XXXV. 1779. lish emiffaries were clandeftinely propofing terms ftill CHA P. more liberal to Dr. Franklin at Paris. The king of Spain therefore announced the neceffity of curtailing and destroying the arbitrary proceedings and maxims of the English maritime power; in the attainment of which end all other maritime powers, and even all nations, were become highly interested. 18th June. Letters of marque 13th July. To these empty publications, the court of Great Britain replied, by ordering letters of marque and reprisals on Spanish property, and by a judicious and iffued. temperate letter from lord Weymouth to the Spanish Lord Weyembaffador. France also published a long historical mouth's manifefto, displaying the motives and conduct of the moft chriftian king toward England, which was art- French fully drawn up, and well calculated to deceive, but manifefto, was anfwered in an eloquent juftificatory memorial, the production of the celebrated Gibbon *. letter. duct of THUS was Spain, to use the expreffion, enlifted in Obfervations the cause of France. Befide the general abfence of on the conany fufficient ground of provocation', the ordinary Spain. views of policy offered many ftrong reafons against a rupture with Great Britain. The good fenfe of the emperor had pointed out the impropriety of a fovereign, arming in behalf of rebels; and Spain had motives of interest, far more cogent, for adopting fimilar fentiments. A bigotted attachment to the Catholic religion, and the vicinity of her American poffeffions to the English colonies, prefented powerful objections against forming an alliance with, or in favour of, * See all these laft-mentioned pieces in the Annual Register for 1779, article State Papers. Gibbon's publication, though not official, called forth great exertions, both in France and among the adherents of America, to furnish an adequate reply. Some anonymous reflections were published; fome, avowed by the well known Caron de Beaumarchais and others, were published by authority. See Remembrancer, vol. ix. p. 1. 83. 201. vol. x. p..116. It is almoft impoffible, that in the ftate of British and Spanish poffeffions in different parts of the world, caufe of complaint fhould not arife on both fides. A motion was made and a petition offered to the English parliament, the 25th of February 1777, and in a converfation between lord Grantham and M. de Florida Blanca in 1778, fome of the complaints adverted to in the manifefto were difcuffed, but the Spanish minifter did not exprefs any impatience on the fubje&, nor any doubt of fair and equitable redrefs. Letter from lord Grantham to lord Weymouth, 23d November 1778. L 2 America: XXXV. 1779. CHAP. America: no fufficient inducement could be advanced to counterbalance thefe arguments; the Spaniards had no view of extending commerce, and their friendly difpofition toward France, might have been more fafely exerted in clandeftine aids, in fupplies of money, and agitating the English nation by continual reports of preparation, and fpecious offers of mediatory interference. Siege of Gibraltar commenced. FRANCE had, with her ufual dexterity, urged her ally to decide in favour of hoftilities; and before the refolution of Spain was formed, boasted of her success in fuch a manner as to embarrass the cabinet of Madrid, whofe final determination was not marked with the promptitude of vigour, but the rafhnefs of fear, flying into the arms of danger to escape the horrors of doubt. Five days before he delivered his orders to quit the British court, the count d'Almadovar had not the flightest fufpicion that his diplomatic miffion was likely to terminate; and while the French embaffador at Vienna loudly boafted the fuccefs of his court, in engaging a new enemy againft Great Britain, the Spanish embaffador unrefervedly declared he had not received any direct communication on the fubject ". PROBABLY France lured Spain on this occafion by the profpect of recovering Gibraltar, and military 24th June. operations were accordingly commenced by the fiege of this fortrefs. Orders were dispatched for difcontinuing all commerce with the garrifon, and an attempt was made to impede fupplies from the coast of Africa, by a treaty with the emperor of Morocco, for farming the ports of Tetuan, Tangier, and Larache. 