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History of the War with America, France, Spain, and Holland
History of the War with America France Spain and Holland Author:John Andrews Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: 2i H I 8 "f O B. Y" 5'F' f H E for years the refractorinefs and difobedience" of oikr Colonies, from an earneft defire and hope that they would return to thei... more »r duty. Neceffity had at length 'overcome our reluctance to exercife our refent- ment. We were convinced of the propriety of de-laying it no longer; and having, againft our inclination, our temper, and our wifh.es, brought our- felves to this indifpenfible meafure, we ought in wifdom, and juftice to our deareft interefts, fteadi- ly to perfift in it, however difpleafing and repugnant to our feelings. =. It was therefore incumbent on 'us, now we had "begun, to make the Americans fenfible of the fupe- rior dignity of the Britifh nation, and to imprefs them at the fame time with the terror of our arms. 'The' firfl would be effected by continuing firmly to infift upon their accepting of the terms we had offered 5 the fecond, by purfuing vigoroufly the mea- fures that had been refolved upon to enforce them Another motive prefented itfelf, highly deferv- ing of confideration. The language of the miniftry had for a long time paft held out to the nation the ;fulleft ideas and expectations of war : the fpirit of the people had been roufed accordingly, and they .were now prepared for action. The armaments 'that were fitting out, the forces that were raifing, had put an end to the pacific difpofition that had ib lng governed their minds in all matters relating to America: they too began to think, as well as the government, that it was time to aflert the fo- vereignty of Great Britain over her Colonies. Evea thofe who did not heartily coincide with the minif- terial views, did not imagine, that after making fuck -immenfe prepararations, it would argue much prudence in them to retract their determinations, This would fubject the...« less