IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) /. 1.0 I.I 1.25 IM Wli ■ 50 ii 122 us US 2.2 VIWU iiyii U III 1.6 V] •^ /. (meaning "CON- TINUED"), or the symbol y (meaning "END"), whichever applies. Maps, plates, charts, etc., may be 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 Images suivantes ont 6t4 reproduites avec le plus grand soin, compte tenu de la condition et de la nettet« de l'exemplaire film*, et en conformity avec les conditions du comrat de fllmage. Les exemplaires originaux dont la couverture en papier est imprimte sent film6s en commenpant par le premier plat et en terminant soit par ia derniAre page qui comporte une empreinte d'impression ou d'iiiustration, soit par le second plat, salon le ces. 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Beckbt, Corner of the Adelphi^ in the Strand. 1779. ra: ms.i ( • • • • • '.■• . « '•• • • • • • * • i • • • ' •••••• • •• • • • • • • •• • • • • ••• tf'« •m • * • m • ' *■ J • • • « . ; ( I ) LETTER T O LIEUT. GEN. BURGOYNE, &c. S I R, . have been once called in queftion : but as the letter now before me, feems much more calculated to obtrude yourfclf on the public, fts an innocent, injured man of merit, and eonfequence, and to raife a cabal in your fa7 vour, than to eflablifli an intereft, in, your borough; and as it has apparently a malig- nant, though moft impotent, tendency, to weaken the hands of government tat this important crifis, by inflaming the minds of the people, both , .gainft his Majefty and his minifters, exciting them to difcontent, and infpiring them with doubts,, apprehenlions, and ( 3 ) and want of confidence in ail thofc; who have the management of public affairs ; I fiiall bejr leave, to offer to the world, fome re- marks on your publication j in the courfc of which, I trufl, I fliall be able efFeduaUy to remove thefc evil imprefTions -, to difprove many, if not the greater part of your alTer- tions, and to obviate th'ofe heavy charges, with which you have fo very unfparingly loadc > every member of adminiflration. However it may concern the clcdtors of Prcfton, the public at large, will feel them- felvcs but little interefled in the manner wherein you firft got into parliament, or vour conduct there ; the opinions and a(5ti- ons of one private man out of 540, can be of no very material confcquence. It is not as a fenator, but as an officer, that you have been cenfured, and if you can acquit your- felf of blame, as the commander of an ar- my, whatever parliamentary line you pur- fued before the Saratoga convention, or may think fit to purfue, after you are free from your engagements to the rebellious fubjeds B 2 of w Ivi ( 4 ) of Great Britain, will import more to your- lelf, than to the commonwealth. ' Of ftili left confederation Is it to yourfel- fur;^VVhcther you solicited employment " America, or received orders to take a command therc,_or, whether you had, or tlTrf' "''"°"=' "'^'^'^ '"'^"-d yo" tow,fhfuch a voyage could be avoided.-.- Sufficentitisforthemtoknow, andthe latal confequences wilj no,t eafily' fuffer , them to forget, that you did undertake Wn! V"'"^ °^ '^' ^"^ '777. and the head of that part of the army, which was oreredtoproceed towards Albany, and effea a jun&on with Sir William Howe. ' And here, however painful the talk to recur to tranfadions which every Enetifl, ' man will wift to obliterate from his memo- ry, you muft permit me, not as a " cavilkr" ^r "fpeculatijir but as a plain man of can! dour, to treat of your military conduB, as well i 5 ) ,well as of the principle on which you aftcd durin,. Enghft. they furrounded the Britifh aLy T,.u.s wasthc expedition hazarded, thou^ -t IS not ev.dent to me, that it -was atl/l n.antto be/,, it was foon after .V W. the -ceffity of which is not, in my opi. ion Supported by any evidence at all. On the 13th of Odober, after holding a ' council of war, a treaty commenced, the * Q «iec the General's Letter. .1 M con- ( 9 ) conclufion of which has, I am afraid, given fo rude a fhock to our national credit and honour, as will require the ablefc artificers that can be employed about the fabrick to refettle and repair it. I wi(h to pafs over the humiliating detail of the furrender of our army ; my heart bleeds, when I recoiled the difgraceful fituation of 3500 brave men, publickly laying down their arms to a force, which, however fuperior in numbers, they had been taught to confider, as a lawlefs banditti, a Rebel crew, who need only be oppcfed to be effedually conquered. Nor can I forget the numberlefs pa/fages in hiftory, from the fields of Agincourt, to the heights of Abraham, where