1778. them to the laws of the state. At Providence a general officer commands a small army, at the distance of only forty-five miles from Boston. All bodies of fallible men poffeffed of or claiming power, ought to be narrowly watched, or from good or bad intentions, they will transgrefs the limits of their conftitution, without a real neceffity.

3.

Major general Greene was appointed, on the fecond of March, quarter-master general; but allowed to reMar. tain his rank in the army. The next day, congrefs, upon the report of a committee, refolved, "That lieut, gen. Burgoyne, on account of his ill ftate of health, have leave to embark for England by Rhode-Island, or any more expeditious route, with the officers of his family and his fervants." He is engaged by parole, in case the embarkation of the convention troops is prolonged beyond the time apprehended, to return to America upon demand and due notice given, and to re-deliver himself into the power of congrefs, unless regularly exchanged.

Congress have not loft fight of the importance of having the North River and the paffes in the Highlands well fecured, fo as to render any fudden attempt upon Albany by the fame impracticable. Had Sir W. Howe, instead of going by fea to Philadelphia, bent his whole force for the maftering of thefe, as gen. Washington ftrongly fufpected he would do, the independency of the United States must have tottered to the very foundation, if not have been completely fubverted. Whether the plan of making the grand diverfion fouthward, originated with the miniftry, himself, or a Pennfylvania refugee-by his leaving the troops under Burgoyne to shift for themselves, in cafe the reinforcement from Europe did not arrive in

15.

time, the fubjugation of the country may be entirely pre- 1778. vented. Gen. Gates was directed, on the 15th of April, April to repair forthwith to Fish-kill, and to take the command of all the troops on the North River and in the whole northern department. He was alfo to take effectual measures to fecure the communication between the eastern and fouthern ftates, by maintaining the poffeffion of the river; and for that purpose was empowered to provide gallies, gun-boats, fire rafts, chains, caffoons and cheveaux de Frize, and to erect all neceffary fortifications. Weft Point has for fome time been pitched upon as a proper fpot; and the troops have begun, and are going on to fortify it. When the works are completed, it will be a much stronger post than fort Montgomery, and is higher up the river, and projects into it. The foldiers, whether militia or continentals, will, according to custom, be employed upon them till finished, without putting the ftates to any particular charge for labor in erecting them.

Congress were expecting that fomething would turn up in Europe favorable to America; and were confirmed in their expectation, upon the receipt of a draught of a bill for declaring the intention of the British parliament as to the exercife of their right of imposing taxes on the Americans, as alfo the draught of a bill to enable the king to appoint commiffioners with powers to treat, confult and agree upon the means of quieting certain diforders within the colonies. Thefe draughts were fent from Philadelphia to gen. Washington, who forwarded them to York, Town. On the 22d of April 22. congrefs took them into confideration, and, observing that they had been industriously circulated in a partial

1778, and fecret manner, ordered that they fhould be forthwith printed for the public information: but at the fame time took care to counteract their influence by the remarks they published refpecting them. They declared their belief, that the parliament would confer on them the ufual folemnities of their laws; and then obferved, that upon a fuppofition the matters contained in them fhould really go into the British statute book, they would ferve to show, in a clear point of view, the weaknessand wickedness of the enemy: on these they expatiated. This done they faid-" It appears evident that the said bills are intended to operate upon the hopes and fears of the good people of these states, so as to create divifions among them, and a defection from the common caufe: and that they are the fequel of that infidious plan, which from the days of the ftamp-act down to the present time, hath involved this country in contention and bloodfhed." Congrefs went on to pronounce, that if any men or body of men prefume to make any feparate or partial convention or agreement with the British commiffioners, they ought to be confidered and treated as open and avowed enemies of the United States. They. declared, "That thefe United States cannot with propriety hold any conference or treaty with any commiffioners on the part of Great Britain, unless they fhall as a preliminary thereto, either withdraw their fleets and armies, or else in positive and express terms acknowledge the independence of the said states." They then, from an apprehenfion that it is the defign of the enemy to lull them into a fatal fecurity, call upon the states to use the most strenuous exertions to have their respective quotas of continental troops in the field as foon as pof

fible, and to hold all their militia in readiness to act as 1778. occafion may require. The congrefs at this period had no knowledge of a treaty's having been entered into by France with their commiffioners; but they conjectured that there would be a rupture in Europe between the French and British nations; and to avail themselves of the occafion, and detach the tories from the enemy, they the next day recommended to the states the offering of pardon, under the restrictions that might be thought expedient, to fuch of their inhabitants or fubjects who had levied war against them, or had adhered to the enemy, as fhould furrender themselves to any civil or military officer of any of the states, or return to the ftate they belonged to before the 10th of next June. The arrival of the conciliatory bills at New York and Philadelphia, excited equal aftonishment and indignation in the royal forces. These thought their personal honor wounded in the recantation now made of all that high language and treatment, which they had been accustomed to hold or to offer to the Americans. The i disappointment was the greater, as the bills were the fubstitute to a reinforcement of twenty thousand men, which they had expected. But the feelings of the numerous body of American refugees is not to be defcribed.

I.

A committee of congrefs was appointed on the 1st of May May, "to inquire into the laws and customs of nations refpecting neutrality, and to report whether the conduct of the king of Portugal, in forbidding the veffels of the United States to enter his ports, and ordering thofe already there to depart at a short day, is not a breach of the laws of neutrality, and will not justify acts of hoftility

1778

and fecret manner, ordered that they fhould be forthwith printed for the public information: but at the fame time took care to counteract their influence by the remarks they published refpecting them. They declared their belief, that the parliament would confer on them the ufual folemnities of their laws; and then obferved, that upon a fuppofition the matters contained in them fhould really go into the British ftatute book, they would serve to show, in a clear point of view, the weaknessand wickedness of the enemy: on these they expatiated. This done they faid-" It appears evident that the said bills are intended to operate upon the hopes and fears of the good people of these states, so as to create divifions among them, and a defection from the common caufe: and that they are the fequel of that infidious plan, which from the days of the stamp-act down to the present time, hath involved this country in contention and bloodfhed." Congrefs went on to pronounce, that if any men or body of men prefume to make any separate or partial convention or agreement with the British commiffioners, they ought to be confidered and treated as open and avowed enemies of the United States. They declared, “That these United States cannot with propriety hold any conference or treaty with any commiffioners on the part of Great Britain, unless they shall as a preliminary thereto, either withdraw their fleets and armies, or else in positive and exprefs terms acknowledge the independence of the said states." They then, from an apprehenfion that it is the defign of the enemy. to lull them into a fatal fecurity, call upon the states to use the most strenuous exertions to have their respective quotas of continental troops in the field as foon as pof