IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) k /. 2i. ^ 1.0 I.I 11:25 i 1.4 ■filM 125 2f |j]4 "^ £ 1:0 |2.0 1.6 V] >F ^^ /^ '/ Hiotographic .Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, NY. 14580 (716) 872-4503 V \\ ^\ I'A^ ^ '/. ^ ^^ CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHIVJ/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historfcal Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historique^ TMhnical and Bibliographic Notaa/Notaa tachnlquas at bibliographiquaa Tha inatltuta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. Fatturaa of thia copy which may Im bIbllographlcHlly unlqua, which may altar any of tha imagas In tha raproductlon. or which may aignificantly changa tha I'suai mathod of filming, ara chacicad balow. D D D D E Coiourad covara/ Couvartura da coulaur |~n Covars damagad/ Couvartura andommagAa □ Covars raatorad and/or laminatad/ Couvartura rastaurAa at/ou palilculAa □ Covar titia missing/ La titra da couvartura manqua r~| Coiourad maps/ Cartas gAographlquas an coulaur n Coiourad ink (l.a. othar than blua or black)/ Encra da coulaur (i.a. autra qua blaua ou noira) I I Coiourad platas and/or illustrations/ Planchas at/ou Illustrations an coulaur Bo jnd with othar matarial/ RaiiA avac d'autras documants Tight binding may causa shadows or distortion along intarlor margin/ La raliura sarrAa paut causar da I'ombra ou da la distortion la long da la marga intiriaura Blank laavas addad during rastoration may appaar within tha taxt. Whanavar poaaibia, thaaa hava battn omittad from filming/ II sa paut qua cartainas pagas blanchas ajoutAas lors d una rastauration apparaissant dans la taxta, mais. lorsqua cala Atait possibia, cas pagas n'ont pas 6t4 filmAas. L'institut a microfilm* la malllaur axamplaira qu'll lul a At* possibia da aa procurar. Laa ditaiia da cat axamplaira qui sont paut-Atra uniquaa du point da vua bibllographlqua, qui pauvant modifiar una imaga raproduita, ou qui pauvant axigar una modification dans la mAthoda normala da fllmaga sont indiqute cl-daaaoua. |~~| Coiourad pagas/ Pagas do coulaur Pages damagad/ Pagas andommagtes Pagas rastorad and/oi Pagas rastaurtes at/ou pailiculAas Pagas discoiourad. stalnad or foxa« Pagas dAcolortes, tachatAas ou piqutes Pagas datachad/ Pagas ditachAas Showthroughy Transparanca Quality of prir Quality in6gala da I'Impraasion Includas supplementary materii Comprend du matiriai supplimentaira Only edition available/ Seule MItion disponible The tothi I — I Pages damaged/ I — I Pages restored and/or laminated/ r~~| Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ I I Pages detached/ j~7| Showthrough/ I I Quality of print varies/ I I Includes supplementary material/ I — I Only edition available/ Thei possi of th< filmii Origii begin the la sion, other first sion, or iilu Theli shall TINUi which l\/laps, differ< entire begini right t requin metho D Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., hava been ref limed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un fauiilet d'errata, una pelure, etc., ont At* filmAes A nouveau de fapon A obtenir la meilleure image possible. Additional comments:/ Commentaires supplAmentaires: Irregular pafjination: [1] - 96, 89 - 96, 105 • 164 p. This item Is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est film* au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X J^ 1 — 1 J 3 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X plair* M details iquM du int modifier ixigar una da fiimaga Tha copy fiimad tiara lias baan raproducad tiianlct to tha ganaroaity of: Library of tha Public Archives of Canada Tha images appearing hare are the best quality possible considering the condition and legibility of the original copy and in itaeping with the filming contract specifications. L'axemplaira film* fut reproduit grAce A la gAnirosit* de: La bibliothAqua des Archives publiques du Canada Las images suivantes ont 4tA reproduites avac la plus grand soin, compta tenu de la condition at de la nettetA de I'exemplaire filmA, et en conformity avac las conditions du contrat de fiimaga. Id/ qutes Original copies in printed paper covers are filmed beginning with the front cover and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, or the bacit cover when appropriate. Ail other original copies are filmed beginning on the first page with a printed or illustrated impres- sion, and ending on the last page with a printed or illustrated impression. The last recorded frame on each microfiche shall contain the symbol -^(meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol V (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimAe sont filmAs en commen^ant par la premier plat et en terminant soit par la darnlAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration, soit par la second plat, salon le cas. Tov les autres exemplaires originaux sont fiim6s en commenqant par la premiere page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'illustration at en terminant par la darnlAre page qui comporte une telle empreinte. Un des symboles suivants apparaltra sur la derniAre image de cheque microfiche, seion le cas: le symbole —^ signifie "A SUiVRE ", le symbols y signifie "FIN". taire IVIaps, plates, charts, etc., may b^ filmed at different reduction ratios. Those too large to be entirely included in one exposure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to right and top to bottom, as many frames as required. The following diagrams illustrate the method: Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre filmAs A de' taux da reduction diff Arents. Lorsque le document est trop grand pour Atre reproduit en un seul clichA, ii est filmA A partir de i'angle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite. et de haut an bas. en prenant la nombre d'images nAcessaire. Las diagrammes suivants illustrent la mAthoda. by errata nad to lent une pelure, fa9on A 1 2 3 32X 1 2 3 4 5 6 ■^«»-- CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PROVISIONAL TREATY WITH AMERICA, AND THE PRELIxMINARY ARTICLES OP PEA C E WITH FRANCE AND SPAIN. LONDON; PRINTED FOR T. CADELL, IN THE STRARD. M.DCC.LXXXIII. \ fS f «. TAvTHai8M0r^ jt n t > « <•-»': Hf* • 3JI la/ 10 1 R I Yo;i i t T I W 'I *> A w^ t: a V. >> II V ft ,' /I A H ». .' t vJl 3>I1 a iy A ri i t w o ff a-D --'t A'H « M l ■ » JJVJ r i O J. ^♦ar; ^w t , 1 J '^ ,T fi 'x >t'I 1 ' I I I u liz: :j7 : > * CONSIDERATIONS, r» >{^ J5 "^ (t't WHO ever hath made any obferva-* ^. tions on the ftate of the world, cannot avoid beino; fenlible of the various and difcordant opinions which are formed concerning almofl: every fubjedl that comes under human confideration. This diverfity of fentiment does not extend only to the i^eculative and abflrufe mat- ters of enquiry chat engage the attention of the philofopher and the metaphyfician, but to thofe pradical queftions which, it might be imagined, would eafily be de- termined by the plain did:ates of com- mon fenfe and general experience. So different are the views in which the fame things prefent themfelves to different B ' ' mmds, I 2 ] minds, that there Is nothing in the ordi- nary courfe of life, nothing with regard to agricuhure, and manufadlures, com- merce and politics, but what has been debated, and will continue to be debated, by men of the heft under/landings and the moft upright difpofitions. Such being the nature of man, there is the lefs reafon to be furprifed at the op- pofite opinions that are entertained con- cerning the Provifional Treaty with America, and the Preliminary Articles with France and Spain : ar.'d yet when we reflect on the fatal condition to which the nation was reduced, and on the con- vid:ion that prevailed of the neceflity of being extricated from it, almoft at any rate, it might have been hoped that the terms on which Peace has been obtained, ' would have excited far lefs dilTatisfadion than they appear to have done. That thofe who reaped benefit from the pro- iecution of the war, (liould be averfe to 3 ' its J i ( < /"3 I [ 3 ] its difcontinuance, mrght naturally be expe^^ed. Neither can it be deemed flrange that the violent advocates for the impolitic and deRrudtive meafures fo long purfued, (hould be difplcafed with an event fo contrary to their views and their wifhes. But that thofe who execrated the American War, who, at lead, thought it the height of infatuation, and who, perhaps, regarded it as founded on in- j.uftice ; that fuch men (liould now be the iiril to condemn the peace, and even ar- dent to plunge the nation into confufion on account of it, can only be imputed to a moft rapia and unaccountable change of fentiments, or to motives far lefs honourable and praife-worthy. It does notrequire many arguments to prove, that the happieft circumftance which could pofTibly take place for t!ie general interefts of mankind, would be for the nations of the earth to fubfift to- gether in a mutual agreement. Peace is B 2 the .[ 4 ] , the ftatc in which the mind can exert its fined energies, and rife to the greateft improvements. It is only in a flate of peace that the neceflary, the ufeful, and the elegant arts of life, can be exercifed in complete fecurity, and carried on to their full perfedion. That, too, is the time for fcience and knowledge, litera- ture and tafte, to be cultivated in their higheft degrees, and for all thofe noble defigns to be planned and executed, which fliall contribute, in the moft ef- fectual manner, to the public welfare. A ftate of war, on the contrary, is re- plete with accumulated evils. The ca- lamities it introduces, in the ruin of property, the diftrefs of private families, the deflrudion of towns, and the flaugh- ter of the human race, arc bevond ex- prelTion. Nor are the miferies it is fraught with confined to thofe countries alone, which are the immediate fcenes of the hoftilities and devaftations carried oa H [ 5 ] on by the contending powers. The nation engaged in war, though its defo- lations are at a diflance from the princi- pal feat of government, will dill expe- rience the direful cfFedls of it, in the lofs of many ufeful citizens, in the decline of trade, in the finking value of lands, in the incrcafe of burthens and taxes, and in that enervation of ftrength, which, if it be not followed by the abfolute decline and fall of a kingdom, may require s( Jong time to repair. IS But confonantas thefe refledlions are to the didates of reafon, and the feelings of humanity, I h no intention to en- large upon them j b^caufe I am fatisfied that they will have little efFed upon the mind of the hard-hearted politician. Befldes, however defirable Peace may be in itfelf, fuch is the ftate of human af-^ fairs, that it cannot be always preferved. It will frequently be interrupted by tlie f ladling interefts of public communities, * " L . and t 6 ] and by the ambition, injuftice, and other evil pafllons of the governing part of mankind. War is fometimes unavoid- able, IbmetimesjulT, fomctimcs honour- able J and there are cafes in which its \ cfFci5ls are highly advantageous, what- ever be the immediate calamities with which it is attended. It is, therefore, more to my purpofe to enquire whether the Treaties lately agreed upon, were not executed at a time in which Peace was peculiarly neceiTary to this country. Now, in order to have a full convic- tion of the matter, it will be requifite to ' look back to the courfe of events, and to the political management of the affairs of Great Britain, for fome years paft. In making this retrofpedl, fo many objedls prefent themfelves to the imagination, that the mind can fcarcely know on what to fix its firft attention ; and the review * is as unpleafant as it is copious and exten- five. In a very fhort fpace of time, a natioa 4 * , 1? 7 * , [ 7 ] nation that ftood eminently high in ho- nour and profperity, which was the envy and glory of the world, hath been reduced to a fituation fo humiliating and diftrefsful, that no lover of his country can refled upon it without the moft pain- ful fenfations. Nor is it eafy to find an inftance of fuch a rapid decline in the records of mankind j I mean of fuch a rapid decline, where there have been none of thofe fudden conquefts of which an- cient hiftory affords fome ftriking ex- amples. It is not by any extraordinary or unavoidable attacks that Great Britain has been reduced to io unfortunate a fitu- ation ; but by a feries of meafures, which, to fay the lead: of them, were fo diametrically oppofite to the moft obvi- ous didlatcs of common fenfe, and the plaineft rules of policy, that it is fcarcely poflibly to think of them without afto- nifhment. What aggravates the reflec- tion upon them is, that when the fatal confequences of our quarrel with the B 4 Ame- . ' - , [ 8 ] f . = : _ t American Colonies were in full proCpe^t when a civil war in that Continfert huAg over us, when the warning voice of a Chatham called us to fufpend our hand. We had not wK^om to ftop in the career of madnefs, though an admirable oppor- tunity was afforded us for the reftoration of tranquillity, and the recovery of our former profperous condition. My read- ers will cafily perceive that I advert to the rejedion of Mr. Penn's petition, which hath fo often been mentioned, and which will continue to force itfelf upon our recolledion, and to excite the feelings of the utmoft regret and indig- nation. •' . •.'-' >.-::r-. '\ "■' rrj {'"'•'■'; All the other meafutes purfued in this conteft were equally replete with folly j and the refult of them was fuch as might naturally be expedcd, and was often foretold. Befides the immenfe difficulty and expence of carrying on the difpute with the Colonies, we had to contend with ? ' % [ 9 ] with a mod formidable cor/ederacy of our* Euro :an enemies. France, and Spain, and Holland, became, in the irfe of the ited with A\ war, unitea witn /America, to reduce the power and humble the pride of Britain. It is not to the wrong principles and bad policy of our rulers alone, that the unhappy condition of this country is to be afcribed. Part, at leaft, of the blame mufi: light on the nation in general. There was a time, as Lord Camden juft- ly obferved, wjien the American War was popular. The arrogance of the people, nouridied by former vidories and profperity, and accompanied with ai> un- reafonable contempt of the adverfaries ngainfl whom we were er^gaged, hath greatly contributed to our prefent humi- liation. Many encouraged the conteft, and others looked upon it with a fupine indifference. Had public bodies of men paore generally interfered, had the coun- :-■ : ■ ■ C try !: [ lO 1 try gentlemen been fooncr awakened, • had the principal merchants vigorowfly interpofed, a wifer policy might have - taken place, and many evils have been prevented. But through interefted or miftaken viev^^s, the meafbres of our ' , governors received too much acquiefcence andfupport. I AM not infenfible that a very refpedl- able part of the nation entertained jufter fentiments of things. There were not wanting many able men, both in and out of parliament, who would have called us back to wifdom and to recoUedlion. The foundeft reafonings, and the ftrongefl: eloquence, were employed to this pur- pofe, but without efFedt. We ftill ran the race of folly and madnefs, and flat- tered ourfelves with the attainment of our wifhes, though our operations in America were, from year to year, either ineffectual or unfortunate, though we were plunging deeper and deeper into . ' ■ ' ^ accumu- r . ■ of I u- accumulated embarra/Tmerits, though bur.Weft-India Iflands and other valua- ble poffeffions abroad were wrefted from us, though our very domeftic fecurity was threatened, though our burthens were amazingly increafed, though the re- fources of taxation wierc almoft exhauft- ed, and though the redudtion of the Colonies became every day more and more impradticabk and hopelefs. A FULL difplay of the late political con- duct of Great Britain, and of the effedls which have refulted from it, is beyond the purpofe of the prefent writer. It muft be left to the philofophical hiftorian of another age, to trace, at large, the principles and caufes, the events and confcquenccs of the mighty but unhap- py contefl in which we have been en- gaged. I only call a few fa(fls to memo- ry, that it may more clearly be difcerned how ncceflary it was, upon any tolerable terms, to be refcued from the continuance of a dangerous and dellru(5tive war. C a Indeed, / [ 12 ] Indeed, the nation was at Icngtfl rouzed from its lethargy. Thofe who had long refifted the flrongeft arguments^ began, at laft, to Tee that the condition of the public would be defpcrate, if the meafures which had plunged us into fo many calamites fhould be continued. They became fenfible that the kingdom could not ftruggle for ever againft fuch repeated difappointments, fuch accumu- lating taxes, fuch a powerful combina- tion of enemies. The furrender of Lord Cornwallis and his army, difpelled the the delufion which yet remained upon the minds of numbers who had not hi- therto been affected by a feries of unfa- vourable events, and by all the exertions of reafon and eloquence. Even thofe Country Gentlemen who had been the moil diftinguifhed for their attachment to 7i?ry principles, and who had placed the greateft confidence in Adminiftration, gave up the contefl: as hopelefs. In fpite of all the eiforts of the men in power. ■f . t 13 ] It was refolved, that an ofFenfive war fllould no jonger be carried on in Ame- rica; and after fuch a refolution, it was not poflible for the Miniftry to maintain their ground. The voice of Parliament, the voice of the people called for their difmiflion; and thofe men were invited to take the condud: of affairs, who had long, without eifed", reprobated the mea- fures of their predeceflbrs in office. The change was one of the greatefb that hath happened a'n our time, and it was ren- dered particularly plealing by its intro- ducing into Government an extenfive union of the firft abilities with the beft difpofitions. Into the circumftances which in fome meafure broke this union, it is not my prefent bufinefs to enquire. Whilft I look back upon them with re- gret, I have, at the fame time, the con- folation of refledling, that a number of the ablefl men were ftill left in Admini- flration, from whofe known principles and charaders there was caufe to expect, X that i * * r H ] . > that