tion, and boldly face the combination which
had gathered around us; and that his majesty was firmly persuaded
that, under the blessings of Providence, Great Britain would ultimately
triumph. The addresses were carried in both houses without a division.

The attention of parliament was early called to the expedition to
Copenhagen; which was, by a large party, both in parliament and the
kingdom at large, considered a disgrace to the administration from
whom the plan emanated. The act was chiefly defended on the plea of
necessity, arising from the powerful combination of European states
formed against us after the treaty of Tilsit. Several motions were made
on this subject by opposition; but in every instance they were outvoted
by immense majorities. In these debates Mr. Canning was the great
champion of the ministry; and his eloquence was such that he bore
away the palm from every competitor, and carried conviction to every
unprejudiced and candid mind. It has been well remarked, "A capital part
of the case reduced itself simply to this:--if we did not make sure
of the Danish fleet, Buonaparte was sure to get it, a little sooner or
later. The justification adopted by our government may be explained with
almost equal brevity: a man knows that his next-door neighbour has in
his possession a large barrel of gunpowder; he may believe that his
neighbour will not set fire to this powder so as to endanger his house
and property, but he knows that there is an evil-disposed person living
over the way, who has a design upon the powder, and the intention of
blowing up his house with it; and knowing at the same time that the
owner of the powder cannot defend it or keep it out of the way of the
evil-disposed person, he demands that it should be put into his hands,
which are strong enough to keep it, and which can put it beyond the
reach of the evil-disposed party; offering to restore it when the danger
shall be passed, or to pay the price of it: and when the weak neighbour
rejects this proposition, he takes the powder by force, to prevent its
being seized and employed against his own house and property." Just so
it was in the matter of Denmark. That country had a powerful navy which
she would not have used against England herself, but Napoleon wanted it
for that purpose; and to prevent his designs, England demanded it for a
time till the danger was over; and this being refused, seized it _sans
ceremonie_. It was the law of self-preserv