HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
CHAP. 
XVII. 
Negociation of the Minister with Mr. Pitt.—Conditions on which the latter 
agrees to come into office—Unpalatable—and why.— Rejected—and 
total failure thereof.—Subsequent changes in Administration—No Ac- 
quisition in strength thereto,—Observations. 
N the course of the month of 
April, in this year, some steps 
were taken towards eflecting a 
change in “the administration of 
public affairs, Of these, although 
they proved at the time wholly inef- 
fectual, it naturally falls within our 
plan to give some account; and 
this the rather, as the history of 
such transactions is always useful, 
by affording some insight into the 
characters and views of our public 
men ; and by developing the occa- 
sions ‘and principles of those yaria- 
tions, which all free governments 
so frequently exhibit in the state 
and relation of their political par- 
ties. The frequent and unreserved 
discussions, which have since taken 
place on the subject of this parti- 
cular transaction, the publications 
respecting it, which were supposed 
to be authorized by some of the 
parties most concerned; and the 
private letters of others of them, 
intercepted and published by the 
enemy, have brought the detail of 
this negociation, much more for- 
ward to the public view, than is 
‘usual insimilarcases, The follow- 
ing narrative, compiled from all 
‘these various sources of information, 
“will, we trust, be found both fuller 
- 
Ww 
and more accurate than any other 
that has yet appeared. 
The stability of the administra- 
tion, which had concluded the trea- 
ty of Amiens, was understood to 
depend on the experience which 
the country might have of the rea} 
merits of that memorable transace 
tion. The extent ef the sacrifices, 
by which peace had been purchas- 
ed, began indeed to be more gene- 
rally regretted, in proportion, as 
it was more fully understood ; but 
credit was, for the most part, giver 
to the assurances of its permanence, 
which were continually repeated 
from authority; and the country 
indulged itself in the most sanguing 
expectations of its beneficial effects 
on our situation, both at home and 
abroad. In this state of the public 
mind, the ministers found little 
difficulty in discrediting the opini- 
ons of that small body in parlia~ 
ment, which had, from the begin- 
ning, openly condemned the system 
on which that negociation had been 
conducted; and had always pre- 
dicted from it, the inevitable and 
speedy renewal of the war. An 
opinion began to be received, by 
some men, that mediocrity rather 
than preeminence in talent or in 
PS knowledge 
