1781. meafures adopted. The hollow murmur of CHAP. XXIII. difcontent at laft penetrated the ear of royalty, and impelled the pride of majesty to listen to the general voice in favor of the immediate reftoration of tranquillity; and however fanguine the king of England had long been, in favor of coercing his American fubjects to unconftitutional and unconditional obedience, he could not much longer withstand the torrent of oppofition to the cruel system, Events were now nearly ripened, which foon produced a truce to the fcourge of war, which had so long defolated families, villages, and cities. The energetic arguments and perfpicuous reafonings, which do not always apply in their full force on the minds of thofe prepoffeffed by partial affection and esteem, covered with the veil of prejudice in favor of political opinions fimilar to their own, were neceffarily laid aside, and the oppofition to peace daily drawn into a narrower compafs. Reafon, humanity, policy, and juftice, urged fo forcibly by men of the beft abilities, could not longer be withstood. Among these were many who fhed the tears of forrow over the afhes of their friends, who had fallen in the "tented fields" of America. In others, the feelings of indignation arose from a furvey of the profufe expenditure, and the wanton wafte of public money. Besides thefe, not a few perfons were mortified at the eclipfe of military glory, which had formerly emblaz CHAP. XXIII.. oned the laurels, and illumined the characters. of British chieftains. 1781. Indeed, America at this period was not a theatre on which generous Britons could expect, or wish to acquire glory. They were fenfible that their fuccefs muft eradicate the noble principles of liberty, for which their anceftors had reasoned, ftruggled, and fought, against the invafions of their arbitrary kings, from the days of William the Norman to the Tudors, and from the last of the Tudor line, their adored queen Elizabeth, through the race of the Stuarts, no lefs contemptible than arbitrary, until the neceffity of equal exertion was revived in the reign of George the third. At the fame time, it was too evident to all, that repeated defeat had already tarnished the luftre of British arms. The celebrity of fome of their moft renowned commanders was fhrouded in disappointment; their minds enveloped in chagrin doubly mortifying, as it was the refult of exertion from enemies they had viewed with contempt, as too deficient in talents, courage, difcipline, and refources, to combat the prowefs and imagined fuperiority of British veterans. From thefe circumftances it had been calculated, that Americans might be reduced even by the terror of their approach, and the fame of that military glory long attached to the character and valor of British foldiers. But He who ordains the deftiny of man, conceals his purposes till the completion of the defigns of divine government. This fhould teach mankind the leffons of humility and candor, instead of an indulgence of that fierce, vindictive spirit, that aims at the deftruction of its own fpecies, under the impofing authority of obtrufive defpotifm. CHAP. XXIII. 1781. BHAP. XXIV. 1781. CHAPTER XXIV. Naval Tranfactions.-Rupture between England and To The beginning of naval hoftilities between Great Britain and France, took place in the Bay of Biscay in June, one thousand seven hundred and feventy-eight. A fleet commanded by admiral Keppel, a gentleman in whom the nation had the higheft confidence, from his bravery, his prudence, and long experience in naval transactions, was at this critical period directed to fail with difcretionary orders. A member of parliament of eminence obferved, "that all descriptions of men feemed pleased with "the choice, and to feel their own fecurity in"cluded in the appointment" of such an able commander, at so anxious a moment. He met a fquadron of thirty-two fhips of the line, and a large number of frigates, commanded by the count D'Orvilliers, before he was in reality prepared for an interview with such a formidable force on the part of France: this was indeed before any formal declaration of war had taken place between the rival nations. Two frigates from the fquadron of D'Orvilliers were very foon difcovered near enough to prove evidently, that they were on a furvey of the British fleet. They were purfued, and a civil meffage delivered to the captain of the Licorne, from the English admiral; but it was not fo civilly returned; fome shot were exchanged, and in a fhort time the frigate furrendered. CHAP. XXIV. 1781. VOL. III. |