Whitehall, Nov. 25th, 1792.
MY DEAREST BROTHER,
Our hopes of anything really useful from Opposition, are, I am
sorry to say, nearly vanished. In the meantime the storm thickens.
Lord Loughborough has declined, and Fox seems to govern the rest
just in the old way.
We are called upon on all sides for counter associations, and
indeed it seems too clear that the peace of the country cannot
otherwise be preserved. The army, though I trust still steady, is
too small to be depended on. We must look to individual exertions,
and to the Militia. I forgot to beg you to state to me the grounds
you had to think parts of that body infected. It is material to
know the truth on that subject. Our plan is to enable the King to
authorize the Lord-Lieutenants to commission volunteer companies to
be added to the Militia on the first appearance of tumult. This
seems to add the advantage of subordination to regular power to
that of association.
In the meantime, we are preparing an association in London, which
is to be declared in the course of next week. I enclose you the
plan of their declaration, in which you see the great object is to
confine it within the limits of the regular Government, and not to
go beyond that point. A few persons of rank cannot be kept out of
it, but we mean it chiefly to consist of merchants and lawyers, as
a London society, and that the example should then be followed by
each county or district--including there as many farmers and yeomen
as possible. In this _we_ shall of course have no difficulty.
Probably we need hardly appear much before the Quarter Sessions. It
seems desirable that at the different Quarter Sessions the
magistrates should name an adjourned day for receiving the reports
of their different constables, &c., &c., relative to the state of
their districts in this respect, and taking the necessary measures
thereupon.
I throw out these ideas to you for your consideration, as it is now
clear I cannot see you before Saturday, if then. If I cannot leave
town I will let you know in time.
Ever yours,
G.
I really have not time to extract for you a state of the Austrian
and Prussian armies. Both Courts are making the utmost possible
exertions to march down fresh troops. But then, I apprehend, the
amazing superiority of numbers must keep them on the defensive,
unless they can cut off Custine, of which I have little hope.
I am delighted with the spirit and feeling of your son's letter,
which are, I hope of the best augury, with a view to a game in
which he will probably be called upon to play his part pretty soon.