he delivered arrested the attention and an affurance of future and speedy adexcited the admiration of his audience to vancement, he declined to accept it. The a wonderful degree. The houfe was often Rockingham administration fucceeded, and overpowered in littening to him, by the though the fyftem of politics adopted and recollection of his immortal father in the purfued by that nobleman's party differed animated fentiments, bold conceptions, but in a trifling degree from thofe of the and constitutional language, of the fon. father and of the fon, yet our Mr. Pitt The talents of this young member did not never acted very cordially with them. a little contribute to hatten the downfal There were reafons for this. It has been of that adminiftration which had long faid, that, at the time we are alluding to, been fupported by fecret influence, and he was under the political tuition and which, in proportion to its difmembering guidance of the then Earl of Shelburne, the empire, had increafed its debt. Ne- There are many reafons to believe that it vertheless, both fides of the house attend- was fo; for the firatagem and intrigues of ed to him, if not with equal gratification, that nobleman, and veteran politician, at leaft with equal admiration of his pow- produced their full effect upon the death ers. As the people bailed him the fa- of that noble marquis; and this calamity, viour of a finking ftate, he, in return for at that critical period, forms no inconti their confidence, entered as warmly into derable epoch in the political history of their caufe and their withes, and publick- this country. The many amiable qualily declared himself the champion of their ties and princely virtues of that illuftrious rights. The act which did him the great- character, for which he had been long fo eft credit was the readiness and zeal with greatly and fo juttly beloved, rendered his which he moved for a committee of the lots the fubject of univerfal regret. The house, to confider or confult on the most ministerial arrangements he had made proper means of obtaining a more equal were upon a broad and folid bafis: but reprefentation of the people in parliament, when the keystone of the main arch was The propofition was rejected, but it was gone, the fabric tottered, and in a thort attended with beneficial effects; for it at- time fell to pieces. A contest between tracted, and continued to attract, general Lord Shelburne, the First Commiftioner of attention for feveral years afterwards. the Treatury, and Mr. For, then SecreIn the year 1782 he propofed a fimilar tary of State, proved fatal to the whole but more specific meafure, with no better Rockingham party intercit. The confefuccefs. In endeavouring to accomplith quence was, the feceflion of Mr. Fox from this defirable object, he not only exerted the cabinet; and this made room for the himfelt in parliament, but joined thofe of fubject of this fketch to enter it with its friends out of doors. He affociated profpects of fell-gratification. The Earl himfelf in especial manner with the mem- of Shelburne propofed to remedy the ef bers of the Quintuple Alliance, as it was fects of this chitin in his majetty's coun called; in which number were found Ma- cils, by giving to Mr. Pitt an oftenfible jor Cartwright, the Rev. Mr. Wyvil, and place in adminiftration: he was accordother choice, friends to liberty. His ingly, in June 1782, promoted to be chanGrace the Duke of Richmond was one of cellor and under treasurer of the exchethe number of this club alto. Upon Ge- quer, and sworn a member of the privy neral Conway's motion for ceafing to act council. Since the administration of Lord offenfively against America, it was ealy to North commenced, in which nobleman's forefce that Lord North could not long perfou the othces of firft lord of the trearemain in administration. As foon, there- fury and chaucellor of the exchequer fore, as this expected event happened, were united, the latter had become of young Pitt became fuddenly and firangely much more importance than the former, diftant and referved in his carriage and and, in fact, the most important of any behaviour to the great leaders of the fuc- under the crown, as its object is the cefsful oppofition. In this infiance Mr. finances of the country, involving in that Pitt teftified his fagacity and devotion to account all our numerous refources by his own intereft and elevation; for, upon taxes, duties, &c. &c. A prodigious pa drawing up the outlines of a new arrange- tronage muft neceffarily be connected ment, he was offered to be made a lord of with this office, which has been known to the admiralty. Now, though this offer provide between fifty and fixty millions was tendered with marks of refpect, and of money within the year*!!! Various * A nobleman and writer of confiderable political knowledge has well