best of
patrons; to the country I think he is none. Nobody can deny that
his talents were great, and perhaps he owed his influence and
authority as much to his character as to his abilities. His
appearance was dignified and imposing; he was affable in his
manners and agreeable in society. The great feature of his
character was a cool and determined courage, which gave an
appearance of resolution and confidence to all his actions, and
inspired his friends with admiration and excessive devotion to
him, and caused him to be respected by his most violent
opponents. As a speaker he was prolix, monotonous, and never
eloquent, except, perhaps, for a few minutes when provoked into a
passion by something which had fallen out in debate. But,
notwithstanding these defects, and still more the ridicule which
his extraordinary phraseology had drawn upon him, he was always
heard with attention. He never spoke ill; his speeches were
continually replete with good sense and strong argument, and
though they seldom offered much to admire, they generally
contained a great deal to be answered. I believe he was
considered one of the best managers of the House of Commons who
ever sat in it, and he was eminently possessed of the good taste,
good humour, and agreeable manners which are more requisite to
make a good leader than eloquence, however brilliant. With these
qualities, it may be asked why he was not a better Minister, and
who can answer that question? or who can aver that he did not
pursue the policy which he conscientiously believed to be most
advantageous to his country? Nay, more, who can say but from
surmise and upon speculation that it was not the best? I believe
that he was seduced by his vanity, that his head was turned by
emperors, kings, and congresses, and that he was resolved that
the country which he represented should play as conspicuous a
part as any other in the political dramas which were acted on the
Continent. The result of his policy is this, that we are mixed up
in the affairs of the Continent in a manner we have never been
before, which entails upon us endless negotiations and enormous
expenses. We have associated ourselves with the members of the
Holy Alliance, and countenanced the acts of ambition and
despotism in such a manner as to have drawn upon us the
detestation of the nations of the Continent; and our conduct
towards them at the close of the war has brought a stain upon our
character for bad faith and de