TheprisontowhichthenewministryweredoomingtheNationalAssembly,inadditiontoitsbeingthehighaltarandcastleofdespotism,becametheproperobjecttobeginwith。Thisenterprisebrokeupthenewministry,whobegannowtoflyfromtheruintheyhadpreparedforothers。ThetroopsofBrogliodispersed,andhimselffledalso。
Mr。Burkehasspokenagreatdealaboutplots,buthehasneveroncespokenofthisplotagainsttheNationalAssembly,andthelibertiesofthenation;andthathemightnot,hehaspassedoverallthecircumstancesthatmightthrowitinhisway。TheexileswhohavefledfromFrance,whosecasehesomuchinterestshimselfin,andfromwhomhehashadhislesson,fledinconsequenceofthemiscarriageofthisplot。Noplotwasformedagainstthem;theywereplottingagainstothers;andthosewhofell,met,notunjustly,thepunishmenttheywerepreparingtoexecute。ButwillMr。
Burkesaythatifthisplot,contrivedwiththesubtiltyofanambuscade,hadsucceeded,thesuccessfulpartywouldhaverestrainedtheirwrathsosoon？Letthehistoryofallgovernmentsanswerthequestion。
WhomhastheNationalAssemblybroughttothescaffold？None。Theywerethemselvesthedevotedvictimsofthisplot,andtheyhavenotretaliated;
why,then,aretheychargedwithrevengetheyhavenotacted？Inthetremendousbreakingforthofawholepeople,inwhichalldegrees,tempersandcharactersareconfounded,deliveringthemselves,byamiracleofexertion,fromthedestructionmeditatedagainstthem,isittobeexpectedthatnothingwillhappen？Whenmenaresorewiththesenseofoppressions,andmenacedwiththeprospectsofnewones,isthecalmnessofphilosophyorthepalsyofinsensibilitytobelookedfor？Mr。Burkeexclaimsagainstoutrage;yetthegreatestisthatwhichhimselfhascommitted。Hisbookisavolumeofoutrage,notapologisedforbytheimpulseofamoment,butcherishedthroughaspaceoftenmonths;yetMr。Burkehadnoprovocation—nolife,nointerest,atstake。