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To His Graces the
D— of N———s, &&x.
My L ORD,
praia oie be E following Letter does not
“i wait upon Your Grace to in-
pt i treat ‘Favours, or. ‘to increafe
Hf§ “Moe the Incence of your Adula-
tion, too much of which, it is apprehend
ed, has been already offered to your Shrine;
it..takes its Origin from honett Motives,
, and means to {peak Truth; it is founded
on the Defire of ferving you, if you, pleafe,
and'my Country, whether it pleafe you, or
not. Without entering .into an intimate
Difguifition .of your Ad————-n, it can
fearce be denied, but that. it has been at-
tended with melancholy :Conféquences to
att B this
“”
(2)
this People; the Treaties concluded in it
have fhewn neither Knowledge in the In-
-terefts of England, of Europe, nor of Hu-
man Kind; it has been attended with end-
lefs Expence, and incredible Increafe of
Debts, during unfuccefsful Wars, unre-
trieved in Times of perfect Tranquility :
In Domettic Tranfactions Affairs have been
equally unhappy; former P ts have
been bought by Money, and fold for the
fame Commodity; Trade has declined,
Religion decayed, univerfal Corruption, and
Profligacy of Manners, prevailed over al-
- moft all Ranks of People; Men, a Scan-
dal to Religion, have been exalted to the
Mitre; Men, a Curfe to Human Nature,
have held the higheft Seats in the Law;
the ‘Natives are become Proftitates, and
have loft their former Spirit; Merit has
been depreffed, and Virtue unrewarded ;
the Nation has been exhatrfted, almoft en. —
flaved, and a general Contempt for Eng.
land, her Politics, and Powers, has taken
Place of Efteem in the Minds of all the
Kings and Potentates of Europe.
This
ae
(3)
This even your Friends are obliged to
acknowledge; and the whole Argument
which they offer, to palliate the coming
of thofe Evils at this peculiar Time is, that
they took their Rife from the fingular Na-.
ture of Affairs which then exifted, inevita-
ble Circumftances of the Times ftrangely
concurring to produce fuch Events, when
ny;
Your Grace entered upon the Ad
and that the prefent calamitous Views of
_ Things is nothing more than the Confe-
"quence of that Rattennefs and Diffolution
which have naturally attended all. political
as well as material Bodies, unaccompa-
nied with any Inclination in. you to in-
duce or haften the Approach of that Ruin
which now ftares us in the Face, and
haunts the public Apprehenfion.
My Sentiments, my Lord, though.they
by no Means tally with thofe of your Abet-
tors juft mentioned, I mean not, at this
Time, to bring before you, nor the Pec
ple, nor affign any Reafons for this Diffe-
Be renc®
( 4)
rence in Opinion from your Friends, but
haften to explain the true Caufe of prefent-
ing Your Grace with this Epiftle.
Whether it be true, or falfe, that the
Conditions of the Times, and Laws of _
Nature, unaflifted by your Grace, have
brought us to our prefent deprefled and
contemptible Situation; certain it is, they
now offer You an Occafion of reinitating,
in a great Meafure, the Advantages we
have loft, and of regaining by a proper
Intervention, a Reputation and Character
which have been too long declining in the
popular Opinion of this Realm, and all
others; a Happinefs which feldom attends
the Retirement or Difmiffion of M rs,
whofe Condué& has forbidden their being
Favourites of their Fellow Subjects.
This Opportunity of regaining and efta.
blifhing Applaufe, and even Efteem, is at-
tended with no Difficulty in carrying into
Action, it relates not to making new Trea-
tles
i=
(5)
ties, diffolving old; fitting out, or deftin-
ing Expeditions by Land or_ Sea; it is not to
recover Minorca, or even preferve Ameri-
ca, much lefs to perfuade you once more to
become the Af/as of the State, and return
to the Condué of National TranfaGions :
It is a Bufinefs to which you are equal ;
and if you are of upright Heart, which you
cannot refufe, it mu/t confer Honour on
Yourfelf, and Succef$ to Your Country, if
rightly put in Execution, and may brin
Ruin to both, if you decline appearing in
the Caufe. In fhort, it is Virtue which
loudly fummons you to this Undertaking,
and the Seduction of Vice.can only fafci-
nate and withhold you from)it.
What I mean, My Lord, is the pres
ferving the Conftitution of the Realm,
an Object of. more Importance to this
People and your Succeffors than the Ac-
guifition or Lofs of any Territories upon
the Globe.
The
(6)
The Abrogation of our Rights and Pri-
vileges contained in the Bill of Rights
and Act of Settlement, by the enacting
fubfequent Laws is too manifeft to be de-
nied, and is a fhameful Reproach on all
who declare themfelves the Friends of the
Revolution, becaufe by thofe abrogating
A&s they have undone what they ap-
prove, and whilft they pretend to be Lov-
ers of Liberty reftored, are fixing that ar-
bitrary Power which ‘Yames was exiled
for attempting to bring upon us.
“If Your Grace, in the Sunbeams of
Power, has been heated on to contri-
bute to the ripening thofe Evils: In the
Shade of cooler Hours and grey Hairs,
it 1s your Duty to remove them, and re- |
inftate the Conftitution. This the hone
Part of England expects from your Hands.
{It would be unpardonable in me to fut
pe&t Your Grace is not convinced that
this
f= \
aac aaa
(7)
this exhaufted Nation has already done
too much for ungrateful Germans, During
Half a Century we have been fighting the i
Battles of HH r and paying the
Troops of that Ele——te for combating
in Defence of their and their Prince’s
Dominions ; an Inftance which no Time
nor Hiftory has yet afforded to the World.
The Ele-—r during thefe Seafons of War,
- againft and in Defence of his Dominions, .
has been growing immenfely rich, even by
Means of Hioftilities, which in general
impoverifh all other States: He has faved
his El al Revenues by ot paying his
Armies, whichin Time of Peace he was
obliged to, and this Nation has been almoft
beggar’d by finding Money to maintain and
pay not only the E1——al Troops, which
were waging War for their own Territo-
ries, but endlefs other Mercenary G ns,
and our own Soldiery to the Bargain. Thus
‘War has been the Harveft-Home of all
thofe Princes Hirelings in their own De-
| fence
(8)
fence and Préfervation, and the Source of
Dearth and ‘Poverty to England only.
~ Thus H-—* ‘enrich’d has faved Twen-
ty Millions Sterling, in fighting for her-
felf, ‘whilft we have incurred a Debt of
Fifty Millions, perhaps even the whole
Ninety-four, to fuftain her ‘Coi-and une
do ‘6urfelvés. Sach are ‘the Effeats of our
Alliances, fuch have been ‘our ‘Auxitia-
ties, ‘who ifideed in one Senfe have ‘greatly
affifted us, in getting rid ‘of our Treafure
and wafting Eb Blood in G——a
Service.
‘My bord, however extenfive you may
conceive your Duty to be towards your
Pritice, permit me to ‘fay it is infinitely
more towards your Country, let your De-
fire to fopport-him be-ever fo ardent and
intenfe, it ought ftill to be inferier to that
of fupporting the Con/titution which con-
tains his Majefty and the; whole People.
The moft auguit Cefar on the Globe,
when
f= \
(9)
when King of thofe Realms, makes but 4
third Part of the Government of this Land,
No King can juftly claim an Obligation
on the Servants of the Public to a@ in
Favour of him and againtt the Interefts of
the People, nor can a M——+r comply
with fuch Requefts without violating the
Public Truft and deferving condi. Pu-
nifhment ; fhould an E——/b M
thei at any Time in Complaifance to, i
Elector of H ” bring Ruin upon
this People, wauld he.not merit every De=
gree of Torture practifed on Damien the
Affaffin, for at the fame Time betraying:
the King of thofe once refpected Realms;
and his Subjects to the Intrigues and In»
terefts of a petty P——e of Germany.
My Lord, I J gladly know if it. is
not the Duty of every M——+ in Eng-
land to have eternally before his Eyes,
that the King of G——t B- —N and
Elector of H r are ftill as feparate
mg C Powers
( 10 )
Powers as if they were ‘not united under
one individual - Man? Ts he not indifpen-
fibly obliged forever to confider them in
that Light i in conduéting all national Tran-
factions § y Can Union of Perfon make an
Union ‘of Power according to this Con-
ftitution, can it ever make a Union of In-
terefts ?. Much lefs can it oblige this King-
dom to be iihverted” in Defence of that
Electorate, and in this. Way I am. warrant-
ed to think, from. the very Act of Settle-
ment which pofitively pronounces::. ‘ That
«© in-Cafe.the Crown and Imperial Dig-
nity. of this Realm. fhall hereafter come
“ to any. Perfon, not» being a Native of
“¢ this Kingdom of England, this Nation
« be -not obliged to engage in any War
<< for the Defence _ of any Dominions or
<t Territories which do not belong to the
« Crown of ee without the “e
ad fent of Pp ‘Which P. B
by ‘the pe of Rigs ought to be fe
My
f=
4 ¢ iy )
.. My .Lord,. I apprehend enriching a
Prince by engaging in a War which im-
poverifhes the Subjeéts of this Kingdom
is what comes within the Interdiction - of
_ this Claufe. If Complaifance | then may at
any Time have- actuated a M. r of
E- -d to fupport the Welfare of one
to the Neglect and Ruin of the other, if
Human Frailty and the Love of preferving
Power, fofter’d by evil Counfellors have
prevailed upon him in this Way, is it not
Time to corre&t the Error? If the fatal
Effects of fuch Condué, and the fame
criminal Purfuits “are Tl” “even in’: a more
pernicious Degree carfying on, is it not an-
Obligation, indifpenfible on’ Your Grace,
to retrieve your Country, which you have
lived to feereduced to Poverty and Con-i
tempt, to recall its ancient Splendor and
Profperity with as much Alacrity as its E-
nemies are now acting to complete its Dew
ftruGtion, to reftore the. Conftitution which?!
you have {worn to defend, and derived)
from your Anceftors, and to preferve the”
Aavantages which God and’ Nature have.
or Y¥ KUL “beftowed:
| - “a
<<
(12)
Beftowed on this Kingdom by dividing if
from Germany and the Continent,
Your Grace, I prefume will not deny
your Affent to thofe Queftions. “I hope
you are not divefted | of thofe Feelings
which attend the Hearts of all Men who >
‘are’ true Lovers of their Country, over
whofe dying Condition Iam inform’d you
are much fubject to weep. Extend . your
Hand and fave that which Tears cannot
afift, You cannot be infenfible to the Ap-
plaufe which the Approbation of a whole
Nation beftows on an Individual, _of what-
ever Rank, nor inattentive to the fingular :
Felicity. which you now poflefs of pers
ng; perhaps wine — ~ gat |
_ Men, My Lord, ai been: icdined to
compare your Grace, with thofe who have
been your Fellow-Labourers in the Nati-
en’s Vineyard, and believe that . their
Wine - Prefles have foamed with. more
Juice then. your’s, that their Caves are bet-
ter. ftock’d with Wine than thofe which
belong
f=
(33)
belong to Your Grace, and that the publick
Comfort has been transferred to their pri-
vate Emolument. ~
If they are inclined to think that the
Luft of Power and Attempts of preferving
it may have led you into fatal Miftakes, they
are inclined to acquit you alfo of the Lujt
of Wealth, and being wickedly influenced
by Avarice to undo your Country. If they
think Your Grace has liften’d to the ruin-
ous Advice of defigning Men,. given to
forward their Interetts, unregarding what
might be the Event of it.to your Fame
and Welfare: ‘They are inclined in like
- Manner to believe you neither penetrated
their Intentions, nor forefaw the Ruin
which they were haftening on: And that
‘Affairs have proceeded to this fatal Fx-
tremity, in Confequence of Caufes dif-
guifed from your Comprehenfion. -In Fact,
My Lord, the World is ftrangely inclined
to think well of your Heart whatever it~
may of your Underftanding. |
‘de
C14)
To be the leaft Criminal is no fmall de-
gree of Merit, and tho’ Errors in Judge-
ment may be a painful Reflection to Men
once occupied in public Affairs, and dead-
ly if imagined in the Condué of an Ad-
miral, yet the Delire of defeating Wrong
by the Re-eftablifhment of Right, . can
greatly extenuate the Cenfure which at-
tends every Mif-carriage, and footh a Eo-
fomto a {weet Tranquility. Where that
Reétitude. prefides which Heaven: has for-
bidden to be tafted by Men of wicked In-
tentions, however fuperiot they may be in
Intellect. “Hence, my Lord, it becomes
your ‘Intereft, nay a Proof of Wi ifdom to be-
lieve you have been. formerly mifguided,
and by indulging this prevailing Inclination
of the People in Favour of your Heart to
exert every Power to fave this Land from
that Perdition which, within and ‘without,
threatens its total Deftruction. WS OF
eet ~ re . c
: ty?
