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public life； given to the supporters of parliamentary reform。 He had； in
1785； brought forward a judicious plan for the improvement of the
representative system； and had prevailed on the King； not only to refrain
from talking against that plan； but to recommend it to the Houses in a
speech from the throne。 （The speech with which the King opened the
session of 1785； concluded with an assurance that His Majesty would
heartily concur in every measure which could tend to secure the true
principles of the constitution。 These words were at the time understood to
refer to Pitt's Reform Bill。） This attempt failed； but there can be little
doubt that； if the French Revolution had not produced a violent reaction of
public feeling； Pitt would have performed； with little difficulty and no
danger； that great work which； at a later period； Lord Grey could
accomplish only by means which for a time loosened the very foundations
of the commonwealth。 When the atrocities of the slave trade were first
brought under the consideration of Parliament； no abolitionist was more
zealous than Pitt。 When sickness prevented Wilberforce from appearing in
public； his place was most efficiently supplied by his friend the minister。 A
humane bill； which mitigated the horrors of the middle passage； was； in
1788； carried by the eloquence and determined spirit of Pitt； in spite of the
opposition of some of his own colleagues； and it ought always to be
remembered to his honour that； in order to carry that bill； he kept the
Houses sitting； in spite of many murmurs； long after the business of the
government had been done； and the Appropriation Act passed。 In 1791 he
cordially concurred with Fox in maintaining the sound constitutional
doctrine； that an impeachment is not terminated by a dissolution。 In the
course of the same year the two great rivals contended side by side in a far
more important cause。 They are fairly entitled to divide the high honour of
having added to our statute…book the inestimable law which places the
liberty of the press under the protection of juries。 On one occasion； and
one alone； Pitt； during the first half of his long administration； acted in a
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manner unworthy of an enlightened Whig。 In the debate on the Test Act；
he stooped to gratify the master whom he served； the university which he
represented； and the great body of clergymen and country gentlemen on
whose support he rested； by talking； with little heartiness； indeed； and with
no asperity； the language of a Tory。 With this single exception； his conduct
from the end of 1783 to the middle of 1792 was that of an honest friend of
civil and religious liberty。
Nor did anything； during that period； indicate that he loved war； or
harboured any malevolent feeling against any neighbouring nation。 Those
French writers who have represented him as a Hannibal sworn in
childhood by his father to bear eternal hatred to France； as having by
mysterious intrigues and lavish bribes； instigated the leading Jacobins to
commit those excesses which dishonoured the Revolution； as having been
the real author of the first coalition； know nothing of his character or of his
history。 So far was he from being a deadly enemy to France； that his
laudable attempts to bring about a closer connection with that country by
means of a wise and liberal treaty of commerce brought on him the severe
censure of the opposition。 He was told in the House of Commons that he
was a degenerate son； and that his partiality for the hereditary foes of our
island was enough to make his great father's bones stir under the pavement
of the Abbey。
And this man； whose name； if he had been so fortunate as to die in
1792； would now have been associated with peace； with freedom； with
philanthropy； with temperate reform； with mild and constitutional
administration； lived to associate his name with arbitrary government；
with harsh laws harshly executed； with alien bills； with gagging bills； with
suspensions of the Habeas Corpus Act； with cruel punishments inflicted on
some political agitators； with unjustifiable prosecutions instituted against
others； and with the most costly and most sanguinary wars of modern
times。 He lived to be held up to obloquy as the stern oppressor of England；
and the indefatigable disturber of Europe。 Poets； contrasting his earlier
with his later years； likened him sometimes to the apostle who kissed in
order to betray； and sometimes to the evil angels who kept not their first
estate。 A satirist of great genius introduced the fiends of Famine； Slaughter；
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THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
and Fire； proclaiming that they had received their commission from One
whose name was formed of four letters； and promising to give their
employer ample proofs of gratitude。 Famine would gnaw the multitude till
they should rise up against him in madness。 The demon of slaughter would
impel them to tear him from limb to limb。 But Fire boasted that she alone
could reward him as he deserved； and that she would cling round him to
all eternity。 By the French press and the French tribune every crime that
disgraced and every calamity that afflicted France was ascribed to the
monster Pitt and his guineas。 While the Jacobins were dominant； it was he
who had corrupted the Gironde； who had raised Lyons and Bordeaux
against the Convention； who had suborned Paris to assassinate Lepelletier；
and Cecilia Regnault to assassinate Robespierre。 When the Thermidorian
reaction came； all the atrocities of the Reign of Terror were imputed to
him。 Collet D'Herbois and Fouquier Tinville had been his pensioners。 It
was he who had hired the murderers of September； who had dictated the
pamphlets of Marat and the Carmagnoles of Barere； who had paid Lebon
to deluge Arras with blood； and Carrier to choke the Loire with corpses。
The truth is； that he liked neither war nor arbitrary government。 He
was a lover of peace and freedom； driven； by a stress against which it was
hardly possible for any will or any intellect to struggle； out of the course to
which his inclinations pointed； and for which his abilities and
acquirements fitted him； and forced into a policy repugnant to his feelings
and unsuited to his talents。
The charge of apostasy is grossly unjust。 A man ought no more to be
called an apostate because his opinions alter with the opinions of the great
body of his contemporaries than he ought to be called an oriental traveller
because he is always going round from west to east with the globe and
everything that is upon it。 Between the spring of 1789 and the close of
1792； the public mind of England underwent a great change。 If the change
of Pitt's sentiments attracted peculiar notice； it was not because he
changed more than his neighbours； for in fact he changed less than most of
them； but because his position was far more conspicuous than theirs；
because he was； till Bonaparte appeared； the individual who filled the
greatest space in the eyes of the inhabitants of the civilised world。 During
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THE MISCELLANEOUS WRITINGS AND SPEECHES OF LORD MACAULAY。
a short time the nation； and Pitt； as one of the nation； looked with interest
and approbation on the French Revolution。 But soon vast confiscations；
the violent sweeping away of ancient institutions； the domination of clubs；
the barbarities of mobs maddened by famine and hatred； produced a
reaction here。 The court； the nobility； the gentry； the clergy； the
manufacturers； the merchants； in short； nineteen…twentieths of those who
had good roofs over their heads and g