460 A M E 
independence, and exprefling their regret, that, after tire 
repeal of thofe ftatutes which gave rile to the troubles in 
America, tire overtures of his majefty’s commiflioners had 
not been regarded by the congrefs. 
At this time the people of America were involved in 
great difficulties by the depreciation of their paper-curren¬ 
cy. At the time when the colonies engaged in war with 
Great Britain, they had no regular civil government efta- 
biillied among them of fufficient energy to enforce the col¬ 
lection of taxes, or to provide funds for the redemption of 
fitch bills of credit as their neceflities obliged them to Hike. 
In confequence of this, their bills increaied in quantity far 
beyond the fura neceffiary for the purpofe of a circulating 
medium : and, as they wanted at the fame time fpecific 
funds to reft on for their redemption, they faw their pa¬ 
per-currency daily link in value. The depreciation con¬ 
tinued, by a kind of gradual progreflion, from the year 
7777 to the year 1780; fo that, at the latter period, the 
continental dollars were paifed, by common confent, in 
molt parts of America, at the rate of at leaft thirty-nine 
fortieths below their nominal value. The impoflibility 
of keeping up the credit of the currency to any fixed 
ftandard, occafioned great and almoft infurmountable eni- 
barraffments in afcei tabling the value of property, or car¬ 
rying on trade with any fufficient certainty. Thofe who 
ibid, and thofe who bought, were left without a rule 
whereon to form a judgment of their profit or their lofs : 
and every fpecies of commerce or exchange, whether fo¬ 
reign or domeftic, was expofed to numberlefs and increa- 
fing difficulties. The confequences of the depreciation of 
the papemcurrency, were alfo felt with peculiar feverity 
by fuch of the Americans as were engaged in their mi- 
tary fervices, and greatly augmented by their other hard- 
fhips. The requifitions made by the congrefs to the fe- 
veral colonies for fupplies, were alfo far from always 
being complied with : and their troops were not unfre- 
quently in want of the mod common neceffaries; w hich 
naturally occafioned complaints and difcontent among 
them. Some of thefe difficulties, refuhing from their cir- 
cumftances and fttuation, perhaps no wifdom could have 
.prevented : but they feem to have arifen in part from the 
■ congrefs not being diffidently acquainted with the prin¬ 
ciples of finance, and from a defeCt of fyftem in the de¬ 
partments of their government. The caufe of the Ame¬ 
ricans appears alfo to have differed by their depending too 
much on temporary enliftments. But the congrefs endea¬ 
voured, towards the clofe of the year 1780, to put their 
army upon a more permanent footing, and to give all the 
fatisfaCtion to their officers and foldiers which their cir- 
. cumftances would permit. They appointed a committee 
for arranging their finances, and made fome new regula¬ 
tions refpeCting their war-office and treafury-board, and 
other public departments. 
Notwithftanding the difadvantages under which they la¬ 
boured, the Americans feerned to entertain no doubts but 
that they ftiould be able to maintain their independency. 
The 4th of July was celebrated this year at Philadelphia, 
as the anniverfary of American independence. A com¬ 
mencement for conferring degrees in the arts was held the 
fame day, in the hall of the univerfity there ; at which the 
prefident and members of the congrefs attended, and other ' 
perfons in public offices. The chevalier de la Lucerne, 
minifter plenipotentiary from the French king to the Uni¬ 
ted States, was alfo prefent on the occafion. A charge 
was publicly addreffed by the provoft of the univerfity to 
the (indents; in which he faid, that he could not but con¬ 
gratulate them “ on that aufpicious day, which, amidft the 
confufions and defolations of war, beheld learning begin¬ 
ning to revive; and animated them with the pleafing prof- 
peCft of feeing the facred lamp of fcience burning with a 
ftill brighter flame, and fcattering its invigorating rays 
over the unexplored deferts of that extenfive continent; 
until the whole world ftiould be involved in the united 
blaze of knowledge, liberty, and religion. When he 
ftretched his views forward,” he faid, “ and furveyed the 
R I C A. 