2 -yeased ne steers WZ aia? at Vere
"2 »
I¢
om
(is)
Tt is the Remark, My Lord, of a Man
who tho’ by Fortune limited to the low
Condition of a Player might have fhone
in the exalted Situation of a Statefman,
who perhaps has exceeded all Men in the
Knowledge of Mankind ‘and the various
Viciffitudes which attend our Exiftence,
He fays,
There is:a Tide in the Affairs of Men,
Which taken at the Flood, leads on to Fortune.
Omitted, all the Voyage of their Life _
Is bound in Shallows and in Miferies :
-/On-fuch a full Sea are’ you now afloat. =
And yeu muft take the Current when it ferves,
Or clofe Bret Ventures.
} In this Situation it appears. to me Your
Grace is placed at Prefent, and much, it
behoves you to derive ¢rue Honor, to your-
felf, and diftribute.rea/ Service to. your —
Country from it. You who have prefided
at the Helm whilft Calamities, like.gather-
ing Night on_.all Sides, have blackened the
fair Face of this once {plendid Kingdom.
~ Permit
(16 )
Permit me, my. Lord, to lay before You
what the Power of preferving this Peo-
ale farther confifts, # 7s doing honeftly. The
Duty of Man to Man in private Life, and
infinitely more fo from an Individual to
the whole Community.
go Grace can now fio longer be un-
convinced that the late unfortunate Admi-
‘ral has fallen a Victim to malicious and po-
pular Outrage, and the Security of his
Enemies; the Nation is affured You can-
not be unacquainted with the: very Men
who were the ole Caufe of lofing Minorca;
they are, however, inclined to acquit You
from fhareing in the Purchafe which gave
it to the French, betrayed the Caufe of our
King and Country, and police the Com-
merce of the Mediterranean.”
“Whoever aia are, my Lord, ie Nations
demands them to ‘Juftice; they perceive
too late, that they were deluded to facri-
ae ae
fe)
(17)
fice Mr. Byng, by popular Clamour : They
have added this Refentment to that which
was due to their domeftic Enemies, for
the betraying their Country; and that
Storm of popular Difcontent and Commo-
tion, which overfet the Admiral with its
Violence, is again gathering to blow with
greater Fury on thofe who have plann’d
and accomplifhed his, and almoft the Na-
tion’s Ruin.
A Compact to fupport fuch Men, My
Lord, would be fatally to liften once more
to thofe who have already led you into
Error: Will it not expofe you to the Ef-
fects of that Mifchief which they have per-
petrated, and to that Fate which every 4o-
neft Englifhman implores the Heayens to
fhower down upon them? Will it not pre-
clude you forever from that Good-qwill
which your Fellow Subjects are inclined
to afford You, and link you to Crimes of
which you may not be guilty? thefe, my
Lord, are Objects worthy the moft ferious
Confideration, D My
(18 5 bf
My haded: permit me to fay, no Vow to
protect fuch Men,’ ‘before the Eyes of the ©
All-rigeneoul, can be obligatory; ; your
Doty to your King, your Country, and
your God oppofe it. Even Oaths, which
are taken to preferve fuch Compacts, are
broken by the very Nature of ‘the Obliga~
tion, Contrary to the Oath of Allegiance,
which you have fo often fworn, and all
the firft Principles of Society and public
Jattice, ‘though you fhould inadvertently
“have fworn to protect a Man i in every Ac-
tion, would you prefume it by conceal-
ing him,’ fhould ‘he turn Affaffin, ahd fab
your Sovereign ? Will you then offer an
Aylin” to that ‘who have dtiven ‘their
one
Se finiotente to a ee of ruinine
‘their Country? My Lord, fuch: A@ions
would be too criminal to be pardoned, : and
above a all TO biigatien of Word ¢ or ‘Oath,
tee
(19 }
__ My Lotd, the Nation now Calls fue an
undifguifed Examination. into the Actions
of thefe Men, and may the God of all, in
Compaffion to our Miferies, and j in Juftice
to the Iniquitous, » grant this: Voice may
never more be ftilled, ’till the Demand ig
heard and complied with,
There is a Bs Circuinidaree > arbi
attends Your Lordfhip’s Refignation, which
feldom accompanies the M——r of the
Public. A Set: of Men, _fathionably di-
{tinguifhed by the Name of your Friends,
who, advanced by your Intereft:to Place,
Profit, Power, and Titles, have toollong,
and too. f{hamefully- conceived that they
owe a Duty to You, fuperior to that which
is due to their Country; thefe Men; your
Grace muft know it; You have Power 'to
influence, though, without Yiu, Juttice
and.Truth may not. By Means of their
Affiftance, a. fatisfactory Enquiry may be
accomplifhed on‘all who are now fufpedted
ori D 2 is
( 20 )
to have chiefly confpired their Country’s
Ruin. Thefe Men, fubject to your Di-
rection, the Nation thinks it is your Du-
ty to engage, once in their Lives at leaft,
to ferve their Country, and exert every
Faculty to difcover and extirpate the Ene-
mies of England.
Your Grace will be pleafed to- reflec al-
fo, that thould thofe Men, whom the Na-
tion is convinced are her Enemies, be, in
your Opinion, if not the Friends, nor
guilty of deftroying their Country, -it then
becomes.an, Obligation on you, for their
Sakes, and for the exculpating them, to
bring their Tranfactions to a fair Enquiry,
You muft otherwife. compleat. the Hiftory
of your Life with the Imputation of being
equally criminal, and. confcioufly guilty ;
- Difquietude and Woe will be the infepa-
rable Companions of your Days. Under
fuch Conditions, the Woods. of Ct;
can afford no Shade, the Lawns-no Ver-
dure, the Water fhall lofe its liquid Luftre,
the
f=)
( 21-)
the Flowers and Shrubs bloom in vain, and
yield no Perfume; each Object of cach
Senfe be divefted of all Power of pleafing ;
Retirement fhall be haunted by Remorfe,
and Company infect you with: Difcontent
and Anxietude ; every cafual Word i in Dif-
courfe, Guilt, England, Ruin, and others
of fimilar Signification, fhall~ be indued
with Powers of conjuring up Horrors to
your Soul, from which You cannot fly ;
and all Nature be converted into one Con-
eee againtt you. Such are the Sio-
affift in bringing Weds to Miles, Site have
undong your Country. — For, certain it is,
that the Man who prevents, or, oppofes a
Nation from fearching into, ‘the Caufes ‘of
their Ruin, will, in the: Eye of ‘Heaven
and, Earth, be deemed an Accomplice with
thofe who have committed that Crime,
and precluded that Heart-felt Quiet which
is always, fooner or later, , bartered with
fincere Afili€tion for the Power of suling,
betraying, enriching, and ennobling them-
felves and their Pofterity. With-
, &
{ 22)
Without comanine a fall Examination
into the Caufes of the Miferies brought up-
on us by thofe Men who have likewife fe-
duced you, and well nigh fubverted the
Kingdom,-- Without promoting the Efs
fects of Juftice,.; the World will conclude
you alike, the Enemy of your Country-by
Inclination, as by Error in Judgement ;
but in adding your Influence to the Peo-
ple’s Paffion after Truth and Equity, you
have it in your Power to live with Ap-
plaufe and Happinefs, ang meet Death
without Drea ad | and ¢ Confternation 938 Cir-
cumftance to be envied by Kings, whofe
Lives, in public and j in Private Tranfac-
tions, have been attended with Fraud and
Rapine ;. Will 5 you then decline this Feli-
city, and complete your Days i in Detefta-
tion, which shave hitherto been paft in
Contempt? ee |
“Th thus endeavouring to animate Your
race to permit the Breath of Juftice to,
_pafold
-
yo Be
—* &
is
(23)
tinfold the Bloffoms of Tniquity, I mean
fot fo incité’an officiots Forwardnefs to rex
véal all the Secrets with which you are ace
quainted, relative to our Undoing, much
lefs to refufe, when afked, whatever may
tend to the Difcovery of, Truth,» and-the
Refrorsian of National Felicity. 3 =)
: “The Gift will wcnatt the Air of an In:
former, detefted by-Heaven and Mankind,
the other, of concealing Truth to the Pre-
judice of Juftice.. Stand, aloof then, give
your Friends: cand the Public, the Ingui-
fitive .and, Honeft, full Scope to -operate
and difentangle the Perplexities in which
we are involyed,, that a Path may be fair
ly. opened -which may lead to punith the
Guilty, who have loft. Minorca, and funk
the Glory of the Crown:and- Nation.’ All
that is required is full Power to unravel
Falfehood, put: Juitice in. “Execution, and
mot deny, the:Means to. fave-the Nation,
This every Englifhman-has-a Right to de
_aand, this you have the Power and Op-
portunity
(24)
portunity of granting, and from it you
- eannot be excufed, without forfeiting the
mot delectable of all States, living and
dying efteemed se your Fellow-Subjects.
slp baiable as it muft appear to Your
Grace, to call’ to Juftice, thofe who have
involved their Country in almoft infup-
portable Calamities. Neceflary as it is to
warn the rifing Ambition of the Forward,
from daring to poftpone the Nation’s
Welfare to their private ‘Advantages.
