on
of the British armaments is supposed in a letter of the 25th ultimo,
from Colonel Blachden of Connecticut, now at Dunkirk, to the Marquis
de la Fayette. I will cite it in his own words. "A gentleman who left
London two days ago, and came to this place to-day, informs me that
it is now generally supposed that Mr. Pitt's great secret, which has
puzzled the whole nation so long, and to accomplish which design, the
whole force of the nation is armed, is to make a vigorous effort for
the recovery of America. When I recollect the delay they have made in
delivering the forts in America, and that little more than a year ago,
one of the British ministry wrote to the King a letter, in which were
these remarkable words, 'If your Majesty pleases, America may yet be
yours;' add to this, if it were possible for the present ministry in
England to effect such a matter, they would secure their places and
their power for a long time, and should they fail in the end, they would
be certain of holding them during the attempt, which it is in their
power to prolong as much as they please, and at all events, they would
boast of having endeavored the recovery of what a former ministry had
abandoned, it is possible." A similar surmise has come in a letter from
a person in Rotterdam to one at this place. I am satisfied that the
King of England believes the mass of our people to be tired of their
independence, and desirous of returning under his government; and that
the same opinion prevails in the ministry and nation. They have hired
their news-writers to repeat this lie in their gazettes so long, that
they have become the dupes of it themselves. But there is no occasion
to recur to this, in order to account for their arming. A more rational
purpose avowed, that purpose executed, and when executed, a solemn
agreement to disarm, seem to leave no doubt, that the re-establishment
of the Stadtholder was their object. Yet it is possible, that having
found that this court will not make war in this moment for any ally, new
views may arise, and they may think the moment favorable for executing
any purposes they may have, in our quarter. Add to this, that reason is
of no aid in calculating their movements. We are, therefore, never safe
till our magazines are filled with arms. The present season of truce, or
peace, should, in my opinion, be improved without a moment's respite,
to effect this essential object, and no means be omitted, by which money
may b