Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

fpicuous a mark not to be their object. He is next attacked for being unfaithful to his promises and engagements: Where are Junius's proofs ? Although I could give fome inftances, where a breach of promife would be virtue, especially in the cafe of those who will pervert the open unfufpecting moments of convivial mirth, into fly, infidious applications for preferment, or party fyftems, and would endeavour to fupprife a good man, who cannot bear to fee any one leave him diffatisfied, into unguarded promifes. Lord Granby's attention to his own family and relations is called felfifh. Had he not attended to them, when fair and juft opportunities prefented themselves, I should have thought him unfeeling, and void of reflection indeed. How are any man's friends or relations to be provided for, but from the influence aud protection of the patron? It is unfair to fuppofe that lord Granby's friends have not as much merit as the friends of any other great man: If he is generous at the public expence, as Junius invidioufly calls it, the public is at no more expence for his lordship's friends, than it would be if any other fet of men poffeffed thofe offices. The charge is ridiculous!

The laft charge against lord Granby is of a most serious and alarming nature indeed. Junius afferts, that the army is mouldering away for

[blocks in formation]

want of the direction of a man of common abilities and spirit. The prefent condition of the army gives the directeft lie to his affertions. It was never upon a more refpectable footing with regard to difcipline, and all the effentials that can form good foldiers. Lord Ligonier delivered a firm and noble palladium of our fafeties into lord Granby's hands, who has kept it in the fame good order in which he received it. The ftri&teft care has been taken to fill up the vacant commiffions, with fuch gentlemen as have the glory of their ancestors to fupport, as well as their own, and are doubly bound to the cause of their king and country, from motives of private property, as well as public fpirit. The Adjutant-general, who has the immediate care of the troops after lord Granby, is an officer who would do great honour to any service in Europe, for his correct arrangements, good fenfe and difcernment upon all occafions, and for a punctuality and precifion which give the most entire fatisfaction to all who are obliged to confult him. The Reviewing-generals, who infpect the army twice a year, have been fellected with the greatest care, and have answered the important truft reposed in them in the most laudable manner. Their reports of the condition of the army are much more to be credited than those of Junius, whom I do advise, to

atone

atone for his fhameful afperfions, by afking pardon of lord Granby and the whole kingdom, whom he has offended by his abominable scandals.. In short, to turn Junius's own battery against him, I must assert, in his own words, "That he has given strong affertions without proof, declamation without argument, and violent cenfures without dignity or moderation."

WILLIAM DRAPER.

TO SIR WILLIAM DRAPER, KNIGHT OF THE.

BATH.

SIR,

February 7, 1769..

YOUR defence of lord Granby does honour to the goodness of your heart. You feel, as you ought to do, for the reputation of your friend, and you express yourself in the warmest language of the paffions. In any other cause, I doubt not, you would have cautioufly weighed the confequences of committing your name to the licentious dif-courfes and malignant opinions of the world. But here, I prefume, you thought it would be a breach of friendship to lofe one moment in confulting your understanding; as if an appeal to the public were no more than a military

[blocks in formation]

coup de main, where a brave man has no rules to follow, but the dictates of his courage. Touched with your generofity, 1 freely forgive the exceffes into which it has led you; and, far from refenting thofe terms of reproach, which, confidering that you are an advocate for decorum, you have heaped upon me rather too liberally, I place them to the account of an honeft unreflecting indignation, in which your cocler judgment and natural politeness had no concern. I approve of the fpirit, with which you have given your name to the public; and, if it were a proof of any thing but fpirit, I should have thought myself bound to follow your example. I fhould have hoped that even my name might carry fome authority with it, if I had not feen how very little weight or confideration a printed paper receives even from the refpectable fignature of Sir William Draper.

You begin with a general affertion, that writers, fuch as I am, are the real caufe of all the public evils we complain of. And do you really think, Sir William, that the licentious pen of a political writer is able to produce fuch important effects? A little calm reflection might have fhewn you, that national calamities do not rife from the defcription, but from the real character and conduct of minifters. To have fupported your affertion, you should have proved that the prefent miniftry

are

are unquestionably the beft and brightest characters of the kingdom; and that, if the affections of the Colonies have deen alienated, if Corfica has been fhamefully abandoned, if commerce lan-guifhes, if public credit is threatened with a new debt, and your own Manilla Ranfom moft difhonourably given up, it has all been owing to the malice of political writers, who will not fuffer the best and brightest characters (meaning ftill the prefent miniftry) to take a single right step for the honour or intereft of the nation. But it feems you were a little tender of coming to particulars. Your confcience infinuated to you, that it would be prudent to leave the characters of Grafton, North, Hillsborough, Weymouth, and Mansfield, to fhift for themfelves; and truly, Sir William, the part you have undertaken is at least as much as you are equal to.

Without difputing lord Granby's courage, we are yet to learn in what articles of military knowledge Nature has been fo very liberal to his mind. If you have ferved with him, you ought to have pointed out fome inftances of able difpofition and well-concerted enterprize, which might fairly be attributed to his capacity as a general. It is you Sir William, who make your friend appear aukward and ridiculous, by giving him a laced fuit

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »