CHAP. ceded from his colours, difobeyed the commands of XXXIII. his fuperiors, and hid himself from danger, fuch conduct would have given him pretenfions to the patronage of the first lord of the treasury, and the honours and emoluments of the American secretary. 1778. 7th April. Richmond's motion for the troops from Ame pica. LORD GEORGE GERMAINE replied he never was personal in the houfe, nor ever by his conduct merited fuch an attack; he defpifed the honourable member, but would level himself with his wretched character and malice; old as he was, he would meet that fighting gentleman, and be revenged. The house called to order: the speaker reprimanded both members, and infifted on their promise that the affair fhould be no further profecuted; lord George Germaine apologized for his warmth, and Mr. Luttrel, after attempting to escape from the house, and standing in contumacy till he had nearly been taken into cuftody of the ferjeant at arms, acknowledged his error, and faid he meant his reflections as public matter, not as private abuse or enmity. THE Committee on the state of the nation, closed The duke of in the houfe of lords with a motion by the duke of Richmond for an addrefs, recapitulating the expenses, withdrawing mifconduct, and loffes of the war, and befeeching the king to withdraw his forces from America, and dismiss the ministry. Lord Weymouth oppofed it, obferving, that all the circumftances ftated as facts had been already rejected by the committee. Our fituation with refpect to France fhould prevent the house from adopting a propofition which indicated the country to be in a defenceless ftate; and to requeft the king to withdraw his armies was an improper interference with his just prerogative. The fame prerogative extended to the appointment or removal of ministers; if guilty of misconduct they were open to public inquiry and if convicted on competent proof, objects of parliamentary complaint, and of parliamentary prayer for removal. It had been asked, did minifters confider their places as their freeholds? Did they hold 1778. hold them as a matter of right? Did they deem CHA P. their difmiffion from employment a punishment? XXXIII. certainly no. The king, who honoured them with his commands, could, whenever he pleafed, dispense with their fervices; and when his majefty thought that proper, no member of adininiftration would confider himself punished. of Lord On this day, the earl of Chatham, ftruggling for a Appearance momentary victory over disease, made his appearance Chatham. in the house of lords. The importance of the crifis, the character of the great statesman, and the expectation of important counfel, rendered his prefence peculiarly interesting; while the languor of illness, foftening, although it could not extinguifh the fire of his eye, and diminishing the elation, although it could not abate the dignity of his mien, gave force to every feeling of perfonal affection, and fuppreffed every fentiment of petulant or acrimonious oppofition, which a long courfe of parliamentary conteft had excited. When in the garb of sickness, he was led into the house between his fon and fon-in-law, the peers of all parties paid a voluntary tribute of refpect by standing while he paffed to his proper place. He rofe from his feat flowly and difficultly; leaning His fpeecha on his crutch, and fupported under each arm by his relatives. Taking one hand from his crutch, he raised it, and casting his eyes toward Heaven, faid, "I thank God that I have been enabled to come here this day to perform my duty, and to fpeak on a subject which has fo deeply impreffed my mind.-I am old and infirm-have one foot, more than one foot, in the grave. -I am risen from my bed to stand up in the cause of my country-perhaps never again to speak in this houfe *" He came to exprefs his indignation at an idea, From Anecdotes of Diftinguished Perfons by Mr. Seward, vol. ii. p. 422. 4th edit. 1800. This well-informed author adds the following circumstances : "The purport of his fpeech is well known. The reverence-the attention the Alinefs of the house was most affecting: if any one had dropped a handkerchief, the 1778. CHAP. idea, he understood was gone forth, of yielding up XXXIII. the fovereignty of America! "I rejoice," he continued, "that the grave has not closed on me that I am still alive to lift up my voice against the difmemberment of this ancient and moft noble monarchy ! Preffed down, as I am, by the hand of infirmity, I am little able to affift my country in this perilous conjuncture; but, while I have fenfe and memory, I will never confent to deprive the royal offspring of the house of Brunswick, the heirs of the princess Sophia, of their faireft inheritance. Where is the man who will dare to advife fuch a measure? My lords, his majesty fucceeded to an empire as great in extent as its reputation was unfullied. Shall we tarnish the luftre of this nation by an ignominious furrender of its rights and faireft poffeffions? Shall this great kingdom, that has furvived whole and entire the Danish depredations, the Scottish inroads, and the Norman conqueft; that has stood the threatened invafion of the Spanish armada, now fall proftrate before