whom it was made, and difgraceful as well as calamitous to the country from whom it is required. And: we think proper to declare, that in this spirit and fentiment we have regularly written from the continent. to Great Britain.

It will now become the colonies, regularly to call to mind their own folemn appeals to heaven in the beginning of the conteft, that they took arms only for the redrefs of grievances, and that it would be their with, as well as their intereft to remain forever. connected with Great Britain. We again ask them whether all their grievances real or fuppofed, have not been amply and fully redreffed; and we infife that the offers we have made leave nothing to be wished in point either of immediate or permanent fecurity; if thofe offers are now rejected, we withdraw from the exercife of a commiffion with which we have in vain been honoured; the fame liberality will no longer be due from Great Britain, nor can it either in justice or policy be expected from her.

In fine, and for the further manifeftation, as well of the difpofition we bear, as of the gracious and ge nerous purposes of the commiffion under which we a, made and paffed the laft feffion of parliament, intituled, an act to enable his majefty to appoint commiffioners with fufficient powers to treat, conduct, and agree upon the means of quieting the diforders now fubfifting in certain colonies, plantations, and provinces, in North America, having been pleased to authorize and empower us to grant a pardon or pardons, to any number or defcription of perfons, within the colonies plantations and provinces of New Hampshire, Maffachufett's Bay, Rhode Island, Connecticut, NewYork, New-Jersey, Pennfylvania, the three lower

Counties

Counties on the Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. And whereas the good effects of the said authority and powers, towards the people at large, would have long fince taken place, if a due ufe had been made of our first communications and overtures; and have. thus far been frustrated only by the precipitate refolution of the members of the Congrefs not to treatwith us, and by declining to confult with their conftituents, we now in making our appeal to thofe conftituents, and to the free inhabitants of the continent in general, have determined to give them what in our opinion, fhould have been the first object of those who appeared to have taken the management of their interefts, and adopt this mode of carrying the faid authorities and powers into execution. We accordingly hereby grant and proclaim, a pardon or pardons, of all and all manner of treafons or mifprifon of trea fons, by any perfon or perfons, or by any member or description of persons within the faid colonies, plantations or provinces,, counciled, commanded, acted or done, on or before the date of this manifefto and proclamation. And we further declare and proclaim, that if any perfon or perfons, or any number or description of perfons, within the faid colonies, plantations, and provinces, now actually ferving, either in a military or civil capacity, in this rebellion, fhall at any time, during the continuance of this manifefto, and proclamation, withdraw himfelf or themfelves, from fuch civil or military fervice, and fhall continue thence. forth peaceably as a good and faithful fubject or fubjects, to his Majefty, to demean himself or themfelves, fuch perfon or perfons, or fuch number or defcription of perfons, fhall become and be fully intitled to, and

hereby

hereby obtain all the benefits of the pardon or pardons hereby granted; excepting only from the faid pardon or pardons, every perfon, and every number and descriptions of perfons, who after the date of this manifefto and proclamation, that under the pretext of authority, as judges, jurymen, minifters, or officers of civil justice, be instrumental in executing, and put-ting to death any of his Majefty's fubjects within the faid colonies, plantations, and provinces.

And we think proper further to declare, that nothing herein contained is meant, or fhall be conftrued, to fet at liberty any perfon or perfons, now being prifoner or prifoners, or who during the continuance of this rebellion fhall become a prifoner or prifoners. And we offer to the colonies at large or feparately, a general or separate peace; with the revival of their ancient government, fecured against any future infringements, and protected for ever from taxation by Great Britain. And with refpect to fuch further regulations, whether civil, military, or commercial, as they may wish to be framed and established, we promife all the concurrence and affiftance, that his Majesty's commiffion authorizes and enables us to give. And we further declare, that this manifesto and proclamation fhall continue and be in full force farty days from the date hereof, that is to fay, from the third day of October, to the eleventh day of November, both inclufive,

And in order that the whole contents of this manifefto and proclamation may be more fully known, we fhall direct copies thereof both in the English and the German languages to be transmitted byflags of truce to the Congress, the general affemblies or conventions of the colonies, plantations, and provinces, and to feve

ral

ral perfons both in civil and military capacities within the faid colonies. And for further fecurity in times to come, of the feveral perfons, or members or defcriptions of perfons, who are, or may be, the objects of this manifefto or proclamation, we have fet our hands and feals to thirteen copies thereof, and have tranfmitted the fame to the thirteen colonies, plantations, and provinces abovementioned, and we are willing to hope, that the whole of this manifesto and proclamation will be fairly and freely published, and circulated, for the immediate general and ferious confideration, and benefit of all his Majefty's fubjects on this continent. And we earneftly exhort all perfons who by this inftrument forthwith receive the benifit of the King's pardon, at the fame time that they retain a becoming feufe of thofe lenient and affectionate meafures, whereby they are now freed from many grievous charges which might have rifen in judgment, or might have been brought in queftion against them, to make a wife improvement of the fituation in which this manifefto and proclamation places them; and not only to recollect that a perfeverance in the prefent rebellion or any adherence to the treasonable connection attempted to be framed with a foreign power, will after the prefent grace extended, be confidered as crimes of the most aggravated kind; but to vie with each other in eager and cordial endeavours to fecure their own peace, and promote the establishment, and profperity of their country, and the general weal of the empire. And purfuant to his Majefty's commiffion, we hereby require all officers civil and military, and all others his Majelly's loving fubjects whatever, to be aiding and affifting unto us in the execu• tion of this manifefto and proclamation, and of all the

matters

matters herein contained." Given at New-York, this third day of October, 1778.

This manifefto was figned by the commiffioners and published as far as poflible among the colonifts. Mr Drayton, one of the delegates for South Carolina, made a large and fevere answer to it, where all the arguments of the Commiffioners were treated in a very masterly and animated manner, which plainly fhewed, that whatever excellencies the British Commiffioners might have in other refpects, they were inferior in the exercifé and management of argument and literary compofition, to this fingle combatant who had now engaged them. The technical law terms, and formal phrafes of this manifefto, were matter of mere laughter to the American literati ; and in fhort the proclamation was handled in fuch a manner, that the whole intended effect thereof was rendered quite abortive. The justice of its first principles were abfolutely denied, and the fupremacy of the mother country ever the colonies fince the act of independency, confidered as ridiculous and abfurd. Pardons and remiffions fo fully offered to thofe that were confidered in a state of rebellion, were treated with contempt, as fuppofing what the colonifts did not admit, that free states could be in a ftate of rebellion with refpect to any other power. The clemency and mercy of the fovereign, was viewed in a very different light by the Americans, from what it was reprefented by the commiffioners, and they confidered all the prefent offers thereof as ftratagems of policy to lead them into a fnare. What the commiflioners obferved with regard to their folemn appeals to Heaven, in the beginning of the conteft," that they took arms for the redrefs of grievances only, and that it was then their wifh as

well