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021 - Chapter 26 · The American Revolution A Historical Overview Vol. 3

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  Speaker 1: Section twenty one of History of the Rise, Progress and
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  Speaker 1: Termination of the American Revolution, Volume three by Mercy Ogus Warren.
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  Speaker 1: This is the lirivox recording. All LibriVox recordings of in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please
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  Speaker 1: visit LibriVox dot org. History of the Rise, Progress and
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  Speaker 1: Termination of the American Revolution, Volume three by Mercy Otis Warren.
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  Speaker 1: Chapter twenty six, Part one General uneasiness with ministerial measures
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  Speaker 1: in England, Scotland and Ireland allowed complaints against the Board
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  Speaker 1: of Admiralty. Sir Hyde Parker resigns his commission. Motioned for
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  Speaker 1: an address for peace by General Conway. Resignation of Lord
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  Speaker 1: George Germaine created a Peer of the Realm. Lord North
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  Speaker 1: resigns some traits of his character. Petition of the City
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  Speaker 1: of London for peace, a coalition of parties, a new ministry,
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  Speaker 1: death and character at the Marquis of Rockingham, Lord Shelburne's administration,
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  Speaker 1: Negotiations for peace, provisional articles signed temper of the Loyalists,
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  Speaker 1: Execution of Captain Huddy, consequent imprisonment of Captain Asgill, Asgill's release,
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  Speaker 1: while new alliances from negotiating between the Americans and several
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  Speaker 1: European powers, and the importance of the United States was
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  Speaker 1: appreciating in the scale of nations. The councils of Britain
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  Speaker 1: were confused, and the Parliament and the nation split into parties.
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  Speaker 1: The American War was become very unpopular in England, and
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  Speaker 1: discontents prevailed in all parts of the Empire. Many of
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  Speaker 1: the favorites of the present reign had been taken from
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  Speaker 1: beyond the Wall of Adrian. Yet there was a growing
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  Speaker 1: dissatisfaction with all the measures of administration, and of prevailing
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  Speaker 1: discontent and uneasiness through the scotch Enation. But this was
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  Speaker 1: owing more to some religious dissensions than from any liberal
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  Speaker 1: or enlarged views of political liberty among the class of
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  Speaker 1: people loudest incomplaint footnote No national reflection is he designed.
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  Speaker 1: It is very immaterial, as observed by the great lords Adam,
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  Speaker 1: whether a man was rocked in his cradle on one
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  Speaker 1: side of the tweed or the other. The writer at
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  Speaker 1: these pages has the highest respect of the distinguished literary
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  Speaker 1: characters that adorn the scot Genation, their strength of genius
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  Speaker 1: and profound investigations in philosophic, political theologic and historic compositions
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  Speaker 1: are at least on an equal scale of ability with
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  Speaker 1: any of the learned luminaries of the law or any
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  Speaker 1: other science near the splendid beams of monarchy, And when
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  Speaker 1: called a distinguished office, they have, perhaps with so few exceptions,
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  Speaker 1: discharged their public functions with equal honor, capacity and integrity.
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  Speaker 1: And the footnote. Yet much less was to be apprehended
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  Speaker 1: from the discontents in Scotland than from those of the
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  Speaker 1: oppressed Irish. Driven nearly to the point of revolt, they
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  Speaker 1: had long and justly murmured at the high handed measures
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  Speaker 1: of the Parliament of England and the degraded an inferior
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  Speaker 1: rank in which they were viewed at the Court of
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  Speaker 1: Saint James, the late restrictions on their commerce, a recent
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  Speaker 1: embargo for three years on their staple export, the inhibitions,
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  Speaker 1: the disqualifications of frequents so fia penalties laid on the
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  Speaker 1: great body of the Roman Catholic inhabitants, with a long
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  Speaker 1: list of other grievances that might be enumerated. They considered
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  Speaker 1: as marks of national contempt and a sacrifice of the
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  Speaker 1: interest of Ireland to favor the avarice of British contractors,
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  Speaker 1: speculators and pensioners. They were sensible that no means were
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  Speaker 1: neglected to rip at the chains in which they were
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  Speaker 1: held by the prejudices of Englishmen with regard to their commerce,
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  Speaker 1: the police, and their religious opinions. Their resentment did not
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  Speaker 1: evaporate in unmeaning and enact or complaint. They entered into
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  Speaker 1: combinations against the use and purchase of British manufactures and
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  Speaker 1: prohibited their importation into Ireland under very heavy penalties. Measures
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  Speaker 1: for defense and military associations were everywhere adopted. This they
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  Speaker 1: justified from the apprehension of foreign invasion and the extraordinary
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  Speaker 1: weakness of the state in consequence of drawing off the
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  Speaker 1: truths for active service in America, which had usually been
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  Speaker 1: stationed in Ireland for the defense of that kingdom. The
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  Speaker 1: Irish volunteers who assembled in arms on this occasion soon
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  Speaker 1: amounted to nearly sixty thousand men, and daily increased in
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  Speaker 1: number and strength. It were not composed merely of the
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  Speaker 1: middling or lower classes of people. Men of fortune and
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  Speaker 1: character were seen in the ranks, and even many of
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  Speaker 1: the nobility appeared to encourage these associations. This armament was
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  Speaker 1: very alarmed to Great Britain, but it could not be suppressed.
