ertained, it is certain that few
or none had understood him in that manner; and he had been represented
to the nation at large as the person in it the most tenacious of those
parliamentary rights which he now proposed to resign, and the most
remote from the submissions which he now proposed to make.'

"It may be said, indeed, that there was not a single class or section
within the walls of Parliament to which the plan of Lord North gave
pleasure. The Ministerial party were confounded and abashed at finding
themselves thus requested to acknowledge their past errors and retrace
their former steps. Some among them called out that they had been
deceived and betrayed. In general, however, the majority acquiesced in
sullen silence. On the other part, the Opposition were by no means
gratified to see the wind, according to the common phrase, taken from
their sails. They could not, indeed, offer any resistance to proposals
so consonant to their own expressed opinions, but they took care to make
their support as disagreeable and damaging as possible." (Lord Mahon's
History of England, etc., Vol. VI., Chap. lvii., pp. 327-329.)]

[Footnote 6: History of England, etc., Vol. VI., Chap. lvii, pp. 329,
330.

Lord Mahon adds: "Only two days previously, Lord North, who had opened
his Budget on the 6th, had carried through his financial resolutions in
the House of Commons, involving a new loan of L6,000,000, which was
contracted on advantageous terms. Thus were funds provided to pursue the
war, should that be requisite. Thus was an opening made for negotiations
should they be practicable. In either case the path was cleared for a
new Administration. Here then was the moment which Lord North had for
some time past desired--the moment when, with most honour to himself and
with most advantage to his country, he could fulfil his intentions of
resigning." (Lord Mahon's History of England, Vol. VI., Chap. lvii, pp.
330, 331.)]

[Footnote 7: Lord Mahon's History of England, Vol. VI., Chap. lvii., pp.
344-347.]

[Footnote 8: Dr. Ramsay's History of the United States, Vol. II., Chap.
xv., pp. 254, 255.]

[Footnote 9: While Count D'Estaing was at Boston repairing his shattered
fleet, he was not unmindful of an essential part of his commission--to
detach Canada from England. "In pursuance of this design, a Declaration
was published (dated the 28th of October, 1778), addressed in the name
of the King of France to the French inhabitants of Can