numbers have heen in- cffedual to combat the united forces of courage, and condud, or forbear t:^ com- pare the glorious fuccefs of the one army, circumftanced exadly like the devoted Band at Saratoga, or the brilliant vidlory obtained by the other, under greater difadvantages, with the melancholy pageant of thefe un- fortunate warriors, marching before the conquering Rebels, to furrender up what they held much dearer than their lives. C But a t ( 10 ) But let us turn our eyes from this fcenc of horror, to confider the nature of this notable (I had almoft faid notorious) capi- tulation, to fupport the credit of which, much pains is taken in your letter, which firfl communicated the fata! intelligence, and n;uch induftry, and ingenuity ha5^)een exerted by thofe, whofcintereft it is to put a £'Ife glofs, and fair colouring, on an event fo iinpropitious. In the firft place, I never yet heard, or read of a formal treaty between the General of any Prince or People, and the Commander of any army compofed of lubjeds in adual rebellion, much lefs did I ever hear, or read, of any loyal General al- lowing the authority, or rank, of any fuch Rebel Leader i but though the Congrels ia America had by law been declared a rebel- lious, and unlawful aiTembly, and all thofc who took arms under the authority of that meeting. Rebels to the Crown of Grej^t Britain, yet have we {cen a royal general treating with the chief of tlxofe, who. arc lunder this dcfcription, and allowing him a rank, and chariia:er, which he could only derive ( II ) derive from this very unlawful and rebellious affcnibly. In the commencement of tiiis extraordi.. nary treaty, you propofed your own terms which were for yourfelf, your officers and foldiers to lay down their arms, and be fuf- fered to return to Great Britain, on con^i. tton ofnot/ervmg again in America during the prejent contefi. Whether yoii were aduated ^y any particular diflike to the fervice you was employed in, or whether you appre- hended the fituation of affairs on that con- tinent, to be tlien toodefperate to leave even a hope of fuccefs to the Royal Arms, I cannot take upon me to determine, but I may venture to offer my opinion, and I doubt not but it wiiJ be adopted by the unpreju- diced, that whilft the moft diftant profpeA remained of the reduftion of America, it would have been more prudent, more ho- nourable, and much more advantagious to this country, that your army fhouJd have been held in captivity, from which ftate they might have been redeemed by the chance C 2 — ^f K 1 ■II ' ( 12 ) ^ of war, than that they fhould tamely have furrendered their arms, and purchafed their immediate return by the ignominious con- dition of being no longer ferviccable to their King, and Country, even fuppofing you had confidence enough in your new friends to cxpedl a faithful performance of the treaty on their part, which however, common reafon would then have fuggefted, as fad experience has fince fully convinced you, was by no means to be relied on. Your whole army being thus miferably difpofed of, in captivity to the worft of enemies, thofe who being difloyal to their King, and ungrateful to their Country. could hardly be expedted to treat with com- mon humanity, the troops who had fought under the banners of that King, and in fup- port of that country; you folicit from this unlawful aiTembly of Rebel Chiefs, per. miffion to return to Great Britain, leaving your unfortunate companions to fhift for hemfelves without the countenance, or pro- tedion of him, who having made the treaty. could only remo;.ftrate againft any infringe- meot nous con- ( 13 ) mcnt of it, ^nd you arrived in England and vifited the Secretary of ftate in full ex- pcdation of fuch a reception as your vanity (pardon the exprcffion, I fhall have occafion to ufe it again) prompted you to believe was due to the principle and zeal, which you chofe to apprehend had actuated your en- deavours. From the epocha of this vlfit your com- plaints commence, all which I ftiall arrange under diftindl heads, that the refutation of them, or my remarks upon them, may be more perfpicuous, and though I may not follow them in exadtly the fame order, wherein you have placed them, yet I will ufe my endeavours, that none of them fliall remain unanfwered, or unnoticed. The firft complaint is, " that the Secretary ** of State gave a patient hearing to your re- ** port of all the tranfaSlions fubfequent to the *' convention of Saratoga, and that you " was led by degrees, and without fufpicion of * * infidioufnefs, to the moji confidential communi- it cattoH ( H ) r nation on yom- part, of