availed among the enemy, that they might eafily have become mafters of the city of Philadelphia; but the former, very prudently, either deftroyed the boats, or removed them out of the way. During thefe fucceffes in the Jerfeys, Gen. Clinton, with two brigades of British, and two of Heffian troops, with a fquadron of thips of war under the command of Sir Peter Parker, were fent to make an attempt upon Rhode Iland. In this enterprize they fucceeded beyond expectation. The Dec. 8th. rebels having abandoned the island at their approach, they took poffeflion of it without the lofs of a man; at the fame time that they blocked up Hopkins's fquadron, which was in the harbour of Providence, on the adjoining Continent. The fqua dron and troops continued here during the winter, where they had better quarters than any other of the king's forces. Hitherto the royal army had fucceeded in every object fince their landing at Staten land. The Provincial army, befides the lofs by fword, by captiwity, and by defertion, began to dwindle to very small numbers, from the nature of their military engagement. They were only enlifted for a year; and the colonists, who were but little used to any restraint, very ill brooked, even fo long an abfence from their families. At the expiration of the term, but few were prevailed upon to continue in fervice. Every thing feemed to promise a decifive event in favour of the royal arms, and a fubmiffion of fome of the principal colonies was hourly expected. CHA P. IX. 1 General conduct of European powers with respect to the American troubles. France. Military preparations. Count de St. Germain placed at the bead of the war department. Mufquetaires reduced. Mr. Necker placed at the head of the Finances. Spain. Extraordinary military preparations. Difpute with Portugal. Improvements. Improvements. Difcoveries in the Southern Ocean. New Academy. Vienna. Torture abolished. Toleration enlarged. Bohemia peasants on the royal demefnes freed from their former fate of villainage. Attempt to open a trade with the East Indies. Ruffia. Endeavours to people the uncultivated parts of the Empire. Grand Duchefs dies. Grand Duke marries the Princess of Wirtemberg. Parte. Bafora taken by the Perfians. Northern kingdoms. Holland. HILST our own affairs have opened fo extenfive a field of business and action, the rest of Europe has happily preferved its tranquillity, and affords few objects of hiftorical difcuffion. Indeed it feems as if the tranfactions we have defcribed, had occafioned a kind of paufe in the active poli WH a ticks of other ftates. The unhap Political enthusiasts, enthufiafts, like all others, overlook all obftacles to the establishment of their favourite fyftem, and all impediments in the way to that point, which they have fixed upon as the fummit of attainment. Such a fchemer as Alberoni, would now fee a profpect opened for a total change in the political fyftem of Europe, and a new arrangement of power and commerce in both the worlds. However the race of projectors may become extinct in other fciences, they are immortal in the affairs of nations. In them Alberoni's are never wanting. It is not then to be wondered at, that the political attention of fome of the great European ftates fhould be ftrongly attracted by objects, in which Great Britain and her colonies fhould only have an intereft; or that the confcioufnefs of a power, which would enable them to convert all favourable circumftances to the greatest advantage, fhould difpofe them to look forward to poffible confequences. It is as little a matter of furprize, that other states, whofe views are more limited, fhould endeavour to profit of the present conjuncture. No alliance, no ties of political friendship founded upon mutual intereft and fafety, (and no other can fubfift between flates) are capable of refifting the allurements of commerce, with its concomitants wealth and power, when thefe even approach in value, to that of the bands which cemented the union. If fuch be their influence upon the clofeft alliance, upon those who are bound by many common motives of connexion and friendship, what must it be upon natural enemies; upon jealous and fufpicious rivals; upon thofe who dread, or who have experienced. our power; or even fuch as only envied our greatnefs? Without the attainment of those benefits to themselves, the fimply withdrawing them from an envied or dreaded power, and thereby leffening its importance and the apprehenfion it excited, would be an object of the first confideration. France and Spain have opened their ports, with the greatest appa rent friendship to the Americans, and treat them in every respect as an independent people. The remonftrances of the British minifters have availed but little. They already have a tale of the fweets of that commerce which we had fo long fecluded from the rest of the world; and which would have fill preferved our greatness if we had loft all other. They now begin to know by experience the extent of thofe advantages, which before were only objects of an uncertain fpeculation, and whofe real value was not