to destroy the whole nation, man, woman, infant, suckling, ox, sheep, camèl, ass; or whether, that is to be left to some future period, I will not take upon me to decide: but this I will affirm, that "we must have war 66 have been frequently impeded in our career. We have only to avoid our former errors, to supply our former omissions, and to per severe in our heaven-directed attempts. Those who think their losses irreparable, think like dastards. The greater our misadventures have been, the greater reason have we to hope they may be retrieved. Such was the language of Demosthenes to his fellow citizens, when they were trem bling for the safety of the state: "Despair" with Amalek, from generation to gener"not of your affairs, Athenians, although, "indeed, they are in a bad plight. What "has, for the past, been the most pernici"ous to you, is the stronger motive of "hope for the future! Why? our affairs are in so bad a condition, because we "have done precisely what we ought not 66 to have done, and not done what we "ought to have done.". -In order, then, to insure success in future, we must arm our respectable citizens, an honest yeomanry, and independent gentlemen. These must be headed by bold Barons, Peers, or the sons of Peers; such soldiers as our ancestors sent to Cressy, to Agincourt, and to Poitiers. With these troops ought to be blended no foreign mercenaries, who are sold for money to the best bidder, and who may stand in the field of battle to be knocked on the head, but who would never do honour to the cause in which they might fall. Of all such we must purge our armies. We must renounce every alliance with idolators, infidels, and heretics, if we wish to draw down the blessing of heaven on this holy enterprize. But what is of still greater importance, we must not send our soldiers, however select, however holy, however devout, without being accompanied by our legislators, or at least their representatives: not indeed to fight, but to influence by their presence, and by their prayers. Let it be remembered, that, while Joshua and his chosen army were fighting in the plain, Moses and his companions were praying in the mountains. Let my Lord Liverpool then, as our chief legislator, our Moses, go out with our troops, with the rod of God in his hand; that wonderful magic wand with which he has of late performed more miracles than Moses did in Egypt. Let our Aaron and our Hur accompany him to the summit of some hill, where our hosts may engage the French Amalekites: let them set our Moses on a stone; let him sit thereon, and stretch out his hands to heaven; and when his hands grow heavy, let them be supported by his two associates until the going down ation, until the remembrance of Amalek "be put out under Heaven!" If, even with all the preparation and precautions which I have mentioned, we should not, at first, be successful (which I can hardly doubt), still we may persevere in the contest, and not be dismayed at one, or even more defeats. The war of the other Israelites with the tribe of Benjamin, related in the Book of Judges, was at least as pious and just a war as that in which we are now engaged: and yet the Benjamites routed them twice, and slew 40,000 of their best and chosen men! And it was not until after having consulted the High-priest Phinehas, and using a stratagem to decoy the enemy into a snare laid for them, that they were at length victorious. With these splendid results before our eyes, it is base, it is cowardly, to listen to the senseless clamour for peace which has gone abroad among our fellow citizens. We ought to disregard the murmurs of peevish discontent; to stop our ears against the Siren voice of these who urge the plea of hunanity, let them chant it ever so sweetly. We ought to come forward with willing hearts and open hands, and empty our purses into the minister's budget; give full and implicit confidence to one who never once abused our confidence. He has only as yet demanded one tenth of our incone: if he should demand a fifth let us give it him: if, in short, he should demand the whole, let us part with it cheerfully; for ́ when he shall have conquered France, and extirpated its inhabitants, great, exceeding great will be our recompense. Then, instead of adulterated bread, we shall eat loaves of the purest wheat; instead of insipid potatoes, we shall eat high flavoured truffles; instead of heef and mutton, we shall feast on red-legged partridges, beccoficos, and ortolans; instead of goose-berries and crab apples, we shall eat grapes and peaches; olives, instead of elder-berries; and oranges instead of hips: instead of pernicious gin, we shall drink generous' brandy; and, instead of sharp small beer, O?1 I am, &c. quaff the nectar of the Gods! Nothing | ed, if you will allow the following an inbut want of faith in God and in government sertion, verbatim, in your next Register: can make us forego these great blessings, which we are certain of obtaining if we persevere in the war until "the remembrance of France be put out under "heaven." POLEMOPHILUS. 66 MAGNANIMITY OF BONAPARTE. Sir,-In the Morning Chronicle of Feb. 25, is the following article: "The Count "de Escars arrived, we are told, on the "8th, at night, at Troyes, the head-quarters of the Allies. The two Counts de Polignac, who, as our readers may re"member, were arrested and tried with "Moreau, have made their escape from "Paris, and are arrived at head-quarters.' THOMAS MANT. Southampton, March 7th, 1814. MR. MANT, AND THE CAPTAINS CAMPBELL. Mr. Mant begins, in answer to Captain Campbell's statement of the subject in question, which appeared in the Register of the 5th inst. respecting the "illegality of the selling of prizes, &c." and states, he is not at all conscious of having represented, “in a loose manner, these transactions," and which term is totally opposite to his meaning, particularly so, as they have so lately been noticed in this Register as requiring a more serious attention; nor does it appear, Captain Campbell is at all sensible of the impropriety of those transactions, as he shows no inclination to defend them, except loosely expressing, "there was no -The above paragraph, if true, exhibits a trait of the blackest ingratitude; for it is, without doubt, in the remembrance of thousands, the magnanimous conduct of Bonaparte to those two brothers who had forfeited their lives by conspiring with Pi-thing contrary to the laws and usages in chegru, Georges, Moreau, and others, to put to death the saviour of their country. Indeed, some men are so base and depraved, that to do them a service is to make them your enemy for ever after. The following extract from Miss Plumptre's Tour in France, vol. 3, will bring the fact to the recollection of your readers, and put to shame (if they have a particle left) the malignant slanderers of the French Emperor. "The Counts de Polignac being "tried for the conspiracy above alluded to, “the elder was found guilty and condemn "ed; the younger was acquitted. The "elder was married and had a family, to "whom he would have been a great loss; "the younger was single. The latter went “to Bonaparte and earnestly intreated him "to take his life instead of his brother's, stating what a fatal thing to his family it "would be, that the head of it should lose "his life in such a way; that he being a single man, his life was of no importance to any body. Bonaparté applauding the generous feeling that dictated the request, immediately granted a free pardon to “both." If you think this worthy a place in your valuable and useful Register, its insertion will much gratify your constant 86 66 66 reader. T. H. force, &c., as far as they really did take ships ever been put in possession of such documents, as could sufficiently authorize impartially, the opinion, that Captain Campbell thinks so satisfactory, their lordships having twice refused Mr. Mant an interview for that purpose; and which are still in his power to bring forward; and To the Editor of the Political Register. by a reference to the pages 54 and 55 of Sir-Through the medium of your im- the same pamphlet, the whole of this matpartial paper, I shall be very much oblig-ter will be found more fully explained. 2d March, 1814. |