rica. He faid the affair of Long Island was by no means a matter worthy of triumph. That ifland, he faid, was a mere outpoft to New York, as New York was an outpoft to America; and it would have been folly and rathness in the extreme, had the provincials attempted to maintain it. He paid General Howe and his brother very great compliments on their manoeuvres in the capture of the inland, and inferred from the whole of General Howe's conduct in taking it, his caution in not forcing any of the provincials' ftrongholds, his opening trenches at fix hundred yards diftance from their redoubts, with his general orders to his officers to act with all poffible circumfpection, that moft evidently the General thought highly of the provincials, and had therefore treated them with the fuitable refpect due to fo powerful and formidable an enemy. He complained of the defenceless ftate of the kingdom, and urged the danger of a war with France and Spain. The minifter's fpeech he declared to be an entire compound of hypocrify. It made his Majefly talk of peace, at the very moment when not only all Europe, but this kingdom, gave the moft evident appearances of preparation for war. In fhort, it was like a deceptious mirror, reflecting a falfe image of truth. That part of it which talked of giving the Americans law and liberty, he conceived to be a mere turn of wit and humour, which would not bear a ferious interpretation. It was an infidious hypocritical speech, that held out law and liberty at the point of the fword. spoke strongly cf the falsehood of France, and the little reliance that was to be put on her profeffions, inftancing a circumstance which happened while Cardinal Mazarine was minifter, when the Portuguese and Spaniards were at war together, and the latter had received repeated affurances of the pacific intentions of France, although that kingdom had actually lent Portugal troops, clothed them, paid them, and officered them. He faid he did not entirely approve of the American declaration of independence, but affirmed that the Americans were driven to that measure by our rigorous perfecution of them. We had hired foreign troops to fight against them, and they had no other way of putting themfelves on a footing with us, than by throwing off the yoke, declaring themselves independent, and inviting foreign aid to defend them. They had, he faid, taken every poffible means to avoid fuch a measure; they had sent a most humBle petition to government, praying relief, and couched their prayer in the strongest terms of duty and allegiance; government B 4 He government had, with the moft provoking harshnefs, rejected their petition, refufing to give any answer to it, or offering in any manner to hear them. The mode of their declaring for independency was, to be fure, in fome measure indefenfible. The declaration of the New England government was exceedingly rude and ill-written; the language was more unmannerly and abufive than even worfe treatment than what they had received would have juftified; but then it must be confidered as written merely to captivate the com mon people, and therefore a polifhed ftyle, and very fcrupulous decency, were probably but trifling objects with the writer. He however as much condemned it, as he applauded that of the Pennfylvanians. He cenfured the late issuing of prefs-warrants, and declared that he was not only convinced a better mode of manning the navy might be found out, but that he was well informed the late prefs was carried on with great irregularity and cruelty. Mr. Wombwell faid, no prefs was better conducted than the prefent. He approved of the motion for an addrefs as exceedingly proper, and disapproved of the amendment. He cenfured the Americans as a bragging, cowardly banditti, &c. Mr. Wilkes. The honourable gentleman who fpoke laft endeavours to mislead the Houfe. It is certain that no preffing has at this time been carried on in the city of London, or its liberties. No prefs-gangs have dared to make their appearance in that jurifdiction. Those lawless bands of cruel banditti very prudently chofe other fcenes of horror. and bloodshed of lefs danger to themselves. The city has Kitherto remained in perfect fafety and tranquillity, in a moft happy ftate of fecurity, by the vigilance, intrepidity, and noble love of liberty, which are confpicuous in its prefent worthy chief magistrate. The conduct of adminiftration, Sir, in the late iffuing of prefs-warrants, before they had tried the operation of the high bounty, is totally unjustifiable. The fpeech now in your hand, Sir, is fo very pacific, that the large bounty of five pounds for every able, and fifty fhillings for every ordinary feaman, promifed in laft Saturday's Gazette, might fafely, for a fhort time at least, have been trufted to, the emergency not being thought very critical. From the minifter's own ftate of public affairs there was no danger in the experiment. Much cruelty and bloodshed had been avoided, many valuable lives preserved. The was The affair of Long Island has been misreprefented, and greatly magnified, The fuperiority of numbers very confiderable, General Howe landed 22,000 men. The provincials had only 6000 effective men on that island. They were ordered to retreat, and 4000 did accordingly, without being attacked, embark for the island of New York. There was a real mistake of orders as to the other 2000, but they acted as brave men always will act under a mistake of orders; they fought. They faw the enemy, left their entrenchments, and attacked with fpirit. From the fuperiority of numbers, and their flanks being neglected and unguarded, they were totally defeated. They did not however remain inactive, like cowards, on an important day of battle. No fuch imputation can be fixed on them. Nothing decifive can follow from the late fuccessful affair on Long Island, any more than from the defeat at Sul, livan's Ifland. New York will probably fall into your hands, but your fituation will in that cafe be scarcely mended fince the laft year, for you then poffeffed the capital of North America, Bofton. Is that great and important town advantageously exchanged for New York? I forgot that we ftill poffefs the fishing hamlet of Halifax. But, Sir, we ought to