Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-10-22 00:00:00, page 4

To fifyfiu^T^R of the Pennsylvania Packet.
SIR,
TO tace the views and proceedings of a certain
party in the United States from the beginning of
cur ftrv^ks' to the present day, and to remark their
windings, doublings, t^idings, crossings and various
manoeuvres to deceive the people, would require much
patie :ce and an unremitted attention to a black icene as
ever was exhibited in any age or country. 1 thallat
present mention but one instance of their conduct in the
years 65 and 6, and contrail it with their behaviour in
toe pretax year 76. When tyranny began to manifeft
its intention to ftraiien its cords and bind us in all cases
whatever, for God's Lke said they submit to some abridg
ment of liberty rather than run the venture of being
Intown into a fcte of anarch, and confvfon. Now this
<auovus and wed-meaning party can go on from one
KecK to another in the molt composed manner to plunge
a whole State into the condition they then seemed to
start di. What lets is the unavoidable consequence of
the favorite ferine of overthrowing our civil confitution
without preceding one tingle measure for eftablilhing
another ! ,
I would aft those movers of real sedition whether the
created authority in this country did not in the most
solemn manner declare the former government was dif
fulved, and recommend it to every State they represented
to edablilh a new government on the authority of the
people oul, ? Dd not a representation from every diftria
in Peanfyivana meet in Philadelphia and agree upon
the time, places, mode of election, number and propor
tion of delegates which should convene at the metropolis,
for the express purpose of cftablifhing a government?
D:d not the Convention meet at the time and place ap
pointed, and aftera mature deliberation and frequent
agit. tion of every important article in their form, in the
inod open manner, unanimously agree that the power of
their constituents Should be disposed of in the way they
have ordained ? Does any individual presume he has
more sense and hooefty than that combined body was en
coded with ? Or Eijulg he even conceit he had, can he
Le are that a contravention of the voice of the whole
people it their full and fair representative will produce
a happy effect ? Do any of our carpers at the Conven
"."" arid the constitution they have established, (hew any
diipofition to hive it amended in a fife and orderly man
ner ? Is not their cry demolish, set aside and destroy it ?
Can any one be totally unapprehenfive of the consequen
ces of inch a step ? Certainly no ! Of late indeed they
lee^i in conversation to acknowledge as much, and pro
pose cos.pofitions ; let us, fay they, inftru& our judges
to omit the oath ot allegiance, and inftru& our Assembly
to alter it in those parts we complain of, and then we will
be pretty well fatisfied. But who are we that are to
tiUKe these salutary Ibp^lations ? A very refpe&able
number of gentlemen of the firft chara&er and fortune
in the State, itis answered. But to what purpose can
any number of gentlemen stipulate with a few of their
neighbours in any city, town or diftri& for the altera
tion of one iota of a constitution ellablifhed by the
authority of the whole community ? Surely such a mea
sure would be an immediate reparation of themselves from
the body of the Common-Wealth, and in fa& some of
them are open enough to acknowledge the confluence,
and tell u 3 as plainly as they think will bear, that Lord
Howe is expected to pay us a visit in Philadelphia.
The truth is. my countrymen, there is but one fafe
path for you to walk in. The constitution is as much
your a&, and indeed more so, than any law that was ever
made by your frmer Assembly ; for in this establishment
you had no partner in the case, you had no King, no
Lord Proprietor, no during pleafore, Councellor of my
Load's chafing, to bias your deliberations: You were
absolutely tree, and tremendous to imagine, it is with
much reason feared, if an elcdon cannot be prevented
had a government on this balls be once established, no
art nor force will hereafter be able to wrest it out of your
hands. One thing is abfoiutely undeniable if you can
new be persuaded to quit your hold of it, you will never
again find yourselves in a condition to recover it.
The capital obje&ion to our constitution, is its sim
plicity. It is said that the experiment is new, unprece
dented and very dangerous. The two firft positions I
plumply deny. The ancient Saxon constitution, which
has commanded universal applause, was just as simple,
till like the Romans, and too many warlike States, they
iuffered their leaders in war to become their tyrants in
peace. 'Tis true that the man who established monarchy
and laid the foundation of aristocracy in England was
the father of his people ; and could the wisdom and pa
triotism of himfelf and his grand councils have defeend
ed with their encreafed power, it had been well for man
kind. But alas ! no man will pretend that was the case.