whatever could be done would be! endv^nvoured to relcue the nation from its diftrefTes, and efpecially to obtain for it the blefling of peace. They had every reafon to make this the firft and prime objedl of their attention; being caUed to it by great general views, as well as by a multitude of particular confidera-: tions. • i One principal end that our Statefmen liad undoubtedly in profpedt, was to break the grand combination which had been formed againft Britain, This was a matter of the higheft confe- quence to the falvation and welfare of the kingdom. The continuance of the confederacy, if it fhould be ftrengthen- ed by our pride and obftinacy in re- fufing reafonable conceflions, might have- been produdive of the mod fatal ef- fe(3:s. Whereas if it could once be dif- ; folved, prudent fteps might be taken tor* prevent fuch a league againft us in fu- , turei^ f^ij [ '5 ] ' . ture ; and, by framing new alliances, never again to be reduced to the wretch- ed condition of fcarcely having a finglc power that we could call our friend. «. Another important objedl muft have been to give the nation the opportunity of recovering its ftrength, that it might be prepared for a frefh contefl:, if, in the courfe of things, difputes /hould again arife between this country and its ancient enemies. It may be hoped and believed, that hoftilities will not foon be revived; and much will depen^l, for the prolongation of peace, on the wifdom, policy, and vigour with which our public affairs are condu(fled. At any rate it was of the utmoft confequencc to obtain a fpace for leffening the enor- mous expences of the nation, and for repairing, as far as poflible, the lofies we had fuftained. It would fure- ly have been very unwife to have conti- nued the war till our finances were to- tally ri ii I [ i6 ] tally cxhaufted. It is a bad time for negociation, when a kingdom is come to the end of its refources. That is not the time for treating with an enemy ppou terms which are tolerably advantageous. Indeed, the feafon of negociation had already been delayed far too Icng: for the accumulated public debt, the mil- lions to be funded, the millions to be raifed by way of fupply, called aloud that there was not a moment to be loH; in putting an end to the war. ndeed, when we confider that the fuppoit of the peace ertablifliment wiil be as much as the nation can well bear, and that it will require all the wildom, and all the integrity of our Rulers to put it upon fuch a footing as fliall allow room for the recovery of our ftrcngth, we mud be convinced that this was not the time for the protradion of hoftilities. These general reafons for coming, as. Ipeedily as pofTibie, to a treaty with our, S5 ' numc- [ '7 J humerous and formidable enemies, were • flrcngthcncd by the calamity of a feverc and unfruitful feafon. Such was the failure of the harveft, that two impor- tant objedls of revenue, the malt tax and the duty on hops, mufl ncceffarily be unccaimonly defedive -, and the poor are threatened with a fcarcity which, it is to be feared, may amount to little lefs ^ than a famine, before the return of Au- tumn. Perhaps nothing but the fupply of grain which the peace may enable us to draw from America could effej^ually prevent fo awful art event. Who knows \vhat might have been the confequences of war and famine united ? To take, therefore, every method to avoid the junction of two fuch dreadful evils, .can only be afcribed to a policy equally ju- dicious and humane. . « .'' i }[ ii ' H The ftate of things being fuch as we have rcprefented it, it was an ad of necefiity, as well as wiidom, in our D Go- ' '■I ■!• f i *,'! [ .8 ] C;ovcrnors, to apply their utmoH: efforts to obta'H ^nr the nation tlie blclling of peace. * iiis blelfing they have, in fadl, obtained ; and confidcring the fituatioii of the pubhc, and the immenfe difficul- ties which muft attend fo complicated a negociation, they have fucceeded in their attempt fooner than might reafon- ably have been expedled. At the fame time I do from my heart declare, that I efteem the Miniftry to be highly de- ferving of applaufe, for agreeing to I'reatics fo comparatively falutary and beneficial. tf ■ii The writer of this Tra(fl may not, perhaps, have many who agree with him in opinion, but he cannot help faying, that he thinks a peace would have been worthily obtained, even if it had been purchafed at the expence of the ceilion of Gibraltar. The giving up of that for- trefs for a valuable equivalent, if the circumflances of the times had called • for % [ '9 ] . for it, might have been ilicwn to be no unfound a(^ of policy. Befides faving an immcnfe cxpcncc, and that too for an objedt now become comparatively in- fignificant, I mean our commerce in the Mediterranean, it might have tended to weaken the family compad, to pro- duce a firm union between Great-Britain and Spain, and to procure for us fupe- rior advantages in other parts of the world. Some of the moll capable judges do not entertain- a high opinion of the importance of Gibraltar ^ arid perfons might be named, even from among fuch as have fignally contributed to its de- fencci who do not regard it as a reafon- able objed: of EnglilTi idolatry. ti^Jiit'-kiX.' On this matter there is, however, no occafion to enlarge, as the Spaniards have not been hearkened to in their de- mands for the ceffion of that fortrefs ; nor is there any ground to imagine that ^ future cefllon of it was within the con- '.' , ;. ^ D 2, templation r / ''I ■' *. 'I I' •i Cii [ 20 ] templatlon of the Miniftry. They wifely yielded to the voice of the people, whe- ther that voice was judicious or not, and on that account are entitled to com- mendation, t But though the pride of the nation hath been gratified in this refped, and a treaty hath been made without the furrendcr of Gibraltar, there is ftill heard, though not among the people in general, the language of diffatisfadion and complaint. Indeed, whilft the opi- nions of men are fo various, whilft their interefts are fo difcordant, and, above all, whillt we are divided into fo many parties and factions, who have more their own ends in view than the common good, it was to be expedled that the terms of pacification would, in every poflible point of vie.w, be ftverely attacked. It is difficult, at any time, to give univerfal fatisfadion to the people of England with regard to a peace. It would be difficuU m [ 21 ] (litHcult to do it at jundures the moft favourable for procuring advantageous Aipulations, and much more fo at the prcfent unfortunate crilis. Though to fnatch us from the jaws of deftrudion was all that the ablcft politician could hope for, the pride of Britons was iViW crying aloud for an honourable peace ; and an honourable peace was undoubt- edly the ardent wifh of every lover of his country. But it was to be remem- bered, that the word honourable is a relative term ; What is not honourable at one period, may become fo at ano- ther : What at one time it is honour- able to demand, at another time it may be honourable to yield. The point to be confidered is the ground we flood upon during the negociation of 1782. The flate of the kingdom was far, far different from what it was when the Treaty of Paris was concluded. We had then been vidorious in every part of the globe. We flood above all the !i ' i %■ nations ■i [ 22 ] • nations of Europe in wealtli, commerce, and power; our rcfources, though they had been deeply tried, were by no means exhaufted ; and France and Spain were at our feet. But our fituation, at the time when the Provifional and Prelimi- nary Articles were in agitation, was di- redly the reverfe. Weakened, humbled, and Handing on the brink of ruin, Safety not Glory was the principal objecft to which the attention of our Statefmen muft nccefTarily be dire(fled : and con- fidering how difTerently we were cir- cum.ftanced from what we were in 1762, I cannot help regarding it as greatly to the credit of our negociators, that the late Treaties with France and Spain fhould comparatively vary fo little from that of Paris. Keeping in view the dreadful crifis of our affairs, I fcruple not to af^ rt, that the peace, which hath delivered this country from the moil preilnig dangers, and placed it in the condition of becoming, in the excrcife '^^ ' ' . : ' of [ 23 ] I of wifdom, CEConomy, and public vir^ tue, once more rcfpedtable, flourifhing, and happy, is, putting America out of the queftion, not only an advantageous, but an honourable peace. ( Reserving fome other obfervatlons on the fubjetft, which will flill farther contribute to place it in the cltarefl light, J fliall proceed to a brief examin- ation of the Treaties lately agreed upon j beginning with the American Articles, the figning of which was firft in order of time, and the confideration of which is naturally the firfl in the order of our affedtions. < : :\ I But previoufly to the difcuffion of the particular ftipulations, it will be proper to make a general remark concerning the importance which there was of coming as fpeedily as pollible to an accommodation with America. It was necefTary to im- prove the feafon of reconciliation, whilfl it 4 ■ I ^ I H: "i. j i ■1 m \i [ 24 ] it was yet pradicable to produce the re- turn of a fincere and lading friendihip* A difpofition to it was ftill prevalent in the minds of many of the Americans, and particularly of thofe who had long been in the habits of connexion with this country, who were formed upon its manners, who, perhaps, had vifited it in perfon, and who had in it a variety of acquaintance whofe efteem and regard they vvi(hed to retain. But thefe men, who were mod of them either middle- aged, or in the decline of life, were continually decreaflng in number^ whilft a younger race were fpringing up, who knew little of England, but from the hoftilities it had exercifed againft them, and who would have been taught to view her only with the eye of execra-^ tion and horror. Their prejudices and th&ir hatred would in time have taken fuch deep root, that their attention would " entirely have been turned t-o France : With her ihey would princi- pally [ 25 ] j^ally have united in commerce, intereft, and kffedion; her cuftoms they would have adopted ; her mode of educationi they would haVc imitated ; with her they would have been bound in a firm alliance ; and might powerfully have aided her in hct hoftile deligris againft Britain, efpecially in the weftern part of the world. Surely^ it was the bu- finefs of a wife politician to feize the moment of conciliation, and to prevent the eftablilhment of an union which' might have been followed by fuch fa- tal efFedls. It is a remarkable fadt^ and- a fadt btrt little known in this country ,'' that the Americaiis had it in contemi'- plation to have a book compofed, con- taining a diftindt and feparatc hidory of the fuffcrings their people had erdured y '■ which book was to be made ufe of irt the inftrudlion of their children^ to in- fpire them with a lafting fenfe of the ca- - lamitics their forefathers had experienced. > ■^' 1 Such m '1 'J I I'-t a- 'I -4 !i [ 26 J , Such an inftitution would have continued an evil fpirit for ages, and might for ever have prevented a coalition of inte- refts, and the recovery of a real and dur- able affedion. But fince the cefTationt- of hoftilities, and the acknowledgment of the Independency of the United States, the defign has beer* wholly laid afidc -, and I truft that no circumftance will hereafter occur, which fliall occafion far- ther animofities.. Mutual friendship and harmony will again take place, though the full reftoration of them muft be the work of time and prudence. A remem- brance, of paft fuiferings will indeed flill remain, and probably it will fomctimes produce an irritation of mind; but by a liberal condu(5l, it may, at length, be totally defaced, or, however, leave no impreiTions which (hall be hurtful to the future concord of Great-Britain and America. .... v. •- " t^ufi^ > GoN- [ 27 y Concerning the introdudlon *to the Pi*ovifional Articles, it is not neceflary to make any other obfervations, than that it confifts partly of words of courfe ; that it has a reference to commercial regulations hereafter to be fettled ; and , that, when it was agreed upon to come to terms of pacification with the Uuited States, it was highly proper to do it on a liberal footing. This was the only way to detach them from their intimate connexion with France, and to procure that union with them which fhould be folid, beneficial, and lading. * ''Whereas reciprocal advantages, and mutual con- venience, are found by experience to form the only • permanent foundation of peace and friendfliip be- " tween States, it is agreed to form the articles of the propofed Treaty on fuch principles of liberal equity and reciprocity, as tliat partial advantages, thofe feeds of difcord, being excluded, fuch a beneficial and fatisfadory intercourfe betv.ccn the two countries may be eftablllhed as to promife and feciire to both, perpf^tual perice and harmony," K 2 It i'^ S:i.| t • > i ' , 1 . ;. i 1 ' • 4^ .; *r 1 r* tlfi , - ■ ■' ', ) y 1 i ^ ij , ':} ■: ;: m ;:i I ,' :• ':i ^r\ |.ri . [ *8 3 • ^/Jt is rem^irkable, witji regard to the firft article, -f of the Treaty, which ac- knowledges the Independence of the Thirteen States, that it hath fcarcely excited any degree of complaint, and that the propriety of it hath been very little called in queflion, either in or out of parliament : and yet this was the point againft which all the force of the nation was diredted. It was to prevent a ca- taftrophe apprehended to be fo fatal, that luch enormovis expences have been fub7 ■•,'**i ■ 4-. - . f Article I. *' His Britannic Majefty acknowledges the fa'u! United States, viz. New Hampfhlre, Maflachufet'; Bay, Rhode Ifland and Providence Plantations, Con- neflicut. New York, Penfylvania, Delaware, Mary- land, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, to be Free, Sovereign, and Independent States ; that he treats with them as fuch ; and for him- felf, his heirs and fucceflbrs, relinquiflics all claim to the government, propriety, and territorial rites of the fame, and every part thereof: and that all difpiues which might arife in future, on the fubjccl of the boundaries of the faid United States, may be pre- vented, it is hereby agreed and declared, that the following are and fliall be their boundaries." mitted ft €€ *t tt (t ^i' ; [ 29 ] niitted to, fuch burthens been endured, and fuch quantities of human blood been iLcd. Whatever evils may be fuppofed to arife from the Independence of Ame- rica, they are in no degree chargeable on adminiftration. The eftablifhment of it did not depend on any determination which it was in the power of this coun- try to make. Some of the mod potent European kingdoms had refolved that the Americans (hould be free ; almoft the whole of Europe had ratified their Inde- pendence, by the neutral league 5 they had themfelves afTerted their claim to an emancipation from the Britifli Govern- ment, and had maintained it with fuc- cefs ; they were become, in fad:, inde- pendent j and the refolutions of the Houfe of Commons, in the fpring of the lafl: year, had fealed that article for ever. It would have been idle and fruitlefs in England to contend for the name of So- vereignty, when the thing itfelf was to- tally loft. It I .1 ,W .: 'H * u ■ - r^l iiif'i J I. !! :rl .1 , Ml [ 30 ] It is impoflible to pafs over the fub- jc6k of the Independence of America, without giving way to Ibme refledions on fo remarkable an event. The philo- fophic mind will regard it as a new and illluftrious -^ra in the hiftory of the world ; an iEra, that hath been fur- prifing in its origin, aftonifliingly rapid in its completion, and which is big with the moft important and interefting con- fequences. Who could have imagined, when the Colonies, on the fourth of July, 1776, declared themfelves to be Independent States, that in lefs than feven years their claim Hiould be acceded to, and ratified by Brit.Hi\ herfelf ? It is a revolution which it is difficult, perhaps impoffible, to parallel in the annals of mankind ; and the effeds of it will ex- tend to both hemifpheres. It will give a different turn to the policy of Europe ; and what may be the refult of it with refped to the whole of An^erica, is be- yond the ability of the mafl fagacious con- il [ 3> ] conjedurcr pofitively to determine. It may, however, be hoped, that the inte- rcfts of juftice, humanity, and liberty, will acquire frefli ilrength, and be more widely diifufed through the globe. , . ,.. But though the enlarged philofopher may find ample reafon for confolation, and even for rejoicing, when he refley'c\ li-f^ !'■■ ; , , '■ ;, • v«? BvT fince the Independence of America hath been reafonably and unavoidably ac- knowledged, it is our bufinefs to makd the beft ufe of an event which can never ' be recalled. By a wife condud, it may" not prove fo unfortunate for this king- ■' dom a» might at firft view be apprehend- ed j t 33 ] ed ) and at any rate, it was better to Aib- mit to it than purlue a deflrudive and hopelcfs conteft. VVhllft we are deliver- ed from the vail expence of maintaining and pioteding the Colonies, our commer- cial intercourfe with them will ilill be produdlive of many advantages. Per- haps, with proper management, the ad- vantages may not be much inferior to what they were in former times ; and pofllbly, if America, as may rationally be expedled, (hould rapidly increafe in popu- loufnefs and cultivation, the benefits of our trade with her may be greater than ever. There can, at leart:, be no doubt but that the fuperiority we poflefs, in point of capital, of induftry, and the fuit- ablenefs of our manufacfiures to the want? of the United States, will fecure to us a large (hare of their commerce. It will much contribute to fo happy an event, for us to treat the Americans in a liberal manner, and to do whatever lies in our power, to promote the return of harmony and afFedion. F With '" 1 '•'^ 1 n 'I ^:!l 1 \} 1' I: I i ■ i ■' ' j- ! ' ! I [ 34 ] ... -With refped to the fccond article of the Treaty, * 1 (hall not embarrafs the reader • A R T I c L F. ir. ' *' From the north-weft anj^le of Nova Scotia, viz. ** that angle which is formed by a line due north from •• the foiu-cc of Saint Croix River to the Highlands, *' along the faid iflands, which divide thofe rivers that " empty themfelves into the River Saint Laurence from ** thofewhich fall into the Atlantic Ocean, to the north- '* weftermoft head of Conneft!cut River; thence down •' along the middle of that river to the forty-fifth degree ** of north latitude ; from thence by a line due weft on ** faid latitude, until it ftrikesthe River Iroquois or Ca- *' taraquy ; thence along the middle of faid river into " LakeOntario, through the middle of faid lake, until it *• ftrikesthe communication by water between that lake •• and Lake Erie; thence along the middle of faid com- *• municationintoLakeErie; thro^ugh the middle of faid *' lake until it arrives at the water communication be- '* tween that lake T^d Lake Huron ; thence along the *• middle of faid water communication into the Lake " Huron ; thence through the middle of faid lake to " the water comniunication between that lake and Lake *' Superior ; thence through Lake Superior, northward ** of the Ifles Royal and Pheiipeaux, to the Long Lake ; •* thence through the m'ddle of faid Long Lake, and *' the water communication between it and the Lake of " the Woods, to the faid Lake of the Woods ; thence *' through the faid lake to the moft north-weftern point *' thereof, and fiom thence on a due veftcourfe to the r i i VI 7 «< River It. .'