faSs. objurgations, and ofmms, re/pcaing very important ob- ■ . •■- \* ^ ' ■ ,' ' , . To Ijften attentively to whatever you had fto %. was a refpea due to your rank and fi. tuation; had the Secretary of Sti>te inter- Tupttd you. or re^ufed to hear ycu. you «ould have every reafon to charge him with want pf po}uenefe,,and he muftbave poflef. H^^: ''■"'' prudence, and paid very little regard to the duties of his office, if he had not endeavoured to gain from you. every com, mumcafonoffaSls, objervations. and opinions, v>ii4 rejpeilcd fuck very frnportanf^jefh. Tbat^he ihould defire to learn ,U yQ„knew. - does h.m honour, I canno* fay a. much erf your even hintrng a wifh that ^„ „ c ef the pubhc, had concealed matters, which you avow were material to the interefts of your country. If among your eommunica- t'ons. you opened any eircumftances ref- pea.Bg America, djrrmtfrom the ideas then tr^^Um in the governing couhcHs cftUs ting. ^> the Secretary of State no doubt, avails! himfelf in) hlmfelf of fuch part of your intelligence, t» he conceived miglit be ufeful j nor could he bfc abfurd enough, to hope to fupprcfs your in* formation, or prevent its reaching the ears of the King, by denying you accefs to him ; • the party to which you have attached your- felf, take effcdlual care, that no conceal- ment, however neceflary, (hall take place in matters of ftate ; . the public newfpapcr* they well know, arc univerlally read, as well by his Majefly, as his meancft fub^ jedt. And ^is denying 3roa accefs to the King^ conftitutes your feeond grievance, an etti^ quettt invented^ as you ailcrt, for the (o\t J)UTpofe of diftrefllng and difgractng you ; ** l^he foundathn of "which m reafon er pre£€- ** dent you are not acquainted with,** In point of prectdent, I conceive it may be traced from the original inilitution of courts-martial, and courts of enquiry, and the reqfons on which it is founded, will ap- pear from a lingle moments confidcf alio n. A trial ( i6 ) A trial or enquiry, implies a fufpicion o{ delinquency, and until thofe fufpicions are removed by acquittal, no man in his fenfes will argue, that the fubjed: of them is in 3 proper fituation to claim accefs to the King, whofe receiving him at court, vt^ould at once convey a prejudging opinion of exculpation from all charges. No indiredl means there- fore, were ufed to exclude you from the King's prefence, you had by your own adl, placed yourlelf in a Hate, which created a difficulty that ftill fubfifts, and now produce that difficulty, as a trick of the Secretary of State, to prevent *' t^e clearing up/me faffs *' lubkh were wijlied not to be cleared up^" and ivbat tbey are, he only can inform the world. This I confefs, is a ftile of accufation above the reach of my comprehenfion, nor can I by any means underlland, how the Secretary of State only, can be pofTefled of fadls which you could have cleared up. The chicane which you fuppofe the Se- cretary of State intended to practice againft you, with rcfped to the legality or illegality of a board of enquiry, could only be found m ( >7 ) in your own hofom ; the beard' of enquiry being ordered by tlje King's rninifters, the legality of it could be queilioned by you alone. The next injury of which you complain^ is, *' That attempLs were not unt bought of to *' deprive you of your 'voice in parliament ; and ** that a great laiv officer in the form of legal '* doubts^ . made a long and methodical argument ** againjl your competence to any civil duty or *'fun5lionr Not being a lawyer, I confefs myfelf in- competent to judge of this as a conflituti- onal quefcion, but the hiftories of Greece and Rome will furnifli you witli inftances of the condudl of commanders in fituations analagous, though not perfedly fimilar to yours, becaufe they were under engagements to natural enemies, not rebellious fubjed:s of their refpedtive dates ; from whence you may form an opinion which has generally prevailed in the world, that however the matter ftood as a right, decency fhould have forbid your exercifing it, whilfl you had ti- D cd ■■ft" ■ Wl I iu. m C »a > cd up 3four hands from fcrving your country in your own profcflion^ and remained here a prifoner at large, at the command, and under the comptrol of Rebels, with whom you had left 3500 hoftages for your oBedi- encc to their order* Still Icfs decent has been your detmnmed opp^km to the King's minifters, whofe feverity, ingratitude, or in- juftice towards you, is at prcfcnt apparent Diily in your aiTertiofts, and your afctions are the only proo-fs before the- public, ^hat this determined oppofitkn, has not arofe much more from picque, than principle. Your next complaint is, <* fbat you bed **jecehedfrom the Secretary of War, a condt- •* tionai order for your return to America, and *' ^hat the miniflry had kept a profound filenee ^' both to yourfef and the public, refptahtg the ** ratification of the convention-," from whence you infer a defign, '^either to lay to your charge *'Jome breach of faith with the enemy, or tff re- *' nouncif the treaty from the Beginning, and ** by your furrend^r to transfer the aSf-, ** from ( »9 ) ^* from the nation to your per/on.