Page:Defence of Shelburne.djvu/64

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.

[58]

America. How far we were right in the policy to be adopted with her, look to the effect of the negotiations at Paris, to the rejection of all overtures from Sir Guy Carleton, and the refusal of a passport for Philadelphia to his secretary—We should have acted to all the dependencies of the empire with equity and liberality. The only mode of regaining the confidence of our fellow-subjects in the different parts of the world, is to treat them as the citizens of a free state, and not as the slaves of tyranny. Melius visum amicos quam servos querere, tutiusque rati volentibus, quam coactis imperitare.—We gave the nation a contractors bill, a revenueofficers bill, a civil list bill[1].—Out of office, we reprobated the corruption of parliament; in office we exhibited a spectacle, new in the history of our country. The minister of the day (Mr. Fox) decrying the influence of the crown, and supporting the power of the people upon the treafury bench—We went into government with pure hearts, we left it with pure hands.—These are the methods by which we give the lie to those who called it unconstitutional in Mr. Fox to appear upon a Hustings in open day, to recommend a man of tried probity to the free choice of his constituents. If they were in-

  1. I will venture to say, that nine out of ten of the revilers of this bill never read it.
deed