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  Speaker 1: The inhabitants of Ireland were bold and undaunted, and encouraged
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  Speaker 1: by the example of America. They strenuously supported their rights
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  Speaker 1: and made use of the same arguments against the standing
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  Speaker 1: army in time of peace which had been urged in
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  Speaker 1: the assemblies and congresses of the colonies. They resolutely refused
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  Speaker 1: to submit longer to such unconstitutional and dangerous measures, resisted
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  Speaker 1: the Mutiny Act, denied its validity, and opposed and prevented
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  Speaker 1: the magistrates in making provision for the remnant of the
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  Speaker 1: King's troops still left in the country. One of their
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  Speaker 1: patriots of name and nobility asserted that the act was
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  Speaker 1: dangerous and unconscios institutional, that the mutiny Bill or martial
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  Speaker 1: law methodized, was not only different from, but directly opposite
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  Speaker 1: to the common law of the land. Its satisfide trial
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  Speaker 1: by jury, departed from her principles of evidence, declined to
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  Speaker 1: ordinary tribunals of justice, and in their place established a
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  Speaker 1: summary proceeding arbitrary crimes, arbitrary punishments, a secret sentence, and
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  Speaker 1: a sudden execution. The determinations of the Irish to recover
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  Speaker 1: their freedom and maintain their native rights were represented in
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  Speaker 1: the most eloquent strains of rhetoric. A strong and pointed
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  Speaker 1: language was dictated by the heart, approved by the judgment,
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  Speaker 1: and expressed in the periods of the best orators. The
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  Speaker 1: names of many well informed Irish gentlemen were distinguished and
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  Speaker 1: will be handed down on the conspicuous list, both for
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  Speaker 1: the brilliancy of their epithets and their strength of reasoning.
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  Speaker 1: These the celebrated mister Gretan was marked for his superior eloquence, learning,
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  Speaker 1: patriotism and other virtues. The talents of mister Flood and
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  Speaker 1: others were called forth, and by the energies and exertions
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  Speaker 1: of those patriotic leaders, they obtained some amelioration of the
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  Speaker 1: Burdon's complained of. Thus, by the decided spirit of many
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  Speaker 1: eminent characters in the nation, the British Parliament was induced
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  Speaker 1: to take some steps that produced a temporary quiet in Ireland.
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  Speaker 1: More lenity was shewn toward the Roman Catholics and some
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  Speaker 1: other small intelligencies, granted but nothing sufficient to restore lasting
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  Speaker 1: tranquility to the country. While the sister kingdoms were thus
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  Speaker 1: restless and dissatisfied. A general uneasiness discovered itself throughout England.
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  Speaker 1: On the disappointment of the naval operations after the affair
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  Speaker 1: on the Dogar Banks, Sir hyde Parker thought he had
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  Speaker 1: been so far unsupported that his honor impelled him to resign.
