The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-09-28 00:00:00, page 4

'the debts of the two countries were to be consolidated
into one enormous mass, and provided for by a complai
nant parliament in the fam^ manner. So extravagant
an idea must fill every man with furprize and indigna
tion. I give the country gentlemen joy on this occasion.
The, never flinch from their master, however unrelent
ing he may prove to them, to their country. They
will now surely acknowledge with gratitude the fairnefs,
the sincerity, the great tenderness, and kindness of
their favourite minitier. At the frit rumour of an A
merican w^r, the noble Lord with the blue ribband ex
pressly held out to them a Solid and substantial revenue
by the taxation of America, in aid of their land-tax,
and other heavy burthens, now, so far from attempt
ing to lighten their load, he offers America to throw
on the Shoulders of England the additional weight of
all her accumulated taxes. The moil short-sighted of
all animals is undoubtedly our country gentleman of
the true tory breed. He has Scarcely the Sagacity of
his pointer. Formerly he was very Stubborn, and re
ftiff, and could not be driven forward. Now he is per
fectly tame, fawns on his feeder, andis easily managed.
Mr. Pitt firft Seized him, and, after Some little Strug
gling, plunged him over head andears in the German
war. The noble Lord hasgone further, and.transported
him, weary and ex vaulted, beyond the Atlantick,
where he is likely to conti ue much longer than he was
in Germany.
The commiffoners iikewife agreed that no military
force Should be kept up in the different bates of North-
America, without the consent of the General Congress,
or particular assemblies. This was in effed making
them a Sovereign, independent state, if no military force
is to compel the refradory, or quell the rebellious. This
fonceffion is certainty not warranted by any clause in
the aft appointing commissioners, and was a manifeft,
unnecessary usurpation of the power of this p ! iant par
liament
The last offer is a gross a^ont to the very being of
parliament, and to the people, who alone can constitute
a house of commons. The commissioners .offer a reci
procal deputation of an agent or agents, from the dif
ferent slates, who Shall have the previlege of a feat and
voice in the parliament of Great-Britain; or if Sent
from Britain, in that case to have a feat and voice in
the assemblies of the different Rates to which they may
be deputed respectively, in order to attend the several
interefis of those by whom they are deputed. In the
three conciliatory alts not a Syllable is to be found of
any Suchintention in the legislature. Were agents from
the different States of America to have a voice in this
house to tax Great Britain, when by the fame conciliato
ry a&s they themselves, and America could not be taxed?
It is poflible, Sir, that the commissioners might be as
little in earnest to secure effectually to the Americans
what was offered, as they were at the time to demon
flrate their good faith. They ventured, Sir, to effure
the Congress, that the three conciliatory atls puffed
with singular Unanimity. The contrary is known to
be fad. I now, Sir, fee many gentlemen in their places,
who opposed all the three bills. When a bill of great
importance pisses with Unanimity, I believe, Sir, that
you think it y ur duty to give it a further weight by
the addition of nemine contradice de in the votes. In
the votes, Sir, you have not given tiiat Sanction to any
of the three conciliatory bills. By the words singular
Unanimity, an Englishman would conclude that this
was the singular infiance of Unanimity that feflion, in
refpeft to the three ads, w! ich were considered as one,
and passed on the fame day. The learned Scottish Se
cretary of the commissioners must think differently, for
I find eight infiances, and perhaps there are more, in
the fame feffon of resolutions and orders passed, and en
tered in the votes nemine contr dicente. Of this num
ber are those refpeding the calling out the militia, the
relieving the Roman Catholics from certain penalties
and disabilities, and Lord Chatham's annuity aft With
the fame regard to truth, he mikes the commissioners
declare in their Proclamation, that the French Mo
narchy ever has been, and in its constitution ever must
be, an enemy to all freedom of laws and religion. I
own, Sir, I was furprized at such an assertion from a
gentleman, who had acquired great reputation beyond
the Tweed, as profeffor of Moral Philcfop:y in the uni
versity ofEdinburgh. I though that the French nation
were formerly called Fraffks, from the freedom of their
constitution. I have read in the best (d) authors, that
the people of France were wont to be bound by such
laws only, as they had puhlickly agreed to in their par
liaments, and that the people were consulted about the
heads of all new laws, and after they had given their
consent, they set their hands and seals to each article.
