Anonymous

“ There has been a time when our Captains, so far from being terrified with a formidable Enemy, have exulted in their Superiority—improved it to their own greater Glory, and envied no Success but what has been obtained by unequal Numbers.—Vigilance and Resolution will succeed against the strongest Force. Fortune may hold the Ballance of War ”

“ The least Evil was not hazarded; we had not the Pain of seeing our Friends overcome by a superior Enemy; your Valour was reserved for a nobler Theatre, and your Eloquence spared for a more glorious Occasion.
There is one Circumstance, my Lord, which I shall mention, as it just occurs to my Mind. If I forget not, it was agreed in Council, that the Enemy could never neglect planting Cannon on such advantageous Places, as those two opposite Points which command the Avenue of the Harbour. ”

“ What Fleets of Convoys must be engaged for our Defence, which might otherwise be employed to the Annoyance of the Enemy? What aggravated [Pg 17] Indignities we must receive from the most contemptible Powers in the Mediterranean, who will look upon this Defeat as the certain Token of the Ruin of our once invincible Navy.
Whoever considers this sad Concurrence of Misfortunes, and at the same time the Enormity of the Disgrace we have sustained, will blush to find so black a Period as this recorded in the Annals of Great Britain. ”

“ My Lord, you cannot do greater Justice to yourself, or Favour to your Friends, than by promoting, to the utmost of your Power, that Scrutiny we have recommended to you, that the Causes of [Pg 32] our Disasters may no longer be concealed, nor their Authors escape with Impunity: May future Discoveries reflect an agreeable Light upon your Conduct, and restore you to that Esteem you once deservedly possessed. ”

“ When the necessary Rigor of the military Oeconomy is relaxed by an unbounded Indulgence to superior Officers, when supreme Orders are stripped of all their Meaning and Force, by the arbitrary Construction of those to whom they are directed, when the greatest Offenders, relying upon their affluent Fortunes and almighty Influence, shall be able to resist the united Demands of a whole People, crying for Vengeance, we can never be astonished at the Consequences which will follow. ”

“ Those who are intrusted with the Charter of our Liberties, or the Revenge of our Wrongs, are laid under the strongest Obligations which Honour or Gratitude can impose, to maintain [Pg 2] the Rights and execute the Resentment of their Country; but if they fail to exert themselves to the utmost for this Purpose, the People, naturally fretful at their Losses, will not forbear reflecting on the supposed Authors of their Misfortunes. ”

“ These are the unanimous Sentiments of your Constituents, who [Pg 4] think themselves so far interested in the Fate of their Representative, as to be honoured by his Glory, and wounded by his Disgrace; who are more publick-spirited than to justify an unworthy Member, and more generous than to desert a faithful Officer, tho’ the popular Cry be against him.—The principal Objections against your Lordship’s Conduct, on which I shall now freely animadvert, are the Part you acted in the Mediterranean, and the Defence you have made at home. ”

“ How chearfully would they exert all their remaining Strength, in hopes of being speedily supplied with all the Necessaries their Distresses required? What noble Efforts must they make, when they saw a fresh Reinforcement of Men flying as swift as possible to their Assistance? ”

“ Byng’s Ship was prevented from bearing down upon the Enemy with all Expedition; why he was kept back so long, that one of our own Ships, which did not sail so well as the Ramillies, was able to get betwixt him and the Enemy, and was in great Danger therefore of receiving her Fire—you would have alledged an Argument [Pg 26] in his Defence more material and important, than a thousand Encomiums on his Calmness and Presence of Mind. ”

“ I have nothing, at present, to say concerning the Engagement betwixt the two Admirals, as your Lordship’s Fame was not interested in the Event; and whatever Benefit the Squadron might be supposed to receive from the Continuance of your Regiment on board, I presume you will not ascribe to them the Merit of having defeated the Enemy. The principal Figure you had the Honour to make, was in the decisive Resolution, agreed upon in Council, of returning to Gibraltar. I don’t suppose your Lordship was more forward in promoting that Determination, than any of those that composed that honourable Body. ”

“ And when they call to mind that indelible Disgrace which has befallen them in the Mediterranean, it’s possible they may mingle too much Petulance and Severity in their Censures upon those who were concerned in that unfortunate Expedition. ”

“ The Honour of every brave Man is dear, as the Actions of every Coward are odious, to his Country.——It is incumbent on your Lordship to remove all Suspicions of Partiality from the Minds of your Friends, that your Memory may not be transmitted to Posterity in Connection with that Name, which they will have as much Reason [Pg 30] to detest as their Ancestors had to admire. ”

“ At last we find that neither Artifice nor Intreaty, Interest nor Power, can wrest from us that Victim to Justice which our Misfortunes require of us.——Whether we are to look upon any hidden Mover in this dark Labyrinth as antecedently guilty or no, we refer to the Deliberations of Parliament ”

“ Facts are the only solid Tests of Truth, and the only Proofs which are liable to no Ambiguity: And if we appeal to these, may we not suppose that every Contingency that furnished a Pretence for Trifling and Delay, was gladly embraced.——What Appearance is there of the least Ardour to engage, or the smallest Attention to improve any favourable Event to his Advantage? ”

“ Our Enemies have longed triumphed in their perfidious Spoils, and reaped the Fruit of our Negligence and Misconduct.——The last dear Prizes are at Stake, our Possessions and our Being in the most critical Suspence.——Yet, when a wise and uncorrupted Administration sustains the arduous Offices of Government, when Valour and Integrity conduct our Arms, when our Commanders are recompensed with their just Deserts,——a brighter Prospect will dawn upon us ”

“ It would be malignantly partial to have directed the popular Clamour against you, had not you invited this Address by the Talk you voluntarily undertook, in which you have advanced so little material, that the Admiral was [Pg 33] indebted more to the Generosity of your Friendship than the Merit of your Evidence.
To draw this Letter to a Conclusion; when the Actions of any Officer are not called to publick Account, it creates a strong and probable Presumption in his Defence: But there is a secret Judge in every human Breast, by which a brave Man would always wish to be approved. ”

“ Calculation of the Weight of Metal, the Number of Guns, and Superiority of Men; from which it appears, that if no Confidence was to be placed in the Valour and Activity of our Seamen, and the Experience of our Commanders, we must inevitably lose the Victory.—To confirm this, the State of our Fleet might be added, which has been so pathetically represented as weak, destitute, and unprovided with necessary Stores and Tenders, at a Time, alas! when it ought to have been invincible. ”

“ And if the unexceptionable Attestations of the rest have any Authority with them, we cannot be at a Loss to whom we shall ascribe the Defeat of that fatal Expedition; and we cannot but think [Pg 28] a Solicitude to defend a Conduct so undeniably culpable, will deserve Part of the Ignominy which attends it. ”