A History of the Four Georges and of William IV, Volume IIIMcCarthy, Justin H. (Justin Huntly)
History
A History of the Four Georges and of William IV, Volume III
McCarthy, Justin H. (Justin Huntly)
Great Britain -- History -- 1714-1837; Great Britain -- Politics and government -- 1714-1837
Rockingham formed a Ministry for the second time. The new Ministry was
formed of an alliance between the two armies of the Rockingham Whigs and
the Shelburne Whigs. Rockingham represented the political principles
that dated from the days of Walpole. {224} Shelburne represented, or
misrepresented, the principles that dated from the days of Chatham. The
King would very much have preferred to take Shelburne without Rockingham,
but even the King had to recognize that it was impossible to gratify his
preference. Even if Shelburne had been a much better leader than he was
he had not the following which would entitle him to form a Ministry on
his own account. And Shelburne was by no means a good leader. To the
Liberal politician of to-day Shelburne seems a much more desirable and
admirable statesman than Rockingham. Most of his political ideas were in
advance of his time, and his personal friendships prove him to have been
a man of appreciative intelligence. He had proved his courage in his
youth as a soldier at Campen and Minden; he had maintained his courage in
1780 when he faced and was wounded by the pistol of Fullarton. But his
gifts, whatever they were, were not of the quality nor the quantity to
make a leader of men. He could not form a Ministry for himself, and he
was not an element of stability in any Ministry of which he was a member.
The Administration formed by the alliance of Rockingham and Shelburne
could boast of many brilliant names, and showed itself laudably anxious
to add to their number. In an Administration which had Fox for a
Secretary of State, Burke for Paymaster-General of the Forces, and
Sheridan for Under-Secretary of State, the Vice-Treasurership of Ireland
was offered to Pitt.
[Sidenote: 1782--Fox's quarrel with Pitt]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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