Abbildungen der Seite
PDF
EPUB

degree of fury which rendered individuals regardless, not only of the laws of war but of the principles of humanity. While the British had the afcendency, their partizans gave full fcope to their interested and malicious paffions. People of the worst characters emerged from their hiding-places in fwamps-called themfelves King's-men-and began to appropriate to their own ufe whatsoever came in their way. Every act of cruelty and injuftice was fanctified, provided the actorcalled himself a friend to the King, and the fufferer was denominated a rebel. Of those who were well-difpofed to the claims of America, there were few to be found who had not their houfes and plantations repeatedly rified. Under the fanction of fubduing rebellion, private revenge was gratified. Many houfes were burned, and many people inhumanly murdered. Numbers for a long time were obliged, either entirely to abandon their homes, or to fleep in the woods and fwamps. Rapine, outrage, and murder, became fo common, as to interrupt the free intercourfe between one place and another. That fecurity and protection, which individuals expect by entering into civil fociety, ceafed almoft totally. Matters remained in this fituation for the greatest part of a year after the furrender of Charleston. When General Greene returned to South Carolina, in the fpring of 1781, every thing was reverfed. In a few weeks he difpoffeffed the British of all their pofts in the upper country, and the exafperated Whigs once more had the fuperiority. On their return to their homes, they generally found ftarving families and defolate plantations. To reimburse their loffes, and to gratify revenge, they, in their turn, began to plunder and to murder. The country was laid waste, and private dwellings frequently ftained with the blood of husbands and fathers inhumanly fhed in the prefence of their wives and children. About this time Governor Rutledge returned to South Carolina, and exerted his great abilities in re-establishing or der and fecurity. To this end he iffued a proclamation, ftrictly forbidding all violence and rapine. Magiftrates were appointed in every part of the state recovered from the British. Civil government was restored. Property was fecured. Confufion and anarchy gave place to order and regular government. The people were happy, and rejoiced in the revolution.'

Any fettlement whatever was certainly better than the alternate depredations to which the viciffitudes of fuccefs expofed the people. The Tories, however, are of courfe the clafs to be reprobated; and their character is thus completed:

In confequence of thefe civil wars between the Whigs and Tories-the incurfions of the favages-and the other calamities refulting from the operations of the British and American armies, South Carolina exhibited fcenes of diftrefs which were fhocking to humanity. The fingle diftrict of Ninety-Six, which is only one of fix diftricts into which the state of South Carolina is divided, has been computed, by well-informed perfons refiding therein, to contain within its limits fourteen hundred widows and orphans, made fo by the war. Nor is it wonderful that the country was involved in fuch accumulated diftrefs. The American government was fufpended, and the British conquerors were carelefs of the civil rights of the inhabitants. They conducted themselves as though interior order and police were

X 2

fcarcely

fcarcely objects of attention. The will of the ftrongest was the law. Such was the general complexion of those who called themselves royalists, that nothing could be expected from them, unrestrained as they were by civil government, but outrages against the peace and order of fociety. Though among the Tories in the lower parts of South Carolina there were gentlemen of honour, principle, and humanity, yet, in the interior and back parts of the ftate, a great proportion of them was an ignorant, unprincipled banditti, to whom idleness, licentioufnefs, and deeds of violence, were familiar. Horsethieves and others, whofe crimes had exiled them from fociety, attached themselves to parties of the British. Encouraged by their example, and inftigated by the love of plunder, they committed the moft extenfive depredations. Under the cloak of attachment to the old government, they covered the bafest and most felfish purposes. The neceffity which their indifcriminate plundering impofed on all good men of defending themselves, did infinitely more damage to the royal caufe than was compenfated by all the advantages refulting from their friendship. They could fcarcely ever be brought to the field of battle. They fometimes furnished the British army with intelligence and provifions, but on all other accounts their fervices were of very little importance.'

Sincerely and heartily as we may applaud a writer's impartiality, fome allowance muft ftill be made for the influence of principles, of the extent of which he may not be confcious. We imagine there are data enough in thefe paffages to give a more brief and juft character of the American Whigs and Tories. The Tories we conceive to be only those who continued attached to the old government, and the Whigs to be those who, from political jealoufies, were eager for a change: there was fufficient caufe of animofity between thefe claffes without addition; but when the licentious outcafts of fociety ranked as auxiliaries on each fide, we may eafily credit the outrages related. Our Author indeed fuppofes them all to have joined the Tories; but neither probability nor experience will countenance this, for the worft members of fociety are always the readieft to inflame difcontents; because, having nothing at ftake, all change must be in their favour.

