the enemy were upwards of 5000 in number, and he makes the killed and prifoners not quite 2000; fo that 3000 men efcaped, difperfed, and scattered indeed, but which in all probability at this time compofe an army, with confiderable re-inforcements, fufficient, under General Gates, to drive Lord Cornwallis back towards Charles-Town. If the victory at Camden only affords minifters a pretext for another year's continuance of this unfortunate war, begun in folly and wickednefs, and conducted on their part by incapacity, negligence, or treachery, I fhall confider it as a ferious calamity in my poor opinion no victory can be important that is not decifive in America. Whatever procraftinates a war, which I verily believe muft end in the allowance of American independency, muft in itself be a serious evil.

From the moment an account arrived of this battle, the minifterial writers were bufily employed in fabricating extracts of letters from Bofton, New York, and Philadelphia, written all in London, painting difcord among the Americans, and infinuating defection, which never exifted but in their own imaginations; by fuch means the deluded people of this country are to be reconciled to the farther prosecution of this calamitous and unfortunate war.

There was a time when minifters might have ended this unfortunate war with credit. The Americans wanted only to be put in the fituation they were in before the year 1763. But unconditional fubmiffion was then the cry, and Governor Penn's petition was rejected with contempt. Commiffioners, when it was too late, were fent out, offering terms lefs advantageous for this country: but it was impoffible the Americans could confide in any affurances given by the fame minifters, from whom all their calamities originated, more efpecially after the breach of affurances contained in Lord Hillsborough's famous letter.

I have uniformly oppofed the American war, and all the fteps that led to it, from principle. I thought it unjust in its commencement, and I object to it now on the ground of inexpediency. Is there a man that will gravely, and with an unembarraffed face, affert in this affembly, that he thinks we can conquer America, affifted as he now is, by France and Spain? Will either of the noble Lords over the way affert it? Will Lord Cornwallis come to this Houfe, after his arrival in England, and affert it? I have too good an opinion of the good fenfe, and honour of the noble Lord, to believe that he will. General Grey told us a contrary ftory; and an honourable VOL. XVIII.

A a

gen

gentleman [Sir John Wrottefley] a member of our own, told us, after ferving two campaigns in America, that it was impoffible for this country to fubdue that, even though the 20 or 30,000 Ruffians that were talked of, had been sent to affift us and he has, though connected with the heads of adminiftration, voted ever fince, very much to his honour, against the continuance of the American war. Why do we carry on the war without any hopes of fuccefs? The people of this country are oppreffed by the decline of trade, and the enormous taxes laid upon them. Every year will add to those diftreffes. The people feel and murmur. The noble Lord in the blue ribband feems infenfible of their fufferings. I know there is a general difcontent: if the war continues much longer, national bankruptcy will take place, and the confequences must be feriously alarming.

If ambition, if avarice, prompt the noble Lords over the way to continue in office, would to God that ambition and avarice could be gratified without their country's ruin! Let them have finecure places and reverfions for themselves, their wives, and all their children. Let the crown give them new honours, red ribbands, blue, or green. Let them be affured of this bishopric, and that auditorship, provided we can get rid of them as ftatefmen. Let them have any thing, let them be any thing, rather than in a fituation to complete the ruin of their country.

The honourable gentleman who moved the motion of thanks has faid, that he drew it originally in the precife terms used in thanking the Duke of Cumberland in 1746. Does he then liken the battle of Camden to the Duke's victory over the Scotch rebels at Culloden? There never were two actions more diffimilar: the one extinguished a rebellion, the object of which was to overturn the conftitution and religion of this country, and to diveft the House of Hanover of the throne; the other was in confequence of a war begun in injustice, and the battle has been productive of no material effects.

Let me inform the honourable gentleman, that cenfure on the undeferving, is as neceffary as thanks to the meritorious, for the promotion of military difcipline, and honourable atchievement; and, I hope, he will proceed to enquire into demerit, wherever it may be found in the fervice.

Report fays, we are fpeedily to have among us Sir Hugh Pallifer, who has been convicted by one court martial of bringing a malicious and ill-founded charge againft his com

manding

manding officer, and has been found guilty of neglect of duty by another.

[Here a cry of order ran through the Houfe; and the speaker faid, that Sir Hugh Pallifer was not yet a member of the Houfe, and therefore he hoped Sir Jofeph would not bring his name into debate irregularly.]

Sir Jofeph refumed, and faid, I am obliged to you, Sir, for your caution and advice. I have faid nothing of that gentleman I will not fay to his face: I have no prejudice against him, but what has arifen from the facts ftated and proved in the printed trials, which every gentleman may have in his power to perufe. But, Sir, he has neglected his duty, and has brought a malicious and ill-founded charge against his commanding officer; notwithstanding which, he has lately been promoted to the government of Greenwich Hospital, a place to which he could have had no pretenfions from rank and ftanding in the fervice, if his conduct had not been exceptionable, as I think it.

I fhall probably be told, that the court-martial, in affixing on his accufation the epithets malicious and ill-founded, exceeded their jurisdiction, and that he was acquitted by the other court-martial. The latter, indeed, acquitted him, but neither unanimously nor honourably, after finding him guilty of neglect the other court-martial did not exceed the ufage and practice in like cafes, which is the law of courts martial. In the year 1757, or 1758, Sir Thomas Frankland, then at Antigua, brought a charge againft Sir Thomas Pye.