There arc, My, Lord, befides thefe, Af
fairs of the sutmoft | Importance, which
demand the Affiftance of all Men not
dead to the Profperity of ‘England, and
who ‘think the Liberties which they have
derived from Heaven and their Anceftors, |
worth: — On: |
‘The “cD ieeifion of the taft M r,
and the Apprehenfions of him’ who is to
fucceed him, engage the Sentiments of all
Hearts,
fe)
(25 )
Hearts, the Thoughts of all Undérftands
ings and Converfation of all Tongues, the
different Defigns and Difpofitions of him
who-has been difmiffed'and of him who
has ‘been. received, cannot be unknown to
Your Grace, and ought to animate: you
with the ftrongeft Dread of approaching»
Diffolution to this Conftitution. The Taint
~ which has long infected this Government
feems now becoming a general Mortifica-
tion; and Freedom feems expiring on her
Ditaiti ea hitte, geogh 23. saoil
¢ * - -
. 2 ° “t-4 - ’ Se aad
PPTs Sar aistt ns hese
The true Caufes of this Change, in,
like Manner you can be no Stranger to:
You know that. one is refolved to put.
nothing in Execution, which does. not
tend to promote the Intereft and Honor.
of the Nation, and re-eftablith her Cre-
dit and Conftitution, He has nobly oppo-
fed the raifing Money and fending Troops
to defend Hr, to pillage and leave.
this kingdom undefended from her Ene-,
mies: He has begun to eradicate the Pett
E of
( 26)
of Placemen, difappoint the Tricks of
Change-Alley Jews and Money-Brokers :
He has preferred the Good of England
to all Confiderations of obtaining Power
by depreffing his Fellow-Subjects. The
Friend of Mercy and of Truth. 5
The other, refolute in mi(chief, deter=
Effort hibreset | pernicious to the aie to
agerandize himfelf and Family : : To raife
Millions to be fpent, and Armies, to be
flaughtered in Defence of H r: To
leave this Land naked and expofed, to
rifque every ‘defperate Attempt which can
bear him in Triumph, through the Blood
and. over the Spoils and Ruins of his Coun-
try, y Seige remorfe or Feeling. Sangui-
nary and rapacious. Thofe are the true
Diftinctions which chara¢terife thofe Men:
Who then when fuch is the Choice can
_ delay a Moment from attempting the Re-
moval of the latter >? What is deferting
the Caufe of the laft M——r but re-
houacing
AG
( 27 )
nouncing the Welfare of this Land, _ by
leaving unfuftained all that is honeft and
valuable in the Man determined to fave
or fink with his Country’s Freedom ?
What is fupporting the Intereft. of the
latter but uniting with~every Inclination
to undo and prevent the Power of reftore-
ing this Kingdom to its. wonted Felici-
ty, what is it but giving up the People
to the Hands of their Deftroyer?
If Your Grace fupports the firft you
eftablith the growing Opinion of a good
Heart: If you decline to interfere in the
Caufe of either, you manifeft an Indiffe-
rence to the Good" of that Country which
has given you Being, and to which you
are indebted for all that is dear to Man ;: :
If you combine with the latter you at-
tempt to rivet the Chains of Englifhmen.
The People will behold themfelves mifta-
ken in their Opinion, and hold your Head,
and Ficste 4 in one utter Abhorience. _
& 2. alécd
\
( 28 )
~ Added to thefe Confiderations of 4
public Nature, the Manner in which. he
has not long fince treated Your Grace
muft naturally.excite an Averfion to fup=
4 , . : 2 r ' : ° oe .
port him. My Lord, the Motives in this
Man to.. fupplant ,Y our, Grace, are_of.a
Nature totally difting from thofe in Mr,
Pitt: The latter oppofed your Ad———n
Beeaufe he was ‘convinced, it. wasideftruce
tive to the Nation, and not. frota perfonal
Hl-will. The former from Hate to you,
@
>
> j ad i » he ° « . is
ho impeded his precipitate Flight to fuc-
rand tin B— nd, “The Mo.
cour H7—— 7
‘ois Set iz !
tives of the laft Secretary are fuch, though
Our Ct 331 the Id diff es eo, s
yout Grace fhould differ in Opinion with
(ROI? PE FO , | |
him refpecting your own Condud, as mut
¢ 59 prt til €74 s4a tS ?. ad Z ‘
appear honeit and amiable-even, in your
Eyes, thofe of the, new Man odious in. the
lait Degree, becaufe equally-defigned againgh
‘You.and the publick. Gogd. You mutt
be perfeétly convinced th : |
baked stad ion (eco AOBh ARS xtrne Cartes
of this Man’s, once. tefigning the ‘Seals,
proceeded from the Malice of fupplant.
bobbR co ing
4
{ 29 ) Xee
ing you and re-eftablithing himfelf: He
had conceived that during the popular
Out-cry onthe Lof® of M ——¢a, and
being ‘deferted by him, that your natural
Timidity would fhake you from the Con-
duct of the Helm : He'believed in Con-
{equence of this and the pernicious Con-
nexions which he had made, that he muft
return to Power unchecked in his Det
figns of Mifchief.° He'concluded alo that
Mr. Patt, the Friend of England,’ whofe
Power of Eloquence had truly ftated the
miferable: Dependence which this Nation
was under°to the Views of [j/————r,
andthe Ruin which had and muft enfue,
could never be near the Perfon of His
M y> and at the Head of public
Ad. —n. But he concluded ‘amifs,
Virtue, ‘Thtegiity and Underftanding -were
then deemed neceffary to aflift a deluded
and miftaken , and fave a fink-
ing Nation : And in this Manner the Ho-
Aéft’ and Intelligent fill perfitt to think,
firmly ‘convinced that infinite Sufferings
-
~~” and
\ 4
6 3° )
‘and AffiGion muft follow his. Difmiffion.
Reftore, reftore the Friend of Liberty and
England is the univerfal Cry of all true
Engli ifhmen, and will, My Lord, at no long
Diftance, fhould this Demand be uncompli-
ed with, be their univerfal Endeavour. Doea
Your Grace believe this People is more de-
generate, more funk in Sloth and Effemi-
nacy than the Genoc/e, who by one ims
mortal Refolution to live or die their own
Matters, fhake off the Yoke of German Sla-
very,
: Thus, My Lord, the Senfe of private
fnjury, added te the Conviction you muft
be under, of this. zew Man’s Defigns a-
wainft this Country, equally unite to ani-
mate your Soul to oppofe him, and fave
your native Land; and, in accomplifhing
his Downfal, your Friends become the
Friends of Liberty and England,
‘There is a Phrafe, My Lord, which
feems to have gained upon the Underftand-
| ing
fe
{31 )
ing of the World, and obtained the Weight.
of a felf-evident Truth," that Government
muft not be obftruéted.. And thence it" has,
for a long Series of Years, too generally
énfued, that every Thing has been done
for every Ad————A, till the lat, , whofe
Pewerdid not extend, to the: making la
Member of Parliament, for they were. vit=
tuous. Should this fallacious Phrafe pre-
vail’ upon Your Grace, induce you to
believe that the Word Government means
the carrying of the National Affairs wrong
as welk as right, and that, this is ferving
His M——fty, will you not be miftaken im
this Opinion? Can Government confift-
ently mean any Thing but the Nation's
Welfare? And can this be repugnant to.
the Intereft of an Engli/b King ? Should you
and your Friends contribute to raife Money
wander this deceitful and deftructive, No-
tion, will it not be combineing with the
Enemies. of this Conftitution, fupporting
them, and ruining the People? or how fhall
Iniquity be. sermgved. from, before our
Ae S.A,
¢ (32 )
S-——~ n, if accedeing to the levying im-,
menfe Taxes, you place them:in Security,
by putting it out of your Power to-diftrefs
them, and fave a Nation? tall
Let mé intreat Your Grace to-refletone
Moment, that granting Movey, is dite.
arming yourfelf and Fellow Subjééts; no
Duty can require it, becaufe, contrary to
the public Weal, in this Inftance it tends to
enflave and ruin you and the Community,”
There is a Man, My Lord, of Fiend-
like Face, whofe meagre Body contains a
Soul moft horrid; Confcience forbids his
growing fat, or tafting Reft; bufy to bring
the like Horrors on the Minds of others,
which are infeparable from his own; Se-
dudtion is his great Delight; an Orator
without Argument, an Advocate that Je-
trays, a Reprefentative who loves not Eng.
land, a Man divefted of Humanity; in
eternal Warfare againft Truth and Integri-
‘ty; the Honeft he feducess he pimps mi-
| - nifterially.
SN
(33 )
nifterially for the Iniquitous, and feeks the
Ruin of England, and his own: Exaltation ;
alike in private as in public Life detefted ;
without one Virtue to countervail hisVices’;,
an Ageregaté of Iniquity, which Heaven
has only permitted to exift, ‘to: make Vice:
thoroughly detefted; whofe Tongue, that
flagrant Rag of Scutrility, can alone traly
defcribe the infernal Qualifications of its
Owner, becaufe only acquainted withthe
proper Language to exprefs his ‘Demerits;
if but one whole Hour it could refrain from
lying, to {peak Truth. |
sod oon d 6 wor Svat SVE
This Man’s long Nofe Your,Grace wilk
do extremely well to keep’ from coming
Acar your Wig, otherwile, like Satan vat
the Ear of Eve, he may tetapt you to tafte
forbidden Fruit;’ and be expelled the Pa-
radice of public Approbation, from which
you are, at weer! "Rot — to
enter.
SEs dyn My
7
(24)
My Lord, the vifible Connexions of that
Man, againft whom it is neceflary you ap-
pear, is another Caufe of Terror, and Rea-
fon for exerting every Effort to oppofe him
and his Meafures, |
T need not tell Your Grace, that it is
manifeftly your Duty to preferve the Throne
in the Lineal Succeflion of the prefent Fa-
-mily, and feclude, with every iad all
Pretenders to the Crown,
We have now a Prince born in England,
whofe indifputed Right it is to fucceed his
Grandfather, when Heaven, in Reward of
his parental Affection to his Englifh Sub.
jects, fhall take him to the Manfions of
Eternal Blifs... His Succeflion to thefe
Realms it is the indifpenfible Obligation of
every Englifhman to preferve; the Duty.
you owe your S——n at prefent, is due,
in an inferior Degree to the Heir Appa-
sent ; and though a ‘War with France and
foreign
jE)
(35)
foreign Enemies could not have beefi pres
vented, you will certainly refift‘all Proba«
bility of creating Inteftine and Civil Wars,’
and deluging this Land with its native
Blood, which has already been too much’
lavifhed on fuch unnatural Oceafions. Let
me then afk Your Grace, what can fo ef-
feétually promote Civil Commotions as the
dreaded Proceedings of this mew Man?
Will the People fee a Subje@ born of the
meaneft Parentage, nurtured in the moft
luxuriant Vice, enterprizing and iniqui-
tous, unattended with every F aculty to fave,’
and only daring to deftroy the State; called
to the Head of publick Ad———n? Will
he be permitted Pillageing to fupport, and:
Slaughtering to defend the Properties of
German Princes, in the Lofs of whofe Do-
minions this Nation can only have an Intt-'
reft? My Lord, you deceive yourfelf, if
you think in that Way.
Difcontent is already the Confequence,’
and Oppofition muft follow; Engli/bmen
F 2 will
ZT
will not be enflaved, by the. Audacity of a
Man. below them in: Birth, Antegrity, Un-
derftanding; | and Good- will, to his-. ‘Coun-
try; which alone ought t to. prefer one: Indi-
vidual to another, in. this Conftitution,
and in Nature.
_My Lord, Mis not the Purfuits ‘wehichs
he has already entered upon, if they are,
not. defeated; prove fatal to the Lineal Suc-
ceflor of His prefent, moff. graciqus M—y ?