The following is the character given c the French alliance with the American States:

While Congress vigorously oppofed Great Britain from their own refources, they did not neglect the important business of negotiation. The friendship of foreign powers, particularly of the ancient and powerful monarchy of France, was, from the declaration of independence, earnestly defired by the new-formed ftates of America. Thofe who write the general history of American affairs, will enter into a detail of the circumftances which, for fome time, delayed the ratification of a treaty that was early propofed between the Congress and his moft Chriftian Majefty. In this partial view of the revolution fuffice it to fay, that the Commiffioners of the United States could not have addreffed themselves to the court of France in more favourable

favourable circumftances. The throne was filled by a prince in the flower of his age, animated with a defire of rendering his reign illuftrious. The means employed for this purpose by his moft Chriftian Majefty were virtue, juftice, and firmnefs, tempered with moderation. The Count de Vergennes, the faithful fervant of this Monarch, had grown old in political knowledge, and was well fatisfied that conquests are neither the shorteft nor the fureft way to true greatnefs-That if monarchs defired to aggrandize their reigns, or to render themselves the arbiters of furrounding nations, they must exercife moderation, and fhew themselves the patrons of the weak and the oppreffed, without taking any advantage of their humble fitua

tion.

Under the influence of thefe principles, on the 6th of February 1778, his moft Chriftian Majefty Louis the Sixteenth entered into treaties of amity and commerce and of alliance with the American Commiffioners at Paris, on the footing of the most perfect equality and reciprocity. By the latter of these that illuftrious monarch be.. came the guarantee of the fovereignty and independence of the thirteen United States of North America.'

The only circumftance requifite to entitle their great and good ally to the praifes dictated by American gratitude, would have been, confiftency of conduct; but if his own fubjects 'do not freely fubfcribe to them, byeftanders may affign motives for his interference more likely to actuate him than a difinterested patronage of the weak and oppreffed, without taking any advantage of their humble fituation.' The allies were, however, for the time, certainly useful to each other; and that amounts to perfect equality and reciprocity.'

Among those who went over from France, to fight under the banners of liberty, was the Marquis de la Fayette; whose ardour in the American cause is thus celebrated:

The enthufiaftic zeal and great fervices of this diftinguished French nobleman, merit a particular detail. At the age of nineteen be espoused the cause of America with all the ardour which the moft generons philanthropy could infpire. At a very early period of the war, he determined to embark from his native country for the United States. Before he could complete this intention, intelligence ar rived in Europe, that the American infurgents, reduced to two thou fand men, were flying through Jerfey before a British force of thirty thousand regulars. This news fo effectually extinguished the little credit which America had in Europe, in the beginning of the year 1777, that the Commiffioners of Congrefs at Paris, though they had previously encouraged his project, could not procure a veffel to forward his intentions. Under thete circumftances they thought it but honeft to diffuade him from the prefent profecution of his perilous enterprize. It was in vain they acted fo candid a part. The flame which America had kindled in his breaft could not be extinguished by her misfortunes. Hitherto," faid he, in the true fpirit of patriotism, "I have only cherished your caufe-now I am going to ferve it. The lower it is in the opinion of the people, the greater will be the effect of my departure; and fince you cannot get a veffel,

[ocr errors]

X 3

I fhall

I fhall purchase and fit out one to carry your difpatches to Congress and myself to America." He accordingly embarked and arrived in Charleston early in the year 1777. Congrefs foon conferred on him the rank of Major-general. He accepted the appointment, but not without exacting two conditions, which difplayed the elevation of his fpirit: the one, that he should be permitted to ferve at his own expence; the other, that he should begin his services as a volunteer.'

Circumftances have fince indicated what kind of leffons the French auxiliaries brought back to their own country for their own ufe; a confequence which the Gallic cabinet were too deeply engroffed in the finesses of the day to forefee! The American alliance may hence become an epocha very interesting to the rights of mankind, in the domeftic hiftory of France.

