tal of Rofeau by fea and land, which likewife comprehended the principal fortifications of the island, LieutenantGovernour Stuart, with the military officers and council, feeing all defence fruitlefs, thought neceffary to fave the inhabitants from plunder and ruin, by entering into a capitulation.

This was foon concluded. The terms were the most moderate that could be conceived; the Marquis de Bouille having nearly agreed, without difcuffion or referve, to every condition that was propofed in favour of the inhabitants. Bedes the honours of war, and the liberty of retaining their arms, with the fulleft fecurity to their eftates, property of every fort, rights, privileges, and immunities, they were allowed to retain their civil and religious governments in all their parts, with all their laws, customs, ordinances, courts, and minifters of justice, until he conclufion of a peace; and at that period, if the island should be ceded to France, they were to have it in choice, whether to adhere to their own political form of government, or to accept that established in the French islands. And in either event, fuch of the inhabitants as did not chufe to continue under a French government, were to be at liberty to fell all their eftates real and perfonal, and to retire with their effects wherever they pleafed. Other conditions of lefs importance, were equally favourable in their degree to the inhabitants; nor

were

they bound to any duty to the French King, more than what they had owed to their natural fovereign. In a word, a mere change of fovereignty was the only change in the condition of the inhabi

tants.

How much of the favour and lenity of these conditions may be attributed to the moderation and humanity of the Marquis de Bouille, how much to the policy of inducing the lefs refiftance in other English iflands, or how much to the apprehenfion of Admiral Barrington's arrival with a fuperiour naval force from Barbadoes, are questions not to be absolutely decided upon. It is, however, equitable, to attribute juft or humane actions to the most laudable motives, where the contrary does not appear from any Arong concurrent or fublequent circumtances. The matter of fact is certain, that the smallest disorder or pillage was, not permitted, and that the French commander, in lieu of plunder, rewarded the foldiers and volunteers with a con. Ederable gratuity in ready money.

The French found 164 pieces of cannon, and 24 brafs mortars, with a confiderable quantity of military ftores and ammunition in the works. The publick effects, with the British vessels in the harbour, became a prize to the conquerors. The ftay of the Marquis de Bouille in the inland was very short; but he left a garrifon of 1500 men behind him; which, with the strength of the works, and the powerful artillery in their hands, have hitherto unfortunate ly superseded all attempts for its recovery.

Many circumftances concurred in rendering the lofs of this ifland grievous. The large fams expended upon its fortifications, and the numerous and weighty artillery fent out for its defence, indicated a full knowledge of its importance in cafe of a war. Its fituation, on which this importance depended, equally pointed out the danger to which it was exposed, and that it must necessarily be the firft object of the enemy's enterprize ; whilft its naked works and valuable artillery, feemed held out as a prize, to direct and quicken their operations. To increase the vexation, Rear-Admiral Barrington, with two ships of the line, and fome frigates, was lying at the fmall diftance of Barbadoes, where he had been chained down for more than two months, waiting merely for inftructions, which he had been ordered to expect at that place, and which, from whatever cause or misfortune, were not yet arrived. Small as this force was, it would have been fully fufficient, had time and his orders allowed it, for the prefervation of Dominica, and the protection of the other islands for the prefent, as the French had not a single ship of the line in that quarter.

The defect of intelligence accompanied that of inftructions, or orders how to act. A French document executed at Paris on the 28th of June, and publifhed at Martinico in the middle of August, amounting, in effect, to a declaration of war in the West-Indies, affordedthe first information of hoftilities to Admiral Barrington, and to the neighbouring iflands. The lofs of two of Sir Peter Parker's frigates, which were taken by the French on the coaft of Hifpaniola, afforded alfo the first means of information to that admiral, as well as to the gov ernment of Jamaica, where he was ftationed, of the commencement of hostilities.

As foon as Admiral Barrington re

ceived intelligence of the invafion of Dominica, he difpenfed with the violation of his orders in that inftance, and proceeded with the utmost difpatch to its intended relief. Although it was impoffible he could prevent a conqueft, which was only the work of a single day, the prefence of his fmall fquadron, however, had the happy effect, of removing the panick which had fpread through the neighbouring iflands, and of effectually curbing the further enterprizes of the enemy. The confequences of the lofs of Dominica were experienced, both by fea and land, in the course of the operations of the enfuing Weft-India compaign.

As Monf. D'Estaing was now to bear a principal part on the West India theatre of action, it will be neceffary to take fome notice of his fituation and proceedings, from the time of our leaving him in the harbour of Boston. Neither the care of the governing powers in that town, nor the ideas of benefits received, or to be derived, from the alliance with France, were fufficient during the stay of the French fleet in that port, wholly to cure the ancient prejudices and hereditary animofity of the populace, with refpect to a nation, which they had fo long confidered as a rival, and fo frequently encountered as an enemy. The difference of religion, language, and manners, could not fail to hold a confiderable share in keeping these animofities ftill alive; although, fo far as it can be judged from appearances at this diftance, the French have ftudied more in their commerce with the Americans, to evade the effect of thefe peculiarities, and have fhewn a greater deference to the prejudices, and conformity to the manners and opinions of the people, than they perhaps ever practifed in their connections with any other part of mankind. Indeed a mode of conduct directly contrary, has for many ages been confidered, as one of the ftriking characteristicks of that nation; and has, not unfrequently, been productive of the moft fatal confequences to themselves, as well as to others.

