LETTER
TO
Lord Robert Bertie.
My Lord,
Characters like your’s, are regarded with impartial Attention by human Society, and the World will impatiently expect something in your Conduct suitable to your Rank and Dignity. 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 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. 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.
I am extremely sorry, my Lord, to find your Name in the Number of those to whose Misconduct that fatal Defeat is attributed. You have been marked out by the Indignation of the Publick, and maliciously charged with Principles the most remote from your Heart, and Designs. No Person, I can assure you, was more assiduous in vindicating your Fame, than the Author of this Address; and it was not without the utmost Reluctance, that I ever suffered myself to entertain any Suspicion of the Wisdom or Activity of your Conduct: But since you have espoused the Cause of the Admiral, now under Condemnation, with so much Warmth and Solicitude, I fear your Sentiments are no longer a Doubt, nor your Behaviour altogether capable of such an honourable Construction as your Friends could wish.
I shall therefore take that Liberty which, as one of your Constituents, I may claim, of canvassing the Merits of that Transaction in which your Lordship had a considerable Share; and as I shall endeavour to preserve an inviolable Regard to Truth, without Partiality or Rancour, I hope you will esteem these Remonstrances as the Observations of a Friend, solicitous for your Reputation; and not of an Enemy, exulting in your Adversity. These are the unanimous Sentiments of your Constituents, who 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.
With relation to the first, my Lord, I believe that your Friends and Enemies both lamented that terrible Oversight in the Administration, which neglected to prepare so invaluable a Fortress, as St. Philip’s, for every Contingency whatsoever; and, when it was besieged, heartily wished that that Detachment, which your Lordship commanded, had been stronger for its Relief. They apprehended that it was not politick, considering the precarious Events of War, to trust to a small Number, from an ostentatious Confidence of our Strength, or an ill-judged Frugality, when greater Forces might have been sent, consistent with our Safety at home.
But it unfortunately happened, that those few on board were all that Gibraltar could spare. Minorca was exposed to a furious Storm, the General was brave, and the Garrison sustained the Attack with undaunted Resolution. But Valour cannot surmount all Difficulties, Courage cannot stifle the Demands of Nature, nor the greatest Spirits persevere without some Relaxation from Hardship and Fatigue: They had to encounter with the intense Heat of the Climate, and were denied the necessary Refreshment of Repose. In these Circumstances, what Transports of Pleasure would the Sight of a British Fleet inspire? 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? The smallest Detachment that could have been landed, attended with Stores and Provisions, would have revived their Courage, animated their Spirits, and possibly might intirely have defeated the Designs of our Enemies. What Motives of an opposite Nature could sway with such weighty Considerations? What Danger could there be in attempting to land? What Hesitation could there be about the Expediency of it? What Council, good God! could deliberate a Moment, whether they should help their Friends, or abandon them to Destruction? The Reasons which were urged against that Enterprize, were not on account of the Smallness of the Detachment, but the Danger of entering the Harbour, which would have been equally conclusive against the most numerous Body, which must have suffered more from the Fire of their Cannon than a few, and would deter us from performing any Exploits which are attended with the least Degree of Danger or Inconvenience. But admitting the Truth of that Assertion you have frequently maintained, ‘That all the Assistance you was capable of bringing would have been no effectual Relief; and, at best, could but have protracted the Siege a few Days;’ admitting, I say, that the Presence and Encouragement of so many superior Officers would not have accomplished that desireable End, yet you would have stood acquitted, and glorious, in the Eyes of your Country, and of Posterity. The Guilt would have been confined intirely to those who sent you out in so miserable a Plight: We should have pitied and applauded the gallant Efforts of that Bravery which was not crowned with Success; we should have resigned the Place with less Regret, when it was so dearly bought.—But, alas! we did not put it in the Power of Fortune to save us: 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. Now as you did not approach so near the Place as to be Spectators of any dreadful Artillery planted to intercept Relief, this Opinion must be wholly founded on Conjecture; and you had as much Reason to apprehend it while at Gibraltar, as after the 20th of May; and if so, would it not have been more prudent to have staid at Gibraltar, than have put your Men on board a Squadron so imperfectly equipped, destitute of Hospital and Store-ships, where they could be of no Service, where they must consume the Provisions of the Fleet, and be liable to the Sickness which attends a close Confinement? Who could have objected to you the Disobedience of Orders then, if they acquit you now? How ridiculously must you pretend to say, that the Commands of Majesty were obeyed, when the least Attempt was never made to land the Reinforcements at that Place where it was only in their Power to be of any Service? I defy all History to produce any Instance when the Orders of a Sovereign, and the Possessions of a Kingdom, were ever so infamously disregarded, under the Sanction of a Council!