1778. CHA P. however, foon difcovered and traced with indignation XXXIII. every step of this bafe duplicity, and appeared to entertain a defire of renewing the connexion between Detected by Auftria and England, if it could be done without rifquing a war, in which he muft make great facrifices without the hope of obtaining any effectual affiftance, and from which he was equally restrained by financial and domeftic confiderations. the emperor. Attempt to engage lord tion. IN fuch a crifis, it was natural and politic in the Chatham in British government to attempt engaging the affistance adminiftra- of the great war minifter, refpected for his talents and his fuccefs in a former emergency, venerable for his years, idolized by the public, and dreaded by his opponents. Overtures were undoubtedly made to lord Chatham to form a new cabinet; but how far they were authorized, what conceflions were to have been made, what measures purfued, or what individuals to have fhared the powers of government, are circumftances, which, if they were ever arranged, are at prefent unknown. The total overthrow of the existing administration was a part of the plan; but the treaty terminated abruptly, and in a manner which has never been fufficiently elucidated. The friends of lord Chatham, after the time when the negotiation ceafed, were fanguine in their expectations of its fuccefs. Lord Lyttleton, in the committee on the state of the nation, faid there remained one man who greatly and wifely difapproved of confenting to render America independent; and if the continuance of war fhould finally be decided on, or new hoftilities fhould be commenced in our own defence, he was ftill equal to conduct them with fuccefs. Mr. Grenville fpoke in the house of commons in terms ftill more decifive: "I think," he faid, "notwithstanding all paft occurrences, that the colonies may, by proper measures, be 24 Feb. 11th Feb. From private information and correspondence. See authentic account of the part taken by the earl of Chatham in a transac• tion which paffed in the beginning of the year 1778. Annual Regifter, 1778, p. 244, et feq. and in various other publications. yet yet brought back to a state of conftitutional obedience, CA P. and we may once more recover their affections. If XXXIII. there be a man who has ferved this nation with honour to himself, and glory to his country; if there be a man who has carried the arms of Britain triumphant to every quarter of the globe, and that beyond the most fanguine expectations of the people; if there be a man, of whom the house of Bourbon ftands more particularly in awe; if there be a man in this country, who unites the confidence of England and America, is not he the proper perfon to treat with America, and not those who have uniformly deceived and oppreffed them? There is not one prefent who is ignorant of the perfon to whom I allude. You all know that I mean a noble and near relation, lord Chatham. He is the man whom his majefty ought to call to his councils, because the Americans revere him, and the unbiaffed part of the nation would most cheerfully trust their dearest interests with him; if it fhould be found that to him the nation looks forward for its falvation, it is a duty which his majefty owes to his people to avail himself of fuch refpectable affiftance." Lord North answered thefe obfervations with his accustomed fincerity. Paft events did not enable him to ascertain the favourable difpofition of America towards individuals or parties in either houfe; he believed all men and all parties equally obnoxious to them; and whenever propofitions fhould be made, the colonies would not confider who made them, but whether the terms were adequate to their expectations. He would cheerfully refign the difagreeable task to any person who was thought better qualified, and content to accept it. 16th Mar. Lord North gives notice THE conciliatory bills had fcarcely received the royal affent, when lord North gave notice that he fhould prefent a meflage from the king; Mr. Gren of an inville, in common with the whole houfe, anticipating lage from the fubject, moved for copies of all communications the king. with the embaffador at the court of France. The E 3 motion tended mef CHA P. motion was over-ruled', after a short debate, in which XXXIII. the minifter faid he never denied the fignature of the treaty; it was now published by the French: if their intereft confifted in promulgating, his duty required concealment of its contents. 1778. 