"never would have rejected the most dutiful "and loyal petitions; more efpecially that pre"fented by Mr. Penn, late governor of Penn"fylvania, even after the battles of Lexington "and Bunker hill."* He expatiated on the abfurdity and injuftice' of the bill for transporting Americans to England for trial, the Quebec act, the restraining bill, the declaratory act, and the Boston port bill. All papers relative to America for three years paft, were ordered to be laid before the houfe; and the state of the army, and the expenditures in the courfe of the war, loudly called for. But amidst the fevere fcrutiny of the houfe, the anxiety of the nation, the perfeverance of the king, and the perplexity of the minifter, all parties were thunderftruck by the arrival of the intelligence of Burgoyne's defeat, and the capture of the army at Saratoga. A general gloom overspread every countenance: the feverest cenfures were caft on the late measures of administration; indignation burnt in the bofoms of those who opposed them clamor raged without doors; afperity, farcafm, and reproach, from the lip of truth within: and, notwithstanding his abilities and his firmnefs, the minister was distressed, the mi * Appendix, Note No. IV. CHAP. XII. 1778. CHAP. XII. 1778. nority increafed, and oppofition was ftrength ened. Lord Chatham rofe with his ufual energy, eloquence, and commanding fpirit, and reprobated both the war and the mode of profecuting it; and with vehemence and acrimony afferted, "that a court fyftem of wickedness "had been adopted for the last fifteen years, "fubverfive of all faith and confidence, tending "to extinguifh all principle in the different or"ders of the community; and that an afcen"dency had been obtained by worthless men, "the dregs of party, where no influence ought "to exift. That a fpirit of delufion had gone forth, the people had been deceived by min"ifters, and parliament had fanctioned the de"ception. Falfe lights had been held out to "the country gentlemen, imposed on by the "ideal project of an American revenue; but "that the vifionary phantom, conjured up for "the bafeft purposes of deception, was about "to vanish." The minifter, though attacked, mortified, and embarraffed, retreated with ability and addrefs from ground to ground, through the de bates, and endeavoured to fhift the blame from himself, and caft the failure of the fyftem, and the odium of difappointment, on the want of * Lord North. 1778. capacity in the officers employed. He mani- CRAP. XIL fefted his regret for the unhappy differences between the two countries, in paffionate expreffions, and urged, that the conciliatory plan he had propofed fome time before, might be immediately adopted; and that commiflioners fhould be fent to America, with powers to reftore tranquillity, without further delay. He acknowledged that he began to defpair of reducing the colonies by arms, unless a disunion could be effected, and the intervention of foreign powers in their behalf, decidedly pre vented. But the people in several counties were fo infatuated by the popular theme of an American revenue, that fubfcriptions were opened in London, Bristol, and other places, for raising and supporting a body of troops at private expenfe, to fupply the deficiencies in the army by the convention of Saratoga. The legality of this measure was contested in both houses of parliament; and a resolve was proposed by the earl of Abingdon, "that granting monies for "private uses, and without the fanction of par"liament, was against both the letter and the fpirit of the conftitution: that obtaining money by subscription, and applying it to his majefty's ufe, in fuch manner as he should "think fit, was unconftitutional, and a direct infringement of the principles of the British * conftitution." But the measure was not dif CHAP. XII. 1778. countenanced by authority, and the fubfcriptions went on. If not first suggested by them, thefe fubfcriptions were encouraged by fome of the moft affluent of the American refugees, who had repaired to England on the retreat of general Howe from Boston. This appearance of fettled rancor against their native country increafed the refentment of their countrymen; and in confequence thereof, fome of their eftates, which had been only fequeftered, were confifcated and fold, and the monies arising therefrom depofited in the public treafury. But many of this clafs of people, who laid their real or pretended fufferings before administration, were afterwards amply provided for by the liberality of the British government, though not adequate to their own expectations. All Europe had beheld with aftonishment and applaufe, the exertions and the struggles of the American colonies, against the opulence, the arms, and the intrigues of Britain. It was now three years that they had with uncommon refolution, and fyftematical decifion, fupported their armaments by fea and land, without a fingle ally. The American congrefs had indeed, as early as the beginning of the autumn, one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-fix, appointed com mercial agents to feveral European courts, empowering them to procure arms, ammunition, and clothing, on the credit of the United States. They were received politely by the nation, though not publicly countenanced by the court of France, on their firft arrival. Yet their negociations had been favorable to trade, and to the condemnation of a vaft number of prizes, that had been taken by the Americans and fent into the feveral ports of France. Doctor Franklin was foon after empowered. to act as an American plenipotentiary there, and arrived in France, December, one thoufand feven hundred and feventy-fix. The celebrity of his character, and the popularity of his miffion, infured him the warmeft reception from all ranks; and the minifter* gave him private encouragement to hope for all neceffary aid, and a full completion of the wishes of his conftituents. The Spanish ambaffador likewise, at this time requested copies of his inftructions, and a fketch of the state of America, which he forwarded to his catholic majefty, as the two courts were determined to act in perfect unifon, although no national compact was completed between France and America, until ear * The count de Vergennes. CHAP. XII. 1778. |