nwhile　declared　that　he　would　return　to　Hanover　rather　than　yield　the　independence　of　the　colonies。　Over　and　over　again　he　had　said　that　no　one　should　hold　office　in　his　government　who　would　not　pledge　himself　to　keep　the　Empire　entire。　But　even　his　obstinacy　was　broken。　On　December　5；　1782；　he　opened　Parliament　with　a　speech　in　which　the　right　of　the　colonies　to　independence　was　acknowledged。　〃Did　I　lower　my　voice　when　I　came　to　that　part　of　my　speech？〃　George　asked　afterwards。　He　might　well　speak　in　a　subdued　tone　for　he　had　brought　the　British　Empire　to　the　lowest　level　in　its　history。
  In　America；　meanwhile；　the　glow　of　victory　had　given　way　to　weariness　and　lassitude。　Rochambeau　with　his　army　remained　in　Virginia。　Washington　took　his　forces　back　to　the　lines　before　New　York；　sparing　what　men　he　could　to　help　Greene　in　the　South。　Again　came　a　long　period　of　watching　and　waiting。　Washington；　knowing　the　obstinate　determination　of　the　British　character；　urged　Congress　to　keep　up　the　numbers　of　the　army　so　as　to　be　prepared　for　any　emergency。　Sir　Guy　Carleton　now　commanded　the　British　at　New　York　and　Washington　feared　that　this　capable　Irishman　might　soothe　the　Americans　into　a　false　security。　He　had　to　speak　sharply；　for　the　people　seemed　indifferent　to　further　effort　and　Congress　was　slack　and　impotent。　The　outlook　for　Washington's　allies　in　the　war　darkened；　when　in　April；　1782；　Rodney　won　his　crushing　victory　and　carried　De　Grasse　a　prisoner　to　England。　France's　ally　Spain　had　been　besieging　Gibraltar　for　three　years；　but　in　September；　1782；　when　the　great　battering…　ships　specially　built　for　the　purpose　began　a　furious　bombardment；　which　was　expected　to　end　the　siege；　the　British　defenders　destroyed　every　ship；　and　after　that　Gibraltar　was　safe。　These　events　naturally　stiffened　the　backs　of　the　British　in　negotiating　peace。　Spain　declared　that　she　would　never　make　peace　without　the　surrender　of　Gibraltar；　and　she　was　ready　to　leave　the　question　of　American　independence　undecided　or　decided　against　the　colonies　if　she　could　only　get　for　herself　the　terms　which　she　desired。　There　was　a　period　when　France　seemed　ready　to　make　peace　on　the　basis　of　dividing　the　Thirteen　States；　leaving　some　of　them　independent　while　others　should　remain　under　the　British　King。
  Congress　was　not　willing　to　leave　its　affairs　at　Paris　in　the　capable　hands　of　Franklin　alone。　In　1780　it　sent　John　Adams　to　Paris；　and　John　Jay　and　Henry　Laurens　were　also　members　of　the　American　Commission。　The　austere　Adams　disliked　and　was　jealous　of　Franklin；　gay　in　spite　of　his　years；　seemingly　indolent　and　easygoing；　always　bland　and　reluctant　to　say　No　to　any　request　from　his　friends；　but　ever　astute　in　the　interests　of　his　country。　Adams　told　Vergennes；　the　French　foreign　minister；　that　the　Americans　owed　nothing　to　France；　that　France　had　entered　the　war　in　her　own　interests；　and　that　her　alliance　with　America　had　greatly　strengthened　her　position　in　Europe。　France；　he　added；　was　really　hostile　to　the　colonies；　since　she　was　jealously　trying　to　keep　them　from　becoming　rich　and　powerful。　Adams　dropped　hints　that　America　might　be　compelled　to　make　a　separate　peace　with　Britain。　When　it　was　proposed　that　the　depreciated　continental　paper　money；　largely　held　in　France　for　purchases　there；　should　be　redeemed　at　the　rate　of　one　good　dollar　for　every　forty　in　paper　money；　Adams　declared　to　the　horrified　French　creditors　of　the　United　States　that　the　proposal　was　fair　and　just。　At　the　same　time　Congress　was　drawing　on　Franklin　in　Paris　for　money　to　meet　its　requirements　and　Franklin　was　expected　to　persuade　the　French　treasury　to　furnish　him　with　what　he　needed　and　to　an　amazing　degree　succeeded　in　doing　so。　The　self　interest　which　Washington　believed　to　be　the　dominant　motive　in　politics　was；　it　is　clear；　actively　at　work。　In　the　end　the　American　Commissioners　negotiated　directly　with　Great　Britain；　without　asking　for　the　consent　of　their　French　allies。　On　November　30；　1782；　articles　of　peace　between　Great　Britain　and　the　United　States　were　signed。　They　were；　however；　not　to　go　into　effect　until　Great　Britain　and　France　had　agreed　upon　terms　of　peace；　and　it　was　not　until　September　3；　1783；　that　the　definite　treaty　was　signed。　So　far　as　the　United　States　was　concerned　Spain　was　left　quite　properly　to　shift　for　herself。
