The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-03-31 00:00:00, page 1

1 hisEveningat 6 o'clock,
At th'Cbff^-boufe^
Will be Sold by Public Au&ion,
THE
Prize ' Brigantine' Hope,
With all her Talkie, Apparel and Furniture, agreeable
to an Inventory th be seen at the place of fale d
By Order o' the Court of Admiralty,
March w CLEMENT BIDDLE, Marshal.
, Philadelphia, Beb. zß:b, 1781.
The gentlemen' acting as Lieu
tenant in rhis State, will observe that a considerable
penalty is inflicted by the pfefent Militia Law, on thole
who neglect to return their accounts for Settlement in
a certain limited time therein men^oned ; they are
likewise informed that ^0 account will be passed at the
Auditors effice unefs the captains returns, by which
the Sab Lieutenants made tlaeir coftefbonware produ
ced ; and also returns of alt the daffein ther respec
tive diftri&ty in order to sfeer ^n, that the fines im
posed by the a&'of March ?o'b i„o; are duly'collect
ed and accounted for. The Lieutenants and Sub Lien
tenanta, whole*accounts prior to the puffing the present
Militia Law, remain unsettled, may be assured, that
eff &ual Iteps will be aken to oblige an immediate fet
tlem/nt..
TO BE SO L D,
Sundry Lots; in 9 this City, on
Lombard, Front, Second and South -ft re&ta: Also, A
few LOTS in the Diftrft cfSouthwark.
T 6 BE L E T,
The Mansion House of the fate
JOSEPH WHARTON, iff Southwark, and that larre
WHARF and STORES near the Speed's Church
For Terms apply to CHARLES WHARTON, one 0
the Executors to the Eft,te of Joseph Wharton,deceafed
James Newport,
Has removed to his new Diftille,, and Grocery Store,
the second door above the Bank-meeting, in Front
ftreef.'
tie continues to Sell, as usual, Wholesale and Retail;
And SPIRITS cf WINE, proper for medicinal Uses,
or for railing the Pioof of Rum, &c.
N. B. Particular Encouragement is given to those
Who purchase of him to fell again.
ALL Persons indebted to the estate of
DARBY SAVAGE, deceased, either by bond,
note or book debt, are hereby desired to make imme
diate payment to the fuhferiber, in Fourth ftre;t, near
thenew chapel ; and ah Persons having any demands
-against said estate, are likewise defied to exhibit their
accounts, on or before the firft day of May next, in
order that they may be fettled, by
ANN SAVAGE, Executrix.
BRYAN O'HARA, -)
JOHN DUGAN/ } Executors.
JOSEPH CASSIN, 3
Whereas complaint has been
foade to the commiffionets for the city and county of
Philadelphia, by the colle&ors of the continental taxes
in Dork-ward, that they cannot procure or obtain the
taxes due on sundry lots, Situate on the north fide of
South-ftrest, in said Wad, the property of Barron,
Hurtt, and Company: NOTICE is therefore given,
that unless the above named perlon), or their certain
attomies or agents, difeharge and pay the faxes justly
due on Did estates, on or before the 13th d)y of June
n ™'> '"'"'"' '^ ':"' hereof, so much of the premises
will be fold as may be efficient to discharge said taxes,
with cost, agreeable to the I vs of this commonwealth.
Given Under our hands, this 9 th day of March, 17S1.
JOHN BROOKE.,
PRESTLEY BLAKISTON, , Commiffionm.
GUNNING BEDFORD, J
Brandy,
Geneva,
Weft-lndia Rurriv
Philadelphia ditto,
VOL. X. 1
SATURDA 1^
&^IWOWI^^
OR, THE•
GENERAL ADVERTISER.
Annifeed Water,
Orange ditto.
Cinnamon ditto,
Mint Cordial,
Published every TUESDAY and SATURDAY.
JANUS, N°-VII.
" Let us beware of divulging the truth to
" those who are incapable of underhand-
Ltotif ' " '°' Rosseav.
HERE are two points, on which the enemy
1 have not attempted to excite our jedoufy. The
firft is, the articles of our treaty with France ; the se
cond, the aids and fuccours which we have received
from this nation. Had there been the lea ft partiality
in the former, or ought feeble or ineffectual in the lat
ter, their commissioners, & who were men of great sub
tlety, would not have been so Silent, as to the one,
nor their hireling writers as to both.
