The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-04

sired. meyer seem 10 have been forthcoming.
but this. perhaps. might be explained without
ascrbing to the American adventurer whole
sale end premedtated fraud like that lately
made familiar in the case OF the Toh-
horne claimant Mr.. De Lancey admits
that Mr.. Alexander succeeded In having |
himself returned under the Scottish law as next |
male heir Of collateral line. and thereupon |
assumed the title and arms Of Earl Of Sterling. |
We are told that his Subsequent petition to the |
House Of Lords that bis title might DO estab-
lished and declared. was nled much against |
the views and advice Of his lawyers" but the |
editor omIts to state precisely what the evidence
was upon which the claimant got himself re-
turned under the Scotch law" Here. of course.
lies the knot Of the question touching the good
faith or imposture OF the whole proceeding II
the son OF james Alexander. who made n
handsome living by his trade OF surveyor In
the Jerseys" and AN industrious Dutch
woman who kept retail shop" made good his
rights in Scotland by good aud sufficient testi-
mony. justice 10 his memory requires that the
fact should be stated; and doubtless his failure
to submit equivalent proofs In London might
be accounted for.
We have said that this Tory history s written
from an entirely novel point OF view, being no
less hostile to the Ministry OF Lord North than
to the schemes and acts OF the Whig leaders.
No more decisive proof Of the authors half
way attitude could be adduced than his review
OF the brothers Howe. on whose misconduct he
not unrcasonably charges the loss of the Ameri-
can colonies. That the brothers Howe being.
in point OF fact. first cousins. once removed. OF
George III. through their mother. an illegiti
mate daughter Of George l.. should have been
appointed to high command lie Ineligible
enough and the wonder lie that their blunders
were not more gross and moro obviously fatal.
Had Wolfe lived to command on the British
side. or even had Sir Guy Carleton. who 30
easily frustrated the American assaults on
Canada. been despatched to New York in the
first year OF the war instead OF the last we can
hardly doubt that the result would have been
widely different. Had even Lord North's
Ministry remained in office up TO 1888. and the
House OF Commons evinced a Willingness to
expend one 1.-THE Of the sums in the recovery OF
tho colonies which they were TO waste in
the wars against Napoleon. the rebellion
might have collapsed from sheer exhaustion.
The English would have tired US out precisely
rs we OF the North century afterward.
tired out the South or course the bunders
in the field were aggravated by the
monstrous negligence OF the English war
Office under Lord George Germaine. whose
order directing Clinton 10 effect n junction with
Burgoyne was found written. but unforwarded.
after the latter's surrender. Add to thes Q ex-
hibitions OF Incompetence the folly OF appoint
ing Burgoyne for the sole purpose Of concili-
atnR the opposition: and the maintenance Of
Clinton in authority because the Minister Of
War was a notorious coward. and feared lest he
might be called to account by that officer and
we can understand. II we do not wholly sane
ton the assertion OF our loyalst historian. that
the victories OF the Yankee rebels were won. not
in America but in London.
1t is apropos Of the famous variety enter
tainment known rs the Misohianza. aud Of
which Major Andre seems TO have been the
principal contriVer. that our author digresses
into a caustic estimate Of the brothers Howe
AS this ridiculous farce was enacted in order
| 10 sgnalize the valor, tho conduct. and the VIC
| tories achieved by those commanders in the
| field. as well as their sagacious negotiations in
| the function OF peace commissioners. Judge
| Jones surveys their whole performances and
leaves the public to Judge how Aptly a raree
show" was fitted to their deserts. He reminds
US that Gen. Howe reached Boston in the spring
% l775. and in the following July lost more than
athousand men at Bunker Hill by an assault
conducted on the avowed principle OF taking u
| bull by the horns. In this city he remained
about a year. amusing himself with the faro
sions. among which Mrs. LorinR seems
to b. n conspicuous figure. aud although
| he had an army OF 5000 effective men,
| allowed q lot OF raw militia to smoke him
out Of town. When he sailed for Halifax
| he left not q single man-of-war in Boston
| Bay TO prevent transports and storcships from
entering the port IN Ignorance OF the evacua-
| ton. BY and by the General sails to New York
| and fights the battle OF Long Island. where. ns
| is well known. the Americans suffered a crush
ing defeat. The enemy" says our author.
" fied within their lines. such As they were. but
to tho surprise OF the world this victory was
never pursued. The General ordered his army
to encamp in front Of the rebel lines. exclaim-
ing that enough was done for one day" Why
none OF Lord Howe's frRates were stationed
| in the Eas, River. Judge Jones cannot explain.
and seems to think this oversight which has
prompted 30 much remark no worse than a
| hundred other instances OF the Admiral's inca
pacity. The fact that on the following morning
not a rebel was to be seen or heard OF upon Long
| Island did not prevent Gen. Howe from keeping
his army there three weeks and when he
finally crossed the East River and took posses
sion Of tho high grounds Of lnclenbergh. he
seems 10 have watched the rebel forces march
out OF New York without Offering them the least
interruption. though he might have destroyed
their whole army with the utmost ease. HE
movements in pursuit of Washington across the
Jerseys were equally deliberate. and his recall
| OF CORVALLIS. who was pushing the remnant OF
the rebel force into the Delaware. is pronounced
inexplicabe. So. in the next year at Philadel-
phia. though he had beaten the Wing evies in
two pitched battles. he suffered himself to be
cooped up by an army numbering little more
than a third of his own force. The author
| however. declares roundy that the total
inaction OF Howe during the winters oil
l777 and l77S was boldly justified on the
ground that campaigning in cold weather
was rough work, md that some months OF lux
| ury and dissipation In the Yankee capitals were
neediul TO recruit the health of his Majesty 4
officers. Under these circumstances our chroni-
cler opnes that an execution and not mis-
chianza would have been a proper reward for
| Sir William Howe's performances while Com
mander- in Chief in America
1t is interesting to read the account. given by
a loyalist gentleman Of Arnolds treason. and OF
the part taken by Major Andre He does not
hesitate to disclose his own conviction that the
latter was betrayed by Joshua Smith, the
brother OF William Smith. at that time Chief
Justice OF New York. He seems to entertain a