rifuig glories of America, the enriching confequences of 
their determined ftruggle for liberty, the extenfive fields 
ol intellectual improvement and ufeful invention, in fcience 
and arts, in agriculture and commerce, in religion and 
government, through which the unfettered mind would 
range, with increafing delight, in queft of the undifcovered 
treafure which yet lay concealed in the animal, vegetable, 
and mineral, kingdoms of that new world ; or in the other 
fertile fourees of knowledge with which it abounded. His 
heart fwelled with the pleafing profpeCt, that the Ions of 
that inftitution would diftinguilh themfelves, in the dif¬ 
ferent walks of life, by their literary contributions to the 
embellifhment and increafe of human happinefs. 
On the 10th of July, M.Ternay, with a fleet confiding 
of feven (hips of the line, betides frigates, and a large bo¬ 
dy of French troops, commanded by the count de Ro- 
chambeau, arrived at Rhode Ifiand; and the following 
day 6000 men were landed. A committee from the ge¬ 
neral affembly of Rhode Ifiand was appointed to congra¬ 
tulate the French general upon his arrival: whereupon lie 
returned an anfwer, in which he informed them, that the 
king his mafter had fent him to the alliftance of his good 
and faithful allies the United States of America. At 
prefent, he faid, he only brought over the vanguard of a 
much greater force deftined for their aid; and the king 
had ordered him to allure them, that his whole power 
ftiould be exerted for their fupport. He added, that the 
French troops were under the ItriCteft difcipline; and, add¬ 
ing under the orders of general Wafhington, would live 
with the Americans as their brethren. 
A fcheme was foon after formed, of making a combined 
attack with Englifh ftiips and troops, under the command 
of Sir Henry Clinton and admiral Arbuthnot, againft the 
F'rench fleet and troops at Rhode Ifiand. Accordingly a 
confiderable part of the troops at New York were embark¬ 
ed for that purpofe. General Wafhington, having received 
information of this, paffed the North River by a very 
rapid movement, and, with an army increafed to 12,000 
men, proceeded with celerity towards King’s Bridge, in 
order to attack New York ; but, learning that the Britiih 
general had changed his intentions, and difembarked his 
troops on the 31ft of the month, general Wafliington re- 
croffed the river, and returned to his former ftation. Sir 
Henry Clinton and the admiral had agreed to relinquilh 
their defign of attacking the French and Americans at 
Rhode Ifiand as impracticable. 
An unfuccefsful attempt was alfo made about this time 
in the Jerfeys by general Knyphaufen, with 7000 Britiih 
troops under his command, to furprife the advanced pofts 
of general Waffiington’s army. They proceeded rapidly 
towards Springfield, meeting little oppofition till they 
came to the bridge there, which was very gallantly de¬ 
fended by 170 of the continental troops, for fifteen mi¬ 
nutes, againft the Britifh army: but they were at length 
obliged to give up fo unequal a conteft, with the lofs of 
thirty-feven men. After fecuring this pafs, the Britiih 
troops marched into the place, and fet fire to moft of the 
houfes. They alfo committed fome other depredations in 
the Jerfeys; but were obliged to return about the begin¬ 
ning of July, without effecting any thing material. 
In South Carolina the royal arms were attended with 
more fuccefs. Earl Cornwallis, who commanded the Bri- 
tiffi troops, obtained a very fignal victory over general 
Ga-es, on the 16th of Auguft. The aCtion began at 
break of day, in a fituation very advantageous for the Bri¬ 
tifh troops, but very unfavourable to the Americans. The 
latter were much more numerous; but tire ground on 
Which both armies flood was narrowed by fwamps on the 
right and left, fo that the Americans could not avail them¬ 
felves of their fuperior numbers. There feems to have 
been a want of generalfhip in Gates, in fuffering himfelf 
to be furprifed in fo difadvantageous a pofition: but this 
circumftance was partly the effeCt of accident; for both 
armies fet out with a defign of attacking each other pre- 
cifely at the fame time, at ten the preceding evening, and 
met 