,We hav^ ventured a few observations on the treaty,
let us take a flight review of the advantages derived
from their fuccours.
It does not always happen, that allies in the coyrfe
of a war continue to have the fame objects add ' points
of action, with which they set out. This change of
mtereft has not unfrequently given rife to languor on
one fide, and complaints on the otter. More than
once, oh this account, have the Engler censured the
Dutch, But it is peculiar to France and these States, 1
that the objects and intefrefts of each, are the objects
j and nterefls of both, which cannot fail preserving a
spirit and harmony of concert, the most favourable
to the war. One.great object with America, was to
procure an al y, capable of oppofihg Great^Britain at
sea, and of invading her by land. This obtained,
it determined what force we mould have to oppose,
and the exertions and means necessary to be called
forth on our part. For war is an affair of calcu
lation, notwithstanding its refolds may often seem
beyond the compass of figures.
I must confefs, however, that there has always ap
peared to me a generous deleft in the French sy stem
for this war. If its end is to less n the flrength of the
enemy, and thereby compelbim to an honorable peace
with these States, it matters not, whether this be done
by operations in the East-Indies, or tie Wefl-Indies,
or in|England itfelf. This being certainly the deeding
principle, I cahnot help observing, that the wir ffiould
haven fallen upon those parts of Great-Brit^in or ne r
territory, most conseq uential, and which afforded the
best profpea of success. But, perhaps France, in
wishing to bring her assistance nome to our senses, by
applying it, as it were tinder l our eyes, has greatly
encreafed her expfences,- and, are we not right in fay
ing, loft several occasions of acquiring both glory and
new dominion. We must, oeverthelefs acknowledge,
that great advantages were derived from the operati.
008 of the fleet, sent to this coast under count d'Ef
taign; and yet, in all probability, -the advantages
would have been much greater, and more sensibly felt,
had he gone diredly to the Welt Indies. Jamaica
was in no condition to have refilled his arms, and must
have fallen an easy and princely conquer. This would
have been a more trying loss to England, than the
lofsof Howe, and besides must have Id to other im
mediate and important benefits. But these views were
given up, in order, as it were, to please a. young and
thoughtless people. I would not with to cast the most
distant reflexion on this early rtieafure, efp'ciiby as
it was undertaken to serve our interest. Both plans
have their different recommendations. Although that
brie against Jamaica promised more certainties, ftifl
the latter accomplished a great deal. But for one cir
curhfiance, and, perhaps it would have been com
pleatly fuccefsful. The count d'Eftaign offered our
pilots a vast sum of money to carry him into the har
bour of New. York ; but their ahfwers, rtfpeßing
its practicability, by no means corref ponded with the
ardent wishes of the generals of both nations.
We place to the account of this expedition the evri
cuaticn of Philadelphia, and all the advantages which
have refused from this event. Is it nothing to have
given back to our possession the frft city in America ?
It also deranged the enemies plans, and from an of
fenfive campaign, which, by their ch nging their ge
neral, appears to have been intended, obliged them
to aft merely on the defenfive. It forced them to a
hazardous march through the Jersey, incumbered
with a huge train of field apparatus, which they were
.afraid to trust on board their Dipping: It fubjeded
them tp an engagement at Monmouth, that termi
nated in our favor. It destroyed a great number of
frigates, particularly at Rhode- Island. It gave a frefh
spring to our trade, by the capture of many of their
; privateers, and by keeping their navy shut up in port,
or collected to a point.
If we follow this fleet so the Weft Indies, we find
it compelling the enemy to fend from this continent a
part of their army, under general Grint, and from
Europe troops and ships, that would have been em
ployed here. If we recur to the effects of the French
armaments in Europe, we shall find these coinciding
THE
With the grand principles of the war. The preparafiJ
ons made by France, seemingly to invade England,
net only obliged the enemy to retain at home, as ma
ny regular troops as possible, but so detain their fri
gates, to watch the motions of the French ; to oppose
ra ° " e ' renc lr large fleets ; and to bring into the
n °,'™ e "y body of militia, at an immense cost.
