ve prevailed upon some of the persons who
composed it to undertake the king's business at such a time. Their
preceding character, their measures while in power, and the subsequent
conduct of many of them, I think, leave no room to charge this assertion
to flattery. Having undertaken the commonwealth, what remained for them
to do? to piece their conduct upon the broken chain of former measures?
If they had been so inclined, the ruinous nature of those measures,
which began instantly to appear, would not have permitted it. Scarcely
had they entered into office, when letters arrived from all parts of
America, making loud complaints, backed by strong reasons, against
several of the principal regulations of the late ministry, as
threatening destruction to many valuable branches of commerce. These
were attended with representations from many merchants and capital
manufacturers at home, who had all their interests involved in the
support of lawful trade, and in the suppression of every sort of
contraband. Whilst these things were under consideration, that
conflagration blazed out at once in North America; an universal
disobedience, and open resistance to the Stamp Act; and, in consequence,
an universal stop to the course of justice, and to trade and navigation,
throughout that great important country; an interval during which the
trading interest of England lay under the most dreadful anxiety which it
ever felt.

The repeal of that act was proposed. It was much too serious a measure,
and attended with too many difficulties upon every side, for the then
ministry to have undertaken it, as some paltry writers have asserted,
from envy and dislike to their predecessors in office. As little could
it be owing to personal cowardice, and dread of consequences to
themselves. Ministers, timorous from their attachment to place and
power, will fear more from the consequences of one court intrigue, than
from a thousand difficulties to the commerce and credit of their country
by disturbances at three thousand miles distance. From which of these
the ministers had most to apprehend at that time, is known, I presume,
universally. Nor did they take that resolution from a want of the
fullest sense of the inconveniences which must necessarily attend a
measure of concession from the sovereign to the subject. That it must
increase the insolence of the mutinous spirits in America, was but too
obvious. No great measure indeed, at a very difficult cris