ACCOUNT OF BOOKS. 



439 



and thnt one of them in particular, 

 governor Johnstone, had made the 

 most direct and specific charges. 

 Their characters, therefore, so pub- 

 lickly attacked, and in such a place, 

 were lo be vindicated in the great 

 councils of the state, and no where 

 else. 



" In vain did the ministers of the 

 crown, who bad employed him, de- 

 clare, that, they had no accusations 

 against either the general or ad- 

 mire]. They with their friends in- 

 sisted on a public examination, 

 •which was obtained, and in which 

 they, for some time, took the lead. 

 But at lengtli it plainly appeared 

 that, vuider pretence of vindicating 

 the general, their real design was to 

 condemn theconduct of administra- 

 tion. The pailiamentary enquiry 

 that had been instituted, the ministry 

 and their adherents considered as a 

 factious intrigue. It was perhaps 

 imagined that his majesty, alarmed 

 at the danger that began by this 

 time to threaten Great Britain, not 

 only in America bui in other quar- 

 ters, would change his confidential 

 servants, and commit the conduct of 

 government to those very hands that 

 had hitherto been employed in va- 

 rious attempts to baftie its designs, 

 and frustrate all the measures that 

 had been taken for carrying them 

 .intoexecution. But the king, amidst 

 riudiiplying distresses, with proper 

 Inmness, withstood their machina- 

 tions, determined lo continue his 

 countenance to those who wished 

 not to frustrate nor procrastinate tiie 

 war,* but to bring it, as soon as 

 possible, to a safe and honourable 

 conclusion. The opposition, there- 



fore disappointed in their expefta- 

 tions, from the highest quarter in the 

 slate, seriously intended, what they 

 loudly threaiened, to impeach the 

 servants of the crown, and by that 

 means to drive them from their 

 places by a kind of violence. 



" Administration easily penetra- 

 ting this design, resolved no longer 

 to jiermit iheir opponents to run in 

 the race (if examination aloTie, but 

 to vindicate the measures they had 

 taken. Many gentlemen, of un- 

 doubted reuutation, perfectly ac- 

 (juainted with the conduct of the 

 war, and the state of America, were 

 summoned to give evidence respect- 

 ing those subjects. Of this the 

 movers of the enquiry were apprised, 

 and they soon began to lose courage. 

 Only two witnesses were examined 

 on, what may be called in the lan- 

 guage of judicial trials, the side of 

 administration J — major-general Ro- 

 bertson, who had served twenty -four 

 years in America, as quarter-master- 

 general, brigadier, and major-gene- 

 ral; and Mr. CialIoway,a gentleman, 

 ofi\mnsylvania, of fortune and conse- 

 quence, aiwtllasgoodabilities, who 

 was bred to the law, and had been a 

 mi mber of congress, but who had 

 come over to the royal army in 

 December, 177t). But such was the 

 circumstantiality, credibility, and 

 weight of iheir evidence, that the 

 movers or managers shrunk from 

 the enquiry ; as the more it was 

 carried on, liie more parliament, as 

 well as tne nation at large, seemed 

 to be convinced ihat the conduct 

 ot admiiusiration iu respect to the 

 American w;u' was on the whole 

 jusiihcd. The friends of the general 



*"lt is believed that the king, on some occasiims, went so far iitio»i»ggest his ideas 

 of ihe pioper plan for carrying; on >hc war wliicti were veiy judicious, and which, had 

 Uiffj been a«(oj)ted by»he general, might probably have been j)co«l'jetivt of goo4 eiiects " 



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