exhausted, and the Commiffioners convinced by experience, that the defign of detaching any particular province, or large collective body of the people, fo far from the general union as to enter into a private or feparate negociation, was as fruitless, as the attempt of opening a treaty with the Congrefs in the name of the whole, had already proved ineffectual, determined totally to change their mode of conduct, and to denounce hoftility and deftruction, in their most terrific forms, to those who had rejected conciliation and friendship. The operations of terror might poffibly produce thofe effects, which the fmooth language of peace was found incapable of attaining: or, if the lofs of America was inevitable, it was determined to render it of as little value to its prefent and future poffeffors as poffible.

The partizans of the predatory fcheme in England, from whom this idea feems to be taken, afferted, that the nature of the country expofed it more to the ravage of fuch a war as was intended or threatened, than perhaps any other upon the face of the globe. Its vaft line of fea coaft was indefenfible by any poffible means, against the efforts of a fuperior marine, accompanied by fuch a moderate land force, as would be neceffary for the purposes of a defultory and exterminating war ar; and thofe numberlefs navigable creeks and rivers, which had in happier days conveyed commerce to every door, and spread plenty, independence, and industry, thro' every cottage, now afforded equal means and facility, for the carrying of fudden and inevitable de

ftruction, home to the most sequeftered fire-fide. The impraðicability of evading the dangers arifing from fituation was farther increafed, by that mode of living in fmall, open, fcattered towns and villages, which the nature and original circumftances of the country had prescribed to the inhabitants.

The Commiffioners Oct. 3d. accordingly iffued and 1778. publifhed that fignal valedictory manifefto and proclamation, which has fince been an object of so much difcuffion at home and abroad; and which has afforded a fubject, that was no leís agitated in both Houses of the British Parliament, than in the American Congress.

In that piece, they entered into a long recapitulation of facts and arguments which had been generally ftated in former declarations, relative to the French treaties, the conduct and views of the Congrefs, their criminal obftinacy in rejecting all propofals of accommodation, and their total incompetency, whether with refpect to the conclufion of treaties on the one hand, or to their rejection on the other. With an enumeration of their own repeated endeavours for the restoration of tranquillity and happiness to the people, and a review of the great advantages held out by the equitable and conciliatory propofitions which they had made, they announce their intention of fpeedily returning to England, as, under the circumstances of treatment and rejection which they had experienced, their longer ftay in America would be as inconfiftent with their own dignity, as with that of the authority which they re

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"the enemy, always taking care, "not to treat them or their fami"lies with any wanton cruelties, as we do not wish, in this par"ticular, to copy after our ene"mies, or their German, negro, "and copper-coloured allies."

This was followed, in about three weeks, by a counter manifefto on the part of the Congrefs, filled with bitterness and acrimony. In this they boaft, that fince they could not prevent, they ftrove, at leaft, to alleviate the calamities of war; had studied to fpare thofe who were in arms against them, and to lighten the chains of captivity. In contraft to this portrait of their own conduct, they drew a hideous picture of thofe enormities which they attributed to the other fide. They charge their enemy with having laid waste the open country, burned the defenceless villages, and having butchered the citizens of America. That their prifons had been the flaughterhoufes of her foldiers, their fhips of her feamen, and, that the fevereft injuries had been aggravated That, by the groffeft infults, foiled in their vain attempt to fubjugate the unconquerable fpirit of freedom, they had meanly affailed the reprefentatives of America with bribes, with deceit, and with the fervility of adulation.

As a fpecimen of the fpirit which infpired this piece, and the acrimony with which it abounds, we fhall give the following paffage in their own language" They " have made a mock of humanity, "by the wanton deftruction of "men: they have made a mock "of religion, by impious appeals "to God, whilft in the violation "of his facred commands: they

have made a mock even of

proclaim, that if our enemies "prefume to execute their threats, "or perfift in their prefent career "of barbarity, we will take fuch "exemplary vengeance as fhall "deter others from a like con«duct. We appeal to that God "who fearcheth the hearts of men, for the rectitude of our inten"tions. And in his holy pre"fence we declare, that as we are "not moved by any light and

hafty fuggeftions of anger or re"venge, fo through every pof"fible change of fortune, we will "adhere to this our determina❝tion."

Thus, unhappily, did the fecond commiffion for the restoration of peace in America, prove as futile in the event as the former. Although it would be too much to affirm, that any propofal made by the commiffioners, or any circumftances attending their miffion, could have been productive of the defired effect, after the conclufion of the French treaties; it would however feem, that nothing could have been more untoward in point of time, and more fubverfive of

the

the purposes of their commiffion, than the fudden retreat from Philadelphia, which took place almost at the inftant of its being opened. However neceffary this measure might have been, confidered in a military view, the difgrace of a retreat, and the lofs of a province, were undoubtedly omens very inaufpicious to the opening of a negociation. It has been publicly faid, (however ftrange it must ap. pear) that one of the commiffioners, at leaft, was totally unacquainted, even at the time of their arrival, that this measure was not only intended, but that the orders for its execution actually accompanied their miffion.

