on the whole it was finally declared, that until the fpirit of independency was effectually fubdued, it would be idle to enter upon any revifions, or to pass any refolutions, as means of conciliation; and that the fword must be first taken out of the hands of the governing part of America, before that purpofe could be accomplished. That the Congress did not at prefent govern America; but held it enthralled under the moft cruel tyranny. That from our late fucceffes, and the difference be tween the troops which compofed the armies on either fide, there was little room to doubt, that this arbitary power would foon be diffolved, when the great body of the people, finding themfelves emancipated from the cruel yoke of their leaders, and the charm by which they had been blindfolded and misled, being now at an end, they will return to their duty with as much rapidity, as they had before entered into the revolt. Then will be the time to think of legislative regulations for their future government, and to talk of lenity, forbearance, and even conceffion; at prefent, fuch ideas and fuch language are fruitlefs, if not worse.

The explanations given to reconcile the declaration of the Commiffioners with the rights of parliament, and the refpect due to that body, were by no means fatisfactory to the other fide. They first denied the fact on which the arguments of miniftry were founded; namely," that the promife of concurring in the "revifal of laws was a matter of negociation." It was a power

given previous to any treaty, either in progrefs, or even in commencement; and the refufal to do what was fo promised, would, inftead of forwarding, prevent any tranfaction of the kind. They laughed at the idea, of the Americans being fatisfied with asking lefs than we fhould voluntarily grant, and the danger of our outdoing their demands by our conceffions. They faid it was an evident mockery. The crown had promised in this proclamation fomething which without parliament it could not perform.

They infifted that neither the addrefs of 1775, nor any of the documents mentioned, came in any degree up to the matter in queftion. They extended no farther than to the receiving of complaints of grievances, and referring them to the confideration of parliament, that it might judge of their validity, and prefcribe a remedy if neceffary. But the promife in the declaration, if not a piece of hypocrify held out merely to deceive and trepan the Americans, can mean nothing lefs than an engagement on the fide of the crown, for the future conduct of parliament. Nay it goes farther, it engages that parliament fhall act directly contrary to its own opinion, fentiments, and conduct, in a matter, on which it has repeatedly declared and confirmed them; for as the crown cannot poffibly have any fhare in the revifal of laws, though it has on their being paffed or repealed, the engagement can mean nothing elfe than the repeal of thofe acts, though all the world knows, that the house has

con

conftantly rejected every overture of that nature, with the highest disdain, and most determined perfeverance.

Nor was the flight and contempt fhewn to parliament lefs in any part of the American bufinefs. Though they granted the most unbounded fupplies without account or enquiry, and lavished their conftituents money with a profufion unknown in any other period, yet were they kept totally in the dark in all matters neceffary for their knowledge, and only fhewn at certain times fo much light, as was fufficient to mislead them for fome particular purpose. Thus, nothing is to be heard from minifters within these walls, but the heroic language of fubjugation, unconditional fubmiffion, and a war of conquest. America is to be fubdued; charters are to be modified or annihilated at plea fure; and an effective revenue is to be obtained, fufficient to render our own burthens quite easy. Whilft parliament is thus amufed, and thefe doctrines fecure an irrefiftible party, and the bulk of the people on this fide of the water, the most moderate meafures and fascinating promifes are held out by the fame minifters on the other fide, and nothing is to be heard in America, but peace, conciliation, and parental tendernefs. If a fraggling fact finds its way into the houfe by the aid of a news-paper, we are at one time told that its notoriety rendered a communication of it unneceffary, as by only stepping to New York, any body might have read it there upon the walls of the burning houses; and at another, we are gravely informed, that as Mr.

Pitt did not communicate fome private converfation which paffed between him and M. de Buffy, it would not be fitting to intrutt parliament with the fecrets contained in a public proclamation.

