The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1778-02-25 00:00:00, page 2

K EW-LO ' < D ON, f<wnmrp 2^.
ty) Y a gentlemen just arrived from Bedford,
we learn that 2 iloop of 14 guns has been
lent fiom Newport to Martha's Vineyard, to
(kmand pilots for the fieet defined tor Boffon,
t > take in Burgoyne's troops : — I'hey refuted
to comply with toe demand, and the sloop (af
ter taking a cbaffingveflcl out of Holmes's Hole)
failed for Newport, it is laid, to bring force
fußicicht to lay wade the ifiand.
PROVIDENCE, January CT
'• Our neighbours, the Br:ti,Ravages on Knode
Jflmd, we learn by several perfous from thence,
have given frefh proof that they are more Javage
than their brethren of the wilderness. It is an
undoubted fad, that Mr John Magee, late a
refutable inhabitant of Newport, was about a
fortnight since taken from the grave, Gripped of
the funeral vefimenrs, and left above ground.
The body had been interred two months. It is
also said that other instances of a like nature
bare lately happened there.
The charitable end well di/pofed perfohs in
this and the neighbouring-States, ate requeued
to extend their donations unto the poor and dif
treflej people who were late inhabitants of the
ifhnd of ilhbde-lflmd ; men and women bowed
down with old age and infirmities, helpless
children, and perform with large families, have
beeucriven from their once peaceful habitati
ons, and turned into the wide world, deftithte
of every means te fuppdrt themselves, by the
cruel and rapacious Britons and their mercena
ries, who have Gripped them of the small pit
tance they were once poflefied of, and left them
to depend entirely upon the charity of the good
people. Their didreffes 1 nidly call upon the
humanity of those where affluent circumstances
Will admit, and their louls dictate to them, to
relieve the necefli res of thole who are almost
ready to perish.
PROVIDENCE, January 24.
Sinceour last a flag arrived from Newport,
with a large sum of money, to defray the ex
nences of Burgoyne's troops at Cambridge.
BO STON, January 29.
Extras of a letter from Messrs. Hughes and Wb:te
lock, dated London, July 3, 1777, to Doctor
Silvefler Gardner, at Halifax.
" Your favour of May 10th came duly to
hand, which affected us very much to hear of
your ptefent situation ; so many worthy families
that are now drove from their habitations by
this curled rebellion is really a deplorable case,
as many were obliged to quit in a hurry with
out cash or effe&s for their su bsistence, where
most of the necessaries of life are very dear, and
what occasions a farther advance is the quanti
ty Whipped for America and Weft-India Islands.
Jf \ou are inclined to con,e here we shall be
ready to* render you a-nydervices in our power.
But the force already gone and now going it is
hoped will reduce the rebels to a proper sense
ms their duty, and equally prevent these
blind zealots from disturbing the public tran
quility of their country.---The sh ip City of Lon
don is a licenced veflel of which you will hear
more hereafter when the Parliament meets; it
is contrary to the late retraining aft."
Jit 4 legal meeting of the Freeholders and other inha
bitants of the Town of Boflon, on Tuesday the
21JI infant, the following Resolves puffed una
nimoujly, viz.
T H £ Articles of Confederation and Perpe
tual Union between the several States, now re
presented in the Continental Congress, having
been laid before this Town, were diftin&ly and
repeatedly read, and maturely considered :---
Whereupon,
Revived, as the opinion ofthis Town, That
the said Articles appear to be well adapted to
cement the union of the said States; to confirm
their mutual friendship; establish their freedom
and independence ; and promote their general
welfare. And the Representatives of the Town/
are hereby inftruaed to give their votes in the
General Assembly, that the Delegatesof this
State may be authorifed to ratify the said Arti
cles of Confederation, in order that the fame
may become conclusive.
*, Father Abraham's Pocket Almanack, con
taining the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual
Union, may be had of John Dunlap.
