ch have been the subject of so much
clamour, and such pathetick declamations; they always knew what the
nation now feels, that the merchants would suffer much more from a war
than from piracies and depredations, which, however, they were far from
submitting to, and for which they constantly made demands of
satisfaction. To these demands they received such answers, as, if they
had been sincere, would have left the nation no room to complain; but
when it was discovered that nothing but verbal satisfaction was to be
expected, the security of our trade, and the honour of our country,
demanded that war should be declared.

The conduct of the war, my lords, has been frequently the subject of
censure; we are told of the inactivity of one fleet, and the imperfect
equipment of another, the escape of our enemies, and the interception of
our trading ships. War, my lords, is confessed to be uncertain, and ill
success is not always the consequence of bad measures: naval wars are by
the nature of the element on which they are to be conducted, more
uncertain than any other; so that, though it cannot but be suspected
that the common people will murmur at any disappointment, call every
misfortune a crime, and think themselves betrayed by the ministry, if
Spain is not reduced in a single summer, it might be reasonably hoped,
that men enlightened by a long familiarity with the accounts of past,
and instructed by personal experience in national transactions, will
produce stronger arguments than want of success, when they charge the
ministry with misconduct in war.

But, my lords, they have not any misfortunes to complain of; nor is the
accusation, that we have been defeated ourselves, but that we have not
enough molested our enemies. Of this, my lords, it is not easy to judge,
at a distance from the scene of action, and without a more accurate
knowledge of a thousand minute circumstances, which may promote or
retard a naval expedition. It is undoubtedly true, my lords, that many
of our merchant ships have been taken by the enemy; but it is not
certain that they do not murmur equally that they have been obstructed
in their commerce, and have been so little able to interrupt ours, since
they have so many advantages from the situation of their coasts. When we
reckon those that are lost, let us not forget to number those that have
escaped. If admiral Vernon's fleet was ill provided with arms and
ammunition, even then, let all censure be suspe