The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-10-12 00:00:00, page 2

not to be well disposed towards this country ; and if any re-
Fiance ought at any time to be had on affiances given by
Miniflers, it must new vanilh, as it is known to be a fettled
maxim in French politics, that promises given by a Minister
are no longer looked upon to be binding, either on his matter
or the nation, than he continues in office. When the Minify
ter is changed, almost uniformly the system is changed ; for
it is always a change of measures, not of men, which brings
About such arrangements in the French court.
LORD JOHN CAVENDISH Seconded the motion. He
said the nation had been led into a war with America.imper
ceptibly, and, from a question of right, they had artfully
worked it up into a trial of power; but as the nation had
been wrought upon by the arts of delusion and misrepresen
tation, he trufled the people would at length be restored to
tlieii senses, and bring the authors to condign punishment,
He reminded the House of the part he took immediately be
fore the Chrifimas recess, 1774, when he informed Admini
stration, that if America was to be coerced,, it would never
be by a peace military establishment, and a reduced peace
naval eftablifLment, from twenty to sixteen thousand men ;
and when the petty augmentations took place, early in the
ensuing spring, he again told them, that the force they were
^M^ out w " !d answer no other, end but to difgraee the
Britim aims. Ihe event shewed that his predictions were
true ; and at the commencement of the present session, he
was once more under the necessity of telling them of their
blunders, and incapacity in conducing the affairs of a great
nation either in w^r or peace ; yet,,even at this Jaft period,
he perceived that administration were not to be taught by
experience. They regimented an army on paper ; twenty
five thousand men were to conquer America; three months
were elapsed, halt the number were not to be procured,
though Great-Britain and Ireland were ransacked and left
defenceless ; at length foreigners were applied to) foreigners
were procured ; more than one half of them dill remained in
their country, the other half were no.w tolling about in the
bay of Biscay, and America,was loft.
LORD NORTH said he was against the motion, but not
for the. reason the Hon. Gentleman who moved it, seemed
about to apologize. It was, to be sure, partly late in the
season, but if the nation could derive the lead benefit from
it, he had not the least objection to fit weeks or months ;
but to call for inftru&ions given {0 Commissioners, was a
matter totally new to him, either as an official man or a
member of that House. His Lordlhip obferyed, that in
matters of negotiation, it was usual to give instructions, to
let the treaty go on, to wait for the issue of it, and then form
ajudgment. It the treaty should mifearry, if no fruits should
be produced from it, then it would be time enough to inquire
antojhe tenor of the inftrudions, to Lee whether they were
such as ought to have been given, and such as'from their
profeffed objeds were likely to succeed. He, said, in feme
fituaticns, the hufinefs of a General was as much 'to negoti
ate as fight. The knowledge of his own strength, as well
as that of the enemy, led him into many important secrets
wAicb frequently served as a balls of future accommodation'.
As to the original cause of the present disputes, he was nor
in office when,they arose. He had his own opinion, and it
was always the fame, that you must coifple the claim of this
country with a tax framed in feme shape or other; but no
thing was farther from his thoughts than to pref's his opi
mion on any man. come were for taxation, others were for
adhering to the fuprtmacy of this country; feme again
thought that the America charters,ought to be inviolably
g&ervcl while others impuud^i the present evils to te
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source ; in all events, among such a variety of difeordant
opinions, he should always abide by the sense of that House;
and finally^ that the real inten.ion of the commission nonfat
out, was not so much/to agree upon any fpecife terms, as to found
real dijpoftion of America, in order to learn what the people
of that country were ultimately ,defrosts to obtain.
Mr.BURKE was very feve,eonAdiraiftration. He contends
ed that the Hufe had a right to know what powers were dele
gated to the Commissioners, for as it was a parliamentary af
fair, Parliament ought to be made acquainted with every ma
^"^^P taken. He said ne wished to know in what manner
the Commissioners were ingrafted to treat with the two per
lons (Hancock and Adams) excepted out of Gen. Gage's fa
mous proclamation,^ offering 'a pardon and indemnity to all
America, or with Gen. Lee, whether unconditional fobmif
hon, in the language of a Noble Lord (Lord G. Germaine)
over the way, was intended to be the ultimatum. He said
tn ? T ° Ne Lord > wh ° 'poke ^ft, talked much of the ne
celhtyoflupporting government and Administration, as if they
were fynonimous ierins. For his part, he looked upon them
to be extremely different, and a Wronger proof need not be
given than that though Administration were swept away, go
vernment would neverchelefs remain.the fame. If the Noble
Lord had not averted it himfelfyhe could hardly have imagined
a commission was granted, ana infractions given, without
time any Specific directions whatever, farmer Qto foundtf
dypoftton 0/ America, or, in other mortis, to feel its bul^
f°f^™. faid L% ^^
^observed, that if we were in doubt whether we Should
apxe to maintain our right, it was atHeaKopr duty to try an <
exert every means in our power. The fake we played for
was a great and important one, and we mould exert every
? """ the wish of Admin&ation to avoid
the effunon of blood as much as possible ; but nothing fp e .
", could be done till the claims of America were known •
e no ^h to acquaint Parliament, who
~ • c ,', ed . 10 j u {ge whether they were such as would
"" h '" dl ^ nit y and interefts. of this country.
F °X &as uncon ^only violent. He doubled much if
roe ^ommf toners were at all impaired to treat, or e^ea
o found; but were rather intruded to carryfre, ford and
devastation, /wherever th, were to go. He dwelt a consider
able time on the wapton cruelties exercised in the course of
9 ur 'naval operations, such as burning the towns of Norfolk
, ln ' a ^ an , d ° f Falmouth, He laid it was a barbarous
difeofy to do mifehief for mifchief's fake; it was unl
manly, bale, and would for ever remain a difgraee to the
p'""h arms. ? He spoke much of a certain pamphlet (Dr.
1 rice s, and observed that it had opened the>yes of the peo
ple, who saw plainly that this country,was, brought to the
brink of ,uin and defrgaion, and that the firft great event
P r ° babl X be an account of Gen. Howe's total defeat'
followed by amauonal bankruptcy; and concluded with ob
erving that one general system of power had ,of late years
been adopted, which was uniformly directed to annihilate
and overturn the liberties of this country ; that this plan had
been unremittingly pursued by the Minister ; that llayery was
the ultimate object of all his measures, and that it mattered
very little who was the deviser of this unnatural conspiracy
for it was plain that the Minister, by the whole tenor of h^
conao&, had made himleL iGponlible to the nation ; he pu -
sued with ardor, and without pemorfe, whatever defpera^
scheme his traitorous and concealed employers chalked out
for him.. ~
Mr. ADAMS disapproved of the motion, because it was
ynutual to call fox idftru&ions till something had been done