[Here the Speaker called Sir Jofeph to order, as deviating from the queftion. Mr. Fox fupported Sir Jofeph, and fhewed clearly that nothing could be more orderly than to talk of the delinquency of one Admiral, when the question related to the thanking of another. M. Rigby supported the Speaker, and called Sir Jofeph's a dull narrative; which expreffion immediately called up Mr. Townfhend, who, with great warmth and eloquence, attacked Mr. Rigby for his ungentleman-like and illiberal reflection. After the Speaker and Mr. Rigby had again spoken, Sir Jofeph Mawbey proceeded.]

I am inclined, Sir, to doubt at leaft of my being right, when you tell me I am wrong; and though it would not be difficult to go on in a way perfectly confiftent with order, I fhall not proceed, as I find it objectionable to one part of the House. As to the honourable gentleman's charge of dullness, it becomes not me to fay much on that subject; I know how little

A a 2

Mr. Rigby.

Mr. Sheridan.

little qualified I am to entertain, but I speak from principle and genuine opinion. The honourable gentleman poffeffes, in a fuperior degree, the faculties neceffary to afford entertainment; and though I am feldom convinced, I am pleased by his orations, which are always lively and diverting. I oppose the motion of thanks for the reafons I have before ftated; and more particularly because I think General Prevoft, Admiral Barrington, and others, equally entitled to them for their military conduct. You will caft a ftigma on thofe officers, if the thanks of this House be not given to them; perhaps at this late hour it were better to give none, and therefore I hope the honourable gentleman will withdraw his motion.

Mr. Rigby thanked the Speaker for the polite manner in which he had conveyed his cenfure. Henceforward, he said, there will be no fuch thing to be heard of as dullness in the House of Commons. Dullness had taken her flight for ever from the House, and on a very fingular occafion. He was going on in this ftrain, when Sir Jofeph Mawhey feemed inclined to rife again to speak. But I am afraid, faid Mr. Rigby, that I am growing dull, I will therefore fit down, until the House refumes its brilliancy.

Mr. Sheridan obferved, that Mr. Coke had expreffed an earneft defire that this motion might pass unanimously, though he knew that there were in that House different defcriptions of men, who could not affent to a vote that feemed to imply a recognition or approbation of the American war. If fo many were to be included in this vote of thanks, why exclude any who had an equal title to the applause of the House, with thofe particularized in the motion? Why not thank General Prevoft, for example, for his victory over the enemy at Savannah? A victory that had laid the foundation of the fuccefs at Charles-Town, which led the way to that at Cam den?

He hoped that a motion would not be objected to, to thank General Prevoft, that the victory gained by him was a victory only over the French. Mr. Sheridan afked farther, why the thanks of the Houfe had not been voted to Sir Henry Clinton, immediately on the arrival of the fuccefs at CharlesTown? And what must be the feelings of that general officer, when he reflected that the thanks of the Houfe were voted to him only in confequence of a resolution to thank Earl Cornwallis?

Mr.

Mr. Sheridan apologized to Mr. Rigby for not anfwering fome things that had fallen from him, in the fame ludicrous ftrain, in which he chofe to view every thing, except what related immediately to his own intereft. In his own opinion there were fome things too serious for ridicule, and the queftion before them, if ever any queftion did, merited a ferious and grave difcuffion. He acknowledged the honourable gentleman had a fund of drollery and humour, but he liked his ingenuity, his humour, and his counfels, better than his political arguments.

Mr. Courtenay thought that gentlemen on the other fide of Mr. Courte the House might vote thanks to the gallant officers proposed "ay. as objects of their gratitude and praife, without any fcruple arifing from any opinion concerning the juftnefs or expedience of the American war, when they confidered that it was of importance to this country to maintain and even promote the honour of the British name.

When they confidered that Lord Cornwallis had faved the lives of a whole army, ready to be swallowed up by fo numerous a foe, by the wifdom of his difpofitions, as well as the generous ardour which his noble example infpired into the troops if among the Romans, he was rewarded with a civic crown who saved the life of a fingle citizen, how much more does he deferve a tribute of praise who faves the lives of thoufands! Befides, the Americans were the allies of France, and every wound that was given to America affected the House of Bourbon.

He had not now refpect to the origin of the war, but to the present state of it. He confidered not what had been, but what in reality was, and what was likely to be. He compared thofe politicians, who were perpetually murmuring about the beginning of the war, to the ideot who, accustomed to hear at certain hours a village clock, through the mere force of habit and the affociation of ideas, continued to count the hours, at the proper periodical times, after the clock had gone to decay or was broken in pieces. He touched on the fubject of the perfonal altercation between Mr. Rigby and Sir Jofeph Mawbey in this manner: dullness, with the beft intentions to be brilliant, is often unavoidable. A pig, it is faid, never attempts to fwim, which is the next thing to foaring, without cutting its throat. Again, it is faid, that an eel swims fafter in mud, though it has no fins, than fifhes that have. He applied to fomething that a chemift told him, concerning