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Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.
the dictates of his own judgment , in opposition to the clamours of his people . , ' .- - . The treaty of partition was the consequence of necessity ; for surely , it is better to submit to a certain evil , than . to endanger many important interests by a doubtful opposition . Without the complete approbation of parliament , all resistance to the successful arms of France would ha \ ? e been in vainOn the one handno firm reliance
. , could be placed on the measures of parliament ; on the other , experience mig ht have shewn the inefficacy of his former efforts , though invigorated by the influence of his own personal energies .. They only will condemn the measure , whose notions of political integri ty ' exceed the bounds placedby the laws of nature to practical virtue . _ The resistancethough of a doubtful and ambiguous naturewhich
, , lie made to the measures of parliament , may be safely attributed to the unavoidable circumstances of the times , and their adverse ten ^ dency to defeat his favourite plans—plans ever formed for the defence of general independence . Many of these measures , undoubtedly , seein to have been well calculated to fortify and perfect the excellence ef our constitutionand were such as he afterwards ratified and
con-; firmed . Yet they then might not only appear to be , but probably were , hostile to the success of William ' s foreign undertakings . Had the love of power been his prevailing passion—had the other parts Of his conduct given colour to suspect him of such a propensity—we might then have been authorized to assign , it as the dishonourable
motive of his resistance . But vague ; circumstantial evidence wm weig h but little against the positive proof that has been already adduced in favour of his general character , and of the . motives by which he was actuated . And the unkind contradiction of parliament , the cruel ingratitude of the people , the peevish jealousy which they entertained of the Dutch , and the opposition which republican principles ( then . highlfavoured ) raised even to the legal exercise of prerogative
y , mig ht have soured the finest temper ; and would , in some , have excited a perverseness to which the dignity of William ' s understanding and the generosity of his nature did not allow him to descend . As to his favouring , by a secret treaty with Louis ,. the pretensions of James ' s son to succeed him in the government , it is-supported only hy solitary testimony ; and must necessarily have been attended , with
those circumstances , the concealment of which is almost impossible , and cohtary to the universal experience of mankind . Letus . foroiie moment , conceive a potv ' erful monarch of bigottedprincip les and insatiable ambition , long accustomed to the conduct of war , and regardless of the interests of his subjects or the liberties of mankindinvading his feeble neihboursand like a deluge sweeping them
, g , before him : ^ -let us suppose a people , whose power and whose valour could entitle them alone to stand forth the champions of freedom . against this formidable tyrant , willing to engage in defence of the injured , but prevented by the sovereign who sat upon the throne : — let us suppose themselves too in danger of losing their , reli gion ' , their liberty and the dearest privileges of man i- —let us suppose a person ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Essays On Subjects Connected With History And Classical Learning.
the dictates of his own judgment , in opposition to the clamours of his people . , ' .- - . The treaty of partition was the consequence of necessity ; for surely , it is better to submit to a certain evil , than . to endanger many important interests by a doubtful opposition . Without the complete approbation of parliament , all resistance to the successful arms of France would ha \ ? e been in vainOn the one handno firm reliance
. , could be placed on the measures of parliament ; on the other , experience mig ht have shewn the inefficacy of his former efforts , though invigorated by the influence of his own personal energies .. They only will condemn the measure , whose notions of political integri ty ' exceed the bounds placedby the laws of nature to practical virtue . _ The resistancethough of a doubtful and ambiguous naturewhich
, , lie made to the measures of parliament , may be safely attributed to the unavoidable circumstances of the times , and their adverse ten ^ dency to defeat his favourite plans—plans ever formed for the defence of general independence . Many of these measures , undoubtedly , seein to have been well calculated to fortify and perfect the excellence ef our constitutionand were such as he afterwards ratified and
con-; firmed . Yet they then might not only appear to be , but probably were , hostile to the success of William ' s foreign undertakings . Had the love of power been his prevailing passion—had the other parts Of his conduct given colour to suspect him of such a propensity—we might then have been authorized to assign , it as the dishonourable
motive of his resistance . But vague ; circumstantial evidence wm weig h but little against the positive proof that has been already adduced in favour of his general character , and of the . motives by which he was actuated . And the unkind contradiction of parliament , the cruel ingratitude of the people , the peevish jealousy which they entertained of the Dutch , and the opposition which republican principles ( then . highlfavoured ) raised even to the legal exercise of prerogative
y , mig ht have soured the finest temper ; and would , in some , have excited a perverseness to which the dignity of William ' s understanding and the generosity of his nature did not allow him to descend . As to his favouring , by a secret treaty with Louis ,. the pretensions of James ' s son to succeed him in the government , it is-supported only hy solitary testimony ; and must necessarily have been attended , with
those circumstances , the concealment of which is almost impossible , and cohtary to the universal experience of mankind . Letus . foroiie moment , conceive a potv ' erful monarch of bigottedprincip les and insatiable ambition , long accustomed to the conduct of war , and regardless of the interests of his subjects or the liberties of mankindinvading his feeble neihboursand like a deluge sweeping them
, g , before him : ^ -let us suppose a people , whose power and whose valour could entitle them alone to stand forth the champions of freedom . against this formidable tyrant , willing to engage in defence of the injured , but prevented by the sovereign who sat upon the throne : — let us suppose themselves too in danger of losing their , reli gion ' , their liberty and the dearest privileges of man i- —let us suppose a person ,