The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-01-23 00:00:00, page 2

fotigrefe puffed on the very day, on which his firft address
was published, and is as follows.
In CONGRESS, December sth, 1778.
A letter of the 4th from Silas Deane was read.
Ordered, That Monday evening be assigned for hearing
Mr. Deane, and that he be notified to attend.
If he means the resolutions of Congress of December iff,
which is in the following words, viz.
In CONGRESS, December ift, 1778.
Resolved, "That after to-morrow Congress will meet
two hours at bast each evening, beginning at fix o'clock,
(Saturday evenings excepted) until the present date of
their foreign affairs be fully considered." He is no better
of, for not even this refolution,which does not so much as
mention Mr. Deane's name, was ever communicated to
him : On the 4th of December in the morning, he receiv
ed a letter from Henry Laurens, Esq ; the late President,
dited 3 d December, 10 o'clock at night, in which he in
forms him, "that Congress having resolved to take into
" consideration, as on that evening, the Rate of their for
" eign affairs, fu h branches as Mr. Deane had been par
" ti^larly concerned in would in due course become sub
" je?ls of deliberation, without any avoidable or unnecef
^ jay delay'." Mr. Deane on the 4th December ans
wers this letter, and observed, "that in the intimation
" given him, he did not find any time fixed for his at
" tendance." The order for his attendance on the 3th
December was passed in consequence of Mr. Deane's let
ter of the 4th, as appears by the above quoted extract
from the Journals of Congress. Neither Mr. Deane or
any of his friends ever agreed in the point, /which Com
mon Sense asserts they have.
Falsehood 9th. Mr. Common Sense fays, "that Mr.
" Deane was sent to France in the spring as a commercial
" Agent, under the authority of the Committee for for
" eigr iaffairs, he, had no commiflion of any kind from
" Congress; and his inftru&ions were to assume no other
" character than that of a merchant."
Detention. Mr. Deane was sent to France as a political
and commercial Agent, he had a commi^on ot some kind
from Congress, because he had a commission signed by a
committee, authorifed by Congress for such purpose. His
inftru&ions were not " to assume no other character than
that of a merchant, in the sense this writer means to con
vey." bat to conceal his political character under that of
a merchant..
Mr. Deane's commission from the Committee of Con
gress, and an extract of their inftruftions will prove what *
1 fay.
Th'e form of Mr. Deane's firft commission is---
W E the underwritten being the Committee, of Con
gress for secret correspondence, do hereby certify whom it
may concern, that the bearer Mr. Silas De ne is appoin
ted by us to go into France, there to tranfad such business
commercial and political as we have committed to his care,
in bebafand by authority of the Thirteen United Colonies.
In reftimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands
and seals at Philadelphia this 2d day of March, 1776.
Signed B.FRANKMN,
B. HARRISON,
JOHN DICKENSON,
ROBERT MORRIS,
JOHN JAY.
The axtraD from Mr. Dane's inftruaions is as follows.
" On your arrival in France you will for some little
“ time be engaged in the business of providing goods for
'' the Indian trade : This will ive good countenance to
" yow afearing in the cba r aßer or a merchant, which we
" wish you continually to retain among the French in ge
<neral, it being probable that the Court f f France may
' not iike it Jbould be known public/, that an, Agent from
" the Colonies is in that country.”
Falsehood 10th. Speaking of the supplies sent to Ame
rica as a present from France. Mr. Payne fays, "It was
" immediately on the discovery of this affair by the ene
" my fifteen months ago, that the minjftry began to
" changetheir ground and planned their conciliatory bills,
" &c. 'they got possession of this secret, by dealing the
" dispatches of O&ober 1 77.
Detection. The dispatches referred to contained no such
secret, as is here pretended, and though the CommifEe
hers Carlisle and Co. pretend that the conciliatory bills
were planned before the resolution of France to come into
the treaty, yet the King of Great-Britaia's speech in No
vember, and the language of Lord North, and the rest
of the Minister's 'til after the holidays give the direst he
to the Commissioners, as well as to Mr. Payne, who either
labors here to help th m out or himfelf into their compa
ny. This was clearly shown in a publication, which ap
peared a few months since in Mr. Dunlap's paper, uider
the fignatuee of W H. D.
