Richmond Enquirer

Cobbett's Opinion on the Affairs of Turkey.

In the last Register, Mr. Cobbett says, "What, I think likely is this: that Russia will, with very little ceremony, march into the Turkish provinces, urged to do it secretly by France, and besought by England upon her knees not to do it. England has no power to prevent the invasion other than thro' the aid of Austria; and when Austria finds as she will find, that she can get no money from England, she will negotiate with Russia, and come in for a share of the Turkish dominions. France will, I dare say, join cordially with Russia in sweeping away this old ally of England; and if we really get into a war with France and Russia, or with either of them the Americans will, within six months after the war begins, put to the test our courage & our power to maintain our ancient rights on the seas. The thing may not go to this extent: the funding system may crumble to pieces, or it may be in such a shattered state, as to induce the nation quietly to submit to any thing that France & Russia may like to do; but if the funding system could stand; if by any tricks of borrowing money or shuffling of paper; if we could thus hobble along in a war for a few months, such, in all human probability, would be the parties engaged in that war. I would have my readers reflect a little on the great difference between the effects of war to be carried on now, and the effects of the late war; when that war began, the taxes amounted to only 16,000,000 a year, and bank notes of all descriptions had always been regarded as equally valuable with gold. When that war began, the poor rates amounted to little more than two millions a year. When that war began, so small a note as five pounds had never been seen; and there was the coast clear for the minister to spread forth his notes, and to borrow from the whole nation in all sorts of ways. No doubt had ever existed as to the durability & solidity of the funds; and besides these, the nation was alarmed, from one end to the other, at the cry of danger to property and to religion. All those circumstances would now be wanting; indeed, instead of sixteen there are sixty millions of annual taxes, and the farmers, tradesmen, manufacturers, and merchants, are stripped of the means of lending money to the government or rendering personal service. Our ministers could not call upon us to fight against Atheists in the persons of the subjects, of those well beloved Bourbons whom we restored, and of the Christian magnanimous Emperor of Russia, with both of whom, let it be observed, we are now in warlike alliance. There would be no zeal in fighting against these most Christian Kings & Emperors; and even were we to have a war only with the Turk Anna Brodie could never make us believe, that we are in danger of his coming and making us all "Musulmen." But, that feature (not fundamental feature, as Castlereagh used to say) which would most strongly distinguish this war from the last, is this, that that was a war of endless and uninterrupted sea-triumphs, and particularly a war of prize-money, which cheered the nation on to borrowing and spending and spending and borrowing till it got saddled with a debt, which must finally break its back. These victories, this prize-money, would not mark another war. Not that I have any doubt of the courage of the Englishmen; that is a vulgar topic, and suited only for the mere rabble such as those thoughtless creatures, who stuck laurel leaves in the caps of the soldiers of the guards when they were marching off, just after the Eolian speech of Mr. Canning. Perhaps the naval officers, too, might act very well, notwithstanding Mr. Hume's just observations on the promotions in the Navy; but it must be a war of hard knocks; much cry and little wool; not a war of orders in Council; not a war in which men would get rich by taking vessels of the enemy and giving them up for payment, with a total disregard of the law, both civil and naval. A war of hard knocks it must be, and especially if the Americans, join in it, who, be it observed, sigh for an opportunity of making us give up that right of search, which is worth to us forty times as much as all our colonies put together."