CHAP. VIII.

1776.

preffion. When they formed a design to visit England, it had always been thus announced, "I am going home." Home, the feat of happiness, the retreat to all the felicities of the human mind, is too intimately affociated with the beft feelings of the heart, to renounce without pain, whether applied to the natural or the political parent.

t

CHAPTER IX.

Declaration of Independence.-Lord Howe's Arrival in America.--Action on Long Island.-Retreat of the Americans through the Jerfies, and the Lofs of the Forts Washington and Lee.-Affairs in Canada.-Surprife of the Heffians at Trenton.-Various Transactions in the Jerfies.--General Howe's Retreat-Makes HeadQuarters at Brunswick-His Indecifion-Some Traits of his Character.

THE commiffioners who had been announced
as the meffengers of peace, were now hourly ex-
pected; but the dubious aspect of their miffion,
and the equivocal character in which they were
about to appear, was far from lulling to inatten-
tion the guardians of the cause of America.
Their errand was oftenfibly, to restore peace to
the colonies; but many circumstances combined
to evince, that the design was in reality, to fur-
nifh new pretexts for the profecution of the
war, with redoubled vigor. Thus was the con-
tinental congrefs fully convinced of the impro-
priety of longer holding themselves in fufpenfe,
by delufory hopes, or the uncertain termination
of their expectations or their fears. They were
fenfible the step they were about to take, would
either fet their country on the pinnacle of hu-
man glory, or plunge it in the abject state into
which turbulent and conquered colonies have

CHAP. IX.

1776.

CHAP. IX.

1776.

been generally reduced. Yet they wifely judg ed, that this was a proper period to break the fhackles, and renounce all political union with the parent state, by a free and bold declaration of the independence of the American States. This measure had been contemplated by fome gentlemen in the feveral colonies, fome months before it took place. They had communicated their fentiments to the individual members of congrefs, but that body had been apprehensive, that the people at large were not prepared to unite in a step so replete with important confequences. But the moment of decifion had now arrived, when both the congrefs and the inhab itants of the colonies advanced too far to recede.

Richard Henry Lee, Efq., a delegate from the ftate of Virginia, a gentleman of diftinguished abilities, uniform patriotism, and unfhaken firmnefs and integrity, was the first who dared explicitly to propofe, that this decided measure, on which hung fuch mighty confequences, should no longer be delayed. This public and unequivocal propofal, from a man of his virtue and fhining qualities, appeared to spread a kind of fudden difmay. A filent aftonishment for a few minutes feemed to pervade the whole affembly: this was foon fucceeded by a long debate, and a confiderable division of sentiment on the important queftion.

t

After the short filence just observed, the meafure propofed by Mr. Lee was advocated with peculiar zeal by John Adams, Efq., of the Maffachusetts Bay. He rofe with a face of intrepidity and the voice of energy, and invoked the god of eloquence, to enable him to do justice to the cause of his country, and to enforce this important step in fuch a manner, as might filence all oppofition, and convince every one of the neceffity of an immediate declaration of the independence of the United States of America.

Mr. John Dickinson, of Pennsylvania, took the lead in oppofition to the boldness and danger of this decided measure. He had drawn the petition to the king forwarded by Mr. Penn, and though no man was more strenuous in fupport of the rights of the colonies, he had always been averse to a feparation from Britain, and fhuddered at the idea of an avowed revolt of the American colonies. He arofe on this occafion with no lefs folemnity than Mr. Adams had recently done, and with equal pathos of expreffion, and more brilliance of epithet, he invoked the Great Governor of the Universe, to animate him with powers of language fufficient to exhibit a view of the dread confequences to both countries, that fuch a hafty difmemberment of the empire might produce. He defcanted largely on the happy effects that might probaby enfue from more patient and conciliatory difpofi

CHAP. IX.

1776.

CHAP. IX.

1776.

tions, and urged at least a temporary fufpenfion of a step, that could never be revoked. He declared that it was his opinion, that even policy forbade the precipitation of this measure, and that humanity more ftrongly dictated, that they ought to wait longer the fuccefs of petitions and negociations, before they formally renounced their allegiance to the king of Great Britain, broke off all connexion with England, plunged alone into an unequal war, and rushed without allies into the unforeseen and inevitable dangers that attended it.

The confequences of fuch a folemn act of feparation were indeed of ferious and extenfive magnitude. The energy of brilliant talents, and great strength of argument, were displayed by both parties on this weighty occafion. The reafons urging the neceflity of decifion, and the indubitable danger of delay, were clear and cogent; the objections, plaufible, humane, and important but after a fair difcuffion of the queftion, an accurate ftatement of the reafons for adopting the measure, and a candid scrutiny of the objections against it, grounded either on policy or humanity, a large majority of the members of congrefs appeared in favor of an immediate renunciation of allegiance to the crown, or any future fubjugation to the king of Great Britain.