Such was the power of the people, till the tyranny of
their Kings in later times (wallowed up all the rights
of that nation. I beg pardon, Sir, for this digression
at so late an hour, but it was on a favourite topic,
the rights of the people. I return to that important
fiate paper, the letter of the Commissioners to the
Congress, of the 9th of June. The letter tells them,
that notwithfianding the pretended date, or present
for;:: of the French offers to North America, yet
it is notorious, that these were made in consequence
of the plans of accommodation previously concert
ed in Great-Britain, and with a view to prevent our
reconciliation, and prolong this deftruOive war. This
fad too is miftated. The conciliatory propositions
were not made by the Noble Lord with the blue rib
band till the 19th of February, and the French treaty
was actually signed the 6th preceding, and the prelimi
naries were agreed to December 16th. The Parliament
had been prorogued from the 10th of December to the
20th of January, notwithflanding the strong opposition
of the minority, for in that period peace might have
been obtained. The truth of the case is that
France trifled with the Americans till after the news of
the capitulation at Saratoga. There was much ill hu-
(d) Lord Molefworth, who wrote the account of Den
mark, translated an excellent treatise on this fubjed of
the famous Civilian, Francis Hotoman, called France
Gallio.
PHILADELPHIA. Printed and Sold by JOHN DUNLAP, fa Mfot-ftreet,
mour on both rtdes, but it was ntt improved on our
part, as it caught to have been. A Britbh General and
an entire army becoming prisoners, made her believe fe
ribufly in the independence of America. Before that
period, the had treated it as visionary, a mere phantom
of p . heated brain. The weak, infant connection of
France with America 1$ at length grown into maturity.
Spain was more in earned, and from the beginning had
eTHually assisted the congress by vast supplies of every
kind from the Havannah. The capitulation was signed
at Saratoga on the 16th of October. The news ofthatevent
came to Versailles the firft week in December, and on the
16th preliminary articles were adjured. France on that
occasion from a firange inadvertency fuffered a remarka
ble exprewon to be made public, that it was manifeft
ly the interest of France, that the power of England
should be diminished by the separation of America from
it. This was the language of found policy 011 her part.
When the love of liberty in the French court was held
forth in great parade, :t became ridiculous in the ex
treme. We know that there is no more love of liberty
in the French court, than in our own ; but I rejoice that
liberty will have a resting place, a sure afylumin Ame
rica, from the persecution of almost all the princes of the
earth.
The conduct of our ministers, Sir, has effected the re
paration of America. She never will return, nor are
you equal to coercive measures. By the attempt you
will bring on an immediate certain French, and proba
bly a not distant Spanish war. I am alarmed for, the
consequences to this country in its present exhausted
state. Will the firft minister of finance tell us, that he
fees his way through it, even for the next four, or fix,
years? I have fears for our own honour and security,
mentioned in the fp°ech, as calling loudly upon us, when
I confider our diftrafted and disunited kingdom, and
compare it with thecondition of the French Monarchy,
and toe adiw spirit of a nation containing twenty two
millions of persons, united by affection to one sovereign.
England, in conjunction with America, had nothing to
fe r. When some considerable merchants waited on the
First Lord of the Admiralty, his Lordihip said, I have
fllips enoug., but want men. Can you provide them
for me? The Am rican resources are gone. Without
her resources, all her weight even thrown into the op
pofita scale, that scale must preponderate. Acknow
ledge the independence of America, you have a chance
of detaching her .rom France, of forming perhaps with
her a most advantageous commercial treaty and feede
r'll union. I really thinkyou might then avoid 2 gene
ral war. Since the accession of the present King, I
know that the firft idea, the favourite object of the
French court, has Readily been to bring the finances of
that kingdom into perfect order ; but the favourable
moment of humbling her ancient rival, by the Ameri
can contest was not to be neglected. France has fatally
succeeded. The fad cannot be dissembled nordfguifed.
America is in my opinion irrecoverably loft. It is in
different to her, whether you think proper to acknow
ledge her independency, or to call her children your
fubjeds, and her provinces your colonies. The rest of
the world will hear those appellations with derision. You
will not be able to enforce any one aft, except where
your armies are quartered, and your fleets Rationed.