Refolding the danger we are so often alarmed with I
cannot be persuaded it is considerable. If we religiou'fly
prevent the legislature from meddling with the confti
tutian, or in other terms from granting and establishing
powers, and places of honor and profit for themselves
we Ihall never have much to fear from them. This our
enemies are confeious of ; and for this very cause we
hear of the measure of applying to the Assembly to alter
the constitution.
The oath or affirmation ofallegiance is another might
ty Tumbling block in the way of our gentry, to whole
ears the words Liberty, Independence, Common-Wealth
Free Constitution, have always been ungrateful founds:
It is this, " I- do swear (or affirm) that I will be
" true and faithful to the Common- Wealth of Pennfyl
" vania : And that I will not directly or indirectly do
" any a& or thing prejudicial or injurious to the confti
" tution or government thereof as eftablilhed by the
" Convention."
Could any one suppose an oath of allegiance entirely
absurd or nugatory, and prove that we have a right to the
piotfdion of a government which, we are heartily dis
posed to prejudice, injure and entirel, overthrow as speedi
ly as we are able, this oath might then be reasonably
dispensed with ; but for people that declaim f) much
against new and dangerous experiments to recommend
PHILADELPHIA: Printed by JOHN DUNLAP, at the Newest Printing-Office in Mar^ct-Jireet, where
Subferiptions at Ten Shillings per Annum, Advertisements, %. are thankfully received for this Paper.
experiments efthis nature, e^n enly fee accounted for
on the principle which has influenced the party from the
beginning, ' a single e,e' to the success of their own ava
ricious and ambitious projects!
A word upon the religious test, and I shall dismiss the
fuhje& for this time. It is said that by this test a dieft,
Jew or Mahometan may at some future day come to be a
Jegiflator in this chriftian Common-Wealth. To this
it is answered that Jesus Christ was himfelf a good deal
pressed on this head, by his own immediate followers, and
afforded them as little, if not less fatisfa&ion in the pre
mises, than the Convention has now given.*
Finally as our Convention has made the most ample,
wife and falotary provision for the amendment of our
constitution, as early as it can be presumed experience
will discover its defe&s, it is hoped every man who
would not wish to fee his country involved in rapine,
bloodshed and deffru&ion, will most heartily afford his
assistance to establish a lawful government, which may
befome check on the cruel spirit oferigroffing, mono
polizing, regrating, foreftalling and extortion, which
already flares every honest man in the face, and unless
speedily and effe&ually suppressed will soon establish dif
tinßion enough among us.
DEMOPHILUS.
* Luke 2%. 24. 29, John 18. 36. Are there not man,
Gentile Lords among us avbo have a most raging tbirft Jor
the exercise of dominion ?
They have directed, that " the votes and proceedings
" of tie General Assembly shall be printed weekly du
“ ring their fitting, with the yeas and nays on any quef
" tion, vote or resolution, when any two members re
“ quire it." —They have refufed to enter the yeas and
nays on their own minutes.
They have directed, that “ all bills of public nature
" shall be printed for the consideration of the people ;
“ and, except on occasions of sudden necessity, shall not
" be passed into laws until the next session of Assembly."
They printed, indeed, their plan of government for
consideration ; but would not allow the molt important
articles of it to be afterwards amended or even debated
in the House, because it " was fully debated and deter
“ mined before." Instead of fuffering an adjournment
to intervene between the publication of their plan, and
their final determination upon it ; and thereby giving
the people an opportunity and leisure to judge, and to
express their sentiments concerning it; they did the
whole business in one session (though a pretty long ad
journment might have taken place between its beginning
and its end) without knowing whether it would be
agreeable or disagreeable to the State. They have gone
farther—they have required of every elector, before he
shall be admitted to the firft privilege of a freeman, an
oath, that he will not dire&ly or indirectly, aft any thing
prejudicial or injurious to what they have done.
