The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-07-15 00:00:00, page 2

DOCTOR MORGAN's Vindication.
(Continued from our las.)
DOCTOR BINNEY has given me a certificate
of what he knew of the state of the sick under my
care at Newark, the fame I have already quoted to prove
'that they did not fuffer under my care, and that the
'fick and wounded were as well taken care of as tneir fitu
' ation and citcumftances seemed to admit.' On acquaint
ing him with Dr Snippen's having referred to him, as
above, in his letter to Dr. Ruffe, he immediate!) lurmlhcd
me with the following certificate as an antidote to the poi
son, contained in Dr. Shipin's insinuation.
'' Whereas it is affected that Dr. Shippen in a letter, da
' t J New irk Novem >er io, 17'76, having mentioned the
' fuff rings of toe sick at Newark under the direction of
, ' Dr. Morgan', as very extraordinary, and that it might
' be deemed improper for him particulars to take notice
6# D them, did refer to me, among others, as a proper per
' son to poi,;t them out I hereby certify that I never did,
' to the bell of my recollection, by letter to Dr. Shippen,
' by converfatibn or otherwise fay any t ring which could
' authorize him to make fetch reference to me.
B BINNEY.
' PbUad^ba, December 12, 1=78.',
I have no doubt that Col. Potter, now Genera! Potter,
Toll deny that he ever ga^e Dr. Shippen any authority t®
make use of his name, to , leak his owndark designs. How
ever, if he has any thing to lay to my charge, why does
he not fCp fath ? Whenever he (hall Ae fit to do it, I
shall chearhdly confront him.
In what light members of Congrtfs may fee fit to view
this iniquitous proceedings of a designing man toabufe
and iniflead them, with a view to degrade anchdifplace me,
in the mioft ot my best exertions to serve my country at
the hazard of my life, muff be left to the sense they enter
tain of the injury and dishonour done to their refpeftable
body, by imposing on their too easy belief..
1 now close my detail of fads with a declaration of my
assurance that I cannot once admit a supposition tact the
most venerable assembly of men in America will duffer a
faithful servant, who from principles of patriotism, and
uofh^ken love to his country, has paid the ftriaefi obedi
ence to toe resolves of Congress and commands of his su
periors in office, and well served and well deferred of bis
country, to be made a victim to family interest and con
nexions, or the facridee of, incendiary ambition and ma
lice
Taus have I proved what I had promised in vindication
of my conduct and that by the highest authorities in the
army oft e Unit'd States, the most competent to pass a
judgment on that conduct. lean fay, with heart felt pie.-
fare, tuat I have done my duty faithfully as a friend 0 toe
liberties of my beloved country. It is on this account I
have not abmd medany native sh res, ani feught an asy
lum from perfecu ion and flanker amongst Grangers in a
distant linl I can, with equal pl Ture add, that I have
done my du y with zeal and fidelity as a servant of the
public.
I have taken no toll out of the sums which have puffed
through iny lands I nave who eld no stores from tee
sick entrusted to raycare, nor dissipated them by a laviih
compliance with the unauthorized demands of those who
willed to m^ke a tool of me, to answer their own sordid
purposes. Neither through my prv.te plans of aggran
dizement, nor through my inattention to business, has
this country been alarmed with the progress and fatality of
pat i fevers, bred oy cr >uding the sick too much together
in .dote rooms, or by Tuning them up to starve and fa
mith. The high roads mid placeso thefi id have not been
converted into fpulchres of the dead fr mi my fohciting a
change I was not qualified to execute. Nor have church
yards been made fat with the numbers of the dead, whole
blood cries to Heaven tor punishment of my neglect
Sacrificed as I have been to the wr kednefs and designs
of others, I have Jung to trie beloved place of my nativi
ty. Her in crafts Dy fti.'l near my heart, and were I now
to expire, I could join Father Paul of V, nice in this pray
er for the liberty and welfare of my country, Esto Pcr
fetua, JOHN MO RG A N.
FbCadflftbia, February 1, 1,79
' No fault, I believe, ever w s or could "be found with
6 the ©economy of the Hospitals, during your Direßor
' flip. Tnin sin the hrft flage o' the war were plentiful
' and cheap, and I am inclined to think, that you contri
• buted as much as Dy in your power, to provide at the
6 lowed rates. What were the expenditures in your time,
'I do net know.
C I very well remember that when the army marched
6 from B^flon to New York, you remained behind, by
' my orders, to 'collect medicines, and that you were a
' considerable time employed in that service. But I will
-not undertake to fay what quantity, or of what kind the
' medicines were that you procured.