May. it not fill the Land with Deyatftation,
and Mourning? Is he not convinced, that
daring fuddenly to effe@ his.Purpofes, can,
only fecure him in Power and Poffeffions ,
that. Delay muft bring Ruin: on him, and
on his Connexions? What haye not you,
and, this; Country, Caufe to. apprehend,
from: fach,. A, adidas and audacious
Spin 6%
My Lord, I pretend not to have penes
trated | the Motives, torhis AGions fo clearly,
aS, tO: wear, he intends promoting the Inte~
48 vd & 4 reft
(
(- 37. ).
reft. of the Pretender to. the Throne, «I;
dread that his effervefcent. Paffions, - and,.
arrogant Nature, may terminate in produ-_
cing fuch Evils to this Land: Nor can 1
believe, though it is univerfally reported,
that he conceives the Army will {upport,
him in his Attemiite. ne en ves §
| The Military of this Realm is. coma,
pofed of Men who have much to lofe,,
and who love. their Country. ‘My Lord,
will an Exnglifh Soldier bear »Arms_ in
Defence of a Man who is abhorred. by,
the Heir apparent to the Crown of thofe
Realms? whofe Defgns are confidered as_
tending to alicenete the Hearts of thofe
who: hope better Times from the Accef=
fion of the Prince of Wales to the Throne ;
and is therefore believed averfe to the Ho-
nor of the Crown and Profperity of the
Community? Will En:/ifomen, becaufe
inlifted in a Millitary Service, paid. by
their Country, drench their. Swords. in
Enghfh Blood, to make their Fellow-Sub-
jects
(38)
jects Slaves. Though the City be fur-
‘rounded with Thoufands of armed Men,
and filled with Barracks of Soldiers, the
Confidence of that mew Man that they.
will fupport a Military Government is
without Foundation: The Army knows
that enflaving England they enflave them-
felves: That all Choice of enlifting, or
not, will be then taken away and added
to the hard Condition which they now un-.
dergo of being bound to ferve, till ren-
dered ufclefs by Age, they are difcharged
to ftarve: Each will be commanded to
take up Arms and dare not hefitate to
obey. They muft then quit Country, Fa-
mily and Friends, to fight the Battles of
Foreign Princes, be fold like hireling Ger-
mans, and die to enrich the Soil by their
Blood, which has already. exhaufted them
of their Treafure. They know the: Va-
hue of. Liberty, and that it is- the Duty of
every Englifhman to defend His M—~y,
this Ifland and the Territories which be-
long thereto, till they have waited their
laft
( 39.)
laft_ Drop of Blood in that Service, But
they think that neither Honor nor Al-
legiance oblige them to protect the Do-
minions of Foreign Princes, which by
having fo long been the Sepulchre of
their Lives and Fortunes, are in reality the
moft implacable and infatiate of all the
Enemies of this Land.
nand H SES
Difcipline over their Soldiers has fixt in
the Bofoms of the E——/b Army a Re-
folution to be free. They have furvey’d
with Abhorrence Men, like themfelves,
treated like Dogs, and cudgeled every Mo-
ment at the Will of a petty Officer: They
know this is the illiberal Effect of Ger-
man Slavery, and muft be of Eagii/h, if that
Curfe fhall ever arrive in this Land, and
Feeling the Ignominy of that State have re-
olved to continue free, and preferve the
Nation’s Freedom alfo. They know theit
Duty to their King is great, to the Con-
ftitution, and their Country greater, they
are
f
Believe me, H~-~
oe
C49 )
vre refolved the Crown fhall defcend on
the Head of the Prince of Wales, and
abominate all ‘who may think to prevent
it as well as-tefolved to fruftrate the
Yntent of ‘thofe who defign Iniquity againft
this ‘Kingdom.
Should then a Man {furrounded by the
moft impious, profligate, and bloody-
minded Men that any Age: has produced
fince the Confpiracy of Catdline againtt
his Country, fupported by the- Neceffi-
fous, whofe fole Reliance for Bread, is
living on the Spoils and Plunder of the
Nation, whofe only Merit is daring Mif-
chief animated by Vice defpifing the God
of our Religion, fearing nothing but the
Lofs of Power and the Nation’s Welfare,
be unknowing of his Enormities entruf-
ted ‘with the public A—m—--n, and
Your Grace and your Friends be the fi-
lent and unactive Beholders of fuch Tran-
factions, what would be your Ctimes
and the Peoples Miferies? Shall Millions
be
(41 )
be levied on a People wanting Bread, and
fent to that Realm,’ ftom whofe Bourn no
Guinea e’er returns, ‘in Support of H—»x
Slaves, ata Moment when Famine wrings
the Hearts of the unhappy Natives of this
Country; when Suftenance is too dear to
be the Purchafe of their Labour, and even
Employment wanting, which may give
them that {canty Support, when Sheep and
Cattle dying daily by Difeafe, threaten
every humane Heart with much approach-
ing Mifery? Is it then a Time to watte
our Millions in Defence of H~———-r, and
deny ourfelves Bread? My Lord, exert
yourfelf and your Friends; be the Patron
of England and Engiifhmen in Diftrefs ; let
fome Part of thofe immenfe Sums which
are raifed on the Labour of the Peafant
and Manufacturer, be returned to_ their
Support; let them not want that Bread
which their Induftry gives this Country;
refufe the Hanoverians our Treafure, and
preferve a ftarving People from the Fangs
of Famine, and yourfelf from the Inveca-
G tion
(42 )
tion of Cuffes in the Mouths of thofe who
perifh through Want of Suftenance, oto the
Juftice of which Heaven is not inclined ‘to
turn a deaf Ear. gvni2
Is it not Time that H—— 7 open’ het
hidden Treafure in her own Defence;
faved whilft this Land was exhaufting in
her Service. Is there not fome’ felected
Curfe in Heaven for that Man who, -unre-
lenting to the Miferies of his Fellow-Sub-
jeGts, and inattentive to their Sufferings,
denies them Bread, whilft his whole Soul
is fixed on fupporting Gs—n Princes,
whofe Avarice will not permit them to
open their Treafures, in Protection of their
own Dominions, and favourite Subjects.
| My Lord, let the City of London be your
example, they are thoroughly convinced of
the Good done and defigned to this Nation
by thofe who were truly honourable and
active in the Prefervation of their Country,
and lately difmiffed from public Ad——n 4
sie i they
a
€ 43 )
they-mean to convince the World ‘of this
Truth; and diftinguith Merit by public Ape
probation. This. the Nation. in general
will follow
kien. ‘are. pot dna of ae Dangers
which attend the Realm from the A——n
of the new Man; and though. they dread
his, -dateing, are, determined to -oppofe
and preferve themfelves. In both thofe In-
ftances i is it not the Duty of Your Grace ta
join, ail to ci them?
pico to Your Grace, may ropa
appear extremely blunt and difgutting to
you, whofe Ears have been loag accuftom-
ed. to the Salutation of more pleafing and
delufive Accents... But, will not Youg
Grace refle& if they are hard Truths, they
are neceflary and ufeful; that it. would be
unbecoming in me, and might be mifchievs
ous to you, td palliate by an ill-timed De-
licacy or deal in Apology for {peaking ut
Plains
ee
( 44)
Plainnefs’ and Sincerity what may be the
Means of faving mine, Your Grace’s, and
the Nation’s: Liberties and Properties 5 De-
licacy at fuch Moments is like Flattery to
the Prodigal, which only haftens his undo-
ing. Nay, I'am led to believe had fome-
thing Analogous to this been offered to
your View when M —r; and few dared
to fpeak the Sentiments of their Souls, when
Men born Free, more abje& than the Slave
of Philip King of ‘Macedon, dated not
whifper you were a Man, that fuch Sounds
though ungrateful, would ftill have admi-
niftercd Utiity and Honor to yourfelf,
and to the Common Weal.
Things, My Lord, are brought to this
Point Your Grace muft either live to be fa-
voured’ by your fellow Subjects, or muft be
confidered the Objet of their Averfion,
Eiteem, or Deteftation you muft chufe, for
Indifference and Unconcern at fuch Junc-
tures, are really deteftable, and deferve’ to
be received in that Light. My Motives to
* this
(—
. 7
( 45)
this public Manner of conveying you the
Thoughts of Men of Underftanding and
Integrity, are to tell you what they think
Neceffary ; the Nation what it has a Right
to expect; that no public Encouragement
may be wanting, if Your Grace fhall ag
becoming an Engl ifhman; and no. Con-
tempt be unattending your proceeding to
the Ruin of your Country ; that neither
you may have it to fay you favw not what
was necdfull to be done, nor my Country
be unknowing what to afk, on this import-
ant Occafion. © ck
It is of finall avail from what Hand thefe
Sheets may come, if they afk but what is
right and reafonable Your Grace ought to
be pleafed with the Reception of them,
though they proceeded from the meaneft
Labourer of the Land ; if they require un-
reafonable Things no Title nor Exaltation
in the Writer can fandtify their Appearance
to the World: from good Will to you, the
Royal Family, and my Country they have
certainly
eS)
{ 40)
certainly taken, ther Rife, and.I think I
am not miftaken:: in the Rectitude of that
Advice which, they contain ;, to you, My —
‘Lord, ‘it remains to chufe whether, you and
your Days fhall. be miferable, and. your
Grey Hairs go down in Sorrow to their
“Grave, or your Country lift her drooping
‘Head, and be once more re{cued from Per-
dition. You are now diftinguifhed with the
Power of being more infinitely important to
the State than ever you have hitherto been.
Your Prince, your King, your Country, ©
‘and-your God call upon you at_this Mo-
ment of Importance; will you then flight
this favourable Occafion of ferving yourfelf
‘and the Community ! P Snatch the Rewards
of this World and the next. ‘Embrace the |
Inclination of your, Fellow, Subjects, and
confirm their Opinion. of your good Heart,
Embrace the Promife of Salvation from the
God of our Religion, which is offered to
the Sinner that repenteth. Fly from the
Paths which lead to that Region, where
there is Weeping and Wailing, and Gnath-
Ing
a |
C47)
ing of Teeth. And thus living refpected and
efteemed in your latter Days the greateft
Blefling this Earth can beftow, leave this
World with fure and certain Hope of a
joyful Refurrection, and happy Immorta~
lity.
meres
cr
oO a tg oe ee ee _
' a4 “as
. ‘
yA
His GRACE the DUKE
O F |
N.* * # # # * * *,
ON THE
PR ES E.Ni die CRS tS
IN THE
AY. F.A 1 Bes
o F
GREAT BRIT? ©™
CONTAINING,
ReFiections on a late GREAT RESIGNATION.
mitt
i O NE SEs:
Printed for R. GRIFFITHS, in the Strand.
+
;
;
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|
{
— oe SH ee
ree
i a Oe EE
LEME WAVE MAHA OMOH2>
CHooHoayookocyookooyo Rotoagookoosooijoaito
LENDS SILEIVL
A
ir Tes RR, ere
My Lorp D*#**,
KOKO UR Grace may perhaps be
y furprifed at the contents of this
x letter; but I flatter myfelf the
be NOK +* impartial public will not think
the points here difcuffed unimportant, nor
improperly addreffed ; fince you are zow
fuppofed to have the fupreme dire@tion of
the affairs of this nation. Your adminif-
tration has occafioned much political rea-
foning ; your friends haye often pro-
claimed the juftnefs of your meafures,
your enemies as often arraigned them: in
this letter, my Lord, { fhall fteer a mid-
B | ue
©
(2)
dle courfe: no dupe to prejudice, un-
warped by faction, I fhall freely praife or
condemn, when | fpeak of paft times, as
your conduct deferves.
The affairs of this kingdom, fora few
years, have been managed with fuch wif-
dom and prudence, that the effects appear
in every corner of the world: Britain is
alike victorious by fea and land, a circum-
{tance which, I believe, will be very dif-
ficult to fhew was ever the cafe before.
