Pall Mall, Nov. 27th, 1782.
My dear Brother,
I saw Townshend on the evening of my arrival here, which was
Sunday. Lord Shelburne was then out of town, so that I was of
course obliged to state what I had to say to Townshend alone.
This I did very fully, in a conversation which lasted near two
hours, and in which, to say truth, Townshend bore a less part
than I expected and could have wished. What he did say was,
however, very fair and explicit. He expressed a strong
determination in the King's servants to give you every possible
support. He had found _no_ opportunity (as I understood him) of
convening a Cabinet on the affairs of Ireland, but had talked
separately with all the Ministers upon the subject, and found in
them no difference of opinion, except perhaps in General Conway,
whom he thought "a little influenced by his nephew's pamphlet,
and by his own natural temper, to look towards further
concession." He saw little difficulty in what you wished;
thought you best able to judge of the propriety of the moment
for such a measure; and said it was the King's opinion, as well
as his own, "that where there was not some marked difference of
opinion, the Lord-Lieutenant should be _left to himself_,
without however being _abandoned_." I stated to him pretty
strongly the effect of the ideas of changes of men and opinions
in this country. On that point, as far as related to men, I
could get little or nothing from him, although I recurred to it
more than once. At last he said that the same effects were felt
here, and would be so till Government should show a sufficient
strength and consistency in Parliament. Scarce anything more
passed on his side, except strong expressions of personal regard
to you, and a warm encomium on the Duke of Portland, and the
language held by him on your subject, and on that of the state
of Ireland.
He gave me hopes of seeing Lord Shelburne the next day; but the
great man was at his recess at Streatham, and was not visible
till yesterday. When I went to him, he began with unbounded
expressions of a determination to support you as long as he had
anything to do here. He understood that you went in great
measure at his request, and therefore he considered it as common
cause. He begged that his silence might never be construed into
indolence or timidity: the subject was never off his mind. As a
proof, he mentioned his former silence, at which you was
alarmed, and its being followed by the most explicit
declarations, in which you had professed yourself fully
satisfied. After a great deal more of such verbiage, I stated
your wish as to the dissolution. He objected strongly to the
taking so capital a step till something was decided about the
negotiation at Paris. If the war should continue, it would be
necessary to determine on some plan suited to such an event. But
if we had peace, the advantages to Government in Ireland would
be great and almost infinite. Such an event would throw the
Volunteers upon their backs, would bring back the army to that
country and to this, and would also bring the fleet into the
Channel. He dwelt very much on the great advantage of not being
obliged to meet the Parliament till October, and when I hinted
at the possible necessity of a contrary resolution, he argued
strongly, and I think satisfactorily, against such a measure. He
then concluded the conversation, expressing a perfect readiness
to hear me again more at large on the subject. Seeing that he
would not hear any more at that time, I ended with saying that I
was not commissioned to state decisively your sentiments on this
very unexpected event, but that I was sure you would feel much
disappointed if a measure which you thought so necessary was
postponed without the most serious consideration and the most
urgent reasons. His answer was, that you might depend upon it
that whatever determination was made on the subject would be
most seriously weighed, and taken on the best grounds. He then
told me that a Cabinet should be held to-day, to take the
business into consideration.
To-day I dined with him, and saw both him and Townshend after
dinner. They both stated in the strongest manner the
inconvenience of so decisive a measure whilst a subject was in
agitation, and must be decided in a very few days, on which the
whole line and plan of your Government will have to depend. For
these reasons, they said it had been judged most proper to
postpone the Cabinet till something arrived from Paris. I ended
my conversation with Lord Shelburne by saying, that in the event
of war, I did not see how, after this delay, it would be
possible to resist; and that in that light it was my duty to
discharge my commission from you, and to state my own sentiments
as far as they could have any weight, that a few days might do
more mischief in Ireland than many years would be able to
repair. _Liberari animans meam._ To this he replied, that I had
done my part fairly, and that _he would be answerable for the
event_.
After all this detail, you will possibly wish to know my
sentiments upon the subject. From the whole of Lord Shelburne's
manner, I think that he is inclined to deal very fairly by you,
for his own sake. I have no doubt, from the style of his
conversation, that he is determined, in the present situation of
things, to stand the ground against concessions, and this both
from his own opinions and those of the King. But he certainly
either does not see, or affects not to see, the situation of
Ireland in that very alarming light in which it must be viewed
by every man acquainted with it.
As to the measure of the dissolution, I think you will agree
with him, that if we were sure of the favourable event, the
delay would not prove near so prejudicial on the one hand, as it
would be advantageous on the other. And from the language he
holds, I am persuaded, and Jemmy agrees with me in opinion, that
he is convinced that they will have their peace. On the other
hand, I cannot but say, that if the war continues, we shall be
in an awkward situation. The whole depends on the greater or
less probability of peace, to which we are neither of us
competent to decide; and I have thrown, if not the disagreeable
consequences, at least the responsibility of the measure on him.
In this situation of things, I thought you would rather choose
that I should remain here to give you the very first moment of
news, and to press then a Cabinet upon the affairs of Ireland in
general, than that I should run back to you in our present
uncertainty. You will observe, that although I have rather
expressed myself to you satisfied with the affair, I have taken
infinite pains not to let it appear to them; but on the
contrary, have left Lord Shelburne in no small uneasiness about
the manner in which you may take it; so that if you should be
dissatisfied, I have by no means pledged you. If you think with
me, the whole merit of it will lay at your door.
I desired Townshend to state to the King that I was ready to
obey His Majesty's commands, if he wished to ask me any
questions. He told me to-day that the King expressed himself
perfectly ready to give me an audience _if I wished for one_.
This I thought was better declined. I shall go to the levée on
Friday, and shall be very impatient for your answer to this long
detail.
Whatever your opinion may be of the line of conduct which I have
held, I trust you will do justice to my zeal for your interests
and honour, inseparably connected as they are, and I hope will
ever remain, with my own, and to the sincere affection with
which I am,
Ever most truly yours,
W. W. G.