cient  dignity  and  their  nmtnral  rights.  HhI
it  been  written  after,  or  at  least  soon  after
the  event,  it  mi^t  have  been  blamed  as  in-
dicating too  little  indignation  against  gaHt,
and  compassion  for  sofiering.  Even  when  con-
sidered as  referring  to  the  events  of  a  distant
futurity,  it  may  be  charged  with  a  pemieiosfl
exaggeration,  which  seems  to  extenuate  re>
volutionary  horrors  by  representing  them  as
inevitable,  and  by  laying  it  down  falsely  that
Wisdom  and  Virtue  can  find  no  other  road  to
Liberty.  It  would,  however,  be  very  nnjnst
to  charge  such  a  purpose  on  Mr.  Burke,  or
indeed  to  impute  such  a  tendency  to  his  de-
sponding anticipations.  He  certainly  appears
to  have  foreseen  that  the  progress  of  deepfh
tism  would  at  length  provoke  a  general  ind
fearful  resistance,  the  event  of  which,  with
a  wise  scepticism,  he  does  not  dare  to  foretel ;
rather,  however,  as  a  fond,  and  therefofB
fearful;  lover  of  European  liberty,  foreboding
that  she  will  be  driven  from  her  ancient
seats,  ahd  leave  the  inhabitants  of  Enrope
to  be  numbered  with  Asiatic  slaves.  The
fierceness  of  the  struggle  he  clearly  saw,
and  most  distinctly  predicts ;  for  he  knew
that  the  most  furious  passions  of  human  na-
ture would  be  enlisted  on  both  sides.  He
does  not  conchide,  from  this  dreadful  proa-
pect,  that  the  chance  of  liberty  ought  to  be
relinquished  rather  than  expose  a  country  to
the  prol>abi]ity  or  possibility  of  such  «  con-
test; but,jon  the  contrary,  very  intelligibly
declares  by  the  melancholy  tone  in  whidi  he
adverts  to  the  expulsion  of  Liberty,  that
every  evil  is  to  be  hazarded  for  her  preser-
vation. It  would  be  well  if  his  professed
adherents  would  bear  in  mind,  that  such  is
the  true  doctrine  of  most  of  those  whom
they  dread  and  revile  as  incendiaries.  The
friends  of  freedom  only  profess  that  those
who  have  recourse  to  the  only  remaining
means  of  preserving  or  acquiring  liberty,
are  not -morally  responsible  for  the  evus
which  may  arise  in  an  inevitable  combat.
