ey have been successful, and for their resistance wherever
they have been with difficulty defeated; their soldiers are a spiritless
herd, and were they not invigorated by the example of their leaders, and
restrained by the fear of instant punishment, would fly at the approach
of any enemy, without waiting for the attack.

I cannot, therefore, sir, but be of opinion, that the necessity of a
large number of officers, may be learned even from the behaviour of
those troops which have been unsuccessful, since it is certain, that
though they have been often overcome, they have generally resisted with
great steadiness, and retired with great order.

If those, who are only speculative warriours, shall imagine that their
arguments are not confuted, I can only repeat what I declared when I
first attempted to deliver my sentiments in this debate, that I do not
pretend to be very skilful in the arts of disputation. I, who claim no
other title than that of an old soldier, cannot hope to prevail much by
my oratory; it is enough for me that I am confident of confuting those
arguments in the field, which I oppose in the senate.

Mr. FOX spoke next, in this manner:--Sir, I am far from thinking that
this question has been hitherto fully explained by those who have either
considered it only as a dispute about money, or a question merely
speculative concerning the proportions between different degrees of
expense, and probability of success. In a war of this kind, expense is
the last and lowest consideration, and where experience may be
consulted, the conjectures of speculation ought to have no weight.

The method, sir, by which our troops have hitherto been regulated, is
well known to have produced success beyond our expectations, to have
exalted us to the arbitration of the world, to have reduced the French
to change their threats of forcing a monarch upon us, into petitions for
peace, and to have established the liberties of almost every nation of
the world that can call itself free.

Whether this method, sir, so successful, so easy, and so formidable,
shall be changed, whether it shall be changed at a time when the whole
continent is in commotion, and every nation calling soldiers to its
standard; when the French, recovered from their defeats, seem to have
forgotten the force of that hand that crushed them in the pride of
victory; when they seem to be reviving their former designs, and
rekindling their extinguished ambition; whether