The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-04-05 00:00:00, page 2

LONDON, Oft. 15.
Fxir-a of a letter from New York, Aug. tB.
Inclofed I find you a copy of an address to the king's
commissioners for restoring peace, prefented^by a com
i^tee chosen by the loyal inhabitants of the several
w.^ds of this city, and by the refugee loyalists from
the different provinces in America, now residing with
in his majefly's lines.
To his excellency fir Guy Carleton, K. B general
and commander in chief, &c. and the honourable
rear-admiral Digby, commander in chief of his ma
jehy's ships, &c. his majefly's commissioners for re
Coring peace, &c.
“ The loyal inhabitants and refugees within the
British lines at New-York beg leave most refpe&ful
ly to prefect their united acknowledgments to your ex
celleocies, for the ready and polite communication you
were pleased so obligingly to make to them, of the
contents of the letter f nt by your excellencies to ge
neral Washington, refpe&ing the negociatidns for a
general peace, by the several powers at war, now at
Prris; and the proposal dir Bed to be made by his
majefly of tie independency of the thirteen provinces
of America, in the firfl instance, inflead of making it
a condition of a general treaty.
" As it is impdffble for us to express the conflerna
tion with which we are I ruck, even on the probability
of so calamitous an event taking place, as that held
cut in the proportion slated; so we cannot suppress
our feelings on a point so exceedingly momentous in
its consequences to the British empire, and in particu
lar to our own future peace, fafety and happiness,
' To preserve the British dominions entire, and to
evince our pure and difinterefled afftdion for his ma
jetty's sacred perlon and government, we hesitated not
to flep forth, and hazard our lives and fortunes; con
fidently relying on the assurances repeatedly given to
us by his majefly, and firmly depending on the juflice,
magnanimity, and faith of parliament, that we should
never be deferred in a cause so just, and in distresses
so great and overwhelming
" With unfeigned gratitude we acknowledge his ma
jetty's paternal go^dnefs and attention to the fuffer
ims of his loyal (übjeAs in America, for the protec
lion hitherto afforded them, the bounties furnifhed,
and the great and spirited efforts made by a brave and
generous nation to reclaim the colonies to a due con
nexion with tie parent date.
" We have most pathetically to lament, that such
noble and more than equal exertions have failed, al
though their f Here has not been owing to any real
impracticability of the war We take leave to assure
your excellencies, that we have every reason to be
lieve there yet exists a majority of the people through
cut the provinces, who are ardently desirous to be
again re-united under his majefly's just authority and
government ; and that, from a combination of circum
flances arising from various public distress, the spirit
of re union is now actually operating in several quar
teis, to bring forward measures produXive of the
most favourable consequences to his majefly's interest.
" With such flattering profpefts in view, at a mo
ment that, through the Divine assistance, his majefly's
naval superiority lias been gloriously asserted and re
gained ; when the most brilliant advantages have been
obtained by his victorious arms in the east ; when, in
flead of any fympfoms of real debility, the national
commerce, resources, and spirit seem to be rising f r
beyond those of our combined enemies, we joyfully
concluded, that the independency cf these provinces
wou'd have been fiill considered as inadmiffibe, be
cau'e injurious to the fafety, and inc mpatible with
the glory and d gnity of the whole British empire.
The hour of victory and success may perhaps be the
proper hour to treat of peace, but not, we humbly
conceive, to dismember an empire.
" We presume not, however, to arraign the wisdom
of his majefly's councils, nor to judge of the great po
litical ueceffity which may have existed to juftfy this
measure; to the virtue, wisdom and prudence of his
mayfly, of his parliament, and of the nation dt large,
we must submit this great and weighty question.
" But should the great event of the independency of
the thirteen colonies be det rmined, and we thereby
have to encounter the most inexpressible misfortune
of being forever cast out from his majefly's protection
and government, we have only then to entreat your
excellencies interposition with his m jefly, by every
confederation of humanity, to fecurt, if possible, be
yond the mere form of treaty, our persons and pro
perties; that such as think thev cannot fafely remain
here, may be enabled to seek refuge eJfewhere.
