Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-10-04
LIGHT ON AN GID STORY.
Some English Documents on the AIneri-
can War of Independence.

large COLLECTION Oh f,lfS. StOpIoru sackNii!eS
papers, at Drayton House, Northampton
Shire. of which an account is given i'll part
Ill of the Commissioners Report. In enc
series there are comprised papers of the
greatest e&lue extending over the whole
period OF the American war of independ-
ence, and including letters and documents
| written by Lord North, Lord George Ger
main, William Eden, afterward Lord Aucll-
| land Admiral Sir George Rodney, and
others intimately connected with the Gov
eminent of the day and the conduct of the
war. A large proportion of the papers are
communications to Lord George German,
who became Secretary of the Colonies in
| November, 1775 about six months after the
| fighting at Lexington. Independent ac-
counts of that action, which was fought i'll
April, had reached London in June, and
Lord Suffolk. writing to Lord George Ger
main, says that the private letters gave
more particular accounts than those fur
! nished by the commanders. He adds:
They don't do much credit to the discip-
line of cur troops, but do not impeach
their readiness and intrepidity.'
The war had been entered upon with
| light heart, and the consequences were soon
apparent. General Burgoync, writing from
Boston on the goth of August, says that all
| parties i'll England had contributed to foster
the growth of the rebellion, and latter
fatal procrastination, not only of vigorous
| measures but of preparation for such, we
| took step as decisive as the passage of the
Rpbicon. and now find ourselves plunged
at once in q most serious war, without a
single requiste-gunpowder eXcepted-for
CARRYING it on. The General criticises
with great freedom the action, or inaction,
! of his naval colleague. 1t might be asked
in England what the Admiral was doing.
| isf Itur |
able 10 answer that question satisfactorily,
but can only say what he is not doing.
That he is not supplying the troops with
sheep and oxen, the DINNERS of the best
of us bear meager testimony; the want
of broth in the hospitals bears more
melancholy enc" He was doing, in fact,
all that he ought not to have done. The
British thunder is diverted or controlled by
pitiful attentions and quaker-like scrHples,
and under such influences insult and inn
punity, like righteousness and peace, have
kissed each other When to the Admirars
supineness were added the shortcomings of
Quartemaster-Ge Generals, Adiutant-Gener-
ais and other functionaries, there resulted
= a mass of inefficiency" that in General
Burgoyne's opinion would counteract and
disappoint the ablest counsels in the
world" A month later Eden wrote to
Lord George Germain, by Lord North's de- |
sire, letter in which he on the part of the |
Prime Minister, thus summed up the stu |
alton: =" a worthy General [Gagel with |
parts inferior to his situation and Il corrupt |
Admiral without any shadow of capacity |
have Jointly contributed to increase the |
strength and numbers OF the armed rebels |,
in q great degree, and to render the avowal !
of rebellion general over the whole Of the |!
American continent"
The public were less well informed of /
what was going on than Ministers and those !
honored with their confidence, and the first |
news Of disaster appears to have been re-
ceivcd with considerable cauanimity. |
Lord Suffolk wrote, in June, 17,5, that !
Americans on this side of the Atlantic |
were active and Jealous TO make the most |
of what had occurred on the other, but |
they could raise no alarm. The stocks
are unaffected, and the respectable part of
the city is in very proper sentiments.
Everything is right at this end of the town,
1.-THE letter is dated from st. James ! and | |
neither perceive Discrimination to persevere
nor diffidence in the success of perserer-
ance anywhere" Loyal addresses were
sent up from the provinces. and Eden,
writing apparently in October, 1775, thought
the documents contained the genuine and
general sentiment of the nation. Tho |
wonder" he adds, "that so spirite people
campaign" Even those who were in the
best position to form an accurate judgment
were 10th to admit the possibility of ulti-
mate failure to subdue the rebellious colon
lists, and eagerly fastened upon every cir
cumstance which appeared to show that
they were becoming exhausted. In 1879,
as far as appears-the letter is undated
Eden finds indubtable proofin an inclosure
he has received from America that the
credit Of the rebel Congress is at its utmost
stretch and actually breaking" They
were calling upon the colon;sts to furnish
SIS ,000,0 900 month, which, adds the
writer, amounts to nearly 40.000, COO. AT
the same time they were offering to receive
one hard dollar in lieu of forty paper dollars.
A curiosity among the correspondence
examined is q, letter from Admiral Sir
George Rodney to Lord George German,
marked private" and dated August .
1850. The Admiral was very anxious to
obtain a seat in Parliament 50 anxious APP
parently that lie was unable 20 write cor
rectlr, and his njissiqc has required some
little editing to make thread. He promises
to be a certain bat humble supporter OF
Government, and is willing to advance the
necessary sum should there be occasion;
but he hopes that bis rank and long ser
vices will be considered as emitting him to
an Admiralty borough. The Admiral grows
considerably incoherent in the sentences
which follow. but it is 10 be understood that
he will accept pension that has been Of
fered 10 him. But / hope he adds it
viii not prevent me being in Parliament
If it does must beg your Lordship to be
so good as 10 speak to Lord North upon the
subject, and beg that | may decline the
pension, for i'll my opinion to be out Of
Parliament is TO be out of the world. and
my heart is set upon my being in Tie
Admiral was in the habit Of expressing his
cpinions with good deal of vehcmcnce |
In another letter, dated from on board
the Sandwich, at St. Lucia, and also
marked private lie tells Lord
George Germain that he must not expect
an end Of the American war until he C;
find General OF active spirit, who hat
he is convinced, will bring the Americans
to their senses but making them feel every
calamity their perii'iity deserves. Such
Were the sentiments that the writer was
prepared TO maintain i'll Parliament, un-
deferred by the factious declarations of
members Of the opposition, whom he
names-among them Burke (Sic) "or any
OF those who, by their pernicious prin-
ciples, are endeaSoring 10 ruin their coun-
try The close Of the war is reported in
some Interesting letters from Iieuten-
dilt-NotpIiti DtDjlilitil hOf!ll4SOH. litter
ward known as Count Rumforl, to Wis
count Sackvilc According TO Thompson.
writing from New York on the 9Th of
August. 1872, the news that the independ-
ence Of America had been acknowledged
by the British Government had brought
about universal despair and frenzy" The
loyal people appeared to be rs void OF pru-
dcnce as they were destitute of hope, and
the writer could not but tremble for what
might follow He was himself of opinion
that the whole truth was not known
There must be- he concluded, some I
thing going ON in the dark that we cannot
get ut, bat what that something is have no
conce,;ion. ~ London Globe.