During the remaining winter, and the whole of the fpring, the army under Lord Cornwallis continued much traitened at Brunfwick and Amboy, the troops undergo ing, with the greatest perfeverance and refolution, the hardships of a moft fevere and unremitting duty, whilft their ranks were thinned by a continued feries of fkirmishes, which were productive of no real advantage on either fide, other than that of inuring the Americans to military service. In a word, every load of forage which was procured, and every article of provifion, which did not come from New York, was fought or purchafed at the price of blood.

The confequences of the late military outrages in the Jerseys were feverely felt in the prefent change of circumstances. As foon as fortune turned, and the means were in their power, the fufferers of all parties, the well difpofed to the royal caufe, as well as the neutrals and wavering, now rofe as a man to revenge their perfonal injuries and particular oppreffions, and being goaded by a keener fpur, than any which a public caufe, or general motive, could have excited, became its bitterest and most determined enemies. Thus the whole country, with too few exceptions, became hoftile; thofe who were incapable of arms, acting as fpies, and keeping a continual watch for thofe who bore them; fo that the fmalleft motion could not be made, without its being expofed and difcovered, before it could produce its intended effect. Such were the untoward events, that in the winter damped the hopes of a victorious army, and nipped the laurels of a foregoing profperous campaign.

We have formerly had occafion to fhew the bad fuccefs which invariably attended the repeated attempts that had been made, of calling off the attention and force of the fouthern colonies from the fupport of the general alliance to their own immediate defence, by involving them effectually in civil war and domeftic contention, either through the means of the well affected in general, the Regulators and Highland emigrants in the Carolina's, or of the Negroes in Virginia. We have allo taken fome fmall notice of the charges made by the infurgents in fome of thefe provinces against their governors, of endeavouring to bring the favages down to further thole defigns.

The failure in thefe attempts was not fufficient to damp the zeal of the British agents among the Indian nations, nor to render them hopeless of fill performing fome effential fervice, by engaging thefe people to make a diverfion, and to attack the fouthern Colonies in their back and defenceless parts. The Indians, ever light in act and faith, greedy of prefents, and eager for fpoil, were not difficultly induced, by a proper application of the one, and the hope of the other, concurring with their own natural difpofition, to forget the treaties which they had lately confirmed or renewed with the colonifts, and to engage in the defign.

It was held out to them, that a British army was to land in West Florida, and after penetrating through the Creek, Chickesaw, and Cherokee countries, and being joined by the warriors of thofe nations, they were jointly to invade the Carolinas and Virginia, [B] 3

whilft

whilst another formidable force by fea and land was to make a powerful impreffion on the coafts. Circular letters to the fame import, were fent by Mr. Stuart, the principal agent for Indian affairs, to the inhabitants of the back fettlements, requiring all the wellaffected, as well as all thofe, who were willing to preserve themselves and their families from the inevitable calamities and deftruction of an Indian war, to be in readiness to repair to the royal ftandard, as foon as it was erected in the Che rokee country, and to bring with them their horfes, cattle, and provifions, for all of which they were promised payment. They were likewife required, for their prefent fecurity, and future diftinction from the King's enemies, to fubfcribe immediately to written paper, declaratory of their allegiance.

a

The fcheme was fo plaufible, and carried fuch a probability of fuccefs, that it feemed to have had a very extenfive operation upon the difpofition of the Indians, and to have prepared them in a great meafure for a general confederacy against the colonies. Even the fix nations, who had before agreed to the obfervance of a ftrict neutrality, now committed several small acts of hoftility, which were afterwards difowned by their elders and chiefs. The Creek Indians, more violent, began the fouthern war with all their usual barbarity, until finding that the expected fuccours did not arrive, they, with a forefight uncommon among Indians, ftopped fuddenly fhort, and repenting of what they had done, were, in the present ftate of affairs, eafily excufed; and being afterand being after

wards applied to for affiftance by the Cherokees, returned for answer, that they, the latter, had plucked the thorn out of their foot, and were welcome to keep it.

But the Cherokees fell upon the adjoining colonies with determined fury, carrying, for a part of the fummer, ruin and defolation wherever they came, fcalping and flaughtering the people, and totally deftroying their fettlements. They were foon, however, checked, and feverely experienced, that things were much altered, fince the time of their former warfare upon the fame ground, and that the martial fpirit now prevalent in the colonies, was extended to their remoteft frontiers. They were not only repulfed or defeated in every action, by the neighbouring militia of Virginia and the Carolinas, but purfued into their own country, where their towns were demolished, their corn destroyed, and their warriors thinned in repeated engagements, until the nation was nearly exterminated, and the wretched furvivors were obliged to fubmit to any terms prefcribed by the victors; whilft the neighbouring nations of Indians were filent and paffive fpectators of their calamities.

Nor was this Indian war more fortunate, with refpect to its effect on the well-affected in thofe quarters; who are not only faid, to a man, to have expreffed the utmost averfion to the authors, and abhorrence of the cruelty of that measure, but that fome of the chief. leaders of the tories avowed a recantation of their former principles, merely upon that account.

