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had been univerfally expected; and fo firmly perfuaded was General Washington that a junction between them was in contemplation, that, when the British army at New York had actually embarked on the expedition to the Chefapeak, the American General long perfifted in his opinion that the fleet was deftined to the northward.

On the 30th of July, he wrote from Coriel's Ferry, on the Delawar: "Howe's in a manneṛ abandoning Burgoyne is fo unaccountable a matter, that till I am.fully affured it is fo, I cannot help cafting my eyes continually behind me." When the English fleet, after touching at the Capes of Delawar, again ftood out to fea, General Washington ftill writes under the influence of the fame perfuafion: "It appears," fays he, "that General Howe has been practifing a deep feint to draw our whole force to this point. Countermarch your divifion, and proceed with all poffible expedition to Peek's-kill." Again, August 3: "The conduct of the enemy is difficult and diftreffing to be understood;" and not till the latter end of the month was the doubt entirely removed. "The English fleet," fays he (Auguft 22), "have entered the Chesapeak; there is not now the leaft danger of Howe's going to New England." It does not however appear, that this co-operation was at any time in the contemplation of Sir Willian Howe; and the firft intimation that any fupport

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whatever would be expected from him in favor of the Northern expedition, was contained in a letter of Lord George Germaine, received by Sir William Howe when actually in the Bay of Chefapeak, in which he fays, "I trust that, whatever you meditate, it will be executed in time to cooperate with the army ordered to proceed from Canada." The American Minifter, as well as the Governor of Canada, had been apprized of General Howe's intended march to the Delawar; and could Lord George Germaine poffibly imagine, that the purposes of the Southern expedition could be answered, and General Howe be able to return in proper time to co-operate with General Burgoyne in the Northern? The truth is, that no traces are difcernible of any regular plan for the conduct of the campaign, or of any grand or mafterly co-operation of means for the attainment of any precife or determinate object. Vague and general hopes were entertained, that the army under General Burgoyne, with fuch aid as he might eventually derive from the central force at New York, would fuffice for the fubjugation of the Northern provinces, and that General Howe would in the mean time accomplish the conqueft of the Southern. Such were the flattering delufions which, at the distance of 3000 miles, paffed at the Court of St. James's for fober and rational expectancies; and in the annals of hiftory, Min

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den and Saratoga will ever remain incontrovertible proofs, that Lord George Germaine was as great in the cabinet, as Lord George Sackville had been in the field.

On the 20th of November 1777, the Parliament affembled. Previous to this period, the exultation of the Court, on the intelligence of the firft fucceffes of General Burgoyne, had fuffered a fudden and grievous check by the last dispatches of that Commander, written after the defeat of the detachments of Baum and Breyman, when the tide of fortune was evidently fetting ftrong against him. The Royal Speech, however, discovered no fymptoms of dejection; no relentings, no forebodings. His Majefty expreffed his "confidence, that the spirit and intrepidity of his forces would be attended with important fuccefs; but intimated the neceffity of preparing for fuch farther operations as the contingencies of the war and the OBSTINACY OF THE REBELS might render expedient. He expreffed his determination feadily to purfue the measures in which they were engaged, and his hope that the DELUDED AND UNHAPPY MULTITUDE Would finally return to their allegiance."-In the Houfe of Commons, the Addrefs, which was moved by Lord Hyde, was opposed by the Marquis of Granby, who brought forward an amendment, in fubftance recommending to his Majefty measures of accommodation, and an im

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mediate ceffation of hoftilities, as necessary for effectuating so defirable a purpose. This, after a long and vehement difcuffion, was rejected by a majority of 243 to 86. But the debate in the Upper House was rendered peculiarly interesting by the prefence of Lord Chatham, who himself moved an amendment of fimilar import to that of Lord Granby, which he fupported with all that energy and eloquence which had formerly produced fuch mighty effects, and which must now have roused the nation from its death-like torpor, had this been within the compass of human virtue or human ability. He faid, "It had been usual on fimilar occafions of public difficulty and distress, for the Crown to make application to that House, the great hereditary Council of the Nation, for advice and affiftance. As it is the right of Parliament to give, so it is the duty of the Crown to ask it. But, on this day, and in this extreme momentous exigency, no reliance is repofed on your Councils, no advice is afked of Parliament; but the Crown, from itself, and by itself, declares an unalterable determination to purfue its own preconcerted measures ;-and what measures, my Lords? Meafures which have produced hitherto nothing but difappointments and defeats. I CANNOT, my Lords, I WILL NOT join in congratulation on misfortune and difgrace. This, my Lords, is a perilous and tremendous moment; it is not a

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time for adulation; the finoothnefs of flattery cannot fave us in this rugged and awful crifis. It is now neceffary to inftruct the Throne in the language of TRUTH. We muft, if poffible, difpel the delufion and darkness which envelop it; and difplay in its full danger, and genuine colors, the ruin which is brought to our doors. Can Minifters fiill prefume to expect fupport in their infatuation? Can Parliament be fo dead to its dignity and duty as to give their fupport to measures thus obtruded and forced upon them? meafures, my Lords, which have reduced this late flourishing empire to fcorn and contempt! But yesterday, and England might have ftood against the World; Now, none fo poor to do her reverence.' The people whom we at first despised as rebels, but whom we now acknowledge as enemies, are abetted against you, fupplied with every military ftore, their interefts confulted, and their Ambaffadors entertained by your inveterate enemy-and our Ministers do not, and dare not interpofe with dignity or effect. The defperate state of our army abroad is in part known. No man more highly esteems and honors the English troops than I do: I know their virtues and their valor; I know they can achieve any thing except impoffibilities; and I know that the conqueft of English America is an impoffibility. You CANNOT, my Lords, you CANNOT conquer America.

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