washington and his comrades in arms-第21章

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France　had　not　tried　to　make　a　hard　bargain　with　the　Americans。　She　demanded　nothing　for　herself　and　agreed　not　even　to　ask　for　the　restoration　of　Canada。　She　required　only　that　America　should　never　restore　the　King's　sovereignty　in　order　to　secure　peace。　Certain　sections　of　opinion　in　America　were　suspicious　of　France。　Was　she　not　the　old　enemy　who　had　so　long　harassed　the　frontiers　of　New　England　and　New　York？　If　George　III　was　a　despot　what　of　Louis　XVI；　who　had　not　even　an　elected　Parliament　to　restrain　him？　Washington　himself　was　distrustful　of　France　and　months　after　the　alliance　had　been　concluded　he　uttered　the　warning　that　hatred　of　England　must　not　lead　to　over…confidence　in　France。　〃No　nation；〃　he　said；　〃is　to　be　trusted　farther　than　it　is　bound　by　its　interests。〃　France；　he　thought；　must　desire　to　recover　Canada；　so　recently　lost。　He　did　not　wish　to　see　a　great　military　power　on　the　northern　frontier　of　the　United　States。　This　would　be　to　confirm　the　jeer　of　the　Loyalists　that　the　alliance　was　a　case　of　the　wooden　horse　in　Troy；　the　old　enemy　would　come　back　in　the　guise　of　a　friend　and　would　then　prove　to　be　master　and　bring　the　colonies　under　a　servitude　compared　with　which　the　British　supremacy　would　seem　indeed　mild。

The　intervention　of　France　brought　a　cruel　embarrassment　to　the　Whig　patriot　in　England。　He　could　rejoice　and　mourn　with　American　patriots　because　he　believed　that　their　cause　was　his　own。　It　was　as　much　the　interest　of　Norfolk　as　of　Massachusetts　that　the　new　despotism　of　a　king；　who　ruled　through　a　corrupt　Parliament；　should　be　destroyed。　It　was；　however；　another　matter　when　France　took　a　share　in　the　fight。　France　fought　less　for　freedom　than　for　revenge；　and　the　Englishman　who；　like　Coke　of　Norfolk；　could　daily　toast　Washington　as　the　greatest　of　men　could　not　link　that　name　with　Louis　XVI　or　with　his　minister　Vergennes。　The　currents　of　the　past　are　too　swift　and　intricate　to　be　measured　exactly　by　the　observer　who　stands　on　the　shore　of　the　present；　but　it　is　arguable　that　the　Whigs　might　soon　have　brought　about　peace　in　England　had　it　not　been　for　the　intervention　of　France。　No　serious　person　any　longer　thought　that　taxation　could　be　enforced　upon　America　or　that　the　colonies　should　be　anything　but　free　in　regulating　their　own　affairs。　George　III　himself　said　that　he　who　declared　the　taxing　of　America　to　be　worth　what　it　cost　was　〃more　fit　for　Bedlam　than　a　seat　in　the　Senate。〃　The　one　concession　Britain　was　not　yet　prepared　to　make　was　Independence。　But　Burke　and　many　other　Whigs　were　ready　now　for　this；　though　Chatham　still　believed　it　would　be　the　ruin　of　the　British　Empire。

Chatham；　however；　was　all　for　conciliation；　and　it　is　not　hard　to　imagine　a　group　of　wise　men　chosen　from　both　sides；　men　British　in　blood　and　outlook；　sitting　round　a　table　and　reaching　an　agreement　to　result　in　a　real　independence　for　America　and　a　real　unity　with　Great　Britain。　A　century　and　a　quarter　later　a　bitter　war　with　an　alien　race　in　South　Africa　was　followed　by　a　result　even　more　astounding。　The　surrender　of　Burgoyne　had　made　the　Prime　Minister；　Lord　North；　weary　of　his　position。　He　had　never　been　in　sympathy　with　the　King's　policy　and　since　the　bad　news　had　come　in　December　he　had　pondered　some　radical　step　which　should　end　the　war。　On　February　17；　1778；　before　the　treaty　of　friendship　between　the　United　States　and　France　had　been　made　public；　North　startled　the　House　of　Commons　by　introducing　a　bill　repealing　the　tax　on　tea；　renouncing　forever　the　right　to　tax　America；　and　nullifying　those　changes　in　the　constitution　of　Massachusetts　which　had　so　rankled　in　the　minds　of　its　people。　A　commission　with　full　powers　to　negotiate　peace　would　proceed　at　once　to　America　and　it　might　suspend　at　its　discretion；　and　thus　really　repeal；　any　act　touching　America　passed　since　1763。

