nd the constitution; but when they recur to these facts, and
show me how we may be doomed to all the horrors of war by the caprice
of an individual, who will not even condescend to explain his reasons,
I can only fly to this house, and exhort you to rouse from your lethargy
of confidence, into the active mistrust and vigilant control which your
duty and your office point out to you." But Fox had by his intrigues
brought the country into danger from a war with Russia, more than Pitt
had by his armament. Although the laws and constitution of this country
entrust the exclusive right of treating with foreign potentates to the
king, yet without the knowledge or participation of a single member in
the house, Fox had sent an agent to St. Petersburgh to frustrate the
objects for which a plenipotentiary from the crown was authorised to
treat. And Fox succeeded in his design: it was through his influence
that the czarina still obstinately refused to give up Oczakow, And yet
Fox condemned ministers for not having succeeded in their negociations!
On this subject Pitt's biographer, Tomline, writes:--"It is to be
presumed that Mr. Fox never would have had recourse to such a measure,
if he had not entertained a confident hope, that, having already
succeeded in rendering the Russian armament unpopular, he should overset
Mr. Pitt's administration, provided the empress could be prevailed on to
persevere in her demands. That point he accomplished without difficulty,
yet the result did not turn out as he expected--he defeated Mr. Pitt's
plan, and brought a certain degree of discredit and danger on his
country, by effecting the aggrandisment of an unfriendly and powerful
court, but his own personal ambition remained ungratified." In his reply
to Fox the minister exhibited a noble mind, in not making any use of his
rival's unjustifiable conduct: conduct which was more unconstitutional
than Pitt's rigid reserve, and which was to a certain extent,
treasonable. In his reply Pitt defended his policy with great spirit.
He asked whether any one conversant in politics could admit that
the Turkish empire, being unable to defend itself against Russia and
Austria, should be abandoned by the other European powers, every one of
which was so visibly interested in the preservation of its independence:
whether, if other European powers were indolent, or hindered by untoward
circumstances from interfering. Great Britain could coolly leave
Turkey to its fate?