MY DEAR FRIEND: I told you in my last, that you should hear from me
again, as soon as I had anything more to write; and now I have too much
to write, therefore will refer you to the “Gazette,” and the office
letters, for all that has been done; and advise you to suspend your
opinion, as I do, about all that is to be done. Many more changes are
talked of, but so idly, and variously, that I give credit to none of
them. There has been pretty clean sweeping already; and I do not
remember, in my time, to have seen so much at once, as an entire new
Board of Treasury, and two new Secretaries of State, ‘cum multis aliis’,
etc.
Here is a new political arch almost built, but of materials of so
different a nature, and without a key-stone, that it does not, in my
opinion, indicate either strength or duration. It will certainly require
repairs, and a key-stone next winter; and that key-stone will, and must
necessarily be, Mr. Pitt. It is true he might have been that keystone
now; and would have accepted it, but not without Lord Temple’s consent,
and Lord Temple positively refused. There was evidently some trick in
this, but what is past my conjecturing. ‘Davus sum, non OEdipus’.
There is a manifest interregnum in the Treasury; for I do suppose that
Lord Rockingham and Mr. Dowdeswell will not think proper to be very
active. General Conway, who is your Secretary, has certainly parts at
least equal to his business, to which, I dare say, he will apply. The
same may be said, I believe, of the Duke of Grafton; and indeed there is
no magic requisite for the executive part of those employments. The
ministerial part is another thing; they must scramble with their
fellow-servants, for power and favor, as well as they can. Foreign
affairs are not so much as mentioned, and, I verily believe, not thought
of. But surely some counterbalance would be necessary to the Family
compact; and, if not soon contracted, will be too late. God bless you!