Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

Monf. de Sartine, the minister of the marine, requested 1781. Dr. Franklin to ftrengthen the fquadron by ordering the Alliance to join it, which was immediately done.

On the 12th of February the Maryland delegates laid before congrefs an act of their state, empowering them to fubfcribe and ratify the articles of confederation. The 1st of March was afterward fixed upon for their doing it. Maryland having no vacant western territory, contended with great juftice, that the unappropriated western country fhould be the common property of the union, and pledged as a fund for finking the continental debt; and declined acceding to the confederation till fome fatisfaction should be given upon that fubject. But congress having recommended it to the states, claiming fuch country, to remove the only obstacle to a final ratification; and then earneftly requested the legislature of Maryland to empower their delegates, they accordingly did fo on the 30th of laft January. They concurred in the measure, as well from a defire to perpetuate and strengthen the union, as from a confidence in the justice and generosity of the larger ftates, and that fuperior to local interefts, they would confent to fuch arrangements of the unappropriated lands, included in their respective charters, as good policy required, and the great exertions of their own state in the common cause had fo highly deferved. When the 1ft of March was arrived, the New Mar. York delegates, by virtue of the powers with which their legiflature had intrusted them, proceeded by an official act in congrefs to limit and reftrict the boundaries of that state, and to relinquish all right, jurifdiction and claim, to all lands to the northward and weftward of the fame, to be difpofed of as the congrefs of the confe: VOL. IV.

F

derated

1.

1781. derated ftates fhould direct. The Maryland delegates then proceeded to fign and ratify the articles of confederation. This important event has been communicated to the executives of the feveral ftates; and the American minifters in Europe have been ordered to notify it to the respective courts at which they refide.

[ocr errors]

Though a longer delay on the part of Maryland might have been productive of bad confequences, yet there are several members of congrefs, who are fenfible of its having been highly beneficial upon many occafions.

As

seven states were a majority, whenever that number met it was confidered as the representative body of the thirteen; and if four out of the feven* agreed, it paffed for the voice of the United States, even in those cafes, which by the confederation required the concurrence of nine ftates. The want of fuch concurrence, had the confederation been perfected at a very early date, would have prevented the execution of much bufinefs of the highest importance.

Congrefs refolved-" That it be, and hereby is, recommended to the feveral ftates, to amend their laws making the bills of credit emitted, under the authority of congrefs, a legal tender, fo that fuch bills fhall not be a tender in any other manner than at their current value compared with gold and filver." The fame day they refolved" That the ftates be immediately called upon to furnish for the public expences, and for carrying on the war, their proportion of one million five hundred

* When congrefs confirmed the fentence of the court martial on general Lee, it was by a vote of four out of eleven present. See Vol. III. p. 222.

thoufand

thousand dollars quarterly, the first quarterly payment 1781. to be made on the 1ft day of June next." Neither of these refolves will be fufficiently productive.

This fhall clofe with an extract from a letter of gen. Washington, written the beginning of April-" I give it decifively as my opinion, that without a foreign loan our prefent force, which is but the remnant of an army, cannot be kept together this campaign, much less will it be increased and in readinefs for another. If France delays a timely and powerful aid in the critical posture of our affairs, it will avail us nothing fhould fhe attempt it hereafter. We are at this hour fufpended in the balance we cannot tranfport the provifions from the states in which they are affeffed, to the army, because we cannot pay the teamfters, who will no longer work for certificates. In a word, we are at the end of our tether, and now or never our deliverance muft come."

LETTER III.

Rotterdam, May 5, 1781.

[ocr errors]

FRIEND G.

S foon as the rupture between Great Britain and Holland was known at Versailles, the king gavę immediate orders that all the Dutch veffels in any of the French ports fhould be made acquainted with it; and accordingly

F 2

1781. accordingly a circular letter was written by the marquis de Caftries on the 25th of laft December, and sent to the feveral ports. The first material capture made by the British, after the hoftile manifefto against the Dutch, was' that of the Rotterdam of 50 guns and 300 men belonging to the ftates general, by the Warwick, capt. Elphinstone, on the 5th of January.

Jan.

5.

On the 9th the Dutch council of ftate propofed, that the marine of the republic fhould confift of 94 fhips and armed veffels, and 18,430 feamen. There were to be 11 fhips of the line, 15 of 50 guns and 2 of 40. Three days after, the states general published a placart, granting letters of marque against the British. This was followed after a time by an answer to the British manifesto.

Notwithstanding the neceffary increase of national expences in Great Britain by the Dutch war, yet toward the end of January, the house of commons hearkened to the calls of humanity, and in confequence of different petitions, voted for the relief of the fufferers by the hurricane at Barbadoes 80,000l. and at Jamaica 40,000l.

A fecond attempt has been made on the Isle of Jersey. The baron de Rullecourt, at the head of about 2000 men, conducted it. By the badness of the weather near half his troops were driven back to France, and never joined him. He at length however made his way with difficulty, through the rocks of la Roque-Platte; and landed a number in the dark, three miles from St. Helier, the capital of the island; though five veffels were loft, and 200 of his men perifhed. A fmall party of militia, meant for the guard of a redoubt in the place, were feized afleep by the enemy, who were thus, for feveral hours, on the island without an alarm's being

5

given.

6.

given. The baron, leaving about 120 men in the re- 1781. doubt, marched to St. Helier. He fecured the avenues of the town, furprised the guards in the dark, and poffeffed the market place without noife. The inhabitants were astonished at break of day, on finding themselves in the hands of an enemy. Major Corbet, the deputy governor, with the magiftrates and principal people, being brought prifoners to the court-house, the French commander wrote terms of capitulation, which he proposed to have figned; and by which the island was to be furrendered to France, and the troops to lay down their arms and be fent to Great Britain. It was in vain remonstrated, that no act of the lieut. governor's could have the smallest validity in his prefent fituation. Rullecourt was peremptory, and Corbet too inadvertently figned. The French commander then fummoned Elizabeth caftle under the terms of the capitulation. Capts. Aylward and Mulcafter, having escaped thither on the first alarm, and being now in a degree prepared against a sudden attack, rejected the fummons, and refafed paying the fmalleft regard to the capitulation, or any orders issued by the lieut. governor in the present circumstances. The French placing Corbet in their front, advanced toward the gate, but were fired upon with fuch vigor from the caftle, that they foon made the best of their way back to the town for fhelter.

Mean while the alarm extended, and the nearest troops and militia advanced toward the point of danger, and formed on the heights near the town under major Pierfon, who instantly secured a hill of great advantage, which the enemy had overlooked. Rullecourt fent to the major, requiring his compliance with the terms of the

F 3

« ZurückWeiter »