September 18, 1776

On September 11, 1776, on Staten Island, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Edward Rutledge met with British Vice-Admiral Richard Howe, one of the King’s Commissioners for Restoring Peace. The committee of Adams, Franklin, and Rutledge reported back to the Continental Congress that “his Lordship received and entertained” them “with the utmost politeness.” Howe explained that he could meet with the men, “as his powers enabled him to confer and consult with any private gentlemen of influence in the colonies, on the means of restoring peace between the two countries.” However, he did not have the power to negotiate with them as representatives of the Congress. Adams, Franklin, and Rutledge insisted: “we could consider ourselves in no other character than that in which we were placed by the order of Congress.” Howe talked at “considerable length” but the only vision of peace that he shared was “that the colonies should return to their allegiance and obedience to the government of Great-Britain.” 

Adams, Franklin, and Rutledge explained that the Declaration of Independence “had been called for by the people of the colonies in general, that every colony had approved of it when made, and all now considered themselves as Independant States.” Howe then said “that he was sorry to find that no accommodation was like to take place,” and he “put an end to the conference.”

The Pennsylvania Gazette
Printed by Hall and Sellers

The Committee, who were appointed to wait on Lord Howe, having returned to Congress, made their report in the following words:

“In obedience to the order of Congress, we have had a meeting with Lord Howe. It was on Wednesday last, upon Staten-Island, opposite to Amboy, where his Lordship received and entertained us with the utmost politeness.

“His Lordship opened the conversation by acquainting us, that though he could not treat with us as a Committee of Congress, yet as his powers enabled him to confer and consult with any private gentlemen of influence in the colonies, on the means of restoring peace between the two countries, he was glad of this opportunity of conferring with us on that subject, if we thought ourselves at liberty to enter into a conference with him in that character. We observed to his Lordship, that as our business was to hear, he might consider us in what light he pleased, and communicate to us any propositions he might be authorised to make for the purpose mentioned; but that we could consider ourselves in no other character than that in which we were placed by the order of Congress. His Lordship then entered into a discourse of considerable length, which contained no explicit proposition of peace except one, viz. that the colonies should return to their allegiance and obedience to the government of Great-Britain. The rest consisted principally of assurances that there was an exceeding good disposition in the King and his Ministers to make that government easy to us; with intimations that in case of our submission they would cause the offensive acts of Parliament to be revised, and the instructions to Governors to be reconsidered, that so if any just causes of complaint were found in the acts, or any errors in government were perceived to have crept into the instructions, they might be amended or withdrawn.

“We gave it as our opinion to his Lordship, that a return to the dominations of Great-Britain was not now to be expected. We mentioned the repeated humble petitions of the colonies to the King and Parliament, which had been treated with contempt, and answered only by additional injuries; the unexampled patience we had shown under their tyrannical government, and that it was not till the last act of Parliament which denounced war against us, and put us out of the King’s protection, that we declared our independance. That this declaration had been called for by the people of the colonies in general, that every colony had approved of it when made, and all now considered themselves as Independant States, and were settling or had settled their governments accordingly; so that it was not in the power of the Congress to agree for them that they should return to their former dependant state. That there was no doubt of their inclination to peace, and their willingness to enter into a treaty with Britain, that might be advantageous to both countries. That though his Lordship had at present no power to treat with them as independant States, he might, if there was the same good disposition in Britain, much sooner obtain fresh powers from thence for that purpose, than powers could be obtained by Congress from the several colonies, to consent to a submission. His Lordship then, saying that he was sorry to find that no accommodation was like to take place, put an end to the conference.

“Upon the whole, it did not appear to your Committee, that his Lordship’s commission contained any other authority of importance, than what is expressed in the Act of Parliament, viz. that of granting pardons with such exceptions as the Commissioners shall think proper to make, and of declaring America or any part of it to be in the King’s peace upon submission. For as to the power of enquiring into the state of America, which his Lordship mentioned to us, and of conferring and consulting with any persons the Commissioners might think proper, and representing the result of such conversations to the Ministry, who (provided the colonies would subject themselves) might after all, or might not, at their pleasure, make any alterations in the former instructions to Governors, or propose in Parliament any amendment of the acts complained of, we apprehended any expectation from the effect of such a power would have been too uncertain and precarious to be relied on by America, had she still continued in her state of dependance.”