at the beginning of the debate, he said that he was not alarmed by it, if the war with America was instantly terminated; much was to be hoped from the fact of the English and the Americans having the same religion and speaking the same language; their international relations were the same, and their interests were interwoven with one another; besides there were many dispassionate and able men in Congress, who would hesitate in completely severing the connection with the parent state before it was absolutely necessary. But if every means which could now be suggested for restoring them to the empire should prove abortive, the recollection of the condition in which Mr. Pitt found the country in 1757 compared with that in which he left it in 1762 should encourage all men, he said, to hope that under a vigorous administration England might yet exist and flourish, even without a connection with America.
A few days after the debate,[1] the King received a letter from Lord North expressing a wish to resign, and urging in clear and unmistakable terms the necessity of sending for Chatham. He immediately replied by insisting that North should remain at the head of the Treasury, as his confidential minister; Thurlow was to become Chancellor in the place of Lord Bathurst, Sir Joseph Yorke was to be Secretary of State, and Lord Weymouth Privy Seal. "Upon these conditions," he went on to say, "I am willing, through your channel, to accept any description of persons that will come avowedly to the support of your Administration, and as such do not object to Lord Shelburne and Mr. Barré, whom personally perhaps I dislike as much as Alderman Wilkes; and I cannot give you a stronger proof of my desire to forward your wishes than taking this unpleasant step. But I declare in the strongest and most solemn manner, that though I do not object to your addressing yourself to Lord Chatham, yet that you must acquaint him that I shall never address myself to him, but through you; and on a clear explanation, that he is to step forth to
- ↑ March 14th, 1778.