16th June, SOON after the declaration of hoftilities, the Spaniards formed a naval blockade, and commenced approaches by land. The garrifon amounted to near fix thoufand men, in good health, full of vigour, and not deficient in provifions; they were commanded by the brave general Elliot, who justified the confidence Letter from Sir Robert Murray Keith to lord Weymouth, 23d June 1779. of 1779. of the troops, by a regular performance of his duties, CHAP, by a prudence and penetration, which overlooked no XXXV. circumstance, however minute, tending to the welfare and fafety of his troops, and by a firmness of mind which rendered obedience eafy, and command refpectable". Jerfey. No martial enterprize of the French in Europe, no Ineffectual appearance of efficient preparation, ferved to encou- attempt on rage the Spaniards in their hoftile determination. An ill digested and inefficient attack on Jersey was May ift. eafily repelled; and the failure of the attempt, only expofed to ridicule the name of the projector, whọ was called the Prince de Naffau Siegen, and laid a difputable claim to defcent from the illuftrious house of Naffau. Junction of BEFORE the declaration of war with Spain, the 4th June, French fleet, under d'Orvilliers, confifting of twenty- the French eight fail, but extremely defective in preparation, and Spanish gained, in the abfence of the British fquadron, the fleets. Spanish coast, and after failing in an attempt to intercept a force under admiral Darby, effected a junction with the armament of Spain. THE fpirit of the English nation was not daunted Exertions in by the strong combination of enemies: a Spanish war England. was never unpopular, and the spirit of enterprize was univerfally prevalent, Individuals and public bodies entered into large fubfcriptions for raifing troops, giving bounties to feamen, equipping privateers, and other patriotic purposes; volunteer affociations were formed to repel invafion, and the Eaft india company, with becoming liberality, granted bounties for fix thousand feamen, and undertook to build and equip three new fhips, of feventy-four guns, for the royal navy. BUT all thefe exertions were infufficient to give the The com English fleet a fuperiority over the united fquadrons of bined fleet the enemy: Sir Charles Hardy, who fucceeded Kep- British coaft In all details refpecting the fiege of Gibraltar, I have relied on the Historical Journal of captain John Drinkwater. infult the 1779. CHAP. pel in the command, cruized in the channel, during XXXV., the whole fummer, with about thirty-eight fail of the line. The enemy infulted the channel with an irrefiftable force, fhewed themselves before Plymouth, where they created general alarm, and captured the Ardent of fixty-four guns, whofe commander miftook the united fleet for that of the British admiral. Al, though terror and agitation prevailed in England, the enemy undertook no important enterprize; jealoufy prevailed between the commanders of the combined fleet, ficknefs committed dreadful ravages on the crews; and at an early period of the year, they retired into Breft, leaving the British trade almost unmolested. Sept. CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SIXTH: 1779. State of the French and English fleets in the West Indies.- -American force collected.--The American colonel Afbe routed.-Meafures of the Americans for defence of the Carolinas.--Irruption of the British into South Carolina.-Attack of the Americans on St. John's Iland.-D'Eftaing's ineffectual attempt on Savannah.-Delays in reinforcing Sir Henry Clinton.-Various fuccessful expeditions directed by him.-Siege and relief of Penobscot.--Miferable fate of the American befiegers.-Arrival of Arbuthnot.-Americans attack Paulus Hook.-Their expedition against the Indians. -Incurfion of the Spaniards into Weft Florida.-Capture of Fort Omoa by the English-it is re-taken.-Senegal taken by the French-Goree by the English.--Sea fights between captain Pierfon and Paul Jones.-Captain Farmer and a French frigate.-State of the miniftry-changes.-State of Ireland. Increafe of Volunteers.-Seffion of the Irish parliament.-Debates on the addrefs.-Popular meafures.-Limited Supply.-Riot in Dublin. MEANWHILE the tranfatlantic war was carried CHAP. 1779. State of the in the Weft on with various degrees of activity and fuccefs. XXXVI. The paffage of admiral Byron from North America to the West Indies was delayed by ftorms. His 6th Jan. junction with admiral Barrington gave an equality, French and if not a fuperiority, to the British force, which re- English fleets duced the French commander to the defenfive, and, Indies. during five months, neither infult nor opportunity could draw him from his retreat at Martinique. In this interval both fleets received reinforcements; the English under admiral Rowley, the French under 6th June. |