North　had　taken　a　sharp　turn。　The　Whig　clothes　had　been　stolen　by　a　Tory　Prime　Minister　and　if　he　wished　to　stay　in　office　the　Whigs　had　not　the　votes　to　turn　him　out。　His　supporters　would　accept　almost　anything　in　order　to　dish　the　Whigs。　They　swallowed　now　the　bill；　and　it　became　law；　but　at　the　same　time　came；　too；　the　war　with　France。　It　united　the　Tories；　it　divided　the　Whigs。　All　England　was　deeply　stirred。　Nearly　every　important　town　offered　to　raise　volunteer　forces　at　its　own　expense。　The　Government　soon　had　fifteen　thousand　men　recruited　at　private　cost。　Help　was　offered　so　freely　that　the　Whig；　John　Wilkes；　actually　introduced　into　Parliament　a　bill　to　prohibit　gifts　of　money　to　the　Crown　since　this　voluntary　taxation　gave　the　Crown　money　without　the　consent　of　Parliament。　The　British　patriot；　gentle　as　he　might　be　towards　America；　fumed　against　France。　This　was　no　longer　only　a　domestic　struggle　between　parties；　but　a　war　with　an　age…long　foreign　enemy。　The　populace　resented　what　they　called　the　insolence　and　the　treachery　of　France　and　the　French　ambassador　was　pelted　at　Canterbury　as　he　drove　to　the　seacoast　on　his　recall。　In　a　large　sense　the　French　alliance　was　not　an　unmixed　blessing　for　America；　since　it　confused　the　counsels　of　her　best　friends　in　England。

In　spite　of　this　it　is　probably　true　that　from　this　time　the　mass　of　the　English　people　were　against　further　attempts　to　coerce　America。　A　change　of　ministry　was　urgently　demanded。　There　was　one　leader　to　whom　the　nation　looked　in　this　grave　crisis。　The　genius　of　William　Pitt；　Earl　of　Chatham；　had　won　the　last　war　against　France　and　he　had　promoted　the　repeal　of　the　Stamp　Act。　In　America　his　name　was　held　in　reverence　so　high　that　New　York　and　Charleston　had　erected　statues　in　his　honor。　When　the　defeat　of　Burgoyne　so　shook　the　ministry　that　North　was　anxious　to　retire；　Chatham；　but　for　two　obstacles；　could　probably　have　formed　a　ministry。　One　obstacle　was　his　age；　as　the　event　proved；　he　was　near　his　end。　It　was；　however；　not　this　which　kept　him　from　office；　but　the　resolve　of　George　III。　The　King　simply　said　that　he　would　not　have　Chatham。　In　office　Chatham　would　certainly　rule　and　the　King　intended　himself　to　rule。　If　Chatham　would　come　in　a　subordinate　position；　well；　but　Chatham　should　not　lead。　The　King　declared　that　as　long　as　even　ten　men　stood　by　him　he　would　hold　out　and　he　would　lose　his　crown　rather　than　call　to　office　that　clamorous　Opposition　which　had　attacked　his　American　policy。　〃I　will　never　consent；〃　he　said　firmly；　〃to　removing　the　members　of　the　present　Cabinet　from　my　service。〃　He　asked　North：　〃Are　you　resolved　at　the　hour　of　danger　to　desert　me？〃　North　remained　in　office。　Chatham　soon　died　and；　during　four　years　still；　George　III　was　master　of　England。　Throughout　the　long　history　of　that　nation　there　is　no　crisis　in　which　one　man　took　a　heavier　and　more　disastrous　responsibility。


News　came　to　Valley　Forge　of　the　alliance　with　France　and　there　were　great　rejoicings。　We　are　told　that；　to　celebrate　the　occasion；　Washington　dined　in　public。　We　are　not　given　the　bill　of　fare　in　that　scene　of　famine；　but　by　the　springtime　tension　in　regard　to　supplies　had　been　relieved　and　we　may　hope　that　Valley　Forge　really　feasted　in　honor　of　the　great　event。　The　same　news　brought　gloom　to　the　British　in　Philadelphia；　for　it　had　the　stern　meaning　that　the　effort　and　loss　involved　in　the　capture　of　that　city　were　in　vain。　Washington　held　most　of　the　surrounding　country　so　that　supplies　must　come　chiefly　by　sea。　With　a　French　fleet　and　a　French　army　on　the　way　to　America；　the　British　realized　that　they　must　concentrate　their　defenses。　Thus　the　cheers　at　Valley　Forge　were　really　the　sign　that　the　British　must　go。