They have directed, that " trials shall be by Jury as
" heretofore." In one of their ordinances, inflicting a
new punishment, they have deprived the citizens of a
trial by Jury.
They have directed, that "Justices of the Peace shall
be elected by the freeholders." They themselves have
appointed Justices of the Peace.
I conclude, as I began, with what will henceforth be
allowed a maxim— lt is safer to give, than to sake an
advice. Z.
❖+O+++*+*4¥® -|¥+*4#
WATERTOWN, October 7.
WEDNESDAY last arrived at Boston, a prize
brig taken by the Continental ship Columbus,
Abraham Whipple, Esq; Commander, bound from An
tigua to Ireland, with rum.
To the Printer of the Pennsylvania Packet.
MUCH clamour is made about the oath required
by the late Convention, from the electors in this
State. It is the fubjeft of private conversation : It is in
tioduced into clubs : It is become a topic of declamati
on in the news-papers. It has been represented as a
measure entirely zuitbeut a precedent ; as an unheard oj
insult upon a free people. I would have justice done the
oath ; and therefore beg leave, through the channel of
your paper, to inform luch gainsayers, and thole who
have been milled by them, that the oath is not unprece
dented, and that it is not an unheard of insult. I can
produce an instance as like it, as one crow is like ano
ther. Oliver Cromwell made a constitution. Now you
know, Mr. Printer, that Oliver Cromwell could talk as
finely as any one in favour of liberty, and the power of
the people ; and that he was, in fa&, a fierce enemy to
tyranny, unless when he w^s to exercise it himfelf. His
plan, like that of the late Convention, spoke for itielf
to the reason of the people : But he knew that, in these
matters, reason alone is not always fufficient. He added
another firing to his bow. He placed guards before the
Parliament-house with orders to fuffer none of the mem
bers to enter, till they took an oath not to prejudice or
injure the government as he had planned it. I hope this
instance will remove, from the oath of the Convention,
the reproach of novelty. These who apply the fame
reproach to some of its other proceedings, will be fatis
fied by consulting the history of the Oliverian age, that
they are only repetitions of what has been tranfa&ed in
former times. w.
For tbe PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
I Have often heard it said, that it is easer to give, than to
take an advice. Whether this observation has alread,
obtained the rank and dignity of a maxim, I am not en
tirely certain ; but its authority, as such, will be esta
blished beyond all dispute hereafter, by adducing, as a
proof ofit, the late Convention, who, I have reason to
believe, will stand an example to future ages.
They have directed, that "no member of the House
" of Representatives (hall, while he continues such, hold
" any other office, except in the militia."—They have
made some of their own members, members of Congress,
others members of the Council of Safety, and others
Justices of the Peace.
Last Wednefday",returned to Salem, after a short cruise,
the brigantine Maffichufetts, of this State, commanded
by Capt. Souther. He informs, that a few diys after be
failed he fell in with and took a brigantine of about „,
tens, from Falmouth in England, mounting fix 3 poun
ders, and having on board a Captain and about : v pri
vates of the 16th regt, of dragoons, with their norfes
and accoutrements, also the Chaplain of said regiment,
and some dry goods, which the Capt. fays is his own
property. The whole number of prisoners 35. This
vessel failed from Falmouth the 27th of July, just a month
after they embarked, in company with 12 others, under
convoy of the Daphne of 32 guns, from whom they
parted but a day or two before they were taken ; they
all had the fame kind of cargo, making in the whole 239
horses. A fleet of about 70 fail failed about three days
before them, under a strong convoy having on board the
remainder of the 16th regiment of dragoons, and the
last division of Hanoverians, consisting 'tis said, of 5000
men, bound to New-Yoik. They were short of horse
provisions, some of the horses died of the flaggers, and
'tis supposed the late gales have destroyed many more.
The people in England, we hear, began to be very
uneasy.
The prize above mentioned, we learn, arrived at
Townfepd at the eastward the middle of last week.
A privateer belonging to Salem which arrived there
last Thursday, fell in with the fleet of 12 fail, and was so
closely pursued by the Daphne, that the enemy fired
musk t balls into her ; but by heaving over all her guns,
water and prov ficis, and by sawing down her upper
works, they (^ra" Iv) efeaped.
