My Lord, To The Right Honorable The Earl of Moira, &c. &c. &c. Hamburg, February 14, 1806. I HOPE it will not be disagreeable to your lordship, that I take the liberty of offering my compliments upon the occasion of your lordship with so many other distinguished persons being called into that situation which may give your country the full benefit of your talents, and high reputation. Your lordship will perhaps do me the honor to recollect, with how much zeal I laboured to be in some degree useful to your generous efforts in the Irish parliament, in the year 1797. Since that time I have lived chiefly in prison or in exile. It would be too long, when your lordship must have so many important avocations, to detail all I have suffered since that time; but I pledge myself boldly, that the friendship which you then favored me with, and which your lordship may have forgotten, but I have not, will seem still more merited, when you shall be fully acquainted with the conduct I have opposed to the most unjust treatment. In the month of May last, I left Paris, to conduct my family home; and to arrange my affairs previously to my quitting Europe, for the rest of my life, and settling myself in America. In the month of July, I addressed to Lord Hawkesbury a request, to be permitted to pass over for that purpose, which I was informed through his majesty's minister here, had been transmitted to the Irish government. But I was also informed by some of my friends, that the person upon whose influence that condescension depended, was Lord Castlereagh. Yielding to their counsel, I wrote to him in December last, but received no answer until a few days ago, that his lordship, by a letter, dated the 24th of January, informed me that he had forwarded my letter to Mr. Long, the chief secretary, but he could not interfere. I hope, my lord, that when I felicitate my country upon the auspicious call of your lordship to the immediate councils of his majesty, I may venture to felicitate myself, upon the speedy attainment of a request so little unreasonable, and which my family affairs render most urgent. I am satisfied, that a passport from the secretary of state in England, would answer the intention of the act of banishment, in which I was included, and be sufficient authority for my return; trusting, that under your lordship's protection, if any thing else should afterwards be thought necessary, it would be obtained. The tedious delay in this place has been very unfavorable to my health, and very vexatious to me; and I hope this will excuse me for pressing for a speedy answer. I should have written to Mr. Ponsonby, and Mr. Grattan, both of whom have witnessed how disinterestedly I have in critical times labored to prevent mischief, and Ef to do good; but I am uncertain, whether they may not be called by their respective offices to Ireland. I shall beg, that your lordship would have the goodness to make my humble respects agreeable to the ladies of your lordship's family; and to let me have the satisfaction of owing this kindness to those only whom I most esteem. I HAVE, by this courier, the honor of writing to Mr. Geo. Ponsonby, to request his interest in procuring a speedy and favorable answer to an application of mine, which has been already referred to the Irish government, requesting permission to conduct my family home; to establish them, and settle my affairs, previous to my going to America. May I request that you will have the goodness to confer with him on this subject, and join your ef forts to his, that I may have a speedy answer, as my health has suffered much in this country, where I have been delayed since the beginning of last summer. I have also written to my Lord Moira, on the same subject, by the preceding courier. I was in hopes of seeing your name officially announced as chancellor of the Irish exchequer. Were I to trust to the news-papers which I have seen this day, I should suppose, that you had refused that place. I must still flatter myself with the expectation of being soon permitted to pay my compliments to you on your acceptance of that or some other station in which your talents and upright intentions may be once more beneficial to your country. I am, my dear Sir, With the highest respect, Your faithful humble servant, Το The Right Honorable Geo. Ponsonby. Hamburg, Valentine's Kamp, No. 161, My dear Sir, February 18, 1806. In the beginning of last summer, I left Paris with my family, my design being to ask permission, when I should arrive at Hamburg, to accompany them to their native country, in order to settle my affairs, and from thence go to America, where I shall in all probability spend the remainder of my days. In the month of July, I made an application, through Mr.Thornton, his majesty's minister resident here; and he having no answer, I wrote on the first of September, by the same channel, to Lord Hawkesbury. The only answer I had was through Mr. King, to Mr. Thornton, that my request was to be referred to the Irish government. Not however hearing further, and following the advice of some friends, I wrote in the latter end of December to Lord Castlereagh, whose influence, I was told, was decisive. On the 24th of January, his lordship acknowledged my letter; declined interfering, but added, that he had taken an occasion of forwarding my letter to Mr. Long, the chief secretary to the Irish government. Whilst I have the satisfaction to congratulate my country on the accession to confidence, of those who I am convinced will make their power the instrument only of good, and to whom my actions and intentions being better known will be more fairly judged, I trust that those delays which have already put me to very cruel inconvenience, will now cease, and that I shall have, before I leave my country for the last time, the pleasure of returning my thanks in person, and renewing the expressions of those sentiments with which I have never ceased to be, My dear Sir, Your faithful and obedient servant, |