■ "HI le [ 35 ] reader with geographical difculTions, but content myfelf with fome general re- marks, which may tend, in a great mea- " River Mifliflippi ; thence by a line to be drawn along •* the middle of the faid River Mifliniypi, until it flull *' intcrfcdl the norihernmoftp.irt of the thirty-firildegrce '* of north latitude. South, by a line to be drawn due " eaft from the determination of the line lad mentioned, *' in the latitude of thirty-one degrees north of the " Equator, to the middle of the River Apalachicola, or " Catahouche ; thence along the middle thereof to its *• jundHon with the Fiant River; thence ftrait to the ** head of Saint Mary's River; and thence down along ** the middle of^ Saint Mary's River to the Atlantic •* Ocean. E,aft, by a line to be drawn along the mid- *' die of the River Saint Croix, from its mouth in the ** fiay of I'undy to its fource, and from its fource dire6U •* ly north to the aforefaid highlands, which divide the " rivers that fall into the Atlantic Ocean from thofe '♦ which fall into the River Saint Laurence ; ccmpre- " bending all iflands within twenty leagues of any part *' of the (hores of the United States, and lying between •* lines to be drawn due eaft from the points where the " aforefaid boundaries, between Nova Scotiaonthe one '♦ part, and Eaft Florida on the other, (hall refpedlively *' touch the Bay of Fundy and the Atlantic Ocean ; '* excepting fuch iflands as now are, and heretofore have *' been, within the limits of tlje faid province of Nova *' Scotip." F 2 fure, I. .1 ^1 1 : ■\\ • ■■T ill' ', 1|: i*: i! .',<< ;, ill • r' li*; ' 1 ;i r ;iW i; [ 36 ] furc, to remove the objedions that have been made againft the boundaries afligneci to the dominions of the Thirteep Pro- vinces. What occurs to me in the firft place is, that the limits which are fixed upon are, for the mod part, thofc natural limits which are pointed out by the courfe of lakes and rivers 3 and confequently, they are the only ones that could have been chofen, without giving afterward occafion to much difordcr and contention. It may farther be obfervcd, that the boundaries allotted to the United States, are the boundaries which were formerly confidered as belonging to the country. Indeed, by the Quebec a6l pafled in the year 1774, the limits of Canada were greatly extended. But that was an adt which was calculated for tyrannical pur- pofes, and which was particularly hoflile to the North Americans ^ and, there- fore. ''1^ [37 1 fore, it was not to be expedled that it {hould be fixed upon as the bails of the prefent Treaty. That the Canada fur trade will, in part, be afFeded, cannot be denied. In confequence of the late troubles in Ame- rica, the Quebec merchants have for fome time polTefled the monopoly of that trade ; but it was not in the nature of the thing that the monopoly (hould always \ be preferved ; and it is not an objedt fo great as to merit the continuance of the war. Whenever peace came to be efta- blifhed, the commerce of furs would un- avoidably be, in fome degree, diverted to a new channel 5 for nothing can hinder the Indians, when there are rival nurcha- fers, from felling their commodities to the beft bidders. However, that the evil will not be fo great, or fo extenfive, as hath by many been fuppofed, may, perhaps, appear from the following confidera-^ tions. . , • A .. The ^ m r •I ; ! t iJt t 1 f J The country which yields the moft valuable furs lies to the northward of the Lakes : for though the beavers are found in all thofe regions of North- America that arc fituated between the thirtieth » and the fixtieth degrees of latitude, yet their cloathing, which nature has given them to fecure them from the cold, is much thicker, and the animals them- felvcs are much more numerous, in the northern than in the fouthern climes. For this reafon it is, that the Indians who inhabit the countries which lie to the fouth of the lakes, crofs over in the fummer, and hunt in the northern re- gions. Thus it appears that the tribes who at prefent inhabit the dominions of the. United States, are obliged to feek their beavers in the country that belongs to Britain ; a circumllance which gives a decided advantage to her merchants : for it muil be their own fault if thofe who hunt in her territory trade with any other perfons 3 efpecially as the articles for [ 39 ] * . for which they exchange their game are thofe which this kingdom is bed able to fupply. Such is the advantage which Britain has fecured, in her commerce with the numerous Indian tribes who in- habit the fouthern borders of the Lakes; whihl: the trade of the nations to the north muft be all her own. But were it admitted, contrary to every apparent fad, that the Americans, by means of the communication which Hudfon's River affords, will be able to fell their furs at a lower price at New- York, than that which the Britifli mer- chant will bt obliged to give in Canada, flill the manufadlurer of England would fuffer no inconvenience. To obtain the raw material at the lowed rate is his ob- jed ; but whether the merchant pur- chafes of the Indian hunter, or of the American trader, is to the manufadturer very immaterial. » „ i I 'I i' i ' .•* Farther, 6 ill 1 \ m li'Sl' f„; W. '^: [ 40 ] Farther, The retention of the forts which lie on the fouth of the Briti(h boundary, and which fome think ought to have been retained, would have been inconfiflent with every principle of po- licy and prudence. For if thcfe forts had been referved as places of ftrength again ft the Americans, they would not only have proved inadequate to the ob- jed, whilft the o^pences of the garri- fons would have been cnoimoufly great, but they would alfo have excited the fame jealoufy and dread with regard to our deligns, which they once did with .»?fpe6l to thofe of the French, when the Colonies exclaimed that they were hemmed in by a chain of forts. The Treaty of Peace, if fuch a treaty could have been obtained, would, in that cafe, have proved not fo much a, ter- mination of the old, as the beginning of a new war. . . If, on the other hand, the forts had been retained as defirable only on account of f 4« 1 of the protedlion which they would have afForded to the Britifli traders againft the Indian Tribes, the meafure would be highly impolitic. It would certainly be more advantageous to eredt, on the oppo- Ute fide of the river, fuch fmall places of defence as may he neceflary to this purpofe, and fuch other conveniencies as may be requilite for carrying on the fur trade, than to entail upon ourfelves an endlefs conteft with America. It has been aflcrteu, that by not hav- ing the poiTeffion of Penobfcot, the na- tion is deprived of a territory which- might be eminently ufeful in fapplying large mafts for the navy. This, how- ever, is by no means the truth of the cafe ; for the country is already ex- haafted of the timber which could be ferviceable for that purpofe. At prefent,- there is not a tree left which is capable of being converted into a mafl of any confiderable fize. If the growing timber of that di(lri(5t flionld hereafter be able G to I. ',+ 1-' %H All ) i 4; '! ?| ■ •i , i I [. 11 m ; 'ij J '; I ■; , I [ 4* 1 to furnifh a fupply of this kind, fnch ^ fupply, in a time of peace, will as eafily be obtained, in the way of purchafe, froni an American freeholder, as it would be if the land belonged to our own fubjedls. But there are other and more efFedtual refources for providing mails to the Brir tifh navy. K • Upon the whole queftion concerning the Can .ia boundaries, it may be obr ferved, that government, in confenting to them, had two views, the one political, the other commercial. In a political light, if we could have gotten back to the ftate we were in in 1763, it would have been a very defirable circumftance. But fince that was become no longer pradlicable, what was it which found wifdom prefcribed in fuch a fituation ? It certainly prefcribed that we fliould lay the foundation of another large and li- beral fyftem, the iirft obje^ of which ftioujd be permanent peace. To the attainment of this end, i( was neceiTary t 43 J to prevent every ground of future jealoii- fies and quarrels. If any harfh or gal- ling conditions had been inlifted upon^ the negotiation would either have en- tirely broken off, or if the Americans had fubmitted to them, their prejudices againft England v^rould have acquired fre(h ftrength> and occafions have beea afforded for thofe diflenfions which might have plunged us again into the horrors of war* It was the part of true policy to purfue the meafures that tended to reftore a cordial friendfhip, and which> perhaps, might, at length, be produdive of a federal union between the two countries* ^.: y: •; . • v- '-;,.n. %' r ' . If the matter be confidered in a com- mcrcial view, it will appear, that it was neceffary to proceed uj^on the e(labIiQi«* ment of a new principle ^ a principle which hath already notorioufly taken place in the inftance of Ireland, and which is avowed by America, Hot only to England, but to all the powers of G 2 Europe* v{ i I . ,. .If ! i ■f; • I' 'r -il hi Europe. The fyftem of monopolies and little rcftridions in trade, begins to be exploded in the world, and will juftly every day grow more and more out of faObion. It is for the real honour and intereft of Great -Britain to profecute an enlarged plan of commerce : and to have contended about a few furs, would have been incompatible with a defign of fuch magnitude and importance. :] ^ ;^ tl h al o ci C( tl H''.! I HAVE incidentally mentioned the large expences which forts and garrifons, if extended too widely, might occafion. Perhaps, though it may not be thought immediately to concern the vindication of the peace, it will not be difagreeable to the reader to be informed what the province of Canada hath eoft the govern- ment tor fix years and four months, end- ing in October 1782. The fum, exclu-* lively of many and great eipences not yet brought to account, amounts to five millions two hundred and .ninety-nine 6 "• - — ^ ^ thoufand [ 45 ] thoufand five hundred and nlnetee)! pounds nineteen (hillings and fixpence halfpenny *. This fum vaftly exceeds all the imports and exports of the trade of that country, though, from peculiar circumftances, thefe have of late years confiderably increafed. : - Greatly as the Third Article 'f of the American Treaty hath by fome pcr- . . fons • See Appendix, No. I. . ,,^ : • • . j--« f A R f I 1 1 fe III. *' It is agreed that the people of the United States fhall continue to enjoy, unmolefted, the right to take fifh, of every kind, on the Grand Bank, and on all the other banks of Newfoundland ; alfoin theGulph of St. Lawrence, and at all other places in the fea, where the inhabitants of both countries ufed at any time heretofore to fifli ; and alfo that the inhabitants of the United States fliall have liberty to take fifh, of every kind, on fuch parts of the coail of Newfoundland as Britifli fifliermen fhall ufe, (but not to dry or cure the fame on i^hat iiland) ; and alfo on the coafts, bays, and creeks of all other of his Britannic Majelly's do- minions in America ; and that the American fifher- men fhall have liberty to dry and cure iifh in any 'i . .. *' of ■1 :!J 1 U H t » * 1 ' i I , ■ ' f '■ 1 ' ' ' n [ i si i ^i ;|| "'• 1 I [ 46 ] fons been objeded to, it appears to be capable of a very reafonable defence. Indeed, it would have been abfolutely inripoffible, without agreeing to this Ar- ticle, to have had a peace at all. It was juftly and ilrongly urged b} the Ame- rican CommifHoners, that to refufe them the right of fiftiing, would be to ma- jiifeft towards them the mofl: hoflile in- tentions, and that it would for ever pre- clude the hopes of reconciliation. They alledged that the fifhery lay in their part of the ocean ; that it was their ail ; that on their fide, it was employment, food, export, and the means of paying debts to a barren province ; that other flates had flaples of produdion, whilft they *• of the unfettled bays, harbours, and creeks of Nova- •• Scotia, Magdalen Iflands, and Labrador, fo long as *' the fanne fhall remain unfettled ; but fo foon as the " fame, or either of them, fhall be fettled, it fliall not *' be lawful for the faid filhermen to dry or cure fifli ac ** fuch fettlement, without a previous agreement for ** that purpofe with the inhabitants, proprietors, or V pofr«irors of the ground.'* :■■ had M;,' [ 47 ] had none but what they received out of the fea ; that they had enjoyed a free- dom of fi(hery tiaie out of mind j and that the advantages they obtained from It would be, in part, compenfated to Britain, by the refort of their iifher- men to our manufadurcs, and by the fupply of freih provifions to our veflels. But, not to infirt: upon it, that the claim of the Americans to a fhare in the fi(hery could not on any terms have been given up, it may be obferved, that, from the conveniency of their fituation, it would have been impoffible to exclude them from it, by any reftridions whatever. They would have ftolen in upon us, in fpite of all our endeavours to the con- trary, and we (hould have been involved in endlefs altercations with them. -^ 1 ,i I f 4' Ir .* There rre two feafons for the New- foundland fishery ; the firft of which commences in February^ and the fecond \r\ the latter end of May, or the begin- ning it [ 48 ] ning of June. The former, which, however, is far lefs important than the other, is, from the unavoidable nature of things, abfolutely in the power of the Americans. They poflcfs it from the vicinity of their coail ; it is a pri- vilege which Providence has put into their hands 5 and an attempt to deprive them of it, would be as unjuft as it would be impradicable. It muft ever be almoft tntirely their own property, becaufe neither our fhips, nor thofe of France, can take their flation there fo early in the year. With regard to the fecond and principal fifliery, the Ame- ricans have not obtained much more by the Treaty than what they heretofore poffefled. In fadt, they al^ 'ays fifhed on the Banks, and they frequented the un« inhabited harbours on Labrador, for curing their fifli. The only additional advantage granted them by the Treaty, is the liberty of fifhing on the ihores of Newfoundland j and even this they frequently m ■1 . 'f I r 49 1 • frequently exercifed. In (hort, to have denied them the privilege of the (ifliery, would have b^en to have proclaimed the mod determined hoftility again/l them. The only alternative, therefore, was, whether Great-Britain (hould agree to ihis privilege, or give up for ever the hope of the beqefits to be derived from a friendfliip with America. The Fourth Article * fpeaks £b evi- de- tly in its own favour, that it cannot require any difcufTion. The only ob- fervation I fhall make upon it is, that the obligation of payment doth not folely extend to the debts contraded before the war, but reaches down to the date of the Treaty. Hence the Britifli creditors have a right to call • A r. T I. c L E IV. *' It is agreed, that creditors on either fide, fhall ** meet with no lawful impediment by the recovery of *• the full value, in fterling money, of all bonajide debtt **^ heretofore conirafted.'* H upon * \ .1 I u ■y'\ ■t \ ¥. \x \ ■I I: ♦ ' [ 50 ] upon the Americans for the payment of debts v'hich they would otherwife have been excufed from by the laws of the country then fubiifting ; for, during the troubles, all tranfadions with the Englifli were prohibited, and confe- quently were illegal. A committee of the North-America merchants have ex- prefTed their fatisfadion with the €d' pulation of the Fourth Article, and have declared their confidence of hav- ing jjaftice done them at the American courts of judicature. The merchants of Glafgow have fignified to adminiflra- tjon the fame fentiments, acknowledg- ing, ** that every thing has been pro- " cured for them, which could have ** been expeded, when all circumflances ** are difpafTionately confidcred." The fifth article * is that which, of all others, * A R T I C L E V, " It is agreed, that the Congrefs fliallearneftly recom- ** mend it to the legiflitures of the refpefuve States, to *' provide 1 > -. > / > I c • r 51 ] others, is the moft attended with embar- raflfments, and lies the moft open to ob- jedtion. * ** provide for the reftitution of all eftates, rights, and pro- ** penics which have been confifcated, belonging to real "** Britiflifubje^s, and alfoofthe edates, rights, and pro- ** perties of perfons refident in diflriils in the pofleflion " of his Majefty's arms, and who have not borne arms " agaiiift the United States ; and that perfons of any '* other defcription fliall have free liberty to go into any " part or parts of any of the Thirteen United Spates, '* and therein to remain twelve months unmolefted in ** their endeavours to obtain the reftitution of fuch of '* their eftates, rights, and properties as may have been ** confifcated ; and that Congrefs fliall alfoearneftly re- '* commend to the feveral States a reconfideratlon and " revifion of all ads and laws regarding the premifes, *' fo as to render the faid laws or adtsperfedly confiftent ** not only with juftice and equity, but with that fpiiit '* of conciliation, which on the return of the bleffings ** of peace ftiould univerfally prevail ; and that Con- *' grefs fliall alfo earneftly recommend to the feverai *' States, that the eftates, rights, and properties of fuch ** laft mentioned perfons raall be reftored to them ; they " refunding to any perfons who may be now in jwflef- ** fion, the honaftde price (where any has been given) ** which fuch perfons may have paid on purchafing any ** of the faid lands or properties fince the confifcation. *' And it is agreed, that all perfons who have any intereft *' in confifcated lands, either by debts, marriage., fet- *' tlements, or otherwife, fliall me^*. with no lawful im- " pediment in the profecution of their iuft rights.