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81.jufted, that the committee of congrefs returned to Philadelphia. The fame day congrefs agreed upon a circular letter to the ftates. They mentioned in it, that an immediate provifion for the pay of the army was indifpenfably neceffary. They eftimated the fum to be forwarded by the respective states from Pennsylvania tó New Hampshire inclufive, at 879,342 dollars. It was calculated on fix months pay in specie value; and the advance of one half without delay, and the remainder by the first of the following April, were strongly urged.

The fuccefs of the Pennfylvania revolters encouraged about 160 of the Jersey brigade to feek redrefs in a fimilar way on the 20th of the fame month. Their number was not alarming. A temporizing conduct was no longer needful. Obedience might be enforced with fafety. The American general, Robert Howe, was sent off with a large detachment from the main army, with orders to compel the mutineers to unconditional fubmiffion, and to liften to no terms while they were in a ftate of refiftance, and on their reduction inftantly to execute a few of the most active and incendiary leaders; for gen. Washington preferred any extremity to a compromife. When he arrived, inftant fubmiffion was required; and the two ringleaders were directly taken, tried, and executed. The British wished to benefit by this revolt; and forwarded propofals by one Woodroff; but he inftantly delivered them to the American officers. Thus were the high hopes which Clinton had entertained from the revolt of the Pennfylvania line, completely baffled: while a striking inftance prefented itself of the prevailing unfavorable difpofition of the suffering troops, with refpect to the British government.

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Previous to these military convulfions congrefs had 1781. taken a step, from which they promifed themfelves future relief, though it could not be obtained immediately. They had on the 23d of December, commiffioned lieut. col. John Laurens, as fpecial minifter at the court of Versailles, to procure the wanted aids. Two days before, they directed the prefident to write to the minifters plenipotentiary at Verfailles and Madrid, defiring them to apply to the courts at which they refpectively refide, to use means for obtaining the releafe and exchange of the honorable Henry Laurens, [the lieut. colonel's father] the news of whofe commitment to the Tower had reached them. Means were taken to imprefs the chevalier de la Luzerne with a fenfe of the calamitous fituation in which the United States were, that fo his information might add weight to the colonel's negotiation. Gen. Greene faid to him in a letter of Jan. the 9th-" If France lends not a speedy aid to this diftreffed people, I fear the country will be for ever loft." The commander in chief furnished the colonel with the following thoughts on the 15th of January.-" To me Jan. it appears evident:-1. That confidering the diffufed 15. population of thefe ftates, the confequent difficulty of drawing together its refources, the compofition and temper of part of its inhabitants, the want of a fufficient ftock of national ftrength as a foundation for revenue, and the almost total extinction of commerce, the efforts we have been compelled to make for carrying on the war, have exceeded the natural abilities of this country and by degrees brought it to a crifis, which renders immediate efficacious fuccours from abroad indispensable to its fafety:-2. That, notwithstanding from the confu

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1781. fion always attending a revolution, from our having had governments to frame, and every fpecies of civil and military institution to create, from that inexperience neceffarily incident to a nation in its commencement, fome errors may have been committed in the administration of our finances, to which a part of our embarraffments are to be attributed; yet they are principally to be afcribed to an effential defect of means, to the want of a fufficient stock of wealth, as mentioned in the firft article, which continuing to operate, will make it impoffible, by any merely interior exertions, to extricate ourfelves from those embarraffments, restore public credit, and furnish the funds requifite for the fupport of the war:-3. That experience has demonftrated the impracticability long to maintain a paper credit without funds for its redemption:-4. That the mode which for want of money has been fubftituted for fupplying the army, by affeffing a proportion of the produces of the earth, has hitherto been found ineffectual:-5. That from the best estimates of the annual expence of the war, and the annual revenues which thefe ftates are capable of affording, there is a large balance to be fupplied by credit. The refource of domeftic loans is inconfiderable:-6. That the patience of the army is now nearly exhaufted, which demonftrates the abfolute neceffity of a speedy relief, a relief not within the compafs of our means-7. That the people being diffatisfied with the mode of fupporting the war, evils actually felt in the profecution of it may weaken the fentiments which began it-8. That from all the foregoing confiderations, refult, firft, the abfolute neceffity of an immediate ample and efficacious fuccour of money, large enough to

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be a foundation for fubftantial arrangements of finance, 1781. to revive public credit, and give vigor to future operations; fecondly, the vaft importance of a decided effort of the allied arms on this continent the enfuing campaign, to effectuate once for all the great objects of the alliance, the liberty and independence of these states :-9. That next to a loan of money a conftant fuperiority on these coafts is the object moft interefting:-10. That an additional fuccour of troops would be extremely defirable:-II. That no nation will have it more in its power to repay what it borrows than this: our debts are hitherto small.-The people are difcontented, but it is with the feeble and oppreffive mode of conducting the war, not with the war itself. A large majority are still firmly attached to the independence of these states." To Dr. Franklin the general wrote the fame day-" To me nothing appears more evident, than that the period of our oppofition will very shortly arrive, if our allies cannot afford us that effectual aid, particularly in money and a naval fuperiority, which is now folicited." To what purposes fuch fuperiority was to be applied, a letter of the 10th of February declared, which faid-" In the conference between count de Rochambeau and myfelf it was agreed, that if by the aid of our allies we can have a naval fuperiority through the next campaign, and an army of thirty thousand men (or double the force of the enemy at New York and its dependencies) early enough in the feafon to operate in that quarter, to prefer it to every other object; and applications have been made to the court of France in this fpirit. If we should find ourselves unable to undertake this more capital expedition; and if we have means equal to it,

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1780. we shall attempt a fecondary object. The reduction of

Charlestown, Savannah, &c. may come into contemplation." The profpect of giving relief to the fouthern states, by an operation against New York, was the principal inducement for propofing it.

The fouthern operations have been peculiar. Before they are related, let it be remarked, that when gen. Gates paffed through Richmond on his way home, the Virginia house of delegates on December the 28th"Refolved, nemine contradicente, That a committee of four be appointed to wait on major general Gates, and to affure him of the high regard and efteem of this houfe:-That the remembrance of his former glorious fervices cannot be obliterated by any reverse of fortune, but that this houfe, ever mindful of his great merit, will omit no opportunity of teftifying to the world the gratitude which, as a member of the American union, this country owes to him in his military character." To this refolve, when communicated by the committee of four, the general anfwered the fame day-" Sirs, I fhall ever remember with the utmoft gratitude, the high honor this day done me, by the honorable the house of delegates of Virginia. When I engaged in the noble cause of freedom and the United States, I devoted myfelf entirely to the fervice of obtaining the great end of their union. That I have been once unfortunate is my great mortification; but let the event of my future fervices be what they may, they will, as they always have been, be directed by the most faithful integrity, and animated by the trueft zeal for the honor and interest of the United States."

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