' The troops, while they remained in the city of New
< York, and while they were encamped near Harlem, were
exceedingly sickly, and died faft. But I cannot pretend
*to assign the precise cause or causes. I believe much may
be attributed to theraw nefs cm the men, unused to a camp
life ; to the want of necessaries, and to the extreme fa
tigue they were obliged to undergo, during the heat of
the summer There were mutual complaints between
~he Hospital and Regimental Surgeons, of each other,
he former alledging an intention in the latter, to thwart
their measures, by. not feuding their men regularly to
he H Vpitdls; the latter asserting that they could neither
&in medicines nor Hores for the regimental sick, and
.at they buffered when at the Hospital. .During this time,
LETTERS and CERTIFICATES referred to
in DOCTOR MORGAN's Vindication.
GENERAL WASHINGTON'S LETTER.
' SIR, PlVadtlfthia, January 6, <779
gC O much time hath Hapfea fame tee several tr nfac-
O tions, upon which you require my opinion, hap
' pened, end having none ot my papers of that day to re
' fer to, I am obliged to trufi to my memory alone, which,
' I fear, will enable me to give but very imperfect answers
6 to the quer e, contained in yourletter of the sth instant.
' The II T itals at C mbridge being ft tionary, and in
« a country full of every necessary for the use of the patients,
' were well provided, and I imagine well attended, as I
<do not remember that any complaints were made on that
' head. Ta re were then, as there have been since, con
' mentions between the Hospital and Regimental Surgeons,
< relpeaing the line of their duty, by which the service
• hat . ever Offered more or less
Toibe inhabitants ^Pennsylva
nia in genera/, m<t;a^tcidafy boje tj the city and
r^w,bourbood oj PHILADELPHIA.
Friends and Felb'w - Citizens,
WE, the tinners, curriers, and cordwainers, ofthe
city and reignboufhood of Philadelphia, find
cursives under the difiigreea le .necessity of dating to
you the extreme hardflup and difficulty to which we are
like to be fubjrßed by the partial proceedings of the com
mittee, in redo lag the prices of the commodities /)! our
manuf fture, while tnofe of other tradefinen and most
other article of life, are permitted to remain unregulated,
and if appealing to your good sense for the justice of our
complaint.
The depreciation of our currency is a fail so notorious,
that the cause of America can receive no injury from
mentioning it in the course of the observations we are to
make: We fhdl therefore proceed to mention our ideas
ofthe matter, preferring, nevertnelefs, as much tender
ness as the nature ofthe case wiil possibly admit on so de
licate a fubjed
For many years preceding the issuing of the present
currency, the prices of skills, leather, and shoes were so
proportioned to each other as to leave the tradesmen a
bare living profit; this is evidently proved by this ir
cumflance well known to every body, th t no person of
either of these trades, however industrious and attentive to
his bufine's, however frugal in his manner of living, has
been able to raise a fortune rapidly, and the far greater
part of us have been contented to live decently without ac
quiring wealth, nor are the few among us w 0 rank as men
of property, possessed cf more than moderate elates Our
profeffions rendered us ufeful and necessary members of the
community; proud of that rank, we spired no higher, and
should never have troubled the public by drawing their at
ention to usas a body,had not an attempt been made which
(however well intended)muft ueceffarily,if perfified in,end
in the impoveiilhment and ruin of ourselves and our fami-
Les
Th^ prices of leather and shoes continued the fame as
formerly, until the depreciation of the currency had made
a considerable progress, nor did we advance our price
until the increased expence of almost every other article
of consumption rendered it absolutely necessary, and then
we kept a great distance behind many other tradesmen,
and infinitely almofl behind the advance on foreign ar
ticles Thus, in the beginning of 1777, when money
had depreciated, ®r, which is the fame thing, goods had
risen for the most part to three and four prices, our com
modities had advanced feartely two prices. 1/ you will
examine cur bills of that date, you will find sh >es worth
in former times 1 is. charged from 20s. to 225. 6d and
so in proportion for others, when we were obliged to pay
from 2s. to 3s. ,d. per lb. for meat, which formerly cost
us from 3d. to Sd. per lb and in the like proportion for
most other articles of provisions, flour excepted.
Another circum dance which has borne very hard on us,
is the nature of our trade; we had few ready money cus
tomers, but relied principally on supplying the families of
our fellow citizens, with whom we kept accounts, which
' T believe, the feeds of those disorders and difiempers
' were sown, which broke out with so much violence later
'in the fall.
