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[ 25 l with pride and arrogance, calling for battles which he is not to fight, contending for a violent dominion which he can never exercife, and fatisfied to be himfelf mean and miferable, in order to render others contemptible and wretched. ( 27 ) performed fome notable exploit. fay the bell of it, is full of levity. You know, that I allude to the general cry againfi the cowardice of the Americans, as if we defpifed them for not making the King's foldiery purchafe the advantages they have obtained, at a dearer rate. If you and I find our talents not ofthe great and ruling kind, our conduct at leaf: is conformable to our faculties. No man's life pays the forfeit of our rafhnefs. No defolate widow weeps tears of blood over our ignorance. _Scru- pulous and fober in our well-grounded d1i'trufl: of ourfelves, we would keep in the port of peace and fecurity : and perhaps in recommending to others lbmething of the fame diffidence, we thew ourfelves more charitable to their wel- fare, than injurious to their abilities. There are many circumilances in the prefent zeal for civil war, which feem to difcover but little ofreal magnanimity. The addrefliers offer their own perfons; and they are fatisfied with hiring Germans. They promile their priv ate fortunes ; and they mortgage thei r country. They have all the merit of volunteers, with out rifque of perfon or charge of contribution 3 and when the unfeeling arm of a foreign fold iery pours out their kindred blood like water, they exult and triumph, as if they themfelves had performed I am really alhamed of the fafhionable language which has been held for fome time paft; which, to It is not, Gentlemen, it is not to refpeét the difpenfations of Providence, nor to provide any decent retreat in the mutability of human affairs. It leaves no medium between infolent vié‘tory andinfamous defeat. It tends to alienate our minds further and further from our natural regards, and to make an eternal rent and fchifm in the Britifh nation. Thofe who do not with for fuch a feparation, would not diffolve that cement of reciprocal efieem and regard, which can alone bind to- gether the parts ofthis great fabrick. It ought to be our with, as it is our duty, not only to forbear this flyle of outrage ourlelves, but to make every one as feniible as we can of the imprOpriety and unworthinefs of the tempers which gave rife to it, and which defigning men are labouring with fuch malignant induftry to difiufe amongft us. It is our bufinefs to counteract them, if poflible; if poflible to awake our natural regards; and to revive the old partiality to the Englilh name. Without fomething of this kind I do not fee how it is ever prafiicable really to reconcile with thofe, whofe T.‘ .-. GWWWWE W surge: w; :{2 without civil wifdom or military fkill, with-. out a confcioufneis of any other qualifica- tion for power but his fervility to it, bloated |
