rvices of
regulating elections, and suppressing those insurrections which are
produced by the decay of our manufactures. Many gallant colonels have
led out their forces against women and children, with the exactest
order, and scattered terrour over numerous bodies of colliers and
weavers, who would find difficulties not very easily surmountable, were
they to force a pass, or storm a fortress.

But, my lords, those whom we have destined for the conquest of America,
have not even flushed their arms with such services, nor have learned,
what is most necessary to be learned, the habit of obedience; they are
only such as the late frost hindered from the exercise of their trades,
and forced to seek for bread in the service; they have scarcely had time
to learn the common motions of the exercise, or distinguish the words of
command.

Nor are their officers, my lords, extremely well qualified to supply
those defects, and establish discipline and order in a body of
new-raised forces; for they are absolutely strangers to service, and
taken from school to receive a commission, or if transplanted from other
regiments, have had time only to learn the art of dress. We have sent
soldiers undisciplined, and officers unable to instruct them, and sit in
expectation of conquests to be made by one boy acting under the
direction of another.

To their commander-in-chief, my lords, I object nothing but his
inexperience, which is by no means to be imputed to his negligence, but
his want of opportunities; though of the rest, surely it may be said,
that they are such a swarm as were never before sent out on military
designs; and, in my opinion, to the other equipments, the government
should have added provisions for women to nurse them.

Had my knowledge of war, my lords, been thought sufficient to have
qualified me for the chief command in this expedition, or had my advice
been asked with regard to the conduct of it, I should willingly have
assisted my country with my person or my counsels; but, my lords, this
man, who engrosses all authority, seems, likewise, to believe that he is
in possession of all knowledge, and that he is equally capable, as he is
equally willing, to usurp the supreme and uncontroulable direction both
of civil and military affairs.

Why new forces were raised, my lords, it is very easy to judge; new
forces required new commissions, and new commissions produced new
dependencies, which might be of use to the minister