The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1782-10-08 00:00:00, page 2

/r rf .~t ' hin&r had not die confidence of the people ;
"''"'J' ' ^ G ^ o >able general would leave him, after he
had .iffQ him, perhaps, in all the harm he could do his
country.
[Duringthe time Mr. Fox was delivering his fperch, of
Which we have been only able to give a veiy anperfea
idea, the taufe was profoundly blent, and the c y of
hear ! hear ! more loud and frequent than we ever re
member to have heard them ]
General Conway affe&rd to take all the ftri&ures on his
abilities and conduct, such as they were, which caffe flora
the honorable gentleman in good part. He regreted the
afli^ance and countenance of his late friend with great fin
ceric,. Buttheir resignation on this occ^fian he could not
help confuting as inimical to the prosperity of those mea
lures in which this country is at present so fatally and deep
lyc'd^o'-'* The honorable gentleman over the wly, he
said, wasiocipabic of misunderstanding and misrepresent
ing w Qt fell from him, yet certainly he had Rated faily
and diitind'y the great and leading objeds for the accom
plish nene of which the adminiftratiou under the late Mar
tjais of Rockingham was formed. And theft obje&s, he af
firmed, were (till the avowed and invariable objects of the
present. He might be mistaken, or milled, or deceived, as
the bed and wisest of men often were ; out he was lure his
intentions were honorable, as they had always been undis
guised. His head or his judgment might err, as he was
fenlible of its weakness in a thoufanl instances; but he
would boldly, publicly, and on all occ^fions, answer for his
heart. He might not have expressed himfelf so clearly, ac
curate'.,, or guardedly, perhaps, but he was not confeious of
qualifying, much less of altering any of his well known
fenciments on these topics. That independence to the thir
teen States of North America was to be the basis of all our
negotiations with them. That they were to be treated as
independent in the very mode of carrying on these negotia
tions. That a large and substantial rcfoim in every branch
of the public expenditure, and that the undue iitiuence of
the crown in this house was to be circumfcribcd---were
certainly.the ground work for public principles, an which
the new arrangement as well as the preceding one was a
vowedly established. —lt was on this conviction, and this
alone, hepledged himfelf to give it all the f.ippoc and rffif
tanc :he could. The moment the least symptoms of depnre
lag from these Struck him he would undoubtedly f Row his
honorable friendsexample. He would notching his h mor
orhisconfeience fife in deviating from this boad and beat
en ground of politics in the.leaft. He was obliged to the
honorable gent'eman for his kind and ve y fl^tre i :g opini
on; but he did not think himfelf altogether liable co the
censure implied in the compliment, f> handforn.lv paid
him. He was for public mealu es, hot men. While the
f >rmer were pure, were Stamped with the public advantage
icwas indifferent to him who had the power. He had no
object but one. He crafted his a& ons were guided solely
and always by the public good. And whoever accorded
with him in facilitating this great erd, was entitled, in his
opinion, by every pofhblc tie to his countenance. For the
mwisofche late fid lord of the treasury, he had the molt
foious efteeni. His personal and facial qualities and ac
complishments were as valuable anl ex?mp ary, as they
were u iform and rare. But why degrade the living by an
ill-timed compliment to the dead. The earl of Shelburne
was not the less refpe&.ble that his predegeffor was a man
of uncommon worth. No. There was an instance of me
rit in I old Shelburne that it was but justice to mention to
the house. His lordship, so far from renewing the old ex
ploded politics, had been able to convince his r<yal matter,
tli it a declaration of American independence was, from the
situ cion ofthe country and the neceflicy of the cate, the wif
elt and m >ft expedient measure that government, from the
preffire ofprefent circumft cnees, couldpuffibly adopt This
he observed was a f tisfid oy reason co his mind, that no
thing less than such a me Lure in its utmost latitude, was
cert # i ly meant by the cabinet. And while he had this con
fi fence in the integrity and candour of ministers, forty as
be was to differ from his honourable friend, the duty he
owed co his count y, to his king, and to his constituents,
made it imft&ble tor him to do otherwise.
Mr. Fox laid, a few things had just fallen front
the right honorable gentleman, which he could
not piG unnoticed. To the political creed which
had been read before the house with so much so
lemnity, he was no party. It was a paper he
had never till then either seen or heard. The
fubj^ft of it was certainly not unknown to him
though the terms in general were. This was a
fyßcm digested by himfelf, and now held out to
the public as adopted by his mnjefly's counsel.