17th. THE royal meffage stated the receipt of notice, by The meffage order of the French king, that he had concluded a treaty of amity and commerce with certain perfons employed by his majesty's revolted fubjects in North America, in confequence of which offenfive communication, the British embaffador was ordered to withdraw from Paris, and the king relied on the zealous and affectionate fpirit of his people to repel infult, and maintain the national reputation. The note of the French embaffador was laid before the house, conceived in terms of irony and derision *. "The United States of America," it faid, "who are in full possesfion of independence, as pronounced by them on the fourth of July 1776, having propofed to the king, to confolidate by a formal convention, the connexion begun to be established between the two nations, the respective plenipotentiaries have figned a treaty of friendship and commerce. The French king being determined to cultivate the good understanding fubfifting between France and Great Britain, by every means compatible with his dignity, and the good of his fubjects, makes this proceeding known to the court of London, and declares that the contracting parties have paid great attention not to ftipulate any exclufive advantages in favour of the French nation; and that the United. States have reserved the liberty of treating with every nation whatever, upon the fame footing of equality and reciprocity. In making this communication to the court of London, the king is firmly perfuaded fhe will find new proofs of his majesty's conftant and 4 231 to 146. The expreffion of Washington, who adds, "more degrading to the pride and dignity of Britain than any thing the has ever experienced fince the has been a nation. It is not an actual declaration of war, but certainly muft produce one.” Washington's Letters, vol. ii. p. 278. fincere 1778. fincere difpofition for peace; and that his Britannic CHAP majefty, animated by the fame fentiments, will equally XXXIII. avoid every thing that may alter their good harmony; and would particularly take effectual measures to prevent the commerce between his majesty's subjects and the United States of North America from being interrupted, and to caufe all the ufages received between commercial nations to be, in this refpect, obferved, and all thofe rules which can be faid to fubfift between the two crowns of France and Great Britain. In this juft confidence, the underfigned embaffador thinks it fuperfluous to acquaint the British minifter, that the king his master, being determined to protect effectually the lawful commerce of his subjects, and maintain the dignity of his flag, has taken eventual measures in concert with the United States of North America. IN difcuffing the motion for an addrefs, an amend- Motion for ment was propofed, requesting his majesty to difmifs an address. the ministry; but no fentiment was uttered derogatory to the representatives of a nation thus, in the perfon of the fovereign, wantonly and audaciously infulted. Lord North was, however, reproached for a culpable neglect of the means of information and defence; he had suffered himself to be surprised at the notification of a treaty which appeared to have been two years under difcuffion; and on the eve of a war, the kingdom was deftitute of adequate provifion for internal fafety. GOVERNOR POWNALL, without intending to vindicate the minister, explained the circumftances of the treaty, the very idea of which had not existed fix months, and the actual negotiation not three months. In August the American commiffioners began to prefs the ministers of France for an explicit declaration, and effectual affiftance, which was evaded by the crafty cabinet of Versailles, where the infidious policy of an oftenfible neutrality, and indirect aid, was preferred. At a period when diftreffes and apprehenfions bore hard on the Americans, the French, profiting of their distress, E 4 XXXIII. 1778. CHA P. diftrefs, took occafion to attempt extorting from them an inequitable compact. When the account of general Burgoyne's fucceffes, and the capture of Ticonderoga arrived, the Americans had loft all hopes, the negotiation with France was fufpended, and mutual reproaches had almoft occafioned a breach between the French miniftry and the American commiffioners. In their despair, the commiffioners attempted, through the channel of governor Pownall, to commence a treaty with the mother-country for reconciliation, and re-establishment of peace; and even declared, that although an acknowledgment of independency was a fine qua non, yet on that and all other points, they would ufe all endeavours to fave the honour of their parent country. Of this intimation Pownall caufed the government to be apprized, but received for anfwer that the basis of the treaty was inadmiffible. DESPAIRING of reconciliation, the commiffioners, in September or October, renewed their negotiation with France, and fettled a few preliminaries, ad referendum, which were tranfmitted to America for the approbation of congrefs. But when the news of general Burgoyne's difafter arrived, and when the French ministry understood lord North's intention to bring forward a conciliatory plan, they advanced without hesitation towards the American commiffioners, and executed a treaty on their own terms. Ar the clofe of this interefting narrative, governor Pownall proceeded to obferve, that peace with America was yet probable, if Great Britain would pursue the proper courfe. "The Americans are and muft be independent. We acknowledge it in our own acts; and have indeed, however we may cover our fhame with words, refigned all dominion over them. They will never refcind the fyftem contained in their four grand acts; the declaration of rights; the manifefto to all nations; the declaration of independency; and the act of confederation; but if parliament will extend the powers of the commiffioners, fo far as to acknowledge |