He will tell you,
_confidentially_, all that you wish to know on this subject. It
appears that the moment of our emancipation approaches, and the
establishment of liberty on all the continent of the New World is
confided by Providence to us. The only danger which I foresee is the
introduction of French principles, which would poison our liberty in
its cradle, and would finish by destroying yours."
So far did these arrangements advance, that Miranda again wrote
General Hamilton, under date of the 19th of October, 1798:----
"Your wishes are, in some sort, already accomplished, seeing that it
has been agreed here on one side not to employ in the operations on
land English troops; seeing that the auxiliary land forces are to be
exclusively American, while the naval force shall be purely English.
Every thing is smooth, and we wait only for the fiat of your
illustrious president to depart like lightning."
On the same day (October 19th) General Miranda wrote General Knox as
follows:----
"I cannot express to you, my dear general, with what pleasure I heard
of your nomination [1] in the continental army of the United States of
America. It would appear that your _wishes_ are at length
_accomplished_, and that every possible circumstance is united, at
this moment, in our favour. Would to God that Providence would endow
us with sufficient wisdom to make the most advantageous use of these
circumstances.
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