CHAP. Peter, Westminster, to the memory of that great and exXVII. cellent statesman, with an infcription expreffive of the fentiments of the people on fo great and irreparable a lofs; and to affure his majesty that this house will make good the expense."

1778.

Lord John Cavendish arose, and faid, he hoped that virtue fhould not, in this inftance, be merely its own reward; but that the gratitude of the public to lord Chatham's family, whom he had left deftitute of all fuitable provision, should be the means of exciting an emulation in those yet unborn to copy fuch an example.

The minifter fell in with these measures in a manner that did him honour; and the whole house seemed to participate of a general pleasure in the approbation of them. In confequence of a motion, made by Mr. Townfhend, a bill was brought in and paffed, by which an annuity of 4000l. a year, payable out of the civil-lift revenue, was for ever fettled on those heirs of the late earl, on whom the earldom of Chatham may defcend: and this was followed by a grant of 20,00ol. from the commons, for the discharge of the late earl's debts.

Though all this was paffed in the house of commons without any altercation, or without a fingle diffentient voice upon any one propofition, it was otherwise in the house of lords. A motion made by the earl of Shelburne, that the house should attend his funeral, was directly oppofed, and the motion loft by the majority of one. The bill for fettling an annuity on his defcendants was likewife vigorously oppofed by a few lords; however, it carried, by a majority of 42 to 11*.

1

A protest was entered by the duke of Chandos, the lord chancellor, the archbishop of York, and lord Paget.—" Because," said they, we cannot agree to fuch an unwarrantable lavishing away of the public money, at a time when the nation groans under a heavy load of debts, and is engaged in a dangerous and expenfive war.

"Because we fear that this act may in time be made ufe of as a precedent for factious purpofcs, and for the enriching of private families at the public expenfe."

CHAPTER XVIII.

State of affairs in America-French King's letters to Congress -Proceedings of the Commiffioners -Earl of Carlisle challenged by Fayette -General Howe fucceeded by Sir Henry Clinton-Battle of FreeholdGeneral Lee difgraced- -French fleet under D'Eftaing arrives-Attempt on Rhode-Island-Expedition of the British against Egg-Harbour and Wyoming-and of the Americans against Illinois, the Tories on Susquehanna, and the Six Indian Nations-Georgia reduced by Campbell and Prevoft-Attempt of Prevoft on Charlefton Afbe defeated--Northern Colonies-D'Eftaing leaves Bofton-Vaughan's expedition against Virginia— Americans furprife Stoney-Point-Fail at Paulus Hook Defeated at Penobscot.

W

XVIII.

1778.

fairs in

America.

E fhall now take leave of the parliament of Great- CHAP. Britain, in order to follow the commiffioners across the Atlantic, where they found matters in such a ftate as would have required more address to conciliate them, than perhaps ever fell to the fhare of any five per- State of affons in this world. It has been already mentioned, that one of the terms of the convention of Saratoga was, that the troops should have a safe paffage from Bofton back to their own country, on condition of not serving in NorthAmerica during the continuance of the war. It is eafy to fee, that however well the performance of this article on the part of congrefs might accord with that fyftem of fairness, equity, and good faith, fo neceffary to be ob

1778.

CHAP. ferved in new ftates, it would be equally contrary to XVIII. what is reckoned found policy, and the principles by which every ftate endeavours to fupport itself. To have fent over to Britain fuch a number of foldiers, whence they might inftantly have been replaced by others, appeared to congrefs exceedingly improper, if any means could be fallen upon to prevent it. These were accordingly fought after with eagerness, at the same time that every method was taken to preferve the neceffary appearance of equity and justice. Here, indeed, it feems to have been particularly unlucky, at least in point of time, that a requifition for a little deviation from fome of the terms of the convention had been made by the British commanders themselves. This was for the embarkation of the convention-troops either at the Sound, near New-York, or at Rhode-Illand, inftead of Boston, which had been mentioned in the convention. In confequence of its being expected that this requeft would have been complied with, the tranfports for the conveyance of the troops had affembled at Rhode-Ifland. The congrefs, however, not only refused to comply with this requifition, but pretended that the measure was propofed merely to afford an opportunity to the convention- troops to join their fellows at New-York, and continue to act in America.

April.

Great complaints were made in the mean time by the British officers near Boston, of the badness of the quar ters with which they had been provided; and general Burgoyne having made fome ftrong expoftulations on this fubject, and the detention of the troops, his words were wrefted by congrefs to a declaration, that the convention had been broken on their part, and confequently that the general must confider himself at liberty to act as he thought proper, as foon as he was got without the limits of the American power. On this and fome other frivolous pretences, fuch as that the foldiers had not delivered up their cartouch-boxes, the congrefs publifhed a refolution on the 8th of January, 1778, from which they could never be induced to recede, that the embarkation of general Burgoyne and his army fhould be fufpended until a diftinct and explicit ratification of the treaty at Saratoga fhould be formally notified to them by the court of Great-Britain.