Fagehood Itth. Speaking again of the supplies he fays,
" that the supplies which he ( Mr. D. ) so pompously
plumes himfelf upon were promised and engaged and that
as a prefect before he even arrived in France."
Detection In my lift publication I laid before the pub
lic evidence to refute this assertion, this evidence is confir
med by an unanimous refo ution of Congress of the 12th
January inftaht, which is as follows.
In C ONGRES S, January 12th, 1779.
Congress resumed the consideration of the publications
in the pennfylvania Packet of the 2d and sth infant, un
der the title of " Common Sense to the public on Mr.
Deane's affair,'' of which Mr. T. Payne, Secretary to the
Committee for foreign affairs, has acknowledged himfelf
to be the author, and also the memorials of the Minifier
Plenipotentiary of France of the sth and ioth instant, ref
peffing the laid publications. Whereupon
Resolved unanimously, That in answer to the memori
als of the honorable Sieur Girard, Minister Plenipoten
tiary of His Mos tChriflian Majesty of the §th and 10th
instant, the President be directed to assure the said Minis
ter that Congress do fully in the clearest and most explicit
manner disavow the publications referred to in his said
memorials; and as they are convinced by indisputable e
vidence that the supplies fhipt in the Amphitrite, - Seine
and Mercury were not a present, and thatHisMoft Chri
flian Majesty, the great and generous ally of these Uni
ted States, did not preface his alliance with any supplies
whatever sent to America, so they have not authorifed the
writer of the laid publications, to make any such assertions
^.afe contained therein, but on the contrary do highly
disapprove the fame.
Extract from the Minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
Falsehood 12th. Mr. Common Sense fays, " his address
to Mr. Deane (meaning his firft address) was not only
moderate but civil."
Detection. The following quotations from this address,
(being a few out of many such) prove the contrary to be
true.
" Speaking ofMr. Deane, he fays there is a certain and
“ necessary association of dignity between the person and
“ employment which perhaps did not appear when Mr.
" Deane was considered the Ambassador. His address to
" the public confirms the ju slice of this remark." Is this
civil ? He fays, "that Col. Richard Henry Lee has one
defed which perhaps Mr. Deane is acquainted with, the
misfortune of having but one hand," the obvious inuendo
of which is that Mr. Deane's was a cowardly attack. Is
this either moderate or civil ?
Falsehood I,3th. This writer fays, " that so unfortunate
were the supplies that only one flip out of the three arriv
ed ; the Mercury and Seine fell into the hands of the ene
my."
Detection. Mr. Deane has informed the public on the
14th instant," that there were eight yeffels which brought
the supplies, and that only ©ne (the Seine) fell into the
hands of the enemy." This is confirmedby the following
certificate ofMonfieur de Francy,fnow in this city)Repre
fentative ofthe house of RoderiqueHortalez and Co. who
fliipt the supplies.
The military and other stores shipped by Roderique
Hortalez and Co. in consequence of the contrast made
with them by Silas Deane, Esq; Agent for the United
States of America, were shipped on board eight vessels,
all of which failed from France for America ; the names
of the fllips were as follows : the Amphitrite, the Mercure,
the Seine, the Therese, the Marie Catherine, the Amelie,
the Mere Boobic and the FDmand, of which flips the
Seine only fell into the hands of the enemy, and that after
landing a principal part of her cargo in Martinico in the
care of Mr. Bingham, Agent for Congress.
Certified at Philadelphia, this 13th January, 1779.
1., de FRANC Y, representing the
house ofßederique Hortalez and Co.
Falsehood 14th. Mr. Common Sense fays. That the
Marquis de la Fayette not coming from France till after
the arrival of the additional Commissioners proves his for
mer assertion to be true, which was that the officers sent
over by Dr. Franklin, and Mr. Lee, were of a different
rank from the generality of those with whom Mr. Deane
contrafUd when alone.
Detention. It does not prove it to be true : For though
the Marquis left France after the arrival of Dr. Franklin,
it was in consequence of an agreement with Mr. Deane
long before Dr. Franklin or Mr. A. Lee arrived in France:
The Marqnis saw Dr. Franklin but once, and then said
nothing to him of his design : Mr. Lee he never saw at all.