obferved, that the influence which the difpofal of fuch enormous fums, in the annual expences of the government, gives to the minifter, muft of itself be dangerous to the constitution. and vaft emoluments are alfo accumulat- ffs the genius, the fentiments, and the ed in thefe offices, and thefe enormous fums were intended to compenfate for the great responsibility fuppofed to be attached to them, and the indefatigable labour they require. But refponfibility is become a word of little fignification in a minitter's vocabulary, fince a bill of indemnity is effected with fuch gale: and the details of office are made out by clerks, and other perions bred up exprefsly for the purpose, and therefore give very little trouble to the perfons at the head of them, Like Sir Robert Walpole, Mr. Pitt began his political career at a very early age; but the latter entered younger into office than the former, who in many reipects might be confidered the great archetype premier, especially in the department of managing a houje of commons, A chancellor of the exchequer, however, at the age of twenty-three, was naturally an object of curiolity and fpeculation, This was not all; for we had young fecretaries of flate, young bithops, and even a young speaker of the house of commons. Our juvenile minifier of that day refembled the young Rofcius of the prefent: he acted his part well, if he did not feel it. The multitude gazed on him as a fupernatural being, capable of working miracles. No man could enter ou the fervice of his country with a larger fhare of popularity: all the predilection fo justly cutertained for the father was now transferred to the fon. His youth, which in more fober days would have been an object of anxiety, if not of dread, operated as a charm in his favour among the enthufiafte, who reprefented it as no impediwent to his official capacity: as if the talents of a ftate finan could be inherited by delcent, like an eftate. Without a conception of this nature, we are at a lofs to account for the strange caprice of the human mind in favour of this young man, Nay, to fuch an extent was the infatuation carried, and fuch the nature of the hyperbole applied to this political phenoincuon in dildaining all reafonable mcafure, that a respectable gentleman, one of the members for Amersham, named him, in exultation, the heaven-born minister. There were thofe, however, of greater reflection and penetration, who considered this proceeding as concerted, and partaking of the mixed nature of political and theatrical: that this fatefinan by birth, or rather this idol, had been carved out by the skilful hand of a practifed artist. Be this as it may, there was nothing outré in imagining the fon to pof vigor of the father. A profution of applaufe muft neceffarily be poured out upon every act of fuch a perfon, which was likely to be attended with beneficial confequences to the kingdom. Whatever difficulties the nation has fallen into, or may fall into, under the adminiftration of this gentleman, the Earl of Shelburne, now Marquis of Lanfdown, is not to be blamed for the policy of adviting the king to nominate him at that time. He had inan feited a readinets for bufiucfs, and the finances of the country were not the moft flourishing: genius, addrefs, and his art of perfuation, were therefore thought neceflary to the prefervation of the ftate. Belides, Mr. Fox, at this time, lay under a confiderable prejudice, which the uni form correctuels of his conduct fince (except in the affair of the coalition) has, or ought to have, removed, The adminifiration we are speaking of was not long lived, but its tranfactions were fufficiently confpicuous. The peace of America was one of the works it accomplified, and is entitled to the approval of every philofophic man in the kingdom. A great fhare of that approbation, we believe, is due to Mr. Pitt. He delivered a masterly apology, in favour of himfelf and colleagues, for the humiliation of the country in fubmitting to a meafure which, fome few years before, it would have been almoft treafon to anticipate. This peace, however, was flamped with the epithet of inglorious (and it could not be otherwife) by the adminiftration which fuccceded the one we are fpeaking of; and though the whole cabinet hard to encounter strong marks of disapprobation, yet our young chancellor of the exchequer was generally excepted from the reft, as being more worthy than his coadjutors. The eclat of his character followed him in his retiring from that cabinet. He was not out of office a great while; but his promotion again to power was one of thofe dark and fecret evolutions in politics, of which the ordinary minds of honett men can form no opinion. The India Bills were the field of battle over which the political ftrength of two of the greateft champions in politics that ever adorned any country