^' The/e ^* being tfje only two cafeSt whicht you he^ '* Ueve can he produced from the hijiory of nati- ** onsy wherein an officer who had made a con-' ** vent ion with an enemy had been delivered up '* to them.'* This is a fecond attempt to calumniate tht Secretary of State, on the fcore of a dilemna occafioned by your own fatal adt. The hif- tory of nations affords no inftance of a con*- vention or treaty, made with Rebels, to fur- render to them the power of oppofing theif progrefs, or of an army giving up their wea- pons to fcUow-fubjcfts in arms agaiftft their Sovereign, on the cxprcfs ftipuktion, of ne- ver more oppofing their unlawful defignS. In fo new a cafe, it well became the King's minifters to ad: with the utmoft caution, ^nd after the moft mature deliberation, as the confequence of confirming your treaty, would be a kind of acknowledgment af fome defcriptive power in the Rebels, to ad independently of the ftate to which they owed fubjedion 3 and the refiifal to ratify if, ' • ' would ( 20 ) would put in extreme danger tlje lives pf ail thofe who were thus unhappily placed with- in their reach.— Your apprchenlions of de- fignsSn the miniftry againft your particular |)crfon, are unworthy notice. * The order from the Secretary of War yoi> call a conditional one, and claim from the impartial and the candid, *' a conjideration of *' it in its principal parts. Yet in tlie lame paragraph, you anticipate the judgment you demand, by defcribing it, as fuppofi ng *< a ** novel /pedes of cruelty, -.vithin the power of *' the crown y exercifed by men %vho were parties, ** andagainjl the man, they were called upon A* 4^ ^^'^^^ fat ion, and their honour to con- *' front." 1 ^ If I under/land your meaning by this de- scription, it is, that the power of giving or- ders to military oflicers, was juft now af. fumed by the crown, for the particular pur- pofe of cruelly compelling yon 'o return to America, to alleviate by your prcfenre, that .captivity, which had been incuned by yoqr * ■ treaty. ( «I ) Ircoty, when you cbofe to remain comfort* ably in England; and requiring your return without giving you an onportauity of being tried, whilfl infinitely the greater part of thofe, whofc tcflimony mujl be nccclfiiry on fuch an occafion, were fafl: bound in Ame- rica, and not being favoured by the Con- grefs, bad no immediate chance of being here to tell their tale. You next complain of attempts made by minill:ry, " to defeat an enquiry ivhich was in- y Jlituted in the lajl Jcjji n of parliamem, and f' 'which enquiry they at laj}, contrived to leave *' imperfedi." That fuch an enquiry muft remain imper- feft, cannot be doubted, for the reafons men- tioned above ; the fame reafons will account for a dcfire (if any fuch appeared) in mini- jtry, to poftpone that proceeding. It being indifpenfibly right, that information of every Jcind (liould be compleat j that not being the caic;, we may eafily look through the juftifi- fication ( « ) fjcation in which you find fc much fatis- faction. Why you. fhould at any time after you had determined * ■ not to rifque your health in " an American winter^'* think the refigning your commiilionv. unnecelTary j it is as im- poffible to conceive, as it is to underftand, what " the fubmit ting your public accounts ta **the ■ rigorous fcrutiny oj office j" where all public accounts are, or ought to be, fcruti^ nized, had to do with your being ordered ta return to America. It is fomewhat extraor- dinary, that you fhould take occajion publicly to declare, that fiould it be thought expedient to fend you back, and a pojitive order Jhould be fent you for that purpofe^ youjljould, as far as in you lay, obey it. Though you had at that moment an order in your pocket, which a generous mind would have found mod ob- ligatory, but which you had long before re- folved totally todifregard. When you term your being ordered to retuin to America, being delivered up to the enemy, you forget that you had you rfelf entered into voluntary engagements with this enemy ; if they ( n ) they have acquitted