Lawar, again stood out to fea, general Washington still writes under the influence of the perfuafion; "It appears," fays he, "that general Howe has been practifing a deep feint to draw our whole force to this point. Countermarch your division, and proceed with all poffible expedition to Peek's-kill.” Again, August 3: "The conduct of the enemy is difficult and diftreffing to be understood;" and not till the latter end of the month was the doubt entirely removed. "The Englifh fleet," fays he (Auguft 22), "have entered the Chefapeak; there is not now the leaft danger of Howe's going to New England." It does not however appear, that this cooperation was at any time in the contemplation of Sir William Howe; and the firft intimation that any fupport whatever would be expected from him in favor of the northern expedition, was contained in a letter of lord George Germaine, received by Sir William Howe when actually in the bay of Chesapeak, in which he fays, "I trust that, whatever you meditate, it will be executed in time to co-operate with the army ordered to proceed from Canada." The American minifter, as well as the governor of Canada, had been apprized of general Howe's intended march to the Delawar ; and could lord George Germaine poffibly imagine, that the purposes of the southern expedition could be anfwered, and general Howe be able to return in proper time to co-operate with general Burgoyne in the northern? The truth is, that no traces are difcernible of any regular plan for the conduct of the campaign, or of any grand or masterly co-operation of means for the attainment of any precife or determinate object. Vague and general hopes were entertained, that the army under general Burgoyne, with such aid as he might eventually derive from the central force at New York, would fuffice for the subjugation of the northern provinces, and that general Howe would in the mean time accomplish the conquest of the fouthern. Such were the flattering delufions which, at the diftance of 3000 miles, paffed at the court of St. James's for fober and rational expectancies; and

in the annals of history, Minden and Saratoga will ever remain incontrovertible proofs, that lord George Germaine was as great in the cabinet, as lord George Sackville had been in the field.

On the 20th of November 1777, the parliament affembled. Previous to this period, the exultation of the court, on the intelligence of the first fucceffes of general Burgoyne, had suffered a fudden and grievous check by the last dispatches of that commander, written after the defeat of the detachments of Baum and Breyman, when the tide of fortune was evidently setting strong against him, The royal speech, however, discovered no fymptoms of dejection; no relentings, no forebodings. His majesty expreffed his "confidence, that the spirit and intrepidity of his forces would be attended with important success; but intimated the neceffity of preparing for such farther operations as the contingencies of the war and the OBSTINACY OF THE REBELS might render expedient. He expreffed his determination fteadily to pursue the measures in which they were engaged, and his hope that the DELUDED AND UNHAPPY MULTITUDE would finally return to their allegiance."-In the house of commons, the address, which was moved by lord Hyde, was opposed by the marquis of Granby, who brought forward an amendment, in fubftance recommending to his majefty measures of accommodation, and an immediate ceffa tion of hoftilities, as neceflary for effectuating so desirable a purpose. This, after a long and vehement difcuffion, was rejected by a majority of 243 to 86. But the debate in the upper house was rendered peculiarly interesting by the prefence of lord Chatham, who himself moved an amendment of fimilar import to that of lord Granby, which he fupported with all that energy and eloquence which had formerly produced fuch mighty effects, and which must now have roused the nation from its death-like torpor, had this been within the compass of human virtue or human ability. He faid, It had been ufual on fimilar occafions of public difficulty

and

and distress, for the crown to make application to that houfe, the great hereditary council of the nation, for advice and affiftance. As it is the right of parliament to give, fo it is the duty of the crown to ask it. But, on this day, and in this extreme momentous exigency, no reliance is reposed on your councils, no advice is afked of parliament; but the crown, from itself, and by itself, declares an unalterable determination to pursue its own preconcerted measures;—and what measures, my lords? measures which have produced hitherto nothing but difappointments and defeats. I CANNOT, my lords, I WILL NOT join in congratulation on misfortune. and difgrace. This, my lords, is a perilous and tremendous moment; it is not a time for adulation; the fmoothness of flattery cannot fave us in this rugged and awful crifis. It is now neceffary to inftruct the throne in the language of TRUTH. We muft, if poffible, difpel the delufion and darknefs which envelop it; and display in its full danger, and genuine colors, the ruin which is brought to our doors. Can ministers still prefume to expect support in their infatuation ? Can parliament be fo dead to its dignity and duty as to give their support to measures thus obtruded and forced upon them? measures, my lords, which have reduced this late flourishing empire to scorn and contempt! But yesterday, and England might have ftood against the world; Now, none so poor to do her reverence." The people whom we at first despised as rebels, but whom we now acknowledge as enemies, are abetted against you, supplied with every military ftore, their interests confulted, and their ambassadors entertained by your inveterate enemy-and our ministers do not, and dare not interpose with dignity or effect. The defperate ftate of our army abroad is in part known. No man more highly esteems and honors the English troops than I'do: I know their virtues and their valor; I know they can achieve any thing except impoffibilities; and I know that the conqueft of English America is an impoffibility. You CANNOT, my lords, you CANNOT conquer America. What is your