W ORCESTTR, January 22<,
In a late London paper was a paragraph, in
forming the World, that a number of feather
bed+, bottles of L&the, spirits of haitfhorn, and
lavender, &c. &c. were preparing to be sent to
the British troops serving in America. Whe
ther any, or all of these valuable articles, have
arrived, we have never yet learnt; but it is
shrewdly fufyebted, that Burgoyne’s troops have
by some means or other, procured and taken
large draughts of [ ethe—for the commanders
have taken to dancing, and the privates to rob
bing and deferring ; the former forgetting their
meh, and the latter their officers; and the whole
forgetting they are prisoners.
N E WH AVEN, February 4.
The Gentlemen who formed the Conventions
of Committees from several States, who have
been fitting in this place, having finifhed the
business recommended to them by C ongrefs, lake
Monday broke up.
'ANECDOTE 3,GovE'RNok SKEENE.
THIS Gentleman, it is laid, married a lady
of confideratie fortunein Ireland, and by the
death of feme relation, a legacy was left her to be
paid 'yearly, '' so long as her bead foowd be above
ground." The Governor's lady died feme years
tince, and in order that he might not lose the legacy
he caused her intestines to be t^ken out, and her
bodyto'be halted up, and put in a coffin, which he
kept'i^ a private room dedicated to that purpefe,
whe r e it was found by our troops after he abscond
ed froth Skeenfb rough, who had the humanity to
give her % decent interment under ground; by which
means it isTuppofed his Excellency is deprived of a
considerable part of his yearly income.
BURLINGTON, February it.
We hear that Colonel WillAm Allen's regiment
of Pennsylvania royalifls, is entirely broken up, and
what few men were deluded into so infamous & Ser
vice as that of taking arms against their native
country, have been incorporated into other regiments.
Died in Philadelphia, on Monday the 2d instant,
in the 39 h year of his age, John Allen, Esq;
son of William Alien, Esq; of that city.
February I'B. Saturday last a considerable body
of the British light infantry, accompanied by a par
ty of light horse, made an excursion into the coun
try as high as a pace called the Spring-house ta
vern, i:b+ut 16 miles from Philadelphia, where they
made prisoner a Major Wright of the Pennsylvania
militia, and a number of perlons in the civil depart
ment, such as magistrates, affifTors, Constables, &c.
who weft pointed out by the tories inhabiting that
neighbourhood. The enemy went out in three di
vifioms, part of them through Germantown, where
they broke many windows, seized all the leather,
flockings, &c. and returned to Philadelphia in the
evening of the fame day, after having committed
many other aAs of licentioufiels and cruelty on the
persons and property of those they term rebels.
We learn from good authority, that a party of
the e emy of about 60 men, lately attempted to
furprize one of General Putnam's pickets nearl
Kingfbridge, but they were so warmly received'
that two only escaped to tell the tale of their mis
fortune; the rest either being taken or slain.
It is said that the veflel which Lord Howe lately
went to Rhode Bland in, is so cut by the ice as co
be rendered totally unfit for service.
— From the NEW JERSEY GAZETTE.
Annotations upon bis mos gracious Majefy of raft
gracious Great Britain's mofl gracious Speech.
rd " 4 g re ''fatisfaeion to me that I can have re
course to the wisdom and support of my parliament
in this conjuncture-——
I No doubt it is a fatisfaaion to your Majeffy, to
be able to apply for each, to those who must sup
port you in measures in which themselves are accom
plices; and who are too dependent upon you to refu'e
any of your requisitions. The more money they
give you, Sir, the more offices you give them; and
I this old trick of one good turn's deserving another, has
more than half ruined the nation already.
I When the rebellion in North- America demands our
most Jerious attention.
How wonderful, that his Majesty begins to think
the reduaion of America a furious matter ! Had he
and his parliament considered at all, they would
have thought it a serious matter when they firft be-1
gan it. But they wanted it Terns, at least three
I years, to difeover that the enslaving three millions
of people was a serious undertaking. Notable ge
niuffes to govern three kingdoms and the western
world into the bargain, who require three years of
blood and {laughter, deflation and havoc, to make
them serious !
The powers I^^ you i^ce intruded me <witb, T
have faithfu'!, exerted—
What powers his Majesty was intruded with I
know not. But the powers he has exerted, h^vc
been the powers of breaking his c&h, and violating
ail laws, divine and human; an* if he undertook to
suppress the revolt, he has not executed his trull,
for that he has not dome.
