OCR Text |
Show 80] [ 81 1 highly juft and expedient to raife a revenue in America. For even then, Sir, even before between wind and water.--And not being this fplendid orb was entirely fet, and while troubled with too anxious a zeal for any matter the Wef'tem horizon was in a blaze with his in quel'tion, he was never more tedious, or 11101"6 defcending glory, on the oppofite quarter of the heavens arofe another luminary, and, for earnell, than the pie-conceived opinions, and his hour, became lord of the afcendant. This light too is pafled and fet for ever. You underfland, to be fure, that I fpeak of prefent he was exactly leemed temper othis hearers required; to whom. always in perfeét unifon. He conformed to the temper of the houfe; and he to guide, becaufe he was always lure to follow it. I 1ng pardon, Sir, if when I fpeak of this and Charles Townfhend, officially the re-producer of this'fatal feheme; whom I cannot even now remember without fome degree of fenfibility. of other great: men, I appear to digrefs in faying fornething of their characters. In this eventful hifiory of the revolutions of America, the cha‘ In truth, Sir, he was the delight and ornarafters of fuch men are of much importance. ment of this houfe, and the charm of every private fociety which he honoured with his prefence. Perhaps there never arofe in this country, nor in any country, a man ofa more pointed and ‘finifhed wit; and (where his paflions were not concerned) of a more refined, exquifite, and penetrating a judgment. If he had not f0 great a flock, as fome have had who flourifhed formerly, of knowledge long treafured up, he knew better by far, than any man lever was acquainted with, how to bring together within a {hort time, all that was necefiary to el‘tablith, to illultrate, and to decorate that fide of the queltion he fupported. He Rated his matter {kilfully and powerfully. He particularly excelled in a molt luminous explanation, and difplay of his fubjeét. His fter of argument was neither trite and vulgar, nor fubtle and abftrufe. He hit the houfejufl' between Great men are the guide~pofts and land-marks in the flare. The credit of their men at court, 01‘ in the nation, is the lole caufe of all the publick meafures. It would be an invidious thing, (molt. foreign I truft to what you think my difpofition) to remark the errors into which the authority of great names has brought the nation, without doing jul'rice at the fame time to the great guanties, whence that authority arofe. The lnbjeét is infl'u6tive to thofe who with to form themfelves on whatever of excellence has gone before them. There are many young members in the: honfe (fuel) of late has been the rapid fuceellion of public men) who never law that prodigy Charles 'lbwnlhend; nor of courfe know what a"‘ferm€nt he was able to excite in every thing by the violent ebullition f his mixed Virtues and failings. For failings he had undoubtedlyw many of us remember them; t" are this day eonhdering the effect of them. .ut he had no F failings |