five Commissioners; Lord North's conciliatory speech;
excitement and opposition in the Commons, but the bills were
passed and received the royal assent 6

Lord North's proposed resignation, and preparations for it 8

Opinions of Lords Macaulay and Mahon as to the success
of a commission; proposed terms of reconciliation if
appointed and proposed by the Earl of Chatham 8

The large powers and most liberal propositions of the
five Royal Commissioners for reconciliation between the
Colonies and the Mother Country 11

The refusal of all negotiation on the part of Congress;
bound by treaty to the King of France to make no peace with
England without the consent of the French Court 12

The three Acts of Parliament, and proposals of the five
Commissioners of all that the Colonists had desired before
the Declaration of Independence; but Congress had transferred
allegiance from England to France, without even consulting
their constituents 12

Appeal of the representative of France to the Canadians
to detach Canada from England (in a note) 12

Sycophancy of the leaders of Congress to France against England 13

The feeling of the people in both England and America
different from that of the leaders of Congress 14

The war more acrimonious after the alliance between
Congress and the Kingof France and the failure of the
British Commissioners to promote reconciliation between
Great Britain and the Colonies 16

CHAPTER XXVIII.

COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE FRENCH FLEET AND ARMY,
UNDER COUNT D'ESTAING, TO ASSIST THE CONGRESS 17-32

Count D'Estaing arrives in America with a powerful
fleet and several thousand soldiers 17

Anchors off Sandy Hook for eleven days; goes to Long Island
by Washington's advice, and sails up Newport River, whither
he is pursued by the Lord Admiral Howe with a less powerful
fleet; the ships, with 4,000 French soldiers and 10,000 Americans,
to land and attack the British on Long Island, who were
only 5,000 strong 17

The two fleets separated by a storm; only fighting between
individual