the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第34节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


even　after　the　miserable　failures　of　Dunkirk；　of　Quiberon；　and　of　the　Helder；　that　he　was　the　only　statesman　who　could　cope　with　Bonaparte。　　This　feeling　was　nowhere　stronger　than　among　Addington's　own　colleagues。　　The　pressure　put　on　him　was　so　strong　that　he　could　not　help　yielding　to　it；　yet；　even　in　yielding；　he　showed　how　far　he　was　from　knowing　his　own　place。　　His　first　proposition　was；　that　some　insignificant　nobleman　should　be　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury　and　nominal　head　of　the　administration；　and　that　the　real　power　should　be　divided　between　Pitt　and　himself；　who　were　to　be　secretaries　of　state。　　Pitt；　as　might　have　been　expected；　refused　even　to　discuss　such　a　scheme；　and　talked　of　it　with　bitter　mirth。　　〃Which　secretaryship　was　offered　to　you？〃　his　friend　Wilberforce　asked。　　〃Really；〃　said　Pitt；　〃I　had　not　the　curiosity　to　inquire。〃　　Addington　was　frightened　into　bidding　higher。　　He　offered　to　resign　the　Treasury　to　Pitt；　on　condition　that　there　should　be　no　extensive　change　in　the　government。　　But　Pitt　would　listen　to　no　such　terms。　　Then　came　a　dispute　such　as　often　arises　after　negotiations　orally　conducted；　even　when　the　negotiators　are　men　of　strict　honour。　　Pitt　gave　one　account　of　what　had　passed；　Addington　gave　another：　　and　though　the　discrepancies　were　not　such　as　necessarily　implied　any　intentional　violation　of　truth　on　either　side；　both　were　greatly　exasperated。　Meanwhile　the　quarrel　with　the　First　Consul　had　come　to　a　crisis。　　On　the　16th　of　May；　1803；　the　King　sent　a　message　calling　on　the　House　of　Commons　to　support　him　in　withstanding　the　ambitious　and　encroaching　policy　of　France；　and；　on　the　22d；　the　House　took　the　message　into　consideration。　Pitt　had　now　been　living　many　months　in　retirement。　　There　had　been　a　general　election　since　he　had　spoken　in　Parliament；　and　there　were　two　hundred　members　who　had　never　heard　him。　　It　was　known　that　on　this　occasion　he　would　be　in　his　place；　and　curiosity　was　wound　up　to　the　highest　point。　　Unfortunately　the　short…hand　writers　were；　in　consequence　of　some　mistake；　shut　out　on　that　day　from　the　gallery；　so　that　the　newspapers　contained　only　a　very　meagre　report　of　the　proceedings。　　But　several　accounts　of　what　passed　are　extant；　and　of　those　accounts　the　most　interesting　is　contained　in　an　unpublished　letter；　written　by　a　very　young　member；　John　William　Ward；　afterwards　Earl　of　Dudley。　　When　Pitt　rose；　he　was　received　with　loud　cheering。　　At　every　pause　in　his　speech　there　was　a　burst　of　applause。　　The　peroration　is　said　to　have　been　one　of　the　most　animated　and　magnificent　ever　heard　in　Parliament。　　〃Pitt's　speech；〃　Fox　wrote　a　few　days　later；　〃was　admired　very　much；　and　very　justly。　　I　think　it　was　the　best　he　ever　made　in　that　style。〃　　The　debate　was　adjourned；　and　on　the　second　night　Fox　replied　in　an　oration　which；　as　the　most　zealous　Pittites　were　forced　to　acknowledge；　left　the　palm　of　eloquence　doubtful。　　Addington　made　a　pitiable　appearance　between　the　two　great　rivals；　and　it　was　observed　that　Pitt；　while　exhorting　the　Commons　to　stand　resolutely　by　the　executive　government　against　France；　said　not　a　word　indicating　esteem　or　friendship　for　the　Prime　Minister。　War　was　speedily　declared。　　The　first　consul　threatened　to　invade　England　at　the　head　of　the　conquerors　of　Belgium　and　Italy；　and　formed　a　great　camp　near　the　Straits　of　Dover。　　On　the　other　side　of　those　Straits　the　whole　population　of　our　island　was　ready　to　rise　up　as　one　man　in　defence　of　the　soil。　　At　this　conjuncture；　as　at　some　other　great　conjunctures　in　our　history；　the　conjuncture　of　1660；　for　example；　and　the　conjuncture　of　1688；　there　was　a　general　disposition　among　honest　and　patriotic　men　to　forget　old　quarrels；　and　to　regard　as　a　friend　every　person　who　was　ready；　in　the　existing　emergency；　to　do　his　part　towards　the　saving　of　the　state。　　A　coalition　of　all　the　first　men　in　the　country　would；　at　that　moment；　have　been　as　popular　as　the　coalition　of　1783　had　been　unpopular。　　Alone　in　the　kingdom　the　King　looked　with　perfect　complacency　on　a　cabinet　in　which　no　man　superior　to　himself　in　genius　was　to　be　found；　and　was　so　far　from　being　willing　to　admit　all　his　ablest　subjects　to　office　that　he　was　bent　on　excluding　them　all。　A　few　months　passed　before　the　different　parties　which　agreed　in　regarding　the　government　with　dislike　and　contempt　came　to　an　understanding　with　each　other。　　But　in　the　spring　of　1804　it　became　evident　that　the　weakest　of　ministries　would　have　to　defend　itself　against　the　strongest　of　oppositions；　an　opposition　made　up　of　three　oppositions；　each　of　which　would；　separately；　have　been　formidable　from　ability；　and　which；　when　united；　were　also　formidable　from　number。　　