It was now a week since he had the honour to
be one of the number. A general conversion
may have lately been wrought on them, They
were not, he asserted, agreed on any such system
while he knew them. To bring them unani
mously to feme such fpecific and decilive point,
he had laboured ardently and assiduously with
them, both individually and collectively consi
dered, butall to no purpose. It was therefore
some fatisfaction to him at least, that his absence
had brought that about which his presence could
not. This alone was Sufficient to jellify his re
signation to all the world. What was an bonelt
man to do, who found himfelf situated as he
was ? Tie had avowed principles in this place to
his friends, to his conßituents, to the nation at
large, with which he deemed their evidence, as
a great and a r:fpedab!e Rate, inseparable. Wa.*
it ever conceived or expected, that he should
continue in a responsible department of state,
and be answerable in his place in this house, for
those that were foreign to his heart, and in his
opinion hoflile to the best interests ofthe em
pire? He trusted the public, and all who khaw
his habits of thinking and acting, had a better
opinion both of his underhanding and his heart.
---It was in fall a conduit to which he was not
equal. His honorable friend was indifferent
who were the men, while the measures were un
questionably good. What was this but entrust
ing every thing at random, and depending on
events to juftify Rmamfelt treachery to the cause
we have efpoufeJ. The honorable gentleman,
he said, was welcome in this, as in every other
case, to judge for himfelf, but he should not judge
for him. He would not relinquish hisown judg
ment, especially in matters which he had so often
and carefully revolved in hi, own mind, to any
in whom he had not the fullest and most un
bounded confidence. This was not in hie pow
er, as things were at present circumstanced. The
perlon presiding at the Ticafury Board was not of
a description to command that faith, which in
such a predicament was wanting, was indiipen
fible. This breach is on a public, net on a per
sonal or narrow ground. His mind might fee
things on a less bread and comprehensive fca)e
than the honorable gentleman, but he was an
swerable only for his own feelings and convicti
ons. These might incline him to be less credu
lous, and till him with more jealoulies than his
honorable friend was liable to entertain. But
he did not pretend either to censure or defend
the constitution of his mind. It was enough for
him that his conference did not upbraid him with
anting dishonorable, or disingenuously. But he
would fay this mull have been the ca'e, had he
not done what he did. He was impelled to take
this Step by every consideration that could ope
rate on the heart xid feelings of an honeit man.
The honorable gentleman might, but he could
not regard, without emotion or concert!, who
tookthc leadin his Majesty's councils. Hedeem
ed it a great and national objel), and conteque nt
ly of infiniimoment to every individual, but
much more so to every member of Parliament;
and Still more so to all liis Majesty's cabinet mi
nisters. Their honor, their duty, and every
thing dear to them was at hake. What! Had
he and his friends laboured so long and aßidu
oufly to destroy a system, which it was now
meanly, but abortively, attempted to make them
acceffary in reviving? And nmR they not lee
the trick that is meant to beplayed'on them with
out blame? Were they cenfarable lor detecting
an artifice with which the Strength and glory of
jOreat-Britain was molt immediately connected?
Why is not the honorable gentleman and bis
worthy coadjutors finished of their own integri
ty, in keeping their place, without blaming those
who relinquish them? Is not their eagerness for
an ecclaircibcment a certain indication that all is
not right with them, even in their own opinion?
He and his friends had nothing to dread from the
fevered scrutiny. They had ailed right, becauie
they had ailed from fidelity totheir engagements
with the public, whom they never had, and never
would betray. Whose cause or interest they
prefered to every thing, and for which they had
now facrificed whatever was molt flattering to
moll minds. He would not pay his Majeity so
poor a compliment as the honorable gentleman
certainly did, by averting, th it Lord Shelburne
had convinced or persuaded his Majclly, that the
independence of America was now a measure
that must be adopted. It was from this House,
it was from the people at large, it was from the
Royal obfervarion on the daily occurrences of
things, that any such generous and princely ideas
were indulged in the Royal breast. He there
fore deemed it, if not unfair, at least a poor com
pliment to this Horde, and to the public, to attri
bute that to the address of an individual, which
certainly originated in the Sentiments and reso
lutions, so unanimously and boldly avowed by
themselves. Though they were altogether out
of the question, it was hardly treating his col
leagues in office with due rejpe&, to give Lord
Shelburne the foie merit of * hat surely belonged
to them as much as to him. Indeed, if any in
dividual had more merit than another, in a busi
ness so much and jointly the cbjelt of all, it was
no doubt, the honorable gentleman himfelf.
