even into Effex county, where, by feizing Newark, Elizabeth Town, and Woodbridge, they became mafters of the coaft oppofite to Staten land. Their principal polts were taken and ftrengthened with fo much judgment, that it was not practicable to dislodge them. The royal army retained only the two polts of Brunswick and Amboy, the one fituated a few miles up the Rariton, the other on a point of land at its mouth, and both holding an open communication with New York by fea.

Thus by a few well concerted and fpirited actions, was Philadelphia faved, Peanfylvania freed from danger, the Jerfeys nearly recovered, and a victorious and far fuperior army reduced to act upon the defenfive, and for feveral months restrained within very narrow and inconvenient limits. These actions, and the fudden recovery from the loweit ftate of weakness and diftrefs, to become a formidable enemy in the field, raifed the character of General Wahington, as a commander, very high both in Europe and America; and with his preceding and fubfequent conduct, ferve all together, to give a fanction to that appellation, which is now pretty generally applied to him, of the American Fabius.

Nor was this change of affairs to be attributed to any error in the British Generals, or fault in the troops which they commanded; but depended entirely upon the happy application of a number of powerful and concurring circumftances, which were far beyond their reach or controul. Though many of these were forefeen and pointed out, by thofe who from

the beginning, either oppofed in public, or regretted in private, this war, and that others are nowobvious to every body, it may not, however, be amifs to fpecify fome of thofe caufes which clogged it with particular difficulties.

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Among the principal of these may be confidered the vast extent of that continent, with its unufual diftribution into great tracts of cultivated and favage territory; the long extent of fea coaft in front, and the boundless waftes at the back of the inhabited countries, affording refource or fhelter in all circumftances; the numberless inacceffible pofts, and trong natural barriers, formed by the various combinations of woods, mountains, rivers, lakes, and marshes. thefe properties and circumstances, with others appertaining to the climates and feafons, may be faid to fight the battles of the inhabitants of fuch countries in a defenfive war. To thefe may be added others lefs local. The unexpected union, and unknown ftrength of the colonies; the judicious application of that ftrength, by fuiting the defence to the nature, genius, and ability, of the people, as well as to the natural advantages of the country, thereby rendering it a war of polls, furprizes, and fkirmishes, instead of a war of battles. To all thefe may be added, the people's not being bridled by strong cities, nor fettered by luxury to thofe which were otherwife, fo that the reduction of a capital had no effect upon the reft of the province, and the army could retain no more territory than what it occupied, which was again loft as foon as it departed to another quarter.

During the remaining winter, and the whole of the fpring, the army under Lord Cornwallis continoed much traitened at Brunswick and Amboy, the troops undergo. ing, with the greatest perfeverance and refolution, the hardships of a moft fevere and unremitting duty, whilft their ranks were thinned by a continued feries of fkirmishes, which were productive of no real advantage on either fide, other than that of inuring the Americans to military fervice. In a word, every load of forage which was procured, and every article of provifion, which did not come from New York, was fought or purchafed at the price of blood.

The confequences of the late military outrages in the Jerseys were feverely felt in the prefent change of circumstances. As foon as fortune turned, and the means were in their power, the fufferers of all parties, the well difpofed to the royal caufe, as well as the neutrals and wavering, now role as a man to revenge their perfonal injuries and particular oppreffions, and be ing goaded by a keener fpur, than any which a public caufe, or general motive, could have excited, became its bittereft and most determined enemies. Thus the whole country, with too few exceptions, became hoftile; thofe who were incapable of arms, acting as fpies, and keeping a continual watch for thofe who bore them; fo that the fmalleft motion could not be made, without its being expofed and difcovered, before it could produce its intended effect. Such were the untoward events, that in the winter damped the hopes of a victorious army, and nipped the laurels of a foregoing profperous campaign.

We have formerly had occafion to fhew the bad fuccefs which invariably attended the repeated attempts that had been made, of calling off the attention and force of the fouthern colonies from the fupport of the general alliance to their own immediate defence, by involving them effectually in civil war and domeftic contention, either through the means of the well affected in general, the Regulators and Highland emigrants in the Carolina's, or of the Negroes in Virginia. We have also taken fome fmall notice of the charges made by the infurgents in fome of thefe provinces against their governors, of endeavouring to bring the favages down to further thofe defigns.

The failure in thefe attempts was not fufficient to damp the zeal of the British agents among the Indian nations, nor to render them hopelefs of fill performing fome eflential fervice, by engaging these people to make a diversion, and to attack the fouthern Colonies in their back and defenceles parts. The Indians, ever light in act and faith, greedy of prefents, and eager for fpoil, were not difficultly induced, by a proper application of the one, and the hope of the other, concurring with their own natural difpofition, to forget the treaties which they had lately confirmed or renewed with the colonifts, and to engage in the defign.

