ence from those narrow prejudices and partialities we had imbibed, we conceive ourselves, at this particular period, called upon, by the bleffings we have received, to manifeft the fincerity of our profeffion. In juftice, therefore, to perfons who, having no profpect before them whereon they may reft their forrows and their hopes, have no reasonable inducement to render that service to fociety which otherwife they might; and alfo in grateful commemoration of our own happy deliverance from that state of UNCONDITIONAL SUBMISSION to which we were doomed by the tyranny of Britain; BE IT ENACTED, That no child born hereafter shall be a SLAVE; that Negro and Mulatto children fhall be fervants only till twenty-eight years of age; that all flaves shall be registered before the first of November next; that they shall be tried like other inhabitants; and that no Negroes or Mulattoes, other than infants, fhall be bound for longer than feven years."-Such were the fentiments, and fuch the conduct, of a people once attached to Britain by every civil and focial tie by which either dignity or advantage could be derived or durability be hoped-but whom Britain, in the hour of her infolence and infatuation, first attempted to treat as flaves, and then to punish as rebels.

Towards the autumn of the present year, a

remarkable event took place in the defection of general Arnold, who commanded a confiderable. body of troops at West Point on the North River, and who had entered into a fecret correspondence with fir Henry Clinton to betray into his hands that important poft, and the whole of the troops entrusted to him. The military talents and fucceffes of Arnold had raifed his reputation fo high, that the danger of placing confidence in a man wholly deftitute of honor and probity in private life was not fufficiently adverted to. The intercourse between the American and English generals was carried on through the medium of major André, a young man of fingular accomplishments, who had paffed up the river unknown and unfufpected from the head-quarters at New York to the poft of Weft Point. But on his return by land, September 23d, after eluding the vigilance of the regular patroles, he was apprehended in difguife, and with a falfe paffport, by three American privates, to whom he in vain offered great rewards if they would fuffer him to escape. On examination, the papers found upon him, and which he had no opportunity to deftroy, difcovered all the parti culars of the confpiracy. His cafe being referred to a board of general officers, of which the marquis de la Fayette was one, they unanimoufly determined that he came under the denomination

nomination of a spy; and that, agreeably to the law and ufage of nations, he ought to fuffer death; which, notwithstanding the urgent folicitations and the impotent and injudicious menaces of fir Henry Clinton, was on the 2d of October inflicted upon him in that degrading mode "which gives the brave the keenest wound." Such was the noble candor and magnanimity of his conduct confequent on the difcovery, that the high character of the American commander would have derived additional luftre from indulging the earnest and fole request of major André, to be permitted to die as a foldier, not as a felon. General Arnold, with great difficulty, on the apprehenfion of major André, made his escape to New York, and was immediately promoted to the rank of brigadier-general in the king's fervice.

In the fouthern provinces the events of the war were of a nature more important and interefting. After the departure of fir Henry Clinton from Carolina, lord Cornwallis was left with a force apparently very inadequate to maintain poffeffion of the province against the increasing armies of the Americans, of which general Gates, the conqueror of Burgoyne, had now taken the command. The British forces, having advanced towards the north frontier of the province, found their farther progrefs intercepted by the enemy, who

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who with far fuperior numbers were pofted near the town of Camden. Lord Cornwallis, fenfible that a retreat would be equivalent to an abandonment of the recent conquefts, determined to risk an engagement; and in the night of the 15th of Auguft, 1780, the troops were put in motion, in hope of surprising general Gates in his camp. That commander, with a view likewise to the furprifal of lord Cornwallis, had marched his troops during the night to the attack of the British camp, and the advanced parties of the two armies unexpectedly met in a wood near Camden. A fort of truce was obferved till day-light appeared, when the action commenced on the part of the British general, who was well pleased to obferve that the American commander had been under the neceffity of taking a very disadvantageous and confined pofition, bounded by fwamps on both fides, which prevented his making any efficacious ufe of his great fuperiority of numbers. The militia, of whom general Gates's army chiefly confifted, unable to refift the new and formidable attack of the bayonet, fled at the first onfet. The continental troops maintained, nevertheless, their ground with great refolution; but finding themfelves totally deferted by the militia, who could never be brought to rally, were compelled to retreat, leaving behind them their cannon, camp-equipage, and

ftores.

ftores. This victory feems to have been the moft complete which was obtained in the whole course of the war. The purfuit continued for more than twenty miles; and colonel Tarleton coming up with a detached corps at the Catawba fords under general Sumpter, charged them with fuch vigor that they were inftantly broken, and the greater part either cut to pieces or taken prifoners.

General Gates, who thus unfortunately at Camden faw thofe laurels fade which he had fo gloriously acquired at Saratoga, now, with little apparent attention to the point of honor, left the fhattered remains of his army to the care of a general Smallwood, and retired into North Carolina to confult with the government of that province upon the means of future refiftance and defence.

Lord Cornwallis, eager to improve his victory to the utmost, advanced, as foon as the exceffive heats incident to the climate and feafon would permit, to the vicinity of Salisbury, on the frontier of North Carolina, having first detached major Ferguson to the western fide of the province to collect and arm the royalists in that quarter. No fooner was the communication of this officer with lord Cornwallis interrupted by the extenfion of the diftance, than a plan was formed to furround and cut him entirely off.