Falsehood 15th. Mr. Common Sense inveighing against
Mr. Deane's agreements with foreign officers, fays, That
what renders his conduct more unpardonable is, that by
the inftrudions he took with him he was refirifted from
making them.
Detention. I am warranted in faying there is no such
reftridion in Mr. Deane's inftrudions: If there is, let
the writer produce it.
Falsehood 16th. " Mr. Deane was engaged by the
Committee which employed him to engage four able en
gineers."
Detention. Mr. Deane had no such inftruflion.
Falsehood 17th. " After the declaration of independence
was passed, Mr. Deane considered it a great hardship that
he was not authorifed to announce it in form to the Court
of France," fays Common Sense.
Detention. The following extras of a letter written by
order of Congress, July Sth, 1776, brings this assertion
of Mr. Paine's under the fame predicament with the others.
"SILAS DEANE, Efqnire,
"S I R,
" With this you will receive the Declaration of the
Congress for a final reparation with Great-Britain. It
was the universal demand of the people, justly exasperated
by the obstinate perseverance of the Crown in its tyranni
cal and deftruaive measures, and the Congress were very
unanimous in complying with that demand. You will
immediately communicate this piece to the Court of France,
and fend copies of it to the Courts of Europe.
" It is probable that in a few days infiruftions will be
formed in Congress directing you to treat with France on
the fubica of mutual commerce between her and these
States."
N. B. The declaration was made the 4th of July, 1776,
and Dr. Franklin left America in the month of October
following, and arrived in France some time in December
after.
Falsehood 18. Mr. Common Sense speaking of Mr.
William Lee, fays, " He has vacated his Aldermanfhip
by accepting an appointment under Congress, and can
know nothing farther of the matter."
Detention. The following letter from Mr. Cutler, a
young gentleman of good charader not long since arrived
at Boston from Nantes in France, thews that Mr. William
Lee has not vacated his Aldermanfhip, and that it is pro
bable he thinks further of it than his advocate Mr. Payne
imagines.
The letter is as follows, viz.
SIR, Boston, Nov. 21st, 1778.
Agreeable to Mr. Williams's desire I have to inform
you, that I have arrived from France with his accounts to
lay before Congress, with a letter and other papers to
them, and two letters for you which lam to deliver to
you; that honor I shall do myfelf as soon as the weather
will permit.
At the time I left France (the 28th September) it was
Credibly reported that William Lee, Esq; then Alderman
of London, had wrote his friends there that he foould not
resign his gown, as he intended to return and take it up
again, and convince the world that he had while in the
service of America been ading for the good of England, as
well as the United States.
I am, with great refped, Sir, your humble servant,
SAMUEL CUTLER.
Hon. Silas Deane, Esq;
•
Falsehood 19th. I have never labored to prove that the
supplies were or are a present.
Detention. As some poisons are said to be antidotes to
others, so a falfehood which has been before quoted will
prove this assertion not true.
In Mr. Dunlap's paper of the 2d January, Mr. Common.
Sense fays, The supplies which he (Mr. D.) so pompously
plumes hirafels upon, were promised and engaged, and
that as a present, before he even arrived in France.
Falsehood 20th. Speaking on the fame fubjeft, Mr.
Common Sense fays, " I can trace it myfelf to the 21st
December, 1775, and that not, as some have supposed, a
national, or Court affair, but a private though extensive
aft of friendfhip."
Deletion. The following, out of the many paragraphs
to the like purport in this writer's publications, will prove
that he affe&ed to suppose the supplies were a national af
fair, and thht he attempted to irapofe this belief on the
public.
In Mr. Dunlap's paper of the -d January, when he
ushers in his remarks upon the supplies, he fays, " If any
late, or present member of Congress has been concerned in
writing this piece, I think it necessary to tell him that he
either knows very little of the state of foreign affairs, or
ought to blush in thus attempting to rob a friendly nation,
France, of her honors, to bestow them on a man who so
little deserves them.".
In the fame paper he fays on the fame fubjefy " It is,
I confefs, a nice point to touch upon : but the necessity of
undeceiving the public with refpefl to Mr. Deane, and
the right they have to know the ear)fnendfei, of the
French nation towards them at the time of their greatest
wants will juftify my doing it."