But nothing was fo totally reprobated by oppofition, or gave rife to fo much afperity in the debate, as the doctrine of entering into no treaty or negociation with the Americans, until they had refcinded the declaration of independency. This was, they faid, a doctrine founded in cruelty, and crying out for blood. It was telling them in exprefs terms, that they muft either furrender their arms, all the rights of freemen, and fubmit to any flavery which it was thought proper to impofe on them, (for unconditional fubmiffion could mean nothing elfe), or they must prepare to endure the utmoft extremities of war, and to fight it out to the laft

man.

They afked upon what prece. dent this horrid doctrine was founded. Philip the IId of Spain, who was, in his day, confidered as the most gloomy, cruel, and defpotic tyrant in Christendom, when he was in the fame circumftances with the Netherlanders, whom he had alfo forced to a declaration of independency, accommodated, notwithstanding, the extravagance of his pride, and the bitternefs of his refentment, to a wifer, as well as more humane policy. He condefcended to treat with thofe daring rebels, who, by declaring themfelves fovereign and independent, had thrown off all allegiance to him; he, by public edict, admitted their thips to enter his ports, and

to depart in fafety; he made propofals to thefe new ftates; and he finally and pofitively declared, that he would redrefs all their grievances. Our own hiftories, as well as thofe of other nations, both ancient and modern, abound with fuch inftances. What code of history or policy, then, have our minifters made the rule of their prefent conduct ?

ing with Americans; conqueft the only means of rendering them free and happy; and Heffians and Highlanders the most skilful logicians, for enlightening their minds, and convincing their underftanding.

Upon the whole they concluded, that if the house refused to concur in the propofed motion, it would afford a full conviction to the Americans, that the propofals held out by the Commiffioners were indeed infidious and treacherous;

that no reliance

But, they faid, that the Americans had been fyftematically and defignedly driven to the prefent extremity. All the meafures purfued for a fucceffion of years, tended uniformly to that point. And finally, the commiffion for peace was kept back for feven months, until all poffibility of its producing any effect was at end, and the Americans, as had been well foreseen, were driven to their last refource of independency. All the bloodshed and devaftation that has fince taken, and that will hereafter take place, it was faid, would lie at the door of the authors of that delay. This it was that laid the noble city of New York in afhes, that covered the plains with flaughter and defolation, and steeped the bayonets of foreign mercenaries in British blood.

And now having fucceeded in urging them to defperation, to the uttermoft degree of refiitance, and to the laft refort of independency, they bring these inevitable confequences of their own measures, as arguments to prove, that nothing but force, the violence of armies, and the extremities of war, can bring them to a reasonable and proper way of thinking and acting; that the fword is the only mode of reason

a fanction to the moft fhameful, breach of contract and faith; and that all the world would thereby fee with horror, that the different parts of the British government had united in an odious confederacy, for the deteftable purposes of deftroying and exterminating, inftead of governing their colonies.

The question being at length put, was rejected upon a divifion by a majority of 109, to 47 only, who fupported the motion.

From this time a great number of the minority, particularly of the Rockingham party, began to relax in their attendance upon parliament in either house; or rather to withdraw themselves wholly and avowedly upon all queftions which related to America, and only to attend upon fuch matters of private bills or bufinefs, in which they had fome particular concern or intereft. This conduct was fo marked, that fome of the principal leaders

of

of oppofition, after attending the Houfe of Commons in the morning upon private bufinefs, as foon as a public queftion was introduced, took a formal leave of the Speaker, and immediately withdrew. Though by this means a clear field was left to the minif ters, and the vaft articles of fupply were carried without a debate; yet these filent votes, in the granting and difpofal of fuch immenfe fums of the national treafure, was by no means fo plea fant a circumftance, as might at first fight be imagined; the trouble of being obliged to liften to the arguments of a minority, which was not fufficiently numerous to throw any real impediment in the way of bufinefs, and of undergoing occafionally the fa tigue of a late evening, being abundantly compenfated by that fanction, which a decided majority afforded upon every question to their measures. Whilft the paffing of such refolutions without debate or enquiry, feemed in fome degree to leave them open for future difcuffion.