you of thefe engage- ments, no ill conlequence can attend your going back ; if they are ftill binding, your own honour, if not that of the nation, is concerned in your fulfilling them. 7he Jincerity of your intentions to obey an order even of your ow^n dilating, will be doubted by all thofe (and they you may be aflured are not a few) who confider the or- der you had already received, as neither de- rogating from yoM^ honour, as it then flood, ^ or in any degree tending to your ruin ; your embarkation in the year 1776, was to com- mand an army j your required return in 1 778* was to join one which you had com- mitted to captivity j the occafions fo very different, we cannot conceive that your feel- ings were alike on. both. Why you fhould affed confequence enough to fuppofe a fingle man could be involved in the difpleafure which you had incurred, or fhould be excluded from any military prefer- ment to which he was entitled, becaufe he bore kindnefs and friendfiip to you, is befl known to your- i 2'4 ) yourfclf ; no infdanee being produced; this part of your pej-JicutioUi will be confidered as merely ideal. On the apprchcnjhns qf an invafion^ you fay,- Governnmit "ivcre not fir angers to your intenti- ons to fight your oivn reginicnt as Co lonely if if pjQuld be Jo defiined as to meet the enemy, or . to ferine as a "volunteer in the ranks oj any other corps y that ?nighl- happen to he employed in that Jervice ; but at this ?noment the rcfufe of goals, and the gallo\vs are pr if erred to you j and at the crifis, ivhcn it was openly anoimced, that neither apip, or afoldier coidci be [pared from our internal defence, a fentence rf banijhment ivas fent you, afubm'fiion to ignominy required of you, and your f word was virtually broke over ■ your head. When you entertained thofe intentions of fighting for your Country, and complain of cruel dsiigns to triumph over afoldier s honour, and fenfibility ', you do not fecm to recoiled the deteflable treaty by which, to ufe words quoted by yourfelf, ^^ your occupation is gone.'* Under your circumftances, you could not, cun- ( 25 ) confiftcntly with the honour of the Brhiili Army, bear arms in its ranks ; for when you furrendred your fword to the Rebels at Sa- ratoga, it was not virtually, but aBually broken over your head. Your declamatory protefl againft the pro- ceedings of the King's Minifters, and your political Creed, are fo perfectly conformable to the doctrines broached by every retainer of oppofition, from his Grace of R d to T — — y T-— d, and pubUflied daily from Mr. Almon's Loyal Manufadory, that it would be equally unprofitable, and un- . pleafant, to bef^ow a fingle remark on ihem, nor whilft our fleets and armies are well ap- pointed, and our finances conduced with frugality, and integrity, will the public defire to fee the prefent'Miniflry removed, for the purpofe of making the noble Duke Secretary of State, or the right honourable Commoner Chancellor of the Exchequer* however ardently fuch a change may be fo- licited by thofe who want to participate in the Advantages of ofHce, or by the Wife E Citizens ( 26 ) citizens of London, \^ho fcem not to know what they want. '* "That your anions have been the mere reful^,. ■, ** of your own Jent'imentSy' yoar country has now to lament, as it has, that the impulfe of honour, on which your refignation was made, hzA Viox. firuck your breaft\ before the con- vention of Saratoga. That you (liould re- turn '^from the liberal accommcdatms of life ** to-which,"' (by the munificence of your gra- cious Sovereign, and the public) '' you have ** beenufed, to the competence of a private gentle- ** man" is no uncommon cafe. Misfortune, Un^ught misfortune, has frequently re- duced the moft worthy, from affluence to poverty itfelf. The abatement of your in- come has been the effed of your own choice, dr mifcondudt. ' Your correfpondencc with his iMajeily's Secretaries of War, or rather your letters to them, for theirs to you are ouicial, and contain little more than orders, in the ulual form, come next under confideration i but as they contain principally a reiteration of the ( ^7 ) the grievances complained of In your letter to your conftituents, and a recapitulation of your fervices, endeavours, expedations, and difappointments, I (hall confine my remarks to fuch parts, as feem to offer any thing like new faa, or argument, in fupport of your catalogue of complaints. In your letter of the 2 id of June, 1778, you oblerve, " that the army you commanded,^ " credulous in your favour, and attached to you by <^ common misfortunes, would not find material *' confolation from