1777 count de Walderen, to addrefs himself directly to the king, and to deliver their answer into his own hands; which was done March the 26th. They complained of the reproaches contained in the ambassador's memorial, and the menacing tone which reigns in it, ftrained beyond what ought to take place between two fovereign and independent powers. They did not difguise the poignant fenfation with which it had impreffed them. They afterward mentioned their having ordered the governor home to give the neceffary information of what had paffed; and their refolution to difavow every act or mark of honor that actually intended in the leaft degree to recognise the independence of the North American colonies. On the 10th of April, lord Suffolk, by letter, affured the count, that his majefty accepted with fatisfaction the memorial he had addreffed to him; but that his majesty could not perceive in Sir Jofeph Yorke's memorial, any thing contrary to what ought to take place between fovereigns and independent powers in the weighty circumstances in question.

In February and April, Meffrs. Franklin and Deane fent to lord Stormont, two letters on the fubjects of an exchange of British feamen, prifoners in the hands of the captain of an American frigate, for an equal number of American feamen prifoners in England; and of the cruel treatment the American prifoners meet with in Europe, in being either compelled by chains, ftripes and famine, to fight against their friends and relations, or fent to Africa and Afia, remote from all probability of exchange. They had for anfwer" The king's ambaffador receives no applications from rebels, unless they come to implore his majefty's mercy." They pronounced

it an indecent paper, and returned it for his lordship's '777more mature confideration. The news of gen. Clinton's being created a knight of the Bath, will be no otherwife important to the Americans, than as a direction how to addrefs him in future.

A fresh effort was made in. the houfe of lords, to bring about a reconciliation between Great Britain and her colonies, as they are here ftill called. The earl of Chatham had been prevented of late, by his advanced age and infirm ftate of health, from taking an active part in the difputes of the houfe. But viewing with concern the dangers which menaced the kingdom, he determined again to come forth from his retreat, and endeavour to influence the contending parties to liften to terms of accommodation. On the 30th of May, he May entered the house wrapped in flannel, and bearing a crutch 30. in each hand. His lordship, fitting in his place and with his head covered, delivered a fpeech wherein he explained the grounds of the motion he was about to make. He recapitulated and reprobated the measures which had been taken with the Americans, from the voting away of their property without their confent, to the attempting of their conqueft by the aid of German mercenaries. He endeavoured to fhow the abfurdity of relying longer on the force of arms, and very pathetically preffed the neceffity of a fpeedy conciliation. Af ter fpeaking for fifty minutes, he moved for an addrefs to the throne," most humbly to advife his majesty to take the most speedy and effectual measures for putting a ftop to hoftilities upon the only juft and folid foundation, namely, the removal of accumulated grievances; and to affure his majefty, that the house will enter upon

1777. this great and neceffary work with cheerfulness and difpatch, in order to open to his majesty the only means of regaining the affection of the British colonies, and of fecuring to Great Britain the commercial advantages of those invaluable poffeffions; fully perfuaded, that to heal and redress will be more prevalent over the hearts of generous and free born fubjects, than the rigors of chaftifement and the horrors of civil war, which have hitherto served only to fharpen refentments and confolidate union, and if continued, must end finally in diffolving all ties between Great Britain and the colonies."

This brought on an interesting and animated debate, which terminated in the question's being put, when lord Chatham's motion was rejected by a majority of 99 to 28. The miniftry had obtained all they wanted from parliament; were confident in their own conceit, and in the fuccefs of their measures; and would attend to no remonftrances of reason.

The general affembly of the church of Scotland, in an addrefs to his majefty, among many expreffions of loyalty declared, that, fenfible of their own felicity, they obferved with concern the first appearances of a turbulent and ungovernable spirit among the people of North America; that they had with astonishment contemplated its alarming progress, and beheld fellow fubjects, who enjoyed in common with them, the bleffings of his majesty's mild administration, take up arms in oppofition to lawful authority, difclaim the fupremacy of the British legislature, reject with difdain the means of conciliation, and labor to erect their unlawful confederacy into separate states. They then, with reverence and gratitude to Divine Providence, offer their congratula

tions for the fuccefs which has attended the fleets and 1777• armies, that have been employed to oppose the violence of rebellious fubjects, and to reclaim them to a sense of their duty; and conclude with acknowledging it their immediate duty, in the prefent fituation of public affairs, to increase their diligence, not only in confirming the people under their care in fentiments of loyalty,, but by inciting them to fuch reformation in their hearts and lives, as will avert from their country thofe judgments which their iniquities juftly deferve.

6.

His majefty went to the house of peers, and after June giving his royal affent to a number of bills, closed the feffion with a speech, which finished with faying, "My lords and gentlemen, I trust in Divine Providence, that by a well-concerted and vigorous exertion of the great force you have put into my hands, the operations of this campaign, by fea and land, will be bleffed with fuch fuccefs as may most effectually tend to the fuppreffion of the rebellion in America, and to the re-establishment of that conftitutional obedience which all the fubjects of a free ftate owe to the authority of the law."

In the beginning of May, a captain Cunningham, in a privateer fitted out from Dunkirk, took and carried into that port the British packet going to Holland. Not understanding thoroughly the business on which he was fent, and being hurried, he was not careful to fecure inftantly, upon the capture of the veffel, the packet intrufted with the king's meffenger, which he therefore miffed of; but the mail was taken and forwarded to the American commiffioners at Paris. Adieu.

1777.

8.

BE

LETTER X.

Roxbury, October 30, 1777.

E not furprised at reading, that there is in the United States, one enemy more formidable than famine, peftilence and the fword-a prevailing corruption in American hearts, a depravity more incompatible with their republican governments than darkness with light. Such languor and fupinenefs reigns every where, that they seem unable to effect any point, though ever fo important and interefting. In the military department, it looks as if all public fpirit was funk into the means of making money by the fervice, or quarrelling upon the most trivial points of rank. Did you know the pullings and haulings, the jealoufies and emulations of the military and other gentlemen, which come before congrefs, you would be greatly confirmed in your ideas of the fameness of human nature in Britain, here, and every where.

April Congress concluded upon the erection of a monument to the memory of gen. Warren, in the town of Boston; and another to the memory of gen. Mercer, in Fredericksburg, in Virginia; and that the eldeft fon of gen. Warren, and the youngest fon of gen. Mercer, be educated from henceforward at the expence of the United States. They conveyed in a few words the highest eulogium on the characters and merits of the deceased. As