It  is  probably  from  some  such  motives  that  the
friends  of  a  very  respectable  party  in  this  kingdom
have  been  hitherto  silent.  For  the^e  two  years  past,
from  one  and  the  same  quarter  of  politics,  a  continual
fire  has  been  kept  upon  them ;  sometimes  from  the
unwieldy  column  of  quartos  and  octavos ;  sometimes
from  the  light  squadrons  of  occasional  pamphlets  and
flying  sheets.  Every  month  has  brought  on  its  peri-
odical calumny.  The  abuse  has  taken  every  shape
which  the  ability  of  the  writers  could  give  it ;  plain
invective,  clumsy  raillery,  misrepresented  anecdote.*
No  method  of  vilifying  the  measures,  the  abilities,  the
intentions,  or  the  persons  which  compose  that  body,
has  been  omitted.
On  their  part  nothing  was  opposed  but  patience
and  character.  It  was  a  matter  of  the  most  serious
and  indignant  affliction  to  persons  who  thought  them-
selves in  conspience  bound  to  oppose  a  ministry  dan-
gerous from  its  very  constitution,  as  well  as  its
measures,  to  find  themselves,  whenever  they  faced
their  adversaries,  continually  attacked  on  the  rear  by
a  set  of  men  who  pretended  to  be  actuated  by  mo-
tives similar  to  theirs.  They  saw  that  the  plan  long
pursued,  with  but  too  fatal  a  success,  was  to  break
the  strength  of  this  kingdom,  by  frittering  down  the

*  History  of  the  Minority.    History  of  the  Repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act.
Considerations  on  Trade  and  Finance.     Political  Register,  &c.,  &c.
