TWO: Meeting of Parliament��Eugene's Visit to England��Ministerial Attacks on the Dutch��Meeting of the Negotiators at Utrecht��The Question of the Spanish Throne��Sham Fighting against the French��Debates on the Peace in Parliament��Withdrawal of the English Troops��Consequent Triumph of the French��Bolingbroke's Visit to Paris��Break-up of the Grand Alliance��More Negotiations with the Pretender��Death of Godolphin��Marlborough retires to the Continent��Signature of the Peace��The Treaty of Commerce��Its Rejection by the Commons��The Whereabouts of the Pretender��Dissolution of Parliament��The General Election��Intrigues with St. Germains��Bolingbroke's Activity��His Friends in Office��The Empire and Spain make Peace��The Pretender declines Overtures to Change his Religion��Illness of the Queen��Tax on Newspapers��Attack upon the "Public Spirit of the Whigs"��Steele expelled the House��Proposals against the Pretender and for bringing over the Electoral Prince��Counter-scheme for bringing over the Pretender��Obstacles to the Scheme��The Queen's Letter to the Elector��Death of the Electress Sophia��The Schism Bill��Its Progress through the Houses��Reward for the Apprehension of the Pretender��Fall of Oxford��Bolingbroke's Jacobite Cabinet��Illness of the Queen��The Whig Coup d'��tat��Ruin and Desperation of the Jacobites��Death of Anne��Proclamation of George I.Notwithstanding the real outbreak of the war, Congress yet professed to entertain hopes of ultimate reconciliation. When the reinforcements had arrived from England, and it was supposed that part of them were destined for New York, it issued orders that, so long as the forces remained quiet in their barracks, they should not be molested; but if they attempted to raise fortifications, or to cut off the town from the country, they should be stoutly opposed. When the news of the surprise of the forts on the Lake Champlain arrived, Congress endeavoured to excuse so direct a breach of the peace by feigning a belief in a design of an invasion of the colonies from Canada, of which there was notoriously no intention, and they gave orders that an exact inventory of the cannon and military stores there captured should be made, in order to their restoration, "when the former harmony between Great Britain and her colonies, so ardently wished for by the latter, should render it consistent with the overruling law of self-preservation." After the battle of Bunker's Hill, Congress still maintained this tone. On the 8th of July they signed a petition to the king, drawn up by John Dickinson, in the mildest terms, who, when to his own surprise the petition was adopted by the Congress, rose, and said that there was not a word in the whole petition that he did not approve of, except the word "Congress." This, however, was far from the feeling of many members; and Benjamin Harrison immediately rose and declared that there was but one word in the whole petition that he did approve of, and that was the word "Congress." The petition to the king expressed an earnest desire for a speedy and permanent reconciliation, declaring that, notwithstanding their sufferings, they retained in their hearts "too tender a regard for the kingdom from which they derived their origin to request such a reconciliation as might be inconsistent with her dignity or welfare." At the[220] same time, they resolved that this appeal, which they called "The Olive Branch," should, if unsuccessful, be their last. They could hardly have expected it to be successful.

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