“ These are the fentfawnts, may it please your ex
cellencies, which in the fullnefs of our hearts, we feel
ourselves constrained to express in this alarming mo
ment; influenced however by a hope that it may not
yet be too late, we most earnefliy and humbly request
cf your excellencies, that y u will be pleased to repre
lent to cu gracious sovereign, accompanied with our
warmest and most affeXionate assurances of duty and
loyalty, our present distressed fitudtion, the confidence
we have in his royal and benevolent attention, and in
the juflice of the British nation, to save us from that
ruin and despair which mufi otherwise fall upon our
devoted heads.
no H E American ship the Marquis de la Fayette,
I t^at left Salem tie 12th of O&ober, arrived at
Nnrz thetgth of this month, with the Tartar,
ar Engldh ship of hbbut 300 tons, laden with tobacco,
which &took on her passage. The Tartar was bound
from New v qrk to Glasgow, and had 11 Eogifh offi
cers on board.
The King George, and English sloop, was brought
into Dieppe the 16th of this month; file was taken the
14th, off Plymouth, by la Comteffe d'Avaux priva
teer, of Dunkirk.
Foreign Intelligence.
PAR I S, November 22.
" As witceffes to our d Arefs, and generously fym
pathifing with us in our misfortunes, we cannot fail to
have advocates in your excellencies to the throne of
our beloved sovereign, the most zetik and able.'Tirm
1/ persuaded of this, we shall, in the 0 an time, by a
manly and fledfaft conduct and loyalty; endeavour to
fuppert his majefly's interest within these lines, pre
serve yo<r excellencies good opinion, and patiently
wait the event.
" Signed by the Committee."
New-Yerk, Aug. 10, 1782.
Nov. 20. A letter from a gentleman at the Hague,
to his friend in town, after recapitulating general Elli
ott's success in destroying the Spanish floating batteries
concludes with the following particulars:—" Tke due
de trillion, chagrined at the ill success of the floating
batteries, seemed resolved to perform forme great at
tempt, as the eyes of all Europe are fixed on him, for
his great military genius : he therefore kept up one
Continued fire, from the 12th of September to the 17th,
inclusive. In the mean time, it being determin
ed to make one genera, assault, and, if possible, to car
ry the place by storm, the whole army was made ac
quainted with the design, and vast encouragement offer
ed to such as would turn out as volunteers, and by one
bold effort, put a final conclusion to the siege. Vast
numbers turned out, every one being forward in signa
lizing himfelf in the reduction of a place that had made
such vigorous opposition ; and every means were made
use of to keep up their spirits, by offering great rewards
to those who should be the means of accomplishing this
great design. Double portions of wine were dillributed
among their troops three days previous to the attack.
