justice, they blundered in the method of
pursuing their vengeance. By this means a discovery was made of many
practices, common indeed in the office of Secretary of State, but wholly
repugnant to our laws, and to the genius of the English constitution.
One of the worst of these was, the wanton and indiscriminate seizure of
papers, even in cases where the safety of the state was not pretended in
justification of so harsh a proceeding. The temper of the ministry had
excited a jealousy, which made the people more than commonly vigilant
concerning every power which was exercised by government. The abuse,
however sanctioned by custom, was evident; but the ministry, instead of
resting in a prudent inactivity, or (what would have been still more
prudent) taking the lead, in quieting the minds of the people, and
ascertaining the law upon those delicate points, made use of the whole
influence of government to prevent a Parliamentary resolution against
these practices of office. And lest the colorable reasons, offered in
argument against this Parliamentary procedure, should be mistaken for
the real motives of their conduct, all the advantage of privilege, all
the arts and finesses of pleading, and great sums of public money were
lavished, to prevent any decision upon those practices in the courts of
justice. In the mean time, in order to weaken, since they could not
immediately destroy, the liberty of the press, the privilege of
Parliament was voted away in all accusations for a seditious libel. The
freedom of debate in Parliament itself was no less menaced. Officers of
the army, of long and meritorious service, and of small fortunes, were
chosen as victims for a single vote, by an exertion of ministerial
power, which had been very rarely used, and which is extremely unjust,
as depriving men not only of a place, but a profession, and is indeed of
the most pernicious example both in a civil and a military light.

Whilst all things were managed at home with such a spirit of disorderly
despotism, abroad there was a proportionable abatement of all spirit.
Some of our most just and valuable claims were in a manner abandoned.
This indeed seemed not very inconsistent conduct in the ministers who
had made the treaty of Paris. With regard to our domestic affairs, there
was no want of industry; but there was a great deficiency of temper and
judgment, and manly comprehension of the public interest. The nation
certainly wanted relief, and gov