The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-02-14
II 4.

selfishness and unpatriotic rivalry Of Englis
men in civil and military Office during the
Revolutionary war. Mr.. Rowland recalls the
secret causes OF Burgoyne's defeat and the sur
render OF CORVALLIS. the two events which.
respectively. assured the alliance Of France
and Englands abandonment OF the attempt to
subiugato her colonies. 1t is q memoir left
by Lord Shelburne which explains the failure
Of a plan OF campaign meant to be decisive.
but which was not carried out. 1t was in.
tended that Sir William Howe should CO.
operate from New York with BurGoyne. who
was to march from Montreal to Albany. To
that end instructions to ths two command
ers were ordered to be forwarded by
the same packet contemporaneous de-
livery being all imi ortant. The men,
Der OF the Council upon whom the vital
duty Of signing these dispatches rested.
was Lord George Sackvile He signed the
despatch to Burgoyne. but being impatient
to proceed to . country house. put Oh signing
the instructions to Con. Howe. not as yet
fully copied. Consequently the latter despatch
had to wait for q second packet which was de-
tanned By contrary winds. SO that Howe did
not receive his instructions until 1t was too lno
to effect junction with Burgoyne. In like
manner tho surrender Of CORVALLIS at York
town Is traced to Rodney's notorious hatred Of
Sir Henry Clinton. 1t was impossible for Rod.
ney to satisfactorily explain his omission to
follow the French feet to the Chesapeake
after no had checked 1t in the West In
dies. Had Rodney prevented the French
feet under Comte de Grasse from
acquiring temporary prepondcrance in Amer
lean waters not only could Clinton have re-
lieved CORVALLIS. but the latter could never
have been cooped up and starved out at York
town by the Joint forces OF Washington and
rhau ,bo ho al ~ . ho a.
cisive campaign found Rodney sailing USE
les ly to England. while the force which lie
was destined year later to destroy was con-
tributing to the movement which practically
finished the war.
We are also disposed to concur In Mr.. How
lands opinion that it was well for the cause Of
constitutional liberty In England that none Of
the attempts made during the early years Of
the war to reconcile the colonies proved sue
cessfuL We are reminded that there was a
moment in 1878 when the King. alarmed into
reasonableness by the news OF the French al
lance was on the point Of taking counsel Of
the Earl Of Chatham. 1t Is believed that Chat
ham. in concurrence with sheburne. would
have repealed at ono stroke all the vexatious
legislation that had estranged the col.
onies from England. They would then have
withdrawn the troops and offered treaty,
leaving to the United Colonies degree Of in
dependence representing the practically com
plete liberty which is now enjoyed BY the Cana
dian Confederation. Had this been done, it is
quite possible that the feeling OF personal 10y
atty to the King might have revived. and en-.
couraged the King to assert his prerogatives
against Parliament Had the colonial senti-
ment OF allegiance to the person Of the mon.
arch been skilfully handled. 1t is not incon.
ceivable that an able sovereign. asserting his
prerogative as q shield against Parliamentary
exactions on the one hand and as rally.
ing point for colonial ambition on the other,
might have set one part OF his dominions
against the other. and. at least for time,
checked the growth of the English Constitu.
ton. The American coIonists could easily have
been stirred into aggression against the Span.
ish possessions on the Mississippi and else
where in North America. and thus the united
Anglo-Saxon race might have been diverted
from the pacific paths OF internal DEVELOPMENT
into corruptinC career OF military glory.
Nv.
Tho longest essay in this volume Is allotted
to a discussion OF the treaty Of 1888. consd.
cred not SO much as q treaty OF peace as a
treaty OF partition between the claimants OF
the territory lying between tine Alleghanies
and the Mississippi.
Tho authors aim seems to be to show TINT
for the inestimable concession which made
the Mississippi our western boundary we are
indebted to the sympathy and intelligent fore.
sight OF British Minister. Lord Shelburne.
1t seems certain that In the negotiations pro-
ceding the treaty. France played the part OF a
false frtcnd and Spain that OF an open foe.
Mr. Rowland prefaces his volume with a man
setting forth the boundaries OF the United
States. Canada. and the Spanish possessions.
according to the proposals made by the Court
OF France in 1882. As bribo to England to
accept these proposals. Canada was to Include
all the territory lying north OF the Ohio River
and east OF the Mississippi. q territory now
comprising the States OF Ohio, Indiana.
Illinois. Michigan. Wisconsin. and a large
part OF Minnesota What is now the state
OF west Virginia. most OF Kentucky and a
part OF western Tennessee were to constitute
an indian territory under the protection Of
the United States. Acorner OF Kentucky. most
OF tennessee. most OF Alabama, and the whole
OF Mississippi were to be placed under the
authority OF Spain, which already possessed
the Floridas aud the whole territory west q,
the Mississippi. From that great waterway
the thirteen colonies were TO be entirely cut
on. had the bride rendered to England been
hccepteo. and the whole country north OF the
~'NS So0h ahSot poidtcO WIFI CANADA. there ia
no doubt that on the outbreak OF a war with
Spain an English feet would have taken DOS.
session OF New 0rleane and the whole
mississippi Valley would have passed to
England. II is idle to say that we
would soon have wreuched 1t from her. Wa
were unable in the war OF 1912 to conquer n
1901 o! land In Canada. and the peace Of Client
IN 1919 left US worse of than we were In 1888.
Our own opinion Is that neither the French
ana spanish Ministers ON the one hand
nor Lord sheiburne on the other compre.
hended the possibilities of the Missi..inn,
valley Nobody at that time foresaw the
commercial importance Of tho Mississippi
River II must have teen clear 10 an
parties that II England accepted the land
noiM Oh the ohio she would. in the event Of
war with weak power like Spain. become mia.
tress OF both sides OF the Mississippi But
that seemed matter Of no CONSEQUENCE 10
Lord shelburne. and the only purpose which
the french court had at heart was TO satlsfv
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