OnepartonlyofPitt’sconductduringthelasteightyearsoftheeighteenthcenturydeserveshighpraise。HewasthefirstEnglishministerwhoformedgreatdesignsforthebenefitofIreland。ThemannerinwhichtheRomanCatholicpopulationofthatunfortunatecountryhadbeenkeptdownduringmanygenerationsseemedtohimunjustandcruel;anditwasscarcelypossibleforamanofhisabilitiesnottoperceivethat，inacontestagainsttheJacobins，theRomanCatholicswerehisnaturalallies。Hadhebeenabletodoallthathewished，itisprobablethatawiseandliberalpolicywouldhaveavertedtherebellionof1798。Butthedifficultieswhichheencounteredweregreat，perhapsinsurmountable;andtheRomanCatholicswere，ratherbyhismisfortunethanbyhisfault，thrownintothehandsoftheJacobins。TherewasathirdgreatrisingoftheIrishryagainsttheEnglishry，arisingnotlessformidablethantherisingsof1641and1689。TheEnglishryremainedvictorious，anditwasnecessaryforPitt，asithadbeennecessaryforOliverCromwellandWilliamofOrangebeforehim，toconsiderhowthevictoryshouldbeused。Itisonlyjusttohismemorytosaythatheformedaschemeofpolicy，sograndandsosimple，sorighteousandsohumane，thatitwouldaloneentitlehimtoahighplaceamongstatesmen。HedeterminedtomakeIrelandonekingdomwithEngland，and，atthesametime，torelievetheRomanCatholiclaityfromcivildisabilities，andtograntapublicmaintenancetotheRomanCatholicclergy。Hadhebeenabletocarrythesenobledesignsintoeffect，theUnionwouldhavebeenanUnionindeed。ItwouldhavebeeninseparablyassociatedinthemindsofthegreatmajorityofIrishmenwithcivilandreligiousfreedom;andtheoldParliamentinCollegeGreenwouldhavebeenregrettedonlybyasmallknotofdiscardedjobbersandoppressors，andwouldhavebeenrememberedbythebodyofthenationwiththeloathingandcontemptduetothemosttyrannicalandthemostcorruptassemblythathadeversateinEurope。ButPittcouldexecuteonlyonehalfofwhathehadprojected。HesucceededinobtainingtheconsentoftheParliamentsofbothkingdomstotheUnion;butthatreconciliationofracesandsects，withoutwhichtheUnioncouldexistonlyinname，wasnotaccomplished。Hewaswellawarethathewaslikelytofinddifficultiesinthecloset。Butheflatteredhimself，thatbycautiousanddexterousmanagement，thosedifficultiesmightbeovercome。Unhappily，thereweretraitorsandsycophantsinhighplacewhodidnotsufferhimtotakehisowntime，andhisownway，butprematurelydisclosedhisschemetotheKing，anddiscloseditinthemannermostlikelytoirritateandalarmaweakanddiseasedmind。HisMajestyabsurdlyimaginedthathisCoronationoathboundhimtorefusehisassenttoanybillforrelievingRomanCatholicsfromcivildisabilities。Toarguewithhimwasimpossible。Dundastriedtoexplainthematter，butwastoldtokeephisScotchmetaphysicstohimself。Pitt，andPitt’sablestcolleagues，resignedtheiroffices。ItwasnecessarythattheKingshouldmakeanewarrangement。Butbythistimehisangeranddistresshadbroughtbackthemaladywhichhad，manyyearsbefore，incapacitatedhimforthedischargeofhisfunctions。Heactuallyassembledhisfamily，readtheCoronationoathtothem，andtoldthemthat，ifhebrokeit，theCrownwouldimmediatelypasstotheHouseofSavoy。Itwasnotuntilafteraninterregnumofseveralweeksthatheregainedthefulluseofhissmallfaculties，andthataministryafterhisownheartwasatlengthformed。
Thematerialsoutofwhichhehadtoconstructagovernmentwereneithersolidnorsplendid。Tothatparty，weakinnumbers，butstrongineverykindoftalent，whichwashostiletothedomesticandforeignpolicyofhislateadvisers，hecouldnothaverecourse。Forthatparty，whileitdifferedfromhislateadvisersoneverypointonwhichtheyhadbeenhonouredwithhisapprobation，cordiallyagreedwiththemastothesinglematterwhichhadbroughtonthemhisdispleasure。Allthatwaslefttohimwastocalluptherearranksoftheoldministrytoformthefrontrankofanewministry。Inanagepre—eminentlyfruitfulofparliamentarytalents，acabinetwasformedcontaininghardlyasinglemanwho，inparliamentarytalents，couldbeconsideredasevenofthesecondrate。Themostimportantofficesinthestatewerebestowedondecorousandlaboriousmediocrity。