most unruly ambition. But a fyftem unfavourable to freedom may be fo formed, as confiderably to exalt the grandeur of the ftate; and men may find in the pride and fplendour of that profperity fome fort of confolation for the lofs of their folid privileges. Indeed the increase of the power of the ftate has often been urged by artful men, as a pretext for fome abridgement of the publick liberty. But the scheme of the junto under confideration, not only strikes a palfy into every nerve of our free conftitution, but in the fame degree benumbs and stupifies the whole executive power; rendering government in all its grand operations languid, uncertain, ineffective; making minifters fearful of attempting, and incapable of executing, any useful plan of domeftick arrangement, or of foreign politicks. It tends to produce neither the fecurity of a free government, nor the energy of a monarchy that is abfolute, Accordingly the crown has dwindled away, in proportion to the unnatural and turgid growth of this excrefcence on the court,

The interiour miniftry are fenfible, that war is a fituation which fets in its full light the value of the hearts of a people; and they well know, that the beginning of the importance of the people must be the end of theirs. For this reafon they difcover upon all occafions the utmoft fear of every thing, which by poffibility may lead to fuch an event. I do not mean that they manifeft any of

that

that pious fear which is backward to commit the fafety of the country to the dubious experiment of war. Such a fear, being the tender fenfation of virtue, excited, as it is regulated, by reafon, frequently fhews itfelf in a feasonable boldness, which keeps danger at a distance, by feeming to defpife it. Their fear betrays to the first glance of the eye, its true caufe, and its real object. Foreign powers, confident in the knowledge of their character, have not fcrupled to violate the moft folemn treaties; and, in defiance of them, to make conquefts in the midft of a general peace, and in the heart of Europe. Such was the conqueft of Corfica, by the profeffed enemies of the freedom of mankind, in defiance of thofe who were formerly its profeffed defenders. We have had juft claims upon the fame powers; rights which ought to have been facred to them as well as to us, as they had their origin in our lenity and generofity towards France and Spain in the day of their great humiliation. Such I call the ransom of Manilla, and the demand on France for the Eaft India prifoners. But these powers put a just confidence in their refource of the double cabinet. Thefe demands (one of them at leaft) are haftening faft towards an acquittal by prescription. Oblivion begins to fpread her cobwebs over all our fpirited remonftrances. Some of the most valuable branches of our trade are alfo on the point of perifhing

from

from the fame caufe. I do not mean thofe branches which bear without the hand of the vine-dreffer'; I mean those which the policy of treaties had formerly fecured to us; I mean to mark and diftinguish the trade of Portugal, the lofs of which, and the power of the cabal, have one and the fame æra.

If, by any chance, the minifters who stand before the curtain poffefs or affect any spirit, it makes little or no impreffion. Foreign courts and minifters, who were among the first to difcover and to profit by this invention of the double cabinet, attend very little to their remonftrances. They know that thofe fhadows of minifters have nothing to do in the ultimate difpofal of things. Jealoufies and animofities are fedulously nourished in the outward administration, and have been even confidered as a caufa fine qua non in its conftitution: thence foreign courts have a certainty, that nothing can be done by common counsel in this nation. If one of thofe minifters officially takes up a bufinefs with fpirit, it ferves only the better to fignalize the meannefs of the reft, and the difcord of them all. His colleagues in office are in hafte to fhake him off, and to difclaim the whole of his proceedings. Of this nature was that aftonishing tranfaction, in which Lord Rochford, our ambaffador at Paris, remonftrated against the attempt upon Corfica, in confequence of a direct authority VOL. II. Τ

.

1

from

from Lord Shelburne. This remonftrance the French minifter treated with the contempt that was natural; as he was affured, from the ambaffador of his court to ours, that thefe orders of Lord Shelburne were not fupported by the reft of the (I had like to have faid British) administration. Lord Rochford, a man of fpirit, could not endure this fituation. The confequences were, however, curious. He returns from Paris, and comes home full of anger. Lord Shelburne, who gave the orders, is obliged to give up the feals. Lord Rochford, who obeyed thefe orders, receives them. He goes, however, into another department of the fame office, that he might not be obliged officially to acquiefce in one fituation under what he had officially remonftrated againft in another. Paris, the Duke of Choifeul confidered this office arrangement as a compliment to him: here it was fpoke of as an attention to the delicacy of Lord Rochford. But whether the compliment was to one or both, to this nation it was the fame. By this tranfaction the condition of our court lay expofed in all its nakednefs. Our office correfpondence has loft all pretence to authenticity; British -policy is brought into derifion in those nations, that a while ago trembled at the power of our arms, whilft they looked up with confidence to the equity, firmness, and candour, which thone in all

At

our

our negotiations. I reprefent this matter exactly in the light in which it has been univerfally re

ceived.

Such has been the afpect of our foreign politicks, under the influence of a double cabinet. With fuch an arrangement at court, it is impoffible it fhould have been otherwife. Nor is it poffible that this fcheme fhould have a better effect upon the govern ment of our dependencies, the firft, the deareft, and moft delicate objects, of the interiour policy of this empire. The colonies know, that adminiftration is separated from the court, divided within itself, and detefted by the nation.

The double cabinet has, in both the parts of it, fhewn the most malignant difpofitions towards them, without being able to do them the fmallest mischief.

They are convinced, by fufficient experience, that no plan, either of lenity or rigour, can be pursued with uniformity and perfeverance. Therefore they turn their eyes entirely from Great Britain, where they have neither dependence on friendship, nor apprehenfion from enmity. They look to themselves, and their own arrangements. They grow every day into alienation from this country; and whilft they are becoming difconnected with our government, we have not the confolation to find, that they are even friendly in their new independence. Nothing can equal the futility, the weaknefs, the rafhnefs, the timidity, the perT2 petual