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1. If Great Britain should, in consequence of this treaty proceed to hostilities against France, the two nations should mutually assist one another.

2. The main end of the treaty was, in an effectual man ner to maintain the independency of America.

3. Should those places in North America, still subjec to Great Britain, be reduced by the colonies, they should be confederated with them, or subjected to their jurisdiction.

4. Should any of the West India islands, be reduced by France, they should be deemed its property.

5. No formal treaty with Great Britain should be con cluded, either by France or America, without the consent of each other; and it was mutually engaged, that they should not lay down their arms, till the independency o the Sates had been formally acknowředged.

6. The contracting parties mutually agree to invite those powers who had received injuries from Great Britain, to join the common cause.

7. The United States guaranteed to France all the possessions in the West Indies, which she should conquer; and France guaranteed the absolute independence of the United States, and their supreme authority over every country they possessed, or might acquire, during the war.

The house of commons looked upon this treaty as a declaration of war; and the members were unanimous in an address to his majesty, promising to stand by him to the utmost, in the present emergency; but it was warmly contended by the members of the opposition, that the present ministry should be removed, on account of their numerous blunders and miscarriages in every instance. Many were of opinion, that the only way to extricate the nation from its trouble, was to acknowledge at once, the independency of America, that so they might de with a good grace, what they would inevitably have to do at last. Instigated with zeal for the national honour, the ministerial party was determined to resent the arrogance of France, and prosecute the war in America, with increased vigour, should the terms about to be offered them be rejected.

The agents of the Americans, in the mean time, were assiduously employed at the courts of Spain, Vienna.

a, and Tuscany, in order, if possible, to conclude es with them; or, at least to procure an acknowent of their independency. As it had been reported, reat Britain had applied for assistance to Russia, the can commissioners were enjoined to use their utmost ours with the German princes, to prevent such auxs from marching through their territories; and also, vail with them to recal the German troops already sent merica.

the Spanish court they proposed, that in case they I think proper to espouse their cause, the American

should assist in reducing Pensacola under the don of Spain; provided the citizens of the United States allowed the free navigation of the river Mississippi, he use of the harbour of Pensacola: and they further d, that if agreeable to Spain, they would declare war st Portugal, should that power expel the American from their ports.

e troops of General Burgoyne in the mean time, were _ring to embark, agreeably to the convention of Sarabut Congress having received information that artiof ammunition and accoutrements, had not been surren■ as stipulated; and alledging also, some other cause, at they apprehended sinister designs were harboured reat Britain, to convey these troops to join the army hiladelphia, or New York, positively refused to let embark without an explicit ratification of the convenproperly notified by the British court.

he season for action approaching, Congress was indefale in making preparations for a new campaign; which, as confidently affirmed, would be the last. General shington, at the same time, to remove all unnecessary mbrances from the army, lightened the baggage as h as possible, by substituting sacks and portmanteaus, lace of chests and boxes; and using pack-horses instead Taggons. The British army on the other hand, expectto be reinforced by twenty thousand men, thought of hing but concluding the war according to their wishes, re the end of another campaign.

Lord North's conciliatory bill, therefore, was received them, with the utmost concern and indignation; they

ence.

the cockades from their hats, and trampled them unde their feet. By the colonists it was received with indiffer The British commissioners endeavoured to make it as public as possible; and Congress, as usual, ordered it to be printed in all the newspapers. Governor Tryon inclosed several copies of the bill in a letter to Genera Washington, intreating him, that he would allow them to be circulated; to which the general returned for answer a newspaper, in which the bill was printed, with the r solutions of Congress upon it, which were, that whosoeve presumed to make a separate agreement with Great Bri tain, should be deemed a public enemy; that the Unitec States could not, with any propriety, keep correspondence with the commissioners, until their independence was ac knowledged, and the British fleets and armies removed from America.

The colonies were also warned not to suffer themselves to be deceived into security by any offers that might be made but to use their utmost endeavours to send their quotas inte the field. Some individuals, who conversed with the com missioners on the subject of the conciliatory bill, intimatec to them that the day of reconciliation was past: that the haughtiness of Britain had extinguished all filial regard in the breasts of the Americans.

