“Oh, well, some things might be better, I suppose, but what can you expect when so few desire to take up the work in this country? To tell the truth, it sometimes was confoundly lonely at The Hall before Pothero came. But you haven’t told me anything of the government’s latest policy with respect to these colonies. Will Lord North’s hand be strong on the helm and what have we to fear from that arch demagogue, Pitt?”
“North’s hand will be as firm as the king’s and no firmer. Pitt will be dead when he has ceased to be a demagogue. The king speaks of him as ‘That Trumpet of Sedition,’” replied Mogridge with an air of sagacity.
“I fear you are right. His words have afforded the would-be traitors in this land their chief encouragement.”
“And from what I hear they seem to be having their way in Virginia.”
“Yes, there’s the very old Harry to pay here. Men whose position and interests lie in retaining the old order of things are catering to the rabble for a little temporary advantage. You see, the past few years, the Scotch-Irish immigrants have been pouring into the northwestern part of the colony. By nature and education they are hostile to rightful authority, are Dissenters and opposed to contributing in the way of taxes for the support of the established order.”
“I understand that the other side, the men who 8 are using these ignorant people for their purposes, have control of the House of Burgesses.”
“Fools! to think they can scare England by refusing to buy goods of her just because she wishes them to pay a small tax. I’ve just heard that Colonel Washington met Richard and Francis Lee at the Raleigh Tavern in Williamsburg the other night after the governor, God bless him! had dissolved the Burgesses; that with Tom Jefferson and Patrick Henry they laid their plans for uniting with the rebels in the other colonies. I can’t understand of what such men as Washington are thinking. Treason, pur et simple, that’s what ’twill come to.”
“Henry is a wonderful orator, they say.”
“Words, words, and more words. Where he learns ’em all is a mystery, for he’d much rather talk than study. He’s infatuated young Jefferson, who’s yeoman on his father’s side, but who’s as smart as he is conceited. What do you suppose that young scamp is trying to accomplish? Nothing less than the ruin of the old families of this Dominion, sir. He would so change our laws that, instead of our estates descending to the eldest son and thus being kept up, they would be divided among the children, as is done in Massachusetts. And he would disestablish the church, he would, by gad, sir!”
The squire’s face, always florid from high living, was now so purple with passion that his wily nephew, fearing apoplexy, changed the subject.