and back of Green, whilst the fouthern army pushed him in front; a few weeks muft have decided his fate, and le would have been fortunate if he could capitulate-this was what he dreaded; and therefore a moft fubftantial reafon why it was not done: at that time near 6 or 7000 men were under parole, their internal government diftra&ted, their governor a prifoner, and Wilmington open as an afylum and protection for the loyalifts; the greatest difficulty attended fupplies getting to Green, either men or stores. The fubject, was I to continue it, would fwell too large for a letter; I fhall, therefore, briefly give you my opinion upon what ought to be done, and what can be done, if Great-Britain has only virtue enough left to hang, and fubftitute honefty, activity, and plan-inftead of fupinenefs, confufion, &c. &c. The force that Great-Britain has now in America is fully fufficient for the plan I propofe, which is to bring all their force to the fouthward, and reduce the whole as far to the northward as James River this is not vifionary, like all the fchemes our country has been purfuing thefe feven years, but is real and fubftantial. How, evacuate New-York, and leave the loyalifts to the mercy of the rebels? My aufwer fhall be fhort: If you don't do this, you must evacuate all America. What is then to become of the loyalists? Can any man in his fenfes think, that holding New-York with 14 or 15,000 troops in its garrifon, will prevent the independence of America? The way to prevent it, is to conquer that country that is acceffible to our arms; to keep their internal government in confufion by the operations of war; to prevent the cultivation of their lands; to increase their diftrefs by the continual drafts of men for their army; and the extreme burthen their taxes muft be. Now their paper currency is annihilated, if Washington comes to the fouthward, fo much the better; he greater muft the ex

pense be to the Americans, the better opportunity to bring him to a decifive action, and the fooner will the country be exhaufted of its refources; which I am fure you need not be told is every day growing lefs and lefs, notwithstanding all the pompous harangues of the patriots and republicans. What I purpose can be compleated in twelve months, if a man of courage and wisdom is placed to conduct it. It would be wifer in the nation to vote a few thousand pounds as a compenfation for loffes to fuch loyalifts as may incline to follow the British standard from New-York, than idly to waste millions on what I will be bold to pronounce the will never effect, if the present measures are re-adopted and purfued. If a poft is wanted to the northward, why not take Rhode Island, a much lefs garrison is neceffary? But why will not Tybee and Beaufort anfwer for our fhipping? and, if fortune should ever give us a fuperior advantage over the French by fea (and, if you had honeft and wife men to direct your naval officers, you would have done it long ago), what is to prevent our taking poffeflion of the Chesapeak again?

If Great Britain gains the provinces of Georgia, South and North-Carolina, and Virginia, he will have the only places worth her contending-for: and " that he can gain them" is indifputable. Let her whole force be brought to this point: determine to extirpate rebellion by inftantly punishing thofe who fhall oppofe them either by arins or any other way. Court and reward thofe who join you, and let your addrefs and money be applied for this purpofe; prevent plundering either foes or friends; exact the strictest difcipline; eftablish a civil and moderate code of government, tili the country is prepared for the reception of its former civil government; endeavour and invite the principal perfons in each province into a fhare of its government; avoid the leaft fhadow of

disrespect

difrefpect to fuch perfons (a contrary behaviour has prevented, in a great measure, that confidence); direct your arms with unremitting vigour against all partizans; never parole, without the limits of your garrifons, perfons of any influence; punish, in the moft exemplary manner, all perfons, without distinction of rank, who fhall be guilty of murdering loyalifts otherwife than in open action; be fteady and uniform in your meafures; let honefly guide all transactions both public and private; convince the people by this conduct that you are determined to eftablish the British civil government, and then let them fee as much vigour and enterprize in your management, as they have difcovered and received from your enemies, and fuccefs will crown our endeavours with an honourable peace, and the restoration of the bleffings of British government.

A defenfive war on this extenfive continent will have all the bad effects of a truce to Great-Britain. If America is permitted to establish and execute their civil government, and to recover from the diftrefs and difficulties they at prefent labour under, to furnish their quota of men and ftores neceffary for active service, she will be Independant in fpite of every effort afterwards. Many obvious reafons muft appear to you, to fee the matter in the fame light that I do. A naval war is proper and neceffary, because you diftrefs their commerce, render foreign fupplies dear and precarious, and at the fame time keep them in conftant dread of predatory expeditions, which ought often to be fet on foot.

I am now come to speak of another fubject of great confequence, I feel the weight of it upon my mind, but I am certain of its good effects if properly conducted; that is, arming the blacks. In addition to the forces already on this continent, near 8 or 10,000 ftrong hearty black males may be found proper for the field; if they were put under

proper white officers, regularly trained, and clothed and fed in the fame manner as the King's troops, great fervices would be performed by them in this fouthern country; although they may not be equal to the attack of white regular troops, numberlefs fervices are to be expected from them, equally useful in a war like this, The fqueamish may raise objections, but they ought all to vanish in the eyes of a true friend to his country, when the contest is become fo ferious as to threaten its very exiftence. The French employ in the Weft Indies a great number; they brought their black troops again Savannah; the Rebels had a company or two against Burgoyne, and would have raised two regiments in South-Carolina, if the fear of leading the British into fo wife a measure had not prevailed against Mr. Laurens, the advocate of the measure. Befides, the fhock it gives to property will alarm your enemies in a moft material manner. The caution and wifdom in executing this matter are the only things wanted to enfure it every poffible fuccefs.

Let the creditors in this country receive fome indemnification by other means for the hazard they run in this property, and let the loyalifts be exempted from parting with their flaves, or be paid their full value.

In fhort, I am fo poffeffed with the idea of the poffibility of poffeffing the country I have defcribed, that I am certain if it is properly attempted, your country will yet rejoice in victory. But what is to be expected from men and measures like the prefent; an affembly fat within thirty or forty miles of an army fuperior to the enemy, entered into a full difcuffion of their affairs, arranged their civil and military business, confiscated the property of a very confiderable number of the loyalifts, filled up their army lifts, laid taxes for the fupport of their measures, and although they were upwards of fix weeks on this business,

not

not a fingle attempt was made to interrupt them, except in a truly ridiculous proclamation, which the British General (in honour of his country) thought proper to continue under publication, before and after they had done all the mifchief they could devise.

The four provinces I have named contain every article that is valuable in the commerce of Great-Britain, and she must be loft indeed, if he gives-up what it is ftill in her power to regain. Though the loyalifts have reafon to be greatly diffatisfied with men and measures, if these are changed, and a proper force and active measures are adopted, they will readily lend a helping hand to the mother country but be affured all I have recommended muft be fpeedily taken in hand; otherwise it will be, like every former matter, a day after the fair. What can be more fortunate for Great-Britain, than the annihilation of the paper-currency; in South-Carolina they have voted near 400,000 filver dollars for the continental quota for the prefent year; this is exclufive of their ftate contingencies. How much this will accumulate in an unfuccefsful war need not be pointed-out to you. In South-Carolina they are collecting a number of confifcated negroes, and others, and are fending them off to North-Carolina, to be given as bounties for continental foldiers for the ftates of SouthCarolina and Georgia; 800 are already (it is faid) fent-off, and 400 more are to follow.

With refpect to terms of peace, furely the poffeffion of a country is far more likely to procure an advantageous one than the poffeffion of garrifons, in which you only more evidently show your weakness, by not daring to venture out of them.

As a proof of the good effects of activity. In NorthCarolina the whole force collected to take their Governor, and prevent the excurfion of the garrifon from Wilmington,