What was the purport of the motion be brought
into the House, and by which the late adminihra
rtion was certainly annihilated. If it had any
meaning, it went to the full and unconditional
independence of North-America, He would
not think so difrefpeHfully of his R^ yal Mailer,
whole Service he had so lately resigned, as once
to Suppose he could have a different idea from
his people, on a fubjeft so dear to their hearts,
and cfAmfol to their interests. He knew the
justice, the ffifc<rr.rncnt, the gentleneL, and the
mercy ofthe Royal charade-, better than to sup
pose he could dillent from the general opinion of
the nation, on a point concerning which their
Sentiments had been delivered in so decided.a
manner. But why was no; he, why was not the
honorable gentleman himfelf brought forward,
as uiing all his influence to carry a point which
seemed a favourite one with them all? Was it
not the noble Lord in qucirion that was alone
fufpe&ed of having leL friendly ideas on this
topic,.than any of bis numerous colleagues in oi~
lice. He did not with to bear harder on the ho
norable gentleman, whom he had long regarded;
with Sentiments of the highest refpe&. Luc
now that he had been tomewhat involuntarily
put on his own defence, it was natural, it was
necessary in his case to Rate his conduit as be
had Stared it. A variety of things were againit
him.' It was none of the leak that he did not
think himfelf at liberty to speak so freely and
fully as he had accustomed himfelf to do on other
occafiens.. Official minißeis would in this case
be deemed both tedious and unexpedient.
And yet without such a very circumßantial de
tail, as he did not think it became, him at thiA
time to give,, he was icnfible hjs defence \ tihl
not be So Strong, so complete, or so genemby
elective as it might otherwise have be<u.
General Conway rose, notwi-hßanding-a!! tie
sarcasms he had received, in perfelt good bu
mour, and begged the House would indulge him
with a very Snort explanation. Giving full cre
dit tor every thing fl-tit had dropped ' from sis>
honorable friend in Ids favour, he declared,La
man had a better opinion of Him, either in pdinf
of ability or principle, than he had. He allow
ed his influence, independent of his many arid
refpedable connections, was, on both these ac
counts, peculiarly and eminently great in this
House, as well as.with the public. But he mult
beg the honorable gentleman's pardon for obfcrv
ing, that in menriimirg Lord Shelburne's merit,,
in refp&l of bis advice, and ft 9 effect on his Ma
jesty, be w^as certainly not a little mistaken; for
he who would pleaie to observe, the indepen
dence of North-America had never been made a
question in this Motile. It was on this account
the more neceharv todifeufs the queflion with
his Majesty, which having been done repeatedly
by the firft Lord of the Treasury, the effect was
as he had Rated it. And he must think it great
ly to his Lord Ship's honor, who had in this in
stance done more than all Ids predecessors could
do before him. He acknowledged himfelf not
apt to be jealous or suspicious as others of his
friends; but this he was willing to confider ra
ttier as a defect than an excellence. He would
by no means go so far, as fay with his ^on@rzble
friend, not only that he knew his cotemporarics,
find what their present principles fiom their pre
lent actions mutt be, but likewise v. hat they molt
assuredly would be five years hence. This was
a Stretch of ingenuity to which lie had no claim fr
and was not unwilling to leave the right honor
able gentleman in full poffefion of it..
(See the A//? P^ge.)"
Large Quantity of excellent Sma'l c Arms, "with Bayonets
if and Cartouch Boxes clean'd and in the best condition for
immediate use, for Gentlemen Officers, Soldiers or Vefcls, to be
Sold, at JOSEPH and IV ILL I.AM RUSSLL'sStGre,
in Providence, by wholefole or retail, verfreheap for Cash.
Univerft, of sale, CElober 2, 1,^2.
THE Students of this Vxiverfa, are notified that, forfpeciaE
reasons, the present Vacation term is lengthened three
weeks ; and they are accordingly direUed to meet on Tuesday tte
12th da, of November next.
By Order ofthe Committee of Corporation,'
EBENEZER FI T C IT, Tutor.
JVfEthe febferibers being appointed Commissioners by the
VV Hon. Couit of Probate for the difrift of Sharon, to re
ceive and examine the claims ofthe creditors to the eftaie of Wil
liam Hugg, late of Safsb&y, deceaftd, represented infohent -
do.hereby give notice to the creditors, that we shall attendfai'd
bufinef, at the dwelling house of Jacob Brown, innholder in Ca
naan, on the two fi'fl Tuesday, in NHember next, at one ofthe
clock, in the afternoon on each offaid d,s.
TH OM^S HOSMER,
N.A TH^NIEL LOWREr.
Cancan, September 24 17CT
~TE N DOLLITTR £ fv^RD.
OTCLEN in Lebanon, the cue I.ng after the sith September
J pas, a Brown M^IRE, 6 yeais old, fourteen hands and I alf
high, well built, two or three vssite feet, the under part of her
foretop cut short, a remarkable seam down the hoof of one of her
fore feet, trots and paces, and was in good flesh. Whoever talk's
up said Mare and thief and secures them, shall have the above
reward, and for the Mare alone shall have Five Dollars, and ail
necefary charges paic,, by
WILLIMM LITTLE.
Lebanon, O^ober 2, t?M.