XLI.

3781.

CHA P. Washington's troops had no object but New York to which their attacks could be directed, had not lord Cornwallis presented himself to their aim; and many errors were alleged against his mode of defence. He was blamed for pofting himself injudiciously at York and Gloucester; for not attacking the enemy in detail as they were forming the fiege, when the corps under the command of La Fayette at Williamsburg did not confift of more than two thousand men, and might with ease have been diflodged or captured bebefore the junction of the other troops; and for neglecting eafy and certain means of efcape from the overwhelming force which ultimately engulphed him. The relief by means of the fleet was only promised if the ships could be enabled to fail by the fifth of October, and the promise was accompanied with an instruction to lord Cornwallis to use every exertion for faving at least part of the army, fhould he have reafon to apprehend that reinforcements could not arrive fufficiently early.

THESE Complaints and affertions on either fide have occafioned a difference of opinion on this event, which was magnified by the Americans and their friends far beyond its real importance: congrefs celebrated it with rejoicings and thanksgivings, their drooping caufe appeared to revive, and all past reverfes to be forgotten. Subfequent refolutions in Great Britain juftified these exhibitions of ardent joy; but the capture of lord Cornwallis's army of four thousand men fit for duty, though felt with anguish and dejection by all loyal fubjects, might easily have been repaired, had the fpirit of the nation warranted an adequate exertion of its refources".

In thefe tranfactions I have confulted, beside the hiftories and Gazettes, the pamphlets published by lord Cornwallis and Sir Henry Clinton, and Tarleton's Campaigns, and have been affifted by private information and correspondence.

CHAPTER THE FORTY-SECOND:

1781-1782.

Conduct of neutral powers.-Pruffia admitted to the armed confederacy-Unfuccessful efforts for a mediation.—Altered conduct of the emperor of Germany-he joins the armed confederacy-his increafing partiality toward France.-State of the public mind-meeting of parliament-debates on the addreffes -on the capture of Saint Euftatia.-Motion against the war by Sir James Lowther.-Debates on the treatment of Mr. Laurens-he is difcharged-recefs.-Proceedings in public meetings.-Petition of the common-hall of London, for peace and a change of miniflry.—Admiral Kempenfelt's unfuccessful expedition.Capture of Saint Christopher's-Nevis-Montferrat-and Minorca.—Fox's motions on the ill fuccefs of the navy.-Motions in both houfes refpecting the conduct and characters of individuals.-On the treatment of colonel Haynes -for an inquiry into the causes of lord Cornwallis's furrender -on lord Sackville's peerage—on the promction of general Arnold-Fox's renewed motion refpecting the navy.--General Conway's motion against the war.-Altercation between lord North and colonel Barré.-Debates on the new taxes.--General Conway's fecond motion.—The minifer in a minority.Bill to enable the king to make peace with America.-Lord John Cavendif's motion against the ministry.-Lord North declares the cabinet diffolved-his farewel addrefs to the house. -Lord Shelburne's intended motion.-Character of lord North.

D

1781.

URING thefe events, the administration were c HA P. in a continual state of alarm and folicitude; dif- XLII. treffes were augmenting, while hope and confolation almoft vanifhed from their view. None of the con- Conduct tinental powers fhewed a difpofition to make effectual of neutral exertions for the benefit of Great Britain; and while the efforts of hoftility were open, earneft, and unremitting,

VOL. III.

A A

powers.

CHA P. mitting, thofe of friendship, if indeed a jealous neutrality could deferve that name, were languid, cold, and feeble.

XLII.

1781. Pruffia

the armed

January.

THE king of Pruffia, ftill animated by his wonted admitied to averfion, ufed every intrigue and petty artifice to inconfederacy. jure the intereft of England. By a public letter to his minifter of finances, he ordered all Pruffian subjects to withdraw their money from the British funds, as a general bankruptcy was inevitable. He endeavoured to perfuade the emprefs of Ruffia, that the acceffion of the Dutch to the armed neutrality, occafioned their war with England, and that the commencement of hoftilities was the cafus fæderis of the league. Although the emprefs was not deluded by this infinuation, the cooled in her attachment toward England, and became proportionately defirous to extend and strengthen the obnoxious confederacy. The king of Pruffia was at length included as a contracting party, and permitted grofs abufes to be practifed under the fanction of his flag, while, in all his public acts, he bitterly inveighed against them.

