Thus we see the insidious use which Britain endeavored to make of
the propositions of peace under the mediation of Spain. I shall now
proceed to the second proposition under the mediation of the Emperor
of Germany and the Empress of Russia; the general outline of which
was, that a congress of the several powers at war should meet at
Vienna, in 1781, to settle preliminaries of peace.
I could wish myself at liberty to make use of all the information
which I am possessed of on this subject, but as there is a delicacy in
the matter, I do not conceive it prudent, at least at present, to make
references and quotations in the same manner as I have done with
respect to the mediation of Spain, who published the whole proceedings
herself; and therefore, what comes from me, on this part of the
business, must rest on my own credit with the public, assuring them,
that when the whole proceedings, relative to the proposed Congress
of Vienna shall appear, they will find my account not only true, but
studiously moderate.
We know at the time this mediation was on the carpet, the
expectation of the British king and ministry ran high with respect
to the conquest of America. The English packet which was taken with
the mail on board, and carried into l'Orient, in France, contained
letters from Lord G. Germaine to Sir Henry Clinton, which expressed in
the fullest terms the ministerial idea of a total conquest. Copies
of those letters were sent to congress and published in the newspapers
of last year.
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