er, of
Howe's staff, reached the government with the official accounts of the
victory. Immediately, as Walpole tells us, the Court was filled with
"an extravagance of joy." The relief was so great that it was
displayed with "the utmost ostentation." The king at once determined
to send Howe "a red riband;" and Lord Mansfield, who had thrown the
weight of his great legal abilities against America, was created an
earl. The Mayor and Corporation of York voted an address to his
Majesty "on the victory at Long Island;" at Leeds they rang the
bells, lighted windows, fired cannon, and started a huge bonfire which
made the town "quite luminous;" and at Halifax, Colne, Huddersfield,
and many other places, similar rejoicings were held. At Limerick
Lieutenant-Colonel Campbell ordered the garrison under arms, and fired
three volleys "on account of the success of his Majesty's troops at
Long Island;" and, for the same reason, in the evening "a number of
ladies and gentlemen were elegantly entertained at dinner by the
bishop." From Paris Silas Deane wrote to Congress: "The want of
instructions or intelligence or remittances, with the late check on
Long Island, has sunk our credit to nothing." In Amsterdam, the centre
of exchange for all Europe, English stocks rose; but the Dutch, with
characteristic shrewdness, failed to accept "our misfortune" as final,
and took the opportunity to sell out. In London Tory circles they
considered the American war as practically over, and some began to
talk of new schemes of colonial government.

As for America, the defeat, coupled with the subsequent retreat,
everywhere carried alarm and keen disappointment. Greene speaks of the
"panic" in the county. But at the same time many brave voices were
raised to counteract despondency. Parsons, in the army, wrote: "I
think the trial of that day far from being any discouragement, but in
general our men behaved with firmness." Bartlett, in Congress, sent
word home to New Hampshire that he hoped the event would only make our
generals more careful in their future operations. "We have lost a
battle and a small island," said Dr. Rush, of Philadelphia, in one of
the sessions a few days later, "but we have not lost a State. Why
then should we be discouraged? Or why should we be discouraged even
if we had lost a State? If there were but one State left, still that
one should peril all for independence." "The panic may seize whom it
will," wrote John Adams; "it shall n