• William Pitt (the Elder), First Earl of Chatham, Dec. 11, 1777.
Remarks in the House of Lords.

With Britain warring with her American colonies, Lord Chatham thought it ill-advised to dissolve Parliament for the next six weeks.

…I fear our utter destruction is at hand. What, my Lords, is the state of our military defense? I would not wish to expose our present weakness; but, weak as we are, if this war should be continued, as the public declaration of persons in high confidence with their sovereign would induce us to suppose, is this nation to be entirely stripped? And if it should, would every soldier now in Britain be sufficient to give us an equality to the force of America? I will maintain they would not. Where, then, will men be procured? Recruits are not to be had in this country. Germany will give no more. I have read in the newspapers of this day, and I have reason to believe it true, that the head of the Germanic body has remonstrated against it, and has taken measures accordingly to prevent it. Ministers have, I hear, applied to the Swiss Cantons. The idea is preposterous. The Swiss never permit their troops to go beyond sea. But, my Lords, even if men were to be procured in Germany, how will you march them to the water side? Have not our ministers applied for the port of Embden, and has it not been refused…?

See the full Juxtaposition on the Lapham’s Quarterly web site.

Hear a recording of Lewis Lapham’s talk in The Walrus boardroom during a visit to Toronto in February 2007.