*' Hz The i- u,v r * ■■ '-■, ! 1m .1 ' tj W I I 52 I The unhappy ftate of the Loyalifts, is undoubtedly an objedl of great commi- feration. There cannot be a fingle per- fon in this country, who will not, in the hours of refledion, flrongly feel for the larger part of them, and who will not acknowledge that every thing ought to be done for them which the nature of the cafe will admit. Having ftak-^d their all in what they apprehended to be the jufl caufe of Britain ; having incurred the re- fentment of their former brethren ; and having been expofed to the efFed:s of that refentment ; the honour of the nation requires that they fliould not be forfaken, but that they fliould be provided for and fupported in fome mode or other. It ought, however, at the fame time, to be remem- bered, that the particular manner in which protedion and compenfation are afforded to the Loyaliils, mufl neceflarily be determined by the fituation of things. N I HAVE good reafon to believe that the cafe of thefe unfortunate men was taken ♦ *' up i^ [ 53 1 up by adminiftration with the utmoft ar- dour. The point of a full and complete reftitution was urged again and again; the negociation was fufpended upon it, and was very near being i?naHy broken off. But it was not in the power of the American Commiflioners to proceed far- ther than they did ; neither is it in the power of Congrefs to do more than ear- nejlly to recommend the Loyalifts to com- paffion and favour. Each particular State in Anierica is fovereign ?.nd fupreme in itfelf, with regard to legiuative and judi- cial authority ; and, therefore, cannot be controuled in the excrcife of its jurifdic- tion over its own fubjedls. Every man's cafe mufl be determined by the laws and judicature of the province to which he belongs j and from the decifion that takes place there can be no authoritative appeal. Congrefs can only interfere by an earnefi recommendation-, and the earneft recom- mendation of Congrefs, unlefs impeded by imprudent condud; on this fide the water, cannot fail of producing powerful effeds. It would be better to truft, in » fome ■i ; l: -^ "I 11 V. t )^ «l [ 54 ] \ ^■ fome degree, to the wifdom and libera- lity of the American States, better to fup- pofe that they may be papable of an en- larged and generous behaviour, than to awaken their prejudices, and excite their . anger, by premature fufpii;ons and accu- fations. Government could not do more for the Loyalifts tl" an it has done, unlel's it had abfolutely continued the wai on their account. But certainly it would be <' more eligible to recompence them here to the full amount of their demands, than to ruin the nation, byperfifting in thatcourfe of hoftilities, the fatal confequences of which we had already fo deeply expe-: lieuced. \ ^ The American Loyalifts come under different defcriptions. There can be no doubt but that many of thofe who, in that country, embraced the royal caufe, did it from the pureft principles of con- fcience ; and, therefore, every govern- ment of America muft afluredly pay a juft regard to the integrity with which they a^aed. With refped to thofe who en- gaged la*' I ^ \ > f 55 1 gaged in the con -eft becaufe they had no other means of fubfiftencc, allowance will certainly be made for the peculiarity of their fitaation ; and it will probably be thought wife and prudent to treat them with indulgence. Policy, as well as hu- manity, wil! didtate to the United States, that meafures of lenity and reconciliation muft be beft calculated to heal the wounds, and promote the welfare of their country. Many likewife, of the Loyalifts, who fled to England, or took refuge in other parts of Europe, were, I doubt not, timid and peaceable men, who ran away, with horror, from the fcenes of civil dif- cord ; who have been filent and afflidled obfervers of the defolations it has occa- fionedj and who may rather be confidered as having been neutrals in the war. When fuch perfons (hall return to a province which they formerly inhabited, if there be any wifdom in the government of that province, they will be received with cordiality, and treated with kind- Mi CtM>U The H' ■ . ■ A ■ r ■rt. i Ml ; The particular fitnation of the Ameri- can Commiflioncrs deferves to be conli- dered. Being circumfcribed in their • powers, which were given under circum- flancesof diftruftand irritation, it might be impuflible for them to make all the con- ceflions which would otherwife have been defirable. Like lawyers, they might be obliged to adhere rigidly to their inflruc- tions ; and to have protradled the treaty till frelh inftrudtions could be obtained, might havj been attended with the moft fatal confequences. It is, however, to be hoped, that their principals, when they find that every ground of fufpicion , concerning the hoftile difpofition of this country is removed, will aboliih all dif- tindions, a;jd proceed upon a nobkr po- licy, that of forgiving and forgetting every caufe of civil difcord. An illuflrious ex- ample of it has been fet by Great Britain ; and thofe who know moft of the treaty have affirmed, that if we had not pre- ferred returning afFedion with America to any interefts with France and Spain, wc might, upon a narrow line of conHu(!l:, r •■ r have /" ^i•<' t S7 ] have made our negotiation with thefe two powers the firft objedl of at" tention. But a preference was juftly given to the recovery of American confidence and afFedtion. The provi- fional articles were figned independent- ly of either France or Spain. The Americans are in no refpedt obliged to France, and much lefs to Spain, for the advantages they have obtained. They owe no thanks to France, even for the boundaries which are conceded them in the back fettlements -, and much lefs are they beholden to that nation for the liberal fhare that hath been granted them in the fifhery i which, on the part of Great Bri- tain, indicates all the warmth of con- fiding friendfhip, rather than of a jealous alHance. Thefe are confiderations which, when duly refledled upon, cannot but have their efiFedt in engaging the Americans to make fuitable returns, by removing the caufes of diftruft and complaint. When time hath a little foftened the prejudices and diilikes fo natural, in certain circum- I fiances. I'!' ' -5 I \ 1, ,. H\ 1^ ■ 1 !; \ '\'i\ • (., i Wi ■ -r 58 ] / ftances, to the human mind, wifdom and good fenf-^ will prefcribe to them, that nothing can be more for their intercft, ;han, by an enlarged and, manly condudl, to deftroy the feeds of future animcfities and contentions. The opinion which I have of the redlitude of their political un- derftandings, infpires me with the hope that fuch a condud will fpeedily be pur- fued. For let us attend to what would be the refult of a contrary courfe of beha- viour. The American Loyalifls and Re- fugees are a confiderable body of men : they are adive by nature, as well as by habit. If they (hould be generally pro- fcribed, and tanifhed from their native countries, they will form, wherever they fettle, a kind of feet, which it were to be wiflied did not exill upon the face of the earth. Upon whatever^fpot they fix, they will eredt an Anti-American flandard. They will become eternal enemies to their former brethren. If they retreat to Eng- land, will it be of advantage to America; will it ferve the general caufe of commerce 2 and [ 59 ] • and of freedom, to have the tongues and the pens of any fet of perfons employed in decrying the juftice and humanity of a new country ? If they fettle in Nova Scotia, in Canada, or in the Weft India iflands, will they promote that amicable intercourfe which every upright man would wifh to fee univerfally prevalent, and which the principle of the Provifional Treaty gives the fureft proofs of its defign to inculcate ? It cannot be right to permit old ferments to remain, and to be produdive of per- petuated rancour and refcntment. Difap- pointment has no other fource of gratifi- cation than the indulgence of fuch un- happy paflions, but fuccefs is above it. >Jew ftates, if wifely conducted, and if they pay a juft regard to the benefit either of prefent or of future times, will adt upon liberal maxims. Thefe principles are fo congenial with the tenets of free- men, and fo natural to every generous mind in the hour of fuccefs, that there is the utmcft reafon to expecft that the Fifth Article of the Treaty will be fo much re- .; -A I 2 ' "" garded I -fi ' I i ti -i-"' tfl f tW it r 60 ] garded as 1 point of honour and policy with thole who are to ratify and to exe- cute it, as to make the vindication of it abfo!utely fafe in their hands. Blit if, unhappily, and contrary to every reafon- able expectation, the new country fhould fail in the cxercife of that rcconciliatory fpirit which honour and policy, and, I may add, religion, demand; the old coun- try, in whole caufe the Loyalifts have fought, and in whofe refources they have trufled, will be bound to make that juft reparation for :heir lolTes, and to procure that alleviation of their fufFeripgs, which their particular cafes may require. The lixth article -f* being equally rati- onal and humane, requires no vindica- tion. Whatever part any men may have . -. . -■' . •, taken f A R T I C L E VI. " That there fi:all be no future confifcations made, nor any profecuiions conimenced againfl any perfon or perfons, for, or byreafon of, the part which he or they *' may have t?ken in the prefent war; and that no per- ♦^ fon fball, on that account, fuffer any future lofs or ** damage. (( (( [ 6i ] taken in America, however hoftilc they may have been againft the Ur. cd States, they arc liable to no farther confifcations or profecutions, and their perfons, if they be prifoners, are to be fct at liberty. All this cannot but tend to quiet many an uneafy mind, and to promote a fpirit of reconciliation. ■ As little can be objedled to the feventh article. * Peace being rcftored, I hope, that, «•# «.f damage, either in his perfon, liberty, or property ; and that thofe who may be in confinemenc on fuch charges, at the time of the Ratification of the Treaty in America, fhall be immediately fet at liberty, and the profecutions fo commenced fhall be difconii- nued." * Article VII. ** There ftiall be a firm and perpetual peace, between his Britannic Majefly and the faid United States, and between the fubjefts of the one, and the citizens of the other j wherefore all hoflilities both by fea and land fhall then immediately ceafe : all prifoners on both fides fhall be fet at liberty ; and his Britimoic Majefty fhall, with all convenient fpeed, and without / .., . \, - ** caufing !1 : M f r : ! ■ ' ( .: ■ W :tfc 4 i 1 i> ilm > im --'-*• ««Wr-Wt«« '[ 6z ] that, according to the language of th^ Treaty, it will be firm and perpetual ; to which end nothing can fo cffedlually concur as a liberal and manly conduct in both co'jntries. With regard to the evacuations required by the article, they murt follow of courfe, from the recogni- tion of the Independence of America. The fituation of many who have quitted Charlellown, and who mufl: quit New- York and other places, is undoubtedly to be lamented j bat it is one of thofe evils which cannot be avoided. ** caufing any deftrufllori, or carrying away any hc- •' groes, or other property of the American inhabitants, ** withdraw all his armies, garrifons, and fleets, from ** the United States, and from every port, place, and " harbour, within the fame; leaving in all fortifica- " tions the American artillery that may be therein : *' and (hall alfo order, and caufe all archives, records, ** deeds, and papers belonging to any of the faid States,- ** or their citizens, which in the courfe of the war may ** have fallen into the hands of his officers, to be forth- ** with reftored and delivered to the proper iVates and ** perfoDs to whom they belong." / ,; . The [-63]- The eighth article* is an article of fome advantage at prcfent, and from which very confiderable benefit may he expe ^ . [ 65 J Upon the whole, it appears that no ^ Very deciiive or important objedion can be urged againfl the Proviiional Treaty with America. Thofe who had fo long reprobated the war with the Colonies, as impolitic, ruinous, and even unjuft, ought to be the laft to complain of the return of peace. However hoftile they may be to the perfons of fome great men, confiftency of charadler and condud: would require that they (hould approve of meafures which they thcmfelves would have adopted, had they continued in power. As to thofe who were themoftfan- guine for American fubjugation, and the moft adive in attempting it, it behoves them to remember, that, if any unplea- fant conditions have been fubmitted to, their bad counfels and w^retched manage- ment have impofed that neceflity upon the nation. It would, therefore, be de- cent in them, from a confcious fenfe of fliame and reproach, to feal their lips in eternal filence. K . ' '*' But \ li 1 1 Jf * L ■11 I si.] [ 66 ] But not to dwell on confiderations of this kind ; what did found policy didate . with regard to the method of treating with America? It certainly didlated that we {hould not have a view to flight and temporary, but to real and permanent advantages. It didlated, that we fhould guard againd awakening their jcaloufics and refentments, and that, by reafon- •able and even generous conceflions, we lliould lay a foundation for that fincere friendfliip and lafling connexion, which fliall be difplayed in a grand commercial intercourfe, and a mutual participation of profperity for ages yet to come. The obfervation hath been made before; but the importance of it is fuch, thafitde- ferves to be again recommended to the attention of the reader. ' >■--'•■.■ , , , I COME now to the conlideration of the Preliminary Articles of the Treaties to be concluded with France and Spain. And here I muft again defire the reader to reflecl upon [ 67 J * upon the fituation to which we were re- duced. When that fituation is attended to, when we recolledl the lolTes and ex- pences we had fuftained, the many pof- feflions we had been deprived of, and the difficulty and danger of carrying on the conteft: againfl one of the moft formidable confederacies which hiftory exhibit^, I am fatisfied that the terms of the pacifica- tion will appear, to a candid and difpaf- iionate mind, to be as favourable as could be ejjcpedled and obtained. i vfi •>[(.!;/ ^^^The firft preliminary article * of the Treaty with France, being an article of courfe. 1 *« iii.^ ,, }-. it *ArtxpleI. " As foon as the ptdsminaries (hall be figned and ratificd.finceicfriendiliipfliall be re-eftabli{hcd between his Britannic Maj-'Ily, and his moft Chriftian Maje- Ily, their kingdoms, ftates, and lubjedls, by fea and by la id, in all parts of the world : orders (hall he T^nt to the armies and fquadrons, as well as to the fubjefts of the two powers, to Hop all hoftiliiies, nwi to live in the moll perfeft union, forgvuiing what is paft, of K z ** which m : I, ' I ■ I- t 68 ] cour/e/ arid' expVeffed in the cuftomary propriety of language, admits of no dif- cuflion. To part of the five next arti- cles -|-, which relate to the fiftiery, objec- tions f' which their Sovereigns give them the order and exam- ." pie. And, for the execution of this article, fea pafTes *f Ihall be given on each fide for the (hips which fhall be ** difpatched to carry th^ news of it to the pofleflions of " the faid powers.** ' f A R T I c L E. II. " His Majefty the King of Great Britain fhall pre- ** (ctyc in full right the ifland of Newfoundland, and *' the adjacent iflaAds, in .tlT^fa^e manner as the v^hole ' was ceded to him by the thirteenth article of tl^e Treaty of Utrecht, fave the exceptions which {hall be fiipiilated by the fifth article of the prefent Treaty." 7 Article III. *' His moil chrillian MsJ2ft)',in order to prevent qua - rels which have hitherto arlfen between the two nations of England and France, renounces the right of fifliing, which belongs to him by virtue of the faid article of the Treaty of Ucrecht, from Cape Bonavifta to Cape St. John, fitjated on the eaftern coaft of Newfound- ** land, in about fifty degrees of north latitude ; whereby *.' the French fifhery ihall commence at the faid Cape (' St. John, fhall go round by the north, and going *^ do\vi^ ■ I - tt t( t 69 ] tjons have been made ; but not, I appre* hend, with much ftrength of reafon. The ftipulation of the third article, by which the French King renounces the right of fifhing from Cape Bonavifta to Cape St, John, and obtains an extenfion of that privilege on the weftern fide of the ifland of Newfoundland, is fo far from being injurious, that it is highly advantageous to this country. By this ftipulation, aa ^■f\ 1^. ^* »(i €t *€ K ii down the weilern coall of the Ifland of Newfoundland^ fjiall have for boundary, the place called Cape Raye, iituated in forty-feven degrees fifty minutes latitade." Article IV. *^ The French filhermen fhall enjoy the filhery affign- ed them by the foregoing article, as they have a right to enjoy by virtue of the Treaty of Utrecht.'