About the middle of April, governor Tryon at NewYork received the rough draught of the conciliatory bills, and used every method he could think of to difperfe them among the revolted colonifts. As the congrefs had already made a refolve not to treat with Great-Britain, ex

cept on the footing of independence, this mode of circu- CHAP. ating the bills was confidered as an infidious attempt to XVIII. divide the people; and the congrefs, to fhew their contempt of it, caufed them to be published in the newspapers, with fuitable remarks and refolutions.

1778.

In the beginning of May, Mr. Silas Deane arrived at May. Yorktown in Virginia, where the congrefs had fat fince the lofs of Philadelphia, with the French treaty. He had been conveyed from France in a royal frigate of 28 guns, appointed for the purpose; and brought with him, for ratification by the congrefs, copies of the two treaties of alliance and commerce; the latter having been concluded on the 30th of January, and the former on the 6th of February this year. The joy and exultation of the Americans on this occafion was extreme. A gazette was inftantly published, in which, befides a general fummary of the information that had been received, fome of the most flattering articles of the treaties, with the comments of congrefs upon them, were exhibited to the people, in which the extraordinary equity, generofity, and unparalelled honour of the French king were extolled in the highest degree. They feemed also to count upon Spain as already a virtual party to the alliance, and the naval force of both nations as united in their caufe, boasting much likewife of the friendly difpofition of the other European powers, fetting them forth as almost all viewing America with an eye of friendship.

It was not, however, until the month of Auguft that the congrefs had the pleasure of formally giving audience to a French ambaffador and plenipotentiary, named M. Gerard. Within the bar of the house the congress formed a femicircle on each fide of the president and the minifter, the prefident fitting at one extremity of the circle, at a table upon a platform elevated by two steps, the minister fitting at the oppofite extremity in an armchair, upon the fame level with the Congrefs. The door of the congrefs chamber being thrown open below the bar, above 200 gentlemen were admitted.

At this audience a letter from his moft chriftian ma

* The letter was in the following words.

Very Dear Great Friends and Allies,

"The treaties which we have figned with you, in confequence of the proposals your commiflioners made to us in your behalf, are a certain affurance of our affection for the United States in general, and for each of them in particular, as well as of the intereft we take in their happinefs and profperity. It is to convince you more particularly of this, that we have nominated the Sieur Gerard, fecretary of our council of ftate, to refide among you in quality of our minifter plenipotentiary.

1778. king's letter to the congrefs.

French

CHAP.jefty was delivered by the fecretary of the Sieur Gerard XVIII. to the prefident of congrefs, and read; acquainting them of his having figned the treaties with America, and asfuring them of his affection and friendship. This was followed by a fpeech from the Sieur Gerard, in which among other things he informs them, that his majesty had haftened to fend a powerful affiftance, in order to establish their independence. To this fpeech a fuitable answer was returned by Henry Laurens, efq; president of Congress, in which he complimented his moft chriftian majesty on his wisdom and magnanimity, and hoped the affiftance he had fo generously fent, would bring Great-Britain to a fenfe of her duty, and promote the common interefts of France and America.

Though this audience had not been given until after the arrival of the British commiffioners, yet as the treaties with France had been abfolutely and finally concluded long before, we may easily see how little hope the court of Britain could reasonably entertain that the Americans would now relinquifh their independence, for which they had fo long and fuccefsfully contended. From the letters indeed between the reverend Mr. Duche, chaplain to congrefs, and general Washington, it appears, that even before these treaties were completed, and while matters ftill remained very doubtful with regard to the event of the war, it was the univerfal fenfe of America, that their independence could not be given up on any terms whatever. The reasons adduced for this by general Washington in his letter, were fuch as might naturally have occurred to any person who would give himself the trouble of reafoning on the subject; but in Britain there seemed to prevail fome kind of infatuation, as it might be called, with regard to the inclination of the Americans to fubmit to Britain. Indeed, this perfuafion feems to have been the true origin of all the misfortunes that attended the British arms throughout this ill-fated war. Had the ministry been apprized of the real forces neceffary to have fubjugated the colonies, it is moft probable that they

He is the better acquainted with our fentiments toward you, and the more capable of teftifying the fame to you, as he was intrusted on our part to negociate with your commiffioners, and figned with them the treaties which cement our union. We pray you to give full credit to all he fhall communicate to you from us, more especially when he shall affure you of our affection and conftant friendship for you. We pray GoD, Very Dear Great Friends and Allies, to have you in his holy keeping. Your Good Friend and Ally,

LOUIS.

Verfailles, 29th March, 1778.

GRAVIER DE VERGENNES.