- 
HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
more private nature, mixed them- 
selves with the general reflections on 
his conduct, in This instance, which, 
in their effect on the feelings of 
Englishmen, tended still more to its 
depreciation, If it were matter of 
universal notoriety, that to the he- 
‘reditary friendship of Mr. Pitt, to 
his powerful protection, and un- 
wearied solicitude for his interest, 
that the present minister owed his 
‘existence as a statesman, and even 
‘his present elevation ; it was equal- 
ly so, that in the course of that 
opposition, we “have already de- 
scribed, the personal rancour of 
Mr. Tierney to the late minister, 
was,.on all occasions, perceptible, 
3nd a species of opposition to the 
" man was as apparent as that to his 
‘ see which on one occasion 
now recalled most forcibly to re- 
- collection) had proceeded to such 
ngths, as toinduce Mr. Pitt to 
e the consideration of his great 
aeronsibility to his country, and 
the dignity of hissituation, in his per- 
sonal feelings; and reduced him to 
‘the necessity of challenging the eg- 
‘gressor to the field. (The friend, 
whom he chose on that occasion, as 
gin most worthy to be the ouard- 
jan of his life and honor, was Mr. 
Ryder.) * Whether this appoint- 
ment therefore was considered as 
galling and repugnant to Mr. Pitt, 
ce, thrown down by Mr. Ad- 
i as the gage of contempt and de- 
-_ dington, it was equally considered by 
* the world, as conduct at once un- 
», “grateful and unwise, and became the 
gpareme of universal re eprobation, 
oe all events unwise, for supposing, 
or’ a moment, that the minister 
hed. ‘not been swayed by any other 
td 
179 
motives than the necessity of the 
case, it was such an admission 
of the great weakness and dispa- 
rity of talent in the existing ad- 
ministration, as must have been 
the most convincing mode, by 
which its real character could be 
impressed upon the mind of the 
public, 
Such was the situation of party, 
when the discussions, on ear! Fitz- 
william’s motion, in the house of 
lords, and that of colonel Patten, 
in the commons, gave a decided. 
tone to the hitherto unsettled and 
wavering politics, of the late:‘minis- 
ter and his friends. It is true,-that 
on both occasions, Mr. Pitt, and 
the majority of his adherents, chose 
a middle course, and refused to join 
in the censure, loudly and loftily 
demanded by the new opposition, 
on the conduct of ministers; but it 
was evident, that it was not from 
motives of personal consideration 
for Mr, Addington, that the late 
minister thought proper to adopt. 
this line of conduct; in fact, his 
moving the previous question, was 
‘in him, equivalent to the severest 
expression of disapprobation (and 
assuch it was considered by the 
minister), but arose from anxiety 
to preserve that consistency, which 
he would otherwise have forfeited, 
had he voted for resolutions, which 
in strong and unqualified terms, 
discredited the treaty of Amiens, 2 
measure which had heretofore met 
with his’ strenuous support. In | 
both houses this species of half 
measure, placed him in, for the 
first time of his life, a mortifying 
minority. Still, however, his 
conduct tended to discredit Mr. 
* Now Lord Harrowby. 
N2. Addington’s 
