The native American., 1839-04-27
LORD CHATHAM.

Dilaulaih. Ill Will reward perusa:
The first place among the great qualities which
distinguished Lord Chatham, is unquestonabiy
due TO firmness of purpose, resolute determine
ton in the pursuit of his objects. This was the
characteristic of the younger Brutus, as ne SAID,
who had spared his life 10 fall by his hand
Quicquid ruN, id ualde uuh; and although ex-
tremey apt TO be shown in excess, IL must be
admitted to be the foundation of all true greatness
| of character. Every thing, however, depends
upon the endowmenls in whose company il is
lound and in Lord Chatham these were of very
| high order. The quickness with which he could
ascertain his object, and discover his road to it,
was fully commensurate with his perseverance and
his holiness in pursuing it; the frmness of grasp
with which he held his advantage, was fully
hequalled by lheiapidity Of the glance with which
he discovered il. Add to this, a mind eminently
fertile in resources-a courage which nothing
could daunt in the choice of his means-a res"lu-
ton equally ndomtable in their applicaon-a
genius in short original and daring, which bound
led over the petty obstacles raised by ordinary
men-thelr squeamishness, and their precedents,
and their forms and their regularlles, and forced
away lis path through the enlanglements and base
underground, to the worthy object ever in his
view, the prosperity and the renown of his coun-
try. Far superior 10 the paluy objects ola grow
cling ambition, and regardless alike Of party and
personal considerations, he constantly set before
his eyes the highest duty Of a public man, to
further the interests his species. In pursuing
his course towards that goal, he disregard alike
the irowns of power and the gales of popular APP
plause-eXposed himself unaunted to the ven
geance of the Court, while he baued against its
c eruption, and confronted, unabashed, the rudes
shocks oil public Indignation, while he resisted
the dictates Of pernicious agia,ors-and could
consc!ennusly eXclalm, with an illustrious states
man OF antiquity, Ego hoe amino sen,pcr, fuisut
inHidlam virlnte partam, gioriam non invidiam
putarem!' ...
Nothing could be more entangled than the for
eigr policy OF this country at the time when he
took the supreme direction of her Notwithstanding
could be more disastrous than the aspect of her
fortunes in every quarter of The globe
As soon as Mr.. Pitt took the helm, the seatli.
ness of the hand that held it, came to be felt in
fcvcry motion Of the vessel. There was no more
OF waverng counsels, of torpid inaclion, of list
less expectancy. of ahect dependency. His
hrmness gave confidence. his spirit reused cour-
age, his vigilance secured cxeron in every de-
partment under his sway. Each man, from the
first lord Of tic admiralty, down to the most hum
bic clerk in the vclualling-office: each soldier,
contractor commissarv, now felt sure that he
was active or indolen, under the eve of one who
knew his duties and his means as well as his
oWn-and who would very certainly make all de-
iaulters, whether through misfeasance or through
nonieasance, accountable for whatever detriment
the commonwealth might sustain at their hands |
Over his immediate coad tutors, his influence
swiftly obtained an ascendant, which it ever af- |
ter retained uninterrupted. Upon his first propo-
stion Tor changing the conduct of the war, he |
stood single among his colleagues, and rendered
his resignation should they persist in their dis
sent; they at once succumbed, and from that hour
ceased to have All opinion Of their own, upon any
branch Of the public affairs. Nay. so absolutely
was he determined to have the control of these
measures, Of which he knew the responsibility
rested upon him alone, that lie insisted upon the
first lord o! the admiralty not having the cores
pondence Of his own department; and no less en-
inent naval character than Lord Arson, with
his junior Lords, obliged to sign the orders
issued by Mr.. Pitt, while the writing IS as covered
over from their eyes!
The elect Of this change in the whole manage
ment of the public business, and in all the plans
of the government, as well as in their execution,
were speedily made manifest to all the world
The German troops " ere sent home, and we'll
ItguldttI ilillld UtlilS 10 ueIGDu the
country, large disposable force was distributed
over the various points whence the enemy might
be annoyed France, attacked on some points,
and menaced on others, compelled 10 retire
from Germany, soon afterwards suffered the most
disastrous defeats, and, instead of threatening
England and her allies with invasion, he'd to de.
tend herself against attack, suffering severely in
her most important naval stations. No less than
sixteen islands, and settlements, and fOrtresses Of
importance, were taken from her in America, and
Asia, and Africa, including all her West India CO.
lonies, except st. Domingo, and all her settle
mens in the East. The whole important pro-
vince Of Canada was likewise conquered; and the
Havana taken from Spain. Besides this, the
was swept clear of the fleets that had SO late
ly been insulting all our colonies, and even all
our coasts. Many general actions were fought
and galned-one among them the most decisive
that had ever been, fought by our navy. Thirty
six sail of The line were taken or DESTROYED, fifty
frigales aud lorty-tive sloops of war; SO brillia,
course OF uninterrupted success, had never, in
modern times, attended the army of any nation
carrying war with other states. But it was a
more glorious feature in this unexampcd admin
straton, which history has to record, when it
adds that all public distress had disappeared all
discomfort III any quarter, both of the colonies
and parent state, had ceased, that no oppression
was any where pracsed, no abuse suffered to