It was in the midft of the buftle and danger of the war, and when

the

nity of those who could not eafily define, or who perhaps had never fully conficered, the extent of the terms, or of the confequences which they were capable of producing; and the flattering idea of leffening the national burthens, by an American revenue, whilft it was fitted to the comprehenfion of the meanest capacity, was not lefs effective in its operation upon thofe of a fuperior clafs and order. To the powerful principles of national pride and avarice, was added a laudable difpofition to fupport thofe national rights which were fuppofed to be invaded, and a proper indignation and refentment to that ingratitude and infolence which were charged upon the Americans, and to which oply the prefent troubles were attributed by thofe, who were most active in fomenting the principles of hoftility, which at that time prevailed, far more than they had done at the beginning of this conteft.

In fuch circumflances, it is not to be wondered at, if a majority of the people gave at least a kind of tacit approbation to the war; but as it was not attended with national antipathy or rivalship, established enmity, or even a prefent competition for glory, they did not feel themfelves fo much interefted in its fuccefs, or altogether fo anxious about its confequences, as they would in thofe of another nature. On the other hand, that great body of the people, who had at all times reprobated the meafures which led to the prefent troubles, and who confidered them as not lefs dangerous to the conftitution, than ruinous to the power and glory of the nation, could not be fuppofed fanguine in their wishes for a

fuccefs, which they deemed liable to more fatal confequences than any loss or defeat. The great diftance of the feat of war alfo rendered its effects lefs interefting, For diftance produces in fome degree the effect of time with refpect to fenfibility; and the laughter, cruelties, and calamities, which would wring the heart if they happened in the next county, are flightly felt at three or four thousand miles diftance. The diftance alfo prevented all apprehenfion of immediate danger; the expences of the conteft were yet fenfibly felt; and the bulk of mankind never think of remote confequences.

not

From these, and other causes, a general, and perhaps blameable, careleffness and indifference prevailed throughout the nation. Nor was it eafily roufed from this drowfy apathy, which like all other habits was confirmed by time. For when, at length, the American cruizers not only fcoured the Atlantic ocean, but spreading their depredations through the European feas, brought alarm and hoftility home to our doors; when the deftruction which befel the homeward bound richly laden Weft-India ficets poured equal ruin upon the planters in the islands and the merchants at home; when an account of the failure of fome capital houfe in the city was almoft the news of every morning; even in that state of public lofs and private diftrefs, an unufual phlegm prevailed, and the fame tranquil countenance and careless unconcern was preserved, by thofe who had not yet partaken of the calamity. A circumftance which is not fufficiently accounted

for, even from the vast numbers who thought themfelves officially, or by connection, bound to give a countenance to the war as a favourite court measure, nor the ftill greater, of those who profited by its continuance.

In this ftate of public affairs and difpofition at large, adminiftration had acquired fuch an appearance of ftability, as feemed to render them, for fome confiderable time to come, fuperior to the frowns of fortune. Supported by an irrefiftible majority in parliament, they were already armed with every power which they were capable of defiring or wishing for the establishment of their American fyftem; whilft, as the nation was now too deeply engaged in their measures to be capable of retracting, it would be found equally difficult to commit the profecution of them to any other hands. Thus the power which produced the meafures, was infured during their continuance. All apprehenfion from the oppofition of an ill-united minority had been long worn off; and it feemed now rather neceffary to give a colour and fanction to their proceedings, by recording the vaft fuperiority which decided every queftion in their favour, than as at all capable of counteracting, or even impeding their defigns.

In this ftrong ftate of fecurity, no changes took place among the minifters. Though the force of government in the House of Lords feemed to require no addition, feveral new Peers were called up a few days before the May 14, recefs. The Marquis 1776. of Carmarthen (fon to the Duke of Leeds) was created

Baron Osborne; Lord Polwarth (fon to the Earl of Marchmont) Baron Hume; Lord Mount Stuart (fon to the Earl of Bute) Baron Cardiff; Sir Edward Hawke, Baron Hawke; Mr. Onflow, Baron. Cranley; Sir Jeffery Amherst, Baron Amherst; Sir Brownlow Cuft, Baron Brownlow; Mr. George Pitt, Baron Rivers; Mr. Rider, Baron Harrowby; and Mr. Foley, Baron Foley. The Dutchefs of Hamilton and Argyll was created Baronefs Hamilton, with defcent to her heirs male. Her prefent husband, the Duke of Argyll, had fome time before obtained the Englifh barony of Sundridge.

Of these new creations, two were only anticipations of honour, the Marquis of Carmarthen and Mr. Onflow being already in immediate fucceffion to the peerage. Some exceptions were taken in discourfes and writings, on the granting of English baronies to the Scotch nobility, or the immediate fucceffors in their titles, with a view of enabling them to fill feats in parliament. It was urged as a very difputable measure, and confidered by many as an evafion, if not direct violation of the conditions of union between the two kingdoms; yet many confider it as a proceeding, which may in time be productive rather of fecurity than danger to the conflitution. For whatever influence may at prefent operate upon thofe who hold themfelves under an immediate obligation upon that account, it will of course wear away in a little time with them or their fucceffors; and the more numerous they grow, the lefs liable to management; fo that they may become in fome degree a ballance to the fixteen Feers,

who,