14 
lead both the present time and pos- 
terity, on a period of our history 
which it is most important for them 
to judge rightly of. With the fullest 
acknowledgment, both of the ta- 
lents and virtues of the eminent 
man in gnesiion, I do not think, 
from whatever cause it has pro- 
ceeded, that his life has been bene- 
ficial to his country. For the earlier 
part of it, including the commence- 
ment of his power, I, must contra- 
dict every .priuciple that I ever 
maintained, if 1 said that. it was so. 
For, the succeeding « period, the 
greatest in which.a statesman was 
ever called to act, 1 cannot say that 
he acted his part greatly. [do not 
judge merely from the event; 
though the event, for the present 
purpose, might be all that need be 
considered. The French revolu- 
tion was, indeed, a storm, in which 
vessels the best formed, and con- 
Structed with the greatest skill, 
might easily founder; but, what I 
mean to say, is, that in my opinion 
the vessel was mot conducted with 
the greatest skill, and that it is, in all 
human probability, to the fault of 
the pilot, that we are to ascribe our 
present fearful situation !” 
‘6 Public honours (said Mr. 
Fox) are matters of the highest im- 
portance, because they must more 
or less influence posterity. They 
ought not, therefore, to be con- 
ferred lightly, but only where me- 
rit is clearly seen and acknowledged. 
Certainly, when I look at lord 
Chatham’s monument,—when I find 
the inscription bearing upon the 
face of it, the grounds upon which 
this monument was voted,—when I 
find it there stated, that he had re- 
duced the power of France to a 
very low ebb, and raised the pro- 
sperity of his country to a very high 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 
1806. 
pitch, I must say that this case can 
never be compared with that of 
lord Chatham. I must say, that 
the country at present is reduced to 
the most dangerous and alarming 
situation—a situation which might 
call for any thing rather than ho- 
pours to be conferred upon him 
who had the direction of the mea- 
sures that brought it to this state. 
in deciding upon. the present ques . 
tion, I should be unwilling to take 
avy one particular act of the admi- 
nistration of the Jate minister: I 
have always thought, and do still 
think, that an unfortunate system 
of government has pervaded the 
whole of the present reign; and I 
firmly believe that system to have 
béen the cause of all the disasters 
and disappointments, which the 
country has- experienced, almost 
uniformly, throughout the whole 
course of it. Being of this opinion, 
how can I conscientiously say, that 
he who followed this system, was - 
an ‘¢ excellent statesman?” Think- 
ing as I do of the disastrous effects 
of that system, I cannot but accuse 
the late minister of having, I will 
not say criminally, (for the expres- 
sion might sound in some ears too 
harsh) but, most unfortunately, 
lent his brilliant talents and his_ 
commanding eloquence, to the sup- 
port of it. In having done so, and 
with the knowledge he must have 
had of it, I esteem him the more 
culpable, as, without that splendour 
of mental endowment, which ena- 
bled him to throw a veil over the 
hideous deformity of the system 
alluded to; I am firmly persuaded, 
that it could not have resisted the’ 
attacks made upon it, and conse- 
quently could not have existed, and 
spread its baneful influence half so 
long. No man can be more de- 
sirous 
