But  whatever  these  outrages  were,  or  whoever  caused  them,
was  the  national  assembly,  in  any  respect,  responsible  ?  The  na-
tional assembly,  who,  in  all  cases,  had  interfered  with  zeal  and
alacrity  for  the  maintenance  of  order  and  just  information— what
action  of  their's  authorized  the  appellation  o!si  bloody,  fenxiotts,
and  tyrannical  democracy  f  —  Language  like  this  had  been  too
prevalent  in  some  of  the  ministerial  prints,  and  he  had  always
seen  it  with  regret ;  for,  to  traduce  the  national  assembly  was,
in  his  mind,  to  libel  the  whole  French  nation :  whatever  was
great  or  good  in  France,  must  be  looked  fcH-  there,  <»-  no  where.
Mr.  Sheridan  next  attacked  Mr.  Burke's  declaration,  that  the
French  might  have  received  a  good  constitution  from  their
monarch.  What !  was  it  preparing  for  them  in  the  camp  of
Marshal  Broglio  ?  or  were  they  to  search  for  it  in  the  ruins  of
the  Bastille  P  He  avowed  a.  most  eager  and  sanguine  hope  that
the  deapoHam  of  France  should  never  be  restored.  He  avowed
this,  not  only  as  a  friend  to  the  general  rights  of  mankind,  but
as  a  politician,  speaking  only  for  the  advantage  of  bis  country.