As if Fortune had defigned, that this commiffion fhould have been diftinguished in every part of its existence from all others, it was also attended with the fingular circumftance, of a letter from the Marquis De la Fayette, (whose military conduct had placed him very high in the opinion of the Americans, as well as in their fervice) to the Earl of Carlisle, challenging that nobleman, as first commiffioner, to the field, there to anfwer in his own person, and in fingle combat, for fome harfhnefs of reflection upon the conduct of the French court and nation, which had appeared in thofe public acts or inftruments, that he and his brethen had iffued in their political capacity. It is almoft needIt is almoft needlefs to obferve, that fuch propofal, which could only be excufed by na.. tional levity, or the heat and inexperience of youth, was rejected by the noble Lord to whom it was addreffed, with the flight that it deferved.

Whilft New York, the Jerfies,

Pennfylvania, and the borders of Connecticut, had hitherto endured all the calamities of war, it fortuned, that the northern and fouthern, as well as the more interior colonies, enjoyed no inconfiderable degree of general tranquillity. The early tranfactions in the neighbourhood of Bofton, the attempt on Charlestown, Lord Dunmore's adventures in Virginia, with the fubjugation of the Tories in North and South Carolina, being the principal exceptions to this obfervation. The continual petty hoftilities carried on between the inhabitants of the two neighbouring weak colonies, of Georgia and Eaft Florida, ferved, however, to keep the rumour of war alive to the fouthward; and an expedition undertaken in the fpring of this year by a party of Americans, conveyed its effects to the Miffifippi, and afforded no fmall caufe of alarm, to the whole new colony of Weft Florida, which had hitherto been totally clear of the general tumult.

The expedition was, however, confined in its prefent effect to its immediate object, which only extended to the reduction of the Britifh fettlements in that country which had formerly belonged to a diftinguished Indian nation called Natches; who many years before had fallen victims to European policy, the whole people having been prefidiously exterminated by the French. These fettlements were under the government, and confidered as a part of West Florida; but being too remote for protection, if it could even have been afforded, the inhabitants pre ferved their property by furrendering without refiftance to a Cap

tain Willing, who commanded the American party, and who, al. though they were furprized and totally in his power, granted them every condition which they required, for their prefent and future fecurity. It feems by the account, as if this party had fallen down the Miffifippi by water; but from what place is not fpecified. It is probable, and seems in fome degree confirmed by fubfequent events, that the objects of this expedition were not confined merely to the reduction of the country in queftion, but were extended to the eftablishment of an intimate correfpondence with the Spaniards at New Orleans, and to further views upon Weft Florida.

The ftate and circumftances of the war, as well as of the forces under his command, together with the winter season, which restrained, if it did not entirely fhut up enterprize, in the northern and central colonies, afforded an opportunity to General Sir Henry Clinton, towards the close of the year, to direct his views to the fouthward. The recovery of the province of Georgia, although in itself neither great nor powerful, was in various refpects a matter of the utmost importance. Its products were indeed confiderable, and rendered more fo, by their being greatly wanted. In particular, nothing could be more effential to the fupport of a fleet and army, at fo great a distance from their principal fources of fupply, than its ftaple commodity, rice, which was now dedicated to the service of our enemies, whether in Europe or America. The poffeffion of this province would alfo, by prefenting a new barrier to the enemy, re

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lieve Eaft Florida from thofe conftant alarms, incurfions, and dangers, to which it had been fo long expofed. And the two Florida's, with this, would all together form fuch an aggregate establishment of ftrength at the fouthern extremity of the continent, as could not fail greatly to influence the future operations and fortune of the war.

Important as thefe objects were, this acquifition held out one ftill greater. The fouthern colonies produced thofe commodities which were most wanted and most valuable in the European markets. France took off a prodigious quantity of their ftaple products; and the quiet and fecurity which they had hitherto enjoyed, admitted fo vigorous a cultivation, that their export trade feemed little otherwife affected by the war, than what it fuffered from the British cruizers. Thus, in effect, the continental credit in Europe was principally upheld by the fouthern colonies; and they became the medium through which they received those fupplies, that were not only indifpenfibly neceffary to the fupport of the war, but even to the conducting of the common business and affairs of life. The recovery of Georgia, would not only put an end to that quiet and fecurity upon which fo much depended, but would open fo wide a door into South Carolina, as could never be effectually closed whilft it was held by a vigorous enemy; at the fame time, that the vicinity of Charles town would conftantly expofe it to his enterprize, and that the fate of the whole colony inevitably hung upon that of the capital.

All these important confequences, and perhaps others, were fully

compre