HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
sufficient for undertaking the go- 
vernment of this country, when ac- 
companied by the cordial support 
of the crown, is far from being equal 
to that service, when destitute of 
this advantage. To have become 
responsible for the administration 
of public affairs, with such inade- 
quate means for carrying their mea- 
sures into effect, would have argued 
extreme rashness and precipitaney 
on the part of Mr. Fox and lord 
Grenville, and would have been, in 
fact, to have delivered themselves 
/ up, bound hand and foot, into the 
power of thecourt, without re- 
serving the means of, future resis- 
tance or defence. It was, there- 
fore, highly expedient, if not ab- 
solutely necessary for them, to look 
out for some third party, by the as- 
sistance of which they might streng- 
then their government in the house 
of commons. But, the only quar- 
ters from which additional strength 
could be procured, were either 
from the late ministers or from the 
friends of lord Sidmouth. Many 
reasons concurred for giving a pre- 
ference to the latter. The friends 
of the late ministers were so dispers- 
ed and disunited, that without 
_ bringing back the whole party to 
office, little aid could be expected 
from them, as no individual among 
their leaders had any number ‘of 
_ followers, on whose attachment he 
_ could certainly reckon. The friends 
of lord Sidmouth, on the contrary, 
were united undera single head, and 
would form no inconsiderable acces. 
Sion of strength to the administra- 
tion. Thelate ministers had, with 
the single exception of one man of 
talents, been raised to situations 
» above their deserts, and would not, 
it was supposed, be inclined to ac- 
cept of inferior offices, But, among 
26 
the friends of lord Sidmouth were 
many excellent men of business. qua- 
lified for the subordinate employ- 
ments of goverriment, and not pre- 
vented from accepting them, by 
having filled higher situations. The 
ex-ministers were the authors of the 
late calamitous coalition, which had 
sealed the final doom of the conti- 
nent, and if they were pledted to 
any public principle, it was to re. 
sist every inquiry into domestic 
abuses. Bat, lord Sidmouth had 
been dismissed from office by these 
very men, because his friends would 
not support them in their attempts to 
screen lord Melville from public 
trial, and it was to the inquiries set 
on foot in his lordship’s administra« 
tion, that all the discoveries of pe- 
culation were justly to be attri- 
buted. The government of lord 
Sidmouth had been frugal and eco- 
nomiecal. That of the late ministers 
had been distinguished by its prodi- 
gality and immoderate expence, 
Lord Sidmouth was favourably dis-, 
posed towards peace, The ex-mi- 
nisters breathed a spirit of eternal 
war. The popwarity of lord Sid- 
mouthin the country, though greatly 
lessened, was still considerable, His 
influence at court was not ex- 
tinguished ; though, we believe, 
that his present accession to the ad. 
ministration of Mr, Fox and lord 
Grenville gave a most fatal blow to 
his interest in that quarter, In ad_ 
dition to all these reasons for pre- 
ferring a connection ,with Jord Sid- 
mouth to a coalition with the ex-mi- 
nisters, it was. understood, that the 
introduction of lord Sidmouth into 
the cabinet was a measure not unac- 
ceptable at Carlton House. 
Vhe most specious. objection to 
the admission of lord Sidmouth into 
the ministry, was founded on the 
opinions 