Five thousand men, armed with pole-axes, were to lead
the way. On the evening of theiyto all the proper
arrangements were made for the attack that night, and
orders were issued out for the whole body to march with
profound fiience, until they came within a certain
diflance, then to ruth on with the greatest impetuosi
ty. The batteries kept upa continual fire until every
thing was in readiness, when a signal was made by
throwing upa rocket, for the firing to cease. Whether
the English general had received intelligence of our de
signs by some deserters, I cannot fay ; but certain it
is, no fooQ did our men begin their advance, but they
were attacked with such Blowers of grape (hot, and vol:
lies of musketry, as were enough to daunt the greatest
hero that ever appered in history ; and it is really a
stonishing, to think, that mankind can be worked up
to such a pitch of bravery, as to face certain death,
with a resolution not to be accounted for, otherwise
than dying in their country 's service; the soldiery, on
this ever memorable night, are the und< übted exam
ples of this enthusiastic bravery ; for notwithflanding
they were cut off by whole ranks at a time, nothing
could abate their fury but they kept rushing on to
inevitable defiruaion, and had absolutely reared their
ladders against the walls of one of their batteries, when
a new feene of deftrudion presented itfelf, which baf
fled all our endeavours : general Elliott had prepared,
for our reception, several large cauldrons full of boil
ing water; and by engines, placed at the right and
left angles of the batteries, poured down a continual
flream of boiling liquid, which (wept every thing be
fore it. Nothing can equal the consternation that now
took place, every one flying from deftrußion, and hap
py was he who could get off firft ; whilst the English
Ail continued pouring their grape and small shot, which
did amazing execution: and really never was there a
more dismal feene than that which presented itfelf to
our view the next morning; thousands of dead and dy
ing men, rolled on heaps over each other; feme so mi
serably Scolded, that words fall short of giving you a
description of their miferabe conditions ; some I saw
myfrl, that in pulling off their clothes, flefli and all
came off together; some scores are totally blind, by
having the boiling water in their faces—ln short, it
beggarsail description; neither can you form any idea
of this horrid night's work. Despair is now to be seen
in every countenance; and it was this day reported
in camp, that the due de Crillon had shot himfelf in a
fir of despair. We are now in the greatest confufion
imaginable."
Dec. 4. The private letters brought by the Royal
Charlotte, armed fliip, from the East-Indies, were de
livered ,out at the India-boufe, in Leadenhall-ftreet.
They contain an account of the anions in the East In
dies, between fir Edward Hughes and the French. A
letter from on board the Superbe fays, that this ship
received upwards of 70 shot under water. Naval floras
are scarce in the East-Indies, and the admiral had
wrote home for a large supply. Some black bailors
who were taken on board the men of war at Madras
had behaved with remarkable bravery in the engage
ment ; the fortifications at Trincamale are not blown
up, as has been reported; on the contrary, they are
repairing, and a flrong garrison of black and Euro
pean soldiers put into it. The Hero, French fliip of
war, of 74 guns, was so badly handled in the last en
, agement, that she was near finking. They also date
that though the damage to the British squadron has
been great, it is very evident that the enemy were
much greater fufferers ; for that a vessel that had been
lent to recnonoitre them, saw one of their two .decked
ships have several of their guns over, that two fri
gates were towing her, and all her boats out, the wa
ter having come above her lower ports, which were
shut down. They afterwards heard that this fhiu
which was the French admiral's own, was run on
shore to prevent her finking; that another ship, of 74
guns, had loft all her masts. La Purvoyeufe, frigate,
of 40 guns, had loft her main and mizen masts by a
fllot from the Superbe, as she was coming up to affifl
the Hero The Superbe, English man of war, had
received upwards of 500 shot in her hull, of which
several were under water; but admiral Hughs, hav
nig been lu kily joined by the Porpoise, mail ship, and
three others with floret, he was again preparing the
squadron for sea, and would probably be ready to fail
in a fortnight. That the nephew of admiral Suffrein,
Dated Camp at St. Roche, Sept. 19, 1782.
with 14 men, in a row cutter, was taken in the night
reconnoitring the British fleet. The fads relative to
this capture are said to be as follow :—The French ad-,
miral having taken an English transport, on board of
which were several articles for lady Hughes, sent those
articles with a flag, and a very polite letter to admiral
Hughes, requesting him to accept of them for his lady,
which was complied with. The next day the French
admiral sent his nephew to reconnoitre, and, as it is
thought, with orders to fall into our hands. The ne.
pnew being taken, his uncle offered to ransom him by
exchange for several British seamen, his prisoners; but
young Suffrein had seen too much, and the complai
sance of the former day appearing to be in a great
measure a manoeuvre, the admiral wifely determined ta
detain his prisoner till his information could be of no
service to the enemy.
Jan. 9. According to several private letters from
Vienna, and other parts of Germany, the emperor will
take an a&ive part against the Turks, if some late
remonstrances, sent in consequence of their military
preparations, are not speedily and fatisfadorily attend
ed to.
