throne of the univerfe, tantalized with a denial of the practice of all which can make the greatest fituation any other than the greatest curse. Gentlemen, I have had my day. I can never fufficiently exprefs my gratitude to you, for having fet me in a place, wherein I could lend the slightest help to great and laudable defigns. If I have had my fhare, in any measure giving quiet to private property, and private conscience; if by my vote I have aided in fecuring to families the best poffeffion, peace; if I have joined in reconciling kings to their fubjects, and subjects to their prince; if I have affifted to loofen the foreign holdings of the citizen, and taught him to look for his protection to the laws of his country, and for his comfort to the goodwill of his countrymen ;-if I have thus taken my part with the beft of men in the best of their actions, I can fhut the book ;-I might wish to read a page or two more but this is enough for my measure.I have not lived in vain. And now, Gentlemen, on this ferious day, when I come, as it were, to make up my account with you, let me take to myself some degree of honest pride on the nature of the charges that are against me. I do not here stand before you accufed of venality, or of neglect of duty. It is not faid, that, in the long period of my fervice, I have, in a fingle inftance, facrificed the flightest of your interefts to my ambition, or to my fortune. It is not alledged, that to gratify any anger, or revenge of my own, or of my party, I have had a fhare in wronging or oppreffing F any any description of men, or any one man in any description. No! the charges against me, are all of one kind, that I have pufhed the principles of general justice and benevolence too far; further than a cautious policy would warrant, and further than the opinions of many would go along with me. -In every accident which may happen through life, in pain, in forrow, in depreffion, and distressI will call to mind this accufation; and be comforted. ment. Gentlemen, I fubmit the whole to your judg Mr. Mayor, I thank you for the trouble you have taken on this occafion. In your state of health, it is particularly obliging. If this company fhould think it advifeable for me to withdraw, I fhall respectfully retire; if you think otherwife, I fhall go directly to the Council-house and to the Change, and without a moment's delay, begin my canvass. THE EN D. Bristol, Sept. 6, 1780. AT a great and refpectable Meeting of the Friends of EDMUND BURKE, Efq; beld at the Guildhall this day; The Right Worshipful the Mayor in the Chair; Refolved, That Mr. Burke, as a representative for this city, has done all poffible honour to himself as a fenator and a man, and that we do heartily and bonestly approve of his conduct, as the refult of an enlightened loyalty to his fovereign; a warm and zealous love to his country, through its widely-extended empire; a jealous and watchful care of the liberties of his fellow-fubjects; an enlarged and liberal understanding of our commercial intereft; a bumane attention to the circumstances of even the lowest ranks of the community; and a truly wife, poitic, and tolerant fpirit, in fupporting the national church, with a reasonable indulgence to all who diffent from it; and we wish to express the most marked ab, borrence of the bafe arts which have been employed, without regard to truth and reafon, to misreprefent bis eminent fervices to his country. Refolved, That this refolution be copied out, and figned by the Chairman, and be by him prefented to Mr. Burke, as the fullest expreffion of the respectful and grateful fense we entertain of his merits and fer vices, public and private, to the Citizens of Bristol, as a man and a reprefentative. Refolved, That the thanks of this Meeting be given to the Right Worshipful the Mayor, who fo ably and worthily prefided in this Meeting. Refolved, That it is the earnest request of this Meeting to Mr. Burke, that he should again offer bimfelf a candidate to reprefent this city in Parliament; affuring him of that full and strenuous support which is due to the merits of fo excellent a reprefentative. This bufinefs being over, Mr. Burke went to the Exchange, and offered himself as a candidate in the ufual manner. He was accompanied to the Councilboufe, and from thence to the Exchange, by a large body of most refpectable Gentlemen, amongst whom were the following Members of the Corporation, viz. Mr. Mayor, Mr. Alderman Smith, Mr. Alderman Deane, Mr. Alderman Gordon, William Weare, Samuel Munckley, John Merlott, John Crofts, Levy Ames, John Fisher Weare, Benjamin Lofcombe, Philip Protheroe, Samuel Span, Jofeph Smith, Richard Bright, and John Noble, Efquires. |