Efforts at anediation.

MEANWHILE attempts were renewed, to terminate hoftilities by mediation; but even in thefe, a difpofition to deprefs Great Britain was conftantly vifible. The firft offer was, to arrange difputes by a congrefs of English, French, Spanish, and American minifters, under the aufpices of Auftria and Ruffia. It was understood that a general fufpenfion of arms would be a preliminary propofition. Although the British miniftry rejected fo difadvantageous a measure, yet they exerted themselves to facilitate the mediation. Spain pretended that a negotiation was already commenced, through the medium of Mr. Cumberland, then refident at Madrid: this pretext was removed by his recal, but Spain gave no promife of acceding to the congrefs. The conduct of France was equally evafive, but both powers cajoled the emprefs with flattering compliments and unlimited profeffions of refpect. Great Britain returned the first definitive an

fwer,

XLII.

fwer, by declaring her readiness to meet in congress CHA P. with France and Spain, but never to permit the interference of any foreign power between her and her rebellious fubjects. This declaration ferved as a theme February. to the Bourbon courts, who declared they would ne

ver make a public facrifice of their honour and good faith by abandoning the Americans.

1781.

ineffectual.

AT length, after the interchange of numerous papers, Mediation prince Kaunitz, who had been principally engaged in managing the conferences, declared, that the answers of France and Spain precluded all hopes of a favour- September, able termination: the principles they ftrove to maintain, convinced him that all attempts at conciliation would be ill-timed. Spain manifefted more paffion and inflexibility than France; the Catholic king expreffing particular acrimony, and affecting peculiar caufes of complaint.

THE Auftrian minifter accompanied this recital with Altered fome ambiguous expreffions; he admitted the argu- conduct ments of England to be fair and honourable, but too lofty for the force of the nation. When the deter

mination not to permit the introduction of American affairs was difclofed, he farcaftically faid, "whoever fucceeds in making a peace for you on thefe terms, Erit mihi magnus Apollo." He expreffed his fentiments more fully when he announced the failure of the negotiation. "If you have not ftrength enough," he faid, "to fupport your rights, you must yield to fuperior force, and dire neceffity. I own when I hear it alleged that the honour of France must not be facrificed by abandoning the Americans, I anfwer as an Englishman would, what have I to do with the honour of France; fhe herfelf facrificed it at the moment when fhe contracted a traitorous and unwarrantable connexion with the king's rebellious fubjects. We can afford her no other choice than that of the most proper and becoming manner of receding from that connexion. But thefe fentiments will be unavailing, even in the mouth of an English minifter, unless

of

XLII.

CHA P. you can maintain them by force in every quarter. Your prefent difficulties and dangers feem to require important conceffions; but I fhall applaud the national spirit and vigour if they render them unneceffary.'

1781.

The emperor joins the armed co: federacy.

THIS opinion of a foreign minifter respecting the tranfactions of Great Britain, would merit little notice, did they not indicate the altered temper of the Auftrian cabinet. At the deceafe of the emprefs Maria Therefa, in November, 1780, great expectations were formed from the vigour and fpirit of Jofeph II. But Kaunitz infufed into his mind a partiality for France, to which he had previously fhewn a decided repugnance. Great Britain endeavoured to gain the friendship of the emperor by liberal offers, and among others, to open the navigation of the Scheldt; and it was ftrongly urged, that a connexion with England could alone bring back that political system which would give to Auftria due weight in the general fcale of Europe. Prince Kaunitz, however, confined the firft tranfactions of the new reign, to that reftricted policy which he had marked out for the emprefs-* queen; Jofeph loft an important period in petty internal regulations, and was foon characterized by an ardent attachment to trifling arrangements, a jealousy of Pruffia, and a fubferviency to France. Kaunitz poffeffed great talents and virtues; but he had formed an erroneous system, and was of a disposition too unbending to recede.

THE partiality of the emperor for France foon became apparent from the referve of prince Kaunitz toward the English embaffador, and his vindication of the enemy, if not always on the ground of right, at leaft on that of expediency. He began alfo to display a predilection for the northern league, and after a long and affectedly myfterious concealment, avowed the acceffion of his fovereign to that injurious compact.

A JOURNEY