The Sun.
London, England, 1827-07-20 00:00:00

plained, was this—that I was most anxious to be recon-
ciled to my father, has been sufficiently proved to you
the letters that have passed between us : that reconciliation
would of necessity have closed the door against any disclo-
sure of family secrets, because they would have been unne-
cessary, for the, House of Lords would have had 'one great
and most heavy charge in my estimation and.the Chancel-
lor's, removed from their consideration, the main charge
upon which the discussion was founded in the Court of
Chancery—the neutrality, or the abandonment of me, by
my family. That charge I could neither meet nor remove
in the Chancery proceedings, because I could not anticipate
the manner in which it could bear upon the mind or judg-
ment of the Chancellor : a reconciliation with my father
would have put an end to that neutrality ; and hence, the
necessity no longer existing, it would have been wholly
unnecessary for me to have alluded to it.

But if every effort to produce that reconciliation be
fruitless—if my anxiety to effect it is to be frustrated by
definitions and discussions upon phrases—if Colonel Shaine
instead of taking the ST P.A so HT FORWA ILD course of present-
ing my letter to my father, deemed it necessary to secure
your Grace's previous permission, which permission he
could. not obtain—if, I say, my family; as I begin to
,fear, do not desire a reconciliation—l must then proceed
to the appeal, under the unreMoved disadvantage of my
family:s continued neutrality or abandonment.

What task is, of necessity, imposed, upon me? What
duty am I imperatively called upon to perform? Your
Grace's sagacity will anticipate the answer. I must, and
Twill, show, that the ground upon which my family take
their stand is untenable ; that I do not deserve their dere-
liction, and that their conduct is unjustifiable. This I. am
hound, in self defence, to prove : I feel I can do so, not by
assertions, but by written evidence and documents. This
may or may not he called a threat, but it is in the inevita-
ble nature and essence of these proceedings. As well
might the accusation be brought against a man, who,
having received notice of an action against him in a court
of law, should declare, or THREATEN (as. you term it),
that be would prove by witnesses and documents that the
action could not be maintained. _

Thus, then, stands the fact : a reconciliation with my
family removes from the case, or my appeal to the Lords,
the main ground that was taken in Chancery by Lord El-
don, but which was not taken (and, indeed, privately al-
most promised to me by Lord Eldon, that it would .rot be
taken) till the final judgment was pronounced, could not
have been beat down or even answered by me. A refusal on
their part of all reconciliation, leaves me only the choice of
one of two courses ; first, to show that I•have not deserved to
be so abandoned ; or, secondly, by abstaining from all no-
tice of the charge, to allow it to be inferred that it is well.
founded. Now this /cannot, and I will not do; I owe
it to myself; and, indeed, to my family, who ought not,
from what theyaught to know of me, to wish, or to expect
of me to allow myself by any act of theirs or mine, to be
considered as 'unworthy of being allied to him.
. .

• Your Grace will, of course, conclude that nothing can
prevent my appeal to the House of Lords from the decision
in Chancery : because I think that decision unjust, and
because I will not suffer my children to charge me here-
after with having had so little affection for them as to
have neglected any means of restoring them to my paternal
guardianship and care. Besides, the Chancellor himself
has most earnestly recommended the appeal.

I am compelled to be prolix., becaUf.ie as it will, in all
probability, be the last comsmunication I may have the ho-
nour .to make to your Grace, I am determined to leave no-
thing to doubt, or conjecture, but to place toy wishes and
intentions in the clearest and strongest light.

I lament that my father and myself have not had Justice
done us, and are withheld from having an interview by
letter, or in person, Which might have softened animosities,
and probably have removed much of all that misrepreFen-
Cation and misconception under which he appears to
labour.

Pardon me, if here (after having smothered many) I
indulge in one feeling. Is it not strange that I (dime
should be held np to popular odium, and- he, denied the
7ommon rights that behing to me as a father and as a son,
whilst I feel and know myself to be as moral a man as any
of the members of my family, who, if not arrayed against
me, remain silent and unconcerned spectators ?

When I waited upon your grace at Apsley-house, I
wished to ascertain whether that which Lord -Fitzroy--
Somerset stated to Lord Auckland was true—that you
had, or would, accept of the guardianship of my elSldren at
the request of the Misses Long? Your denial to me at
Apsley-house'of your having had any communication with
the ladies (as you termed them) excepting that which you
made me acquainted with at Calais, of course led me to be-
lieve that Lord Fitzroy Somerset had stated that for which
he had no authority ; hut a similar rumour having again
been mentioned to me, I must as%; the favour of you to in-
form me if you have any intention of permitting the Am.,.
Long, or any one else, to name you as the guardian of these
children, or in any way to impede or to effect any appoint-
ment of any guardian I may deem it expedient to name?
I now take leave of your Grace with deep and bitter
sorrow, lamenting that no reconciliation has been effected
between my father and myself; for, if there had been, all
family disclosures might have been avoided. And if lam
ultimately to be visited by so heavy and unmerited an afflic-
tion as to have my parental rights limited in their exercise,
I might, as I before told you, have given to my Children
their next natural protector to myself. But as it is, my
father not being reconciled to me, cannot be their guardian,
and disclosures must be had recourse to, and, God knows,
much against my desire.
Believe me, my dear Duke, your's affectionately,
(Signed) W. L. WELLESLEY.
(No answer to the above.)

TO HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF WEI.T.INGTON!

London, 12th April, 1827.

My dear Duke,—lt becomes absolutely necessary that I
should request the favour of you, without delay, to be so
obliging as to answer the following paragraph of my letter
to your Grace of the 2d instant.
" When I waited upon your Grace at Apsley-house, I
wished to ascertain whether that which Lord Fitzroy So-
merset stated to Lord Auckland was true, that you had, or
that you would accept of the guardianship of my children
lie request of the Misses Long? Your denial to me,
Lpsl of your having had any communication
• .11 'as you termed them) excepting that with
iich " me acquainted at Calais, of course led me
bar •-ord Fitzroy Somerset had stated that for
-hick authority ; but a similar rumour having
7,ain t hieniioned to me, I must ask the favour of you
o inform me if you have any intention of permitting the
Misses Long, or any one else, to name you as the guardian
of these children, or in any way t® impede or to affect any
appointment of any guardian I may deem it expedient to
name?" Most affectionately your's,

- W. L. WELLESLEY.
(No answer to the above.)

TO HIS GRACE THE PUKE OF WELLINGTON.

London, 17th of April, 1827.

My dear Duke—l have learned this moment from Sir
Philip Roche, with great regret, that you have taken offence
at my last letter but one to you.
I am sure, upon reflection, you will be convinced I never
could have wished to give you offence : for, in, fact, nothing
could be further, of course, from my intentions. I hope
this will be satisfactory to you upon this pint.
My object is, to obtain an interview with my father, for
I have now seen enough of this melancholy business to be
convinced that it is all bottomed upon misconception and
mis-statements, which I.confidently trust a personal inter-
view, either in the presence of a third person, or alone with
my father, will remove.
I therefore earnestly entreat you to make an application
to this effect from me to my father, in terms the , most re-

spectful and affectionate.
Believe me, my dear Duke, your's affectionately,
W. L. WELLESLEY.
. (NO answer to the above letter.)