Sir　William　Howe；　having　taken　Philadelphia；　was　determined　not　to　be　the　one　who　should　give　it　up。　Feeling　was　bitter　in　England　over　the　ghastly　failure　of　Burgoyne；　and　he　had　gone　home　on　parole　to　defend　himself　from　his　seat　in　the　House　of　Commons。　There　Howe　had　a　seat　and　he；　too；　had　need　to　be　on　hand。　Lord　George　Germain　had　censured　him　for　his　course　and；　to　shield　himself；　was　clearly　resolved　to　make　scapegoats　of　others。　So；　on　May　18；　1778；　at　Philadelphia　there　was　a　farewell　to　Howe；　which　took　the　form　of　a　Mischianza；　something　approaching　the　medieval　tournament。　Knights　broke　lances　in　honor　of　fair　ladies；　there　were　arches　and　flowers　and　fancy　costumes；　and　high…flown　Latin　and　French；　all　in　praise　of　the　departing　Howe。　Obviously　the　garrison　of　Philadelphia　had　much　time　on　its　hands　and　could　count　upon；　at　least；　some　cheers　from　a　friendly　population。　It　is　remembered　still；　with　moralizings　on　the　turns　in　human　fortune；　that　Major　Andre　and　Miss　Margaret　Shippen　were　the　leaders　in　that　gay　scene；　the　one；　in　the　days　to　come；　to　be　hanged　by　Washington　as　a　spy；　because　entrapped　in　the　treason　of　Benedict　Arnold；　who　became　the　husband　of　the　other。

On　May　24；　1778；　Sir　Henry　Clinton　took　over　from　Howe　the　command　of　the　British　army　in　America　and　confronted　a　difficult　problem。　If　d'Estaing；　the　French　admiral；　should　sail　straight　for　the　Delaware　he　might　destroy　the　fleet　of　little　more　than　half　his　strength　which　lay　there；　and　might　quickly　starve　Philadelphia　into　surrender。　The　British　must　unite　their　forces　to　meet　the　peril　from　France；　and　New　York；　as　an　island；　was　the　best　point　for　a　defense；　chiefly　naval。　A　move　to　New　York　was　therefore　urgent。　It　was　by　sea　that　the　British　had　come　to　Philadelphia；　but　it　was　not　easy　to　go　away　by　sea。　There　was　not　room　in　the　transports　for　the　army　and　its　encumbrances。　Moreover；　to　embark　the　whole　force；　a　march　of　forty　miles　to　New　Castle；　on　the　lower　Delaware；　would　be　necessary　and　the　retreating　army　was　sure　to　be　harassed　on　its　way　by　Washington。　It　would　besides　hardly　be　safe　to　take　the　army　by　sea　for　the　French　fleet　might　be　strong　enough　to　capture　the　flotilla。

There　was　nothing　for　it　but；　at　whatever　risk；　to　abandon　Philadelphia　and　march　the　army　across　New　Jersey。　It　would　be　possible　to　take　by　sea　the　stores　and　the　three　thousand　Loyalists　from　Philadelphia；　some　of　whom　would　probably　be　hanged　if　they　should　be　taken。　Lord　Howe；　the　naval　commander；　did　his　part　in　a　masterly　manner。　On　the　18th　of　June　the　British　army　marched　out　of　Philadelphia　and　before　the　day　was　over　it　was　across　the　Delaware　on　the　New　Jersey　side。　That　same　day　Washington's　army；　free　from　its　long　exile　at　Valley　Forge；　occupied　the　capital。　Clinton　set　out　on　his　long　march　by　land　and　Howe　worked　his　laden　ships　down　the　difficult　river　to　its　mouth　and；　after　delay　by　winds；　put　to　sea　on　the　28th　of　June。　By　a　stroke　of　good　fortune　he　sailed　the　two　hundred　miles　to　New　York　in　two　days　and　missed　the　great　fleet　of　d'Estaing；　carrying　an　army　of　four　thousand　men。　On　the　8th　of　July　d'Estaing　anchored　at　the　mouth　of　the　Delaware。　Had　not　his　passage　been　unusually　delayed　and　Howe's　unusually　quick；　as　Washington　noted；　the　British　fleet　and　the　transports　in　the　Delaware　would　probably　have　been　taken　and　Clinton　and　his　army　would　have　shared　the　fate　of　Burgoyne。

As　it　was；　though　Howe's　fleet　was　clear　away；　Clinton's　army　had　a　bad　time　in　the　march　across　New　Jersey。　Its　baggage　train　was　no　less　than　twelve　miles　long　and；　winding　along　roads　leading　sometimes　through　forests；　was　peculiarly　vulnerable　to　flank　attack。　In　this　type