UmVt-HSITY 



OF 



JET. 42.] THE WHIGS AND THE RADICALS. 351 



" The more I see and hear, the more I conceive 

 some clear, short, and firm declaration of the party 

 necessary, separating ourselves (without offensive ex- 

 pressions) from the Eadicals, and avowing our loyalty, 

 but at the same time our determination to stand by 

 the constitution, and to oppose all illegal attempts to 

 violate it, and all new laws to alter its free nature. I 

 have, however, had no conversation with anybody 

 about it not even with Lord Thanet till I heard 

 from you. But happening to see the Dukes of Kent 

 and Sussex, they both asked anxiously if the party 

 were not disposed to make some such avowal ; and on 

 my saying I expected to hear on the subject from you, 

 they both desired me to express to you their willing- 

 ness to sign anything we all agreed on; and the Duke 

 of Kent added, that he had no wish to put himself 

 forward as a party-man, but that the late measures, 

 and particularly Lord Fitzwilliam's dismissal, alarmed 

 him extremely, as indicating evil designs ; and that he 

 thought the only means of preventing anarchy and 

 the overthrow of the constitution was the firmness of 

 such a body as the Whigs in resisting all attacks on 

 it; and therefore he desired to sign some such declara- 

 tion, and should delay his leaving town for that pur- 

 pose, and to express his opinion shortly in Parliament. 

 I said I should communicate this to you, but that I 

 never yet had heard the subject of a declaration 

 broached, though I had my own opinion upon it. 

 Yours ever, H. BKOUGHAM. 



" I see no way half so effectual of stopping all the pre- 

 sent cry against us for countenancing Eadicals, as well 

 as of assisting us in fighting against the new measures." 