, ' When the army was under the necefiity of removing
' from York Inland to the White Plains, and part of it
c from thence to N^w Jersey, we were peculiarly distressed
' for want of the means of transport tion, by which the
' sick undoubtedly furbred in their removal. Ido not
' recoiled that y®u Were charged with personal inatten
' tion cr want of activity, but the cl irnours were loud a
' fainft the department in general, and the miserable con
' ditibn of the sick in ell quarters, is a sass too well known
' and remembered. Whether this was owing to defeat in
' the medical system, or to any other unavoidable <aufes,
' you, I imagine, will be able to point out to the Commit
' tee of Cobgrefs, appointed to give you a hearing.
' The resolve of Congress, appointing Dr. Shippen and
'ymrfelf Directors in separate departments, o cafioned a
' disagreement betwixt you. I think particularly as to the
'difpofli of De Hospital ficres, I remember that I was
' obliged, for the good of the service, to interpole in some
c manner, but without referrence to my papers, I will not
' undertake to fay'what orders I was under the necessity
' of giving. I have underflood that the clafhing'between
' Dr. Shippen and yourfelf, was no Small cause of (he cala
' mhies teat befel the fickin 1776
' 1 car with truth acquit you of any disobedience or negc
' led of my General Orders at any time On the contrary,
' you always appeared ready to execute them, and frequent
'ly furnifhed me with directions, to be given in orders,
' for the better accomodation of the sick.
' I have every reason to think that you exerted yourfelf
' in the removal ®f the Hospital flores from New York,
' in 1776, and I well remember the fad of your flaying in
' the city among the last that Sayed. 1 am, Sir,
' Your meft obedient servant,
6 G. WASHINGTON.
To Dr. Morgan.'
(To be eonTnued.)
PHILADELPHIA
WHEREAS ata Town Meeting held in the State
House Yard on the 25th of May last, it was una\
nimoufly refolded to lower the prices of goods and provisi
ons and raifethe value of the currency, and a Committee
was at the fame time appointed to carry the said resolves
into execution.
WE, the subscribers being o' the trade o f Cord waiters,
and inhabit mts of the City and Liberties ^'Philadelphia,
impressed with the utmost anxiety for the support of our
country and our currency, and determined to giw every
assistance that in us lie, do hereby declare to our cuflom
eis and fellow-citizens, that we will make and fell ihoos,
&c for the fame prices they were made and fold for on
the firfl day of April last, agreeable to the regulations :
And having in this public manner teftified our Support of
the cause, we Ihall exped in all our dealings not to be
charged higher for any articles we m y nave occasion to
purchase hi our trades or for otir families, than the fame
were - harged oil the said firfl dav of Aprd last
GEpRGE FFLKER, PHILIP HARTING,
WILLIAM CI MP, Cf D. DICKINSON,
GEORGE WA K, NATHANIEL CURRIN,
NICHOLAS JACOBS, LAURENT E SWOAPE,
DANIEL KEHR, ADAM REIN.
Nor is it any security to us, to tell us other tradesmen
are hereafter to be regulated. Tt is perhaps in the power
of the Committee, if they should succeed against us, to re
gulate a few more trades, by taking them one by one, for
a little time ; but it cannot be laftimg, unless they can re
gulate the prices of every necessary article of life, both
foreign and domeflic ; for the price of every manufacturer
always is and must be regulated by the prices not of one
Again, the shoemaker, by the regular prices, is to pay
150 s. for upper leather, which will make four pairof shoes,
weich is 375. 6d eacr, the foals and heels will be of equal
value, which make 31. I§s. and to fell the bed shoes for
71. iOS. so that he has to find al the thread and other ne
cessary articles, pay Ins journeymen,and fupporthis family
for 3I is. Now if we compare the foregoing prices with
the journeymen's wages, we fliall find him entitled to the
whole of it. > It ic before observed, that the journeyman
had but a bare fubfiftahce by I is former wages, which
were 3s gd, per pair, he is now ^blred to pay twenty
prices for # very arti le he consumes, and of ccarf- muh
flarve bnlefsl e has twenty prices, which is fl. 15s. Ifthen
the journey man is reftifed this price he null seek other em
pl yment in which s a day labourer Ie may earn as
mu h, and if the m.fier 'radefm^n pays it, he is imme i
atly'ruined But there is another bardflip beyond bis
—The tanner mufi have a great flock beforehand, and
the cordwaiher always has a flock, whih, though mostly
rm;ll, is yet in proportion to his circumßances. These
flocks have been lain in net at any regul ted price, but at
the late very Ixtravagant rates, and the foregoing calcula
tion is made from the reduced rates, an ! if we are obliged
to work up our flock so purchased, and fell it at the low
prices fixed, we are involved in a double ruin.
