XLIII. 1782, CHAP. France, however, ftill placing fanguine reliance on exertions they had prepared to make in the East Indies and before Gibraltar, fought to protract the treaty by artifice, without precluding themfelves from the means of advancing in it, fhould their hopes be fruftrated. M. de Vergennes remitted, through Mr. 21ft June. Grenville, a paper approving the peace of Paris as the bafis of negotiation, but propofing fo many and fuch vague exceptions, relative to every quarter of the globe, that almost every trace of that treaty was obliterated". Death of the marquis of Rockingham. 3d June. ift July, a BEFORE definitive measures could be adopted, an event happened which occafioned a new revolution in the British cabinet. The marquis of Rockingham had long been in a declining flate of health. The debate on the bill for difqualifying revenue officers was the last in which he bore a part, and he then declared that a prevalent diforder affected him fo feverely, that he was fometimes not in poffeffion of himself. In lefs than a month afterward he expired, and the appointment of lord Shelburne to be his fucceffor as first lord of the treafury, ferved as the signal (for it was denied to be the cause) for the refignation of feveral confpicuous members of the RockingChanges in ham party. The following changes were confequently made in the miniftry: lord Grantham and Mr. Thomas Townshend were appointed fecretaries of ftate, instead of lord Shelburne and Mr. Fox; the honourable William Pitt, to the chancellorship of the exchequer, refigned by lord John Cavendish; Richard Jackson and Edward James Elliot, and the honourable John Jefferies Pratt, and John Aubrey, efquires, obtained feats at the treafury and admiralty boards, vacated by lord Althorpe and Mr. Frederick Montagu; the ministry. For all the particulars relative to this negotiation, I have confulted the official correfpondence. 2 It acquired the name of influenza. 2 See Debates in the houses of lords and commons, 9th, 10th, and 11th July, and 5th December, 1782, and XLIII. 1782. and lord Dungannon and Mr. John Townshend; co- CHA P. lonel Barré was appointed paymaster of the forces, in the room of Mr. Burke, and Mr. Dundas received colonel Barré's fituation of treasurer of the navy. Sir George Younge became fecretary at war, by the promotion of Mr. Thomas Townfhend; earl Temple, lord lieutenant of Ireland, by the refignation of the duke of Portland; and the honourable William Wyndham Grenville, fecretary to the lord lieutenant, an office which had been held under the duke of Portland by colonel Fitzpatrick. THUS a few months of profperity diffolved in anger and mutual animofity, that formidable phalanx, which by ftrenuous parliamentary exertion had fhaken the foundation of government, rendered every exercife of royal prerogative odious and dangerous, made the cause of infurrection popular, and taken the cabinet by storm. THIS change made for the present no alteration in 11th July. the conduct of affairs, for in a few days the feflion of Prorogation parliament was clofed by prorogation. of parlia ment. THE king declared, in his fpeech, that nothing King's could be more repugnant to his feelings than the long speech. continuance of fo complicated a war, but should the want of a correfponding difpofition in the enemy, difappoint his hopes of terminating that calamity, he fhould ftill rely on the spirit, affection, and unanimity of his parliament and people, to fupport the honour of his crown and interests of the nation. "The most triumphant career of victory," he said, "would not excite me to aim at more than fair and reasonable terms of pacification, and I have the fatisfaction to add, I fee no reason which should induce me to think of accepting lefs." CHAPTER THE FORTY-FOURTH: СНАР. XLIV. 1778-1783. Tranfactions in America.-Murder of Huddy.-Recal of Sir Henry Clinton.-Proceedings on the arrival of Sir Guy Carleton.-Difcuffion refpecting captain Afgill.—Tranfactions in the West Indies.-War in India.-Capture of French fettlements.-Action between Sir Edward Vernon and Tronjolly.-Pondicherry taken.-War with the native powers,-Efforts of France.-Commodore Johnstone's expedition against the Cape of Good Hope fruftrated;-he takes five Dutch Eaft-Indiamen.-Dutch fettlements captured.Engagements between Sir Edward Hughes and de Suffrein. -Siege of Cuddalore.-Naval exertionsin Europe.-Fate of Rodney's prizes.-Lofs of the Royal George.-Progress of the fiere of Gibraltar.-Conftruction of floating batteries.Defeat of the allies in the grand attack.-Relief of the garrifon by lord Howe.-Negotiations for peace.-Provifional treaty with America.