government. Secretary at War: 1794–1801 Windham was now Secretary at War in Pitt's government; at the same time, he was created a privy councillor. He managed to gain a few subsidies for the émigrés and achieved Cabinet support for the failed Quiberon expedition. In practice, Windham made himself responsible for all matters related to the Royalists but in the spring of 1796 he relinquished his sole responsibility for this as he was frustrated by the need to constantly refer to other departments when ever he wanted to do something that would help the Royalists. He realised that other Cabinet members did not share his enthusiasm for the Royalist cause and for a Bourbon restoration. In late 1795 the government decided to negotiate peace with France and, although he had consistently opposed negotiations until a decisive victory was achieved, Windham agreed that France remaining a republic should be no obstacle to this. However, by October 1796, Windham had changed his mind, writing to Mrs Crewe: "If I could have been sure that Lord Malmesbury's despicable embassy would succeed and that peace must be the immediate consequence, I should have been out long since". In the dispute between Fitzwilliam and Pitt over Ireland, Windham supported Fitzwilliam and threatened to resign if better policies for governing Ireland were not adopted. Windham acted as the mediator between the two sides. In the aftermath of the Irish Rebellion of 1798, Windham supported the union of Ireland with Great Britain, believing that Catholic emancipation would follow. On 7 February 1801 Windham was among those who resigned in protest at the King's veto of Catholic emancipation. Opposition: 1801–1806 Immediately after the Peace of Amiens was signed, the Prime Minister, Henry Addington, wrote to Windham on 1 October 1801: "I think when I see you...I can satisfy you that it is not clear even upon your own Principles that we are wrong". Windham replied to Addington on the same day: I can have no idea of the measure in question but as the commencement of a career which, by an easy descent, and step by step, but at no very distant period, will conduct the country to a situation where, when it looks at last for its independence, it will find that it is already gone. I have no idea how the effect of this measure is ever to be recover'd; Chance may do much, but, according to