take a much larger and more comprehenfive view of this interefting fcene, which is now fully disclosed. The important difpute of Great Britain with her colonies has for a confiderable time fixed the attention, not only of this nation, but of almost all Europe. The most es fential interefts of this country, and indeed of the greater part of the powers on the continent, are deeply interested in the event. The facrifice of fo much blood and treasure is to every ftate an object of the highest importance; to us, whose empire feems mouldering away, of the nearest concern; and I much fear we are now brought by inextricable difficulties to the very verge of destruction. Since our last meeting, Sir, the fcene, with refpect to America, has totally changed. Inftead of negotiations with colonies, or provincial affemblies, we have a war to carry on against the free and independent states of America; wicked war, which has been occafioned folely by a spirit of violence, injuftice, and obftinacy in our minifters, unparal leled in hiftory. In the beginning of September in the last year, a very humble and dutiful petition was fent from the Congress to his Majefty, in which his Majefty was fupplicated "to direct fome mode, by which the united applications of his faithful colonists to the throne, in purfuance of their common councils, may be improved into a happy and permanent reconciliation." There was not a word in the petition but what breathed fubmiffion and loyalty; and yet the official anfwer of Lord Dartmouth, the fecretary for the American department, after long deliberation, was to the last degree irritating. It was, "that no answer would be given;" that is, We will not treat, we fcorn to negotiate with you, we exact unconditional fubmiffion. This anfwer, Sir, in my opinion, might juftly be called indignity and infult. It drove the Americans to defpair, and with the violation of the perfidious promifes in Lord Hillsborough's famous official circular letter, laid the real foundation of their declaration of independency. Much has been said, Sir, of the prophecy of the minifters, that the Americans would in the end declare themfelves independent. I give the minifters no credit for fuch a prophecy. They went on the fureft grounds. They might very fafely promulgate fuch a prediction, when they knew that the unjust and fanguinary measures which they intended to purfue, must bring about the event. They drove the Americans into their prefent ftate of independency. The Jefuits in France rifqued nothing when they prophefied in 1610 the death of the best prince that ever reigned in Europe, within that year, Theirs was the fure word of prophecy. They employed Ravillac to affaffinate their fovereign. An honourable gentleman near me attacks the American declaration of independency, in a very peculiar manner, as a wretched compofition, very ill written, drawn up with the view to captivate the people. That, Sir, is the very reafon why I approve it most as a composition, as well as a wife, political measure; for the people are to decide this great controverfy. If they are captivated by it, the end is attained. The polished periods, the harmonious, happy expreffions, with all the grace, eafe, and elegance of a beautiful diction, which we chiefly admire, captivate the people of America very little; but manly nervous fenfe they relish, even in the most awkward and uncouth drefs of language. Whatever composition produces the effect you intend in the most forcible manner, is, in my opinion, the best; and that inode fhould always be purfued. It has the most merit, as well as fuccefs, on the great theatre of the world, no less than on the stage, whether you mean to infpire pity, terror, or any other paffion.. The The honourable gentleman, Sir, who feconded the address, fays, the Americans' declaration of independency was no furprise to him-nor I believe, Sir, to any man of common reflection, after the frantic and extravagant career, which adminiftration purfued, with a full chorus of approbation from the majority of this House. The fpeech in your hand, Sir, which an honourable gentleman near me has well called a speech of hypocrify, mentions the "affurances of amity, which his Majefty continues to receive from the feveral courts of Europe." At the beginning of the last feffion, the minifter gave us in the King's fpeech more explicit affurances. It was faid, "I am happy to add, as well from the affurances I have received, as from the general appearance of affairs in Europe, I fee no probability that the meafures which you may adopt, will be interrupted by difputes with any foreign power." We have no fuch affurances held out to us this year, that our measures will not be interrupted by difputes with any other foreign power; but we have ftill affurances of amity, which are daily contradicted by the immenfe preparations of the neighbouring foreign powers of France and Spain, and indeed of the whole houfe of Bourbon. The accounts from Naples contain little but the vast preparations making by the king of the Two Sicilies. Are we indeed fimple and credulous enough to truft to general vague expreffions of politenefs against the clear evidence of facts? Our ministry know very well that an American privateer being lately stopped at Bilboa in Bifcay, an exprefs was immediately difpatched to Madrid, which returned with the fulleft directions for the release of the privateer, and permiffion to furnish him with provifions, ftores, ammunition, in fhort, whatever he wanted. This fact will not be denied. Is Spain then one of the foreign powers, which again fooths us with these honeyed affurances of amity? Has fate ordained, that we are neither to poffefs capacity enough to profit by the example of others, nor even by our own experience? In the very first year of the prefent reign, in September 1761, the Gazette told us, that "the Catholic king had at no time been more intent upon cultivating a good correfpondence with England, than in the prefent conjun&ture; a declaration received ferioufly here, held out as part of the court creed, and laughed at by all the rest of Europe. In the beginning of the following January, without any new facts having occurred of any moment, war was declared by England |