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  Speaker 1: The neglect to proper support to the Worthing camp and
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  Speaker 1: Felt and other brave naval commanders was highly centured throughout
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  Speaker 1: the Kingdom. Mister Fox brought a number of direct and
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  Speaker 1: explicit charges against the Board of Admiralty, first in suffering
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  Speaker 1: the counter cris to sail to the West Indies without
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  Speaker 1: an effort to intercept him. Secondly, the loss of the
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  Speaker 1: Saint Eustacia convoy when near sixty sail of British ships
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  Speaker 1: with much property in many prisoners, was sent into Cadiz
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  Speaker 1: by Don Louis d Cordova, who commanded the combined fleet
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  Speaker 1: of Franstan's fate at the time. The engagement with Admiral Zeittmann,
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  Speaker 1: the failure of Admiral Kempenfelt to cut off the Count
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  Speaker 1: de Duissau, and several other disappointments in the naval line
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  Speaker 1: were all attributed to the same cause, negligence and incapacity.
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  Speaker 1: In the first Lord of the Admiralty. An addressed to
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  Speaker 1: the King was proposed that the Earl of Sandwich should
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  Speaker 1: be removed from his Majesty's councils forever. His character was
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  Speaker 1: universally violified in England, a writer in that country may
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  Speaker 1: have delineated it more exactly than can be expected from
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  Speaker 1: anyone at a distance. He observes that future historians may
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  Speaker 1: do justice to his moral character, but that in so
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  Speaker 1: barren a wilderness, it would be happy if one solitary
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  Speaker 1: virtue could enliven the prospect. But as destitute of feelings
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  Speaker 1: as a principle, amidst the copious crop of voices which
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  Speaker 1: overwhelmed his whole character, not even that of cowardice, was
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  Speaker 1: wanting to move contempt as well as at a station.
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  Speaker 1: And strange it is that though his sentiments with regard
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  Speaker 1: to both natural and revealed religion were well known, yet
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  Speaker 1: so timid was his nature that he never dared to
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  Speaker 1: be alone. After these general traits, we can not longer
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  Speaker 1: that he was, in his political life, the decided enemy
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  Speaker 1: of his country and the devoted instrument of a corrupt cabinet.
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  Speaker 1: His name, indeed, was never mentioned without exciting sentiments of contempt.
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  Speaker 1: If nature had endowed him with talents, the course of
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  Speaker 1: dissipation in which he was engaged must have disqualified him
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  Speaker 1: for their exercise. He possessed in active but not a
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  Speaker 1: strong mind. Practiced in the intrigues of a court and
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  Speaker 1: the habits of Parliament. He could speak with facility, but
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  Speaker 1: his ideas never took an extensive range. The paltry maxims
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  Speaker 1: of court intrigue finished the outlines of his character. Mister
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  Speaker 1: Fox's address for the removal of the Earl of Sandwich
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  Speaker 1: was supported by Lord Howe and Admiral Capel. They censured
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  Speaker 1: his mismanagement and prodigality, exposed his wonders and want of capacity,
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  Speaker 1: and painted in glowing colors his misconduct and the fatal
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  Speaker 1: consequtce quernces to the Navy and to the nation by
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  Speaker 1: his having been thus long continued in an office of
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  Speaker 1: such high trust and responsibility. But he had his friends
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  Speaker 1: and offenders, and after long and born debates, the motion
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  Speaker 1: for his removal was lost by a small majority. After
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  Speaker 1: many desultory grounds and circumstances of uneasiness were discussed, a
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  Speaker 1: motion of high importance was made in the House of
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  Speaker 1: Commons by General Conway This was for an address to
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  Speaker 1: the King requesting him to put an immediate perior to
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  Speaker 1: the destructive war in America. This motion was lost only
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  Speaker 1: by a single vote. One hundred and ninety three were
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  Speaker 1: in favor of and one hundred and ninety four against it,
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  Speaker 1: but the object of peace was not relinquished, and the
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  Speaker 1: address was again brought forward and finally carried. After various
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  Speaker 1: expedients had been proposed, which were reprobated in strong terms.
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  Speaker 1: Lord Cavendish moved that the House should resolve at the
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  Speaker 1: enormous expenses of the nation the loss of the colonies
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  Speaker 1: a war with France, Spain, Holland and America without a
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  Speaker 1: single ally, was occasioned by a want of foresight and
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  Speaker 1: nobility in His Majesty's ministers, and that they weren't worthy
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  Speaker 1: of for the confidence ensured. Such a general reprobation of
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  Speaker 1: all former measures ensued, and such a universal qualification of
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  Speaker 1: the heads of departments, and such unlimited censure fell on
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  Speaker 1: every part of their conduct through a seven years war,
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  Speaker 1: that the old Ministry found themselves on the point of dissolution.
