David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ Barré himself informs us, “When the matter of general warrants was discussed in the House, my conscience directed me to oppose the measure, which I modestly did by a silent vote.” The very next day he was dismissed from his military employments, and ultimately, by a junior Lieutenant-Colonel being promoted over his head, he received a hint to leave the army, and retired without even his half-pay. ”

“ Owing to Barré’s powerful diction, fierce argumentation, and popular sympathies, the idea came into notice that he had some connection with the authorship of the Letters of Junius. Mr. Britton published an interesting Essay, entitled, “Junius Elucidated,” containing pleas for the opinion that Junius was a triumvirate, namely, Shelburne, Dunning, and Barré, the latter being the composer and William Greatrakes the amanuensis. The strongest part of the attempted demonstration, as to Barré, is the belief that he wrote Wolfe’s Last Despatch ”

“ In France, where military character is better understood than in any country, the talent of writing ably is so far from being thought peculiarly recommendatory in officers, that generals so qualified are spoken of with contempt and in the coarsest terms the French language will admit of. ”

“ Walpole writes to the Earl of Hertford from Arlington Street, 12th February 1765, “There has been nothing of, note in Parliament, but one slight day on the American Taxes, which Charles Townshend supporting received a pretty heavy thump from Barré, who is the present Pitt, and the dread of all the vociferous Norths and Rigbies, on whose lungs depended so much of Mr. Grenville’s power.” One eloquent passage in Colonel Barré’s speech has never been forgotten in Britain or America, “Children planted by your care? No! your oppression planted them in America ”

“ In 1774 he opposed the establishment of the Roman Catholic religion in any part of America.
Barré is known by his powerful opposition to the American War; but it was remarked upon as surprising, that he hesitated at first. But human nature will betray an occasional weakness ”

“ They have nobly taken up arms in your defence, &c, &c.”
Barré’s career of opposition was interrupted by his receiving office, as one of Lord Shelburne’s train, under the Earl of Chatham. This is thought by some writers to be a blot on his career, Barré in his first speech in Parliament having attacked Pitt, and having used even such violent phraseology as “There he would stand, turning up his eyes to heaven that witnessed his perjuries, and laying his hand in a solemn manner upon the table — that sacrilegious hand that had been employed in tearing out the bowels of his mother country.” ”