Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third, Volume 3 (of 4)Walpole, Horace
History
Memoirs of the Reign of King George the Third, Volume 3 (of 4)
Walpole, Horace
Great Britain -- History -- 1760-1789; Great Britain -- History -- George III, 1760-1820
“Are these, then, the proper expedients to check and to restrain the
spirit of faction and of disorder, and to bring back the minds of
men to a sense of their duty? Can we seriously think that they will
have that effect? Surely it is time to look forward and to try other
measures. A wise Government knows how to enforce with temper, or to
conciliate with dignity; but a weak one is odious in the former, and
contemptible in the latter. How many arguments have we heard from the
Administration in the course of the session, for conciliatory measures
towards subjects in the American colonies upon questions where the
legislative authority of Great Britain was immediately concerned? And
is not the same temper, the same spirit of conciliation, at least
equally necessary towards the subjects within the kingdom? or is this
the only part of the King’s dominions where it is not advisable to show
it? Let not any gentleman think that by conciliation I mean a blind
and base compliance with popular opinions contrary to our honour and
justice--that would indeed be unworthy of us. I mean by conciliation
a cool and temperate conduct unmixed with passion or prejudice. No
man wishes more than I do to stop any excess on either side, or is
more ready to resist any tumultuous violence founded upon unreasonable
clamour. Such a clamour is no more than a sudden gust of wind that
passes by and is forgotten; but when the public discontent is founded
on truth and reason, when the sky lowers and hangs heavy all around us,
a storm may then arise which may tear up the constitution by the roots,
and shake the palace of the King himself.” (Cavendish’s Parliamentary
Debates, vol. i. p. 174.) Mr. Grenville took care throughout his
speech to prevent his opinion against Mr. Wilkes’s expulsion being
construed into approbation of that gentleman’s conduct, on which he
commented with a severity which the latter deeply resented. Lord Temple
interfered, but could not prevent Wilkes from publishing an insolent
pamphlet in reply to Mr. Grenville’s observations, the result of which
was, that Lord Temple never spoke to him afterwards.--E.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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