ART. V. Travels in the Two Sicilies; by Henry Swinburne, Efq.; in the Years 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780. Vol. II. * 4to. 11. is. Boards. Elmfley.

WE derived much information, and no fmall degree of en

tertainment, from Mr. Swinburne's former volume and the prefent publication is equally entitled to our esteem and recommendation.

The ingenious and learned Author, in his Tour through Sicily and Naples, hath noticed every thing which deferves the attention of the lovers of Greek and Roman literature. He compares their present state with their paft grandeur, when the Roman empire was in the zenith of its glory and every where makes fuch obfervations as difcover a confiderable acquaintance with ancient hiftory, a claffical tafte, and a good understanding.

There is a warmth and animation in his defcription which bespeak an imagination alive to the beauties of nature and of art; but we think his colouring bath fometimes too much glare in it. It dazzles, but doth not always pleafe; and fimplicity is too often loft in the profufion of ornament.

Mr. Swinburne's firft voyage was to the island of Capri. His defcription of its fcenery is glowing and animated. Among a variety of other objects, worthy the attention of a curious traveller, our Author hath particularly noticed the villa of Tiberius-La Marina-Procida-Ifchia-Liternum-Scipio's tomb and ville-Tomb of Marius-Elyfian Fields-Ruins of BaiaThe Lucrine lake-Lake Averno-Tomb of Virgil, and Pol lio's ponds.

Our ingenious traveller then proceeds to Naples: and having given a general defcription of the city, together with an account of its municipal laws and government, he reviews its ancient hiftory, and compares its former inhabitants with the prefent.

* For our account of Vol. I. See Rev. vol. Ixix. p. 273.

• The

The ancient Neapolitans' (he obferves) were more tenacious of their fuperftitions, and adhered to Paganifm longer than any other Italians. So late as the 6th century, feveral temples yet remained in the kingdom, where heathen rites were performed, notwithstanding the feverity of the Imperial edicts.'

The Neapolitans, however fuperftitiously attached to fome of the groffer errors and abfurd ceremonies of the church of Rome, have yet always made a fuccefsful refiftance againft every attempt to introduce the Inquifition among them: and men of obfervation affured our traveller, that within their memory a very vifible diminution had taken place in the enthusiasm of the Neapolitans for Saint Januarius, and other objects of their devotion; and that the power which the ecclefiaftical part of the nation had over the laical, has loft much ground fince the banishment of the Jefuits: but ftill great is the empire which zealous or artful men exercise over the minds of the populace, and scarce any impofition is too grofs for the multitude!

From Naples Mr. Swinburne proceeds to Caferta, and examines with great accuracy the royal palace erected acco ding to the designs of Vanvitelli-a palace which in fize and folidity furpaffes almoft every other royal edifice in Europe. The vaft dimenfions of its apartments, the bold fpan of their ceilings, the excellence and beauty of the materials employed in building and decorating it, and the ftrength of the masonry, claim the admiration of all beholders, who muft confefs it is a building fpacious and grand enough to have lodged the ancient mafter of the Roman world.

The two principal fronts are seven hundred and eighty feet in length, and contain five ftories of thirty-four windows each. The two other fides are fix hundred and fixteen feet long, and confist also of five ftories, in each of which are twenty-feven windows. The interior is divided into four courts, and in the centre of the palace is a fuperb stair-case, crowned by a circular hall which affords a communication to every fet of apartments. The richest marbles are difplayed with profufion, most of them dug out of quarries within the

realm.'

From Caferta, Mr. Swinburne proceeded to Paeftum, and the coaft of Amalfi. In this route, he paffed the buried cities Herculaneum and Pompeia, into which he defcended; and he defcribes the antiquities there difcovered; but as most of our Readers are, we prefume, fufficiently acquainted with thefe curious remains, we shall follow the traveller in his journey to Nocera; from which epifcopal city, finding nothing worthy his attention, he proceeded to Salerno. This place flourished during the fpace of time known by the appellation of the middle ages. In the eighth or ninth century the Arabians brought with them into Europe a tafte for learning, and established a fchool in this city, which became famous for medicine and che

X 4

mistry.

« ZurückWeiter »