Sir Gilbert Elliot and Mr.
Wedderburne rose to his rescue. Sir Gilbert Elliot remarked, that the
address contained two correspondent lines of conduct--the one tending
to repress rebellion, for which measures of restriction had been
resorted to, the other offering indulgence to those who would return to
their duty. In the address this was necessarily intimated in general and
vague terms; but was so far from being contradictory to it, that without
it, the plan adopted at the beginning of the session would be defective
and unjust. When Wedderburne rose, he declared that nothing was further
from the intention of Lord North than a dereliction of the rights of
parliament, or a yielding to the insolence of the Americans. What he
really proposed was, to enforce the one and repress the other. For
himself, he contended, that indulgence should be offered to such of the
colonists as would return to their duty, but the contumacious should
be proceeded against with an increased army and navy, with gallant
officers, who were going to America to enforce the spirited proposition.
He added:--"We have at length put the dispute upon its proper
footing--revenue or no revenue." The resolution being thus reconciled
with the address, and Lord North having stated that the measure was
designed to separate the grain from the chaff, and to disunite the
colonies, the "king's friends" were satisfied. This healing of the
breach on the treasury benches, however, had the effect of widening it
on the side of the opposition, who had been exulting in the strife. Fox
rejoiced in the retrograde movement of the minister; but doubted the
sincerity of the motion made, and predicted, that the Americans would
reject them with disdain. He was followed by Colonel Barre, who indulged
in bitter sarcasm upon Lord North's recent embarrassment and danger from
his friends, and said, that his motion was founded upon the pitiful and
abominable maxim, _divide et impera_. It was to divide the Americans,
and dissolve their generous union in defence of their rights and
liberties; but, he added, "The Americans are not such gudgeons as to be
caught with so foolish a bait." Lord North had by this time recovered
his fortitude and he defended himself with great spirit from the attacks
which had been made upon him, and justified his motion, on the ground
that it would have the effect of sifting the reasonable from the
unreasonable--of distinguishing those who acted upon principle, f