y person who
may be proposed to him by Pitt to succeed you. You cannot remain
without the means of carrying on some appearance, at least, of
government in the House of Commons. You cannot employ those who
have now deserted you; nor can we expect that the Prince will
allow you to dismiss those whom he considers as having stood by
him. On the whole, I cannot imagine a more puzzling or distressing
case.

Nothing short of the implicit confidence and cordial support of the
Ministers, seconded by the highest courage and firmness on his own part,
could have enabled Lord Buckingham to sustain his authority in this
trying emergency. That he possessed the confidence and support of
Government to the fullest extent, is attested by the following letter
from Mr. Pitt; and that he displayed the qualities of resolution and
self-reliance demanded by the occasion, is sufficiently shown in the
sequel.

MR. PITT TO THE MARQUIS OF BUCKINGHAM.

(Private.) Downing Street, Feb. 15th, 1789.
MY DEAR LORD,

The account received this morning of the step which the Irish House
of Commons have taken, has not surprised me; as it seemed before
evident that the torrent was too strong to be stemmed by any
exertion. Those who at the moment felt it as a triumph, perhaps
already begin to repent of it, and will probably have more and more
reason to do so every day. It will be abundant satisfaction to you
and your friends that you have done everything which depended on
you; and in the midst of so much profligacy, that you have
experienced such a support as that of Fitzgibbon and a few others,
which is in the highest degree honourable and manly.

I am fully aware how delicate your ground has been in all the
progress of the business, of which we have hitherto learnt the
result; and that it is not less so in what remained relative to the
transmission of this strange Address. Whatever you may have
decided on the spot will, I dare say, under all the circumstances,
have been right; and in either of the alternatives, you will not
want here the most cordial and decided support, whenever the
measure comes into discussion. All that I am now writing is, I
hope, superfluous; but I could not let the messenger go, without
expressing in part the sentiments for which I trust you would at
any rate have given me credit.