conduct of
his majesty, or debar us from the right of acknowledging his goodness
and his wisdom, I think, sir, no objection can be made to the form of
expression now proposed, in which all sounding and pompous language, all
declamatory exaggeration, and studied figures of speech, all appearance
of exultation, and all the farce of rhetorick are carefully avoided, and
nothing inserted that may disgust the most delicate, or raise scruples
in the most sincere.

Yet, sir, that we may not waste our time upon trivial disputes, when the
nation expects relief from our counsels, that we may not suspend the
prosecution of the war by complaints of past defeats, or retard that
assistance and advice which our sovereign demands, by inquiring whether
it may be more proper to thank, or to counsel him, I am willing, for the
sake of unanimity, that this clause should be omitted; and hope that no
other part of the address can give any opportunity for criticism, or for
objections.

Sir, it is no wonder that the right honourable gentleman willingly
consents to the omission of this clause, which could be inserted for no
other purpose than that he might sacrifice it to the resentment which it
must naturally produce, and by an appearance of modesty and compliance,
pass easily through the first day and obviate any severe inquiries that
might be designed.

He is too well acquainted with the opinion of many whom the nation has
chosen to represent them, and with the universal clamours of the people,
too accurately informed of the state of our enemies, and too conscious
how much his secret machinations have hindered our success, to expect or
hope that we should meet here to return thanks for the management of the
war; of a war in which nothing has been attempted by his direction that
was likely to succeed, and in which no advantage has been gained, but by
acting without orders, and against his hopes.

That I do not charge him, sir, without reason, or invent accusations
only to obstruct his measures, or to gratify my own resentment; that I
do not eagerly catch flying calumnies, prolong the date of casual
reproaches, encourage the malignity of the envious, or adopt the
suspicions of the melancholy; that I do not impose upon myself by a warm
imagination, and endeavour to communicate to others impressions which I
have only received myself from prejudice and malignity, will be proved
from the review of his conduct since the beginning of our dispute