The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-01-12 00:00:00, page 2

B A LTI M 0 R E, December tg.
Copy of a letter from Copt. Joseph Bowman, at a place
called Illinois Katknikias, upon the Miffifippi, to his
friend, Col. John Hite, of Frederick county, Virginia,
dated July 30, 1778. ,
“ Dear Sir,
<c VEMBRACE this opportunity togive you feme in-
I formation of our proceedings since our embarkation
frotp Monongahela, till our arrival at this place. We set fail
from thence down to the Big Kanhawa, where we found
our men hid been confined for eight days, in which time
there had been an, attack made on the fort, by a superior
number of Indians, supposed to be about 200 ; hey kil
led one mm in the fort, 2nd wounded one or two more ;
but finding themselves not likely to fveceed in their at.
temppt. they endeavoured to kill all their cattle, and then
made towards Green Briar, where I expected they in
ten le to make a fatal blow—From thence we continued
down to the falls of the Ohio, where we ereXed a small
garrison upon an island, where I left ten or twelve fami
lies, with a quantity of previfions,and a few men to guard
then. From thence we continued down the Ohio, moving
dty an I night, with about 170 or i£o men in number, till
within sixty miles of the mouth; we ran our boats up a
small creek to hide then, not having men enough to leave
a fufficient guard. From thence we started for the Illi
nois, taking four days provision with us, and in fix days
arrived at the place in the night, on the fourth inst. having
marched two days without any sustenance, in which hun
gry condition we unanimously determined to take the town,
or die in the attempt. About midnight we marched into
the town, without being difeovered; our object was the
fort, which we soon got possession of; the commanding
officer(Philipßocheblave)we made prifoner,and is now on
his way toWilliamlburg,under a strong guard, with all his
isiftruXions from time to time from the several governors
at Detroit, Quebec, and MichillimackiuackJo set the In
dians upon us, with great rewards for our scalps; for
which he has a salary of tool, fterl. per year. This town
consists of about 250 families, fufficiently fortified to have
refitted a thousand men „ but coming upon them by fur
prize, they were obliged to surrender themselves The next
day evening I was order d by our commanding officer
(Colonel Clark) with thirty men mounted on horseback,
to attack three other French towns up the Miffifippi. The
firfl is called Parraderfoki, about fifteen miles from
Kukafkias; the town we had in possession; and before
" they had any knowledge of my arrival, I was in possession
of this place, which was no small surprise to them ; in con
sequence of which they were willing to comply with any
terms I should propose.
“ From thence I proceeded to St. Philip's, about nine
miles higher up the river, which I likewise took possession
of; and as it was impossible for them to know my strength,
the whole being tranfaXed in the night, they also came to
my own terms. From thence I proceeded to Cauhow,
about forty &r fifty miles above St. Philip's, which con
tained about one hundred families; we rode immediately
to the commander's house, and demanded a surrender of
him and the whole town, which was immediately complied
with. I then possessed myfelf of a large stone ho^fe, well
fortified for war—l was immediately threatened by a man
of the place, that he would ell in 150 Indians to his as
sistance and cut meoff. Teis fallow I took care to secure,
but lay upon our arms the whole night ; this being the
third night without sleep. In the morning I required them
to take the oaths of allegiance to the Rates, or I should
treat them as enemies, which they readily agreed to, and
before ten o'clock there were 150 who followed the exam
ple, and in less than ten days there were 300 toolc the,oaths,
and now appear much attached to our taufe. But as this
is in so remote a part of the country, and the Indians
meeting with daily (applies from the British officer, who
offer th,em large bounties for our scalps, I think it prudent
to leave a guard here; and being anxious to do every
thing in my power for my country, in order to establish
peace and harmony once more amongst us, this will en
gage my attention the ensuing winter. The inhabitants
of tnis country, upon the Miffifippi, have, without any
kind of doubt, influenced the several nations of Indians in
this quarter, as also upon the Ohio ; so that'ere it be long
I flatter myfelf we thall put a flop to the career of thole
blood thirty savages, who glory in thedding the blood of
the innocent. For further particulars I must refer you to
my brother, the be.rer hereof, and I am, &c.
JOSEPH BOWMAN."
COMMON SENSES ^PUBLIC.
nrHE appearance of an address fifned Robert Morri,
A in Mr. Dunlap's paper of January 9, has occasioned
me to renew the fubjeX, by offering some necessary re
marks on that performance.
