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037 - Chapter 30 - Part 2 · The American Revolution A Historical Overview Vol. 3

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  Speaker 1: Section thirty seven of History the Rise, Progress and Termination
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  Speaker 1: of the American Revolution, Volume three by Mercy Otis wine.
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  Speaker 1: This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in
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  Speaker 1: the public domain. For more information are 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 thirty, Part two. In all ages, mankind are governed
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  Speaker 1: less by reason and justice than by interest and passion.
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  Speaker 1: The caprice of a day or the impulse of a
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  Speaker 1: moment will blow them about, as with the whorldwind, and
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  Speaker 1: bear them down the current of folly, until awakened by
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  Speaker 1: their misery. By these they are often led to breaches
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  Speaker 1: of the most solemn engagements, the consequences of which may
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  Speaker 1: involve all nations in re It is deboutly to be
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  Speaker 1: hoped that the conduct of America will never stand upon
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  Speaker 1: record as a striking example the truth of this observation.
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  Speaker 1: She has fought for her liberties. She has purchased them
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  Speaker 1: by the most costly sacrifices. We have seen her embark
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  Speaker 1: in the enterprise with the spirit that gained her the
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  Speaker 1: applause of mankind the United States have procured their own
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  Speaker 1: emancipation from fore and thralldom by the sacrifice of their
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  Speaker 1: heroes and their friends. They are now ushered on to
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  Speaker 1: the Temple of Peace, who holds out her wand and
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  Speaker 1: begs them to make the wisest improvement of the advantages
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  Speaker 1: they had acquired by their patience, perseverance, and valor. They
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  Speaker 1: had now only to close the scenes of war by
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  Speaker 1: a quiet dispersion of their own armies, and to witness
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  Speaker 1: the last act of hostile parading, the decampment of the
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  Speaker 1: battalions of Britain, and the retirement of the potent fleets
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  Speaker 1: that had long infested their coasts. This was to have
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  Speaker 1: been done at an earlier day. It was expected that
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  Speaker 1: on the ratification of the definitive treaty, there would have
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  Speaker 1: been an immediate evacuation of all the posts which have
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  Speaker 1: been held by the British within the limits of the
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  Speaker 1: United States. The seventh article of the treaty expressly stipulated
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  Speaker 1: that His Britannic Majesty shall, with all convenience, feeding, without
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  Speaker 1: causing any destruction, or carrying away any negroes or other
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  Speaker 1: property of the American inhabitants. Withdraw all his armies, garrisons,
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  Speaker 1: and fleets from the said United States, and from every
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  Speaker 1: post place in harbor within the same, leaving in all
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  Speaker 1: fortifications the American Artillery that may feed therein, And shall
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  Speaker 1: also order and cross all archives, records, deeds, and papers
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  Speaker 1: belonging to any of the said States or their citizens,
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  Speaker 1: which in the course of the war, may have fallen
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  Speaker 1: into the end of his officers, to be forthwith restored
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  Speaker 1: and delivered to the proper States and persons to whom
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  Speaker 1: they belong. General Carlton had assigned his reasons for delay
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  Speaker 1: relative to the evacuation of New York in his correspondence
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  Speaker 1: with the President of Congress and General Washington. Some satisfactory
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  Speaker 1: arrangements were, however, soon after made relative to the loyalists,
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  Speaker 1: the exchange of prisoners, in several other points, for which
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  Speaker 1: the readers referred to the Journals of Congress. When this
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  Speaker 1: was done, a detachment from the American Army under the
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  Speaker 1: commander General Knox was directed to enter New York in
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  Speaker 1: order to prevent any irregularities, confusion, or insult among the
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  Speaker 1: citizens on the important movement now about to take place.
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  Speaker 1: On the twenty fifth of November, one thousand, seven hundred
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  Speaker 1: eighty three, all the British, Hessian and other foreign troops
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  Speaker 1: in the pay of His Lias Britannic manch Estate were
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  Speaker 1: drawn off in the city of New York. General Carlton
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  Speaker 1: embarked the same day, and Admiral Digby sailed with England
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  Speaker 1: with the remainder of the British plate that had for
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  Speaker 1: many years invaded the sea coast of America. Thus, the
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  Speaker 1: choice of the Atlantic states, that had so long been
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  Speaker 1: alarmed by the terrific thunders of the British navy and
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  Speaker 1: ravished by hostile squadrons, were left in reposed. In consequence
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  Speaker 1: of this much desired event, a general joy pervaded the
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  Speaker 1: borders from Georgia to the extreme boundaries of the New
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  Speaker 1: England States. No sufficient apology was, however, yet made for
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  Speaker 1: the detention of the Western post. They were long retained,
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  Speaker 1: and this breach of faith was afterwards attended with very
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  Speaker 1: important consequences. Under various frivolous pretenses of non compliance on
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  Speaker 1: the part of the United States, with some articles stipulated
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  Speaker 1: in the definitive Treaty of Peace, a long line of
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  Speaker 1: posts in the Western Territory were not relinquished, we have
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  Speaker 1: seen by the seventh article of the treaty, and the
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  Speaker 1: King of England was to have immediately withdrawn not only
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  Speaker 1: his fleets and armies from the sea coasts, but that
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  Speaker 1: all the garrison boards and places of arms within the
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  Speaker 1: United States should at the same time have been evacuated.