W^lfo hear that three more prizes have arrived at
the raftward, two laden with filh, the other with ma
laffes.
We hear that Capt. Greely in a privateer belonging
to Boston, who failed from thence last Monday afternoon™,
sent into Marblehead last Friday a prize brig, laden with
pork and bes.
Saturday last a sloop laden with lumber, was sent into
Boston by Capt. Waters. She was bound to New-York
from the eastward.—ls it not aftonifbing that there fhauM
still be such people among us, who would supply our ene
mies to cut their own throats?
PHILADELPHIA.
Extract of a letter from Baltimore, October 12.
" "^ have nothing new here, save the arrival of a
Spanish brig in our bay from the Havannah; the Captain
confirms their having declared war against the Portu
guese; that a number of Spanish men of war and troops
had already arrived at the Havannah, on some secret ex
pedition ; he has brought 10,000 Spanish milled dollars
to procure provision for them, and fays we may expe&
a number of their vessels to the continent in the course
of the winter."
Extract of a letter from Boston, October 7.
" We just now hear that the Spaniards have declared
war against the Portugueze. The account comes by a
privateer just arrived from a cruise off Cape Finniftre,
where she took a Turkey-man with a great deal of cash
and valuable goods on board, and three other prizes.
He engaged a Guinea ship which blew up in the en
gagement."
Extras of a letter from Harlem, October £.
"r e ' u " "a" half an hour's conversation with
L ° rd ? terlln g> w ho returned from his captivity yesterday,
who fays, that he believes, from his best intelligence,
that the enemy does not exceed 15,000 sick and well, but
is certain they are not 16,000 in all. The reinforce-
^ en tf they can receive consist only of the last division cf
the Hrffians, about 3000. This he knows from the in
formation of one who saw the fleet at sea, which consisted
of abdut 70 fail, among which were 300 heavy horses
for carriages. 3or 400 light horse are arrived, but ne
more expected.”
Extract of a letter from Harlem, October 13.
Yesterday morning about 4000 of the enemy landed
at Fagg's or Frog's Point, in the found, about 6 miles
above us; a detachment was immediately sent to oppose
them : The enemy got possession of the point, but as I
was informed last night had made no farther progress.
Our people, I am told, had taken up a bridge which wac
an d celled trees across the road, to obftru& them
r a r ,~° rcement could arrive. In the afternoon
fail passed the mouth of Harlem river, in their way to the
point ; they consisted of (loops, schooners, brigs, and g
mips. I expe& there will be bloody work there to day.
From the number of men landed and the ships which
U {'-/ think this can be no feint, but that the main
body of Howe's army must be there, and that there he
intends to make his coup de main. This week will pro^
campaign.—Upon the arrival of the (hips
at Dobb $ Ferry they landed some men and plundered a
Itoie-houle. I suppose those men who landed yesterday
are to go across the country, and form a line from Fag,'s
Point to 'arry Town, four miles above Dobb's Ferry,
"'' eie , , ""P 8 lie, but in this I expert they will be mif
taKen.
By express from General LEE, at Amboy, dispatch
ed on Saturday fe'nnight, we learn, that the enemy had
evacuated Staten-Island, and that our people had again
taken possession of it.
Saturday fe'nnight arrived here a ship taken by the
brig General Montgomery, she proves to be the ship
Thetis, Capt. May, with 310 hogsheads of sugar,
puncheons of rum, & c . from Montego Bay for London
and belonged to a fleet of near 200 fail, who left Jamaica
in August last, under convoy of two men of war. The
above ship, in coming up, touched on the Cheveaur de
Frize, where (he would have, in all probability funked
it not been for the timely assistance (he received from the
Row Galley-men.
On Tuesday the Bth inst. at one o'clock in the morn
ing, departed this life, in the 6ad year cf her aye, Mrs.
ELIZABETH ROSS, reli& of John Ross, Esq;
late of this city, Counfellor at Law. And on Wednes
day her remains, attended by a number of refpe&able
inhabitants, were interred in St. Paul's Church.'