Extraß of a letter from Dublin, December 31,
'' The conduct of our present viceroy, when com
pared with that of many of his predecessors, exhibits
a striking contrast in his favour; splendid and libera!
to a degree in his private expences, he watches over
the expenditure of the public money with the most
scrupulous eye, and in the true spirit of reform is
turning his attention to every branch. The sums la
vished in former adminifirations, and chargeable up
on the public, appear upon record to have been enor
mous. In a former year, a flationer' sbill alone for
the Castle, has amounted to the incredible sum of four
thousand pounds. Whether extravagancies of this
kind are likely to happen again, let the present fyfleni
witness.
“ How miserable the champions of sedition are to
find that there will be no ground left them for clamour
and difeontent! They thought that they had placed
it beyond a point to dispute, that Ireland was Fill a
slave. To their great mortification, however, Great-
Britain still insists on acknowledging her free and in
dependent, which is a terrible blow to the credit and
consequence of such scribblers, who fee with pain the
general unanimity and harmony that is likely to pre
vail on Irish queflions.
“ In the present critical moment we have every
thing to expe& from the very cordial manner in which
our affairs seem to have been taken up by the ministry
on the other fide of the water; and indeed from the
general completion of the British house of commons,
we have every reason to hope, that if ever there be a
coalition of sentiments upon any one point, it will be
upon the question of Ireland, unless it be interrupted
by the ill-timed officioufnefs of certain individuals."
American News.
H A L I F A X February 28.
Since our last, arrived here a vessel from Penobfcot,
by which we learn, that the Albany, which went from
this place to Boston, a flag of truce, in her return frora
thence put into Penobfcot; and, on failing from Pe
nobfcot, met with a gale of wind which drove her on
shore; three midshipmen and several of the people pe
riled, the remainder were so fortunate as to procure a
small vessel to take them from the wreck', in which they
have arrived here.
S O U T H-CAR OLIN A.
The ADDRESS of the House of Representatives.
May it please your Excellency,
WE the representatives of the slate ofSouth-Ca
rolina, in general assembly met, feel every glow
of happiness that can warm the breasts of virtuous
freemen, in once more receiving the address of the
governor of this Rate in the capital of our country.
Filled with the idea of so joyful a circumflance, and
that it has pleased the Almighty Disposer of human
events, to remove from us an inveterate and perfidious
enemy, we trust no animation will be wanting to our
deliberations, nor that we shall deem the burthen great,
in the prosecution of the important business which shall
come before us, for fettling the affairs of this country
on a solid basis, for the support of a just cause, and
securing the liberty and happiness of the people.
With every possible heart-felt pleasure, we receive
the earned congratulations of your excellency, on the
repossession of our capital, and the country of this
date, and the present prosperous f/tuation of our af
fairs; and beg leave, fir, to return you our sincerest
tokens of joy, on an event which must enliven the heart
of every true lover of this country, and every friend
to virtue and liberty.
The steps which your excellency has taken to carry
™.° ex ~ cut i° n the laws for recruiting the battalions of
this date, we have no doubt, have been such as were
the mod efficacious and proper for accomplishing the
salutary ends for which those laws were enabled; and
we shall take care to provide such further means as
will be necessary and bed to accelerate a matter of such
importance.
We are confident, fir, the difpofitlon made by your
excellency, receding the corps of horse under lieuten
ant colonels Mayham and Hampton, was the best for
the advancement of the service ; and it is with singular
pieafure and fatisfaclion we receive the honourable
teflimony and recommendation you have giv n us, of
the merit of the officers of those corps; to whom a due
regard, we are sure, will be paid bv their country.
I he cases of those persons wl , leave surrendered
themselves on the condition of the aft passed last sessi
on, for fettling, she qualifications of the defiers and
elected in the then next general assembly ; and the a
greement entered into by our excellency with the Bri
nth merchants in Charleflown,as well as the case of those
o' bur former citizens, who were found there on its
evacuation, and of those British fubjefts who remain
ed after the departure of car enemies, without any