ve welcomed war for reasons personal as well as
professional, for money and for glory, can readily be believed; but his
measures in this case give no ground for such an innuendo as Sandwich
conveyed. Therefore, after making full allowance for the panic of
ministers ready to fear the worst, and to throw blame on anybody, it is
the more significant that he should have been suspected of an unworthy
personal motive underlying a worthy official act. It is an indication
of reputation already compromised by damaging association with pecuniary
embarrassments; an evidence of latent distrust easily quickened into
active suspicion. An officer of his rank and service, so far from home,
and with the precedents of his day, could scarcely be faulted for what
he had done to uphold the honor of the country; and his manner of doing
it was dignified and self-restrained, as well as forcible. There was no
violence like that of Hawke at Gibraltar, less than twenty years before,
which that admiral had boldly vindicated to Pitt himself; but there were
no weak joints in Hawke's armor. In the particular instance, time and
cooler judgment set Rodney right in men's opinion; but subsequent events
showed that his general reputation did not recover, either then, or
through his Jamaica career.

After immediate apprehension had subsided, Rodney's action was justified
by the government. Sandwich wrote him, a little later, that no
commander-in-chief stood upon a better footing, and assured him that his
private interests were safe in his hands. Sandwich, however, was an
extremely practical politician, who had much personal use for his own
patronage; and Rodney's necessities were great. Fulfilment therefore
fell far short of promise. Employment was necessary to the admiral, and
his hopes fixed upon a colonial governorship when his present
appointment should expire; Jamaica being his first choice. Sandwich
renewed assurances, but advised a personal application also to the Prime
Minister and other Cabinet officers. New York was mentioned, but nothing
came of it all. After three years Rodney was superseded, with permission
to remain in the island instead of returning to England. This he
declined. "I cannot bear to think of remaining here in a private
station, after commanding in chief with the approbation of the whole
island." How far this approbation was universal, or unqualified, is
perhaps doubtful; but the letters quoted by his biographer from his
corresp