ibute of their affections. Such, Sir, was
once the disposition of a people who now surround your throne with
reproaches and complaints.--Do justice to yourself. Banish from your
mind those unworthy opinions with which some interested persons have
laboured to possess you.--Distrust the men who tell you that the
English are naturally light and inconstant; that they complain without
a cause. Withdraw your confidence equally from all parties--from
ministers, favourites, and relations; and let there be one moment in
your life in which you have consulted your own understanding.
When you affectedly renounced the name of Englishman, believe me, Sir,
you were persuaded to pay a very ill-judged compliment to one part of
your subjects at the expense of another. While the natives of Scotland
are not in actual rebellion, they are undoubtedly entitled to
protection; nor do I mean to condemn the policy of giving some
encouragement to the novelty of their affections for the House of
Hanover. I am ready to hope for everything from their new-born zeal,
and from the future steadiness of their allegiance, but hitherto they
have no claim to your favour. To honour them with a determined
predilection and confidence, in exclusion of your English subjects, who
placed your family, and, in spite of treachery and rebellion, have
supported it, upon the throne, is a mistake too gross even for the
unsuspecting generosity of youth. In this error we see a capital
violation of the most obvious rules of policy and prudence. We trace
it, however, to an original bias in your education, and are ready to
allow for your inexperience.
To the same early influence we attribute it that you have descended to
take a share, not only in the narrow views and interests of particular
persons, but in the fatal malignity of their passions. At your
accession to the throne the whole system of government was altered, not
from wisdom or deliberation, but because it had been adopted by your
predecessor. A little personal motive of pique and resentment was
sufficient to remove the ablest servants of the Crown; but it is not in
this country, Sir, that such men can be dishonoured by the frowns of a
king. They were dismissed, but could not be disgraced. Without entering
into a minuter discussion of the merits of the peace, we may observe,
in the imprudent hurry with which the first overtures from France were
accepted, in the conduct of the negotiation, and terms of the treaty,
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