your re.turn in difgrace, nor - would conceive itpople, had the return oj the - troop been in view, that any per Jon would ** have advifed fo harfi? an aa, as finding an '-^ infirm, calumniated, unheard complainant, <' acrojs the Atlantic, merely to infpe^ their '* embarkation." It cannot but appear one of the moft ab- furd propofitions that can be offered to hu- man reafon, to affert, that it was a wife, prudent, and neceffary meafurc, to furren- der your whole army prifoners to Rebels, who on the moft groundlefs, and frivolous £ 2 pretenccSf ( 28 ) pretences, inftantly broke through your treaty, and that it fliould be fit and right for you to feek, and accept a perfonal in- dulgence from this perfidious -enemy, and avail yourfelf of the continuance of it, for your own private accomodation, and com- plain of the hardship of being ordered tq place yourfelf in that fituation wherein it was ncceffary you fliould be, even if (Go- vernment fliouid, in compaffion to the un- happy captives, confent to ratify the con- vention, becaufe it is too apparent that fiich a ratification during your abfcnce, would be treated by the Rebels as incompleat, and afford them another pretext for .detaiuinrr flill longer the vidims of your impru-- dence. In your Letter of the 9th of Odober, 1779, you defire the Secretary of War to ebferve that the order referred to (for your return to America) " is unufual, as ivell as ** cruely' and you venture your opinion, that it is matter ofjerious doubt y whether the Minijhrs of the Crown, can legally order a «* Britijh fubjeB into cap&oity, at home, or " abroad^ €t tt ( 29 ) '' abroad, without triafy or can compel an officer *« by virtue of his general military obedience, to ** deliver himfelf to the prifon of the enemy, f* without any r^^uifition on their parts." V-.h:'.- Whethef the Minifters of the Crown can iegally order into imprifonment, a Britifli ftibjed without crime, or charge of crime. Is a matter of no doubt at all. The queftiqq, whether the fame Minifters can and ought to enforce an officer by virtue of his general military obedience, to conform to, and on his part fulfil, engagements entered into by himfelf, and in which he it, himfelf perfonally included, may be anfwered, by a/king you, under what orders, and by what authority, the whole Britifh army furrendered them- felves prifoners, at Saratoga; and by re- marking, that the wretched engagements made ihere, extended only to captivity, and inadivitv, not to a renunciation of allegiance, or duty, to your Sovereign. That the order received for your returning, is unufual, will be readily granted, no inftance having ever before occurred, in which it could have been ffTucd. That it was crqel, may for the * ' , rcafons ( 3° ) rcafons above ftated, be f\\irly denied ; nor is it necelTary to repeat thofe reafons in reply- to your queftioning the fecretaries of war, to what purpofe, your return was en- forced. In the fame letter you rcquejl it may be r/- membered, that you are deprhed of a Court Martial upon your conduB in America^ becaufe you are not fuppofed to be amenable to tkejufiice of the kingdom ; that the King is told yon have difibeyed his orders, in the very Jame breath that you arejiated not to be amenable to him, and that by this docfrine, it feems fuppofed that you are not eapabie of receiving orders y for thepurpofes of public jujUce, or public fcrvice, but are perfcblly fubjeSl to all fuch, as have a tendency to your own deJlruSfion. By your convention at Saratoga you fur- rendred yourperfou, as \vellas the perfons of your whole army into the hands of the Re- bels, and under the indulgence of a per- niifiion from them, you now appear in Eng- land. Should a Court Martial be grante4 you, and their opinion prove unfavourable, are -J \ ( 3» ) -uJ \ arc you in a fituation to receive the punifli- mcnt, their fenicncc might diredtto be in- flidled ? Certainly not, your perfon is at pre- fent the property of thole to whom you com- mitted it, and a punifliment inflicted oa you, would not fail to involve tl c innocent hoftages you left behind you, in the con- fequences of your guilt ; yet your allegiance to the Crown of Great Britain ftill remain- ing, you are certainly without injiiftiee, or inconfiftence, amenable to all fuch orders, as do not compel you to aft in diredt oppo- fition to your treaty, which cannot be the cafe, when you are required to return to your parol. That your perfecution would in no degree confole your fcJlow- prifoners is admitted, but your returning to do your part towards removing the fetters, with which you have loaded them, en n by