| OCR Text |
Show {96] [97] and exercife, do, perform and execute the fame. find we do hereby require and command all the officers, civil and military, and all other our loving fubjeéis ‘.:«xh:'.t'lhever, to be aiding and affif'ting unto you, the faid Frederick, Earl of Carliile, Richard Vifcount Howe, Sir VViliiam Howe, William Eden, and George Johnfl'one, in the execution of this our commifiion, and of the powers and authorities herein contained. Provided always, and we do hereby declare and ordain, that the feveral oflices, powers and authorities hereby granted {hall ceafe, deter~ mine and become utterly null and void on the lit day of June, which {hall be in the year of our Lord 1779, al- though we {hall not otherwife in the mean time have re» voked and determined the fame. In Witnefs whereof, we {qty/Ilium have caufed thefe our letters to be made patent. W'irnefs ourfelf, at VVeftminfl'er, the 13th day April, in the 13th year of our reign. By the KING [vim/elf. 1 true Copy, Y 0 R K E, A n A M F r: R G u s o N, Secretary." Britain, and are founded on the idea of dependence, which is utterly inadmiffible. " I AM further directed to inform your Excellencies, that Congrefs are inclined to peace, notwithftanding the unjufl: claims from which this war originated, and the favage manner in which it hath been condué'ced. They will therefore be ready to enter upon the confideration of a treaty of peace and commerce, not inconfif'tent with treaties already fubfifting, when the King of Great- Britain {hall demonl'trate a fincere difpofition for that purpofc. The only folid proof of this difpofition will be, an explicit aCknowledgment of the independence of thefe States, or the withdrawing his fleets and armies. I HAVE the honor to be Your Exorl/em‘ie: 7720/1 obedient and bumblefirvmzt, Signed, by order oft/Jr: unanimous wire of Congrrft, HE NRY LAURENS, Prefidmt. _To this letter the following anfwer was unanimoufly given upon the 17th of June: " To their Excel/main tbe Rig/3t Honorable the Earl of C A RnLISL E, WILLIAM EDEN, Efq; G EORGF J O H N S T O N E, Efq; Comngfiouers from bi: Britmznz'o Majefly, P/Ji/adoIP/Jia. " I Have received the letter from your Excellencies of the 9th inflant, with the enelot‘ures, and laid them before Congrefs. Nothing but an earneft delire to ipare the farther eH‘ufion of human blood could have induced them to read a paper, containing expreflions f0 difre- Tort-Town, jaw 17, 1778." ON this occafion it is to be obferved, that a circum- fl'ance had intervened between the refolutions of the 22d of April and the receipt of the letter from the Commiffioners. This was the arrival of the copies of treaties entered into with his Molt Chrii'tian ll/Iajefty, which was the firi't intelligence which had been received from Europe in the fpace of a year. The refolutions of the Houfe therefore on the 22d of April were founded fimply on the firm determination under no change of fortune whatever to recede from the declaration of independence in July 1776, fpeflful to his Moit Chriftian Majei'ty, the good and great and for this reafon, as a preliminary to any treaty, it was ally of thefe States; or to confider propofitions f0 derogam required that Great-Britain {hould either acknowledge our independence or withdraw her fleets and armies, becaufe upon no other principle could America‘be faid to poffefs that degree of equality and freedom Wthh IS elfentxal to the validity of national compaéts. The treaty with France being out of the quefiion, had thefe preliminaries been complied with, we {hould have been bound in honor, as tory to the honor of an independent nation. " THE 2&5 of the Britifh Parliament, the commiflion from your fovereign, and your letter, fuppofe the people of thefe States to be {Lib-168:5 of the crown of Great- Britain, i T we |
