Butitwillperhapsbesaidthatthoughthepowerofdeclaringwardescendsintheheritageoftheconquest,itisheldincheckbytherightofParliamenttowithholdthesupplies。Itwillalwayshappenwhenathingisoriginallywrongthatamendmentsdonotmakeitright,anditoftenhappensthattheydoasmuchmischiefonewayasgoodtheother,andsuchisthecasehere,foriftheonerashlydeclareswarasamatterofright,andtheotherperemptorilywithholdsthesuppliesasamatterofright,theremedybecomesasbad,orworse,thanthedisease。Theoneforcesthenationtoacombat,andtheothertiesitshands;butthemoreprobableissueisthatthecontestwillendinacollusionbetweentheparties,andbemadeascreentoboth。
Onthisquestionofwar,threethingsaretobeconsidered。First,therightofdeclaringit:secondly,therightofdeclaringit:secondly,theexpenseofsupportingit:thirdly,themodeofconductingitafteritisdeclared。TheFrenchConstitutionplacestherightwheretheexpensemustfall,andthisunioncanonlybeinthenation。Themodeofconductingitafteritisdeclared,itconsignstotheexecutivedepartment。Werethisthecaseinallcountries,weshouldhearbutlittlemoreofwars。
BeforeIproceedtoconsiderotherpartsoftheFrenchConstitution,andbywayofrelievingthefatigueofargument,IwillintroduceananecdotewhichIhadfromDr。Franklin。
WhiletheDoctorresidedinFranceasMinisterfromAmerica,duringthewar,hehadnumerousproposalsmadetohimbyprojectorsofeverycountryandofeverykind,whowishedtogotothelandthatflowethwithmilkandhoney,America;andamongtherest,therewasonewhoofferedhimselftobeking。HeintroducedhisproposaltotheDoctorbyletter,whichisnowinthehandsofM。Beaumarchais,ofParis—stating,first,thatastheAmericanshaddismissedorsentaway*[6]theirKing,thattheywouldwantanother。Secondly,thathimselfwasaNorman。Thirdly,thathewasofamoreancientfamilythantheDukesofNormandy,andofamorehonorabledescent,hislinehavingneverbeenbastardised。Fourthly,thattherewasalreadyaprecedentinEnglandofkingscomingoutofNormandy,andonthesegroundsherestedhisoffer,enjoiningthattheDoctorwouldforwardittoAmerica。ButastheDoctorneitherdidthis,noryetsenthimananswer,theprojectorwroteasecondletter,inwhichhedidnot,itistrue,threatentogooverandconquerAmerica,butonlywithgreatdignityproposedthatifhisofferwasnotaccepted,anacknowledgmentofaboutL30,000mightbemadetohimforhisgenerosity！Now,asallargumentsrespectingsuccessionmustnecessarilyconnectthatsuccessionwithsomebeginning,Mr。Burke\'sargumentsonthissubjectgotoshowthatthereisnoEnglishoriginofkings,andthattheyaredescendantsoftheNormanlineinrightoftheConquest。Itmay,therefore,beofservicetohisdoctrinetomakethisstoryknown,andtoinformhim,thatincaseofthatnaturalextinctiontowhichallmortalityissubject,KingsmayagainbehadfromNormandy,onmorereasonabletermsthanWilliamtheConqueror;
andconsequently,thatthegoodpeopleofEngland,attherevolutionof1688,mighthavedonemuchbetter,hadsuchagenerousNormanasthisknowntheirwants,andtheyhadknownhis。ThechivalriccharacterwhichMr。