It is customary with writers to make apologies to the
public for the frequency of their publications; but I beg
to have it well underfloor, that any such apology from me
would be an affront to them. It is their cause, rot mine,
that I am and have all this while been pleading ; and as I
ought not to suppose any unwillingness in the public, to be
informed of mat ers, whi-h is their interest to know, so I
ought not to suppose it necessary in me to apologize to
them for doingCT aX'of duty and juflice.
The public will please to remember, that in Mr. Dun
lap's paper of December ?', in which, the piece signed
Plain Truth made its illegitimate appearance, there was
likewise published in the fame paper, a short piece of mine
signed Common Sense, in which, freaking of the uproar
railed to support Mr. Deane, I used these words "I believe
" the whole affair to be an inflammatory babble, thrown
" among the public, to anj'wer both a mercantile end, and a
" private pique? and in the paper of the 2d instant I have
likewise said, " The uncommon fury that has been spread to
" fufeportMr.Deane is not altogether for bis fake,and in the
fame paper, fpeakirrg of a suppose I mercantile connexion,
between Mr. Deane and other parties, then unknown, I
again said, " It would fait their plan exceedingly well to
“ have Mr. Deane appointed Ambassador to Holland, be
“ cause so Jituated be would become a convenient partner
'' in trade or a ufejul factor."
It must, I think, appear clear to the public, that a
mong other objeXs, I have been endeavoring,by occasional
allusions, for these three weeks past, to force out the very
evidence that Mr. Morris has produced, and tho' I could
have given a larger history of circumstances, than that
gentleman has done, or had any obligation to do, yet as
the account given by him comes from a confeffed private
partnership between a Delegate in Congress and a Servant
of that House, in the charaXer of a commercial Agent, it
is fully fufficient to all the public purposes to which I mean
to apply it; and it being therefore needless for me to seek
any farther proofs, I shall now proceed tooffer my re
marks thereon.
Mr. Morris acknowledges to have had three private
mercantile contra's with Mr. Deane, while himfelf was a
Delegate. Two of those contraXs, he fays, were made
while Mr. Deane acted as commercial Agent; the other,
therefore must be after Mr. Deane was advanced to aC@m
miffioner. To what a degree of corruption must we fink
if eur Delegates and Ambassadors are to be admitted to
carry on a private partnership in trade? Why not as well
go halves with every Quarter-Mailer and Commissary in
the army ? No wonder if our Congress should lose da
vigour, or that the remains of public fp : rit should struggle
without effe&. No wonder that Mr. Deane should be so
violently Supported by Members of that House, and that
myfelf, who have been laboring to fifh out and prove this
partnership offence so dangerous to the common good,
should, in the interim, be made the objeX of daily abuse.
I have very little doubt but that the real Mr. Plain Truih
is another ofthe connection in some stile or degree; and
that the chain is more extensive than I choose to express
my belief. The displacing the Honorable Arthur and
William Lee would have opened a field to a still greater
extention, and as that had enlarged,the circle of public spi
rit, iruft have lessened.
Mr. Morris fays in his address, ~That he does not con
“ ceive that the State he lives in has any tight or inclina
'' tion to enquire into what mercantile connexions he has
“ had, or now have, with Mr. Deane." Mr. Morris as
serts this as a reply to the following a paragraph of mine,
which he has quoted from Mr. Dunlap's paper of Decem
ber 31st, viz.
" I with in this place, to step a moment from the floor
“ of office, and press it on every State to enquire what
c< mercantile connexions any of their late or present De
“ legates have had or now have with Mr. Deane, and that
“ a Precedent might not be wanting, it is important that
" this State Pennylwmia should begin,
Mr. Morris seems to deny their having such a right;
and I perfectly agree with him, that they have no such
right, and can assume no such power, over Mr. Morris,
Mr. Deine, or any other persons as private gentlemen.
But I hope Mr. Morris will allow, that no such connec
tion ought to be formed between himfelf whi ; e a Member
of Congress, and Mr. Deane while a Commercial Agent,
accountable for his condu& to that Congress of which Mr.
Morris then fat as a Member ; and that any such connec
tion, as it may deeply effeX the interest of the whole
United States, is a proper objeX of enquiry to the date he
reprefepts or has represented ; for tho' no law is in being
to make it punishable, yet the tendency of it m kes it dan
gerous, and the inconsistency of it renders it censurable.
