tore to aiurt, with great affuraace, they never will recede, even
admitting the continuance of hoihJe attempts, and that, from the
rage of war, the good people of thefe ftates (hail be driven to
commence a treaty wcAward of yonder mountains. And permit
pie to add, Sir, as my humble opinion, the true intcretl of
Great Britain in the pre lent advance of out conteft, will be
found in confirming cur independence.
M Congref in no boor have been naughty, bat to fuppofe that
their mind are ltd firm in the prt-fent, than they verer when,
defritote of all foreign aid, even without expectation of an alii
acc .vher, upon a day of general public farting and humilia
tion, ia their houfe of woilhip and in the pretence 0 G d, they
refolved, 4 to hold no conference or treaty witn any commiflin
' ert cn the part of Great-Britain, unltfs they fhalj, as a preli
' minary thereto, either withdraw their fleer mmd armies, or,
in pofitive and cxprefs terms, acknowledge the independence
of thefe ftates," w. uld be irrational.
At a proper time, Sir, I mall think m; felf highly honoured
by a perfonal attention, and by contributing to reuu.r every part
of thefe Hates agreeable to you ; but until tne bafis of mutual con
fidence mall be eftablilhed, I believe, Sir, neither former private
frierdrhip, nor any other confideraJbn, can influence C ngrefs
to con ent that even Governor J .hnitone, a gentleman who has
been fo delervtdly efieemed in America, f h ;1 fte the c uniry.
I have but one voice, and that fhall t.e ani.il ii. But let mo
ic treat yon, my dear Sir, do not hence conclude tnat I im defi
cicnt in affection to my old friends, through whole kindn'i I
have obtained the honour of the prefect corrtlpmdence, or that 4
am not, with very great perfonal refpect and eltem,
Yeor.raoft obedient and molt humble fcrv ant.
The Hm Geo. Jobnjlont, Ejf ; HilNRY .'LAU&ZNS.
Philadelphia.
To their Ex., tl, nets the Earl cf CARLISLE, WILLIAM Ei)E
and GEORGE JQOASlOKE, Ej$.ret, linttjb cumtjtun-
AS I have but a few m imcnts that I can, in c. nici. nee, ap
propriate to a correspondence with your txccilenc , I
t utt this ci cunifUoce wil!, with you, excuie tht abrupt manner
in which I iutroduce m;f.if, aid my redactions, to yur auen
ticn. Your letter cf the jrh inftant to Congrefs, yonr cmmiffion,
and the acls of the iiritifft .parliament upon wh en they are
grounded, are 'he fvfhknable fu ejects of curious enquiry, in now
many points of view they. are fallacious and incompetent to (he
hjeft of yor ofienJibU ng ciation. Ahho' (Jossgreia can ;
Condei'cend miuuie.y to animadvert upon your pr fitior., . i
y ur Excellencies are imp?ered to bwar individuals, I ila r
mvftif, fi aoxius is y ut ndination to wflort peafce, that you
will fr a r.: rr.ent h n u nc witnyour attention.
In y ot letter of the" Vn inltant, G -vnor Johnftone figned
this pcfi'iun. " N.it r ..landing die pretcudec ua;e or pre,,. h
form of the French - ff.t$ to Noah . Ameriea, )et it ia lioi r, ms
l t tliefe were made in confeqacoce of tne plan 1 I . mmbda
ti. u previoufly concerted in Great B Uain, ... J v ith 1 to
prevent Our reconciJia:in, and to prolong 1 .1' cuitructive wa ."
Omibs tb of ttbrtuirj m tne bovjt y cj-.imns, U ivcuu r
.haline alfo figned this pufi-L-n, 1 nau- a hiu', and
ate ?'od reafon to believe a nropofitian wdi be modi to parha-
tnt in four or five days, by admimitja t. n, ..1-. may he a
(ound of re-onion: I really do not hnow the particular, never-
htitfs, as earn erne preliminaries have lately gon- J "re ,a France,
ihiok it canoot be ..earned uotnendiy to ei;ncr c worry, to g;ve
i u notice of this tnt t. Jed propojition, that you niay in prodencc
$ notmng hajttty Wun a u reign power.
i he 44 pieliminarto mentioned by oove.-nor jonnitone, as
lately pone from France" were at that moment at lea, with Mr.
