It is not without an uncommon degree of grief, that I hear it urged in
defence of this contract, that it was approved by a very numerous
council; for what can produce more sorrow in an honest and a loyal
breast, than to find that our sovereign is surrounded by counsellors,
who either do not know the desires and opinions of the people, or do
not regard them; who are either so negligent as not to examine how the
affections of the nation may be best preserved, or so rash as to
pursue those schemes by which they hope to gratify the king at
whatever hazard, and who for the sake of flattering him for a day,
will risk the safety of his government, and the repose of his life.
It has, with regard to these troops, been asked by the noble lord who
spoke last, what is the intent of this motion but to disband them?
What else, indeed, can be intended by it, and what intention can be
more worthy of this august assembly? By a steady pursuit of this
intention, my lords, we shall regain the esteem of the nation, which
this daring invasion of our privileges may be easily supposed to have
impaired. We shall give our sovereign an opportunity, by a gracious
condescension to our desires, to recover those affections of which the
pernicious advice of flatterers has deprived him; we shall obviate a
precedent which threatens destruction to our liberties, and shall set
the nation free from an universal alarm.
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