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  Speaker 1: But the British interest in trade with the natives of
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  Speaker 1: the wilderness in the extensive territories from the Mississippi to
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  Speaker 1: the Allegheny Mountains on the River Ohio could not easily
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  Speaker 1: be relinquished by their government. The fords of Mischeal, Macknhac,
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  Speaker 1: and Detroit, the posts on Lake Erie, not ager us
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  Speaker 1: we Go, and several others were held by British officers
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  Speaker 1: and troops, and a jurisdiction law exercised over all the
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  Speaker 1: country in the vicinity under the direction of Colonel Simcoe
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  Speaker 1: afterwards Governor of Upperton. The disposition of this man towards
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  Speaker 1: the United States was no less cruel and savage than
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  Speaker 1: that of the fierce, uncultivated natives beyond the lakes. This
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  Speaker 1: we have seen him display when a marauding partisan in
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  Speaker 1: the Jersey's, Virginia and other places. He was not left
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  Speaker 1: in full liberty to indulge this disposition among savages whose
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  Speaker 1: veracity and cruelty seemed to be perfectly congenial to the
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  Speaker 1: feelings of his own art, when while in command there
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  Speaker 1: he instigated the peace and bloodthirsty warriors to make improsions
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  Speaker 1: on the plenty of settlements, the hostile character of Governor Simcoe,
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  Speaker 1: the licentiousness and parparity of the borders, both European and
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  Speaker 1: American united with the interests of Britain, and the weakness
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  Speaker 1: of an infant government in America some time after the
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  Speaker 1: present period produced a horrid Indian War, in which, assisted
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  Speaker 1: by British soldiers in disguise, many brave officers of the
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  Speaker 1: Old Army and some of the flower of the American
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  Speaker 1: youth perished in the wilderness. Those subsequent circumstances of American story,
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  Speaker 1: which have been cursedly mentioned above, suggests the reflection that
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  Speaker 1: it might have been happy for the United States, and
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  Speaker 1: happier for the individual who weaves alone its lot of woe, if,
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  Speaker 1: instead of extending their views over the boundless desert, a
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  Speaker 1: Chinese wall had been stretched along the Appalachian ridges that
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  Speaker 1: might have kept the nations within the boundaries of nature.
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  Speaker 1: This would have prevented the incalculable loss of life and property,
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  Speaker 1: and have checked the lust of territory wealth and that
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  Speaker 1: ambition which has poured out streams of innocent blood for
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  Speaker 1: lon bountains. The lives of our young heroes were to
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  Speaker 1: richard price for the purchase of the acres of the savages,
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  Speaker 1: even could the nations be extinguished, who certainly have a
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  Speaker 1: prior right to the inheritance. This is a theme on
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  Speaker 1: which some future historians may more copiously descant. The acquisition
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  Speaker 1: and possession of territories seems to be a passion in
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  Speaker 1: wove in the bosom of man. We see it from
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  Speaker 1: the peasant who owns but a single acre, to the
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  Speaker 1: prince of command's kingdoms, and wishes to extend his domains
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  Speaker 1: about the globe. This is thought necessary, sometimes to distance
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  Speaker 1: troublesome nabors, at others to reserve their own independence. But
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  Speaker 1: if the spring of action is traced, it may generally
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  Speaker 1: be found in the inordinated thirds of the possession of
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  Speaker 1: power and wealth. Our writer of celebrity has observed the
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  Speaker 1: enlargement of territory by conquest is not only not a
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  Speaker 1: just object of war, But in the greater part of
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  Speaker 1: the instances in which it is attempted, not even desirable.
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  Speaker 1: It is certainly not desirable where it adds nothing to
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  Speaker 1: the numbers the enjoy the security of the conquerors. What
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  Speaker 1: commonly is gained to a nation by the annexing blue
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  Speaker 1: dependencies or the subjugation of other countries to its dominions.