HenryAddingtonwasattheheadoftheTreasury。Hehadbeenanearly，indeedahereditary，friendofPitt，andhadbyPitt’sinfluencebeenplaced，whilestillayoungman，inthechairoftheHouseofCommons。HewasuniversallyadmittedtohavebeenthebestspeakerthathadsateinthatchairsincetheretirementofOnslow。Butnaturehadnotbestowedonhimveryvigorousfaculties;andthehighlyrespectablesituationwhichhehadlongoccupiedwithhonourhadratherunfittedthanfittedhimforthedischargeofhisnewduties。Hisbusinesshadbeentobearhimselfevenlybetweencontendingfactions。Hehadtakennopartinthewarofwords;andhehadalwaysbeenaddressedwithmarkeddeferencebythegreatoratorswhothunderedagainsteachotherfromhisrightandfromhisleft。Itwasnotstrangethat，when，forthefirsttime，hehadtoencounterkeenandvigorousantagonists，whodealthardblowswithoutthesmallestceremony，heshouldhavebeenawkwardandunready，orthattheairofdignityandauthoritywhichhehadacquiredinhisformerpost，andofwhichhehadnotdivestedhimself，shouldhavemadehishelplessnesslaughableandpitiable。Nevertheless，duringmanymonths，hispowerseemedtostandfirm。HewasafavouritewiththeKing，whomheresembledinnarrownessofmind，andtowhomhewasmoreobsequiousthanPitthadeverbeen。ThenationwasputintohighgoodhumourbyapeacewithFrance。Theenthusiasmwithwhichtheupperandmiddleclasseshadrushedintothewarhadspentitself。Jacobinismwasnolongerformidable。
Everywheretherewasastrongreactionagainstwhatwascalledtheatheisticalandanarchicalphilosophyoftheeighteenthcentury。Bonaparte，nowFirstConsul，wasbusiedinconstructingoutoftheruinsofoldinstitutionsanewecclesiasticalestablishmentandaneworderofknighthood。Thatnothinglessthanthedominionofthewholecivilisedworldwouldsatisfyhisselfishambitionwasnotyetsuspected;nordidevenwisemenseeanyreasontodoubtthathemightbeassafeaneighbourasanyprinceoftheHouseofBourbonhadbeen。ThetreatyofAmienswasthereforehailedbythegreatbodyoftheEnglishpeoplewithextravagantjoy。Thepopularityoftheministerwasforthemomentimmense。Hiswantofparliamentaryabilitywas，asyet，oflittleconsequence:forhehadscarcelyanyadversarytoencounter。Theoldopposition，delightedbythepeace，regardedhimwithfavour。Anewoppositionhadindeedbeenformedbysomeofthelateministers，andwasledbyGrenvilleintheHouseofLords，andbyWindhamintheHouseofCommons。Butthenewoppositioncouldscarcelymustertenvotes，andwasregardedwithnofavourbythecountry。OnPitttheministersreliedasontheirfirmestsupport。Hehadnot，likesomeofhiscolleagues，retiredinanger。Hehadexpressedthegreatestrespectfortheconscientiousscruplewhichhadtakenpossessionoftheroyalmind;andhehadpromisedhissuccessorsallthehelpinhispower。Inprivatehisadvicewasattheirservice。InParliamenthetookhisseatonthebenchbehindthem;and，inmorethanonedebate，defendedthemwithpowersfarsuperiortotheirown。TheKingperfectlyunderstoodthevalueofsuchassistance。Ononeoccasion，atthepalace，hetooktheoldministerandthenewministeraside。\"Ifwethree，\"hesaid，\"keeptogether，allwillgowell。\"
Butitwashardlypossible，humannaturebeingwhatitis，and，moreespecially，PittandAddingtonbeingwhattheywere，thatthisunionshouldbedurable。Pitt，consciousofsuperiorpowers，imaginedthattheplacewhichhehadquittedwasnowoccupiedbyamerepuppetwhichhehadsetup，whichhewastogovernwhilehesufferedittoremain，andwhichhewastoflingasideassoonashewishedtoresumehisoldposition。Norwasitlongbeforehebegantopineforthepowerwhichhehadrelinquished。Hehadbeensoearlyraisedtosupremeauthorityinthestate，andhadenjoyedthatauthoritysolong，thatithadbecomenecessarytohim。Inretirementhisdayspassedheavily。
Hecouldnot，likeFox，forgetthepleasuresandcaresofambitioninthecompanyofEuripidesorHerodotus。Priderestrainedhimfromintimating，eventohisdearestfriends，thathewishedtobeagainminister。Buthethoughtitstrange，almostungrateful，thathiswishhadnotbeendivined，thatithadnotbeenanticipated，byonewhomheregardedashisdeputy。