Peace commissioners.
Viscount General Howe and
Admiral Lord Howe, who arrived at New York almost simultaneously (July, 1776), were authorized as joint commissioners to treat with the
Americans for reconciliation, pursuant to a recent act of Parliament.
They had very limited powers.
They were not allowed to recognize the validity of any congress, or of the commission of any military officer among the colonies; they could only treat with persons as individuals; grant pardons to individuals or communities which should lay down their arms or dissolve their governments, but they might not be judges of any complaints, nor promise any redress.
They began the business of their mission in the spirit of these instructions by addressing the
American commander-in-chief as “
Mr. Washington,
Esq.,” in superscribing a note which they sent by a flag, accompanied with a copy of the declaration of the royal clemency.
Washington refused to receive it. An officer who bore a second note (which also was not received) assured
Washington that the commissioners were invested with large powers to effect reconciliation.
“They seem to have power only to grant pardons,” said
Washington— “having committed no fault, we need no pardon.”
The admiral addressed a letter to
Dr. Franklin, whom he had known personally in
England, and received a reply, courteous in tone, but in nowise soothing to his feelings as a statesman or a Briton.
As they had equal power to negotiate peace or wage war, the commissioners now prosecuted the latter, and not long afterwards the battle on
Long Island occurred, in which the
Americans were defeated.
General Sullivan was among the prisoners.
Thinking it to be a favorable time to try their peace measures again, the commissioners sent
Sullivan, on his parole, to Congress, to induce that body to designate
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The Billop House. |
some person with whom the admiral might hold a conference.
They appointed
Messrs. Franklin,
Adams, and
Rutledge a committee to meet him, informally, at a place on
Staten Island (which he had indicated) opposite
Amboy.
They met there, Sept. 11, 1776, at the house of the loyalist
Colonel Billop.
Both parties were very courteous.
Lord Howe told them he could not receive them as representatives of the
Congress, but as private gentlemen, and that the independence of the colonists, lately declared, could not be considered for a moment.
“You may call us what you please,” they said, “we are nevertheless the representatives of a free and independent people, and will entertain no proposition which does not recognize
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our independence.”
Further conference was unnecessary.
On June 4, 1778, the
Earl of
Carlisle,
George Johnstone, and
William Eden, commissioners appointed by the
King under Lord North's conciliatory bills, arrived at
Philadelphia.
The brothers Howe, who were to be of the commission, could not join them, but
Sir Henry Clinton took the place of Sir William.
The commissioners sent their credentials and other papers by their secretary to the
Congress at
York, Pa., with a flag.
That body and the
American people, having already perused the bills and found in them no word about independence, had resolved to have nothing to do with commissioners that might be sent, and to meet no advance on the part of the government of
Great Britain unless the fleets and armies should be withdrawn and the independence of the
United States be declared.
Their papers were returned to them with a letter from the president of the
Congress saying they could not treat excepting on a basis of acknowledged independence.
The commissioners tried by various arts to accomplish their purpose, but failed, and, after issuing an angry and threatening manifesto, sailed for
England in October.
After the total destruction of the
Southern army near
Camden, in August, 1780, some of the
Southern members of Congress, alarmed at the progress of the
British, became so anxious for the aid of
Spain that they proposed, in October, 1780, to abandon all claims to the navigation of the
Mississippi as the price of a Spanish subsidy and alliance.
Meanwhile (January, 1781) the
Empress of
Russia had been joined by the
Emperor of
Germany in an offer of mediation.
Great Britain, getting wearied of the war, had accepted the offer.
These facts being communicated to Congress by the
French minister, a committee was appointed to confer with him. Their report, the opinions of the
French ambassador, and the financial pressure made Congress greatly modify its terms of peace on which they had so strenuously insisted.
They waived an express acknowledgment of independence.
They were willing to accept anything which substantially amounted to it. The treaty with
France was to be maintained in full force, but all else was intrusted to the discretion of the negotiators for peace who might be appointed, former instructions indicating the wishes of Congress.
These concessions were opposed by the
New England delegates, but were adopted by the votes of Southern members, who were anxious for peace.
It was proposed to have five commissioners who should represent the different sections of the
Union, and
John Adams,
John Jay,
Benjamin Franklin.
Thomas Jefferson, and
Henry Laurens were appointed.
The
Russian and
German mediation resulted in nothing, and
Great Britain haughtily refused to acknowledge the independence of the
United States in any form.
