931. BOTTETOURT (Lord), Character of.—
Lord Bottetourt was an honourable man.
His government had authorized him to make
certain assurances to the people here [Virginia],
which he made accordingly. He wrote
to the minister that he had made these assurances,
and that, unless he should be enabled
to fulfil them, he must retire from his situation.
This letter he sent unsealed to Peyton
Randolph for his inspection. Lord Bottetourt's
great respectability, his character for
integrity, and his general popularity, would
have enabled him to embarrass the measures
of the patriots exceedingly. His death was,
therefore, a fortunate event for the cause of
the Revolution. He was the first governor in
chief that had ever come over to Virginia.
Before his time, we had received only deputies,
the governor residing in England, with
a salary of five thousand pounds, and paying
his deputy one thousand pounds.—
Conversation with Daniel Webster.
Ford ed., x, 330.
(1824)
