y man's regard to
his own safety and reputation will prevent him from betraying his trust,
or abusing his power, much more will it incite him to prevent any
misconduct in another for which he must himself be accountable. Men are,
usually, sufficiently tenacious of power, and ready to vindicate their
separate rights, when nothing but their pride is affected by the
usurpation, but surely no man will patiently suffer his province to be
invaded when he may himself be ruined by the conduct of the invader.

Thus, my lords, it appears to me to be not only without proof, but
without probability, and the first minister can, in my opinion, be
nothing more than a formidable illusion, which, when one man thinks he
has seen it, he shows to another, as easily frighted as himself, who
joins with him in propagating the notion, and in spreading terrour and
resentment over the nation, till at last the panick becomes general, and
what was at first only whispered by malice or prejudice in the ears of
ignorance or credulity, is adopted by common fame, and echoed back from
the people to the senate.

I have hitherto, my lords, confined myself to the consideration of one
single article of this complicated charge, because it appears to me to
be the only part of it necessary to be examined; for if once it be
acknowledged that the affairs of the nation are transacted not by the
minister but the administration, by the council in which every man that
sits there has an equal voice and equal authority, the blame or praise
of all the measures must be transferred from him to the council, and
every man that has advised or concurred in them, will deserve the same
censure or the same applause; as it is unjust to punish one man for the
crimes of another, it is unjust to choose one man out for punishment
from among many others equally guilty.

But I doubt not, my lords, when all those measures are equitably
considered, there will be no punishment to be dreaded, because neither
negligence nor treachery will be discovered. For, my lords, with regard
to the treaty of Vienna, let us suppose our ministers deceived by
ignorant or corrupt intelligence, let us admit that they were cautious
where there was no danger, and neglected some opportunities, which, if
they had received better information, they might have improved to the
advantage and security of the nation. What have they done, even under
all these disadvantageous suppositions, but followed the lights whi