166 APPENDIX TO BRITISH COUNTER CASE. 



prospect of peace will be flattering. Or, if there should be a change 

 in the ministry, and the Duke of Portland, with Mr. Fox and Mr. 

 Burke, should come in, it will be still more so. But if Richmond, 

 Camden, Keppel, and Townshend should retire, and my Lord North 

 and company come in, with or without the Earl of Shelburne, the 

 appearances of peace will be very unpromising. My Lord North, 

 indeed, cannot revoke the acknowledgment of our independence, and 

 would not probably renounce the negociations for peace, but ill-will 

 to us is so habitual to him and his master, that he would fall in 

 earnestly with the wing-clipping system j join in attempts to deprive 

 us of the fisheries and the Mississippi, and to fasten upon 

 100 us the Tories, and in every other measure to cramp, stint, im- 

 poverish, and enfeeble us. Shelburne is not so orthodox as 

 he should be, but North is a much greater heretic in American politics. 



It deserves much consideration what course we should take in case 

 the old ministry should come in whole or in part. It is certain, at 

 present, that to be obnoxious to the Americans and their ministers is 

 a very formidable popular cry against any minister or candidate for 

 the ministry in England, for the nation is more generally for recov- 

 ering the good-will of the Americans than they ever have been. 

 Nothing would strike such a blow to any ministry as to break off the 

 negotiations for peace; if the old ministry come in, they will demand 

 terms of us at first, probably, that we can never agree to. 



It is now eleven or twelve days since the last result of our con- 

 ferences were laid before the ministry in London. Mr. Vaughan 

 went off on Sunday noon, the 17th, so that he is no doubt before this 

 time with my Lord Shelburne. He is possessed of an ample budget 

 of arguments to convince his lordship that he ought to give up all 

 the remaining points between us. Mr. Oswald's letters will suggest 

 the same arguments in a different light, and Mr. Strachey, if he is 

 disposed to do it, is able to enlarge upon them all in conversation. 



The fundamental point of the sovereignty of the United States 

 being settled in England, the only question now is, whether they shall 

 pursue a contracted or a liberal, a good-natured or an ill-natured 

 plan towards us. If they are generous, and allow us all we ask, it 

 will be the better for them ; if stingy, the worst. That France don't 

 wish them to be very noble to us may be true. But we should be dupes, 

 indeed, if we did not make use of every argument with them to show 

 them that it is their interest to be so, and they will be the greatest 

 bubbles of all if they should suffer themselves to be deceived by their 

 passions, or by any arts, to adopt an opposite tenor of conduct. 

 I have the honour to be, &c., 



JOHN ADAMS. 



No. 103. 1782, November %%: Letter, Mr. Townshend to Mr. Oswald. 



WHITEHALL, 88d November 1782 



SIR, I trouble you with a very few lines to acquaint you that the 

 Parliament is prorogued to the 5th December next, to give time to 

 receive a final answer from the Powers with whom we are in nego- 

 tiation. You cannot doubt, but that after that prorogation the session 

 must commence. 



