1807.J 
ia fuch an open ingenuous mind, a mind 
fo alive to freedom and humanity, that 
fincerity could have beea doubted. The 
negociation for peace—wuilany doubt his 
fiucerity i in that? will any doubt whether 
it contains great and _characterittic fea- 
tares of ability, epennets, and conciliating 
wifdom? And what finer or better qua- 
lities of a practical ftatefman? It can 
now only be conjectured how far he 
would have fucceeded in obtaming a 
peace, honourable, and which, with rea- 
fon, fhould have-been fatisfac tory, to all 
parties, bad his life been continued fome 
few aenkhe longer. I know from his own 
hand his unchanged fentiments on the 
greatett political objects which can con- 
ecrn us and the general interes. ‘They 
were the fentiments of his lite. I know 
them by a letter with which he honoured 
me alter he came into oftice this latt 
tune. I know them by the general tenor 
of his lite, character, and condutt, which 
he inaintamed to the lait. The honour 
of Mr. Fox I regard-asa {plendid, ample, 
umperithable part of the honour of -the 
Enghth nation; and of humanity itfelf. 
It cannot therefore be but that I mut 
ftrongly feel any thing which tends, (mott 
caufeledsly, in my firin opinion,) te diminift 
the public eftecmn and afteétionate vene- 
ration, which, for the fake of the public, 
ought perpetually te accompany his name 
and memory. 
Tothe Duke of Richmond it is objetted 
that he “recommended univerfil fuffr ages 
and, by inducing the corre{ponding {o- 
cieties to act on exagverated principles of 
reform, brought the idea of reform into 
difrepute; and tended not a little to 
render every propotition of reform ob- 
noxious.” 
Now the faét is, that long before thofe 
called correfpending focicties exified, 
Major Cartwright, whem but to name is 
his encomium, had recommended univer- 
fal fuffrace : had recommended it with a 
force of reafoning and facts, more eaty to 
be encountered by vague objec tions, than 
calmly and diftinctly anfwered. Among 
the triends of that fy{tem was to be found 
that true, and calm, and energetic pa- 
triot, Dr. John Jebb; and others, whorn 
death has removed from the {phere of 
human ufefulnets. The Conftitutional 
Society had aéted upon thefe recommen- 
dations. For one, I have never rclin- 
quifhed my opinion: that this reform is, 
in the fprit of our conftitution, the 
moft practicable, the mott beneficial, 
were it adopted. I am convinced too, 
tn Vindication of the Duke.of Richmond. if 
that any plan which does not fo clofely 
approximate to this, as at leait to include 
all houteholders, will be thockingly de- 
fective in point of jullice, policy, ‘utility, 
and permanence. All terrors founded 
upon the example of France, and brought 
up ta bear avainit this fyftem of reform, 
are erpundlels i in pointor fact. The repre- 
fentation of France has g graduallydwindled 
te a narrower and a narrower feale, till 
it became evaneicent; and the horrors. 
of det potifia which have overclouded 
the fair proipects of the Revolution, have 
onginated Im capfes quite wppolite to 
equality and un-equality of repretenta- 
tion, America, the only part of the globe. 
which can be quoted at all, certainly 
will not be quoted as an arcument againit 
the rmhts of univerial fullray ve, 
But were it even true that univerfal 
full age were not fo fate and beneficial, 
the caufe why all degrees and meafure ug 
parliamentary reiorm has been det lerted, 
is. not to be fuught here; the caufe why 
the menticn of parli: unentary reform has 
been brought into the molt unmerited 
futpicion and difgrace, Is nut to be fougtkt 
here. Thofe. who dare to open their 
eves, ere it be too late, cannot be ata 
lots where to find it. Partial interetts, 
prejudice, groundlefs and extravagant 
alarms, apathy, and defpondency, “will 
explain the whole. 
{ have reafon to be convinced, and 
there are public proofs of it, that the moit 
early and active friends ef univerfal fuf- 
fraze would have co-operated with Mr. 
Flocd’s, and Mr. Grey's plans. And Mr. 
Woyvill, whofe diftinguithed perfeverance 
in the canfe of reform ought ever to be 
remembered with refpect, would have 
extended, and had extended, his views of 
reform: though he declined goin fo far 
as univerfal fuffrave s thinking it inexpe- 
dieut in the preient ftate of feciety in 
this country. 
Only not precluding gradual reform, 
nor pafling an injurious, unfounded, and 
at beft unnecetlary fentence on the 
triends of the moft extenlive reform, that 
great object might and would Havel. gone 
on, had not Mr. Pitt chofen to lay it 
alide; and not merely to lay it afide, but 
to abandon. it to ditcredit, fufpicion, a and 
abule, thrown on thafe who had the con- 
ftancy to avow themfelves {till con, 
vinced of the expediency and necetlity 
of carrying it into effect. Tris, from‘him, 
c ertainly ought not to have heen IMA 
able. Ido not willmely blame the dead; 
and the only character: iftic feature of his 
adminiftration, 
4 