This fhort, but bright period, was pre-
ceded by one the very reverfe ; 1n war we
were unfuccefsful, and the domettic g0=
vernment of the nation was torn by faction;
in a word, by blunders and knavery we
were in a very low and pitiful condition.
Foreigners wonder that a government,
which political writers reprefent as the
model of perfection, fhould be in a man-
ner fo unhinged, and confufed at the
breaking out of a war; when it is fuppofed
that a monarchy fo powerful as this, whofe
affairs are well conducted during a peace,
would not, in the natural courfe of things,
be
(3)
beat fuch a Jofs when a war became necef.
fary. The furprize is natural to thofe who
are “not acquainted with what may not
improperly be ‘called; the effence of our
government. Sir Robert Walpole, who con-
tinued prime minifter much longer than
any one before, or fince his time, owed
the duration of his power, ina very great
meature, to his keeping his country in
profound peace : it is true, in this he gave
up the intereft of his country to fecure
himfelf ; but with many prime minifters
that.is but a trifle. The {prings of our |
government are eafily continued in th: ir
natural motion in peace ; but when a war
breaks out, a vatt quantity of new ma-
chinery is neceflary; the management
becomes more complicated, much greater
abilities are required to conduét it, and
the pilot muft have great fkill, or he will
not avoid the multitude of rocks that fur-
found him,
If we confider thefe points with at-
' tention, we cannot wonder at the con-
fufion fo generally evident in a Britifh
5 2 3 miniftry
a
( 4.)
miniftry when this difficult trial is made 3
nor can we wonder at the unpatriot {pirit
of thofe, who facrifice the intereft of their
country to their own, fince that is quite
confiftent with the nature of man. In
fa&, we did not find the miniftry, at the
breaking out of the prefent war, more
prepared for {uch an event than their pre-
deceflors, nor more willing to refign their
power to thofe who were abler to con-
du& the ftate machine; but warded off
the dreadful blow of a war as long as pof-
fible, in hopes to prolong the peace by ne-
gociation at any rate.
At laft, unable to ftem the torrent, they
were obliged to refign their places, or ra-
ther to fhare them with another fa¢tion ;
and then was produced that coalition of
parties, fo greatly advantageous to this nati-
on, and fo honourable to themfelves. You,
my lord, was nearly connected with that
event, and I cannot here deny the tribute
of praife due to you for your feare, in the
conduét of the following campaigns : they
were great and glorious, and redounded as
much
ia Se ee eS el CUC CTU CUCU mh hr
~
Vey
much to the honour of the then miniftry,
as to the bravery of the people they
guided. While they continued united;
the war was carried on with all imaginable -
vigour, and our arms were attended with
the greateft fuccefs. Moreover, this coa-
lition of parties united fuch interefts, that
war was conducted with as much feeming
eafe as if all was peace abroad, as well
as harmony at home... No fupplies were
demanded for the fervice of the nation, but
they were immediately granted by parlia-
ment, and raifed by the credit of the
miniftry, |
A late great refignation has, to appear-
- ance, diflolved this union; at leaft, it is
certain, that the adminiftration of the-af
fairs of the nation is no longer in the
fame hands. You mutt certainly allow,
my Lord, that an event fo fudden, fo un-
expected, and of fuch linportance,. mutt
greatly alarm the nation: , not perhaps
from a want of a good opinion of thofe
who continue in power, but from a fear
of its being the occafion of a bad peace -
cOn-
,
‘
>
1
?
i
|
¢
:
-
}
cy
( 6 )
concluding fo glorious a war. I jut now
mentioned the difficulty an Enghfh mini-~
ftry finds in conducting one ; this refults
in a very great meafure from the want of
fupplies to fupport it. A parliamentary
intereft may procure their beine “voted ;
‘put the people, my Lord, muft have an
opinion of a miniftry before they can be
raifed; and a good opinion always arifes
from the confideration ‘of paft times.
Your Grace has too much experience to
be furprifed’at the ftrefs Llay on rarfing the
fupplies. Nor can you wonder at the
forefight of the people in not fubfcribing
to funds, when they cannot depend on the
miniftry’s purfuing thofe mezfures that are
for the advantage of the nation. The
value of feck, is fo nearly connected with
the public affairs, that every man, before
he fabfcribes his money for the ufe of the
government, will undoubtedly confider the
fate of the nation, or in other words, the
ftate of the miniftry ; for by woeful ex-
perience we have often found, that the
former
? Pt tad é 4-579 ——.- -
’ . -
(8s)
former is but too nearly dependent on the
latter. |
The nation had a high opinion of. the
great Commoner who lately bore a fhare in
the adminiftration of affairs; and I believe
it wasvery juftly founded: this opinion arofe
from the fuccefs that attended his meafures,
which were in general deemed national.
His refignation certainly {peaks /ome alter~
ation; for as he has met with little oppo-
fiticn in parliament, and..according to the
general notion, poflefied his. Majefty’s good.
epinion, why fhould he. refign? A near
enquiry may perhaps unfold. the caufe. of
an event which appears ftrange merely, for
want of reflection. ,
The fuccefs of this war has been fo;en-
tirely on our fide, that we cannot be the
leaft furprized at our enemies trying every
meafure to change their bad. fortune:
*till.very lately they have been utterly dif-
appointed : (I fay “till. very lately; becaufe
their fuccefS in the late negociation 1s
quite unknown.) Finding how unlikely
they
J,
+.
( 8.)
they were to gain any thing by continuing
the war, they very judicioufly recolle&ed
the pacific overture from Great-Britain
and Prufia; and ‘they propofed a conerefs,
which was accepted: in the interim, anego=
ciation was opened between our court
and that of France. The terms demanded
by the French. miniftry were fuch, that a
compliance with them would at once have
gave up the advantages we have gained
in this buarthintirne: and expenfive war.
The refufal gave rife to new propofals,
and new wtifwers, ‘till the negociation was
fpun out to fome length: almoft at the
conclufion of it, (if it is ended) the court
of Spain made fome new demands on
Great-Britain ; and in their memorial,
as we have reafon to believe, threatened
us ‘with a war, unlefs we were more
modeft in the terms to which we expected
ourenemy to agree. The French minifter
who conduéted the negociation, no fooner
departs, and new refolutions are taken,
than the principal perfonage in the mini-
ftry, who had been fo inftrumental in the
conduct of the war, refigns his poft. This
1s
5
is the fhort ftate of the affair, that fills ©
many men with furprife,
That there is fome caufe which produced
this effect, is certain ; and it is alfo clear,
that we cannot prove what that caufe is:
but from many attendant circumstances,
your Grace will allow me at leaft to form
fome conjectures. Wee know extremely
well, that the late minifter’s maxim was'to
make no peace with France, until we
could command fuch a one as would {e-
cure our pofieflions in America, and repay
us, by an acceffion of. trade, for the enor-
mous expences of the war. © This plan he —
made the rule of his meafures, and we
are to fuppofe :that he infifted, as far as
his power reached, on the fame being re-
garded in the late negociation with M. Buffy.
If he met with no oppofition, what {hould
occafion his refignation ? Nothing : but it
is well known, that. the C———]. were
divided in their opinions concerning the.
terms of the peace, and that it was with
great difficulty this minifter could get
thofe cflered by France then, rejecteds
as However
& 46+) .
However he carried his point fo far as to
eet Buffy difmils'd for the prefent. Pre-
fently after comes the Spani/h memorial,
which is followed by his refignation.
Your Grace will not be furprifed at. my
fuppofing Mr. P***’s motives to confift in
his being againft the meafures that he then
found were likely to prevail. . As he was for
continuing the war, we are confequently
to fuppofe that the ‘prevailing opinion in
the miniftry was for peace. But it may
be afked perhaps why he fhould not pro-
mote a peace as well as the reft of the
miniftry ? We may certainly anfwer, that
his aim was peace; but that his idea of that
peace, was different from theirs. He
thought the terms then in debate were
not good enough; they thought otherwife.
And as he found the contrary opinion
likely to fucceed, he thought proper not to be
concerned in an affair which he could not
approve. It will certainly be:afked, why
the peace does not appear which this gen-
tleman difapproved? And it will be objected,
that fo far are we from an appearance of
peace,
« it)
". peace, that new preparations are now mak-
ing for war.
‘
.
:
Your Grace knows very well, how im-
pofiible it is to point out particulars in
fuch affairs as thefe. When we argue
from conjecture, we mutt be content with
appearances, and not expect'to have every
Affertion grounded on faéts. The notion
which I have advanced, is entirely confif-
tent with the objections here fuppofed to be
formed. ‘Two campaigns pafled after the
Marlborough miniftry was removed from
their employments, but it was clearly
forefeen, what turn the affairs of the na-
tion would take when a new fet came in,
whofe hopes, and private imterefs were
founded in a fpeedy peace. And accordingly,
at the peace of Ufrecht, the advantages of
a long and glorious war were given up,
and facrificed to the private views of a
new’ faction.
The Oxford party then found themfelves
unable to continue a war, which required
great fupplies to be raifed, by the credit of
C3 the
(.12 )
the miniitry ; and as the duration of their
power depended on a peace, they hattily
patched one up, which has been 'the evi-
dent oceafion of every war that has hap-
pened fince that time. They atted in al-
moft the very fame manner as a fucceed-
ing miniftry did, in a peace concluded not
a great while ago; when another mini-
firy, your Grace very well knows which
1 mean, followed their example, and by
fo doing, brought their country into that
terrible fituation, from which it was fo
lately retrieved.
Nothing can be more pernicious to the
intereft of any nation, than the conclufion
of hafty. treaties, made more to anfwer
private than public ends. It is always the
certain fign of an unfettled government,
and wavering meafures ; and confequent-
ly muft difguft other, powers, whom it
would be greatly for our advantage to
have for allies. The Dutch were of infi-
nite fervice to the common caufe in the
queen’s war; and although great coms.
plaints every now and then were made of
: | their
( 13 )
their not furnithing the quota’s towards the
war, which they were obliged to do by
treaty, yet they really bore a very confi-
derable fhare in it, and aGed with great
vigour throughout it. The infamous
peace of Utrecht forced them to give up
many advantages which their intereft re-
quired fhould be fecured to them, becaufe’
they were unable to continue the war
without our affiftance. The fineft oppor-
tunity was thrown away of fecuring the
neighbours. of France from her incroach-
ments ; and that critical moment loft,
which, till the prefent time, never oc-
curred again,
Could we wonder, with any reafon,;
my Lord, at the caution of our friends the
Dutch, at the beginning of the laft war?
