This Day in History: May 14

The language of it is at the same time cautious and comprehensive, and seems to make eventual provision for our Independence, without betraying any purpose of acknowledging it. The terms peace and truce are scarcely applicable to any other Conventions than National ones. And the King is authorized to annul or suspend all acts of Parliament whatever as far as they speak of the Colonies. He can therefore clearly remove any parliamentary bar to his recognition of our Independence and I know of no other bar to his treating with America on that ground. All this is however very different from a real peace. The King will assuredly prefer war as long as his Ministry will stand by him, and the sentiments of his present Ministry, particularly of Shelburne are as peremptory against the dismemberments of the Empire as those of any of their predecessors. [More]