were attached to the royal cause, put to sea on board the transports lying in the harbor, though very insufficient in number for the purpose; and after a tempestuous and dangerous voyage they atlength landed safely at Halifax. On the fucceeding day general Washington entered the town in triumph, and found there a great quantity of stores and provifions which the English commander had neither time to remove or to destroy. Compliments of congratulation were paid to the American general on this occafion by the convention of Massachusetts.

Some time previous to this event, the Oneidas and other Indian nations had fent a deputation, to that assembly, of their chiefs and warriors, who, in the simple style of Indian eloquence, disclosed the purport of their commission in the following terms: "BROTHERS! we have heard of the unhappy differences and great contention between you and OLD ENGLAND. We wonder greatly, and are troubled in our minds. Brothers, possess your minds in peace respecting us Indians. We cannot intermeddle in this dispute between two brothers. The quarrel seems to us unnatural. You are two brothers of one blood; we bear an equal affection to both. Should the GREAT KING apply to us for aid, we shall deny him; if the colonies apply, we shall refufe. We Indians cannot find or recollect in the traditions of our ancestors a case similar to this. Brothers, were it an alien that had struck you, we should look into the matter. We hope, through the wife government and good pleasure of GOD, your distresses may be foon removed, and the dark clouds be dispersed. Brothers, as we have declared for peace, we defire you will not apply to our Indian brethren for assistance. Let us Indians be all of one mind, and you white people settle your disputes betwixt yourselves." Happy would it have been, had the Indian nations uniformly adhered to this wife policy, of which the assembly to whom this discourse was addressed declared their high and entire approbation. But many of the savage tribes bordering on the great lakes and rivers were prevailed upon, by the solicitations and lavish presents of the British agents, to take up the hatchet in behalf of the GREAT KING. Colonel Johnson, son of the famous Sir William Johnson, was most successful in these direful negotiations: and a great war-feast was made by him on the occafion, in which, according to the horrid phrafeology of these barbarians, they were invited "to banquet upon a Bostonian, and to drink his blood."

The parliament of Great Britain, after a short recess, met at Westminster, October 26, 1775; and the seffion was opened by an unusually long and elaborate oration from the throne, containing charges against the colonies the most wild and extravagant-accusing them of a desperate conspiracy, and of harboring a premeditated design to effect a total revolt; whilst, taking advantage of the moderation and forbearance of parliament, they hoped to amuse by vague expreffions of attachment to the parent state, and of loyalty to the sovereign. "This rebellious war, it is affirmed, is manifestly carried on for the purpose of establishing an independent empire; and it is now become the part of wifdom, and in its effects of clemency, to put a speedy end to these disorders by the most decisive exertions-for which purpose his majesty had greatly increased his military and naval establishments, and he had also received the most friendly offers of foreign assistance. When the unhappy and DELUDED MULTITUDE, against whom this great force will be directed, shall become sensible of their error, he declared himself ready to receive the misled with tenderness and mercy; for which purpose he had given authority to certain persons upon the spot, to grant general or particular pardons and indemnities, and to receive the fubmiffion of any province or colony which should be disposed to return to its allegiance." Upon the whole, this speech breathed a most inveterate and determined spirit of animosity against the colonies; and nothing less than absolute, unreserved,

and

and unconditional submission was held out as the price by which peace was to be purchased.