This measure, of a fort of partial feceffion, was juftified upon feveral grounds. They faid, that in the prefent ftate of things, all oppofition to the measures of government, particularly with refpect to American affairs, was not only vain and fruitless, but from the overbearing and refiftlefs force, which fupported the minifters in every queftion, it became worfe; it became frivolous and contemptible. That it was That it was too degrading to themfelves to be the continual inftruments of Oppofing the ineffective weapons of reafon and argument, to the Vol. XX.

That

deaf infolence of an irresistable force, which had long fince determined upon its conduct, without the malleft regard to either. there was no fuch thing as faving a people against their will. And that they had, for a fucceffion of years, repeatedly apprized and warned the nation of the dangers attending thofe ruinous measures which it was pursuing; and of the fatal precipice that muft terminate that mad career, in which they were blindly and defperately driven.

They faid, that by various arts, by fuccefsfully playing with their paffions, through the falfe ideas of domination and intereft, which were held out to allure and deceive them, together with the infinite numbers who were interested in the continuance of our public calamities, and the unbounded influence of the crown, which of late pervaded almost every recefs, the people, who in the beginning were rather difinclined to thefe measures, inftead of benefiting by counsel or taking heed by warning, had unhappily, in a very great degree, adopted the opinions and prejudices Intended by those who were interefted in their delufioh. That now, every measure propofed, and every violence declared against America, is confidered, as a mat ter of course, to be in favour and fupport of Great Britain, whilst every attempt at curing or allaying our unhappy civil ferment, is ftigmatized as the offspring of faction, and as a traiterous dere. liction of the rights and authority of the parent ftate. That good and bad fuccefs are equally urged and admitted as motives [D]

for

for a perfeverance in thofe mea. fures, which have already plunged the empire in civil war, diftraction, and ruin. That in fuch a state of affairs, and during the prevalence of fuch difpofitions, all ftruggles to oppose would rather inflame than leffen the diftemper of the public counfels. That as it was not the part of a wife man to ftrive with impoffibilities, fo neither was it confiftent for thofe, who regarded their honeft fame beyond all other things, excepting their principles and honour, to draw upon themselves the odium of their fellow - citizens, by ineffectual efforts to ferve them. That they would therefore, preferving their principles fill unfhaken, referve their activity for rational endeavours, when the prefent delirium might be fo far allayed, either with the people or with their minifters, as to afford fome room for its operating with advantage.

This example was not, how ever, followed, nor the conduct approved of, by feveral members of the oppofition. They even loudly blamed this proceeding. They queftioned, whether any member could, confiftently with his duty, withdraw himfelf individually from the bufinefs of parliament, merely from an opinion that he would be outvoted, and that his attendance would therefore be ufelefs. They acknowledged, that a feceffion, collectively in a body, had not only the fanction of precedent, but might be practifed with great advantage, and be productive of much benefit in fuch cafes as the prefent. But for this purpose, they faid, it must be attended

with the following circumstances. In the first place, it must be general, including the whole minority against the measure that provoked the feceffion; and in the next, that it fhould not be a filent act; but that the motives for the feceffion fhould be proclaimed, either by a remonftrance on the journals, or a public addrefs to the people. Under these circumstances, they faid, that feceffion was not only juftifiable byt laudable, and in cafes of imminent danger to the conftitution, might operate as a call to the nation, and awaken the people to a sense of their fituation.

The other and greater part of the minority denied, that any rule, but every man's prudence and opinion of his duty, could be prescribed on fuch an occafion. That though minority was a term used in ordinary fpeech; minorities were not corporate bodies, nor bound to act as fuch; nor could any precedents be of avail in matters of that nature. They had no way of compelling unanimity; and nothing but unanimity could make them act in the manner prefcribed. The greater number could not decide. If a difference of opinion appeared, men muft ftand on their character, and their reasons for their conduct.

On this, as on many former occafions, the oppofition difcovered great difunion, and much perfonal and party diflike to each other, to the great ftrengthening of miniftry; who, though divided alfo amongst themselves, yet being involved in one official fyftem, and fupported by the crown,