It was held out to them, that a British army was to land in West Florida, and after penetrating through the Creek, Crickefaw, and Cherokee countries, and being joined by the warriors of those nations, they were jointly to invade the Carolinas and Virginia, whil

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whilft another formidable force by fea and land was to make a powerful impreffion on the coafts. Circular letters to the fame import, were fent by Mr. Stuart, the principal agent" for Indian affairs, 10 the inhabitants of the back fettlements, requiring all the well. affected, as well as alt thofe, who were willing to preferve themselves and their families from the inevitable calamities and destruction of 'an Indian war, to be in readinels to repair to the royal ftandard, as foon as it was erected in the Cherokee country, and to bring with them their horses, cattle, and provifions, for all of which they were promifed payment. They were likewife required, for their prefent fecurity, and future diftinction from the King's enemies, to fubfcribe immediately to written paper, declaratory of their allegiance.

a

The fcheme was fo plaufible, and carried fuch a probability of fuccefs, that it feemed to have had a very extenfive operation upon the difpofition of the Indians, and to have prepared them in a great measure for a general confederacy against the colonies. Even the fix nations, who had before agreed to the oblervance of a trict neutrality, now committed feveral fmall acts of hoftility, which were after wards disowned by their elders and chiefs. The Creek Indians, more violent, began the fouthern war with all their ufuat barbarity, until finding that the expected fuccours did not arrive, they, with a forefight uncommon among In dians, fopped fuddenly fhort, and repenting of what they had done, were, in the prefent ftate of affairs, eafily excufed; and being after

wards applied to for affiftance by the Cherokees, returned for answer, that they, the latter, had plucked the thorn out of their foot, and were welcome to keep it.

But the Cherokees fell upon the adjoining colonies with determined fury, carrying, for a part of the fummer, ruin and defolation wherever they came, fcalping and flaughtering the people, and totally destroying their fettlements. They were foon, however, checked, and feverely experienced, that things were much altered, fince the time of their former warfare upon the fame ground, and that the martial fpirit now prevalent in the colonies, was extended to their remoteft frontiers. They were not only repulied or defeated in every action, by the neighbouring militia of Virginia and the Carolinas, but pursued into their own country, where their towns were demolished, their corn destroyed, and their warriors thinned in repeated engagements, until the nation was nearly exterminated, and the wretched furvivors were obliged to fubmit to any terms prefcribed by the victors; whilft the neighbouring nations of Indians were filent and paffive fpectators of their

calamities.

Nor was this Indian war more fortunate, with respect to its effect on the well-affected in thofe quarters; who are not only faid, to a man, to have expreffed the utmost averfion to the authors, and abhorrence of the cruelty of that measure, but that fome of the chief leaders of the tories avowed a recantation of their former principles, merely upon that account.

It was in the midst of the buftle and danger of the war, and when

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nity of those who could not easily define, or who perhaps had never fally confidered, the extent of the terms, or of the confequences which they were capable of producing; and the flattering idea of leffening the national burthens, by an American revenue, wait it was fitted to the comprehenfion of the meanest capacity, was not lefs effective in its operation upon thofe of a fuperior clafs and order. To the powerful principles of national pride and avarice, was added a laudable difpofition to fupport thofe national rights which were fuppofed to be invaded, and a proper indignation and refentment to that ingratitude and infolence which were charged upon the Americans, and to which orly the prefent troubles were attributed by thofe, who were molt active in fomenting the princi, les of hoftility, which at that time prevailed, far more than they had done at the beginning of this conte&t.

fuccefs, which they deemed liable to more fatal confequences than any lofs or defeat. The great distance of the feat of war alfo rendered its effects less interefting, For distance produces in fome degree the effect of time with refpect to fenfibility; and the laughter, cruelties, and calamities, which would wring the heart if they happened in the next county, are flightly felt at three or four thousand miles diftance. The diftance alfo prevented all apprehenfion of immediate danger; the expences of the conteft were not yet fenfibly felt; and the bulk of mankind never think of remote confequences.

In fuch circumftances, it is not to be wondered at, if a majority of the people gave at least a kind of tacit approbation to the war; but as it was not attended with national antipathy or rivalfhip, eftablished enmity, or even a prefent confpetition for glory, they did not feel themselves fo much interested in its fuccefs, or altogether fo anxious about its confequences, as they would in thofe of another nature. On the other hand, that great body of the people, who had at all times reprobated the meafures which led to the prefent troubles, and who confidered them as not lefs dangerous to the conflitution, than ruinous to the power and glory of the nation, could not be fuppofed fanguine in their wishes for a

From these, and other caufes, a general, and perhaps blameable, careleffness and indifference prevailed throughout the nation. Nor was it eaûly roufed from this drowsy apathy, which like all other habits was confirmed by time. For when, at length, the American cruizers not only foured the Atlantic ocean, but fpreading their depredations through the European feas, brought alarm and hoftility home to our doors; when the deftruction which befel the homeward bound richly laden Welt-India fleets poured equal ruin upon the planters in the iflands and the merchants at home; when an account of the failure of fome capital houfe in the city was almoft the news of every morning; even in that ftate of public lofs and private diftrefs, an unusual phlegm prevailed, and the fame tranquil countenance and carele's unconcern was preferved, by thofe who had not yet partaken of the calamity. A circumstance which is not fufficiently accounted