Again, we underhand that the Hon. Congress have made
a requisition of sixty millions of dollars for the present
year, the amount of each individual's fliare we can come
at to a great exadneft in this manner. We all know w ; at
funis we were rated at last year, and that the sum thereby
railed was but five millions, which was on an average a
bout -s. 6d. in the pound, so th t to raise twelve times as
much we must be afieffed to 90s. in the pound. Hard then
indeed will be our case, if our taxes are multiplied twelve
fold, and our profits reduced to less than nothing.
The tanners and cordwainers are a body of men abso
lutely necessary in every community and by the enterpri
sing industry of a few ofthe former, at a time when it w^s
attended with uncommon rifque to the difeouragement of
many of them, a great quantity of hides and Ikins were
taken into their yards, with a public spirited view of Ap
plying the demands of the army and citizens, and with lit
tle profpea of gain, by these means has this country been
enabled so far as depends on that branch of business, to
Carry on the war, and it is but miserable fatisfaai®n to
them to fee a ptofpt a cf absolute ruin to fhemfelves and fa
milies, as the reward of their well meant industry and
rifque.
The Committee in a letter addressed to our President,
dated the firft inflant, which was intended as an apology
for their condud in this refpea, hint that their fixing the
prices cf our commodities firft, was in a great measure to
give us "the preference of setting the firft example as a
rule for other trades, for though only one was mentioned,
all were ; ntentionally and inelufively regulated." And
we would gladly have made that hon^r our own, by a com
pliance, did not we fee beyond a poffi ility of doubt, that
any partial regulation of any number of articles would an
fiver no en^ but that of destroying the tradesman whose
prices are limited, and after their present flock is exhausted,
leaving the country in absolute want of those articles.
What tanner will now purchase skins, if the price of his
leather fix er nine months hence, when it is fit for use, is to
be regulated not in proportion to the price he gives, the
price oflabour, the price of his provisions and clothing,
but by the will of a Committee, who perhaps are interefied
in the matter ? What sh em her will be at the expence of
employing hands, and laying in a flock when the shoes
are to be lowered in price every month ? In fine, what
tradesman will purchase raw materials, and exert his in
dustry, and expend his money, in converting them into
ufeful wares, when he knows that before they are fit for
sale, they will be depreciated in his hands below the firft
cost of his materials? It is absurd and contrary to every
principle of trade, where no man will purchase if he knows
the market is falling, it will destroy every spring ofinduft
ry, and will make it the interest of every one t® decline all
business.
were carried- in once, twice, or thrice a year, according
to cur demands for money. The articles were charged
"to them at the usual prices at the time of the delivery,
and the money continued on the decline so regularly for
about two years past, that we generally received it at a
loss of from 10 to 25 per cent, between the delivery of
the work and the time cf payment.
Our business requires a considerable number of journey
men, woo after labouring the whole week, with unabated
diligence, have usually found themselves where they
began, not being able to lay up any thing out of their
scanty wages; this ufeful body of men will be immediate
ly thrown out of employ, ifthe regulations take place;
they must seek bread elsewhere, and will leave their em
ployeisin a state of poverty, and want, and the citizens
barefooted, this is by no means exaggeration or ill groun
unded surmise, but may be fairly deduced as a necessary
consequence from the following prices. Upon the face of
the regulated prices publiflied by the committee for the
prefent'mohth, ic appears t^at the following prices ar cal
fowed'to be given, to wit.
Tea, 4.1. las. formely cost from 3s. yd. to ss. per Ib.
about twenty prices.
Sugar, 15s. to 263 formerly cost from 6d. to gd. per Ib.
about thirty prices.
Coffee, 16s. formerly cod from is. to is. 3d. per lb. about
fifteen prices.
Chocolate 4.0^ formerly cost from is. 6d. to is. led. half
penny per lb. abbot twenty four prices.
Rum, 61. izs. Cd. formerly cost from 4s. 6d^ about thirty
prices.
from this sample of necessary art? les, it appears tl?y
have allowed more than twenty prices on an average ' for
those things which tradesmen must purchase: But when
they come to limit the prices of our commodities, they re
duce us to less than fourteen prices, viz.
Seal leather, to 20s. formerly worth is. 6d.
Cilf-fkins tc isos. formerly worth 11s.
Thus the tanner must take half the number of proportion
hble pri. es for his leather than he pays to other people for
their necessary commodities.