well understood by ourfelves. Not content with reaping the benefits of the American commerce, by keeping barely within the pale of a verbal neutrality, they go farther; they folicit and afford the means for its continuance. The American privateers have been openly received, protected, and cherished, and the rich prizes they have taken from the British merchants, rather publicly fold in the French ports, both in Europe and the colonies. Artillery and mi litary ftores of all kinds have been likewife fent; whether really bought with their own money, or fupplied gratis, is uncertain, At this the British minifters find them felves obliged, fometimes to re monftrate, fometimes to wink, French engineers and officers have allo allo joined the Americans, in numbers not before known upon any occafion of foreign or volunteer fervice. It fignifies little to enquire, whether this has been practifed by permiffion, or fuffered by connivance. Two evils attend this unhappy civil contention, which at the fame time that they diftinguish it from other wars, render it more dangerous and grievous than any. The one is, that by the advantages which it lays open, either immediately or in profpect, to other nations, it caufes an union in a certain degree, either in act or fentiment, of the commercial world against us; holding out a temptation to mankind to become our enemies. The other is, the weak. nefs which it induces with refpect to foreign powers. Our dominions are not only fevered at that critical juncture, when it is too evident that a ftrict union of the whole would be particularly neceffary; but a new enemy fprings up in the feparated part, which from the extraordinary vigour of exertion, proceeding from the novelty of the fituation, the danger attending it, and the bitterness of domeftic enmity, acquires an efficacy and efficacy and force, far beyond what it contributed, or knew it poffeffed, when in unity, and only forming a fubordinate fhare of general defence. Thus we have been obliged to be the tame fpectators of a conduct, which in another feafon would have been deemed infufferable, and to fubmit to a degree of injury and infult which we never before experienced, or, at leaft, which was never offered with impunity. Neither was neighbourhood, long alliance, the power of pro clamations, nor the vigilance of our Ambaffador, fufficient to reftrain the Dutch from fharing in thofe advantages which were now offered. In a word, all the nations who poffefs colonies in America, were eager to partake of the new and unexpected commerce which was now opened; and all, excepting the Portuguese, who, much against their inclination, have been restrained through our influence at that court, ftill continue molt fedulously to profit of the opportunity. This difpofition has, by degrees, appeared pretty general in other European ftates. It must indeed be acknowledged, that this commerce, whilft confined merely to the European colonies in the New World, may be juftified upon fome very reasonable grounds. The French, Dutch, and Danish islands in the Weft-Indies, as well as our own, had at all times been fupplied by NorthAmerica with various commodities, fome of which, fuch as provifions and lumber, were even effential to their existence. Nor were all the Spanish colonies, notwithstanding their extent of continent, wholly free from this neceffity. It could not then be expected, that thefe States, from any regard to our private quarrels, or attention to our acts of parliament, should fuffer their islands to be ftarved, or their ftaple commodities loft. Nor could the ruin which they faw coming upon our own Weft-India iflands, and palliated chiefly by captures. from the Americans, be the fmalleft inducement to their fubmitting to a fimilar mischief. However, from this invafion of the American trade by foreigners one advantage is derived, if not to [M] 4 the the commerce and navigation, yet to the manufactures of England; that thefe nations not having yet got into the way of providing a proper affortment for the Ameri can market, they refort hither for fupply. This is felt in all the manufacturing towns; and the Miniftry owe much of their quiet, during the prefent contention, to that fource. It is probable that Europe is much indebted, for the continuance of its tranquillity, to the pacific difpofition of the French monarch, which is fuppofed with difficulty to have reftrained the activity or reftlefinefs of a clofe ally and powerful neighbour, as well as the ardour of the princes of the blood, the nobility, and the nation in general, who are thought to be eagerly difpofed to a war. Indeed, from whatever caufe it proceeds, the American party is fo ftrong in France, that it feems nearly to include the whole nation, except the ruling part of the court. How ever that may be, the prefent difpofition of that court is favourable to the happiness of mankind, and, in the prefent ftate of affairs, particularly fortunate to Great-Bri tain. The military preparations how ever, in France, particularly on the fea-coalts, and the naval ar, maments, have been fo