On the leaft movement of the French troops to the sea
° r u P° n the smallest embarkation, England was
obliged to take from the plow, and her manufactures,
a considerable proportion of her most valuable peo
ple. It was easy for France to repeat this manoeuvre
as often as she pleased with an army of two hundred
jj°° °' ne 'y thousand men This single manoeuvre pro
duced much good, at a small expence/ If it was not
a " e °ded f with 'the deftrußion of the human species, it
effected beyond a victory. It suspended the industry
of the enemy; it diminished her powers to prosecute
the war, and produced 'every where languor, inflead
of exertion.
While the French were engaged in these meafuresf
to what profit did we turn them? Let us enquire. We
remained, as it were, idle fpe&ators, expecting to fee
our enemy removed from America by a miracle ; or
what Was equal to one, an order from the Eritifh par
liament. In this, period, when wife men talked wish-
o "t ,eafoning, the greatest heresies in politics were
f ° r truths - New-York was to beevacu~
ated. There was no n ceffity to encreafe our ex
pences, by an Tencreafe of opr army France would
do every thing, it was therefore uneconomical to do
any thing. This madness of reasoning was every
where prevalent. Our military measures relaxed :
Our finances became more embarrassed: A new de
gree of flrength arose to the enemy out of our inacti
vity ; 2,d he forthwith conceived the project of the
conquest or the souther States.
Had it not been for the operations of dur allies
during these conjunctures, there is no laying what
would have been our fate at this hour. Count d'Ef
taign, in returning to Europe from the Weft-Indies
meght have reduced Halifax, or destroyed the British
settlements on the banks of Newfoundland. In place
of this, he was induced/ at the intreaty of the south
ern Bates, to attack Savannah. This enterprize, tho f
unfucceisful, occasioned the loss of a number of the
enemies ships, among which was the Experiment, com
manded by the famous Wallace. It afro appears
general Clinton s public letter, that the fear of the
ount s armament prevented him from executing his
^f^ s to the southward, as fodh as had been pro
jected ; and of course gave us time to put Charles-
Town in a better slate of defence ; whife it exposed
him to the floras/ which ruined the best part of his
cavalry.
. Thesis no doubt butthat theenem/, after the cap
ture of Charles town, would have puftied their arms in
that quarter, -with all possible vigor, had not Clinton
been forced to return to Nen-York, with a coniidera.
b.e part of his army. This was produced by intelli
gence of the Chevalier de Ternay' sand Count de Ro
chambeaift preparations for this coast. The manee.
vres in the Weft-Indies, also, obliged them to lessen
their numbers, and to detach 1500 men from Charles
town to St. Augustine: we may add, that they could
not make their detachment for Virginia, till after Rod
ney's arrival from the Weft Indies.
[I do not mention more recent in stances, nor pre
sent ones. The effefts of the sudden arrival of thte
French fqn^dron in the Cnefapeak, while Cornwallis
was pressing h^ march to Arnold, is known to evert
body/] It saved Virginia,- (and went near to ruia
Cornwallis's army.J
It is owing to these circumstances that we fiav4 not
experienced wo r se effeßs from 0 T indolence or ildift
cretion. It is owing to these, that the wealth of our
merchants have so considerably augmented ; that our
commercial tranfafhons have been extended' -and that
our Ships have passed and repaffed with an'enc/eafed
fafety. It is owing to these, that our privateers have'
so greatly difireffed the trade of the ^my, and en
riched their owners. If is owing to these, that the
treasury of Great Britain has been exhausted on a na
vy that was not fuffered to do us much injury • and
in keeping up large bodies of troops 'in England and
Ireland that oth^rwife might have been employed
against us. It is owing to these that she enemy hive
been confined for feveraf years to a defenfive sy stem-
In.fine; no all, could have more faithfully fulfilled the
objects of the war. France has even anticipated our
wishes. The armament under Count de Roohambeau^
was ordered before any public application was re
ceived from Congress. It may be also mentioned as
a Singular inflance of generality, that this force is
fuppor ed by their Prince, and at the fame time sub
ordinate to the commands of General Washington.
J/hen this nation confers a favor, it u dope withouta
MARCH 31, 1781.
[ NUMB; 720.