contended for victory ---it fell to the thare of Mr. Pitt. The one bill brought in by a no lefs illuftrious commoner, and still more revered by his country, was oppo'ed and contrafted by that of Mr. Pitt, which followed it; the latter as being more in favour of the rights and influence of the crown, and the former of thofe of the with the other, who, lets extending his views, and calculating lets upon thote remote yet not lels certain dangers, puts the whole upon a peril of his own feeking, the increase of which is obvious to every eye, while the means of its removal are out of the reach of almost every the government of this country is carried are DOW become fo multiplied, that fcarcely any head and hand but thofe of the bold (the great, if you pleate) macha.. nitte, who improved upon the old ones, can guide them. There are few, we have reason to believe, except among the moit ignorant or the moft daring, who would willingly undertake the direction of lo complex a machinery. Mr. Pitt's fitua tion, therefore, is more cminent than on viable. people. To entertain a juit conception draws his refults accordingly, whether of the powerful operation of thefe two fa- they may or may not be followed with mous bills on the mind of a certain great immediate gratification; how far, it is perfonage, it must be recollected that, afked, is fuch a man, with a great, proabout this time, a start or burit of free- fpective, and permanent intereft in the dom had diffufed itself over Europe. The welfare of his country, entitled to be American revolution had been contem- placed on a level of rank and confidence plated at a distance from the pot where it had been effected. Philofophers and foldiers of France had been spectators of its progrefs, and had returned to their country with accounts of the practical means by which it was attained." It was impoffible for a man of an enlarged intellect, of a retrospective eye, and a capa- understanding? The wheels on which city to judge of what may be the probable effect of a given caufe, not to yield in fome degree to the growth and power of public opinion. Mr. Fox did this: he was defirous of throwing fomething into the fcale of the people, to preferve the due libration of power, and obviate the hazard and danger of the beam itself being broken by a violent commotion for preponderance, This is the true, the undiguifed, ftate of the cafe, as it would appear, if the veil of apology on the one fide, and the matk of difguite or flattery on the other, were to be completely 16moved from the object of difpute. This fhort defcription of the cafe will be fufticient to account for Mr. Fox's bill pafiing the Houle of Commons, and then thrown out of the Lords; aud for Mr. Pitt's afterwards being carried through both with a high hand. It will be for time, the beft, the fureft commentary upon man's actions, to fhew which man of the two poffeffed the most perfpicacious judgment; and whether the experience of Mr. Fox or of Mr. Pitt was beft entitled to our confideration. Mr. Pitt has been greeted, in fong, as "the pilot who weathered the ftorm;" but that he has conducted us through the danger of it, no man can fafely affirm. He has manfully food to the helm, it is true, and, with a kind of herculean firength of arm, has defended the bark from infidious and fudden af faults; yet the veffel is ftill at fea, and is farther from the fight of laud;---at a greater diftance from the defired port than ever. From this tranfient view of the flate of things as they may be affected by the power and talents of thefe two great men, it becomes a moft ferious confideration with the fenfible people of this country, how far the one, who, watching the progrels of opinion from the extention of knowledge and intellect, admits fuch changes into his councils and calculations, and But, whatever may be the count nauce Mr. Pitt derives from a certain quarter, or the majorities he poffeffes in the Houfe of Peers, it is not natural that he should be refpecied by the Houfe of Commons: he re-entered office in the moft open defiance of their opinions and their authorty: he may, therefore, be a minifter of the crown, but he cannot be called the man of the people. We have no prejudice against this extraordinary character; we have no prepoflefhions in favour of his antagoniti: we fay of him what we faid of Lord Sidmouth when in his fituation,---we with for that which we fear cannot be obtained. The fum total of Mr. Pitt's political merits and demerits as a minifter have been concilely ftated by his great rival in thele few words; that "he is a minifter who has laid more burdens on the people of England, and abridged them of more li berty, than any one of his predeceflors." We will now speak of the talent which exclusively pertains to the management of the affairs of the Houfe of Commons. His eloquence