Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 397, November 1848Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 64, No. 397, November 1848
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
We have now given a general glance at the _matériel_ of those
volumes. They contain a great variety of public documents, valuable
to the future historian, though too _official_ for the general
reader. One, however, is too curious to be altogether passed by: it
is from Lord Brougham, (dated 1812,) offering himself for employment
in American affairs:--
"MY LORD,--I am confident that the step which I am now taking cannot
be misconstrued by your lordship. Under the present circumstances, I
beg to make a tender of my services to his Majesty's government in
the conduct of the negotiation with the United States, wheresoever
the same may be carried on.
"I am induced to think that I might be of use as a negotiator in this
affair. I trust it is unnecessary to add, that I can have no motive
of a private or personal nature in making this offer. Should it be
accepted, I must necessarily sustain a considerable injury in my
professional pursuits," &c.
We think that, in giving these volumes to the country, the present
Marquis of Londonderry has not merely fulfilled an honourable
fraternal duty, but has rendered a service to public character.
Faction had calumniated Lord Castlereagh throughout a large portion
of his career. The man who breaks down a fierce rebellion, and who
extinguishes a worthless legislature, must be prepared to encounter
the hostility of all whose crimes he has punished, or whose traffic
he has put to shame. The felon naturally hates the hand which holds
the scales of justice, and, if he cannot strike, is sure to malign.
The contemptuous dignity with which Lord Castlereagh looked down upon
his libellers, and his equally contemptuous disregard of defence, of
course only rendered libel more inveterate; and every low artifice of
falsehood was exerted against the administration of a man who was an
honour to Ireland.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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