St. James's Square, Oct. 11th, 1792.
MY DEAR BROTHER,
We go to Dropmore to-morrow, to fix ourselves for the remainder of
the autumn--if any autumn remain. I shall be very much obliged to
you for your cargo, whenever Mr. Woodward's prudence allows him to
send it.
We are all much disappointed with the result of the great
expectations that had been formed from the Duke of Brunswick's
campaign. According to the best accounts I can get, of a business
involved in almost inextricable mystery, the flux--which had got
into his camp--was the true cause of his retreat. Whatever be the
cause, the effect is equally to be regretted. The plan seems now to
be, to hold Verdun and Longwy; and to employ the interval before
the spring allows them to march forwards again, in besieging the
different frontier towns in the neighbourhood. But the example of
Thionville will prevent the success of intimidation, or of _coups
de main_; and the opening trenches is impossible, at least, till
the post comes. Clairfayt's corps of about twenty thousand men is
to march towards the Low Countries, to prevent them from being
insulted.
I have thought much of the Irish business. I am very much inclined
to think that the alarms stated by the people there are much
exaggerated, partly with the view of producing an effect here, and
partly, because you know such is the genius of that people to carry
everything to extremes. Allowing, however, for this, there is
certainly much real cause for alarm. It is, I think, clearly
impossible not to resist the demands of the Catholics, in the
manner and circumstances in which they are now made. How far it was
prudent to have gone last year, in voluntary and gratuitous
concession, I know not, and really feel that it requires more local
knowledge than I possess to decide. My leaning was certainly in
favour of going as far as could be gone with safety, but no person
is authorized to state even that leaning; and the subsequent
conduct of the Catholics does, in my opinion, go far to shake any
opinion which might then have been entertained in favour of further
concession.
My idea, therefore is, that the Irish Parliament must be enabled to
meet the struggle, if struggle there is to be, by having the means
put into their hands of calling forth all the resources of that
country; which, if called forth, I believe to be very great indeed.
That this may not ultimately lead to some drain upon the purse and
force of this country, is more certain than any man would affirm,
who sees what has passed in France. But the probability is, I
think, against it. I am inclined to believe, that the voting an
increase of the army may be a wise measure of intimidation, and as
such, it will be stated to that Government for consideration; but,
on the other hand, any increase of expense, which is to lead to
increase of taxes, is certainly objectionable. My own persuasion
is, that with a very little firmness, the Convention of 1793 will
vanish like that of 1783; but this is no reason for neglecting
reasonable measures of precaution.
Ever most affectionately yours,
GRENVILLE.
In these letters occur the first allusions to Dropmore, Lord Grenville's
seat in Buckinghamshire, which he had recently purchased, and upon the
embellishment of which he bestowed all the spare hours he could rescue
from the fatigues of public business. The trees, acknowledged in the
following letter as having been just received from Stowe, were destined
to convert a common into pleasure-grounds, under the direction of his
accomplished taste, which "made the wilderness smile," and transformed a
remote country nook into a scene of singular and matchless beauty.
The state of Europe, and the views of the writer in reference to it, are
treated at large in this letter, which is of great historical value as
an exposition of the firm and judicious course pursued by Lord Grenville
through a period of universal panic and confusion. To have kept England
in tranquillity aloof from the perils that were devastating the
continent, and to have sustained her in such prosperous circumstances as
to justify the hope that in the next year the Government might be
enabled to announce a further remission of taxes, furnishes a triumphant
answer to the charge so frequently brought against Mr. Pitt's
Administration, of wantonly encouraging a policy that plunged the
country into a profligate war expenditure.