the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第23节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　independence　of　the　United　States。　　The　Duke　of　Richmond　was　about　to　declare　his　opinion　that　all　thought　of　subjugating　those　states　ought　to　be　relinquished。　　Chatham　had　always　maintained　that　the　resistance　of　the　colonies　to　the　mother　country　was　justifiable。　　But　he　conceived；　very　erroneously；　that　on　the　day　on　which　their　independence　should　be　acknowledged　the　greatness　of　England　would　be　at　an　end。　　Though　sinking　under　the　weight　of　years　and　infirmities；　he　determined；　in　spite　of　the　entreaties　of　his　family；　to　be　in　his　place。　　His　son　supported　him　to　a　seat。　　The　excitement　and　exertion　were　too　much　for　the　old　man。　　In　the　very　act　of　addressing　the　peers；　he　fell　back　in　convulsions。　　A　few　weeks　later　his　corpse　was　borne；　with　gloomy　pomp；　from　the　Painted　Chamber　to　the　Abbey。　　The　favourite　child　and　namesake　of　the　deceased　statesman　followed　the　coffin　as　chief　mourner；　and　saw　it　deposited　in　the　transept　where　his　own　was　destined　to　lie。　His　elder　brother；　now　Earl　of　Chatham；　had　means　sufficient；　and　barely　sufficient；　to　support　the　dignity　of　the　peerage。　　The　other　members　of　the　family　were　poorly　provided　for。　　William　had　little　more　than　three　hundred　a　year。　　It　was　necessary　for　him　to　follow　a　profession。　　He　had　already　begun　to　eat　his　terms。　　In　the　spring　of　1780　he　came　of　age。　　He　then　quitted　Cambridge；　was　called　to　the　bar；　took　chambers　in　Lincoln's　Inn；　and　joined　the　western　circuit。　　In　the　autumn　of　that　year　a　general　election　took　place；　and　he　offered　himself　as　a　candidate　for　the　university；　but　he　was　at　the　bottom　of　the　poll。　　It　is　said　that　the　grave　doctors；　who　then　sate　robed　in　scarlet；　on　the　benches　of　Golgotha；　thought　it　great　presumption　in　so　young　a　man　to　solicit　so　high　a　distinction。　　He　was；　however；　at　the　request　of　a　hereditary　friend；　the　Duke　of　Rutland；　brought　into　Parliament　by　Sir　James　Lowther　for　the　borough　of　Appleby。　The　dangers　of　the　country　were　at　that　time　such　as　might　well　have　disturbed　even　a　constant　mind。　　Army　after　army　had　been　sent　in　vain　against　the　rebellious　colonists　of　North　America。　　On　pitched　fields　of　battle　the　advantage　had　been　with　the　disciplined　troops　of　the　mother　country。　　But　it　was　not　on　pitched　fields　of　battle　that　the　event　of　such　a　contest　could　be　decided。　　An　armed　nation；　with　hunger　and　the　Atlantic　for　auxiliaries；　was　not　to　be　subjugated。　　Meanwhile　the　House　of　Bourbon；　humbled　to　the　dust　a　few　years　before　by　the　genius　and　vigour　of　Chatham；　had　seized　the　opportunity　of　revenge。　　France　and　Spain　were　united　against　us；　and　had　recently　been　joined　by　Holland。　　The　command　of　the　Mediterranean　had　been　for　a　time　lost。　　The　British　flag　had　been　scarcely　able　to　maintain　itself　in　the　British　Channel。　　The　northern　powers　professed　neutrality；　but　their　neutrality　had　a　menacing　aspect。　　In　the　East；　Hyder　had　descended　on　the　Carnatic；　had　destroyed　the　little　army　of　Baillie；　and　had　spread　terror　even　to　the　ramparts　of　Fort　Saint　George。　　The　discontents　of　Ireland　threatened　nothing　less　than　civil　war。　　In　England　the　authority　of　the　government　had　sunk　to　the　lowest　point。　　The　King　and　the　House　of　Commons　were　alike　unpopular。　　The　cry　for　parliamentary　reform　was　scarcely　less　loud　and　vehement　than　in　the　autumn　of　1830。　　Formidable　associations；　headed；　not　by　ordinary　demagogues；　but　by　men　of　high　rank；　stainless　character；　and　distinguished　ability；　demanded　a　revision　of　the　representative　system。　　The　populace；　emboldened　by　the　impotence　and　irresolution　of　the　government；　had　recently　broken　loose　from　all　restraint；　besieged　the　chambers　of　the　legislature；　hustled　peers；　hunted　bishops；　attacked　the　residences　of　ambassadors；　opened　prisons；　burned　and　pulled　down　houses。　　London　had　presented　during　some　days　the　aspect　of　a　city　taken　by　storm；　and　it　had　been　necessary　to　form　a　camp　among　the　trees　of　Saint　James's　Park。　In　spite　of　dangers　and　difficulties　abroad　and　at　home；　George　the　Third；　with　a　firmness　which　had　little　affinity　with　virtue　or　with　wisdom；　persisted　in　his　determination　to　put　down　the　American　rebels　by　force　of　arms；　and　his　ministers　submitted　their　judgment　to　his。　　Some　of　them　were　probably　actuated　merely　by　selfish　cupidity；　but　their　chief；　Lord　North；　a　man　of　high　honour；　amiable　temper；　winning　manners；　lively　wit；　and　excellent　talents　both　for　business　and　for　debate；　must　be　acquitted　of　all　sordid　motives。　　