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  Speaker 1: But a wider frontier to defend, more interfering claims to vindicate,
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  Speaker 1: more quarrels, more enemies, more rebellions to encounter, a greater
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  Speaker 1: force to keep up by sea and land, more services
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  Speaker 1: to provide war, and more establishments to pay. Were true
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  Speaker 1: that the grandeur the prince is magnified by those exploits,
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  Speaker 1: the clarity which is purchased, and the ambition which is
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  Speaker 1: gratified by the distress of one country without adding to
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  Speaker 1: the happiness of another, which at the same time enslaves
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  Speaker 1: the mill and impublishes the ancient part of the empire
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  Speaker 1: by whatever names are being known or flattered ought to
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  Speaker 1: be an object of universal execration. These are that reflect
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  Speaker 1: of a philosopher. Princes and statesmen view things in a
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  Speaker 1: very different light. The expense of either treasure or blood,
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  Speaker 1: the waste of human life, the anguish of the afflicted bosom,
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  Speaker 1: or the tears wrung from the eye of sorrow have
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  Speaker 1: little weight in the scale of ambition, whose object is
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  Speaker 1: the extension of territory and power to the utmost of
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  Speaker 1: their limits. However, contrary to the laws of nature and benevolence,
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  Speaker 1: perhaps neither reason nor policy could justify the American government
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  Speaker 1: in offensive war on the natives of the interior of
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  Speaker 1: the Western Territory. But the detention of the posts of
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  Speaker 1: the borders by the British obliged them after peace took place,
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  Speaker 1: to make some military defense against the incurgence of the
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  Speaker 1: savages on the frontiers, the consequences of which will be seen.
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  Speaker 1: After we have already observed that New York was relanguished
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  Speaker 1: and the British forces withdrawn from the Atlantic States only,
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  Speaker 1: and the further adjustment relative to the outpost left to
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  Speaker 1: the decision of a future day. Footnote. The defense made
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  Speaker 1: by the British for the breach of treaty and the
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  Speaker 1: detention of the western posts may be seen at large
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  Speaker 1: in a corresponden since published between mister Jefferson, the American
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  Speaker 1: Secretary of State, and mister Hammond, the British planted potentiary
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  Speaker 1: to the United States, on which a British writer observed
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  Speaker 1: to his countrymen, you diplo matters if shrunk before the
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  Speaker 1: reasonings of Jefferson and the footnote. Immediately after the British
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  Speaker 1: Army that was withdrawn from New York, all hostile arrangements disappeared,
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  Speaker 1: and the clarion of wars ceased to create the ear
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  Speaker 1: of humanity. And notwithstanding the obstacles that had arisen, and
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  Speaker 1: the dangers viewed from the face of general discontent among
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  Speaker 1: the officers and soldiers, the American Army was disbanded with
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  Speaker 1: far less difficulty than was apprehended. The Commander in chief
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  Speaker 1: in many of the officers conducted the business of conciliation
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  Speaker 1: and obedience after the late mutiny and insurrection with the
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  Speaker 1: most consummate judgment in prudence, and the whole American Army
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  Speaker 1: was dismissed in partial detachments without tumult or disorder. The
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  Speaker 1: merits of the Commander in Chief of the United Armies
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  Speaker 1: of America have been duly noticed through the preceding pages
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  Speaker 1: of this work in their order of time. An ample
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  Speaker 1: justice essment done to the integrity and valor to the
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  Speaker 1: moderation and humanity of this distinguished character. The virtues and
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  Speaker 1: talents which he really possessed have been appreciated in a
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  Speaker 1: measure consistent with this sacred regard to truth, imputed genius,
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  Speaker 1: and luster of abilities ascribed beyond the common rasure of
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  Speaker 1: human capacity and perfection. Where the result of his commanded
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  Speaker 1: good fortune, which attached to his personal character, the partiality
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  Speaker 1: of all ranks and classes of men, an exclusive claim
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  Speaker 1: to the summit of human excellence ha been yielded as
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  Speaker 1: a kind of prescriptive right to this worthy and justly
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  Speaker 1: venerated citizen from affection, from gratitude, and from the real
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  Speaker 1: services rendered his country. Under existing circumstances that had never
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  Speaker 1: before and perhaps never will again take place, his remarkable
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  Speaker 1: retention of popular favor and good will Canadan through a
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  Speaker 1: long and perilous war without a change of public opinion
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  Speaker 1: or the loss of confidence in the command of first
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  Speaker 1: appointed by the Congress of America to meet the veterans
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  Speaker 1: of Britain and other European powers on hostile ground. End
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  Speaker 1: of Section thirty seven.