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  Speaker 1: Lord George Germaine, who had kept his ground beyond all
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  Speaker 1: expectation through a very tempestuous season, now found himself obliged
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  Speaker 1: to resign his officer's minister of the American Department. Though
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  Speaker 1: rewarded for his services by peculiar tokens of his Majesty's favor,
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  Speaker 1: and dignified by a peerage, he stood for a time
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  Speaker 1: in a most humiliating price command. Several of the House
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  Speaker 1: of Lords thought the nation disgraced and themselves affronted by
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  Speaker 1: the creation of a man to that illustrious order, who
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  Speaker 1: had formerly been censured by a court martial and dismissed
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  Speaker 1: from all employment in a military line, and who had
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  Speaker 1: recently and obstinately pursued measures in the cabinet and supported
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  Speaker 1: a destructive system that had brought the nation to the
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  Speaker 1: brink of Ruin foot note, the Marquis of Carmathen stood
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  Speaker 1: at the head of opposition against the promotional Lord George Germaine,
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  Speaker 1: and a footnote his promotion was also opposed in the
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  Speaker 1: House of Commons from the impolicy of rewarding in the
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  Speaker 1: present conjuncture of affairs a person so deeply concerned in
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  Speaker 1: the American War, it was observed that it might have
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  Speaker 1: a tendency to defeat the purposes of a great and
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  Speaker 1: solemn inquiry in which the conduct of that noble personage
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  Speaker 1: might appear to deserve the severest prince. But supported by
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  Speaker 1: royal prerogatives, his lordship retained his high rank and enjoyed
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  Speaker 1: a kind of triumph in the favor of the King,
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  Speaker 1: in spite of the reproaches of his enemies. Yet neither
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  Speaker 1: ribbons or stars could raise the stigma that hung on
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  Speaker 1: his character, both as a minister and a soldier, Nor
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  Speaker 1: at this period could the priests nobleman at the head
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  Speaker 1: of the Treasury and the longer stand the torrent of
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  Speaker 1: reproach and complaint that was boured out against him. On
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  Speaker 1: the twentieth March one thousand, seven hundred and eighty two,
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  Speaker 1: Lord North resigned his place and declared to the House
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  Speaker 1: of Commons that the president administration from that day ceased
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  Speaker 1: to exist. It has been observed by a British writer
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  Speaker 1: of ability that Lord North was educated in the school
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  Speaker 1: of corruption, naturally of an easy, pliant temper, that the
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  Speaker 1: disposition was increased by the maxims he had imbibed. He
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  Speaker 1: was read a man of wit than consummate abilities, ready
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  Speaker 1: and adroit, rather than wise and sagacious. He considered the
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  Speaker 1: faculty of carrying the strokes leveled at him and nods
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  Speaker 1: of Commons as the first qualification of a minister. Under
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  Speaker 1: his administration, a regular system of pension and contract was
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  Speaker 1: adopted more pernicious than the casual expedience of Walpole, to
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  Speaker 1: facilitate his measures footnote see a view of the reign
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  Speaker 1: of George the Third. Another British writer has thus sketched
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  Speaker 1: the character of Lord North. It must be remarked that
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  Speaker 1: a certain confusedness and indistinctness of ideas unfortunately pervaded his
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  Speaker 1: general system of thinking. It seemed habitually to aim at
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  Speaker 1: the thing that was right, but invariably stopped short at
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  Speaker 1: the true and genuine standard of political propriety. With the
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  Speaker 1: reputation of meaning well, he acquired the imputation of indecision
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  Speaker 1: and instances. The general tenor of his administration must certainly
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  Speaker 1: be allowed to exhibit very few indications of energy, wisdom,
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  Speaker 1: or force of penetration, but occasionally capable of resolute and
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  Speaker 1: persevering exertions. His temper was mild, equable and pleasant, although
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  Speaker 1: his notions of government evidently appeared of the High Tory
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  Speaker 1: cask Belgium and the footnelt And of Section twenty one