At Utrecht thy were forced into a treaty
again{t the mutual engagements of both
nations; and when a fecond war broke
out, they certainly ated with great pru-
dence, in not being hafty in fuch alliances;
hor can we blame them for the backward-
nels they fhewed, during the whole war :
it
ee
( 14)
it was but juft policy. They had before
been deceived by our government, and
they determined not to make too great a
rifqgue on the faith of it again. In Eng-
land we abufed them for this condu&, and
readily attributed their motives to the in-
fluence of French gold: but did the en-
fuing peace convince them that their fuf-
picions were groundlefs ? fo far from it,
that your Grace very well knows it was a
fecond Ufrrecht. . The interefts of this
nation, ard its allies were given up; not
from an inability to continue the war, but
for its neceflity. to fecure private interetts,
At the opening of the prefent war, we,
as ufual, endeavoured to involve the Dutch
in it;. but experience had made them: too
wife to put any truft ina government fo un-
{table imits foundations, and fo fluctuating
in its meafures, They had twice paid ex-
tremely dear for their alliances with us ;
common prudence now taught them to re=
nounce any offenfive connection with us,
to defpife our miniftry, and laugh at our
remonftrances, Thus, my Lord D* * *,
we
|
4
|
ta
t
i
3
bs
"
=
i ¢
Me
|
ae
(a3) ee
we loft the afliftance of this powerful peo=
ple, which would have been of very great
confequence to us in the late campaigns»
I believe the moft fenfible politicians will
agree, that it would have been -much
more advantageous for us to have made
Flanders the feat of war, than the country
on the other fide the RAmme: thof fortreffes
which were heretofore fo famous! are no
longer the fame places, and the eafeof
fupplying an army in Flanders, efpecially
when the. Dutch were our friends, mutt
naturally be much greater, than where
the war is now carried on, ° |
Your Grace will readily perceive from
what I have faid, that I am of opinion, a
peace at prefent, may not be fo far. off
as is commonly imagined. As to the
preparations for war, they appear ‘as a
gale, which may very {peedily be blown
over. If this peace is fo far off, and an
anfwer given to the Spani/b memorial that
is agreeable to, the intereft.of this nation ;,
it forms a contradi@tion to the Great Com-
moner's refigning his poft at fo criticala
time.
€D
(16 )
time. Have we the leaft reafon to fuppofe
that he would take this ftep merely from
caprice ? Is it not rather much more like+
ly, that his motive was the difapprobation
of the meafures which he perceived were
then going to be executed? His intereft in
the adminiftration was not confiderable
enough, to dire@t the affairs of peace and war;
perhaps it would have been for the intereft of
this nation, if it had been fo. [ would not
be fuppofed from hence, to intimate that we
are juft going to have a peace: I would
only fhew; that new maxims have been
adopted, which, I apprehend, will in the
end be productive of fuch a one as Mr.
P * * * would never have approved.
The prefent campaign, my Lord, is not
yet finifhed; fo that there is time enough
yet this winter, to conclude avery admi-
rable peace. I don’t know whether we have
not one or two firft rate peace-makers in
_ this kingdom, that would patch up an-
other Utrecht ina month, or perhaps lefs
time. Tis true, your Grace’s abilities are
perfectly well known ; your difintereftednefs
| is
Date i ee ls Ne a eb rl es a a ee ee a a we
-
(Ge)
18 very celebrated; but above all, your
former adminiftration has rendered you fo
Gefervedly Jamous, that Britain cannot but
regard you as one of her guardian angels,
and the chief pillar of the ftate; fo that
we can have little. to fear, ‘as long as your
Grace’s infinite abilities are employed int
the fervice of your * * * #* & &%
the meaning, my Lord D.* * *, muft be
very obvious.
The prefent miniftry, my Lord, fhould
_ €ertainly confider the opinion of the peo-
ple; if they are perfuaded that the admi-
niftration of affairs is in the hands of men
who will only -confider the nation’s good,
fupplies will eafily be raifed ; and while that
is che cafe, the war may eafily be continued,
But if any change happens, which thould
give the people reafon to fufpect that new
maxims are adopted; can it be fuppofed
they will fubfcribe to’ funds ?. if the mini-
{try have not credit enough with the mo-
neyed men to raife the fupplies, they muft
either refign their power to thofe who have
more credit-than themfelves, or make a
| 1D) peace,
a” af te toe
9 eS
Tape cae ee
ere” | ete toi
E eemae
ay» my “>.
‘ ——
i
ey
(28: -)
peace, and by fo doing finith the period
of wanting fuch immenfe fums. As to
the firft point, I hall fay nothing of that;
but the fecond is much more probable.
The national debt, my Lord, 1s now
become an object. of very ferious concern
to this nation: it would not require a
ereat deal of reafoning to prove, that there
is at this time a real crifis in our affairs, ©
and arifing, ina very great meafure, from
tliis enormous debt. The very intereft of
it now amounts to upward of three mil-
lions, vifibly! And I have great reafon to
believe that when accounts come to be
fettled, it may difclofe fome unexpected
items, that will not a little furprize the
nation. When a government is fo im-
menfely involved, thofe people who lend
money {to it, will be very obferving
how -its affairs go: a ftrong proof of
this, ‘is the effet which good or bad fuc-
eefs has on the price of ftocks. For if the
very intereft of the debt amounts to fo con-
fiderable a part of the annual revenue of
the kingdom, the value of the principal
will
( 19 )
will depend entirely on the riches of*the
nation; and it is very well known how
nearly connected thefe riches are with the
terms of every treaty.of peace we con-
clude. I will readily allow that this debt
is not an objet of dread, if we encreafe
our trade by the enfuing peace in propor-
tion to the encreafe of debt. But; if on
the contrary, we fhould confiderably in-
creafe the burthen, without, at the fame
time, enabling ourfelves to bear it; we
mutt be making hafty ftrides toward bank-
ruptcy. |
—
The terms of peace; which I am. in- |
formed by very good ‘authority, were re-
jected as long as a certain great man was
in the adminiftration, were tack as could
not be agreed to by us, the. leaft confift-
ently with. our interefts. There were
fome particular articles which concerned
our trade more nearly than the reft; the
one was yielding up Guadalupe to Frances
and another returning them Canada, re-
ferving only a Seaitiies giving them-li-
penty to fith on the banks of Nese:
D 2 land,
cd)
( 20 )
land, and ceding the ifle Sad/e to them for
drying their fifth. I fhall not make a mi+-
nute enquiry into the expediency of agree-
-ing tothefeariicles; but pronounce them to
be extremely. bad. We certainly. went
tO war to fecure our colonies in North-
America ; this.work, if fuch a peace en-
dues, we fhall evidently have to perform
again. As we have been at fuch an im+
menfe expence in profecuting the war,
we may reafonably expect fome advantage
from it; and how can this be obtained but by
retaining our acquifitions? If we give up
Guadalupe, we give up an immentfe trade
with it; that valuable ifland produces as
much fugar as Maritinico, and maintains a
ereat number of failors yearly. The pre-
ferving fo valuable a conqueft will very
greatly affilt in repaying us-our expence in
making wat .The Newfoundland fithery
is another prodigioufly important branch
of trade: even while the French had by
treaty only a {mall fhare of it, they were
able to underfell us in the principal mars
kets of Europe, and confequentiy almoft
ingrofled the trade; what therefore will
they
aX
( 23 9
they do when they have the ifland-of
Sable in their pofieffion, which is fo well
fituated for the fifhery? Why it will moft
certainly be found a fecond Cape-Breton
to them, and their fifhery will be juft as
valuable to them as it. was before the
breaking out of the prefent war. Thus we
fhall give up the very point for which war
Was commenced; and plunge ourfelves into
a moit enormous expence,. without gain-
ing any equivalent, or means to bear it.
The people of this nation are deceived
with refpect-to the ftability of their’ com=
merce. Some men fancy from the im-
menfity of trade we now poflefs, that we
fhall continue to keep it. But if ‘fuch«a
peace as I have juft. mentioned is con-
cluded, nothing can be more fallaciousthan
this notion. Great- Britain, <1 believe J
may with fafety fay, never poflefied fo ex-
tenfive a commerce: but: a very great
part of it is owing to the deftru@ion of
that of France. We now ferve a multi-
tude of markets, which the French before
had entirely to themfelves; and although |
neutral .
a,
( 22 )
neutral nations have profited by the war -be-
tween us, yet fome branches are entirely in
our pofleffion. The cod fithery zow brings
prodigious fums into this kingdom: our
fugar trade is alfo greatly increafed ; and
the demand for our manufactures in
North-America is infinitely fuperior to
what it ever was before. ‘Thefe are the
advantages we enjoy at prefent; but will
this, my Lord, be the cafe after fuch a
peace? Every article will be totally dif-
ferent. Our trade will be very different
from what it is now ; our neighbours, the
induftrious French, will foon poffels a
flourifhing commerce ; and as their’s in-
creafe, our’s mut neceflarily diminith. At
prefent we do not feel the burthen of our
national debt fo extremely heavy ; but
what fhall we do when we have loft fuch
confiderable branches of our trade, which
is the fource of our riches, and which alone
-enables us to pay three millions a year in
| interelt : P
Doubtlefs the great Commoner confider-
ed thefe points with that attention which
their
al
( 23 )
their importance deferves; and he could
not refleét on them without feeing the ab=
folute neceffity of making a wery good
peace. He indeed had fpent many mil-
lions, or to {peak more to the prefent pur-
pofe, had greatly increafed the debt of the
nation ; but then muft not any other mi-
nifter have done the famne; and perhaps
without making fuch great acquifitions ag
we have done’ during his admiuniftration ?
Have not every ’miniiter fince we have had
a debt done the fame ?. But whoever fpent
the nation’s money fo much to its advan-
taze? Mr. P* ** certainly knew theconfe-
quences of running fo deep in debt ;. but
he alfo knew, that fuch a peace as he pro-
pofed to make, would fully enable us to
bear the weight of the burthen laid on
us to obtain it. |
- Now, my Lord D * * *, we have fome
reafon to fear, this nation will find, at a
peace, her debt immenfely increafed, with-
out a proportionable increafe of trade.
This isa very ferious confideration, and
mutt {trike a terror into every honeft. man
who
Sy
{ 244
who loves his country. Here it will
naturally be afked why the minifters, who
remain in employment, may not be as
able to conclude a good peacé jas Mr.
P*** 2 This is a queftion which at firft
fight appears to carry fome degree of rea-
fon with it: but may I not anfwer, my
Lord, that without confidering their abili-
ties, we fhould refle& on the motive which
induced that gentleman to refign ; which I
have already fhewed to be his difapproba-
tion of the meafures then purfuing. This
clearly tells us, that the prefent miniftry
were of a different opinion from him; or in
other words, that they were inclined toa |
peace which he did not think good enough:
Isit likely, my Lord D***, that this party
fhould have changed their notion fince his
refignation ? Nothing furely: fo improba~
ble ! I have explained, how many reafons
they may have to make a peace ; nay, that
they will be neceffitated to it, for want of
fup plies.
It has been very currently reported, that
one material reafon for this great man’s
refignation —
(=)
-—— = im. = . _
%,
( 25)
tefignation, was his being ftrongly oppofed
an his defign of entering into a war with
Spain. I fhall not here enter into a mi-
mute enquiry concerning the particular
points on which the wifdom of fuch a
meafure would depend ;. but one thing is
very certain, that the affair of a Spanifh
war, and a peace with France, were very
neatly connected. A war with Spain
would have thoroughly convinced the na-
tion that the miniftry were determined —
never to agree to an indifferent peace.
The great Commoner was for entering im-
mediately into one: What could be his
motives, my Lord, for fuch a condu@?
Sure he did not form the {fcheme without
having fome reafons forit. Wasnot the me-"
morial of the court of Spain, which I have
before mentioned,. the caufe of it? Do
we not know from undoubted authority,
that the Spaniards, for fome time -patt,
and even at prefent, have been making
very great preparations for war? What is
the meaning of this? Does it not corre-
fpond, with that memortal? Were we not
threatened in it with a war? It is true
E the
oy,
( 26 )
the Gazette has told us, we need not have
any fears of fuch an event ; but is not that
article fince Mr. P***’s-refignation ?—
Does not fuch a concatenation of circum-
ftances clearly fhew, that there is much
more behind the curtain relating to 2
peace, than appears to the world? If the
demands of Spain were refufed, and the
miniftry were determined to profecute the
_ war with vigour, why fhould the great
Commoner refign at fuch a critial period ?