* Arti$;le V. ?bf..r ** His Britannic Majcfty fhall cede in full right to hit moft Chriftian Majelly the iflands of St. Pierre an4 Micjuelon." ;{■ Article VI. ft *' With regard to the right of fifhing in the Gulph of St. Laurence, the French fliall continue to enjoy it con- formably to the fifth article of the Treaty of Paris. ^'' , en4 i fi i -h it ■ 'I i , • [ 70 J end Is put to the rivalfliip and difputes which before cxifted between the two nations relative to the matter in queftion. By the removal of the French to thd weftern fide of the ill and, the eaftern and fouth-eaftern coafl is left to the uninter- rupted poiTeffion of the Engli(h. It is on this coaft that the fi(h are the largeft and mod plentiful, and that the cure of them is infinitely eafier than in the Screights of Belleille, where the fogs are abundantly more prevalent. According to the teftimony of every officer who has ferved at Newfoundland, and particular- ly of thofe who furveyed it under Captain Cook ; and r.ccording to the teftimony, likewift, of the towns engaged in the trade, one league of coaft between Cape Bonavifta and Cape John is worth ten on the weftern (ide. This matter is put out of all doubt by the numerous eftabliih- ments between thefe two Capes, and by there being none whatever on the weftern coaft, excepting one, which was calcu-» L(n - lated m : [ 71 ] ' latcd with a view to the whale fiiliery, and may be continued with mucli greater . advantage on the coaft of Labrador. In- deed, it does not appear that the weftern coaft has at any time been frequented by our people for the fake of the cod fiflicry. By the Treaty of Utrecht, which was confirmed by the Treaty of Paris, the VefTels of France were allowed to carry on the fifliery to the eaftward of New- foundland, as far as to Cape Bonavifta. They hence found means, by their vici- ' nity to the Banks, where the prime cod are caught, to encroach, under various pretences, upon the privileges of the Britiih feamen ; and, in the quarrels that arofe, the Englifh were generally the fufferers, in confequence of the French having a larger number of men, both ia their boats and their fliips, than is our praflice. But they are now confined to two points. Cape St. John on the north end, and Cape Raye on the fouth-weil: end of the coaft, with liberty, in confor- v J ■ ■n i I I. ifl ..[I 'I,- ' ' ^1 ( .;>J [ 72 J ■ ttiity to the Treaty of Paris, of drying' thcj'r iiih on the little iflands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. - ¥, As to the ceilion, by the fifth articlcy of h*"'^t^ two iflands, in full right to his TCXKj'^i Ci'^'^ian Majcfty, it is a matter of little confequence. The harbour of St, ' Pierre is very fmall, and not capable of receiving men of war, having a bar rcrofs V the entrance, on which there is no more than twelve or fourteen feet water, at high water. The road will admit of ihips of force, but the bottom is very rocky, and only fafe in the fummer fea- fon. Miquelon has a road at the north end of the ifland, where Hiips may an- chor in fix or feven fathom water. It is a flation of no advantage : for the vellels lie quite open to the eafterly winds, and' will always be expofed to the attacks of an enemy. For thefe reafons, and on ac- count of the fmall diflance of St. Pierre and Miquelon from the coaft of New-- found-- i ■ [ 73 ] foundland, on which are harbours where men of war may ride in fafety, it can be of little fcrvice to fortify the two iflands; A proof of this is, that the French never attempted to ercdt any fortifications oil , them during the war, but, on its break- ing out, immediately abandoned them. Should they, in fad onftrudt any forts there, of what a lil could they b6 againft the fuperiority of the Britifh pofTeflions and powf-^ in that part of the world ? rs ' ' r It hath been faid, that thefe iflands, jsyhcn fortified, will command the en- trance into the Gulph of St. Laurence, ' which is at lead forty leagues diftant. It might with more propriety be afTerted^ that Bred commands the entrance into Plymouth, or that the ifles of Scilly command the entrance into St. George's Channel. . ' .,=, ,__,,'" , ,, 1 ' . •*..■,' 'c.}^h -• , L ■• -.• ■ With •'['■'■ -, ■i ■> I, rvrf. ♦«/ t 74 ] With regard to the fcventh and the eighth preliminary articles, * which" re- late to the Weft India iflands, it is impof- lible not to acknowledge, thnt the terms we have obtained are fully equal to what we could have had reaibn to expedt. * A R T I C L E VII. *' The King of Great Britain fhall reftore to France " the ifland of St. Lucia, and fhall cede and guarantee " to her that of Tobago." .>A Article VIII. (( " The mod Chrillian King (hall reftore to Great Bri- tain the iflands of Grenada, and the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Chriftopher's, Nevis, and Montferrat : and the fortrefTes of thofe iflands con- *' quered by the arms of Great Britain, and by thofe of ** France, fhall be reftored in the fame condition in " which they were when the conquefl of them was ** made ; provided that the terms of eighteen months, to " be computed from the time of the raitification of the *• Definitive Treaty, fhall be granted to the refpeftive ** fubjedls of the Crowns of Great Britain and France> •*' who may have fettled in the faid iflands, and in other " placer which fhall be reftored by the Definitive Trea- ** ty, to fell their eftates, recover their debts, and to ** tranfport their effefts, and retire without being re- " ftrained, on account of their religion, or any other ** caufe whatever, except in cafes of debt, or of criminal profecution." a No if m ■\1 ■' [ 75 J No one can deny that the reftoratlons ftipulated by the eighth article are of great importance. In exchange for St. Lucia, which we had captured from the French, they have given back fix out of the feven iflands they had taken from us, and have only retained that of Tobago. When a pofTeflion is loft, it is natural to exagge- rate the advantages of it, and this hath been done with refpe(ft to the lad mentioned ifland. Its cotton is good, but the prodiidion of that commo- dity is not confined to Tobago. Cotton is procured from the reft of the iflands, and from other parts of the world. The Manchefter manufadory flourifhcd both before we were pofTeffed of Tobago, and fince it hath been captured by the French : nor is there any reafon to fup- pofe that the trade of that town is likely to decline. Tobago is not efteemed very healthful, nor is its lituation fuch as to render it capable of being eafily defended. It hath fcarcely any conveniencies as a • > ' L 2 ftation. ' t\ ^1 If I 1 ■V . Uf - i jftation, which arc not furnifhed by Gre- nada and Barbadoes J and neither its ex- ports nor imports are fo great as to make it of extraordinary value in a commercial view. J The poficffion of Tobago is, it is true, a benefit to France, $hd fonie lol's to Enyjhindj but, all things confidered^ we ought to be thankful that the Treaty hiiih been fo favourable to us with regard to [the Weft India iflands. It is of infi- nitely greater confequence to the inhabi- tants of thefe iflands, to have them peace- ably reftored, than if (whigh, however, there was. no ground to hope for) they could have been recovered by conqueft. I The importance of St. Lucia hath been magnifif^d in the higheft degree, with the particular purpofc of derogating from the preliminary articles. I have no in- tention to depreciate its value. The ex- cellence of its harbour and the advantage ^' t Appendix, No. a-. - . , ■^' - i.*JH ,; • V It [ 77 ] pf it$ fituation, undoubtedly make jt ^ poficllion of real confequcnte. But, not to mention that it never was of any great confidcratian in a commccial view, it (liQuld be remembered that its principal importance docs not confift (o much in its being a fafc-guard to any of our iflands, as in its being a check upon Mar- tinico. Dominica, on the other hand, which is a fadt not generally known, ftands much in the fame relation to Gua- daloupe. It is, likcwife, a ftation, from which, in time of war, all communication may be intercepted between the two great French iflands. Bciides this, it is a na- tural cover to all our old iflands, which will always be protected by it, if it be made, what it ought to be, our chief ob- je(^ of attention, and accordingly, be fe- cured and fortified in a proper manner. An undeniable proof of the eflimation in which it was held by the French is, that when they deflroyed the fortifications of ^he other iflands, they continued to fpend 'r ! ;■ a [ 78 ] very large fums in adding to the works upon Dominica. This is a circumftance, * which, whilft it (hews the value- of the jfland, affords no flight evidence of the refolution and firmnefs wherewith the reftorations of the eighth article of the Preliminary Treaty were infifted upon, in the courfe of the negotiation. With regard to the Weft Indies, one would think it impoiTible that any man, except- ing a planter on the ceded ifland, {hould dare to complain. The Treaty, in re- fpcd: to that quarter, is vaftly more ho- nourable than the Peace of Paris was at the cloL of the laft war, though that was a war of conqucd. v->* i' - : v ; 1 ■ The four next articles, * which are relative to Africa, will not be found • f ' - "■' A R T 1 C L E X. . ' " The mod Chriftian King fhall, on his fide, goa- '* rantee to his Majefty the King of Great Britain the •• polieflion ©f Fort James, and of the river Gambia." ■ . ' Article XL *' In order to prevent all difcuflion in that part of '* the world, the two Courts ihall agree, either by ** the Definitive Treaty, or by a feparate aft, upon the *' boundaries to be fixed to their refpeftive poircffions. " The gum trade fhall be carried on in future as the ** Englifli and French nations carried it on, before the " year 175S'" Article XIL *' in regard to the reft of the coafts of Africa, the '* fubjefts of both powers fhall continue to frequent ** them, according to the cuftom which has prevailed '* hitherto." . , . nally I :i ^1! 1 1 f ■ I i. i I 1! ■ f 80 ] , . nally belonged to them, it was natural that they fhould infill upon retaining it 5 and a point of national honour might in- duce them to wifh for the ceflion of Go-^ ree, as that illand had, likewife, been for* merly their own property. Neither Sene- gal nor Gorce are objedls of any diftin- guillied importance. The chief value of Senegal is undoubtedly the advantage it polTefles with regard to the gum trade. The whole commerce, however, of that fettlement never amounted to more than what is carried on by many a fingle houfe in England. Lord Chatham thought the matter of fo little confequence, that, if I miftake not^ after Senegal was taken Id the war of 1755, he granted the mono- poly of its trade to Mr. Gumming, a qua- ker, who had planned the expedition.* As to Goree, it is> in every view, of very little worth. Its commerce is tod inconfiderable to deferve being mention- ed, and its unhealthfulnefs renders it the' grave of our countryL:5en. The Treaty^- there- I Si J therefore, may be confidered as having , tranfplanted to France the benefits of a ...... .^ >» ^ .J ...,.' . _ , finale mercantile houfe, with fome trifle, alfo, of public revenue. But though a per- manent peace required that thefe celiions fliould- be made to the French, what we have yielded is more in faund than in value. Gambia is a finer river than that of Senegal, has no bar, hath a rich coun- try on both fides, is navigable upwards of feveral hundred miles, and is near to the gpld coaft. The pofTefiion of the naviga- tion of this river opens great profpedsj and if the objed: be attended to and im- proved, it may hereafter become the fource of benefits, of which at'prefent we have fcarcely any conception. But independently of this confideration, the Englifli rtill pofTefs the power of carrying on the African trade with advantage ; and the bound, Tries dcfigned to be fettled by the Definitive Treaty will tend to re- move the cauit's of future dlflention. I ' I ifl ' ? M Instead 1 '^^ m ■ h I ^, I! '11 m m m [ 82 ] "^ Instead of entering into a minute examination of every particular circum' fiance that is mentioned in the four preli- minary articles * that relate to the Eafl ■ • • Indies, '^ ^a ,.-- rii tVuA'i bn -'•Article XJII. 5V - r\ u. *' 'f he King of Great Britain (hall reftore to his moll ** ChHftian Majefty all the eftablifliments, which belong- ** ed to him at the commenceitient of the prefent war ori *' the coall ofOrixa, and in Bengal, w'th liberty to fur- ** round Chaiidernagor with a ditcli ior draining the '* waters J and his Britannic Majefty engages to take *' fuch meafures ?3 may b^ in his power, for fecuring to ** the fubjeds of France, in that part of India, as alfp *• on the coaft of Orixa, Coromandt-% and Malabar, a ** fafe, free, and independent trade, mch as was carried •' on by the Iqre French Bait India Company, whether *• it be carri-.u ca by them as individuals, or as a Com* ' A a T I c L E XIV. " Pondicherry, as well as Karlcal, Oiall likewife be " rellored, and guaranteed to France ; and his Britan- nic Majclly (hall procure, to ferve as a dependency round Pondicherry, the twodiftricls of Valanour and ^* Bahour ; and as a depenuency round Karical, the <* four contiguous Masiai.s.'* !:t A R T { 1 •«i ■'•\ f 33 3 Indies, I iliall make fome general obler* vations upon the fubjedt, which will fully juftify the condudl: of Government in ac-* ceding to theCe articles. Indeed, no event that could have been expedled to arife in India, either by land or fea, from the continuance of the war, was likely to have proved fo fortunate for the Eafl In - Article XV. '* France fliali again enter into the pofTefllon of " Mahe, and of the Comptoir at Surat ; and the French *' ftiall carry on commerce in this part of India con- " formab?y to the principles laid down in the thirteenth '' article of this Treaty." A R T i C L E XVI. Y i*. . ** In cafe France has allies in India, they llia'l be " invited, as well as thofeof Great Britain, to r fie to '* th# prefent paciftcation ; and for that purpolt a term " of four months, to be computed from the day o\\ vhicH " the propofal fhall be made tc chem, fhail be ajlcw<.d •* them to make their decifion j and in cafe of refufal on ** their part, their Britannic and moft Chriftian Msje- •'* flies agree not to give them any afliftance, direftiy of »' indireftly, againft the 'Jritifh or French pofleflions, *' or againft the ancient poffelfions of their refpeftiv^ " allies ; and tbeir faid Majefties fhall offer them their ■'good offices towards a mutual accommodation.'* '^> M 2 dia I M' [ 84 ] m II ■ A U'i^ 1. .1 \ dia Company, or could have had fo eifec- tual a tendency to the prefervation and fecurity oftbe pofTcflions of Great Britain, and chofe of her allies in that country, as theprefcnt peace. The terms of it arc almofl: as beneficial to the Company as thofc which were didlatcd to Fr:ince in' the year 1763 ; and they are far beyond what the alarming fituation of the Com- pany's affairs in India could have given us any reafon to hope. As to the con^ eefiions, they are not v^orth mentioning; for the expcnce of carrying on the war in India had become fo enormous, and the refourcGS there are (o much exhauiled, that if the war were to be prolonged, even vidory itlelf could not have pre- ferved the Company from deflrudiion. ,. r> iKlf. 'yj.- it' .O' ' The native troops, it is true, are furc to be dcfeatjed, w^henever they attempt to fland againd the regular forces of Great Britain -, but that might not have been the cafe,, when France came to bring in four .. i J or ■t: I: or five thoufand difciplined troops to fight by their fide ; and which may, perhaps, be the lituation of things at this inftant. The French fleet in India, which is known to be a powerful one, joined to the Dutch fquadron, might, at leaft, have* kept the Company at bay, and fruftrated every endeavour to throw fup- plies into the Carnatic. Thefe fupplies have already been intercepted to a con- fiderable amount ; and unlefs thofe large and necelTary aids arrive fafc, the army can have no chance of recovering the parts of the Carnatic which Hyder has over-run, and ftill poirefTes ; our troops, from the want of provifions, having been repeatedly obliged to abandon their victory, and retreat from the field they had won. From thefe circumftances Hyder has been enabled^ with his nu- merous horfe, of which we have fcarccly any, to range the Carnatic for two vears and a half ^ drivin? ofi-' the cattle, "-2 and '4 1 I r I i ! , '('. m : f I' " If- • t 9^ J and even the inhabitants in fomc places ; and burning, or otherwife laying wafte, where he could not carry off tht pro- duce, or protect the country. Thefe are no exaggerated fadts. J '% .J Whenever tlie Company fliall be relieved from all oppolition from France, and Hyder be retired from the Carnatic, it will require fome years of reft and fecurity to recover that country from the devaflations occafxoned by his in- roads. ' s ' Bengal too, from the drains of men and treafure that rich province has experienced, will, with all its natural refoarces, ftand in need of a long time to be recovered from its prefent ex- haufted ftate. .- ■ . ' f' ■ '■ I ■• The Supreme Council feem to have been truly fenfible of their alarming Situation, and of their approaching dan- gers # t 87 ] gers from furrounding enemies, aided by European powers. For after Hyder's irruption, and previoufly to our decla- ration againlt Holland, the Governor- General and Council had propofed to give up the Tinivelli country to the Dutch, to obtain their alTiftance againfl Hyder. Nay, in 178 r, the Governor- General and Council had it in con- templation to furrender up the Circars to the Nizam, to drav7 him off from the league formed v^ith Hyder and the Morattas. Thefe two flriking inftances of their fenfe of the dangers which threatened the fafety of our pofTeffions, are to be found upon the records of the Company ; whilfl private intelligence makes mention of a third, wherein an offer had been made to Hyder of the Madura country, with the flrong fort of Tritchinapoli, to induce him to retire out of the Carnatic. Such are the inconteflable proofs that the Company's large pofTeffions in India have i,: 1 1 'M • ^ 1 I* % M. i; li' have been expoftd to very great rlfques; arid they arc proofs that mufl carry convidtion even to minds that are un- iliformed in Afiatic affairs. For con- ceflions of this nature have feldom been propofed by any ftate, unlefs the alarms and apprehenfions for domeftic fafety have flared them full in the face, and told them that ruin was fpeedily ap^ proaching. ^y . : oi npii. , Besides thcfe particular clrcumflan- ces, the condition of the Company's finances, both at home and abroad, was^ fufficient to inftrudt this country, that the certain dangers to which the na- tional interefts in India were expofed,, rendered an immediate peace abfolutely neceflary, even if it had been procured on terms lefs favourable than thofe which have been actually obtained. There was no other method of reco- vering our afcendency in that part of . t the world. r ^ ? ( -r ■' e^. -f ■■■ ■ y< 1 1 1 : , • !'