the miscellaneous writings and speeches-3-第43章

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　and　of　the　present　minister；　a　rupture　was　inevitable；　and　there　was　no　want　of　persons　bent　on　making　that　rupture　speedy　and　violent。　　Some　of　these　persons　wounded　Addington's　pride　by　representing　him　as　a　lacquey；　sent　to　keep　a　place　on　the　Treasury　bench　till　his　master　should　find　it　convenient　to　come。　　Others　took　every　opportunity　of　praising　him　at　Pitt's　expense。　　Pitt　had　waged　a　long；　a　bloody；　a　costly；　an　unsuccessful　war。　　Addington　had　made　peace。　　Pitt　had　suspended　the　constitutional　liberties　of　Englishmen。　　Under　Addington　those　liberties　were　again　enjoyed。　　Pitt　had　wasted　the　public　resources。　　Addington　was　carefully　nursing　them。　　It　was　sometimes　but　too　evident　that　these　compliments　were　not　unpleasing　to　Addington。　　Pitt　became　cold　and　reserved。　　During　many　months　he　remained　at　a　distance　from　London。　　Meanwhile　his　most　intimate　friends；　in　spite　of　his　declarations　that　he　made　no　complaint；　and　that　he　had　no　wish　for　office；　exerted　themselves　to　effect　a　change　of　ministry。　　His　favourite　disciple；　George　Canning；　young；　ardent；　ambitious；　with　great　powers　and　great　virtues；　but　with　a　temper　too　restless　and　a　wit　too　satirical　for　his　own　happiness；　was　indefatigable。　　He　spoke；　he　wrote；　he　intrigued；　he　tried　to　induce　a　large　number　of　the　supporters　of　the　government　to　sign　a　round　robin　desiring　a　change；　he　made　game　of　Addington　and　of　Addington's　relations　in　a　succession　of　lively　pasquinades。　　The　minister's　partisans　retorted　with　equal　acrimony；　if　not　with　equal　vivacity。　　Pitt　could　keep　out　of　the　affray　only　by　keeping　out　of　politics　altogether；　and　this　it　soon　became　impossible　for　him　to　do。　　Had　Napoleon；　content　with　the　first　place　among　the　Sovereigns　of　the　Continent；　and　with　a　military　reputation　surpassing　that　of　Marlborough　or　of　Turenne；　devoted　himself　to　the　noble　task　of　making　France　happy　by　mild　administration　and　wise　legislation；　our　country　might　have　long　continued　to　tolerate　a　government　of　fair　intentions　and　feeble　abilities。　　Unhappily；　the　treaty　of　Amiens　had　scarcely　been　signed；　when　the　restless　ambition　and　the　insupportable　insolence　of　the　First　Consul　convinced　the　great　body　of　the　English　people　that　the　peace；　so　eagerly　welcomed；　was　only　a　precarious　armistice。　　As　it　became　clearer　and　clearer　that　a　war　for　the　dignity；　the　independence；　the　very　existence　of　the　nation　was　at　hand；　men　looked　with　increasing　uneasiness　on　the　weak　and　languid　cabinet　which　would　have　to　contend　against　an　enemy　who　united　more　than　the　power　of　Louis　the　Great　to　more　than　the　genius　of　Frederick　the　Great。　　It　is　true　that　Addington　might　easily　have　been　a　better　war　minister　than　Pitt；　and　could　not　possibly　have　been　a　worse。　　But　Pitt　had　cast　a　spell　on　the　public　mind。　　The　eloquence；　the　judgment；　the　calm　and　disdainful　firmness；　which　he　had；　during　many　years；　displayed　in　Parliament；　deluded　the　world　into　the　belief　that　he　must　be　eminently　qualified　to　superintend　every　department　of　politics；　and　they　imagined；　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　subje