But lam perjuaded thst you arid fee the necefa' :of
preparing for fueb farther operations as the com r-
Agencies of the war, and the obßinacy of the rebels, nay
I ren her expedient -^
What, S<r, a necessity for farther preparations,
1 when General Gage was to have done the bufincT
with four regirhenrs? Why don't you order the in
vincible Grant to ffrike a terror through the who><
Continent with a file ofwvfaaethers ?
And if lfoouid have occ son to encreofe them, by
contrafling new engagements —
Worse amd worse ! Woat, increase y r ar troops
to beat an undifcip'ined militia, after having import
ed thirty five thousand already 1 And increase them
you certainly must, or quit yrur purpose wi?h in
famy. But whence to procure rhe augmentation ?
Ave, that's the question -The Prince of Htfe will
tell you, bye der donder, ich bebher nix sneer.
I have received repeated affur^nces from forei, a
powers of their pacific difpoft.ons.
And dees your Majesty believe those assurances?
Out of your own mouth I will prove that you do.
not—For
But at the time when the armaments in the ports of
France and Spain continue —to confirm, I Gppofe,
the assurances of their pacific difroftion. What, all
the powers of Europe pacific, and France and Spain
continuing their hostile preparations! For shame,
Sir, bafiile your fpeeth maker, for not putting his
contradidiont at a greater distance than tha. of two
sentences.
I will a!wa:s be a faithful guardian of the honour
of the crown of Great Britain.
A very proper keeper of what has been loft ever
since the 25th of OAober, 1760 the very day that
your Majesty ascended the throne!
The various fertices 1 have mentioned to you will
unavoidably require large (applies.
As true a word as ever was spoken; and larger
supplies than your parliament can furnifh Have
you heard, Sir, that your troops have already been
obliged to take Pennsylvania currency; and that
when they cannot rob, you cannot pay ?
I will flea liiy pursue the meafares in which we are
e "& a g<Hfor the re eftabiifhment of that fuberdination,
&c.
How long your Majesty intends to pursue, is best
known to yourfelf—But I am confident you must
p run much fafter than you have ever yet done, or you
will not over-take rt. By your confitudonalfubordi
nation we understand a most tyrannical domination,
which we have long since bequeathed to your loyal
fubjeds < f Great Britain, whom you had ptevioufly
prepared to relish that kind of legacy.
But Ifoaf ever be watchful for an opportunity of
putting a flop to the effufon of the blood of my fubjefts,
and the calamities which are inseparable from a fate
of war.
Ring the bells! Ring the bells backward ! To
church, all hands to church; for Nero is to give us
a sermon against murder, and Jonathan Wild an ex
hortation to abstain from robbery!
And ljlili hope that the de uded and unhappy mul
titude will return to their allegiance —
And when the sky fills we Ihall catch larks -
And so, the late infignificantfaßion is now multiplied
Ito a multitude. Indeed, did yau but know, Sir,
what a multitude it is, you would as soon thiik of
levelling Mount ZEtna, as of conquering America.
But they are not deluded, Sir. They knew that
you had projected their slavery; and they will not
be enslaved. If there be any delusion in the case,
it is the British nation that is deluded, and it is de
nuded by yeu, and yourfelf are deluded by a set of
villains, who expelled to have divided cur estates
upon the success of your arms. Allegiance we owe
you none. Then, Sir, did we (how our allegiance
I when we lay prostrate at your throne, supplicating
Ifor the continuation of those liberties, which God
and nature and the law had given us; and when you
spurned us from it.
That the remembrance of what they once enjoyed, the
regret of what they have left, and the feelings of what
the, now fuffer under the tyranny of their leaders, will
rekindle in their hearts a Jpis it of loyalty to their sove
reign, and of their attachment to their mother count/,.
If you will be pleated, Sir, to allow yourfelf a
moment's reflection, you will find they have loft no
thing that was worth keeping. They have loft no
thing but the pleafurc of being oppressed under co
lour of law; and of enriching myriads of harpies of
your appointment, and appointed for the express
purpose of fleecing them, aud of lavishing the fruits