ps, 
system then adopted, the peculiarity 
of that minister’s situation, and the 
situation of the country at large, in 
a political view, might then afford, 
had, it was affirmed, been long 
since entirely at an end; but the 
same system is nevertheless resolute- 
ly and uninterruptedly pursued, re- 
covering, Antzus-like, from every 
apparent or accidental fall with re- 
newed and redoubled vigour. 
On the other hand, the modern 
tories, al,hough the descendants of 
those wh o long entertained a most 
inveterate enmity against the family 
upon the throne, and who, from 
motives not of the purest patriotism, 
vehemently op posed, in the former 
Teigns, the unconstitutional measures 
of the whigs, having at length en- 
tirely shaken off their old attacb- 
ments, and being taken into favour 
and invested with power under the 
marked and too partial protection of 
the court, suddenly became its open 
and zealous advocates—combining, 
as far as the spirit of the imes would 
admit, the speculative errors of one 
party with the practical errors of the 
other. The vecessity of strengthen- 
ing the prerogative of the mney «anoles 
and of supporting the dignity of the 
crown, was from this time the in- 
cessant theme of their argument 
and declamation. Concessions and 
jindulgencies were, in their estima- 
tion, things incompatible with the 
majesty of the regal character, 
The high, harsh, and peremptory 
tone of authority uniformly marked 
every act of government under the 
almost constant predominance df 
this dangerous faction during the 
present reign, from the commitment 
of aprinter, or the prosecution of 
a libeller, to those measures of pro- 
vocation and oppression, termi- 
nating in a war which rent jp twain 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1795. 
and had well nigh subverted the 
empire. 
‘This party, now grown strong 
and confident, by an unexpected res 
tarn of prosperity, assumed, with 
ostentatious audacity, the appella- 
tion of the king’s friends, in which 
novel capacity they hesitated not to 
give their eager and ardent support 
to those measures of court policy, 
which had been ever reprobated by 
the tories of elder days, as in the 
highest degree pern cious and un- 
constitutional. The standing army, 
so long the theme ot their inveétive 
and reproach, was now affirmed to 
be necessary jor the preservation of 
the national tranquillity; the public 
debt was pronounced a public be- 
nefit; the connection with Hanover 
wds honourable and useful; the ine 
fluence of the crown was the happy 
means of consolidating the harmony 
of the different branches of govern- 
ment; a loug parliament was said 
to be attended with no such incon- 
venient consequences as had been 
previously and erroneously appre- 
hended: and every attempt to res 
store that equality in the representa= 
tion, or rather to remove those 
giaring. inequalites so inconsistent 
with the spirit of the constitution 
and the practice of former ages, was 
opposed and rejected by them in 
terms of unbounded obloquy and 
detestation, as leading to nothing 
less than the absolute subversion of 
government. They professed, on 
all eccasions, their dread of innos 
vation and novelty—not adverting 
to the constant declaration of the 
ancient tories, that the things to 
which they objected were them- 
selves innovations wholly extrane- 
ous to the constitution— and that 
they who merely wished to restore 
were most anjustly accused of a 
fondness 
. 
