HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
still fresh in its recollection. The 
reform of the army was the justest 
claim to popularity, which the ad- 
ministration had yet to offer, but 
the art of their political opponents 
had contrived to represent its au- 
thor as an enemy and contemner 
ef the volunteers, and to excite 
against him in the minds of that 
numerous and respectable’ body of 
men, feelings of unmerited resent- 
ment and indignation. By similar 
arts, the American intercourse hill, 
a measure which had no other fault 
but that of doing nothing, was re- 
presented -to the shipping interest, 
as infallibly calculated for their 
destruction. In addition to these 
causes of unpopularity, the feeble 
and injudicious management of the 
patronage of government, by which 
the friends of administration had 
been disgusted, and its enemies en- 
couraged without being econciliated, 
had weakened the usual influence 
of government, strengthened the 
jealousies:: and suspicions among 
its partisans, and excited the hopes 
and increased the boldness of its 
opponents. From the ‘union of 
these causes there was a general 
spirit of discontent and dissatisfac- 
tion spread over the nation, at the 
moment when the death of Mr. 
ox seemed to Joosen the bonds, 
that held together the different 
members of the administration. 
; So sensible was the opposition of 
the declining power and popularity 
of the ministry, that during Mr. 
Fox’s illness, some of its leaders are 
understood to have made private 
“overtures to the court, for taking 
back the reins of government, 
which they had sutiered to drop 
from their hands some months be- 
fore. How these overtures, if ac- - 
~ 
‘ey 
ly made, were received, we are 
261 
unable to communicate to our read- 
ers, That they were followed by 
no immediate effects, does not sura 
prise us. It was still uncertain, 
whether Mr.Fox might not recover 5 
and in case of his death, it is not 
improbable, that hopes were enter. 
tained, of being able to form without 
a struggle, anew administration, in | 
which his friends would be left out. 
The account of his death was reo 
ceived at court with coldness and 
indifference, and such inquiries into 
the particulars of that event as 
curiosity dictated, were studiously 
addressed to those, who from the 
‘recentness of their connection with 
him, were the least likely to receive 
from them gratification, or consider 
them as marks of an interest in his 
fate. .No haste was expressed to 
fill up the vacancy occasioned by 
his death. It was rather desired, 
that due consideration should pres 
cede the formation of the new mi- 
nisterial arrangements, which that 
event rendered necessary. But if 
expectations were harboured, that 
lord Grenville, on whom the sug 
gestion of the new arrangements 
naturally devolved, would take this 
opportunity of separating from Mr. 
Fox’s. friends, they were com- 
pletely disappointed. That noble- 
man seems, on the contrary, to 
have taken pains to shew, that his 
attachment to his new associates 
had been strengthened, instead of 
being impaired by their connection, 
and that even an event like this, 
which left him the choice of his 
future partners in the government, 
was insufficient to detach him from 
them. He recommended lord 
Howick to succeed Mr Fox in the 
foreign office; Mr. Grenville to be 
first lord of the admiralty in the 
plate of lord Howick; Mr. Tierney 
; te 