In fhort, my Lord D , the Gazette
may tell us juft what tales it pleafes, and
the emiffarics of the prefent m———~y may
fcatter their reports in every corner of the
town, to make us believe that the refigna~
tion will have no confequences; yet the in-
quifitive minds of refiecting people, will
believe their own reafon fooner than any
affurances that can be given them. The
prefent m- y perbaps would continue
the war till they could procure a good
peace; but their abilitics muit be con-
fidered, and their intereit. “No doubt we
fhali hear of the moit pompous thews -of
ro | warlike
pee TN
|
|
|
|
|
—< .
*
Pe ere ee ey ES
-
Saabs Mi Be
— lO > a —
’
%
( 37.3 2
warlike defigns till the {——ies for next
year are granted, and if poffible, raifed 5
but then, J, my Lord, thall expect to ee:
a different tale. | |
The people in. general of this nation
form a very juft opinion of the minifters
wh» conduct the public affairs : they
judge by a fign, which, in thefe cafes, with
a few exceptions, feldom deceives; and
that is, /uccef/s. It cannot be wondered at,
that we fhould. have been very fond of
Mr. P ; it would have been extremely |
ungrateful sae we had not. He, by the
wildom of his councils, .and his well-
formed plans of action, brought his coun-
try to its prefent high pitch of glory and
profperity. He fucceeded a fet of men
who. were unable. to conduct the great
machine of the ftate, and who in many,
very many inftances, had proved how little
they regarded the intereft of their country,
when it came to be balanced by their own.
Such an adminiftration had reduced us to
that low degree, from which his abilities
raifed us, Is it not therefore very natural,
2 ~ that
<I,
( 28 )
that we fhould have a great opinion of a
man who, with no impropriety, has often
been called the /aviour of bis country eit
would be ftupidity or malignity to deny
this juft tribute to a minifter, to whom we
are fo greatly indebted : there are few ob-
jects but what have their light and dark
fides ; unhappily it gives me pain
to proceed but impartiality muft be
fatisfied, |
Somebody has obferved, that there is no
virtue which has ftood the teft lefs fuccefs-
fully than parrots. giving up every
thing for one’s country, is indeed a very
fevere trial forthe human mind to undergo,
in an age when this virtue is not in the
greateft repute. Among the antient Ro-
mans, children were taught to revere it,
as foon as their minds would admit of fuch
an idea; and when they grew up, they had
not only their own fentiments to ftrengthen
their refolutions, but the animating exam-
ple of their countrymen. In the prefent
times the cafe is extremely different; fo
great a change has enfued, that a real pa-
triok
ee (=)
ma * * f
SS a ee bawsc
|
|
|
1
|
Y biel aie Pali is boo dein Lest aa
Vv 2
( 29) :
triot would now be the wonder and ad-
miration of his age. ‘Had the great Com-
moner, whom I have fo often mentioned,
retired from public : bufinefs without~ that
penfion, Which, I fear, will be fo fatal to
his fame : had he given up the great emo-
luments of his office; the high power, —
the {plendor which is annexed to aminifter
of ftate; had he facrificed thefe to his
reputation, and to a fincere defire of a&ting
only for the fervice of his country ; what
might not the great man have done? who
would not have adored the name of P—s/
Could a penfion give an honeft man that
fecret fatisfaction which refults from a
knowledge of having given up every thing
for the fervice of ones country ? would not
‘the admiration of a whole people, make
fome amends for the want of this penfion?
If money was wanted, would not this
‘great and opulent city have fettled a penfi-
‘on on him, equal, or {uperior, to what
he now receives? Which would have been
moft honourable, to have received it as
areward for his fervices, from thofe who
could not flatter in fuch a cafe, or froma
miniftry,
J)
, ( 30 } |
miniftry, as a b—be? a b—be to ftop his
mouth in the H - of C s? But
fuppofing his honour too delicate to agree
to fuch» a propofal, though it certainly
would be the greateft honour he could re-
ceive, as it would be the ftrongeit proof
of his deferts, could the prefent miniftry
have preferved their power againft fuch an
oppofition in. parliament as the great Com-
monet ought, in confcience, to have made,
if ‘he retired from bufinefs merely becaufe
~ he did not approve of the then meatfures ?
Is it not every man’s duty, not only to
ferve his country by acting himfelf for its
interefts, but. in preventing others. from
aGting contrary to them? If he thought
his oppofition would have brought him
again into power, and if. he knew that he
aGted for the good of his country when he
was in power, he ought to have made fuch
an oppofition. And his receiving this pen- |
fion; this caufe of his downfall in the
minds of his countrymen, ardfuch a time,
tells us very-plainly, that the prefent mini-
fry will receive no oppofition from him,
let. their meafures be
| What
(=)
7
|
4
o
(31)
What could a miniftry expeé from the
confequences of making a bad peace, if
they were vigoroufly oppofed in the He
of -< s? Indeed it would be fuch
a re{traint on their aétions, that we fhould
not be in any danger of feeing a bad one
concluded; for they, if they had fuch de«
figns, would not be able to keep. their
feats till they had made one ; and if they
did by any means effeétit, a parliamentary
enquiry might be once more fet on foot,
and perhaps to the great advantage of ‘the |
nation.
If the prefent m y had defigns of
making a peace, at any rate, to preferve
themfelves in p-——-r, and found their in
tereft {trong enough to carry their point ;
if this, I fay, was the. cafe, they acted
very prudently in ftopping the mouth of a
man whofe voice in parliament would have
been of fuch fatal confequence to their
meafures. Had Mr. P—+¢ raifed an oppofi-
tion, it would at once have -ruined all the
ichemes of his enemies; asthe whole king-~
dom -wouid have been alarmed for fear of a
fecond
;
|
|
|
Cy
( 32 )
fecond Utrecht taking place immediately.
His throwing up his place at fuch an ex-
treme critical moment, would have told
the nation very plainly, that defigns were
on foot which he could not think of being
the leaft concerned in; and his retiring
unpenfioned, would have given him fuch
immenfe influence, that the oppofne party
would never have been able to keep poflef-
fion of their power.
Indeed, as the affair ftands at prefent,
they may not fo immediately find fuch ter«
rible effects refulting from the late refigna-
tion; but I believe they will meet with
more difficulty in carrying on the war in
fuch a vigorous manner-as to conclude it
with an advantageous peace, than pofiibly
they may expect. This refignation will
make a very deep impreflion on - the
minds of the people; they will now
review former times, and compare them
with the prefent. -They will confider,
my Lord, in whofe hands the adminiftra-
tion of affairs is fallen; and will fear not,
fo much perhaps a want of abilities i fome
of
(a
j ez
— 7 @ ww
— ee ee, | sae :
SS <ie
—_
Ae ee moe
¥
—
Rs
4389 oc ee
of them, as a change in the maxims that.
we have hitherto proceeded on. _I make
very little doubt but your Grace, _and the
re{t of the miniftry, ‘will profecute ‘the
war with great vigour if you are able, that
is, if you can raife’ money, and if a peace
* . ae
Is not too far advanced: there is no fort
of reafon to apprehend your concludin ga bad
peace, if you have it in your power to carry
on the war ; and it will not be a very great
while before we fhall fee what’ are your
and your party’s intentions. . %
There are fo many of interefts to be ad-
jufted before a good peacecan be concluded,
that it muft neceflarily take up aconfiderable
time; or elf many material points -muft
be left to’ be decided by .commifiaries ;
which, to us, was always one of the moft
fatal meafures that could be adopted. We
have made war for nothing, or worfe than
nothing, if we do not obtain a peace that
is clear and explicit in every particular.
The'treaty of ix la Chapelle \eft the boun-
daries of Acadia undetermined, and even
the very country, that ought to be compre-
F hended
i),
( 34.)
hended under that name, was unknown ;
hay, the very name itfelf ought not to
have been allowed, as having no fettled
idea annexed to it. But God forbid, that
we fhould have any neceflity, at a peace,
to underftand what parts of North America
ought to be comprehended. under any ti-
tles; for if we do not retain the pofleffion
of every inch of it, we give up what we
muft, in the nature of things, one day or
other, go to war to regain.
It is to the furprize of every perfon who
knows the importance of the fouthern part
of North America, commonly called Lou-
ifana, that we have not yet attacked that
country which is of fuch prodigious con-
fequence, and yet fo very weak. You, my
Lord D***, have given as a reafon againft
it, the expence of marching an army thi-
ther, and declared that, according to ge-
neral Amberft’s calculation, . it . would
amount to nine hundred thoufand pounds,
‘This fam is prodigious, and it would require
many arguments to prove it incredible,
fince the army might fail down the river
— MY pp,
“te
Y' : = * .
7" To he Ph < ru eS “VES any
e, 7 . : » ian ’
| OF ae <a
Mififippi, in the fame manner as it did
that of S¢. Laurence to attack Montreal ss
But what occafion is there to traverfe
that immenfe country in any manner?
Could not a fquadron of fhips be fent from.
North America, with troops on board, to.
attack New Orleans without being at fuch
an enormous expence? I know that town
is at a confiderable diftance from the fea,
and that the river is impaffable for fhips of
burthen ; but then the country is good,
and eafily marched through, and it is not
above three days march from the mouth
of the river to the city; but the river
would ferve for an attack of {mall craft, if
fuch a march was impracticable. The
town itfelf, though extremely neat and
pretty, is of litle or no firength, but
would furrender on the firft fummons from’
a {mall force : and the whole country con-
fequently be conquered, as it is the only
place of importance in it. How much more
advantageous would fuch a conqueft be
than our boafted one of Beller, é, Which
coft us forty times as much, and is
| SS as tes not
( 36.)
not of. the fortieth part the confequence !
If we do not poflefs ourfelves of this.
country, and yet refolve to have it ata
peace, we muft expe to give up fome
valuable acquifition for it; but if -we
make the conqueft, fuch a ceffion may be
faved. Your Grace muft be very fenfible
that there will be no probability of fecuring
our colonies, if we leave the French in
pofieffion of this moft valuable region :
A miniftry that confidered the intereft ‘of
this nation in making a peace, would ‘ne-
ver think of fuffering a fingle fubje& of
France to remain in the whole continent
of North America.
I have been very credibly informed, that
the Privy Council were divided in their
opinions concerning that article of the
. peace, in the late negociation, which re-
turned Canada to France, and made the
river St. Lawrence the barrier between the
colonies of the two nations... One party,
at the head of which was the great Com-
moner, was not for yielding up Canada, and
the other, was. for. accepting the barrier.
|
oO
(OREY-
Thave alfo been told, that there was anequal
divifion on: this queftion, but that was de-
cided in favour of the former opinion by
his M. y- Surely, my Lord D** *,
the members againft that meafure can only
think of favouring the enemies of their
country! The K— acted with the wifdom
which isfo manifeft inevery thing he does,
when. he declared againft fuch a fatal arti-
cle. But-this faa, my Lord, fhews how
much divided in opinion our adminiftration
were, during the ftay of Monf. Buffy.