■ w 1. $ 1 The Et 1' f 89 1 The forces at this time in India, In the pay of the Company, cxclufively of the King's troops ferving there, arc not lefs than a hundred thoufand men. The expence of maintaining fo hirge an army in the field, is much bevond what Bengal alone can fupport ; whilfl the Nabob of Arcot can furnifli little or no afliftance from his revenues in the pre- fent fituation of the Carnatic. Yet thefe hundred thoufand men are fcarccly fuffi- cient to adt againft our numerous ene^ mies in that country. The flate of the Company's treafury at home is fuch, as renders it impoiTible to afford any afliftance to India, or even to go on without immediate aid, either of money or credit, from parliament. The cafe is, that the Company is fhut out from fufficient returns bv the failure of relburces in India, and by the de- lays to which the fliips are fubjed:ed ; - and, at the fame tin.e, the drafts on N England, n .if 1 ■i 1 i4 *^v, IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-S) k // /. C; ^ 11.25 |io ■^" III^H £ U° 12.0 ~ ■_ HtUu ^1^ Hiotographic Sciences Corpordiion iV ^ ^^ <^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 872-4503 % V"^ 'i I 90 1 fingfand, and the expcnccs for the troops, flores, and freights, have been incrcafing .ever fincc the commencement of the "war. The freights, from the high price ^f infu ranee, have fwelled to an amount M'hich no trade, however lucrative, could long £iipport. The inveftments, in the prefent lituation of affairs, can have no alliftance from the revenues, as thcfc revenues have latterly been very infufficient to anfwer the different de- mands of government. The inveftments fent home in the laft tvtro years have been chiefly procured with money, raifcd by bilh of exchange drawn in England, or borrowed in the feveral fettlements on bond, under the Company's feal, at an intereft of eight per cent. The bills of exchange drawn on the Com- pany, in the feafons of 1780 and 178 1, amount to one million fix hundred thoufand pounds ; and the farther fum of two hundred and feventy thoufund pounds is expedted to have been drawn> to complete the feafon of 1781. II The If: [ 9' ] The bonded debts, in the three fet- tlements, of Bengal, Madras, and Boni- bay, amount to four millions, paying an intereft of three hundred thoufand pounds a yean And to fo low an ebb is our credit in India reduced, that the Governor-General and Council, in their letter of the eighth of April lafty in- form the Company, that they have adopted a new mode of keeping up the inveftment, by private fubfcribers, which will provide cargoes to the amount of eighty lacks, on the ufual terms of prx-r vilege, at the rifque of individuals; and which is to be repaid to them accord- ing to the produce of the fdes in Eng- land. This evidently goes to confirm, tb^*" the Supreme Council had neither money to fpare, nor credit to raife any, for the purchafc of goods, but by afTigning the produce of the goods, as fecurity for the money advanced ; in the room of trufting to the general credit of the Company, for the difcharge of N 2 the ^ l1 '' ii l-i; <■ i^ - (■ ■.t'l 1i " '[ 92 ] • the bills that would otherwife have been drawn. i ] - i ■ * 1 \ After thefe loans are difcharged, the remainder goes to the Company ; all incidental expences, however, be- ing firfl paid to the lenders ; the amount of which may be gueffed, by the allow- ance of twenty thoufand pounds a year being given, by thefe creditors, to the perfon appointed by them to be at the head of the infpedlion of the inveftment on their part, . These are flriking proofs of the ex- haufted ftate of the Company's credit in India, for the exigencies of com^* merce. The following ftatement of the re- venues and dilburfements there, will equally fhew how inadequate the re- fources are to anfwer the expences of government. The net annual revenues, cleared > [ 93 ] cleared of the charges of colledions, dur- bar ftipends, and allowances, taking in the profits from fait and opium, produc- ed, by the laft accounts, £, 2,600,000 Cbeyt Sing's tribute -— 300,000 Oude fubfidy about p— 450,000 Tanjore fubfidy * — - 160,000 Nabob's fubfidy and jag- heer, was in arrears to a confiderable amount. * Owing by the Nabob, July 1781, for his arrears, exclufively of jagheer rent — £, 400,000 The jagheer in arrears a year and a half, or 200,000 This If » ' 1 * 3»35o>ooo *| Net amount of Bombay re- i ,1 venues — —1 Net produce from Madras 250,000 1, i . 1 and the Circars, by ac- count ending in April "1 1781 — — 400,000 ,| '4 ■ 1 .''V. * * 4,000,000 fi ■i ■■<■ ■i! r' I 1 i ■ ^ [ 94 ] This Aim of four million and one hun- dred and iixty thoufand pounds was all which the Company had any chance of receiving, within the year, whilft the war remained, and Hyder continued to ' ravage the Carnatic, and to prevent the Nabob from drawing any confiderable fupplies from the revenues of his coun- try- - : , Such is the ftate of oqr refources in- India. On the other hand, the expence for the Bengal eftablilhment, exclufively * of any aids to ether fettlements, amount* ed, for the years 1780 and 1781,^ ta — — * ;C- 3>4oo>ooo ^'The Bombay eftablifli- ment, reckoning in fe- . , ' . ven lacks for the addi- . tional levies, for the years 1780 and 178 1, is cftimatcd at — 700,00a * The eftimate Tent home tor 1781 and 17^2, is to' th^ fame amount. «iat4. <» , , , JL nc V \[ 95 ] .The peace cftablifhment at ' Fort St. George, civil JT, : and military*, is fet at - 720,000 Additional expences, which appear to have been in- 1 curred in the firft year of Hyder's irruption — 300,000 1,020,000 Add to this the expence to be paid for ten regiments, and vidualling eighteen ^ or twenty fail of the line, which cannot be eftimat- ed at lefs than 4 or ^*^ 5,00,000/. more • — Prefent annual expences - Dcdudt annual refources an- • fmg in I t f ' I I i . • [ 96 ] tance which has formerly been fuppofcd; and confequently, there is the kfs occa- fioa for my infixing longer upon th& fubjedt. It may not, however, be amifs toob- ferve, that this port, though it cannot be of material injury to us in a time of war, may be of great advantage in a time of peace. It is entitled to peculiar pri- vileges, and is admirably fitted for carry- ing on the Engli{h and Irifh tnade to the low countries, which is a very important and Valuable branch of commerce. It will be far wifer, therefore, to convert Dunkirk in this view to our benefit, than to have permitted it to remain as an ob- jed; of jealoufy and contention. Perhaps the prejudice againft it may in part have been fomented by the Dutch, who did not like the rivalfhip that might arife from it in point of trade. I HAVE nothing to fay concerning the reft of the Preliminary Articles with France, % - [ 105 ] France, excepting to declare my hope, that the agreement, in the eighteenth article, * for naming Commiflioners to enquire <; 1 1 •Article XVIII. ** By the Definitive Treaty, all thofe which have ** exifted till now between the two High Con trading ** Parties, and which fhall not have been derogated ** from, either by the faid Treaty, or by the prefent ** Preliminary Treaty, fliall be renewed and confirmed; " and the two Courts (hall name Commiflioners to in- " quire into the flate of commerce between the two na- " tions, in order to agree upon new arrangements of '' trade, on the footing of reciprocity and mutual con- •• venience. — The faid two Courts fliall together ami- " cably fix a competent term for the duration of chat " bufinefs." > ,, '•' ' " Article XJX. ** All the countries and territories which may have been, or which may be, conquered in any part of the world whatfoever, by the arms of his Britannic M2- jefly, or by thofe of his moft Chriftian Majefty, and which are not included in the prefent articles, ihall be reftored without difficulty, and wiihout requiring compenfation." ^ , , y, » 1 1 it «< 1,..^ A R T J c L r, XX. " As it is neceflTary to aifign a fixed epoch for the reftitutlons and the evacuations to be made by each P • " of 1.'?: rj ■ . iv ; St ! * w ( io6 ] enquire into the Aate of commerce be- tween the two nations, in order to fettle .. , .. •. . . . new <( It *t it *t *t it *t €t It I* It €1 ft «( It t( it tt It of the high contrafiing parties, it is agreed, that the King of Great Britain fhalJ caufe to be evacuated the lilands of St. Pierre and Miquelon, three months af- ter the ratification of the Definitive Treaty, orfooner if it can be done ; St. Lucia in the Weft Indies, and Goree in Africa, three months after the ratification of the Definitive Treaty, or fooner if it can be done. Th_ King of Great Britain fhall, in like manner, at the end of three months after the ratification of the Definitive Treaty, or fooner if it can be done, enter again into poffeffion of the Iflands of Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, Dominica, St. Chrillo> pher*s, Nevis, and Montferrat. " France (hall be put into pofTefiion of the towns and comptoirs, which are reftored to her in the Eaft Indies, and of the territories which are procured for her, to ferve as dependencies round Pondicherry, and round Karical, fix months after the ratification of the Defi- nitive Treaty, or fooner if it can be done. " France fiiall, at the eiid of the fame term of fix months, rellore the towns and territories which her arms may have taken from the Englilh or their allies in the Eaft Indies. " In coiifequence whereof, the neceflary orders (hall be fcnt by each of the high contrafling parties, with reciprocal pafljports for the Ihips which (hall carry them, immediately after the ratification of the Defi- nitive Treaty. AftTI- . . _ Spain *' Seas, as far as the Canary Iflands, inclu/ive!y, wne- ** ther in the Ocean or in the Mediterranean. Two ** months from the faid Canary Ifland", as far as the *< Equinodial line or Equator ; andlaftly, five months ** in all other pirts of the World, without any exception • ** or any more particular defcription of time £nd place. Article XXIIL ' " : '* The ratification of the prefent Preliminary Articles, *' fliall be expedited in good and due form, and ex- *' changed in the fpace of one month, or fooner if it can " be done, to be computed from the day of the figna- ** tuie of the prefent Articles." . 1 j > f A R T I c L E I. " As foon as the Preliminary Articles fitall befigned " and ratified, fiucere friendfhip fhall be eftabliflied be- ** tween I'll)** \ \ M 109 ] Spain will not demand fo large a difcur- lion as thoic I have already confidered. The firH: objedt in them which prcfents itfclf to notice, is ;hc ftipulation of the lecond article, J that his Catholic Maje- fty fliallkeep the Ifland of Minorca. As the Spaniards had gotten Fort St. Phi- lip's from us by conqueft, it might be . expeded that they would inlift upon re- taining it i and it is one of the lead mis- fortunes to which we have been fubjedt- ed by an unfuccefsful war. Not to raen- arofe to a much larger fum. The amount, for three years, was one million two hundred and fourteen thou- fand two hundred and fifty pounds, the annual average of which is four hun- dred and four thoufand feven hundred / - Q^ and ' I. * I 114 J and fifty pounds. The yearly average, therefore, of the charges of the two Flo- ridas, taken together, is five hundred and twenty-fevcn thoufand four hundred and fixteen pounds thirteen (hillings and four- pence ; and it is Co be remembered, that, in this eftimate, the whole of the mi- litary edablifliment, at leall with regard to Eaft Florida, is not included.* I may fafely appeal to the underftanding of any well- informed reader, whether the imports and exports of thefe provinces, and much lefs the profits of them, have borne any pro- portion to the burthen with which the maintenance and fupport of them have loaded this kingdom. It appears, there- fore, that their being in the hands of Spain is not fo highly difadvantageous as fome perfons may have been led to appre- hend ; and when we refled upon the floth and inactivity of the Spanifh Govern- ment, we (hall be well fatisfied that there is no power which would be lb little Appendix, No. IIF. \. likclv likely to convert the Fioridas to the de- triment of Great Britain. If we had con- tinued to poflcfs them, and they had be- come, in a courfe of years, as flourifhing as a warm imagination may fuppofc, they might, perhaps, have been defirous of uniting with the Thirteen States, and thus have been the fource of future con- tefts. This may be regarded not only as a poflible, but as a highly probable con- tingency. It would be impracticable to hinder fuch a collifion of events, as would interrupt, and, perhaps in the end, totally deftroy the harmony of the Englifli and the Americans. The fourth article * very properly (li- pulates for the liberty of cutting logwood, and 1 Article IV, ** His Catholic Majeflyfliail not for the future fuffer ** the fubjefts of his Britannic Majelly, or their wj;k» " men, to be difturbed or mulefted, under any presence " whatfoever^ in their occupation of cutting, loading. I* -I' ' A « ■ ■: i ■m •• ■ [ ii6 ] and places that matter on its former foot-* ing. Such regulations will, without doubt, be made upon this head, as (haU fecure to Britifli fubjeds all the advan- tages, with regard to fo valuable a mate-^ rial of our manufadtures and commerce, which the nation had a right to expedl. For this purpofe fome particular diff tridt muft be fixed upon, in which our logwood-cutters (hall be allowed to exer^ cife their employment without molefla-f tionj and it is to be hoped, that the gentlenien who conclude the definitive ' . treaty^, m I :'!.i tt ♦ « it (( << (C and carrying away logwood, in a diftri£l of which the boundaries fhall be fixed ; and for this purpofe, they may build without hindrance, and occupy without inr terruption, the houfes and magazines neceflary foic them, for their families, and for their elFocls, in a, place to be agreed upon, either in the Definitive Treaty, or within fix months after the exchange of thcf ratifications; and his faid Catholic Majefty af- fures to them, by this article, the entire enjoy- ment of what is above ftipulated ; provided that thefa ftipulations (hail not be corfidered as derogatory ir^ any refpeft from the rights of his fovereignty." i. "7 ] treaty, will take care that the territory he ample and large, anfwerably to the idea originally formed. Concerning the reftorations provided for by the $fth article*, I have already obferved, that they are fome compenfa- tion for the ceflion of Eaft Florida. It may farther be remarked, that the ifland of Providence is advantageoufly fituated for being ferviceable to the Jiomeward-bound fhips from Jamaica. . '■' If, after all, we have been obliged to make fome conceffions to Spain, which we fliould gladly have avoided, let it be recoiled:- .V. ' *ArticleV. iV ♦' His Catholic Majeily (hall reftore to Great Bri- ^' tain the illands of Providence and the Bahamas, ** without exception, in the fame condition in which ^' they were wh«n they were conquered by the arms of *• the King of Spain." The 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, loth ^nd X ith preliminary articles with Spain, are the fame as the iSth, 19th, 20th, aid, 22d, and 23d prelimi- nary articles with France. The proviiional treaty with America was figned on the joth of November, 1782, and the preliminary articles with France and Spain pn the 20ch of January, 1783. s-'t' i.* •i^i I *a :4 ^"1 'i't [ 1.8 ] recolleded that we have retained Gibral- tar. Had this been given up, we might have had, in exchange for it, very valuable compenfations. But it did not fuit with the temper of the people of England, that Gibraltar fhould be delivered up to the Spaniards for any confideration what- ever. The almoft unexampled fkill and bravery with which it had been defended and relieved, had given it an ineflimable value in the eyes of our countrymen. The pride of the nation could not bear that it (hould be facrificed, after it had flood fo illuArious a iiege, had exhibited fuch prodigies of valour, and been pre- ferved with fuch amazing exertions. This pride was wifely confulted by go- vernment, and Gibraltar hath been kept by us, though, otherwife, many cir- cumftances would have juftified its being exctanged for fomething intrinfically more ufeful. It ought, therefore, not to be efteemed blameable, but highly meritorious in the miniftcrs of the crown, that, by fome concefTions of ' another: ;^ of [ 119 ] another kind, they have gratified the public wi^h refpeft to the retention of an objedt which was deemed of the greatell importance to the national interefl and glory. w_j j-r,... ., ... .., ■'■',:\ i r , But though it was prudent and laud- able in adminiftration to pay a regard to the opinion of the kingdom in this point, there were very weighty reafons of a dif- ferent kind for the condudl which has been purfued. Suppofing that the Mi- niftry, by giving up Gibraltar, might have had the reftitution of all which Spain had conquered, and one of the ca- pital French illands into the bargain, and that the confequence had been the pofleffion of Tobago, as well as Domi- nica and the other iflands, itill the affair muft have been tranfadted through the medium of France 5 and it would have been impoffible to have brought any exchange to bear, which would not have terminated in procuring to the French the other half of St. Domingo. This ]|l i :% '■ 't;.. / . m l! ' f ' r ',' ''1 '■",!il 'i r [ 120 ] This muft have given them fuch a decided fuperiority in the fugar trade as would have ended in a monopoly of that commerce. It would like wife have been the means of drawing large fums of money from this country, for the purcLafe of eftates in any great ceded ifland ; whilft the original proprietors of that ifland would carry their properties to cultivate the richer foil of Hifpaniola* The Englilh, in the mean while, would feel ftill more feverely the mifchiefs that had been experienced in regard to Gre- nada, and at a time too in which we are lefs able to fufFer fuch a drain. The Miniftry, therefore/ acted with a wife and manly lirmnefs, in {landing th6 complaints which rnuft neceffarily refult from aclual cefTions, in order to preferve Gibraltar. If ever hereafter it fhould be found expedient give up that fortrefs to the Spaniards, it will be of the higheft importance to us to do it without the in- terference of France, and to render it the means of detaching Spain from the family ' ' '^ 3 ' . compad. ']] [ 12, ] compadt, and of reftoring that country to its natural alliance with England. As the preliminary articles of peace with the Dutch are not yet publifhed or ratified, and perhaps not finally fettled^ I cannot fpeak of them with that cer- tainty which I hoped to have done. It is, however, fufliiciently known that Trincomale is to be reflored. I am fully fenfible that it is the fincft harbour in the Eaft Indies, and that, if it could be retained by us, it" would be a moft va* luable acquifition. But a little refiedlion will convince us that no fuch event was to be expeded. The ftates of Holland could never have been brought to fubmit to a conceflion fo repugnant to their in- tereH and honour : and in their demand of the reftitution of Trincomale, they are fupported by all the influence and power of France, and by the interefts of Europe in general. It would be found impoflible to engage the French to for- R fake m i 1. 