The very expence of those fleets and armies must ex
haust this country. You experienced this for four
years with raw, undisciplined farmers and countrymen.
You are now to combat hardy, experienced soldiers.
Let pride therefore yield to prudence, withdraw your
fleets and armies, give up this unjust, barbarous, and
deftruftiye war, and enquire who deluded you into this
unhappy system of policy.
The honourable gentleman, Sir, who seconded the a
mendment, in a divine strain of eloquence, scarcely pa
ralleled, never surpassed within these walls, has treated
t^e ipeech witn merited indignation. He pronounced
it talfe, demonfirated it to he so, and called it the King's
libel on Parliament. His was a mod abundant harvest.
He ha 3 left me a very small gleaning ; only refpeding
tiie cUndeltme supply of arms said to be given by the
Court of France to the Americans. Sir, it was not
clandeidne. Frequent and considerable supplies were
given in the mofi public manner, in the face of day. I
had the honour more than once of informing this house
of several American armed vessels, and (hips of war, be
ing fuppiied with cannon, arms, powder, ball, and all
warlike stores, from the royal arsenals and flore-houfes,
both on the ocean, and in the Mediterranean. I gave
the nares 01 the mips and the other particulars at the
time. Was this a clandestine supply ?
Much miscellaneous matter has been produced, as
usual, on this firft d>y of the session. The honourable
gentleman, who moved the amendment, has taken an
opportunity of painting in their true colours the last
race of our Kings, whom he called the accursed Stewart
race, the bane of England. I honour those genuine
whiggilh principles, in which I believe him sincere and
determined. No man, Sir, execrates the memory of those
tyrants more than I do. Yet one remark in the pre
m°ment I cannot forbear. The Stuarts loft every
tiling for themfelyes only, their crowns, or their lives.
em p- re remained entire, unbroken in every part.
Nothing was loft for us. Under the third Prince of the
administration has already loft us half
the Brioni Monarchy, and the rest seems mouldering
Nothing appears stable, or secure, except the
mimfterial majority in this house. In the late glorious
reign, the bounds of the empire were enlarged in every
quarter of theworld, under the auspices of a brave, mar
tial, humane, and heroic Sovereign. We are now igno
minlo^y driven out, not only from some of our late
^cquihtions, but from the greater part of our ancient pos
sessions. Toe enquiry into this fad reverse is surely
our duty as the grand inquest of the nation.
Some remarks, Sir, were made by the honourable
gentleman, who seconded the amendment, on the late
Publications from the families of two noble Earls. He
r?' J ^r v ^ fr ° m the letter of the son , that
°"^ fuf P,fed of guiding the measures of
& e '," ? , n ^ er P° ffeffe d any controuling power, or
even secret influence. He avowed an unbounded refped,
WAN T E D; —
AC OUNTI N G - HOUSE situated either in
' ront ° r Water-firsts, with or without stores ad
joining. Apply to the Printer.
and a kind of family reg,rd to thehoble Lord. I have
the misfortune of differs g in this inftanc© v^y widely
indeed with the honourable gentleon. I hold the pub
lic character of the noble Lord in utter abhorrence ; not
from any personal injury, not from a national prejudice,
butfrom his demerit asaminifter. He made the inglo
rious peace of Faris.
Ex illo fluore ac retro fublapfa roferri
Spes Daiiaum ; fraflae vires.
He boafied of that peace in a great assembly 1 heard
him declare that he gloried in it, and wished it might be
inferibed on his tomb-flone, Here lies the man who made
the peace of Paris. The expreflion was more Striking
than original (e), but the species of pride, which is
founded in deep criminality, must be allowed to be of
the firft cast. He loft us Newfoundland, passed the 0
dius excise on cyder and perry, : by which the excife
man got access into private houses, violated the nati
onal faith with the King of Fruflia, was guilty of scan
dalous profufion of the public money in 'negociating a
loan of three millions and a half for 176?, and advised
a cruel proclamation, by which he persecuted the brave
free Corticans, as I believe he has since done tne Ameri
cans. These, Sir, are the grounds of hatred, which 1
have always avowed. I agree with a late great fiatef.