Mr. Morris fays, " If Mr. Deane bad any commerce that
" was inconftfent with bis public flation, be mufl anJwer
" for it." So likewise muftMr. Morris, and if it was
censurable in Mr. Deane to carry on such a commerce
while he was a Commercial Agent, ft is equally as censur
able in Mr. Morris to be concerned in it while a Delegate.
Such a connexion unfits the Delegate for his duty in Con
gress, by making him a partner with the servant, over
whose conduX he fXs as one of his Judges; and the losses
or advantages attending such a traffic, on the part of the
Agent, tempts him to an undue freedom with public mo
ney and public credit.
Is it right that Mr. Deane, a servant of Congress, should
set as a Member of thatHoufe when his own conduX was
before theHoufe for augment ? Certainly not. But the in
terei of Mr. Deane has fat there in the perfot ofhis part
ner Mr. Robert Morris, who at the fame time that he re
presented this fta e, represented likewise the partnership in
trade. Only let this doctrine of Mr. Morris's take place,
and the consequences will be fatal both to public interest
'and public honor. By the fame right that one Delegate
may enter into a private commercial partnerfllip with any
Agent, Commissioner, or Ambassador, every Delegate
may do the fame; and if only a majority of Congress
should form such a company, such Agents, Commissioners,
or Ambassadors will always find support and proteXion
in Congress, even in the abuse of their trust and office.—
Besides which, it is an infringement upon the general free
dom of trade, as such persons or companies, by having al
ways the public monies in their hands, and public credit
to sport with and support them, will pohefs unfair ad
vantages over every other private merchant and trader.
One of those advantages is, that he or they will be en
abled to carry on trade without employing their own mo
ney, which laying by that means at interest, is more
than equal to an insurance in times of peace, and a great
abatement of it in time of wm, and consequently the pub
lic always pays the whole of the insurance in the one case
and a great tart of it in the other.
But suppose the partnership of such Delegates and Am
bassadors should break or meet with lesses they cannot sus
tain, on whom then will the burden of bankruptcy fall ?
Mr. Morris having declared what his former mercan
tile connexions with Mr. Deane have been, proceeds to
fay, that “ Whether in cenfequehte ofhis good opinion
“ of Mr. Deme as amm of honor and integrity, he has
“ been led to form any, and what new concerns with
“ him since his arrival here, is a matter wh cli the public
“ are no ways interested to know."
They certainly have no right to know, on the part of
Mr. Morri s,as he is not now a'Member of Congress (hav
ing served out the full time limited by the Constitution of
this State,) neither have they any right to know on the
part of Mr. Deane, while he remains a private character.
But if Mr. Deane has formed a chain of mercantile con
nections here, it is a very good reason why he should not
be appointed an Ambassador to Holland or else where;
because so situated and circum ftaneed, the authority of
America would be disgraced and her interest endangered,
by his becoming a "partner" with, or a "laflor" to, the
company. And this brings me to, and establishes the
declaration, I firft fe& out with, viz. that the uproar to
support Mr. Deane, was " an inflammatory bubble thrown
<' among the public to answer both a mercantile and a pri
" vate pique."
One of the objeXions advanced against the Hen. Ar
thur and William L,e was, that they had two brothers
in Congress. I think it a very great honor to all those
gentlemen, and an instance most rarely seen, that those
fame four brothers have from the sirs t beginning been most
uniform whigs. The principle of not inveftingt 00 many
honors in any one family, is a very good one, ani ought
always to have its weight, but it is barbarous and cruel
t® attempt to make a crime of that which is a credit.
Brothers are but aukward Advocates for each other,
because the natural conneXion being seen and known,
they speak and a' 1 under the disadvantage of being sup
posed tobe prepossessed, the open relationship, therefore,
is nothing so dangerous as a private mercantile conneXion
between Delegates and Ambassadors ; be aufe such con
nexions bias, or by us if you please, and is covered and
in the dark. And the interest ofthe Delegate being thus
tied by a secret unseen cord to the Agent, affords the
former, the fpiendid opportunity @f appearing to defend
the latter from principle, whereas it is from interest.
