Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-14
THE SAME IN 1777 AS IN 1899.

oon"hnespurR, august lltn, lS93.
THE SAME IN 1777 AS IN 1899.
"hat the Earl of Chatham Said About the
american Colonies, ana How He was
scored IN the Loyal Gazstte and True Blue
Intei1igencer of June LIST, 1SsT
Reprinted by LonGou Speaker, Nov. 18th.
IT. is with a feeling of profound re-
greet and almost with astonishmant that
we md ourselves compelled 10 denounce
statesman hitherto revered. We will
not inquire too closely what motives.
may have impellod the Earl of Chatham
TO the extraordinary and indecent dia-
tribe with which the dignity of the
peers Was yesterday disturbed. 1t is
not tho. first time, nor possibly will it
be the last. that one of his uaiesty's
former ministers shall be found, in tho
inevitable decay that accompanies old
age, to have receded from the sounder
principles that are the peculiar mark of
English politics. The assemblies of
the continent are not unfamiliar with
such exaggaration on the part of the
opposition, but it is indeed an unusual
event for any responsible English states
man to be led away by the violence of
imers party feeling into so gross a
breach of our best traditions.
The Earl of Chatham speech is now
(unfortunately) upon every tongue, but
We shall not err in repeating its most
hagrant passages, and placing them in
the pillory for the censuie which pos
teiity cannot fail to bestow:
II an end be not put to this war, -
tsaid the aged peer there is m end
to this country . . This is the
Judgment of my better days ~
the result of 40 years attention to the
colonies of Britain. Their eAcesses have
been great Il i J. do not mean
their panegyric y hut the door
to mercy and justice has been shut
upon them II You talk of tho
numerous party that will bsfriend us in
that country and of your powerful
forces to dispense their army. / might
as we'll talk of driving them before me
with this crutch! y What is it
you wish to do? y Do you wish
to conquer map? You have nothing
in the colony hut the populations of the
mines and the unwarlike and corrupt
crowds of few cities y If you
conquer the people who are the main
part of the colonies and VINO give them
all their patriotism and all their
political life, say ii you conquer them,
what then? You cannot make them re-
spect you; you cannot make them wear
your cloth " We shall lose dig
nifty in such truce? tell you we shall
lose far more dignity from the de-
mands that the continent cannot fail to
make, and that we, alas cannot fail to
grant, Aneady We are at the mercy
of the German chancery, and the pre-
tensions of neighboring and jealous ma
tions will increase daily. Already we
have yielded in a matter which nothing
but the excitement of the moment could
belittle, and fear that If we conquer
we conquer under the cannon Of the
continent, under masked battery
ready to open. "
We will not weary our readers by
any further quotation from speech
which is lasting disgrace to English
politics. Of the "unctuous reotitude"
of the passage which appealed to the
bishops, we can only say that it was
worthy of a dissenting ramphleteer /;
and as TO the words in which the titled
rhetorician prayed for disaster to our
arms, we can only hope that they may
have been misquoted or that the ner-
vousness which is whispered to have at
tackled his lordship will account for
what would otherwise be an outrage
upon public DEBATE.
1t is matter of common knowledge
that the Earl of Chatham has for many
months been the political associate of
men whose Judgment could warp the
soundest views ii it were listened to
with any sympathy. He suspects with
what reason he himself could not per
hays inform us) the power CT those
great financial houses which are the
backbone of Britain. He hints at mill.
tary ambition, and almost in the same
breath be criticises the action of gem
erals far better calculated to judge their
own science than even such distin-
guished laymari as their accuser.
There is no need for us to assure the
British people that their affairs are 10
the best Of hands,. The inevitable
destiny of our imperial mission will ac-
company our views, and nothing but
the gross Ignorance which is so char
acteristic of Mr.. Washington and his
clique of Office. seekers can explain
their mad action. Before Christmas we
shall expect from Gen. Burgoyne than
whom his majesty has 20 moro capable
and experienced officer the complete
qualification of the rebels. But this much
is certain--we have determined to break
their stubborn wills, and we will not
draw back till our task is accomplished.
As fol the senile rhodomontade to
which we have been compelled to grant
SO much space, there are many who pass
it over in contemptuous silence. We
are not of that opinion. We believe
land we say it with full sense of our
responsibility that his ma jesty would
be we'll advised were he to instruct the
authorities under him to arraign this
reoalcitrant subject on the charge OF
high treason. 1t may be that the Earl
of Chatham would then find it possible
| 10 give to jury of his oountrymen,
with little less rhetoric, the reason oil
his extraordinary remarks. 1t may be
| that his age and infrmities would pur-
chase an acquitTal, or it may be again
| that he would be visited with the swift
punishment that England metes out ia
| traitors. We will not discuss the merits
| of case which may SOON be sub iudice,
| for that would be to break with the
best traditi ,ns of our journalism; but
we earnestly expect his majesty's gov
eminent to take action in so urgent .
case. and to mako public example o.
one who has ceased 10 merit the respect
| of honest men,
This article was written by James
Billion.