The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 04
History
The Diplomatic Correspondence of the American Revolution, Vol. 04
United States -- Foreign relations -- 1775-1783; United States -- History -- Revolution, 1775-1783 -- Sources
We have not yet had time to hear what has been done by the other
assemblies; but I have no doubt that similar acts will be made use of
by all of them, and that the mass of evidence produced by the
execution of those acts, not only of the enormities committed by those
people, under the direction of the British Generals, but of those
committed by the British troops themselves, will form a record that
must render the British name odious in America to the latest
generations. In that authentic record will be found the burning of the
fine towns of Charlestown, near Boston; of Falmouth, just before
winter, when the sick, the aged, the women and children, were driven
to seek shelter where they could hardly find it; of Norfolk, in the
midst of winter; of New London, of Fairfield, of Esopus, &c. besides
near a hundred and fifty miles of well settled country laid waste;
every house and barn burnt, and many hundreds of farmers, with their
wives and children, butchered and scalped.
The present British Ministers, when they reflect a little, will
certainly be too equitable to suppose, that their nation has a right
to make an unjust war, (which they have always allowed this against us
to be,) and do all sorts of unnecessary mischief, unjustifiable by the
practice of any individual people, which those they make war with are
to suffer without claiming any satisfaction; but that if Britons, or
their adherents, are in return deprived of any property, it is to be
restored to them, or they are to be indemnified. The British troops
can never excuse their barbarities. They were unprovoked. The
loyalists may say in excuse of theirs, that they were exasperated by
the loss of their estates, and it was revenge. They have then had
their revenge. _Is it right they should have both?_
Some of those people may have merit in their regard for Britain, and
who espoused her cause from affection; these it may become you to
reward. But there are many of them who were waverers, and were only
determined to engage in it by some occasional circumstance or
appearances; these have not much of either merit or demerit; and there
are others, who have abundance of demerit respecting your country,
having by their falsehoods and misrepresentations brought on and
encouraged the continuance of the war; these, instead of being
recompensed, should be punished.
It is usual among Christian people at war to profess always a desire
of peace; but if the Ministers of one of the parties choose to insist
particularly on a certain article, which they have known the others
are not and cannot be empowered to agree to, what credit can they
expect should be given to such professions?
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