confiderable, that no explanation which could be given of the motives, was fufficient for a time to allay the alarm and apprehenfion which they excited. It was faid, that as the feas were covered with English fleets and American cruizers, and not only an actual war carried on, but fuch armies fent to the New World as had never before appeared there, it became neceffary for France to arm in fuch a manner, as would effectually fecure her colonies, and protect her commerce: That her engagements with Spain, and the difputes between that power and Portugal, rendered it befides ne ceffary, that fhe fhould be in fuch a ftate of preparation, as in cafe of a rupture would enable her to fulfil them: and that it was very extraordinary,, that thofe who, be fides being themselves in the higheft poffible ftate of warlike prepa. ration, had alfo fent hofts of armed foreigners into the New World, fhould make objections to their neighbours putting themselves in a proper ftate of fecurity. Whatever fatisfaction thefe anfwers afforded, no better could be obtained; and it is very probable, that a greater reliance was placed upon a knowledge of the temper of the French Minifters, and of the cabals which prevailed in the court than upon any affurances they could have given. All together were not fufficient to prevent alarm, or totally to remove apprehenfion. The Count de St, Germain, who in the preceding year had been recalled by the King to the fervice of his country, and placed at the head of the war department, ventured upon a military regulation, which for a time made a great noife, and would, in a more turbulent feafon, have been exceedingly dangerous. This was the fuppreffion of the Mufquétaires, and fome other of thofe corps, which being adapted more to the parade of guarding the royal perfon, than any real military fervice, were fupported at a prodigious expence, without an adequate return of benefit to the ftate. Notwith ftanding tanding the evident utility of this reduction, and that the very confiderable foms of money arifing from the favings, were to be applied to increase the real ftrength and fecurity of the nation, by the establishment and fupport of effective marching battalions; yet thefe corps being compofed of gentle. men, and their officers heing of the firft families in the kingdom, it occafioned a prodigious clamour, and the fate of Struenfee, whofe fall had been precipitated by a fimilar innovation with refpect to the Danish guards, was loudly and repeatedly prognofticated, if not threatened, as the certain doom of the author. Such is the power of habit, and fuch the pride and pleafure which men find, and the mutual attachment they contract, when thrown into any distinct clafs that feparates them from the reft of the community, that no women, in the cafe of being torn away from their husbands, country, and all that was most dear to them by a merciless conqueror, could exprefs a more poignant grief, or fhew greater marks of defpair, than thofe brave men, whofe courage had at all times been diftinguished, did upon this occasion. Of this a more ftriking infance needs not to be given, than that of the veteran commander of the Grey Mufquetaires; who, though the matter was fully known, and the corps he commanded affembled for the purpose of receiving the order of fuppreffion, yet is faid to have fainted away in their arms upon its being delivered. Another remarkable circumftance, which will still more ditinguish this year in the hiftory of France, was the placing of Mr. Necker, a foreigner and protestant, at the head of the Finances in that kingdom. This gentleman, who is a Swifs by birth, is faid to poffefs fuch diftinguished abilities in every thing appertaining to his office, that his appointment to it could be no matter of furprize, if it had not been fo directly oppofite to the long established maxims and policy of that nation. It affords one of thofe inftances which are now happily becoming general, of that enlargement of mind, and liberality of fentiment, which are daily gaining ground upon prejudice and error. The vaft expence at which Spain has continued, ever fince the affair of Algiers, to augment her armaments by fea and land, has given fome alarms to different parts of Europe. Indeed, nobody believed, that fhe intended, for the prefent, to venture another attempt upon the coaft of Africa. The great land and naval force which the fapported, and daily increased, in the West Indies, with the pains fhe was at in rendering her principal fortreffes there as nearly im. pregnable as fkill and expence were capable of making them, feemed to indicate either defign or appre henfion in that quarter, while no colourable caufe could be affigned for fuppofing the latter. It is cer. tain, that the inland of Jamaica was more than once feriously alarmed at the apprehended defigns, or the movements of thefe forces in her neighbourhood. A difpute with Portugal, about limits, on the borders of the Rio de la Plata, in South America, af, forded a favourable opportunity for continuing and increafing thefe preparations. The vaft, and al mok |