EARL OF HARDWICKE. A NOBLEMAN of an independent mind, and one who gave great satisfaction when lord lieutenant of Ireland. His lordship has of late embraced no active part in politics, and the turn that things have lately taken is such, that those who have been standing aloof are not very likely to intermeddle; and it is probable, that if the present affairs terminate happily, as there is every reason for hoping and expecting, then the same persons who now rule will long continue to do so; and if that is the case, the talents of Lord Hardwicke may never again be put to the test. LORD HARROWBY. In this country we are in the habit of estimating business-talents by a very false criterion; unless a man can make long speeches in parliament, we think that he is not a man of political abilities.——— This perhaps arises from the circumstance, that able speakers force their way to places of importance; and there have been many instances of great businesstalents being found in the same persons, who shone as orators: but nothing is a greater mistake than to think that because they often are found in the same person, they must always be so; or that we are to conclude that a man is a man of slender talents because he is no orator, or that he does not often make speeches*. *Not to go far back in the history of our country, we shall find proofs that Who reasons wisely is not therefore wise, His pride in reasoning, not in acting, lies. Mr. Fox was certainly a great orator, but he was below medio. crity as a minister or man of business; and Mr. Burke the same: This is a great error, though it is excusable enough, as people seldom see great places occupied by men who do not shine in the senate; yet a little consideration would correct the error, and the present is the best moment for doing it. Never perhaps in the history of the country was there a greater display of good sense in appreciating the situation of the world, or better and more active measures pursued; and never was there a less display of eloquence in either house of parliament. the latter had a very profound mind, and eloquence of no common cast, but had no talents for executive business. Mr. Dundas, afterwards Lord Melville, was by no means an orator, though he could make a very fair good speech on most subjects; but he was one of the first men for efficient political talents that this country ever produced. Mr. Pitt, as well as his father, united the two talents in an uncommon degree; and Sir Robert Walpole did so too: but the first Lord Holland was a very able man, though not equal as an orator. It would indeed be to betray great ignorance of men, were we to suppose that the two talents of oratory and business must be united, or that the one cannot go without the other, though they certainly are connected, in a country where to speak well is one of the acquirements of the statesman, as on that depends his means of operating on the house; but the operating on the house, and conducting matters of state, have only the same connexion that loading a fowlingpiece has with firing it and killing the game. 爵 This is in general a solid thinking nation, it is not easily led away, and plain sense is more attended to than sophistry and metaphysics, yet we admire most the men that make a great figure in speaking in parliament, althongh in common life we rather trust a man of few words than one who has a great deal to say on every subject; and experience tells us, that the man of solid judgment is seldom a great speaker. In truth the criterion to which we appeal for men in whom we are to put our trust, is a mistaken one, not only because the two sorts of abilities do not always go together, but because the man of brilliant talents as an orator, is liable to depend on those for success, and to neglect the cultivation of his business-abilities, as women of great beauty are often at least pains in accomplishing themselves. Lord Harrowby is one of those men of talents who has not shone, or been at much pains to shine in the senate; and indeed it were much to be wished, that the business of the nation could be carried on with less parliamentary oration. During the whole of the American war, a very simple question was tortured, and presented in so many different shapes, that the national energies were paralized and destroyed, and the struggle was much more disastrous than it otherwise probably would VOL. 2. H have been. The opposition constantly recurred to the original state of the question, and opposed the efforts of government, as if the question of war being once decided, and hostilities commenced, that were any longer a consideration. It was a matter to be seriously examined before hostilities commenced, but to oppose the efforts afterwards was in fact treason, although the nature of the British government admitted of it. We were loaded with debt and taxes, and our arms disgraced, but we were amused with speeches! The harangues of Charles Fox, and of a few more of his friends, were all that we had for it, and to reward him he was gratified with official situation. He had powerfully aided to make our efforts fail, and consequently being found a true prophet, he was considered as a great man. The pleasantest part of this sad and sorry business was, that Charles and the minister shook hands, divided all places of power and profit between themselves, thereby insulting a nation they had so greatly abused*. * Lord North was the least guilty of the two. In conducting the war as well as he could, he was doing his duty, but then to coalesce with the man who had frustrated all his efforts, and brought him to disgrace, was shameful and unprincipled. The friends of |