However it was, a most violent affray, in which numbers on both fides were en. gaged, and the French feem to have been very roughly treated, hap

pened at night in Bofton. Sept. 13th. Some of the French were faid to have been killed, and feveral were certainly wounded; among whom were fome of ficers, and one particularly, of confiderable distinction. As both D'Estaing and

the government of Bofton, were eager to accommodate matters in fuch a manner, as that no fting fhould remain behind on either fide, a great referve was observed with respect to the particulars of the riot, as well as of the circumftances which led to it; and the curfory imperfect fketches that were published, fhewed e vidently that they were not to be relied

on.

A proclamation was iffued by the council of state on the following day, ftrictly urging the magiftrates to use their utmost endeavours for bringing the offen ders to juftice, and offering a reward of 300 dollars, for the discovery of any of the parties concerned in the riot. And to remove the impreffion of its arising from any popular animofity to the French, the Bolton prints laboured to fix it upon fome unknown captured Britifh feamen, and deferters from Burgoyne's army, who had enlifted in their priva teers. D'Estaing had the address to give into this idea, and to appear thoroughly satisfied with the satisfaction he received, The high reward produced no manner of difcovery.

The fame fpirit operated just about the fame time, in the fame manner, but much more violent in degree, and fatal in confequence, between the American and French feamen, in the city and port of Charlestown, South Carolina. The quarrel there began, as at Boston, ashore, and at night, and ended in the last extreme of hoftility, an open fight with cannon and fmall arms; the French firing from their fhips, whither they had been haftily driven from the town, and the Americans from the adjoining wharves and fhores. Several lives were acknowledged to be loft, and a much greater number were of course wounded.

Mr. Lowndes, the prefident and commander in chief of that colony, in the proclamation which he iffued upon the fubject, fufficiently points out the caufes of the quarrel, by charging the magiftrates in the strongest terms, that along with the difcovery and profecution of the rioters, they should use every poffible means in their power to prevent, for the future, all indecent, illiberal, and national reflections, against the fubjects of their great and good ally, as tending to excite refentiment and ill-will among thofe, whom, by intereft, treaty, and alliance, they were bound to regard as friends, and who were particularly entitled to their favour and affection. In his meffage to the affembly, he also

ftrongly recommends the framing of fuch regulations, as would effectually prevent this licentioufness, whether in words or in actions: And that body confidered the matter to be of fo ferious a nature, that they appointed a committee to revife the laws relative to feamen in that port, and to confider of effectual means for pre

venting and fuppreffing riots in the town. A reward of a thousand pounds was offered for the difcovery of the particular perfons, who had fired fome guns, which were fatal in their effect, from one of the wharves. We have not heard that this great reward produced any discovery. (To be continued.)

Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,

'S this fatal paffion for fudden riches, I fo generally prevalent among us, to

extinguish every fentiment of political and moral duty? Is it to be expected, that one affembly after another will be on the fide of the debtor? No, gentle men, the period is not far off, when the laws of the state must be voluntarily obeyed or executed by force; no fociety ever long endured the miferies of a narchy, diforder and licentioufnefs; the moft vile defpotifm will be embraced in preference to it. The nations from which we derive our origin, afford innumerable examples of this-I will, however, mention but one: When the parliament of England had dethroned and beheaded that faithlefs tyrant, Charles the firstfubdued all their enemies at home and abroad, and changed their monarchy into a republick, one would have fuppofed that an affemblage of as great talents as ever adorned human nature, which so highly diftinguished the patriots of that time, could not fail of forming a wife and just government, and of transmitting it to their pofterity; but the event fhewed that the disorderly temper of the people, occafioned by the civil war, would not bear the ftrong curb of legal authority ;—expedient after expedient was tried, and government affumed many different fhapes to humour their paffions and prejudices, and lead them to a willing obedience-but all to no purposethe publick diforders daily increafedevery little club of politicians were for making laws for the whole nation; the fair form of equal and legal erty became defaced by a thoufand fanciful and impracticable whimfies, until the general diftrefs was infupportable What followed ?--The very people, who a few years before, had aftonifhed the world by the fplendour of their actions, invited back, and enthroned the fon of that very King whom they had formerly put to

death-gave him a carte blanche to do as he pleased, and feemed to have forgot they had ever fpent a drop of blood or a fhilling in defence of their liberty.

Gentlemen, let us never loofe fight of this awful precedent :-To acquire freedom, is nothing in comparison to a wife and profitable ufe of it.-Nothing can be more certain than that Great-Britain would eagerly feize any favourable opportunity to compafs our deftructionhe would to-morrow pour her fleets and armies into this country, particularly the fouthern ftates, if the great powers of Europe could be fo allied and connected, as to fecure her from a hoftile confederacy. The hiftory of thofe nations, every where fhews us what trivial caufes occafion the most important changes in their political fyftems-furely then it is wife to be on our guard, and in the first place to fecure a free and juft, but at the fame time a ftrong government at home ;without this the citizens are infecure in their perfons and eftates-that insecurity produces murmuring and difcontent, and that difcontent will ever produce a difpofition favourable for trying new changes. In fuch a state, to be attacked by a formidable enemy, without foldiers or military ftores, and without authority to compel even our own citizens to obey the laws, we muft fall a prey to any foreign power, who may think it worth the coft to fubjugate us.

I have heard, gentlemen of the grand jury,great complaints against the illiberal and monopolizing fpirit of the British government, on the fubject of commerce with America-her numerous duties on American produce, and her refufal to enter into treaties for reciprocal benefits in trade-it muft furely be highly ridicu lous to abuse one nation for profiting from the follies of another ;-do we expect Great Britain, as a great trading nation, will not exert every nerve to hold fast the