man, that he has brought the King and kingdom to ru
in. As to his influence being at end, would to <lod, Sir,
it were ! Is the heir of that noble family being lately
created an Englitm Peer, a proof of the father's now re
taining no influence ? Is the lieutenancy of a considera
ble county given to the fame nobleman to be admitted
as evidence that his power is extinguished ? I give no
private anecdotes. I only state public faffs, from a pa
per, which in such things only can be trusted. the Lon
don Gazette. I rejoiced, Sir, that the heir of that noble
family was created an English Peer, for I thought that
the young Lord's unspotted reputation, intrinsic mfrit,
and gieat aswell as amiable qualities, would reflect back
more honour than he couid receive from a modern Peer
age of this country, but I was persuaded that he owed
his English Peerage no less than his birth to his father.
A brave, but unfortunate General, Sir, urges us to an
enquiry into the causes of the failure of the hte.expedi
tion utyder hi& command, and he aiks 2 parliamentary
inquest. lam likewise rpr that enquiry. At the elefe
of the last session he made the fame request, which was
refufed by the fame majority, to whom he now prefers
his petition. I have a high eteem for a Parliamentary
inquest, but there is a higher tribunal, that of the peo
ple, our conflituents, ever ready to do ju dice to t: e od
preffed and injured. As an Engliihman, let him appeal
to the people, and constitute the English nation the
judges of his Conduct and honour, in every point in dis
pute between him and adminiflration, or even royalty.
He observes that the time will come for an enquiry. It
will certainly come in thismode, whenever he chides to
publish the papers, which he furnilhed to, and are now
withheld by ministers, papers of tne utmost importance,
according to his declaration in this house, to the state,
to Parliament, and to the public.
The amendment moved to the address goes still farther,
and takes larger ground, including however that of a
the late American commander. It proposes to enquire
into all the late fatal counsels, which h^ve brought on a
dismemberment of the empire. The justice of the nati
on calls loudly for it, and therefore my feeble voice
shall be for that wife and necessary measure.
(e) The original expression belonged to another Scot,
a Mr. Thomas Scot, one of the Tyrannicides, who was
executed at Charing Cross, October 17, 1660. In the
second volume of the State Trials is an account of his
trial and execution.
Sir Theophilus Biddolph sworn.
Council. Pray tell my Lords and the Jury what you
have heard the prisoner fay, touching this business of
putting the King to death.
Sir Theophilus Biddolph. I did hear him conftfs that
he did fit as one of the Judges of the late King, and that
he was so far from repenting of the a&, that hedid de
sire, when he died, that a tomb-done might belaid over
him, with this infeription, Here lies Thomas Scot, who
adjudged to death the late King. Page 331.
At his execution the Sheriff intcrupted him. Mr.
Scot said, I fliall fay no more but this, that it isa very
mean and bad cause that will not bear the words of a
dying man. Then he prayed, wherein he had this ex
pression, I fay again, to the praise of the free grace of
Gpd, 1 bless his name, he hath engaged mein A CAUSE
NOT TO BE REPENTED OF. I fay, IN A CAUSE
NOT TO BE REPENTED OF. His prayer being
ended he was turned off. Page 409.
to^^a^&dl^^^:&c£&^^d^
Philadelphia, September 20.
To be SOLD by Public Vendue,
On Wednesday the 29th inftanq at the sign of the Conef
togo Waggon, in Market- street,
A LARGE frame building, situ te in Fifth-ftreet,
between M. rket and Ar<directs, and near the
corner of Arch-street; allo the remaining part of the
leale of the ground whereon the building stanch, fubjeft
to a ground rent of five pounds per ann, there is eight
years and nine months from the firft of Oadher next of
the lease unexpired. The dimensions of the house and
lot are twenty feet on Fifth street and forty-eight fart
de^o.
To be SOLD by Public Vendue,
On Monday the 4th day of Oftoher next, at Twelve
o'clock, on rhe premises,
A THREE story brick House, and Kitchen appur
-1 tenant thereto, fuuate at the corner of Lombard
and Front streets. The house is extremely commodi
ous, in good repair, and hath long been an ^cruftomed
tavern known by the name of the Khuli Khan. The
terms will be made known at the time of sale.