1 fc06. J Memoirs of the Mte Right Hon. Charles James Fox. 207 



tlint the profccation of tlie war was dif- 

 ierviceuble to our own iiitcixlts and ruin- 

 ous to thole ot" our allies. I'lilly iinprclV- 

 cd with this notion, and, at tlie liune 

 time, conlcious that he could not oppofo 

 the fiolden torrent that iffaed fVorn the 

 'Ireaiury bench, he withdrew tmiu Par- 

 IiHuient I'or a while, and evinced a wiili 

 to retire altoi;,eiher from public bullncfs. 

 It has even been faid, that his Addnfs 

 to the Electors of Weftininfter was ac'tu- 

 allv penntd, .Jind that he had formed the 

 dctenniiicd refolution of abjuring poli- 

 tics for ever. 



But tlie entreaticb of his friends, and 

 the occurrence of new and lingular 

 events, hapjiily prevented this nieii'lue. 

 We accordiniiiy imd him once more at 

 the head of an oppciition, feeble n 

 point of numbers, but truly fonnidable 

 j;» rcfpcct to talents and abilities. Mr. 

 Piit, llien in the zenith of his power, at 

 this period afforded a fair opportunity of 

 animadvciilon as « cU as ccniure, and it 

 was eagerly lei/ed upon by his eloquent 

 rival. Tlse Minilier, confident in his 

 majority, took upon him, during the va- 

 cation of Parliament, to advance a fum 

 of money, by way of fubtidy, to the Em- 

 peror and the trench Princes, without 

 either the coni'cnt or knowledge of the 

 Jloui'e of Commons. In 1796 this be- 

 came tlie fubjcct of a fpecial charsre, and 

 although Mr. Eox's motion was not car- 

 ried, yet it made an imprellion on the 

 nation at large, and added not a little to 

 the odium then prevalent againll the 

 Premier. 



In the courfc of the fucceeding year, 

 ^Ir. Grey, now l>ord de Ho«ick, expe- 

 rienced file powerful fupport of the 

 member for \^'c(tminlter, in his motion 

 for a parliamentary refcjrra, while Wr. 

 Wilberforce, who had regularly oppoi'ed 

 him, inluntly received his aid in all the 

 ;neafures propofed for the abolition of 

 the Have trade. 



At length, after enjoying^ and, in fome 

 mealure, revelling in pov.er during 

 eighteen long years, Mr. Pitt voluntarily 

 retired from oHicc, and Mr. Addington, 

 lince created Vifcoimt Sidinouth, con- 

 cluded the treaty of An\iens, on which 

 oceafion he received the fupport of Mr. 

 Fox and all his friends. Tiic latter may 

 be faid to have now experienced that fpe- 

 cies of triumph which arifcsout of poli- 

 tical antici|)u(ioii, fur as ilie terms were 

 iKjt fo good as might have been obtained 

 iii 17'Jt), it wiis ob'iious that all the mife- 

 firs, calauiiiit ^, blood ftjjU trcaftire, 

 wuikd to au lu-uinev ot" purpofe duhag 



the preceding fix years, would have been 

 avoided, had his warning voice beta but 

 liilcned t». 



\\ hen a renewal of the conteft was 

 meditated, Mr. Fox exprclTed hiinfclf 

 avowedly lioftile to that lueafure : " I 

 do contend (faid he) that the continu- 

 ance of peace is infinitely dcfirable. I 

 feel its importance iu the ftrongell man- 

 ner, and I am not alhaiucd to avow an 

 opinion for which I have not unfrequcnt- 

 Iv been expofed to ridicule.' I now 

 auain explicillv declare, that I conhder 

 tiie prcfervation of nationai honour to b« 

 the only legitimate caule of war. 



" 'i'his doctrine I hold (continues he) 

 on the plain principle that honour is infe- 

 parabiy connected with fell-defence. If 

 it can be proved to me that the national 

 honour has been infulted, or the national 

 dignity difgraced, 1 will, without helita- 

 tioii, declare my opinion, which is, that 

 it woidd be a fiur legitimate caufe tor re- 

 connueiiciug hofiilities. I mull, how- 

 ever, hear a very ftrong cai'e made out 

 before I can give my vote for replunging 

 the countrv in thofe difallers which a ca- 

 lamitous conteft had produced, and from 

 which we have been i'o recently deli- 

 vered*." 



It was in ftriCt conliftency with ttis 

 notion, that, when the royal mefl'age was 

 bio«£,l.t down declaratory of holtiiiiies, 

 Mr. Eox cxpreiRd his opinion at large, 

 both againft the w;u- as unnccefikry, and 

 againft the crilis at \\hicli it took place, 

 as eminently' hnpolitic. This problema- 

 tical meafure foon proved fatal to Mr. 

 Addington's adminillrauun, and thereias 

 of government having dropped from his 

 hands, were iuanediately fcized by iVIr. 

 Pitt. 



It was now imagined by fome, that 

 the critical Itate of public affairs, and the 

 common i'afety of the empire, would 

 have produced a coalition Letween the 

 new miiiifter and his ancient adveilaiv; 

 but while the former expreiVed 1-;,$ 'Avn 

 readinefs to comply, he, at the Ui!i,e 

 time, hinted that infuniiouiitable oLfta- 

 • cles had occurred in a certain {juurter^ 



* The fiiliowirg politicnl maxim incul- 

 cated by an old v.titer, is loniewliat (itnilir, 

 ami proves the coincidence between great 

 minds, viz — 



•' 'Ihat kingdoms are prefcrved by reputa- 

 tion, which is us well their ilrongeft fupport 

 in pe.icc, as their chieteft fafety ia ti/i.c of 

 war ; wricn once they grow d-'lpifod, tl'.ey ure 

 eithrr fiilijcft to rareign inv«uou or dyiv.cftic 

 trouble!!." 



h \ 2 liav.ng 