He　remained　at　a　post　from　which　he　had　long　wished　and　had　repeatedly　tried　to　escape；　only　because　he　had　not　sufficient　fortitude　to　resist　the　entreaties　and　reproaches　of　the　King；　who　silenced　all　arguments　by　passionately　asking　whether　any　gentleman；　any　man　of　spirit；　could　have　the　heart　to　desert　a　kind　master　in　the　hour　of　extremity。　The　opposition　consisted　of　two　parties　which　had　once　been　hostile　to　each　other；　and　which　had　been　very　slowly；　and；　as　it　soon　appeared；　very　imperfectly　reconciled；　but　which　at　this　conjuncture　seemed　to　act　together　with　cordiality。　　The　larger　of　these　parties　consisted　of　the　great　body　of　the　Whig　aristocracy。　　Its　head　was　Charles；　Marquess　of　Rockingham；　a　man　of　sense　and　virtue；　and　in　wealth　and　parliamentary　interest　equalled　by　very　few　of　the　English　nobles；　but　afflicted　with　a　nervous　timidity　which　prevented　him　from　taking　a　prominent　part　in　debate。　　In　the　House　of　Commons；　the　adherents　of　Rockingham　were　led　by　Fox；　whose　dissipated　habits　and　ruined　fortunes　were　the　talk　of　the　whole　town；　but　whose　commanding　genius；　and　whose　sweet；　generous；　and　affectionate　disposition；　extorted　the　admiration　and　love　of　those　who　most　lamented　the　errors　of　his　private　life。　　Burke；　superior　to　Fox　in　largeness　of　comprehension；　in　extent　of　knowledge；　and　in　splendour　of　imagination；　but　less　skilled　in　that　kind　of　logic　and　in　that　kind　of　rhetoric　which　convince　and　persuade　great　assemblies；　was　willing　to　be　the　lieutenant　of　a　young　chief　who　might　have　been　his　son。　A　smaller　section　of　the　opposition　was　composed　of　the　old　followers　of　Chatham。　　At　their　head　was　William；　Earl　of　Shelburne；　distinguished　both　as　a　statesman　and　as　a　lover　of　science　and　letters。　　With　him　were　leagued　Lord　Camden；　who　had　formerly　held　the　Great　Seal；　and　whose　integrity；　ability；　and　constitutional　knowledge　commanded　the　public　respect；　Barre；　an　eloquent　and　acrimonious　declaimer；　and　Dunning；　who　had　long　held　the　first　place　at　the　English　bar。　　It　was　to　this　party　that　Pitt　was　naturally　attracted。　On　the　26th　of　February　1781；　he　made　his　first　speech；　in　favour　of　Burke's　plan　of　economical　reform。　　Fox　stood　up　at　the　same　moment；　but　instantly　gave　way。　　The　lofty　yet　animated　deportment　of　the　young　member；　his　perfect　self…possession；　the　readiness　with　which　he　replied　to　the　orators　who　had　preceded　him；　the　silver　tones　of　his　voice；　the　perfect　structure　of　his　unpremeditated　sentences；　astonished　and　delighted　his　hearers。　　Burke；　moved　even　to　tears；　exclaimed；　〃It　is　not　a　chip　of　the　old　block；　it　is　the　old　block　itself。〃　　〃Pitt　will　be　one　of　the　first　men　in　Parliament；〃　said　a　member　of　the　opposition　to　Fox。　　〃He　is　so　already；〃　answered　Fox；　in　whose　nature　envy　had　no　place。　　It　is　a　curious　fact；　well　remembered　by　some　who　were　very　recently　living；　that　soon　after　this　debate　Pitt's　name　was　put　up　by　Fox　at　Brookes's。　On　two　subsequent　occasions　during　that　session　Pitt　addressed　the　House；　and　on　both　fully　sustained　the　reputation　which　he　had　acquired　on　his　first　appearance。　　In　the　summer；　after　the　prorogation；　he　again　went　the　western　circuit；　held　several　briefs；　and　acquitted　himself　in　such　a　manner　that　he　was　highly　complimented　by　Buller　from　the　bench；　and　by　Dunning　at　the　bar。　On　the　27th　of　November　the　Parliament　reassembled。　　Only　forty…　eight　hours　before　had　arrived　tidings　of　the　surrender　of　Cornwallis　and　his　army；　and　it　had　consequently　been　necessary　to　rewrite　the　royal　speech。　　Every　man　in　the　kingdom；　except　the　King；　was　now　convinced　that　it　was　mere　madness　to　think　of　conquering　the　United　States。　　In　the　debate　on　the　report　of　the　address；　Pitt　spoke　with　even　more　energy　and　brilliancy　than　on　any　former　occasion。　　He　was　warmly　applauded　by　his　allies；　but　it　was　remarked　that　no　person　on　his　own　side　of　the　house　was　so　loud　in　eulogy　as　Henry　Dundas；　the　Lord　Advocate　of　Scotland；　who　spoke　from　the　ministerial　ranks。　　That　able　and　versatile　politician　distinctly　foresaw　the　approaching　downfall　of　the　government　with　which　he　was　connected；　and　was　preparing　to　make　his　own　escape　from　the　ruin。　　From　that　night　dates　his　connection　with　Pitt；　a　connection　which　soon　became　a　close　intimacy；　and　which　lasted　till　it　was　dissolved　by　death。　About　a　fortnight　later；　Pitt　spoke　in　the　committee　of　supply　on　the　army　estimates。　　Symptoms　of　dissension　had　begun　to　appear　on　the　Treasury　bench。　　Lord　George　Germaine；　the　Secretary　of　State；　who　was　especially　charged　with　the　direction　of　the　war　in　America；　had　held　language　not　easily　to　be　reconciled　with　declarations　made　by　the　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury。　　Pitt　noticed　the　discrepancy　with　much　force　and　keenness。　　Lord　George　and　Lord　North