The　party　which　had　opposed　the　peace；　headed　by　Grenville　and　Windham；　and　the　party　which　had　opposed　the　renewal　of　the　war；　headed　by　Fox；　concurred　in　thinking　that　the　men　now　in　power　were　incapable　of　either　making　a　good　peace　or　waging　a　vigorous　war。　　Pitt　had；　in　1802；　spoken　for　peace　against　the　party　of　Grenville；　and　had；　in　1803；　spoken　for　war　against　the　party　of　Fox。　　But　of　the　capacity　of　the　cabinet；　and　especially　of　its　chief；　for　the　conduct　of　great　affairs；　he　thought　as　meanly　as　either　Fox　or　Grenville。　　Questions　were　easily　found　on　which　all　the　enemies　of　the　government　could　act　cordially　together。　　The　unfortunate　First　Lord　of　the　Treasury；　who　had；　during　the　earlier　months　of　his　administration；　been　supported　by　Pitt　on　one　side；　and　by　Fox　on　the　other；　now　had　to　answer　Pitt；　and　to　be　answered　by　Fox。　　Two　sharp　debates；　followed　by　close　divisions；　made　him　weary　of　his　post。　　It　was　known；　too；　that　the　Upper　House　was　even　more　hostile　to　him　than　the　Lower；　that　the　Scotch　representative　peers　wavered；　that　there　were　signs　of　mutiny　among　the　bishops。　　In　the　cabinet　itself　there　was　discord；　and；　worse　than　discord；　treachery。　　It　was　necessary　to　give　way：　　the　ministry　was　dissolved；　and　the　task　of　forming　a　government　was　entrusted　to　Pitt。　Pitt　was　of　opinion　that　there　was　now　an　opportunity；　such　as　had　never　before　offered　itself；　and　such　as　might　never　offer　itself　again；　of　uniting　in　the　public　service；　on　honourable　terms；　all　the　eminent　talents　of　the　kingdom。　　The　passions　to　which　the　French　revolution　had　given　birth　were　extinct。　　The　madness　of　the　innovator　and　the　madness　of　the　alarmist　had　alike　had　their　day。　　Jacobinism　and　anti…Jacobinism　had　gone　out　of　fashion　together。　　The　most　liberal　statesman　did　not　think　that　season　propitious　for　schemes　of　parliamentary　reform；　and　the　most　conservative　statesman　could　not　pretend　that　there　was　any　occasion　for　gagging　bills　and　suspensions　of　the　Habeas　Corpus　Act。　　The　great　struggle　for　independence　and　national　honour　occupied　all　minds；　and　those　who　were　agreed　as　to　the　duty　of　maintaining　that　struggle　with　vigour　might　well　postpone　to　a　more　convenient　time　all　disputes　about　matters　comparatively　unimportant。　　Strongly　impressed　by　these　considerations；　Pitt　wished　to　form　a　ministry　including　all　the　first　men　in　the　country。　　The　Treasury　he　reserved　for　himself；　and　to　Fox　he　proposed　to　assign　a　share　of　power　little　inferior　to　his　own。　The　plan　was　excellent；　but　the　King　would　not　hear　of　it。　　Dull；　obstinate；　unforgiving；　and；　at　that　time　half　mad；　he　positively　refused　to　admit　Fox　into　his　service。　　Anybody　else；　even　men　who　had　gone　as　far　as　Fox；　or　further　than　Fox；　in　what　his　Majesty　considered　as　Jacobinism；　Sheridan；　Grey；　Erskine；　should　be　graciously　received；　but　Fox　never。　　During　several　hours　Pitt　laboured　in　vain　to　reason　down　this　senseless　antipathy。　　That　he　was　perfectly　sincere　there　can　be　no　doubt：　　but　it　was　not　enough　to　be　sincere；　he　should　have　been　resolute。　　Had　he　declared　himself　determined　not　to　take　office　without　Fox；　the　royal　obstinacy　would　have　given　way；　as　it　gave　way；　a　few　months　later；　when　opposed　to　the　immutable　resolution　of　Lord　Grenville。　　In　an　evil　hour　Pitt　yielded。　　He　flattered　himself　with　the　hope　that；　though　he　consented　to　forego　the　aid　of　his　illustrious　rival；　there　would　still　remain　ample　materials　for　the　formation　of　an　efficient　ministry。　　That　hope　was　cruelly　disappointed。　　Fox　entreated　his　friends　to　leave　personal　considerations　out　of　the　question；　and　declared　that　he　would　support；　with　the　utmost　cordiality；　an　efficient　and　patriotic　ministry　from　which　he　should　be　himself　excluded。　　Not　only　his　friends；　however；　but　Grenville；　and　Grenville's　adherents；　answered；　with　one　voice；　that　the　question　was　not　personal；　that　a　great　constitutional　principle　was　at　stake；　and　that　they　would　not　take　office　while　a　man　eminently　qualified　to　render　service　to　the　commonwealth　was　placed　under　a　ban　merely　because　he　was　disliked　at　Court。　　All　that　was　left　to　Pitt　was　to　construct　a　government　out　of　the　wreck　of　Addington's　feeble　administration。　　The　small　circle　of　his　personal　retainers　furnished　him　with　a　very　few　useful　assistants；　particularly　Dundas；　who　had　been　created　Viscount　Melville；　Lord　Harrowby；　and　Canning。　Such　was　the　inauspicious　manner　in　which　Pitt　entered　on　his　second　administration。　　The　whole　history　of　that　administration　was　of　a　piece　with　the　commencement。　　Almo