1 if m W .f:l" i,:;l y ) [ 122 ] fake that republic in a matter of fucfj great importance. The war of England with the Dutch was entered upon preci- pitately, harfhly, and if 1 were to add unjuftly, I (hould deliver the fentimcnts of many wife and good men in this country. Confidering, therefore, the violent manner in which we have adled towards them, to have infifted upon the retention of Trincomale, even if we could have enforced our poffefiion of it, could fcarcely have been defended, cither on the principles of equity or policy. With regard to policy at leaft, we may fafely alTert, that it would have been very unwife to have irritated for ever agdinft us a people with whom we have httii (o long and naturally connected, whofe commerce, alliance, and friend- fhip have always been of the greateft fervice to us, and which, under pru- dent management, may continue to be fo in future times. But the union would perhaps irrecoverably have been broken, if [ J23 1 if we had refufed to have obliged them in the article of Trincomale. . . * ;»or But if we have confented to the ceflion of Trincomale, it is to be remembered, that the Cape of Good Hope is to be re- ftored by the French to the Dutch. This is a circumftance of eminent ad- vantage to the commerce of England. The Eaft Indies would comparatively be of little benefit without the ufe of the Cape. It is the key to that part of the world j and without the aid derived from it, our voyages would be very flow and inconvenient. If the Cape, and the territory belonging to it, were to remain in the hands of France, every one muft: be fenfible, that many evils would hence accrue to this country. Befides the ge- neral utility in refpec'^ to provifion, wa- tering, repairs, and a relting- place for their (liips, which the French would de- rive from being mafters of the Cape of Good Hope, they would hereby be R 2 cxceedin!?lv w> •> H .'»,■:(, [ 124 ] exceedingly (Irengthened in their aN tempts to acquire freOi power in the Eaft Indies. The Englifh, on the other hand, would be proportionably weaken- ed, and lofe thofe means of refrefhment and fupply they have fo long enjoyed. But by the Cape's reverting to our old ally, thefe difadvantages will be prevented, and every thing be placed upon its for- mer natural and falutary foundation. I underftand, likewife, that Negapat- nam is to be ceded to Great Britain, and that fome commercial ftipulations of the higheft importance have beea made, which it would be premature to enter upon at prefent, but which, when they come to be known, will fully juftify the preliminary articles with the Dutch. As it may fall upon a different fet of gentle- men to complete the affair, I hope that they will purfue it with attention and zeal. It is certainly of the greateft con- iequence to remove the caufes of jealoufy and [ '25 ] and diflention which have arifen betwixt us and Holland, to detach that country from too clofe a connexion with France, and to reftore to England and the Seven United Provinces, the confidence, alli- ance, and friendfliip, which, with a few interruptions, have for more than two centuries fubfifted between them. .,. m ■ I have now examined the provifional treaty with America, and the preliminary articles of peace with France and Spain : and it appears that more may be faid for the particular ftipulations of them, than might, on a curfory view, be ima- gined -y and that they arc by no means fo difhonourable or difgraceful as inatten- tion, ignorance, and private and feliiih views have reprefented. But if, after all, it (hould ftill be thought unpleafant to have given way in fome poin.ti which affedl the pride of the nation, on whom is this to be charged ? Not furely on the miniflry wh > confented to dp it, but on the ■I M ;:m, [ >26 ] the men by whom the kingdom was re- duced to the unhappy condition of fub- xnitting to terms, which, in the feafon of its profperity, it might have refifted with firmnefs. The peace, fo far as it . is difagrecable in any refpedl, has not been made fo by Lord Shelburne, and his colleagues in office, but by the admi- niftration vvliich carried on the obflinate and fatal war with America, and raifcd againft the nation a boil: of foreign ene- mies. It was produced by the neceflity to which t/?ey had brought the public of giving up the contefl, or of ruihing for- ward to inevitable deftru(^ion. What there is of good in the Treaty, (and that there is much good in it has fully been ihewn) we owe to the ability, the atten- tion, and the exertions of the men by whom it hath been fo fpeedily and hap- pily accompli (lied. It is fcarcely a year iince almoft: every voice was loud for putting an end to the war on any terms ; and it would not at that time have cafily been [ 127 ] been imagined that peace could be obtain- ed by concefTions fo comparatively fmall and infignificant. If it could have been thus purchafed, it would have been deemed an event devoutly to be wi(hcd. , What gratitude, then, what juftice can there be in complaining of that which we fo lately regarded as infinitely defira- ble, and indeed abfolutely neceflary ? There is no reafon to believe that peace could have been procured on better terms. It is certain that the conditions on which it hath been fettled, were the ultimatum of our enemies. If the Miniftry had re- fufed to accede to thefe conditions ; if, rather than do it, they had determined to protradl the war -, if they had continued to expofe us to the difficulties, dangers, and calamities by which we were, fur- rounded; then, and then only, would they have been entitled to cenfure, difgrace, and punifhment. The nation already begins to feel the bleflings of peace. The good confe- 2 . quences i'it I >28 ] quenccs of it were immediately cxpc-* rienced, by the bulk of the people, not only in the reduced prices of feveral arti- cles of confumption, and efpccially in the great fall of coals and fugar, but in many other refpcdls. Induftry and commerce have aiTumed a different and far more joyous appearance. The manufadlures lift up their heads, and orders for goods are fpreading through every quarter of the kingdom. The woollen manufacture in particular, hath revived in an aftoniih- ing degree. So low were thofe parts of it brought down which are carried on in Norfolk, Eflex, and Suffolk, and fo fmall, in confequence of it, was the demand for long wool, that Uis. counties in which it grows, have been earneftly folicitous to have the exportation of it permitted by law. But no fuch fcheme is now necef- fary. The wool of thofe counties, to the great relief and confohtion both of the graders and land-owners, hath arifen double in value. ;. , . , ..... .^ ■ Not- [ 129 ] Notwithstanding the clamours which have been attempted to he raifcd againfl the peace, is there a man among us, who, without regard to private pur- pofes, wiHies for the continuance of the war ? Is there a man who fcrioufly thinks that more advantageous terms were to be expelled ? Is there a man who can lay his hand upon his heart, and, looking to God and his country, afTert, that he wiflies the nation to be again involved in its conteft with France and Spain, with Holland and America ? If there be thufe who make light of fuch a confederacy ; if there be thofe who not only imagine that a better Treaty might have been nego- tiated, but that the terms agreed upon were fo inadequate to what we had Vea- fon to expe^ft, that the renewal of hofti- lities would have been more eligible than to have yielded to the conditions we have complied with; if there be politicians who fincy that, in going on for a cam-.^ paign or two longer, w.r ihould have met with nothing but vidory, and that we S fhould .1 ti m I 130 1 fhould entirely have beaten the fleets and armies of our enemies ; let me be permit^ ted to tell them, that nothing can be io idle and groundlefs as imaginations of this kind, and that to have aded upon them vi^ould have been the height of foUy and infatuation. What little reafon there could be to prefer the continuance of the war to the peace which has been obtain- ed, will appear to a denionftration, if we advert to the ftate of our army, the ftate of our navy, and the ftate of our finances, If the war had been perfifted in, the army muft have been kept up to its full eftablifhmcnt. Great part of it muft ftill have been retained in the American pro- vinces ; for though we might only have continued there upon the defenfive, a large force would, neverthelefs, have been ne- ceflary even for that purpofe ^ and who qould tell what caufes might have occur- red, to provoke offenfive operations ? If we had attempted to carry on any impor- tant expeditions againft the Weft India Jflands^ (1 1 [ i3i i liiands, or againft the Spanish territories in South America^ nothing of this kind could have taken place^ and the empire have been fufficiently guarded in other refpcdlSj unlefs our regiments had been complete. But is it generally known how defcdive the condition of the army was in point of numbers ? More than twenty-^five thoufand men were wanting to render the eftabliQiment effective : but how fuch a fupply of troops could have been obtained^ is beyond the ablefl of our commanders to fay. In fadt> the recruiting fervice had become defperate. .Thofe who condud: our military affairs, are the moft fenfible how impradicable it was» during the laft campaign^ to un^ dertake any great enterprize, and that this impradicability would have been more ilrongly felt in the fucceeding year* The vidlory of Lord Rodney, and the defence and relief of Gibraltar, have been warmly infilled upon, as having raifed the kingdom to a far higher fituation S 2 than .#: H ■ f'l '■■'4\ 'H ''m ,%H\.), N [ 132 ] than that in which it flood previoufly to thefe events. No Englifliman can wilh to detradt from the value of fuch il- luftrious exploits. They were equally honourable and ufeful, contributing, in an eminent degree, to the glory and be- nefit of the nation ; and the public grati- tude and applaufe will ever attend a Rodney, a Howe, and an Elliot, for the fignal fervices they have performed to their country. But the importance of the adlions performed by thefe illuftrious commanders, lies in their having been the means of our prefervation, and not in their enabling us to engage in expedi- tions of conqueft. They have refcued us from danger, and diftrefs, and ruin ; but they have not put us into the condition of profecuting the war with any aflur- ances or hopes of final fuccefs. Their prime merit has been in giving us to fland upon higher ground, in the late ne- gotiation ; and, perhaps, had it not been for thefe fuccefTes, we could not have obtained peace at all ; or, if it had been obtain- [ ^33 ] obtained, it mud have been on terms , very hurtful to the feelings of the public. s - - ^ f - .... •., . ^ Particular ftrefs has been laid on the flourifhing ftatc of our navy. That it is in fo refpertable a condition, I fin- cerely rejoice ; but ftill it is not equal to that of our combined enemies. As fleets are always in a fluduating Hate, it is dif- ficult precifely to afcertain, at lead for any confiderable period of time, their exad fituation and number. There is, however, the befl authority before the public fur faying, that, on the 31ft of De- cember, 1782, the Ihips of the line, ca- pable of fervice, or which would foon be ready for it, belonging to Great Britain, amounted only to ninety-nine, whilft thofe of Spain, France and Holland were, at leaft, a hundred and twenty-lix. * It is to be feared that this calculation is below the mark, on the flde of the enemy; for other great authorities make their combined fleet to be nearly a hundred * Appendix, No. IV. and i ' ( t U4 ] and iifty. -f- Againft fuch a fuperiority of force it would not have been eafy to contend; efpecially as the Dutch would not probably have longer con- tinued inadive. Their fleet was, at length, brought into a good condition^ and would iiave afforded a formidable aid to France and Spain. Would it not, then, have been madnefs to have refufed peace upon the bare chance of coming off victorious, againft three of the greateft naval powers in Europe ? , ii'im V 9 w %' But fuppofing that the Britifh navy had been flronger and more numerous than in fadt it is, were we fure of ob- taining every fuccefs which a fanguine imagination might prefume to expedt ? Thofe know little of hiftory who think that decifive battles can be brought on at pleafure* The opportunities of great naval engagements feldom occur ; and the vidlories gained by Lord Rodney were partly owing to accidentally meeting t AppendiXi No- V. <• , with ity afy tch [ 135 ] with the enemy. If the war had been continued, it would not have been in our power to have obliged the fleets of our enemies to fight us when and where we had chofen. The com- manders of them, by the proper ma- nagement of winds and tides, could avoid being forced to a battle, contrary tQ their inclinations. If to windward, they have the option of their diftance ; and if to leeward, they have the advantage of a cannonade of twenty minutes, without return, before our fhips can clofe ; in which fpace of time many of our veflels would be crippled in marts, fails, yards, and rigging. They have only to make fail, and keep clear of a clofe action ; and how much this is in their own phoice, hath been proved, in various in- ftances, during the prefent war. In fjiort, it is incontrovertably true, that two fleets of equal force, ably com- manded, may he a month in fight of each other, without producing a decifive event, unlefs the chiefs on both fides are equally r [ 136 ] equally determined to fight it out; nor is a decifive evjnt always, or generally, the refult of naval engagements, as hath been fufficicntly experienced in the late war. Thus another and another fummer might have been wafted to no purpofe, and many millions of money have been fpent in vain. , ■ !'»!• :'\. lii The late of our finances, and the prodigious expence which would have attended the continuance of the war, are objeds of t'lC moft ferious confideration. Would it have been worth while to have incurred the certainty of fpending twen- ty or thirty millions, r?»ther than to have agreed to the prefent peace ? Some men there are, who have a ridiculous notion, that becaufe the nation has fo long fuf- tained an accumulation of debt, it will fuftain it for ever. But every thing that is human muft necefifarily be • finite. Though perfons may be miftaken in fup- pofing that a kingdom cannot go beyond certain limits, there are, neverthelefs, '^ ■ '^'wj •' , ^ bounda- ;li [ '37 3 boundaries which can never be pafled without deftrudion. If a nation, like an individual, continually fpends more than its income, its revenues will at laft be exhaufted. Without pretending to foretell how long our refources might hold out, it is fufficient to fay, that they have been tried too much to expofe them to future hazard. } 41 i ■ I The national debt, on the 5th of Ja-^ nuary, 1783, (I fpeak from good in- formation) funded and unfunded, a- mounted to two hundred and forty-fevcn millions three hundred and twenty thou- sand nine hundred and twenty-one pounds. Of this the funded debt is two hundred and twenty-two millions eight hundred and two thoufand four hundred and twenty-eight pounds. The unfund* ed debt is twenty-four millions GlVq hun- dred and eighteen thoufand four hundred and ninety-three pounds. The yearly intereft of the funded debt, including the fum annually paid for annuities on lives, T " and M i $ ^'1 I 138 ] and including alfo the charge for md- nagement, is feven millions four hundred and eighty-two thoufand five hundred and forty-two pounds. The annual in- terefl: of that part of the unfunded debt which carries intereft, is fix hundred and fixtv-feven thoufand and feven hundred and twenty-feven pounds. The total of the yearly intereft on the national debt, is eight millions one hundred and fifty thoufand two hundred and fixty-nine pounds. Other calculations, by very fkilful men, do not dimini(h, but increafe, thefe fums. The fupplies that will be re- q^uifite for the prefent year are eftimated at nineteen millions feven hundred and feventy thoufand pounds. Need I alk, whether fuch an enormous debt be not a moft dreadful burthen upon the public ? Invention itfelf is almort wearied out in fixing upon new modes of taxation, and every frefh tax contributes to render the old ones lefs efficient. Was this a pe* riod toprotrad the war; to protradl it in the hopes of gaining advantages highly impro- [ '59 ] improbable, perhaps impoflible, to be gained ; to protradt it only to be reduced to a more deplorable fituation, with an accumulated load on ourfelves and our pofterity ? Whatever ignorance, pride, or fadion, may didate, peace was abfo- lutely necefTary, and the acquifition of it (hould be matter of ihankfulnefs and congratulation. ..... 