747 
England. 
was immediately complied with. At New York, on the 
arrival of the tea-ffiips, they were with difficulty per¬ 
mitted to approach the.wharf; and, as at Philadelphia, 
the confignees w'ere compelled to relinquifh their ap¬ 
pointments, and the (hips returned back to England with¬ 
out breaking bulk. At Charleffown, after much oppofi- 
tion and tumult, the tea was permitted to be unloaded, 
but vras immediately lodged in damp unventilated cel¬ 
lars, where it long remained, and finally perifhed. In no 
place was the delivery of it to the confignees buffered, 
and in mod the captains of the India fhips, on being ap¬ 
prized of the temper and difpofition of the people, with¬ 
out any attempt to land, wifely fet their fails for England. 
At Bofton the fpirit of refiftance rofe to a height which 
made the exceffes committed elfewhere appear trivial ; 
and here, in confequence, the firfl blood was died, which 
brought on the long, obfiinate, and unnatural, American 
war.—For the arduous and interefting events of this war, 
to the eftabliffimenc of its independence, and peace with 
England, A.D. 1782, fee the article America, vol. i. 
p.439— 
The watchfulnefs of France to take every advantage of 
the misfortunes of this country, was never more ftrikingly 
ntanifefted than during the war of the mother country 
with her colonies. Without a fhadow of caufe, and with¬ 
out the lead fufpicion, die privately entered into the war 
in fupport of the rfradtory colonies, and left it to the 
bed informed in England to difcover her intrigues. This 
extraordinary information was fird developed by the lion. 
Charles James Fox, in the meeting of the houfe of com¬ 
mons in the fefiion of 1778. Fie did not, he faid, fpeak 
from furmife, but he had it from authority he could not 
quedion, “ that a treaty of amity and alliance had been 
ligned in Paris between France and America, ten days ago ; 
he therefore widied that the noble lord (North) would 
give the houfe fatisfaction on that intereding point.” The 
minider, clofely preffed, at length acknowledged, “ that 
it was but too probable fuch a treaty was in agitation, 
though he had no authority to pronounce abfolutely that 
it was concluded and it was animadverted upon as a 
very extraordinary circumdance, that the intelligence of 
a private member of that houfe fhould be fooner received, 
and more authentically afcertained, than that of the fird 
minider of the government. 
In the houfe of peers, on the fame day, the duke of 
Grafton informed their lord fit i p s, that he had indubitable 
intelligence, that a treaty had been aftually dgned be¬ 
tween France and America ; and his grace demanded from 
the miniders a public avowal or difavowal of this im¬ 
portant fadt. To which lord Weymouth, fecretary of 
date, replied, “ that he knew nothing of any fuch treaty, 
nor had received any authentic information of its being 
either in exidence or contemplation.” Neverthelefs, 
within a very few days after this extraordinary declara¬ 
tion, lord North delivered a meffage to the houfe of com¬ 
mons, and lord Weymouth to the houfe of peers, in 
which the king informed the two houles, “ That a re- 
fcript had been delivered by the ambadador of his mod 
Chridian niajedy, containing a direft avowal of a treaty 
of amity, commerce, and alliance, recently concluded 
with America; in confequence of which offenfive com¬ 
munication on' the part of the king of France, his niajedy 
had fent orders to his ambadador to withdraw from that 
court; and, relying on the zealous fupport of his people, 
he is prepared to exert all the force and refources of his*' 
kingdoms, to repel fo unprovoked and -unjuft an aggref- 
fion.” Addredes were voted by both lioufes, containing 
the ftronged adurances of afiiftance and fupport. An 
amendment moved by Mr. Baker, containing a fevere 
reflection on the conduit of the minider, was previoufly re¬ 
jected in the houfe of commons,by 263 voices againft 113. 
