manding subscription to a written declaration of their al- CHAP legiance, that they might thus be diftinguished from the XIV. enemies to the royal caufe. 1777. With this proposal, the natural avarice, levity of temper, and blood-thirsty disposition of the Indians, induced them readily to comply. Even the Six Nations, who had formerly agreed to the obfervance of a strict neutrality, now joined the general confederacy, and committed some acts of hoftility, which, however, were afterwards difowned by their chiefs. The Creeks began the war in the fouthern parts with all that violence and barbarity which distinguishes American favages; but finding themselves not supported as had been promised, they fuddenly ftopped short, excufed themselves as well as they could to the congress, and refused to aflift the Cherokees who applied to them for that purpose. The latter were thus left to carry on the war by themfelves, which they did for a fhort time with the utmost fury, flaughtering, fcalping, and deftroying every human creature, and ruining the fettlements wherever they came. These cruelties, however, were foon checked, and the perpetrators called to a fevere account. The militia of the adjacent provinces affembled, marched into the country of the Cherokees, and not only defeated them in every encounter, but demolished their towns, deftroyed their corn, and killed fuch defeated, numbers, that the nation being nearly exterminated, the and almost wretched furvivors were glad to accept a peace upon ted by the any terms the victors chofe to prescribe; none of the neighbouring nations daring to interpofe in their behalf. Thus ended, at prefent, all hopes from the affiftance of the Indians. The effects of this expedition were exceedingly prejucial to the royal caufe, as it not only excited the utmost rancour of the Americans who had already revolted, but even of the well-affected to government themfelves. Such as had on this occafion declared for the cause of Britain, not only to a man expreffed their abhorrence of fuch cruel measures, but some of their chief leaders are faid to have avowed a recantation of their principles upon that very account. The Chero kees utterly extermina Colonists. CHAPTER XV. Affairs in Britain -Parliament. -John the Painter-Fire at Briflol Addrefs-Minority leave the house Treafon bill-Payment of crown-debts and augmentation of civil lift-Sir Fletcher Norton's Speech -Lord Chatham's conciliatory plan rejected. HILE these transactions were going forward in CHAP. WH tain. XV. 1776. ftate of torpid indifference, expecting daily to hear of the fubmiffion of the colonies, from the fplendid accounts of conqueft exhibited in the newspapers, and the idea of the State of af extreme imbecility and cowardice of the Americans, which fairs in Brihad been fo induftriously propagated and kept up. Some misfortunes, indeed, affected a part of the nation; but as these did not in any degree reach the generality, the news of them made no change in the state of public affairs. In the Weft Indies, feveral of the most effential neceffaries of life, particularly thofe ufed for feeding the negroes, ast well as the poor and labouring white people, had rifen to three or four times their ufual price. Staves for cafks, which were next to food as an object of neceffity, could not be procured in fufficient quantity at any price. Other wants were absorbed in the dread of famine, which, had it not been for the number of American prizes taken and difpofed of during the war, would undoubtedly have commenced. At the fame time, an infurrection of the negroes in Jamaica, though happily discovered in time and crushed, confiderably increased the public troubles. The military force in that island had been very much weakened, in order to reinforce the troops in America, and the departure of a fleet of merchantmen, to the number of 120 fail, with CHA P.a great part of the small squadron on that station to be XV. their convoy, would leave it almost entirely defenceless; and it was discovered that the negroes had fixed on this 1776. time of extreme weakness for the execution of their defign. The failing of the fleet was therefore poftponed for a month after the fhips were loaded, and just ready to put to fea. Though this proved an immediate lofs to the owners, the confequences were much more ruinous. The delay afforded time to the American cruizers to take proper ftations; the fhips were scattered by bad weather, and fell defencelefs into the hands of the enemy; so that though it was late in the season before the Americans began this kind of depredation, the loss to Great Britain, by captures alone, during the year 1776, amounted to more than a million fterling. Towards the end of this year alfo, the French and Spaniards began to fhew a ftrong attachment to the Americans. The continental privateers appeared in great numbers in their ports, and the prizes they brought in with them fold openly, and without difguife. Remonfrances from the British court only made the fales lefs open; and, in the fituation of affairs at that time, it was not thought prudent to affert the national dignity, by pushing matters to thofe extremities which otherwife would have been undoubtedly done. In the West-Indies, however, the depredations were carried to a much greater extent than in Europe, and avowedly patronifed by all the French colonies. Even French fhips took out American commiffions; and, with a few, or fometimes even no American failors on board, made war on the British trade with impunity. The king's fhips, however, took a vast number of prizes on their part, though this number was far from being able to balance the value of those taken by the enemy. for Befides the direct lofs by captures, trade suffered otherwife by the prodigious rife of infurance; that upon the Weft-Indies now amounting to no less than 23 per cent. The prodigious armaments of France and Spain alfo threatened an approaching war with these powers; fo that, towards the end of October, a proclamation was iffued, raifing the bounty to feamen who enlifted to 51. per man. Sixteen additional fhips of the line were alfo fuddenly put into commiffion; and another proclamation was if fued, recalling all feamen who were in any foreign service. This was quickly followed by two others; the one laying an embargo on the exportation of provifions from Great Britain and Ireland, the other for the obfervation of a ge- CHAP. neral faft. An opportunity now occurred for renewing the difputes between the city of London and the miniftry, whofe mutual animofity had not been for many years extinguished. The prefent contest took place with the lords of the admiralty; and the point in queftion was the legality of preffing feamen into his majefty's fervice. The lord mayor claimed an exemption for the watermen of his barge, and the city denied the legality of preffing within their jurifdiction. The matter was brought before the court of king's bench, where the judges gave their opinion, that thefe claims were not supported by adequate proof. However, though the matter was very hotly difputed for fome time, it was at last ended without any proper decifion on fome very important points of law; though indeed the neceffities of the times feemed now to fuperfede every other confideration. XV. 1776. The idea of being attacked by the combined powers of France and Spain, while engaged at the fame time in a contest, however trifling, with the colonies, began at laft to awaken the fears of the people. Sufpicions of plots and treasons occurred; and these were increased by the attempts of an enthusiastic mifcreant, known by the name of John the Painter, but whofe real name was James Ait- Account of ken. This man was born at Edinburgh; but being en- John the dowed with a ftrong propenfity to rambling, as well as very vicious inclinations, had, in the course of a few years, gone through a number of thofe adventures in which the moft abandoned vagabonds ufually employ themselves, and for which his profeffion as a painter afforded a proper cover. Among other exploits, our adventurer had paffed through feveral marching regiments of foot, from each of which he had deferted as foon as he could, after receiving the bounty-money. In his various peregrinations through different parts of England, he alternately committed highway robberies, burglaries, petty thefts, rapes, and worked at his trade as occafion offered. At laft, he paffed over to America, where he remained for two or three years, traverfed feveral of the colonies, and having, in that country, imbibed the most violent fentiments of the people with regard to the mother-country, he returned to England, filled with the most deadly antipathy to Britain; foon after which, he adopted the defign of entirely fubverting the power of the government and nation, by the fole machinations of his own industry and ingenuity. Painter. |