DOCUMENTS BEARING ON TREATY OF 1183. 213 



created people, to have shewn their propensity to compassion. Did 

 they consider these loyalists to have done wrong, they should rather 

 have pitied than punished their error. It would have been more 

 politic in them to have conciliated than to have alienated those affec- 

 tions which arose from principles of loyalty and attachment. They 

 should have considered that such principles form the cement of States. 

 And that it is by loyalty and attachment that they must preserve their 

 own existence. But was it not to be expected that Franch and Spain, 

 after every other omission had been made, would have prevailed with 

 the Americans to have relaxed in this part of their provisional treaty, 

 rather than the whole system of peace should have been destroyed? 

 The hon. gentleman who has made the motion has said, that Parlia- 

 ment in having declared the Americans independent had made the 

 peace, and are, therefore, responsible for any improper concessions or 

 restorations. It is true that a resolution has passed this House which 

 I opposed, because I considered it as an incumberance to our exer- 

 tions. However I admit, that this resolution gave America her inde- 

 pendency, and that peace was the natural consequence of this reso- 

 lution. For I must confess that peace could not be obtained, after 

 such a resolution passed, without recognising her independence. But 

 can any man say, that this resolution included necessarily all the con- 

 cessions and restorations contained in the preliminaries and provis- 

 ional treaty? Did Parliament order them? Did Parliament give 

 instructions for the cession of Charlestown, New York, Penob- 



scot, Rhode Island, Detroit, and the fisheries ? Did Parliament 

 128 order the abandonment of the loyalists? Parliament has not 



given their countenance to these facts. So that Ministers are 

 accountable, and not Parliament, to the people. 



* * * * * * * 



I shall therefore move the House, that after the words " commerce 

 of His Majesty's subjects," these words be added: "And His Maj- 

 esty's faithful Commons feel that it would be superfluous to express 

 to His Majesty the regards due from the nation to every description 

 of men, who, with the risk of their lives, and the sacrifice of their 

 properties, have distinguished their loyalty and fidelity during a long 

 and calamitous war." 



******* 



Mr. Powys .... 



With regard to America, at the time that certain gentlemen, whose 

 public principles he approved, and with whom he had long acted, 

 withdrew themselves from His Majesty's councils, the House would 

 remember that the ground of difference was, the manner in which the 

 independence of America should be acknowledged. An hon. gen- 

 tleman (Mr. Fox), for whose abilities he had the highest respect, had 

 contended, that the best way would be to do it with magnanimity, and 

 to acknowledge the independence of America unconditionally; the 

 noble Earl at present at the head of His Majesty's councils, on the 

 other hand had contended, that it would be better policy to make the 

 recognition of independence the basis of a treaty, and to grant it as 

 the price of peace. The provisional treaty certainly did not show 

 that this idea had been carried into practice; and so far the present 

 First Lord of the Treasury had not proved himself so able a politician 

 as he had given himself out to be; but if he had failed in showing 

 92909 S. Doc. 870, 61-3, vol 7 19 



