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Show [833 an freedom of legiilation and internal government, in that the Britilh States throughout North-America, acting with us in peace and war under one common lovereign, may have the irrevocable enjoyment of every privilege, that is ihort of a total {eparation of intereits, or confifieiit with that union of force, on which the lafety of our comv mon religion and liberty depends. " In our anxiety for preferving thoi‘e facred and cliential interei'ts, we cannot help taking notice of the inii‘fi (lions interpofition of a power, which has, from the firfl' fettlement of thefe colonies, been actuated with enmity to us both. And notwithitanding the pretended date or prefent form of the French offers to North-America, yet [89} concur with us in a fufpenfion of hoflilities, or will fur« nifh all neceliary pafiports and fafe conduct to facilitate our meeting, and we [hall of courfe expeét the fame of you. " IF, after the time that may be neCeHary to confider this communication and tranfmit your anfwer, the horrors and devafl'ations of war lhould continue, we call God and the world to Witnefs, that the evils which mufl: follow, are not to be imputed to Great-Britain : And we cannot, without the molt real forrow, anticipate the profpecft of calamities, which we feel the molt ardent dcfire to prevent. We are, with perfect refpec‘t, it is notorious that thefe were made in conleqtieiice of the plans of accommodation previoufly concerted in Great« Britain, and with a view to prevent our reconciliation, GENTLEMEM Your mg/i' oéedimt and 7229/! bzzmHefirwntJ, and to prolong this defiru&ive ward ii'il'lll ii " BUT we truft that the inhabitants of North-America, connected with us by the neareit ties of conianguinity, ipeaking the fame language, intereited in the prefervation of fimilar inftitutions, remembering the former happy in- Ta bi: Eweal/envy H E N RY L A U R E N S, the Prg/idmt, and other the? [Members qf Cangre/i. tercourfe of good ofiices, and forgetting recent animOulities, will fhrinlc from the thought of becoming an acccflion of force to our late mutual enemy, and will prefer a firm, a free and perpetual coalition with the parent: flare, to an inflncere and unnatural foreign alliance. " THIS difpatch will be delivered to you by Doé'tor Fergufon, the Secretary to his Majeflv's Commiifion. And for further explanation and difcuflion of every {ubjet‘t of difiereiice, we deiire to meet with you, either col- lectively or by deputation, at New-York, Philadelphia, York-Town, or inch other place as you may propofe. We think it right, however to apprize you, that his lVIa- jeity's initrué'tions, as well as our own defire to remove C A R L I 3 LE , W M. E D E N, Geo. JOHNSTONE." Philadelphia, . qt!) yum, 1778. GENTLEMEm " HE difpatch incloied with this was carried this morning to the nearefl pofl of General Waihington's army by Doctor Fergufon, Secretary to his Majei'ry's Commiflion for reitoring peace, bzc. but he not finding a paflport, has returned to this place. In order to avoid every unnecefl'ary delay, we now again fend it by the ordinary conveyance of your military polls. As foon. as the pafiport arrives, Doctor Fergufon {hall wait upon you according to our firit arrangement. We are, With perfect refpeét, from the immediate feat of war, in the aetive operations G E N 'r L E M a N, Your mo]? obedient midi/10]} bumblefirwfiti, of which we cannot take any part, may induce us fpeedily to remove to New-York: But the Commander in Chief of his Majelty's land forces, who is joined with us m. this commifi'ion, will, if it fhould become eligible, either concur C A R L I s L E, ,Pbilad. yank, 1778" ' W M. E D E N, ' Gxo.]onusroum? M Tm |