an scarcely consider as a party, the
Marquis of Lansdowne, and a half dozen characters about him, such as Dr.
Price, &c. who are impressed with the utility of a friendly connection
with us. The former does not venture this sentiment in parliament, and
the latter are not in situations to be heard. The Marquis of Lansdowne
spoke to me affectionately of your brother, Doctor Lee, and desired his
respects to him, which I beg leave to communicate through you. Were
he to come into the ministry (of which there is not the most distant
prospect), he must adopt the King's system, or go out again, as he did
before, for daring to depart from it. When we see, that through all the
changes of ministry, which have taken place during the present reign,
there has never been a change of system with respect to America, we
cannot reasonably doubt, that this is the system of the King himself.
His obstinacy of character we know; his hostility we have known, and
it is embittered by ill success. If ever this nation, during his life,
enter into arrangements with us, it must be in consequence of events,
of which they do not at present see a possibility. The object of the
present ministry is to buoy up the nation with flattering calculations
of their present prosperity, and to make them believe they are better
without us than with us. This they seriously believe; for what is it
men cannot be made to believe? I dined the other day in a company of the
ministerial party. A General Clark, a Scotchman and ministerialist, sat
next to me. He introduced the subject of American affairs, and in
the course of the conversation told me, that were America to petition
parliament to be again received on their former footing, the petition
would be very generally rejected. He was serious in this, and I think
it was the sentiment of the company, and is the sentiment perhaps of the
nation. In this they are wise, but for a foolish reason. They think they
lost more by suffering us to participate of their commercial privileges,
at home and abroad, than they lose by our political severance. The true
reason, however, why such an application should be rejected, is, that in
a very short time we should oblige them to add another hundred millions
to their debt, in unsuccessful attempts to retain the subjection offered
to them. They are at present in a frenzy, and will not be recovered from
it, till they shall have leaped the precipice they are now so boldly
advancing to. Writing