  Thus　it　was　that　the　war　ended。　Great　Britain　had　urged　especially　the　case　of　the　Loyalists；　the　return　to　them　of　their　property　and　compensation　for　their　losses。　She　could　not　achieve　anything。　Franklin　indeed　asked　that　Americans　who　had　been　ruined　by　the　destruction　of　their　property　should　be　compensated　by　Britain；　that　Canada　should　be　added　to　the　United　States；　and　that　Britain　should　acknowledge　her　fault　in　distressing　the　colonies。　In　the　end　the　American　Commissioners　agreed　to　ask　the　individual　States　to　meet　the　desires　of　the　British　negotiators；　but　both　sides　understood　that　the　States　would　do　nothing；　that　the　confiscated　property　would　never　be　returned；　that　most　of　the　exiled　Loyalists　would　remain　exiles；　and　that　Britain　herself　must　compensate　them　for　their　losses。　This　in　time　she　did　on　a　scale　inadequate　indeed　but　expressive　of　a　generous　intention。　The　United　States　retained　the　great　Northwest　and　the　Mississippi　became　the　western　frontier；　with　destiny　already　whispering　that　weak　and　grasping　Spain　must　soon　let　go　of　the　farther　West　stretching　to　the　Pacific　Ocean。　When　Great　Britain　signed　peace　with　France　and　Spain　in　January；　1783；　Gibraltar　was　not　returned；　Spain　had　to　be　content　with　the　return　of　Minorca；　and　Florida　which　she　had　been　forced　to　yield　to　Britain　in　1763。　Each　side　restored　its　conquests　in　the　West　Indies。　France；　the　chief　mainstay　of　the　war　during　its　later　years；　gained　from　it　really　nothing　beyond　the　weakening　of　her　ancient　enemy。　The　magnanimity　of　France；　especially　towards　her　exacting　American　ally；　is　one　of　the　fine　things　in　the　great　combat。　The　huge　sum　of　nearly　eight　hundred　million　dollars　spent　by　France　in　the　war　was　one　of　the　chief　factors　in　the　financial　crisis　which；　six　years　after　the　signing　of　the　peace；　brought　on　the　French　Revolution　and　with　it　the　overthrow　of　the　Bourbon　monarchy。　Politics　bring　strange　bedfellows　and　they　have　rarely　brought　stranger　ones　than　the　democracy　of　young　America　and　the　political　despotism；　linked　with　idealism；　of　the　ancient　monarchy　of　France。
  The　British　did　not　evacuate　New　York　until　Carleton　had　gathered　there　the　Loyalists　who　claimed　his　protection。　These　unhappy　people　made　their　way　to　the　seaports；　often　after　long　and　distressing　journeys　overland。　Charleston　was　the　chief　rallying　place　in　the　South　and　from　there　many　sad…hearted　people　sailed　away；　never　to　see　again　their　former　homes。　The　British　had　captured　New　York　in　September；　1776；　and　it　was　more　than　seven　years　later；　on　November　25；　1783；　that　the　last　of　the　British　fleet　put　to　sea。　Britain　and　America　had　broken　forever　their　political　tie　and　for　many　years　to　come　embittered　memories　kept　up　the　alienation。
  It　was　fitting　that　Washington　should　bid　farewell　to　his　army　at　New　York；　the　center　of　his　hopes　and　anxieties　during　the　greater　part　of　the　long　struggle。　On　December　4；　1783；　his　officers　met　at　a　tavern　to　bid　him　farewell。　The　tears　ran　down　his　cheeks　as　he　parted　with　these　brave　and　tried　men。　He　shook　their　hands　in　silence　and；　in　a　fashion　still　preserved　in　France；　kissed　each　of　them。　Then　they　watched　him　as　he　was　rowed　away　in　his　barge　to　the　New　Jersey　shore。　Congress　was　now　sitting　at　Annapolis　in　Maryland　and　there　on　December　23；　1783；　Washington　appeared　and　gave　up　finally　his　command。　We　are　told　that　the　members　sat　covered　to　show　the　sovereignty　of　the　Union；　a　quaint　touch　of　the　thought　of　the　time。　The　little　town　made　a　brave　show　and　〃the　gallery　was　filled　with　a　beautiful　group　of　elegant　ladies。〃　With　solemn　sincerity　Washington　commended　the　country　to　the　protection　of　Almighty　God　and　the　army　to　the　special　care　of　Congress。　Passion　had　already　subsided　for　the　President　of　Congress　in　his　reply　praised　the　〃magnanimous　king　and　nation〃　of　Great　Britain。　By　the　end　of　the　year　Washington　was　at　Mount　Vernon；　hoping　now　to　be　able；　as　he　said　simply；　to　make　and　sell　a　little　flour　annually　and　to　repair　houses　fast　going　to　ruin。　He　did　not　foresee　the　troubled　years　and　the　vexing　problems　which　still　lay　before　him。　Nor　could　he；　in　his　modest　estimate　of　himself；　know　that　for　a　distant　posterity　his　character　and　his　words　would　have　compelling　authority。　What　Washington's　countryman；　Motley；　said　of　William　of　Orange　is　true　of　Washington　himself：　〃As　long　as　he　lived　he　was　the　guiding　star　of　a　brave　nation　and　when　he　died　the　little　children　cried　in　the　streets。〃　But　this　is　not　all。　To　this　day　in　the　domestic　and　foreign　affairs　of　the　United　States　the　words　of　Washington；　the　policies　which　he　favored；　have　a　living　and　almost　binding　force。　This　attitude　of　mind　is　not　without　its　dangers；　for　nations　require　to　make　new　adjustments　of　policy；　and　the　past　is　only　in　part　the　master　of　the　present；　but　it　is　the　tribute　of　a　grateful　nation　to　the　noble　character　of　its　chi