_ The very firft principles of that nego-
ciation were very badly calculated for our
interefts. From what has tranfpired, and
from what we can judge of the fituation of
France, their miniftry very little expe@ed
a peace to be concluded ; I cannot fuppofe
even that they fent over M. Buffy with -
Much an intention. But I make little
doubt, that their real defigns were fully an-
{wered by his refidence amongft us. The
court of Verfailles wanted more to know
the ftate of our miniftry, and what they
had to expeé& from: any changes in it,
| than
*/ é : 5
TO ES ee
((2383:)
than to. make a peace under fuch difad-
vantages as they muft have done, while all
parties were united here againft the com-
mon enemy. M. Buffy no doubt foon dif-
covered, that there were divifions amongtt
them, which it was by nomeans his bufinefs.
to heal; and he certainly informed his court
that they had little. to expect from a peace
while Mr..P*** continued in power, but
that he had reafon to believe he would not
remain in the adminiftration long: this is:
not in the leaft improbable ; for, can it.
be fuppofed, that this Frenchman did not
forefee the refignation which has fince
happened ?
There are many reafons to think, that
the French had no hearty defire for a.
peace, but agreed to a negociation only to:
difcover the fecrets of our cabinet 3; andin
this point they doubtlefS met with fuccefs.
They very well know, that after fuch an
unfuccefsful war, they had no hopes in any
thing but a change in the Brityfh minittry.
They knew that the whole machinery of
the war was turned by that fingle wheel,
. the
eS
339)
‘the Exgii/h fupplies. © They were alfo well
convinced, that if any event happened,
which would lower the credit of our'mi-
niftry, they might then expect to’ treat —
with much greater advantage than while
we were all united and a@ed to one point.
With this political forefi¢ht, they chofe
out the propereft man in all France, not
to conclude a peace, but to difcover if there
‘were any hopes of better times; or, in
other words, if our miniftry was likely to
continue firmly united: I call M. Buffy
the propereft man in all France for: his
bufinefs ; my reafon is, this intimate ac-
quaintance with your ‘Grace, and fome
other of our great men, which gave him a
much greater advantage than any other
Frenchman would have had.
Your Grace will, I make little doubt, —
agree with me, that a vaft deal of the {ci-.
ence of politicks depends On penetration :
moft governments allow confiderable fums
to the minifters for fecre: fervices, fuch as
procuring intelligence ; but we very well
know, that a man of deep penetration, and
| a.
i eS
(40 }
a found political tnderftanding, will make
better difcoveries than the the greateft fums
of money indiferiminately applied. M.
Buffy had the reputation of being a man of
penetration and fagacity before he came
here. -Now your Grace will alfo un-
doubtedly allow me, that our minifters,
when they found Mr. Buffy’ refident
among{t them, fhould be to the very high-
eft degree cautious of what they faid at any
time when bufinefs was not the imme-
diate topic. I am fpeaking of fome
maxims in politics which your Grace
muft be convinced, are abfolutely. neceffary
to. be always .put in practice. We
know what a prodigious effe& fome hints,
which a certain great man dropped con-—
cerning the c- eae A————g, in the
warmth of wine and company, (before it
was, known fuch an affair was on foot)
had on our ftocks. This confequence it
it-is true was not fo very important. But
what might that fecret have been? Let
us fappofe the fame perfon fo unguard-
ed in the company of M. Bz//y. What
terrible confequences might fuch a beha-
viour
€;,
a VD
Viour have, in affairs of the greateft im-
portance, and which require the greateft —
fecrecy ! But thele obfervations may be
thought rather impertinent here; befides
the remark is defigned for the guilty ; but
your Grace and I are free fouls ——Let
the gaul’d jadé winch !
Our enemies now certainly find the ads
vantage of havinghad Monf. Bufy fo long
at our court. They were determined not to
make a bad peace, and as foon as their
minifter informed them how matters went
at the court of London, they immediately
faw the neceffity of protra@ting the nego-
ciation till our miniftry had fuffered fome
changes which would weaken their credit,
and confequently their power, and per-
haps, in the end, oblige us to come into
terms of peace, moft agreeable to our
enemies. Thefe have been the conftant
arts of Francewhen the has failed in arms.
Pray God they may not be attended with —
fuch fuccefs now as formerly.
G | Tn
(42)
fie the en feltiggpera cd we fhall have eveay
thing at ftake. This nation is not like fome
erhess; who-are clear of debt}: and know
their ‘expences: In former times when we
éntered into a war; if bad fuccefs attended
our arms, we had’the profpec of fome
better opportunity happening to give us
eur “fevenge ; ‘unincumbercd with ‘debts,
_wevconcluded a peace, and no longer felt
the burthen of the war. But how are the
times ‘altered !"Every, campaign’ ‘now “is
felt even after a peace ;/ and our ‘débts are —
come. to fuch an enormous -héight, ‘that
this war will encteafe them, almoft to’as.
great a fum as, I apprehend; we fhall be
abie* to” bear, even if we make a good
péace. “But what may be the confequence’
of a-bad one, God only knows ;. though it
does not require any very great deoree’ of
political forefight, to prove, that a peace
which is not to the greateft degree explicit,
mult be foon productive of ax freth’ wars.
France at. the. conclufion of the treaty. of
Aix la Chapelle, was in fuch a low ftate,
that all Ewrope expetted, the would not be .
able
( 43 ) |
able for many years tinetnter ione-o0iIN
war; but this opinion has proved an: entire
miftake, for by making,an excellent: peace;
fhe was foon. miftref$ of an extenfive and
flourifhing commerce, which .enriched
her fo much, that at, the breaking out.of
the prefent war, fhe pofteffed a trade which
was really /aftonifhing, “when we coniiter
that this was all revivedinfeven years., This
fhews. very, plainly, that if, at the enfuing—
peace, that nation. regains. her -colosiess
which. are the) fources of her riches, fhe
will very, foon, be in a condition towenew
the war with us, wh ich, the will undoubted-
ly.do, as that would be: the eafiett, saat
ruin, her great lok cyan ee STDS
-
i et : + % iy
us eee haat in ihe fracibfite sie
| or oe ifteos years, we have another war with
France, which there is the greateft reafow
to think will be the cafe, if the peace
that is to conclude this, be not greztly to
our advantage, and quite decifive im-every
particular : : let us.alfo reckon our national,
debt at the end of the prefent war, at oné
hundred and ten millions; a calculation,
£52 I fear,
( 44 )
I fear, which will not be found fhart of the
truth : how fhall we be able with fuch
an enormous burthen, to carryon a new
War; unlefi we referve fuch valuable acqui-
fitions now, as will greatly encreafe our trade,
and ruin that of our enemies 2
In fhort, your Grace mutt allow, that if
we do not conclude an excellent peace, we
are an undone people: this immenfe debt
mutt at laft (and that period may not be at
at a great diftance) rife to fuch a prodigi-
ous fum, that the whole revenue of the
kingdom will not equal the intereft : the
confequences of fuch a crifis mutt be an
immediate bankruptcy, and what fata}
effects fuch an event muft have, it is im-
poffible to paint : but when the affairs of
this kingdom are in {0 ticklith a fituation,
the minifters thould certainly exert them-
felves with the greateft vigeur towards
carrying us fuccefsfully through a war hi-
therto’ fo glorioufly condued. They
ought ‘never to think of -@ peace that
did not cede for ever to us all North
America, the cod fithery, and as much:
of the fugar trade ‘as is poffible. Thefe
, | I
a
(ee)
_ Tfhould-reckon the principal points; but
What reafon is there ‘that'we fhould res
turn any thing that is of great confequence,
fuch as our acquifitions in the W oft-Indies,
all of them: Senegal and Goree ; and our
conquefts in the Eaft-Indies. What have
the French in their poffeffion, that can en=
title them to make fuch demands. ~ Mi-
norcais their only conqueft; and the poffeffi-
on of that has now beeh found entirely
ufelefs to us: Belleile we may readily te-
turn, as the keeping it would be abfurd ; —
fam very much afraid, and it has been
whifpered about, that we infifted on the
fortifications of Dunkirk being demolithed;
which, of all other demands, is the moft
unjuft, the moft abfurd, and the moft trivial;
and is moreover, an article that the French
will never confent to, unlef they have
fomething returned by way of an equiva~
lent for it. Perhaps they will demand
a@ few barren acres in North America ; or
fome rocky ifland to dry a few cod-fifh upon ;
but fare an Exghfb miniftry will never be’
fo utterly abfurd as to give up any thing-
(0 obtain———-nothing ;. for Dunkirk is a’
, mere
A
(46 )
mere {care-crow tothe mob, in.England ;
and; what right could we ever pretend to
have to fuch a demand: why don’t we in-
fifton Stra/burg, being demolifhed, or Lifle?
the King. of France has a better title to
Dunkirk than he has to Aface. I make
little doubt but the French miniftry would
be extremely glad to hear of fucha de-
mand, as it certainly would be greatly for
their advantage in the end. 4
In. refpect to. our, German; connections,
they need not be the occafion, in the pre-
fent ftate of affairs, to retard or perplex us
ina peace with France. 1 fhould. think,
that one fingle article would conclude every.
thing there that we have to fettle; and. that is
to bind both nations, to withdraw their re-.
{peGsive armies out of Germany, and leave’
every. thing - there on the footing it was
before the war. As to the claims of the
feyeral German princes, they are much more
properly to be confidered in a congrefs of
| themfelves, than in a peace between Great
Britain and France; as to the fcheme of
fcularizations, they are alfo. much more
con=
(47) ——
connected with the German peace than the
Britifh one. As the French have been
extremely unfuccefsfal every where, “Why
fhould we think of making a peace, that did
not fecure to us the moft confiderable of our
acquifitions orin other words, leave ¢ e every
thing as it is in America, Africa “and the
Eaft-Indies, with this addition, to” ‘Sette
Lou; wfiana to ourfelves Po ion
it &-bege’-
~ Then, my Lord D***,” how ‘etateful
would the nation be to your Grace; ‘and
the reft of: the miniftry | Your ‘names. |
would be as dear to the people as ever that
of the great’'Commoner was “You would
then obtain fuch a degree | of credifia “the
nation as few minifters ever'enjoyed?? ‘But
if on the’ contrary, the reverfe happefis'té
be the cafe, what, my Lord, will be thé
confequence ? Perhaps ‘you may ‘be’ ablé
to continue in: power till the Frev¢} think
proper to pick a new qtlatrel with us;
but then you will no. onger retain it. You
will then be obliged to give up that with
— which you pofleffed as = price
of
s 2 , 3 Confider
‘ “*
.
(48 )
_ Confider, my Lord, that the intereft of this
preat nation is at a crifis. If the war gues
on with vigour another campaign or two,
we may then hope that our admihiftiation
is determined to make no peace. but what
is greatly advantageous ; and we may
bear the burthen of our debt with eafe, as
‘long as we pofiefs fo flourifhing a com-
merce, If the people are abfolutely per-
fuaded that your intention is to condué
the . wat. with -refolution,: till you can
fecure an advantageous peace, doubtlefs
they will give you that affiftance which the
late. .gteat Commioner fo. often received.
To convince us that this.is your intention,
is your prefent bufinefS. Some will be
very eafily perfuaded; but poffibly the
wary and expetienced politician. will. not
teadily conftrue your actions fo favourably
as they:may perhaps deferve 5 having been
fo recently and fo capitally difappointed:
Rese I am, cane
Se Be! Bc,
ese eK *F
%
AS &