4 . The more the fubjed is refledled upon, the more ftrong and numerous will the reafons appear againft the con- tinuance of the war. Circumftances might be mentioned, which, perhaps, it would be improper to difclofe ; and it is much to the honour of Miniftry that they have not, even for the fake of their own vindication, under all the incen- tives of irritation and attack, had recourfe to every argument that might have been brought to juftify their condudt. Their condudt, however, may be amply jufti- fied, from what it is almoft in every T 2 man's •/I .•1, 'j • C f \ [ 140 ] man's power to know and to obferve. If it were necefTary dill farther to enlarge upon the matter, I might defire my readers to confider, that the rifques we ran during the laft campaign ; the late- nefs with which our navy could je got- ten ready for adion ; the danger to which our Baltic fleet was long cx;^ofed ; the feafon's being paft for an expedition againfl: South America; the impoffibili- ty of removing the troops from New York time enough for any attempt in the Weft Indies, before the bad weather fet in ; the impradlicability, acknowledged by every General and every Admiral, of giving fuccefs to enterprizes in fight of an equal, much lefs a fuperior fleet -, the variety and diftance of the places we had to defend ; the remotenefs of the objed:s of attack ; and the certain profpedt of thefe difficulties being rather increafed than diminished in the prefent year, all loudly called upon Government to make no delay in the reftoration of peace. Thefe 3 [ '41 ] Thele were caufes fufficient to animate the zeal of our rulers in fecuring to us that blefTing, even if there had been no want of difcipline in our armies and na- vies, no backwardnels in the public fer- vice, no fpirit of mutiny to clog the operations of war, and weaken the ar- dour for military glory. When to thefe circumftances are added the general fadts, of the daily multiplication of our ene- mies by the neutral league j the increafe of our internal divifions j the leflening of our revenue by civil contefts, lofles, and taxes ; the diminution of our fleet by ftorms and perpetual wear, fafter than it could be replaced ; the power which our adverfaries had to avoid fighting with us, whenever it fuited their own views -, the unhealthinefs of particular flations, and the diflike that was taken to them ; the decre^fe of Tea captures ; the unfuit- ablenefs of our country to the raifing and maintaining a large landed force ; the confinement of the mercenaries to Ame- rica; » r ■*« ;■»!.'' I « I .3' I [ H2 ] rica ; the flowncfs with which poflef- fions could be won, if they could be won at all ; the extreme hazard to which Jamaica, infinitely the moft valuable of our iflands, was expofed ; and the na- tional diftrefs that would arife from its being the feat of hodilities ; it requires no great depth of underftanding to fay, that peace was iridifpenfably neceflary to the kingdom. It was indifpenfably ne- ceffary to divide our enemies, if not to re-unite ourfelvcs, and re-attach Ameri- ca, before the French were eftabiifhed in it, and England forgotten there. Who could hefitate a moment about quitting a fatal conteft, giving up names, and confenting to lofe a flight matter of revenue ; where, too, the expence of retaining an acquifition might be far above the advantage it would produce ? Wars rarely pay for themfelves j certain- ly not equal wars ; much lefs lofing wars ; undoubtedly not wars for Colo- ;iies ', lead of all wars for future Colo- nies : 'ti i [ »43 ] nics : for it would have been a war for future Colonies, if we had perfifted in the quarrel with the Americans, for the fake of the Canada boundaries and the Back Settlements. After having produced fuch a varie- ty of arguments in juftification of the peace, and being convinced, as I certain- ly am, of the many advantages with which it is attended, it would be natu- ral for me to launch out in the praifes of thofc, who, in a feafon of general def- pondency, when the Government wa» reduced fo low by a bad adminiflra- tion, aflumed the diredion of affairs^ and have done fo much in fo little a time. But the writer of thefe fheets is the advocate of meafures, not of men^ He can truly fay, that he hath not adted from perfonal attachments and motives, but from the full convidion of his underftanding and confcience, and froni the deiire and hope of contributing. ibme- % 1 I.I w ■■ :■■■,(; ' ' (if ■ M-. '* ^:i '3 P ;: !^ [ H4 i fbmething to the public good. It is the duty of every citizen, who is capable of it, to enlighten the minds of his country- men upon fubjeds of national impor- tance. Since the old edifice is neceffa- rily deflroyed, by the unavoidable fc;pa- ration of Great Britain and America, we fhould exert ourfelves to the utmoft of our power, that the new one may be founded in juftice, in union, and in gene- ral convidlion. Its fuperftrudture de- pends upon it, and the inhabitants of the kingdom will be more or lefs adlive, in proportion to the confidence they have in i^s wifdom and flability. It behoves thofe who made it, to recommend them- felves to the public by promoting the principles of it, whether in or out of Government. Thefe are a cordial inter- courfe with North America j a well- grounded hope, firfl of returning affec- tion, and then of returning union ; and an univerfal freedom of commerce. It becomes thofe who objedled to the peace - i , . equally ; equally to adhere to thefe principles. If wc are fo happy as to recover the confidence of our American brethren, the trade is fure ^ to follow. If we are fo wife as to profit by experience, and to fend liberal laws to our remaining Colonies, inflead of troops, bad governors, and machiavelian fyftems, we (hall be freed from the bur- then of tranfmitting large fums thither, which we can no longer afford, and ihall receive confiderably from thence in re- turn, by the neceffary balance of our commerce. If we have refolution enough to open our ports at home, and to make Great Britain and Ireland, what Nature and Providence intended them for, a ma- gazine between the old and new v/orld, between the north and fouth of Europe ; and if flridt ceconomical regulations be adopted, without lofs of time, in every department, we may Hill find a fubflitute for all that we have given up, and be more at our command, by being within ourfelves. I fii u But w-« , • i;. ■ ■ mi 1 !■■■ !'.■*' m ■ 'i; w 'i, i s "'ff' pifl 'i- 11 ¥1 'i » [ '46 ] • But if we revert to pafl principles ; if we continue to go on upon the idea of ' narrow monopoly; if we are afraid to truil: our commerce to the greatnefs of " our capital, the fuperior ikill of our ma- nufadturers, and the fingular advantages of our infular fituation -, if, abandoning thefe benefits, we attempt to force parti- ' cular branches by high impofts and pro- hibitions, which muft alienate Europe, and clog our great objedts of export at foreign markets ; if we add, indifcrimi- jiately, five per cent, to five per cent. ' upon our cuftoms and excife, and de- pend, for the colledion of them, on our armies, and on laws which arc a reproach to human nature ; if we have not the refolution to fhift the duties from articles of ad:ive trade to thofe of luxury and home confumption ; if, with ' the example of the Dutch before our eyes, we perfift in hampering our navi- gation, which ought to be free as air; if fine-cures are to be fupported, and the firfl )f Ito of la- res •o- [ H7 J ■ firft nobility of the land are to hold places of high profit, without any fervices an- nexed to them i if fees are to be upheld as a neceflary incentive to the relaxed ilate ,of office, and one merchaiit is to bid againfl another, for having that bufinefs ^ expedited which the fmallcft, as well as ' . the greateft, by every rule of lav/ as well as policy, are entitled to have difpatched without perquifite or gratuity of any kind ; if we return to the miferable maxim of increafing the capital of our debt, in order to leflen the odium of our taxes, and thus rivet that debt, enormous as it is, upon our (houlders ; above all, if we fufferthe revenue, the military, the navy, the morals of the people, and even. the fervice of Religion, to be facrificed to • the purpofe of eleding a Houfe of Com- mons, the members of which, in con- tradidion to the general fenfe of the nation, are afterwards to difturb the executive courfe of Government, from evident motives of ambition, or felfidi- , . U 2 nefs. • 'J I ■' m [ 148 ] nefs, or perfonal refentment, and without the femblance of public virtue j — is there much prefumption in faying, A5lum eft de Republican He that runs may read that we are in no circumftances wl 'ch will afford the continuance of fuch corruption. We are already nearly worn out by it, and it is high time to recur to a better fyftpm. Every man muft unite in endeavouring to get rid of a falfe Government, that we may know what fecurity we have for our perfons, our induftry, and our properties, and what Conftitution we; are to hand down to poRerity. It is but juftice to acknowledge, from the declarations con- tained in the King's fpeech, that thofe who made the peace confidered it only as the firfl ad of their adminiftration, and the ground of all the refl of their exertions for the fafety, improvement, honour, and profperity of their country. It is incumbent on thofe who fucceed them to adopt the fame enlarged and patriotic views, and to make this thefole ' 5 - -y, objed: . / [ H9 ] objeft of contention, who fhall moft ef- fedually contribute to refcue the nation from impending evils, and to render it flouriftiing and happy for many future ages. This is the only emulation that can give luftre to their charad:ers, the only ambition with which able and ho- nourable men, who have it in their power to be of lervice to Great Britain, •ught to be infpired. A P P E N- ;l 1 ■i\ 1 1 ■ ■ ; '"1 K>-' '>: El ■ ' ■■ ' ii m i ■I r m C »5» J V fToo 5° I B O CO O c cm >^ 1-4 a C o •^ O C» M ^ '^ "* OO M rh ON wn CJN ix^ r>* c< *o CO «o CO d t-4 1^ oo o u ^ C/1 b^ S2 I I I I I I 4) > -C! I ^ I I oo • *-« t>> •TJ'H r- ii o M 2^ V WD*-' >> H— « u en .o cti J-. w E Urn "^ S , C « ° J2 S o JS^ Co o 2 p c« 4-* CO s o oo J^oo f-. -at--, O CO -• *" Q o >— ^o cy -73 •^ CO s s o o O O O O ^ 1-1 4-1 <-• ^ ^^ ••— • ■»-• ••-< '^^ ••-^ ^ QfiQQa [151 ] -I" «>0 vn CO vo 1 1 o o >> . *■* CO £ S o o O O OQ ► . V O M Th •1 d co ON rs « *> ^ 1 tv. ON r^. VO VO '4- *^ S t2 • m \A '*n\* m\f ■](» mI+ »|t« '1' 1^ VO t^ M VO VO *^ "+ ^ .« ? 4J CU l-l M <-l « CS O 4J t > (« VO *^ "-n VT) r>,vo ON -^ 2 =» ^VO oo VO O f^ "^ 1^- ^— " . i 2 1 M Q •* O VO *^ CTn Uh OJ . »« Tr> r> r« »% r " ON O ^r>v» NH tJ- CO nt r th ined. CO M •^ CO "-t ^ ON ^ 1 i 1 ^. 3 ,0 cs C CO 4 ON O '-'CO r^ CO CO r>. -. C rt '13 cs >, aj ©o • o^ oOej o o ; be added ngs and cle le accuratel A of the abov hofpital pay er annum ii^ -^ M ^ -. cB'S-Q 00 ti. on'5 <^ O m X>x ^ t^ ^ ^ CO CO fum mu iF-reckoi cannot thin and J. p -^ o - o •" ^ i ^cti t^ai i^ .x: ^ "t; __. "t: ctJ t: ^ "5 oo -5 Th - VO c fe . o 13 ^ ■? -2 3 ^ VO *-» O r O « ^ JD 52 ON «^ W 4J ^ CO C< t>, CJ d C4 s a s s E e s It to offic s, a 2 2^^^ 2^ t,^ VtH ^-1 tH_, Uh M-( M-i o o o o o o o 'i_i . Tl 5 -G 1 addi ifTued Canai =5 --: *-• o 2 S S i3 ^ S g s f""i F^H p^S H^ H"n H^ r"i ►■^ C> [ 1J2 I o ua I "■*"■ i ■t 1 B '^1 ^M m ■'• *1 m ,^ ■•>, f ^1 s < o u c ^ u a, >< W G O W m \0 „ -Irt -Ih m(+ «|*w |-f •• I«« CO O cJ f^vo CJ vo CO O en O "^ vn C^ N 'r! o^ ro^o C^O Cpnoo O . f CO oo , o u N ■ I— « > I I I I I I I I I I I I "^ » / - >^ I -I CTn . t^ ^ i^ oo *-• oo i^oo r^ 9J '-***, o — *-• l-t 5 fcS2<^o02:22sS222 ^^ crjr^'^fi^ rrf^ ?^5 CO CO oo c ^ ^ oo r^ -• ^ * ^ 1^ !>. u oo CO oo § ^ o; ^cy C - ^ tl>(« > ctl ^U ^o r— ~J 1.U '~^<=^ >C1 -G '«-' ^ -C -G -C ^ -C • ■ 4_i r** *-» ' '^ *-• *-* ^ ^ ca 'J- t^'ii CO -• ^t: vn c^ lo o « £ p S o < 1^ rii C o > o [ 153 ] .S o U CO '• ^3 > »/^ C9 f^ G m. ' ^ f^ Ta Ui ^-^ 1 4J 1 Arm d and > 1 c i 1 J3 etf ♦^ TV* c . W) .2w c £ e •M c3 •s <4-4 li (/I c (« > !>. -H- w* «3 »o a o o CO i rt O O 00 ^ c c c c C c3 5 O ^ - -.S -^ -^ S c c c X pa vo VO vo o\ -K c^ ^ vr> ON M *** VO CJ r>. vo vo N« 00 vo Tj- 0\ ON 11 •-» •H \^ l§l 2 1 4-1 4-1 1 ' • f-i* • »^ ^^ p- -o TS "U ^ ^< CO '^f" so .13 -I«« c i? 4^ VO 4-1 C vo , |i' 1" E 4-1 1 -T •* m i-8 00 9 M (S •^ •^ #« ^ r> •^ 00 00 ^ OQ ,^ t^ Ui r>. u u "1* »-4 ^ C c c t t-H t— t ►-^ ^fl v^ r^ t| [ '54- 1 00 1 ti m ^;,f wm ' ' 'I W' ' *' m ':j ^m ' Wmi ■ ii ■nl ' ''''i m'"'^^ Kl ' ^ B "^ H IP i, k' , '^ ^P . I? iKI ■' 1* «^r f f Hpf^ ^1 S' M,| ■ 1 M*' 1 '/' m"; (. K i' ] .. ON O -« rh vc "+ ON O vb o\e» »» *« f» CO vo M- o oo OO rt-Ci COO Cfit>,r«^Vf> coVO vo CI t^ Thv^ ^ MOO rj owii^oo ON ONi-oo e«r>cf) f* -^ m fi CO^ I ^ So I V e I ,* e I •w a3 S ^^ I— I U ca IS Q 13 CA C o w vqOO On ' .-- M c^OO 09 OO •-« 5Q \ [ '55 ] M 5 O OS O "^ O "^ o o t^ ON I > a; > TJ ,w Oi bD -i CO H 4_, »- flj C e 4^ "^ ^ C "^ 2 rrT — O C •-< *.r. *^ fl» ^ ^ jtr^ C ,— bD ., ii flL» .IL» 3 i2 «»^- § ^ t: o c o (u 5 cj u ^ •-^ 4J Vi5 W > ♦-• O e^ f--^ r^ vo d O -* vo «^ f^ IT) N "-ON — *^ » rs c« "X ♦»•«•* _P !»,-<« v.«< CO O ^ ►H -, IP-I M ,H M t-< I I I t I M 00 ON ^ CO ^ CO CO '^ en n O O O O P O 2 *j if M ii *-• w ^ t^ t"^ j^ rv J^ !>. t^ r^*^ t^ r^ e: ei cK ^ ctt « ct: 5» u X 2 E o U4 t 156 ] m 1* '4 ^t* Ji 00 VO *^oo ^O ri- "^ M VT) o ^ "+ IM (^ ^ w 00 ^ ■ ■ 9j J5 M u rt c O 6 CN VO 00 00 fH ■§1 (U o u ^ G o V CJ CO O o O vo On CJ> 2£ 2-5 00 SO HS So Q *- S So- 8^ Ph fi t 157 ] OS 00 CO O O 00 to 00 n vo CO vr> CO »s vn 1 u > u a 1m 4-» • v-H "rt Q • ^H M w s • ^N 4iJ i-l ut Urn • ^^ a Q ts g c PS ^^ tn (« 3 3 C^ c d vo ON ON to ON ON c* S2 O H CO S 3 a c u « t>. ON 00 C< 00 vr> o CO 00 ON rj- CO t^ CO «« *^ «« 00 O O 00 H* o vo »^» M 1 1 1 1 u in 1 ' §> c M O efl C C C3 O C C «l W I '^ I c« C3 '^ -W *-^ r3 > < u vo CO ON vo N« ON vo vo V> t>s. «« «\ ON vo ON CO CJ 09 *\ vo s? [ 158 ] . ■ )l h ^ Vi ri •73 > o c CO s < I X CL, w^ d tJ- CO Mill a> w X (x3 o a, a I II 11 « CO onvo 'O O O,^ 0> O *0 ^ CI M M CO ^ -^ X II I I I S \f\\0 Cr\ CO rh o . veo i-t CO '^ in r> VJ », •^ »> •. « p ^VO t^ <^ cooo 3 (^ ^ ^ t^ ^ I II I I moo cooo M VO 'O t^r^oo t>» i^ r^ {^ r^ CI. W • If) vn • ' 5 • , CO o^ . . ** ^ . . • CO s^ * ** d\ ' l-l o . • • W o. (U X . ct5 rt II 1 1 1 G • s • «x ,o» ^ • • • »- ^^ '5 . . . ^[ioo rt-OO •— < ss? • • • ** L rt k^ • • * t^ « Ui o U a. > B HH Mill o C; CO ■ • »^r> c\ *^ <^ 4>J crt . CO Th c^ T ll O . • ^ O oo Th a g,v^ « ;z] co c* « w . f . 'T3 C • Mill CO 4^ o • CO • • CO "+ O Cl. 4^ . . irjoo CO a s,. r->. r^ c^ r^ I ' "i. '(f [ J59 ] I I I I II I I I— I o is H •♦«* 60 1 o o O o ^ (I] O O CO !^ J^ *^ O O o o vo "- ,i * *-t o o o o o vo * K Tt-O* "-« *>• o v^ M CO ^ N 09 » «N 00 vn HI CO t-i 1 •' f CO ■a • .1 -^ ■' 1 SJ - ! < > SjJS 4> 1) 'f^ G *. . ^^ ■^ -^ *-•.*'" 1^ '• v: c: c .f«3 * •« ^ Bills draw Bills draw . Provifions Civil efta ■ ' ■ [ i6o ] . 'i ■i n f Mil J:! ■f ii' < I— I Pi o CO •a •S to o o o o o o o o o o o Q o o o o o o o '^ CO r^ O oo •« •« n •» ^ VT) CO N O « M 00 OO C< M o I', II u ^ '71 o o <4-l (30 C fc^j>^'^ CO S a ^ ft c c rt ca ^ r^ CO CO >.2rrJ pq pq Ph ^ U o o o o o vo vo r4 t>v M »* -4- ^ »ii4 o N ''l- M • ^ 1 1 1 1 1 I Ctt o G S O S v,^ O bO c« I OS S C c 2 o '^ ^ CO O CO M ^4 o o vo vo vo >H vo t>s '^ A •» «s d ^ r- d O oo On • • ;2; M y M tJ- OS *^ M , • CO •> t% ^ ** ^ ON 5. M "^ M • &4 < *■■ Co 1 I 1 1 1 , G 2 ■ g • • . . 00 •3 . ; • • -"S ■•* : ■ H s^ : :4 g 1 ••• Mill v2 ■' ^ • vo .o vo i- o S^ ' I ' >< jd covovo « - - , ^ L. :.« ^ * (■ *■ ■'.. u ^ i 1 1 t M V • S } 2 / V i a, ^ .CO C3NVO Vf> g,' • O M w t^ \ ' - - .■ ' ■- < ^ . t-l Tt- CO > p < ' M / 1 P< . Mill . i , ' a.. ■ ' . '■ ,-|^^ : • «^o6 cfioo M *■' vo vo t^ r^oo * r>. t^ r>« t>. c>^ M « M M »i4 W til * -1. > .1'' B ■■ii A P P E N D I X, No. IV. STATE of the BRITISH FLEE T. V-j> ^iji December y 1782. »*. I, •' — 4 Jamaica — of the line -^ — • ., Ill'' Two fuppofed coming home. One (Monarch) in bad condition, having been on fliore. :.r Lccivard IJlands — ^of the line — — The ['•rudent at St. Lucia excepted. North America — of the line — - — Of s^ g'-^ns — 3. . .- ^ . . ft- Eajt hdies — of the line, and on their^ paflage, including Com. Bickerton's ^ fquadron \ ' J Returned to Europe ■ Of 50 guns' — ■ 5. ; 5. '• Home Service — of the line. Vigilant and 7 Standard inclufive J Fitting <^iit — of the line, that would be ready by the end of April, — Dejigned for Foreign Service. ^ For Welt Indies under Com. Elliot. — For Eaft Indies, viz. Foni^ude, Alexan- ) dcr, and Egmont i , • •** ^< J For Weft India Convoy — aJ- Ditto, (with Troops for Jamiaca, viz. 1 } 2 Regiments) Atlas and Vengtance I'-'. 40 N. B. 18 t 16 6 6 3 2 2 » 99 The .^;ii ■ t. i63 ] N. B. The Ihips that were to have been paid off" are not ir.rKided in thefe numbers. — Three , or four of fifty guns (and Medwa^^ for St. ' Helena) were refer ved for occafional fer- vices. The receiving fhips, Diligente, Dunkirk, and Lenox, cxclufive alio. i8 I i6 - 6 f 3 2 2 v/li' COMBINED and FOREIGN FORCE. Ai Cadiz — of the line - •— , 6o Captain Bourmaller*s intelligence con- ^; firming that of captur'd Mafter of Gibraltar Tranfport. American Squadron — Vaudreuil — Havanna— rtddy — Eqft Indies Upon their paflage thither, as by intelli- 1 sence — fuppofed < I 12 'i8 4 6 Fitting out at Brcft, Toulon, and Ferrol i — fuppofe _ j N. B. Inferred, rJ kaft, equal in number to thofe we had fitting in our ports. ' - Total "7o8 Dutch — eftipiated in the whole at 20 of the line. AttheTexel — fuppofed 16 Fourteen were adlually at lea, fuppofed of convoy. Uniied states cf /hnerica — no pofitive num- ber: but uf a clafs that would require fome force ac Nevy York, — -- Total 124 If the Dutch be reckoned at 20., — Total 120 APPEN. i 164 ] APPENDIX, No. V. The State of the FRENCH NAVAL FORCE in ailaal Service, In October 1782, it amounted to — 73 Dedud the Solitaire, — (incc taken — 72 A lift of the Spani pears very much amounts to iih navy, which ap-1 1 under the mark^V 58 '';i Ditto of the Dutch, including fifty-gun 1 Ibips, amounts to ■ J '^ S! '■ 'V ilft^ \\ '1 ' \'f The number of line of battle ihips build- By other intelligence 149 tie number ot line of battle fhips build- "J ing in France, to be launchecf early in [ 6 1783, amounts to — — J 19 NOTE, Page 72. " Tl^e aathentic chart of the Newfoundland coaft, is *' that by James Cook and Michael Lane;*— the *' greater part of the others giving falfe ideas of the ** di^ance between Cape Bonavifta and Cape St. John. t> FINIS. • L » 72 58 '9 .,• [49 6 - - 1 19 • 19 e e * ^i \