the house of Bourbon? Surely, this nation is no longer what it was! Shall a people, feventeen years ago the terror of the world, now ftoop fo low as to tell its ancient inveterate enemy-take all we have, only give us peace? It is impoffible! I wage war with no man, or fet of men. I wish for none of their employments; nor would I co-operate with men who ftill perfift in unretracted error; or who, instead of acting on a firm, decifive line of conduct, halt between two opinions, where there is no middle path. In God's name, if it is abfolutely neceffary to declare either for peace or war, and if peace cannot be pre the noise would have been heard. At first he spoke in a very low and feeble tone; but, as he grew warm, his voice rofe, and was as harmonious as ever; oratorical and affecting, perhaps more than at any former period, both from his own fituation, and from the importance of the fubject on which he spoke. He gave the whole hiftory of the American war; of all the meafures to which he had objected; and all the evils which he had prophefied, in confequence of them, adding at the end of each," And fo it proved!" 1778. served with honour, why is not war commenced with- CHA P. out hesitation? I am not, I confefs, well informed of XXXIII. the resources of this kingdom; but I truft it has ftill sufficient to maintain its juft rights, though I know them not. But any ftate is better than defpair. Let us at least make one effort; and if we must fall, let us fall like men!" THE duke of Richmond, after replying to the arguments of lord Weymouth, directed his attention to thofe of lord Chatham, for whofe perfon and opinions he profeffed the higheft veneration and refpect; no one had a more grateful memory of the fervices which he had rendered to the country, raifing its glory, reputation, and fucceffes to an height never before experienced by any nation. But the name of Chatham could not perform impoffibilities, or restore the country to the ftate in which it ftood when he was called to direct its counfels. Our finances were then most flourishing, refulting from the abilities and indefatigable zeal of that great man and able financier, Mr. Pelham; our fleet was in a refpectable condition, and under the direction of a moft able naval officer, lord Anfon. The influence of the crown had not reached its prefent alarming and dangerous height. We had for the most part of the war, France alone to contend with; and when Spain commenced hoftilities, France was reduced to the lowest ebb; her navy almost annihilated; and her principal colonies in the new world wrefted from her. America then fought for us; in the prefent exigency, inftead of Great Britain and America againft France and Spain; France, Spain, and America, would be united against Great Britain. As lord Chatham had not only omitted to point out the means of fuftaining fo unequal a conteft, but had acknowledged he knew them not, the duke adhered to his former opinion. No perfon more fincerely wished the perpetuation of American dependence; but being convinced of its total impracticability, he was anxious to retain the colonists The duke of Richmond's reply. XXXIII. 1778. CHA P. colonifts as allies, because if they are not on terms of friendship with Great Britain, they muft throw themselves into the arms of France; and if war was commenced on account of the late treaty, they would confider themselves bound in honour to affift their ally. The noble earl, as a reafon for war, had mentioned the inherent rights of the heir apparent and his brother to recover thofe poffeffions by force, was now totally impracticable, but he would join in calling to a fevere account, thofe who had caufed the lofs of their inheritance. The provocation given by France, on account of her conduct refpecting America, did not compel the adoption of refentful measures; Queen Elizabeth openly abetted the revolt of the Spanish Netherlands, and affifted the infurgents for a feries of years with men and money; Philip the second, far from refenting, fcarcely feemed to notice the circumstance. He was already fufficiently embarraffed; and did not confider himself bound, either in honour or policy, to create more enemies than he was able to contend with; yet Philip was, at that time, the most powerful prince in Europe. Lord Chatham's fudden illnefs. Death of lord Chatham. AT the close of this fpeech, lord Chatham, animated with disdain, and eager to reply, rofe from his feat; but the effort was too mighty for his enfeebled frame, and after repeated attempts to retain his pofition, he funk in a fwoon. The house became a fcene of alarm and agitation, and the debate was clofed. ALTHOUGH he foon recovered from the fit, and the public entertained fanguine hopes of the re-eftablifhment of his health, this stroke was the forerunner of death. He languished a few weeks at Hayes, where 11th May. he was conveyed by his own defire, and expired in the feventieth year of his age. Honours paid to his memory by As foon as the event was known colonel Barré moved for an addrefs, requesting that the remains of the houfe of this illuftrious ftatefman fhould be interred at the public expence in Westminster Abbey. Mr. T. Town commons. · 5 fhend |