A fimilar amendment was moved in the upper houfe 
by the duke of Manchefter, which gave rife to a debate, 
chiefly intereding as it brought into view a very import¬ 
ant difference of opinion fulfilling between the lords in 
oppofition, and which had on various occafions'more co¬ 
vertly appeared, refpecting the recognition of American 
independence. The marquis of Rockingham, and the 
whole Rockingham connection, maintained without re- 
ferve the necedity of admitting the independence of Ame¬ 
rica. “ To attempt impoffibilities, (faid they,) can only 
render our ruin inevitable ; it is not now in our power 
to recoyer what we have wantonly thrown away.” On 
the other hand, the earls of Chatham, Temple, and Shel¬ 
burne, and feyeral other minority lords, who had efta- 
blidied a didindt connedlion, and were, throughout the 
long courfe of oppofition to this minidry, confidered as a 
feparate party, difclaimed every idea of relinquidiing 
America, and deprecated its independence as the greateft 
of all political and national evils; and as including the 
utter degradation and final ruin of this country. The 
numbers on the divifion were, 100 lords who voted againft. 
the amendment, to 36 who fupported it. 
On the 7th of April, 1778, the duke of Richmond 
moved an addrefs to the king on the ftate of the nation. 
In his fpeech in fupport of this addrefs, his grace declared 
in ftrong terms his conviction of the necedity of an im¬ 
mediate recognition of American independence. “ The 
mifchief, (he laid,) whatever might be the magnitude of 
it, was already done ; America was for ever loft ; and her 
independence as firmly eflablilhed as that of other dates. 
We had indeed fufficient caufe for regret; but our la¬ 
mentation was of no more avail than it would be for the 
lofs of Normandy or France.” The earl of Chatham, in 
full expectation that this point would come under dif- 
cuflion, relolved, however enfeebled and afflidled by his 
corporeal infirmities, to make his perfonal appearance in 
the houfe, in order to bear his decided teftimony againft 
it. The mind feels interefted in the minuted circum- 
ftances relating to the laft day of the public life of this 
renowned ftatefman. He was led into the houfe by his 
fon and fon-in-law, Mr. William Pitt and lord vifcount 
Mahon, all the lords (landing up out of refpect, and 
making a lane for him to pafs to the earls’ bench, he 
bowing very gracefully to them as he proceeded. He 
looked pale and much emaciated, but his eye retained all 
its native fire; which, joined to his general deportment, 
and the attention of the houfe, formed a lpedtacle very 
ftriking and imprefiive. 
When the duke of Richmond had fat down, lord Chat¬ 
ham rofe, and began by lamenting, “ that his bodily in¬ 
firmities had fo long, and at fo important a crifis, pre¬ 
vented his attendance on the duties of parliament. He 
declared, that he had made an effort almoft beyond the 
powers of his conftitution, to come down to the houfe 
on this day, perhaps the laft time lie (hould ever be able 
to enter its walls, to exprefs the indignation he felt at 
the idea which he underftood was gone forth, of yielding 
up the fovereignty of America. My lords, (continued 
he,) I rejoice that the grave has not clofed upon me ; 
that 1 am (till alive to lift up my voice againft the dif-- 
memberment of this ancient and noble monarchy. Prell'ed- 
down as I am by the load of infirmity, I am little able to 
aflift my country in this moft perilous conjundlure ; but,, 
my lords, while I have (enfe and memory, I never will, 
confent to tarnifh the luftre of this nation by an ignomi¬ 
nious furrender of its rights and faireft poffeflions. Shall 
a people fo lately the terror of the world, now fall prof- 
trate before the houfe of Bourbon? It is impofiible. I 
am not, 1 confefs, well informed of the refources of this 
kingdom, but I truft it has ftill fufficient to maintain its 
juft rights, though I know them not. Any ftate, my 
lords, is better than defpair. Let us at lead make one 
effort; and, if we mud fall, let us fall like men.” 
The duke of Richmond, in reply, urged the noble lord 
to point out any poflible mode, if he were able to do it, 
of making the Americans renounce that independence of 
which they were in poffeffion. Flis grace added, that if 
he could not, no man could; and that it was not in his 
power to change his opinion on the noble lord’s autho- 
