332 XXL 1782. BOOK captain, and being almost torn to pieces by her enemy's fire. Soon afterwards, by some unfortunate accident, she blew up, and every soul on board perished. The Glorieux, the Hector, the Ardent, now followed the example of the Cæsar, and the Diadem went down by a single broadside. The count de Grasse in the Ville de Paris, beset on all sides, still held out with heroic bravery, and, though reduced to a wreck, seemed to prefer sinking rather than strike to any thing under a flag. At length admiral Hood, in the Barfleur, approached him just at sun-set, and poured in a most destructive fire, which the count yet sustained for some time, till having three men only left alive and unhurt on the upper deck, he at length struck to his gallant antagonist. Night only closed the action: the shattered remains of the French fleet crowded all the sail they could make for Cape François, and in the morning they were out of sight. Sir Samuel Hood being detached to pursue the flying enemy, came up with five sail off Porto Rico, and captured the Jason and Caton ships of the line, and two frigates, the third with difficulty clearing the Mona passage. Unfortunately the fleet was becalmed for three days after the action, and sir George Rodney did not escape censure for the previous dilatoriness of his pursuit. Whether more might have been done, XXI. 1782. if more had been attempted, it is difficult, perhaps BOOK impossible, to determine." What had been is unknown, what is appears ;"--and certain it is, that this was one of the most glorious and decisive naval victories ever obtained by the arms of Britain. The number of men slain in this action, and in that of the 9th, on the part of the French, is estimated at 3000 men, and the wounded were nearly double; so that, taking the prisoners on board the captured ships also into the computation, the French must have sustained a loss of ten or twelve thou sand men. Their fleet had on board the land forces intended for the Jamaica expedition; and the whole train of artillery, with thirty-six chests of money destined for the use and subsistence of the troops, were found on board the Ville de Paris and the other ships now taken. The designs of the confederated powers were thus most completely frustrated, while the loss of men, including both killed and wounded, on the part of the British did not exceed 1100. For this great victory sir George Bridges Rodney was created a peer of Great Britain, by the title of Baron Rodney, of Rodney-Stoke in the county of Somerset, and a perpetual annuity of 2000l. annexed to the title. A motion made and over-ruled in the preceding session of parliament, and intended to have been revived by the present ministry, for an XXI. 1782. BOOK ous to the public welfare. He had reason, he affirmed, to believe that the day was come when the system on which the administration of lord Rockingham had been formed was to be aban doned, and a new system was to be substituted, or rather the old one revived, with the assistance of the old men, or indeed of any men that could be found. Nor should he wonder if in a short time they were joined by those very persons whom that house had precipitated from their seats. He therefore chose to resign, voluntarily relinquishing the pomps, the profits, and the patronage of office, as he could no longer continue in place with honor to himself, or benefit to the public." General Conway, in reply, "lamented the defection of the distinguished characters who had recent ly withdrawn themselves from office, at a time when their country so much needed their support. He protested that he knew of no defalcation in the present ministers from those principles which they had originally professed; nor any diversities of opinion in the cabinet, beyond those shades of difference which must always arise amongst men of strong independent minds." and On the following day the duke of Richmond expressed in the house of lords similar regret at the late resignations. "So long, and so long only, as the noble lord wlio now presided at the board of trea XXI. 1782. sury should adhere to the principles on which the BOOK administration was originally formed, so long would he give him his cordial support. Whenever these principles were abandoned, he would be his most determined opponent." The earl of Shelburne now rose to declare" his perfect satisfaction at being supported upon the He Other BOOK lords, however, thought differently, and the question XXI. would soon come under the full and impartial discussion of parliament; but he repeated, that if parliament conceded that point, he foresaw that England was undone; for that ruin and independence were linked together-the ruin not of England only, but of America." It was sufficiently evident from this speech, that more than "shades of difference" had existed in the cabinet previous to the resignation of Mr. Fox. But it excited the utmost astonishment in America, that such language as this should be held in parliament by the first minister, after sir Guy Carleton had been two months before expressly authorised to declare to the congress, "that his majesty, in order to remove all obstacles to peace, had commissioned Mr. Grenville to propose the independency of the Thirteen Provinces in the first instance, instead of making it a condition of a general treaty:" and the discordant language held on the different sides of the Atlantic was indignantly cited as a new instance of British artifice and perfidy. As to the right of the king to appoint his own ministers, on which lord Shelburne laid so great stress, it was entirely remote from the point in question, which regarded merely the wisdom and patriotism of his lordship's eager acceptance of an offer, which was evidently calculated to destroy all confidence, and to gratify the aspiring views of a favored indi |