-State of parties in England. HE continent of America no longer presented its accustomed portion of military interest: the blaze of war which was first kindled, also first lanTranfactions guifhed in the colonies; the furrender of lord Cornin America. wallis having in effect concluded the martial contest. 1781. Soon after the action at Eutaws, colonel Stewart retreated to the neighhourhood of Charlestown, and colonel Leflie, who was afterward appointed to command in that district, retired within the walls of the capital. Slight excurfions and trivial encounters alone marked the existence of hoftility; the British troops were withdrawn from all their late extended poffeffions in the fouthern provinces, except Charles town, Savannah, and a few dependent posts; while the enemy, re-affembling their legislature at Jacksonburgh, XLIV. burgh, diftant only thirty-five miles from the capital CHA P. of South Carolina, infulted the British government, and iffued edicts of regulation, reward, and credit, and decrees of confifcation against all friends of the 11th Jan. royal cause2. THE loyalifts at New York being filled with alarm and indignation at the tenth article of the capitulation of York Town; Sir Henry Clinton attempted to tranquillize them by circular orders to the different posts of the army, directing that the fame attention fhould in all cafes be paid to the interefts and fecurity of American loyalifts, as to thofe of the king's troops, and that no diftinction or difcrimination fhould vail. This judicious order, which was fubfequently confirmed by the king, produced in a great measure the defired effect. pre 1782. and ift Mar, 1782. Huddy. BUT when the departure of de Graffe's fleet for Murder of the West Indies, and the exertions of Clinton, had quieted all alarms, the inveteracy between loyalifts and republicans produced new contentions, and threatened a mode of vengeful hoftility more dreadful than any which had yet been purfued. The Americans had always affected to confider the loyalists taken in arms as traitors, amenable to their civil administration. Threats had fometimes reftrained the excefs of violence, but the Americans frequently refufed quarter to loyalifts, and often maintained prisoners of that defcription in a different state of confinement from other military captives, loading them with injuries, depriving them of neceffaries, and endangering their lives by inhumanity 6. A BOARD of directors of affociated loyalifts, under the prefidency of governor Franklin, had been long eftablished at New York, invested with administrative powers, the right of nominating officers, and iffuing regulations for their guidance and government, fub a See Remembrancer, vol. xiv. p. 137. 140. b See letter from the board of loyalifts to Sir Henry Clinton, dated New York, #7th April, 1782, in the Remembrancer, vol. xiv. p. 157. ject CHA P. ject to the ratification of the commander in chief. XLIV. They had a prison for captives brought in by their parties, and the power of exchange or releafe, but with the express condition of not killing or maltreating their prifoners under pretext of retaliation. 1782. AFTER the capitulation of lord Cornwallis, many loyalifts urged Sir Henry Clinton to threaten vengeance for injuries inflicted on those who had joined the royal standard. The prudent commander, however, declined iffuing a proclamation the menaces of which he was not authorized to fulfil, and was deterred, by the advice of the principal refugees, from establishing the civil government, which would have permitted the trial of captive continentals as rebels. But while he was engaged in projects of defence, and while commiffioners appointed by him and general Washington were negotiating for an exchange of prisoners, Joshua Huddy, a captain in the fervice of congress, was taken by a party of loyalifts, delivered with two others to captain Lippencott, one of their body, for the oftenfible purpose of being exchanged, conducted into the Jerseys by virtue of an order from the board of loyalifts at New York, and there hung on a tree, with a label denoting, that his fate was a retaliation for one White, an affociator. SIR HENRY CLINTON, highly refenting this audacious outrage on humanity, and infult on himself as commander, arrefted Lippencott, and with the concurrence of a council of war, ordered him to be tried for murder. The tranfaction feemed to indicate a refolution in the loyalifts to force meafures of revenge, which he had refused to sanction, and he anticipated the infults to which he fhould be expofed from the refentment of the American general, and the danger of his commiffioners, who were in the power of the enemy. Sir Henry Clinton foon received from generål Washington an intemperate letter, demanding the ift Sept. delivery to him of Lippencott, or fo many additional officers, as, in exchange, would be equivalent to Huddy, |