Speaking.on the famp fubjea he Lys, “To be insensible
of a favor which has before now been pradifed between
nations, would have implied a want of just conceptions."
I shall not tire my readers with more quotations—-The
proofs are clear.
Thus I have in a plain manner furnifhed the public with
indisputable evidence of at lea ft twenty palpable ab errati-.
ons from truth in this excentric writer. If the Printer had
not objected to inferring long publications, I could have
detected him in at least ten more falfehood, or gross mis
representations; in which number is theTharge of this,
author against Mr. Deane, concerning his proposal or a
German Prince to command our armies. I ihall probably
speak of this in a succeeding publication.
In this chaos of falfehoods I have, however, discovered
two truths, which from a principal of candor, and because
they are (as Gentlemen of the Law express it) cases in
point, I beg leave to quote, without making any comment
on them.
Truth ift. In Mr. Dunlap's paper of the 31st Decem
ber, MrxCommon Sense observes, " That a fmocth flat
tering tale may do for a while,' but unless it can be (up
ported by fads, and maintained by tire moil inconteflable
proofs, it will fall to the ground, and leave the inventor
in the lurch."
Tiuth 2d. The fame writer, in a publication of Janu
ary 9, makes this observation : " Repeated instances have
shewn that the moment any man heps aside from the pub
lic interests of America he becomes defttfed, and if in of
fice, fuperceded.
I shall now co elude my observations on Mr. Common
Sense's claim to credibility as a periodical writer. What
kind of historian he will make, the public will determine
from the specimens I have furuifhed them with.
My ob est being to convince the public judgment,
(which I am sensible has been for some time bewildered)
I have not roamed in the wide field of insinuation or in
vedive; but fludioufly avoiding to call the writer on whom
I have commented, either rogue, or liar, have contented
myfelf to prove him both.
PHILALETHES.
*, Errata in the firft publication of Philalethear--.
In Mr. Beaumarchais's name, for Baron read Caron. In
the 13th line of the letter from Mr. Beaumarchais, for the
word your read ,o^. In the 36th line from the last in
serted letter, for the word excepted read expected. Where
it is said " France has secretly observed her treaties with
Great-Britain," read France has facredl, observed her
treaties with Great-Britain.
CHARLESTOWN, (South-Carolina) December 24.
ON Tuesday morning between one and two o'clock, a
fire was discovered in a stable behind Blake's build
ings inMeeting-ftreet, but was happily fooh extinguifhed.A
negro fellow belonging to Mrs. Clifford, was ^aken up on
suspicion, and is now in confinement.
A small privateer belonging to St. Augustine, last week
went into South-Edifto inlet, were flie dropt anchor ; but
the neighbouring militia assembling and having got a piece
of artillery, soon obliged her to quit her station, leaving
behind five men who had been sent afhere for provisions:
These afterwards got on board a schooner bound to Beau
fort, under pretence of wanting a passage thither, but with
an intention of carrying her off. In this they were howe
ver prevented by Capt. Fickling of Edifto, who secured
them and has since brought them to town.
On Tuesday the Fair American, Capt. Charles Mor
gan, with some other vessels, arrived here from St. Eufta
tius. By them we have accounts of Count D'Eftaing's
Beet being spoke with off Defeada, to the windward of
Martinique, on the 7th inst.—That a fleet with troops on
board, had arrived from New-York at Barbadoes, —and
that the Galatea and Nautillus men of war with about
100 soldiers, were arrived at Bermuda.
A fleet has been seen on this coast within these few days,
by several vessels arrived here Some are of opinion it
is a Jamaica ©r Weft India homeward bound fleet, while
others imagine it may be that mentioned in the affidavit
of a sailor who escaped from the transport which some
weeks ago arrived in Savannah river, and put to sea in
48 hours after her arrival.
The Sieur Baptifle Plombard of this town, is appointed
bis Most Christan Majesty's Consul for the ports in this
State.
Capt. Hall in the State brig Notre Dame, returned
from a cruize, on Tuesday with a sloop from North Caro
lina, laden with tobacco, which had been taken by a
small Augustine privateer.
The vessels lately arrived from the Weft-Indies, bring
accounts of their being a great scarcity of provisions
particulary in the British Inlands, whose distress is still aug
mented by the arrival of the troops from New-York.