During the summer recess of parliament, the duke of Grafton, lord privy feal, who had long viewed with extreme folicitude and concern the violent measures adopted by the majority of the minifters, but who had been induced in a certain degree to concur with and countenance these proceedings by the most positive afsurances of a speedy and peaceable termination of the controverfy, now perceiving a bloody and unnatural war in full profpect, determined no longer to take any share of the responsibility attached to his exalted station. But thinking it proper, previous to his refignation, to make one more effort to procure a change of system, his grace wrote, in the month of August, a letter to lord North, expreffing "his loyal and grateful attachment to his majesty, and his zealous defire to see the government fourish under the administration of the noble lord to whom it was now entrusted;" at the fame time stat ing his own clear and decided opinion, the refult of much ferious reflection, that some effectual means ought to be adopted for the purpose of terminating our prefent unfortunate differences with America. His Grace remarked, "That the inclinations of the majority of perfons of refpectability and property in England differed in little else than words from the declarations of the congrefs-That if deputies from the united colonies CANNOT be acknowledged by the king, other expedients might be devised, by which the wishes and expectations of his majesty's American subjects might be stated and properly confidered-That a want of intercourse had hitherto been, and must still remain, an insuperable bar to accommodation. His grace observed, that the idea of a powerful party in America ready to avow their loyalty under the protection of a military force was now. vanished. It is evident that, as the means of offence are increased, America has also in the fame proportion increafed her means of defence; that the event of such a struggle muft

must be hopeless, disgraceful, and ruinous; and his grace concluded his letter, written at this critical and perilous juncture, by suggesting one mode at least by which intercourse and negotiation might commence, under a generous offer of a truce to the revolted colonies, fanctioned by the address of both houses to the king, on various motives of policy, affection, and humanity." To this letter the duke received a polite and respectful, though very unfatisfactory answer from lord North, upon the whole purporting that measures of coercion were unalterably determined upon.

On the receipt of the congress petition, delivered to lord Dartmouth by Mr. Penn, his grace again renewed his folicitations with the minifters for the adoption of a pacific fyftem, but with no better effect. The duke then, as the laft resource, requested an audience of the KING, in which he stated to his majesty, without referve, his reasons why he could no longer take any part in the administration of affairs. The king liftened with attention, and condescendingly endeavored to demonftrate to his grace, by calm difpaffionate reasoning, the justice, the policy, and neceffity of this war, and the absolute certainty of ultimate success; and finding that he was unable to effect the conviction he wished, he flatteringly expressed his regret at parting with so experienced and faithful a servant.

On the usual motion in the house of lords for an address in answer to the speech from the throne, lord Rockingham in the most pointed terms condemned the measures recommended in it, as bearing the most portentous aspect to the British empire, and fraught with the most ruinous confequences. The charge against the colonies of aiming at independence his lordship severely reprehended, as totally unfounded: "but what," said his lordship, "they never originally intended, we may certainly drive them to-they will undoubtedly prefer independence to flavery." The charge of making infidious profeffions of duty was equally reprobated. On the contrary, it was observed by his lordship, that they had from the beginning declared, in terms the most explicit, that they never would submit to be arbitrarily taxed by any body of men whatever. They did not WHISPER their complaints, but fairly told the world what they would do if urged to extremity. What, his lordship afked, was that lenity of parliament so much boasted of in the speech? Was it to be discovered in the Boston port bill? in the fishery bill? in the Massachusetts charter bill? or in the indemnity and encouragement held out to military license in the bill which professes as its object the impartial administration of justice? Ministers, said his lordship, have been warned session after session of the danger in which they were involving themselves and the country; but the fources of information which minifters relied upon were the false, partial, illiberal representations of selfish, artful, and designing men, who had held public offices in America, and who by this means were glad to gratify at once their interest, their prejudices, and their revenge. His lordship concluded an excellent speech by moving an amendment to the address-" That, deeply impressed with the melancholy state of public concerns, they would on mature deliberation endeavor to apply the most effectual means of reftoring order to the distracted affairs of the British empire, &c."

The duke of Grafton now rose to support the amendment, and in a particular manner attracted the attention of the house and of the public, by an open and ingenuous acknowledgment that he had by mifinformation and misrerepresentation been induced to give countenance to a plan the most abhorrent from his mind and opinion-being repeatedly assured that the mere appearance of coercion would suffice to establish a perfect reconciliation. His grace declared, that he could no longer hefitate as to the part he ought to take, being now fully convinced, that nothing less than a total repeal of the American laws passed since the year 1763 could restore peace and happiness, or prevent those