Of the British prime minister, Lord North, he wrote with exceptional acuity: The Premier has advanced too far to recede with safety: he is deeply interested to execute his purpose, if possible.... In common life, to retract an error even in the beginning is no easy task. Perseverance confirms us in it and rivets the difficulty.... To this we may add that disappointment and opposition inflame the minds of men and attach them still more to their mistakes.59