My Lord,
Your Grace does me much honour in the communication of the
thoughts you entertain of bringing forward some matters of
business in the House of Lords.
I shall be very happy to concur in opinion with your Grace, but
I must say that I cannot at present think that there is anything
come to our knowledge in regard to the actual conduct of Lord
Cornwallis, as commander of a British army in America, which
calls for the honour of a vote of thanks from the House of
Lords.
The fatal event of the army under his Lordship's command, having
been reduced to the situation of being obliged to lay down their
arms and surrender prisoners of war, naturally requires that an
explanation or justification should precede anything that could
be declaratory of approbation.
As I understand your Grace's proposition, I conceive your
intentions would be, that in thanking Lord Cornwallis for his
general conduct, you would at the same time state, that the
plans he _was directed_ to pursue and which had been so fatal,
were _highly censurable_.
An inquiry into _the causes_ of the loss of that army might
certainly be a very proper and becoming measure; and I have very
little, or rather no doubt that the blame and censure would fall
heavy on many of His Majesty's Ministers, if such an inquiry was
taken up, and tried by an uninfluenced or _undeluded_ jury.
There is a particular circumstance, which possibly, as your
Grace has been out of town, may not have come to your knowledge.
I understand that Lord Cornwallis and all the officers of the
army captured at York Town and Gloucester, _are under a parole
of honour, and on their faith neither to say or do anything
injurious to the interests of the United States or armies of
America, or their allies, until exchanged_.
Your Grace will recollect, that in the Articles of Capitulation,
much doubt has been held in regard to _the propriety_ of one of
the articles, whereby Lord Cornwallis had left some Americans
(who had been in or had joined our army) to be at the mercy of
the civil authority in America.
Many Lords will think that some explanation of that conduct in
Lord Cornwallis is necessary; and I do not conceive that any
explanation could at present be got from Lord Cornwallis.
The Duke of Richmond having called upon me this morning, I had
the honour to go with his Grace to your Grace's house, hoping
that you were arrived in London. The Duke of Richmond will be
early at the House of Lords to-morrow, and intends to desire the
House to be summoned for Monday next, in order to make some
inquiry in regard to the execution of Colonel Harris, at
Charlestown, in America. I will also be early at the House of
Lords to-morrow, and I shall then hope to have the opportunity,
along with the Duke of Richmond, of having the honour of some
more discourse upon the subject matter of your Grace's letter,
and that it will not impede your Grace's intentions of some
conversation in the House, on the loss of a great army.