Ossian Collection > Life and letters of James Macpherson

268 JAMES MACPHERSON.
stirred by the action of French and Ameri-
can emissaries. In the inability of the exe-
cutive to leave troops in Ireland, a large
body of volunteers had been enrolled for the
protection of the coast ; and although the
body shovi^ed the most exemplary loyalty, its
existence was a powerful argument in favour
of allaying a discontent that had become
dangerous, and of annulling most of the re-
strictions which oppressed Irish industry.
While the matter was in progress, Irish
affairs occupied a large share of attention in
the newspapers ; and here also Macpherson was
S}>ecially employed in presenting the case of
the Government in a favourable light to the
public. Facts and arguments were, it appears,
sometimes supplied to him by the executive.
The following letter, addressed to John Robin-
son, then patronage secretary to the Treasury,
shows the light in which Macpherson was at
this time regarded by the Government, and
the nature of the services which he performed.
It is further interesting from the evidence
which it affords that Macpherson was now
casting about for a seat in the House of Com-
mons.