;metn Deane, and had been 1 fome wcetcs j tney were to the
- ---, r r - j
h r - a I .A u Mm . ' - h . j . 1 m a. n a v j r M t r i . . - i r
ith us of amity and c mimerce. That in this treaty, no advan
ce would be taken of our p:c(ent fituation to obtain tc.ms from
, whrco otuerwife woaid not be cuQvemtnt lor us to agree to,
i I . - ',13 'i " -v - ... -
his Majefty defiring that the treaty, once made, &?uld be dura
ble, and our amity fubfcil for ever, which could not be expected,
if each nation did not find its intereft in the continuance as well
aa in the commencement of it. It waa therefore his intention,
that the terms cf the treaty Ihould be fuch, as we might be wil
ling to agree to if our Hate had been long cllabiimed, and in the
fuilnefs of ftrength and power, and fuch as we fhould approve of
when that lime mould come. Tnat his majtlty was fixed in his
determination, not only to acknowledge, but to fupport our in
dependence by every means in Jiis power. That in doing thiSj
hemsgbt probably be foon engaged in war, with all the oacp n
cts, nlque and damage ufually attending it; et he mould not
exoect any Compenlation from us on that account, nor pretend
tnat he aCtcd wholly for our lakes, fince,. befides his real gocdr
will to us and our caufe, it was maniftftly the in terete, cf isai.ee,
that the power of England mould be diminiihed by cur fcpar.a
on from it. He Ihould, moreover, not to much as infill, that,
if he engaged in the war with England on our account, we Ihould
not make a fepaate peace for ourfelvcs, whenever gond and ad
van ageous terms were effered to us. The only Condition he
iliouid require and re ly on would be this, that ave, in no peace to
be made tttth Eng and jhnnld gi ve up our independence , and reinrm
to the obeaience oj that government ."Thefe preliminaries were,
b ivi.ir.tH Gw a;d, in the name of his Moft Chriftian Alajefty,
ana uii u to the American commifliiners at Paris on the i6t&
daj vj December lal. And in confequence of theai, the treaty of
Pari, oeivecn A nerica and France, was aft u-illy figned on the
bib c f.bruary, 1 778. It is notorious that it was on the ig:k
oa 2 looiuiry that Lord North introduced his proportions to
pri i.imeru lor a reunion with America. :
From 1 14 (tate of facts, two points refult. Firft, that the two
p fitti ns limned by Governor Johnikme militate again ft each o
the dind terms. Secondly, that fo far were the French of
fwra" r, m oeing m made in confequence of th a m plans of accom
V moda.i n c ;ucerad in Great-iiritairi," that the latter were
muue en ic ijequence only of tbe ferwer ; for the French otter cr
n.uuc on ize .bio duj oj December . LiZverr.or J ;hnftone (connect
cu with n iittiftrauo'B on tht- 5 li of Februlr7 txptefsly fays, he
was t:-eu inoiaut of any partit-lars of a plan cf accommodations
O :he 6tn of Fsbiuary rhe French rfK'is were comieated bv a
tre.ity ; and it wis not till the iqth of February that any oian of
ac;mmodaoik,n was communicaud to the Bntifh f ariumeat.-
few li-xceiiencirs, hower, do not fcruple, even in your fi'tt
aOditis to Congivis, to hil rt a poficicn, the contrary to which is
kn' v, n to be ::ie fait. 1 will not charge you with a dtiigned fa I- t
i, . Fae people will ofe their difcrerion. At any -a K his
v. cdiiCt wii )uur part warns thcra to be upon their guard aga!nli
Hing thus vindicated the honour cf otir good and great ally
trio x.ing o Fiance, permit me to touch upou your ptropvJkions
to C r.gre!s.
Y-ui Kxcellencic; cfTer us a feat for our reprefenta ives in yonr
pa l;aneot. Happily for us, we are too eil acquainted wi ili
the injsgmfcancy oi the Scorch reprefentauves there, to expect
that Amciican reprefentatives can, in ihe (ame place, pcfTefs any
impurtance ; or that America can derive any advantage from fuels
a rcprtientauon. . - .
As an alternative, yoti propofe to fend agents toonr afTemblres.
But as we know thev would be fpies upon us, and agents to pur
cbae our voice, we will have no fuch characles among us.
Y-u propofe to concur in meafures to difcharge the debts of
America. By this, as our fu?jedion is implied, fo are reihidii
oas of fome fort upon our trade; cf necefiuy, fo is a diminution,
of our ability to dilcharge our debts. Wc knowyou Cannot dif-.
coarge the debts of your own neticn, yve therefore cannot expeft
t .at you wiil, or even deli e that you mould, difcharge any pari
cf 6iis. We are willing and able to dheharge our debts, with
out your concurrence or aid. Your offer theiefore wears the apj
pearance of being officious and idle. 1
Y.-u propofe to extend every freedom to trade, that our refpec
tite inierefts can require. : ;
D j we not know, mat you have a nateral inclination to mnnopo
lize .fade ! Do we not know, that your and our intercit in tne