is, undoubtedly, of the first rate order. It is difficult to conceive that the Philippics of Demofthenes, or the Orations of Cicero, could have exceeded fome of his fpeeches. They have been liftened to for hours by critics who were unable to exchange an epithet for the bet ter. In this refpect we cannot but think he has the advantage of his competitor, ous carriage towards his equals, and efpeespecially if oratory is to be judged of cially towards his inferiors; a conduct by its power to penjuade: yet take away the more offenfive, as it is now difcovered certain auxiliary confiderations, it is pro- that he can be obfequious to those above bable that Mr. Fox's oratory would be him. Mr. Pitt cannot be faid altogether thought moit found; Mr. Pitt's moit infi- to want dignity of perfon; yet there is a nuating. Of Mr. Pitt it thould feem, that repellent ftiffuefs in his addrels highly unall the powers of nature united to give becoming. He has a mufical voice, and, him a perfect utterance. In him it appears in perfection; but it appears to be hs only perfection: while in Mr. Fox it is the means of the wing that the fpeaker podelfes numerous other. Mr. Pitt has railed his own character by his eloquence, but he has not exalted that of his country. Mr. Fox never fpoke but his country derived fome benefit from his difcourke, though his own fortune might be marred by it. Nothing can be more fatal to a nation than an implicit adoration of the rhetoric of a speaker: that of Mr. Pitt has much more prevailed than the logic of Mr. Fox. A courtly fplendor has decorated the language of the former, while unadorned reafon alone has kept company with the fentiments of the latter. Thefe are not the times for men of Mr. Fox's difpofition to be liftened to. The wife man will fcarcely venture to include the intereft of the people by name in the intereft of the ftate. The fentiments of refentment and fympathy take their turns to prevail. In the laft ten or twelve years we have witneed furprifing changes of this kind. while fpeaking, has fome of the actions of a performer on an intrument. He has a uniform movement of his head, and beats time with his hands, which by no means confer a grace on his perfon, as they are out of proportion long, and his elbows ftrikingly prominent. Such is the man to whole conduct is committed the precious truft of Great Britain's profperity. But to return to the fubject of Mr. Pitt as a public fpeaker. We are in no fear of contradiction, if we fay that his eloquence no longer poffelles its former charms. The people of England feem to fay, The fake now at hazard is immenfely great, and the people of England cannot be too obiervant of him whote hand holds the dic. It is no lets in its importance, than whether we fhall rife out of an arduous conteft with a ruin: d fortune and fullied character, or prove, by the wifdom of our meatures and the vigor of their execution, that it is in vain for our external enemies to endeavour to baften the decadence of an empire which, perhaps, has not yet attained its acmé of glory. To Mr. Pitt our all is entruited; and, whether it was with or against the public opinion that it fhould be fo, he ftands equally refponfible at the bar of the public; not merely for the honefty of his intentious, but for the fuccels of his meafures. The following is the opinion of a very intelligent writer concerning this political meteor, when he firft dazzled the public eye. “As Mr. Pitt has rifen in your opinion, Satis eloquentiæ, fapientiæ parum." he has proportionably funk in mine. I Although Mr. Pitt's diction is pure and pronounced, from his firft fpeeches I ever clalical, his ideas clearly expreffed, and faw, that he would never be a great man, free from the leaft embarrallinent, his They exhibited the precaution, the preciremarks always pertinent, and touch the fion, the coldne's of a gray-haired orator; point in debate with precision and ele- unattended by the bold luxuriances, the gance, and, above all, his periods un- bright-eyed fancy, the general charactercommonly round and fonorous, yet his iftics of youthful genius. Beides, that reafoning on the whole fubject matter is abfurd ftatelinefs of manners which will found rather to captivate the fancy, and command respect, but never gain love; to entangle rather than enlighten the un- thole fymptoms of an immoderate feltderitanding. In a word, it appears fome- opinion vitible in his exterior ever fince I times as if he trifled with the judgment knew him, his fonduels for courtly hoof his auditors, and fignified that they nours, are properties incompatible with could not do better than wholly confide a truly great and amiable mind. For my in his. To this and other more weighty part, it foems to me highly difgraceful that confiderations mult we afcribe that abate- fo young and inexperienced a man, thould ment of admiration