whilft we remain fubordinate Colonies, it would be a folicifm in politics for any European state to league with us. We do not break the connection, it is already broken and diffolved; and thus abandoned, all laws, human and divine, not only permit, but demand of us, to provide every internal and external means for our own prefer

vation.

We are told by an American refugee, that when the question concerning the independence of America was put in Congress, the Colonies were equally divided, fix against fix. The delegates of Pennfylvania being alfo divided, that Colony gave no vote t, which occafioned the affembly to be adjourned until the next day, when one of the delegates 1, who had the day before oppofed the measure, retracted his opinion, and gave the cafting vote for independ

ence,

The Congrefs then iffued a declaration, in which they affigned reafons for their withdrawing their allegiance from -the King of Great Britain. In this paper they difcard that conftitutional language, in which complaints are ever expreffed by British fubjects, and direct all their charges in unqualified terms against the throne itself. They no longer complained of a British parliament, or a British ministry, but of a British King. The declaration of independence was foon followed by articles of confederation and perpetual union between the ftates of America, by which the general Congress obtained the power of regulating all matters rela

Mr. Galloway.

The Colony of Pennsylvania sent feven delegates to the first Congrefs, but the number deputed must have been afterwards altered to occafion this equality,

Mr. Dickenfon,

tive to politics and war, but had no controul over the Provincial affemblies in their regulations of the internal government of the feveral Provinces. Hereby the Americans engaged to yield an implicit obedience to the mandates of fifty or fixty men, from whose decrees there lay no appeal; but in fome measure to check this authority, every ftate had the power of recalling at any time its delegates, or any one of them, and of sending others in their room and a general election was to be made annually in the month of November.

A council of ftate was alfo formed from the members which compofed the Congress; to confift of one for each of the states, who was to be annually nominated by the other delegates of his refpective state. This body was invested with various powers, for carrying into effect such measures, as should be from time to time refolved upon in Congrefs; it was defigned to be the executive párt of government, when that affembly was not fitting, and was entrusted with the expenditure of the monies voted by the general affembly of the states for the public fervice.

The reluctance which the Americans in general fhewed 'to the act of fevering themselves for ever from their mother country, seems to point out, that the fending of foreign troops to that continent to recover the people to obedience, was the fole cause which produced this dismemberment of the empire. Had the whole force of Great-Britain been exerted on its proper element, had every nerve been strained to equip and man a formidable fleet, and had the operations of the war in its commencement been purely maritime; had the ports of that continent been blocked up, and all intercourfe with foreign ftates effectually cut off, we should not have heard of American independence, and the defigns of France to reduce the confequence of this country, by

1

aiding the revolted Colonies, would have been baffled almoft as foon as formed. An effectual force at fea, in the full vigour of operation, was the only terror which could intimidate that reftlefs rival. The amphibious Americans, inclofed within the confines of their lands, might have become tractable. Abounding in wants, which they were unable from within themselves to fupply, they would have fuffered humiliating inconveniencies, but would have been exempted from thofe miferies which an hoftile army is dif posed to inflict, and which inevitably drives a people to defperation. But the notion that the Americans were to be dragooned into unconditional fubmiffion was yet prevalent, although difproved by repeated experiments. Hence a ruinous land war was to be maintained in another hemifphere, where the face of the country every where rendered victories ineffectual. It must be owned, that it required an uncommon fhare of fagacity in a monarch, to decide for himself, how he ought to act in fo embarraffing a fituation, and as great a fhare of firmness as wisdom, to carry the proper plan into execution. In the British cabinet, every measure is viewed with approbation or distaste, in proportion to the number of friends which it will ferve. No minifter would have suggested a merely naval blockade, or perhaps have cheerfully concurred in effected it. Such a plan of conduct would have tended too much to cause the public good to preponderate over private gain. A predatory war was calculated to enrich thoufands; a war of pofts was utterly unfavourable to the acquiring of private fortunes; befides which, it did not poffefs that eclat which gratifies a high spirited nation; but it was the only conduct by which its interefts could be effectually served.

Admiral Lord Howe was appointed to the command of the fleet, which was destined to co-operate with the army against

against the Colonies. A great number of the young nobility and gentry feized this opportunity of initiating themfelves in the art military, by ferving as officers or volunteers. In the mean time the army under Gen. Howe fuffered great inconveniencies and hardfhips at, Halifax; and the fummer being advanced, the General determined to proceed to New York, and there wait the arrival of his brother with the troops from Europe. He appeared off Sandy Hook the day before the declaration of independence was paffed in Congrefs, and landed on Staten Ifland without oppofition. Lord Howe arrived on the 14th of July, 1770, when the combined army confifted of 20,121 rank and file, of which 1,677 were fick *.

The General and Admiral having been appointed commiffioners + for restoring peace to the Colonies under the late act of parliament, and for granting pardons, before they entered upon action fent flags on fhore, accompanied with. letters to the late governors of the Colonies, acquainting them with the civil and military powers with which they were furnished, and defiring that a declaration, which was at the fame time fent, might be publifhed as generally as poffible: but these endeavours to bring about a reconciliation had no effect. A letter was alfo fent by the fame conveyance to Mr. Washington; but as the fuperfcription did not address him by the title and in the form due to the rank which he held under the Congrefs, he refufed to receive it. A letter from Lord Howe to Dr. Franklin was received and anfwered. The hoftile force which was now

Mr. Galloway afferts, that General Howe's force was 40,874. Letters to a Nobleman, page 33. The General dared not misreprefent fuch a fact to the House of Commons, the writer ought not to have done it to the public. The difference of tome thousands, however, is made, by calculating the force, in one inftance before, and in the other, after, General Clinton arrived.

The falary paid to each Commiffioner was 10ɔl. a week.

arrived

arrived on the coaft, had no effect in lowering the Hyle, or abating the claims of the Americans. The offers of pardon upon fubmiffion, Franklin, in his letter, rejected with fcorn; and the acknowledgment of American independence was made the only bafis of reconciliation. "Yet I know too well," faid he, "the abounding pride and deficient wisdom of your nation, to believe the will ever take the fteps neceffary to recover our regard. Her fondness for conqueft as a warlike nation, her luft of dominion as an ambitious one, and her thirst for a gainful monopoly as a commercial one, (none of them legitimate caufes of war) will all join to hide from her eyes, every view of her true intereft, and will continually goad her on in these ruinous diftant expeditions, fo deftructive both of lives and treasure, that they muft prove as pernicious to her in the end, as the Croifades formerly were to most of the nations in Europe, I have not the vanity, my Lord, to think of intimidating by thus predicting the events of the war, for I know it will in England have the fate of all my former predictions, not to be believed till the event fhall verify it."

He concluded with faying, "Long did I endeavour, with unfeigned and unwearied zeal, to preserve from breaking that fine and noble china vase, the British empire; for I know, that being onee broken, the feparate parts could not retain even their fhares of the ftrength and value that existed in the whole; and that a perfect re-union of these parts could scarce ever be hoped for."-If this was arrogance, it was the defect of a great mind, which fhewed itself more difposed to speak strongly the nearer dangers approached.

The unfavourable reception given to the two brothers, as commiffioners, made it now neceffary for them to act as commanders. Clinton and Cornwallis from South Carolina

had