CHAP. VII. these states have had in his personal honour, is 1777. hereby destroyed. Congress forbid the "Resolved, therefore, that the embarkation embarkation of lieutenant general Burgoyne and the troops troops taken under his command be suspended, until a dis of the British tinct and explicit ratification of the convention of Saratoga shall be properly notified by the court of Great Britain to congress. These resolutions, together with the report on which they were founded, were ordered to be transmitted to the several states and to general Washington. Two copies of them were sent to general Heath, with directions to deliver one of them to general Burgoyne, and with further direction's "to order the vessels which may have arrived or which shall arrive for the transportation of the army under lieutenant general Burgoyne, to quit without delay the port of Boston." A requisition was also made on the government of Massachussetts Bay, for an additional force to guard the British army during the continuance of the transports in port, and for so long a time after their departure as the executive of that state should think necessary. On receiving these resolutions, general Burgoyne addressed a letter to congress, containing papers on which he grounded a defence of his conduct, and insisted on the embarkation of his army conformably with the articles of the convention; but the committee, to whom these papers were referred, reported their opinion, CHAP. VIL after the most attentive consideration of the 1777. letter and papers, to be, "that nothing therein contained was sufficient to induce congress to recede from their resolves of the eighth of January last, respecting the convention of Saratoga." At the same time this application was made, the aid-du-camp of general Burgoyne was charged with another letter, in which, if the army should still be detained, he solicited permission for himself to embark at Rhode Island, or some other place on the Sound, in consideration of his health which greatly required his return to England. This request was readily acceded to. The letter which Burgoyne has been already mentioned was at the same to depart. time addressed to general Washington, expressing great respect for his character, and suggesting other considerations entirely personal, for wishing to obtain the indulgence asked for. The ready compliance of congress with his request rendered unnecessary the interposition of general Washington, and his answer to Burgoyne is one of the many evidences of the sensibility with which a generous mind may contemplate the calamities of an enemy. . The surrender of the army under Burgoyne has been stated to have made a very strong impression on the British nation. This impression, notwithstanding the perseverance with which the king was disposed to prosecute the permitted CHAP. VIL war, at length made its way into the cabinet, 1778. where a plan of pacification was determined on. After the repetition of several motions on the part of the opposition, tending to the abandonment of the American war, lord North gave notice in the house of commons, that he February. had digested a plan of reconciliation, which he designed shortly to lay before the house. Plan of re- In conformity with this notice, he moved for leave to bring in, "first. A bill for removing with Ame- all doubts and apprehensions concerning taxation by the parliament of Great Britain in any of the colonies and plantations of North America. rica agreed to in par- "Second. A bill to enable his majesty to appoint commissioners with sufficient powers to treat, consult, and agree upon the means of quieting the disorders now subsisting in certain of the colonies of America." The first contained a declaration that parliament will impose no tax or duty whatever payable within any of the colonies of North America, except only such duties as it may be expedient to impose for the purposes of commerce, the net produce of which should always be paid and applied to and for the use of the colonies in which the same shall be respectively levied, in like manner as other duties collected under the authority of their respective legislatures are ordinarily paid and applied. The second authorized the appointment of CHAP. VII. commissioners by the crown, with power to 1778. treat either with the constituted authorities, or with individuals in America; provided that no stipulations which might be entered into should have any effect until approved in parliament, other than as is afterwards mentioned. It is then enacted that the commissioners may have power to proclaim a cessation of hostilities in any of the colonies; to suspend the operation of the non intercourse law; and further to suspend, during the continuance of the act, so much of all or any of the acts of parliament which have passed since the 10th day of February 1763, as relates to the colonies. "To grant pardon to any number or description of persons, and to appoint a governor in any colony in which his majesty had heretofore exercised the power of making such appointments." The duration of this latter act was limited to the first day of June in the year 1779. These bills passed both houses of parliament without any considerable opposition. As intelligence was received by the minister, about the time of their being introduced, that a treaty had taken place between the United States and France, copies of them, after their first reading, and before they had gone through the requisite forms, were hurried to America, to be laid before congress and the public, in the CHAP. VIL hope and expectation that they might counteract 1778. the effects which it was supposed the treaty with France would produce. April. General Washington had very early intelligence of their arrival, and entertained very serious fears of their operation. The disaf fected in many parts of the United States were already very numerous, and he was extremely apprehensive that the publication of any propo. sitions which would restore peace, and that too on the terms originally required by Ame, rica, would greatly increase their numbers, He feared that so many would be disposed to abandon the struggle for independence; and, for the sake of present ease and safety, to re. new their ancient connexion with Great Britain, modified according to the wishes of America previous to the war, as to increase very much the difficulties of continuing the contest, and to render its issue extremely doubtful. He immediately forwarded the bills to congress in a letter strongly expressive of his fears, and suggesting the policy of preventing by all possible means, and especially through the medium of the press, the malignant influence they were calculated to have on the public mind. While uncertain of the truth of his intelligence on this subject, he received a letter from major general Tryon, the British governor of New York, dated the 17th of April, enclosing him a copy of the bills, and recommending |