when he is on his direct a nation, and monopolife its first legs, rather than to the drawback of a offices, to the exciution of more veueracertain unamiable and growing faftidi- ble and able characters." One part of the nation cannot fail to occafion, have been called the faviour of difcern a great threwdnefs in the cha- his country? racter of, and prediction concerning, the prefent minifter. His friends cannot deny that his perfonal feelings, which are weakneffes in a minitier, have involved his country in uncommon difficulty. His implacable hatred to the French he inherits from his father; but it may be faid of him, Sequiturque patrem non poffibus æquis,” for his father did not fo much abuje the Mr. Pitt is not married, and is faid to be indifferent to the charms of the fex. It might be an objection in the minds of any other fovereign than the pope, that h's prime minifter has only a collateral intereft in the welfare of the ftate he governs. His views are more perfonal, whether of ambition or of revenge. He is more difpofed to risk all in the obtainment of any one object he aims at. His courage on this occation is conspicuous: he is willing to identify himfelf with the do away the unfavourable impreflion his country he rules over, and feems deterrigorous conduct has made on the impared to refore an evanefcent order of tial part of the community, by those obnoxious bilis commonly called the gagging ucts: this they do by appealing to the tranquillity which has fucceeded them, forgetting what Tacitus fays on this occafion: French as he beat them. Mr. Pitt's friends have endeavoured to "Solitudinem faciunt pacem appellant." A fhort time ago the nation was gratified with the hope, that the man whofe talents we have compared or oppofed to thofe of Mr. Pitt might have been made his coadjutor. Were fuch a meafure attainable, what advantages might not England have reaped by the union of fuch rare talents in the common caufe! No! like Lentulus in the field, Mr. Pitt would be imperator in the fenate. These men are of qualities to dilerent, that they are never likely to affociate, even in common life. The one has a generous fpirit and fympathifing heart; can feel for the diftreffes, and allow for the infirmities, of human nature. The other is cold and uncommiferating; always more ready to punih tan to excufe a fault. Among all those who admire him, no one was ever heard to fay they loved him, It was the rigorous and wanton exercite of power in the commencement of the late feditious commotions that made fo many men defperate. It is not denied, that liberty abufed makes men infolent; but the pernicious effects of his unneceffary fevere difcipline will be felt for a long time, and, perhaps, never be forgotten. There is little room to doubt, that, in the burst of the French revolution, the franknefs of Mr. Fox might have expofed him to the danger of being denounced as a Cataline; in which cate, a Cicero to accufe him was not far off. But would our modern Tully, like the Roman, have had a pillar aud infeription to record the deed? Would he, on that things in Europe, at the hazard of the extinction of our own independence. In the fyftem of defence which has been adopted in confequence of the threats of the enemy, Mr. Pitt, in common with the other minifters who fet it up, deferves well of the country: his ability, however, to fave us from now dangers, muft greatly depend upon his contideration with furrounding itates. The defence or protection of our foreign poffeffions will always be difficult without alliances. An acceffion of ability in the cabinet could not fail to facilitate this important defideratum, Mr. Pitt has credit for talent at home, for the talent of railing money, fo uccellary while every hand is allowed to dip into the public purte. Mr. Fox has ftill greater credit abroad for fincerity and folid undertiandang in the relative connection one cabinet ought from pol cy to enter into with another. If Mr. Pitt is the greatet orator, Mr. Fox is the ablest statefman. He would refift effectually, if not abfolutely vanquith, our enemy; not by the fword, but by philofophy. This is the real weapon he would wield with effect, while with our adverfary it is the pretend ed one he makes ufe of. The natural or acquired acerbity of our prefent minifter's temper provokes additional hoftility, and urges to new expedients for annoying and injuring us. The fyftem of Mr. Pitt is grand, but deftructive :-- :---our very triumphs weaken us. The cafualties and wear and tear of our glorious navy muft finally exhauft us, though we thould effectually block up every fhip of the enemy in his own harbours. Let us, then, duly, and in time, confider whether we are likely to find in the talents (fplendid, no doubt) of Mr. Pitt, the means of restoring the empire to fatety and profperity. If it is thought not, |