Silas Deane about this time arrived from France with two copies of the treaty of commerce and alliance, to be signed by Congress. Advices of the most flattering nature were received from various parts, representing the friendly dispo sitions of the European powers; all of whom it was said wished to see the independence of America settled upon the most permanent basis.

Considering therefore, the situation of the colonies a this time, it was no wonder that the commissioners did no succeed. Their proposals were utterly rejected, and them selves threatened to be treated as spies. But before any answer could be obtained from Congress, Sir Henry Ciin ton had taken the resolution of evacuating Philadelphia Accordingly on the eighteenth of June, after having made the necessary preparations, the army marched out of the city, and crossed the Delaware before noon, with all its bag gage, and other incumbrances. General Washington, ap prised of this design, had dispatched expresses into the 5, with orders to collect all the force that could be bled, in order to obstruct the march of the enemy. various movements on both sides, Sir Henry Clinton, ne royal army, arrived at a place called Freehold, on Fenty-seventh of June, where expecting the enemy attack him, he chose a strong situation. General ington, as was expected, meditated an attack as soon army began to march. The night was spent in g the necessary preparations, and general Lee was ed with his division to be ready at day break. Sir Clinton, justly apprehending that the chief object enemy was the baggage, committed it to the care of al Knyphausen, whom he ordered to set out early in Lorning, while he followed with the rest of the army. attack was made, but the British general had taken care to arrange his troops, and so effectually support s forces when engaged with the Americans, that they nly made no impression, but were with difficulty pre d from a total defeat, by general Washington, who iced with the whole of the American army.

te British troops retreated in the night, with the loss ree hundred men, of whom many died through fatigue weather being extremely hot.) not a wound being seen them. In this action, general Lee was charged by ral Washington with disobedience and misconduct, in ating before the British army. He was tried by a t martial, and sentenced to a suspension from his mand for one year. When the British army bad arat Sandy Hook, a bridge of boats was by lord Howe's tions, thrown from thence over the channel which seted the island from the main land, and the troops were eyed on board the fleet; after which they sailed to New 1. General Washington then moved towards the North

where a great force had been collected to join Lim, where it was now expected that operations of great nitude would take place.

rance in the mean time, was preparing to assist the ericans. On the fourteenth of April, 1778, count staing had sailed from Toulon, with a strong squadron

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hook to New-York. The French fleet consisted of one sh of 120 guns, one of eighty, six of 74, and four of 64, L sides several large frigates; and exclusive of its comp ment of sailors, it had six thousand marines and soldie on board. To oppose this, the British had only six shi of 64 guns, three of 50, and two of 40, with some friga and sloops. Notwithstanding this inferiority, the Brit admiral had posted himself so advantageously, and d played such superior skill, that D'Estaing did not think adviseable to attack him: he was also informed by t pilots, that his large vessels could not go over the bar in the hook. In the mean time, general Washington pres ed him to sail to Newport. He, therefore, remained anchor four miles off Sandy hook, till the twenty-second July, without effecting any thing more than the capture some vessels; which, through ignorance of his arrival, f into his hands.

The next attempt of the French admiral, in conjuncti with the Americans, was against Rhode Island. It w proposed that D'Estaing, with the six thousand troops had with him, should make a descent on the southern pa of the island, while the Americans took possession of t North; at the same time, the French squadron was to e ter the harbour of Newport, and take, and destroy all t British shipping there. On the eighth of August, t French admiral entered the harbour, as was proposed, t was unable to do any material damage. Lord Howe, ho ever, instantly set sail for Rhode Island, and D'Estai confiding in his superiority, immediately came out of t harbour to attack him. A violent storm parted the t fleets, and did so much damage, that they were render totally unfit for action. The French suffered the most, a several of their ships being afterwards attacked by t English, very narrowly escaped being taken. On t twentieth of August, the French admiral returned to Ne port in a shattered condition; but not thinking himself sa there, sailed two days after for Boston.

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In the mean time, general Sullivan had landed on th northern part of the island, with ten thousand men. the seventeenth of August, they began their operation by erecting batteries, and making their approaches to t British lines, General Pigot, however, had