no means be confidered in that light, on the contrary it is a duty, which you fliould have required no order to perform j and thefe unfortunate officers owe to you, the impoffibility of their being in- cluded in any of the late numerous lifts of pro- / ( 32 J promotions, neither the policy or circunl- ftances of the ftate admit of giving additional rank, and pay, to thofe who have been, by you, rendered incapable of ferving theii' country. « Your obfervation, that the treatment you have received is contradidory, falls to the ground with the foregoing ftate of your lituation ; t/:}at it is perfcSily uniform in prin- n/>/^j-of juftice, equity and impartiality, is, I iliould apprehend, made fully obvious. 1 have now nearly gone through, as well your letter to your conftitucnts, as thofe to the Secretaries of war, and I truft, reduced your whole formidable lift of injuries, and oppreilions, to the Angle inconvenience of your giving up employments and emolu- ments which you could not hold, without obedience to orders, that upon furmifes and appreheniions, equally defultory and ground- lefs, you thought fit to difregard ; the pur- pofe of which conduct of yours, as well as of your appeal to the public, is fully difcover- able from the laft citation I fliall have occa- fion I ( 33 ) fion to make, whf:rein you exhibit your fi- nal charge, of eicpedled and intended in- juftice. You fay — Hbey who would not fuffer you to approach the Kings per/on to vindicate yourfelf before him, who have held you could not have a court -martial to vindicate yourfelf to your pro^ feffion, and who have done all they could do, to prevent your vindicatiug yourfelf to your coun^ try, by a parliamentary enquiry -, are now very fyfiematically defirous of burying your innocence and their own guilt, in the prifons of the enemy, and of removing, in your perfon, to the other fide of the Atlantic, the means of renewing PARLIAMENTARY PROCEEDINGS WHICH THEY HAVE REASON TO DREAD. And here the whole plot developes : after having made a falfe flep, you are confidered by the leaders of oppofition, as a fit fubjeA for them to work upon, and having firft goaded you on, to expofe your weaknefs by an inflammatory addrefs to the public, and having by this means, effedually prevented you from defcrting, they now intend to pro- F ducc. ( 34 ) duce you a8 the immediate tool of their par- ty, to bring forward another parliamentary enquiry; to add to the lift of thofc, which have already been impofcd upon both houft's, by the virtuous band of patriots, for the honcft purpofes of diftrafting the coun- cils of the nation in this time of public dif- ficulty and danger, and diverting the at- tentions of his Majefty's miniftcrs, from great and interefting objedts, to a defence againft charges, which however ill founded, falfe, and malicious, rauft be oppofed by fads, and obviated by ferious inveftiga- tion. That this is the ufe to which you are in-f tended to be applied, admits not of a ihadow of doubt, and if you remain in their hands^ the inftrument of fuch bafe defigns, your country may ftill be irdebted to you for fur- ther mifchief. To remedy, as much as in you lies, the injuries it has already fuftained from your conduit, let me advife you, to fhake off the trammels of a party, whofc connexion can only tend to involve you in deeper difgrace ; return inftantly to AnJc- rica. ( 35 ) rica, and wait the hour of your relcafe with your fellow-fufFcrers, employing the inter- val, in fuch offices of humanity, as may loft- en the hardfliips they labour under, and dif- pofe them to fot^ct and forgive, that they are hardOiips of your impofitipn. But if you refufe to attend to my council, and peifift in your retirement as an efcapc from the toils and dangers to which the other courfe would fubjedl you j let not your vanity fuggeft %o you An i(Jea of imi^ tating thofe heroes of old, who have alter- nately extTcifcd the fword and the plough- ftiare, for they were accompanied in their re- tirements, by the glorious coiifideration of having prekrved their country ; but your's will be imbrttercd by the miferal^lc refle(5tiQii that you have endangered, if not cffeded, the ruin of yours. I am, &c. AN ENGLISHMAN. • • • • . • • • • . . • • • < • • t • •• • , , • • • » • • • • ••- • • • • • • • • • • • 1 • • • • • • « * • • • tiiyifl Juf publijked, in ^ario. By. T. Becket, Psrlce 2 8. 6d, T H io U G H[ T S ON - \ '. ■ I f AND 04 the PRocEEmNGt I GENERAL COURTS |^ARTIAI- ^ • • « • • I J • ■ M , J t , • • , ... - • • ••<< .<• , ' • • • • ,/ * • • ••• • <• • • • ' W • t • • • , , • t i t t • » • • - - t « « / . . ^ ^1-