The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1934-10-26
(TRuMBulL)

the war, but eventually even he gave up all hope
of subduing the Americans. However, he stub
bornly insisted that he would never give up
Georgia or Charleston or New York.
On March 5, 1882, parchment passed bill to
enable the king to make peace with America.
Fifteen days later Lord North, bowling to the
storm of opposition to the kings plan of renew
ing hostilities, resigned, and the Wings, under
Lord Rockingham, formed a new ministry with
the understanding that American independence
should be acknowledged Rockingham died in
July and was succeeded by Lord Shelburne, who
was also committed to policy of making peace.
Shelburne had been a friend of Benjamin
Franklin, who was then minister to France
and through his agent Richard Oswald, Scotch
merchant the British minister opened negOta-
lions with his American friend to discuss peace
terms. Franklin had the assistance of John Jay
who had been in Spain seeking an alliance with
that country; John Adams, American minister
to Holland; and Henry Laurens, then prisoner
in England and during the summer of 1852 their
negotiations with Oswald proceeded smoothly
Finally on November 80, Franklin, Jay, Adams
and Oswald signed a preliminary treaty of peace
which was not, strictly speaking, treaty but u
protocol the articles of which were to be subse-
quently incorporated in a formal treaty after
Great Britain had come to terms with France
Americas ally
This protocol of November 80, 1882, is analo-
gous to the armstice of November II, 1918, in
that, under its terms hostilities in America were
to cease at once and upon completion of the
treaty the British fleets and armies were to be
Immediately withdrawn from every place which
they held within the limits of the United States
1t is also analogous in that it was the first writ
ten agreement between representatives of the
two nations at war looking toward a formal
nf So q
nificance to Americans as the month of the
armistice"-the armistice of the Revolution and
the armstice of the World war.
Even with this important step taken, nine
months were to elapse before the final treaty
of peace was signed and another nine months
before ratification of the treaty definitely ended
the war. On January 20, 1888, the preliminary
articles Of the treaty of peace were signed in
Paris. The news arrived in America on March
%, in letter to the president of congress from
Lafayette and few days later Sir Guy Carleton.
who had succeeded Sir Henry Clinton as Brit
ish commander in New York, received his orders
from the ministry to proclaim cessation of
hostilities on land and sea.
4 similar proclamation, made by congress, was
formally announced to the army by Washington
He chose April 49, the anniversary of the Battle
of Lexington, as the date for this historic an
nouncement.
After this proclamation Washington granted
furloughs to most of the army and the weather.
beaten Continentas scattered to their homes and
tried to adapt themselves to civil life again. On
November the army was formally disbanded
and three weeks later Sir Guy Cartoons army
sailed away from New York On December A
occurred that profoundly touching incident in
Frances Tavern where Washington said fare
well to his officers. He was on his way to An
napolis, where congress was in session, to resign
his commission and on December % that historic
scene, which has been immortalized in Trum-
bulls painting, was enacted. Then Washington
fastened on to Mount Vernon, there to spend the
first happy Christmas he had known for nine
years.
Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, another impor
tant episode in the drama Of the Revolution had
taken place. One September morning, to the
lodgings in Paris of David Hartley. agent Of the
British who had succeeded Oswald, came his
friend, Benjamin Franklin. The great philoso-
pher-diplomat was accompanied by his little
grandson. Benjamin Franklin Bache, by John
Adams, John Jay and Henry Laurens. There on
September 8, 1888, the defnitive treaty of peace
was signed. Early in 1884 congress accepted the
treaty and in May Publications of it were ex-
changed by Great Britain and the United States
The Revolution was over.
@ by Western Newspaper Union.