The haste with which I was obliged toconelpde my last
piece prevented my taking that proper leave I wished to
do. In the course of my late publications I have had no
other objeX in,view than to fer ve the public from being
milled and made fools of by Mr. Deane's specious ad
dress es December 5. In the course of my late publications
I have given them some ufeful information, and several
agreeable and interefling anecdotes; for of what use is
my office to me, if I can make no good use of it? The
pains I have taken and the trouble I have undergone in
this aX of public duty, have been very considerable. I
have met with much opposition from various quarters.
Some have misunderstood me, others have misrepresen ted
me, but the far greater part were those whose private in
terests or unwarrantable connections were in danger of
being brought to light thereby,and I now leave the pub
lic to judge whether, or not, I have aXed in behalf of
their interest or against i, and with that question I take
my leave.
COMMON SENSE.
Philadelphia, January If, 1779
#&4~* ^ *4* > §-< > *•(:-a r # Q * * **+*
A small collection of GARDEN SEEDS,
Just come to hand, to be SOLD by
JOHN MEA S E,
Below the Drawbridge, viz.
Early y 0 k Cabbage,
Early Dutch Turnip,
Luge S nt< h Cabbage,
Turnip Rad ifli,/
Salmon cit 0,
Cabbage and Cofs Lettuce,
Celkry, Leek, Onion,
Large Field Turnip,
Ssort top Ruldifn.
A few barrels of frelh LIMES mar 'e had as a' v%
T O BE S () L D,
A QUANTITY of exc-11-nt CLARET, by
the hozfhead or d< zen, Enquire of Adolphus
William Hedericks, at this house in S^oml street,
above Race I+rcet, former y occupied ly Mr. Garder,
PbdadD; bia, January jz.
Lately imported from the Weft-Indies, and to be fold
at the late City Vendue store, in Front-ftree', between
Market and Ar.h ftteets,
AL A RGB quantity of W°ft-Tn?ia Rum and Muf
covado Sugar, of the beftqality; and in order
to comply with the resolution of Congress, rel live to
the emigions that are to be taken out of circulation, and
thereby render the purchase easy to the public, the mo
ney o' those dates will be received n payment, that it,\
m^v he returned into the Loan Office.
Philadelphia, January 11, ^779.
H E Subferiber thinks it necessary, as he
ft has been so long absent from the city, to give
this public notice to his friends, former customers, and
the public, That he has the Brewing business carried on
as uftial, at his Brewery at the corner of Race and Fourth
ftreets, where those that are pleased to make trial of his
Beer, may he supplied with different forts, and any
persons giving in their names in time, may be furnifhed
in feafcn with pile Ale for bottling, of an ext, a ordinary
quality, either for sale or family use.
4. FRANCIS WADE.
TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD.
QTR AYED or drove away from the Commons of
3 Phi^elp^, two milch Cows; one a chefnut co
lour, 1138 some white across her rump, has a bell on
with ?.painted leather, the points of her horns sawed
off, and is fupp<fed to have calved by this time: The
other is of a brindle colour, with some white on her.
The above Cows have been loft since the firft of Decem
ber last. Whoever gives information of said Cows to
the fuhferi'er, living in Race street, between Second
and Third-ftreete, so that he may get them again, (hall
have the above reward and reasonable ch:rg*s, paid by
JOHN HERST.
frAKEN UP laa Fall, two stray HORSES; one
' a black, about fifteen bands high, branded on the
buttock, trots and paces : The other a brown, about
fourteen hands high, trots and paces likewise, no brand
nor ear mark. The owner or owners proving theig
property and paging charges, may have them again,
by applying to Isaac Seely, C.pt. 4th Fennfylvania
Regiment, er to John Bartley, Adjutant of said
Regiment.
"Three Hundred Dollars Reward.
nr A S stolen from out of the stable of the fubferiber,
at Duck Creek Croft R ads, in the Delaware state,
on the night ofthe firftinftant, (J nuary) a grey Horse,
about thirteen and a half hands high, nine years old
last spring, trots and paces, but goes very rough. Any
person apprehending ard securing the thief so that he
may be brought to justice, and the horse returned, fhail
have the above reward and reasonable charges, or
Twenty Dollars for the horse only, paid by
THOMAS PARKE.
F'IFTEEN PENCE per pound is given for clean
white LINEN RAGS, ty Joseph Crukshank,
in Market-street, opposite the fliamblm or James
Truman, in Elbow-Lane.