prefent

prefent fituation there? We do not know the worst: but we know that in three campaigns we have done nothing, and fuffered much. You may fwell every expence, and ftrain every effort, accumulate every affiftance, and extend your traffic to the shambles of every German defpot, your attempts will be for ever vain and impotent-doubly fo, indeed, from this mercenary aid, on which you rely; for it irritates to an incurable refentment the minds of your adversaries to overrun them with the mercenary fons of rapine and plunder, devoting them and their poffeffions to the rapacity of hireling cruelty. If I were an American, as I am an Englishman, while a foreign troop was landed in my country, I never would lay down my arms-NEVER, NEVER, NEVER! But, my lords, who is the man that, in addition to the difgraces and mifchiefs of war, has dared to authorize and associate to our arms the tomahawk and scalping-knife of the favage?— to call into civilized alliance the wild and inhuman inhabitant of the woods?—to delegate to the merciless Indian the defence of difputed rights, and to wage the horrors of this barbarous war against our brethren? My lords, these enormities cry aloud for redrefs and punishment. Familiarized to the horrid scenes of favage cruelty, our army car no longer boaft of the noble and generous principles which dignify a foldier. No longer are their feelings awake to the 'pride, pomp, and circumftance of GLORIOUS war ;'-but the fenfe of honor is degraded into a vile fpirit of plunder, and the fyftematic prac tice of murder. From the antient connection between Great Britain and her colonies, both parties derived the most important advantage. While the fhield of our protection was extended over America, fhe was the fountain of our wealth, the nerve of our strength, the bafis of our power. It is not, my lords, a wild and lawless banditti whom we oppose: the refiftance of America is the ftruggle of free and virtuous patriots. Let us then feize with eagerness the present moment of reconciliation. America has not yet finally given herself up to France; there yet remains a poffibility of efcape from

fit the

the fatal effect of our delufions. In this complicated crifis of danger, weakness, and calamity, terrified and infulted by the neighboring powers, unable to act in America, or acting only to be destroyed, WHERE is the man who will venture to flatter us with the hope of fuccefs from perfeverance in meafures productive of these dire effects? WHO has the effrontery to attempt it? Where is that man? Let him, if he DARE, ftand forward and fhew his face. You cannot conciliate America by your prefent measures; you cannot subdue her by your present or any measures. What then can you do?-You cannot conquer, you cannot gain; but you can ADDRESS You can lull the fears and anxieties of the mo¬ ment into ignorance of the danger that fhould produce them, I did hope, instead of that falfe and empty pride engendering high conceits and prefumptuous imaginations, that ministers would have humbled themselves in their errors-would have confeffed and retracted them, and, by an active, though a late repentance, have endeavored to redeem them. But, my lords, fince they have neither fagacity to forefee, nor justice nor humanity to fhun those calamities; fince not even bitter experience can make them feel, nor the imminent ruin of their country awaken them from their ftupefaction, the guardian care of parliament must interpofe. I fhall therefore, my lords, propofe to you an amendment to the addrefs to his majefty-To recommend an immediate ceffation of hoftilities, and the commencement of a treaty to restore peace and liberty to America, ftrength and happiness to England, fee curity and permanent profperity to both countries. This, my lords, is yet in our power, and let not the wisdom and juftice of your lordships neglect the happy and perhaps the only opportunity."

Lord Suffolk, fecretary of state, in the course of the debate contended for the employment of Indians in the warBefides its policy and neceffity," his lordship said “ that the measure was also allowable on principle, for that it was perfectly juftifiable to use all the means that GOD and Nature had put into our hands."