Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-04-22 00:00:00, page 5

For the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
WHEN the redoubted stickler for the supremacy
of the British Parliament, over, the North-
American Colonies, addrefled the people of Penofyl
vania, under the signature so much honoured by the
works ofthe patriotic Gordon and Trenchard, we
were led to exped, that the great advantages of main
taining a constitutional dependance on the land that gave
birth to our Jore fathers, would e'er this time have been
set forth, in terms to clear and drifting, that no man
of common understanding on the continent, would have
had a word to offer against it. Certainly the Cavalier
treatment the advocates for independency met with
from Cato in his firft letters, seemed to promise as
much. But notwithstanding the seventh letter has al
ready appeared, not a fyliable of the argument in fa
vor of this lame constitutional dependence is yet offered
to our view. Cato is now in t^eporch of vmtheryhA
jest, and lor perhaps ten or twelve letters more, we
ihall be favoured with general encomiums - and pare
gyrics upon the English constitution. Suppose we al
lowed, without dilpute or hesitation, that the prejent
English constitution, was, for that island, the belt that
human wisdom could invent, what will that prove re
fpeding a country in circumstances io different from
England ? An equal commonwealth can hardly be
established, where.a set of Barons have, from time im
memorial, claimed prerogatives utterly incompatible
with common liberty. No Inch prerogatives are yet
openly demanded by the Barons of America. I will
by no means deny, that some choice spirits have con
trasted a prodigious it:h foi such patents; and I am
much mistaken, it there is not a final! rinfture of this
Lordly temper in the divine Cato himself. Once grant
that a government by Kings, Lords and Commons, is,
without exception, in all Rates and circumstances,
the bed of all podible governments, and then, certain
ly we can have no rational objection to a convenient
number of Lords being created in America ; and that
as naturally requires a Royal Sovereign to give being to
such gods on earth, whole sacred person shall be Lord
J aramount, or God over them all. To fea'on our pi
fates the better f # r this transcendent mode of govern
ment, we are quite frequently reminded, that the re
pablicks of Greece and Rome were feeble Structures,
lull of (edition, tumult and disorder while they lifted,
end all, footer or later, coming to an untimely end.
Could Cato (hew, even from Montesquieu, that the
beautiful fabric, contrived frit in the German iVoods,
had a much better chance for immortality than the fee
ble Structures complained of, it might alter the cale :
But I fhali for once in a way presume to offer my ad
vice to this Olpuaus Megalator *, this legislator
who can lead Grotes, and dihil or express French out
of Hebrew ; and that is never to change the condition of
a people toofuddenfortoo much. At prefect there seems
to be but one order of people among us, and in coofe
quence there can be buto^e common interef; if letting
up diftiadhons, aodc eating febar.+te, and jarring into
refsin a Society, be the bed means to Secure its peace
and prosperity, I freely give up the queffion, as Some
thing indeed, beyond the comprehension of a piebean
'Legijhtor. Cato and his coadjutors are ever endea
vouring to alarm our fears of new and untried experi
ments in government. It is no new experiment to
endeavour to reduce government to such condition that
it shall better aniwer the end of its original inftiturion
when it has too far loft fight of it. No mode of
government has yet been tried, that has for any
long time answered the end of ftcuring the peoples
liberty: The reason is by no means hard to assign,
the people have never been fuificiently careful of
their delegated power : They have often bellowed,
often fold, and often furi endered to very unworthy per
fens, who having once obtained it, u'ed it as their own
property, and deemed it an inheritance dfendab e to their
children. The effectual remedy for this intolerable
evil is the new experiment Cato and bis party so ear
nestly combat. This is the faction, sedition, agrarian
law, levelling Rheme, anarchy, democratical "power,
they so bitterly hate and oppose.
In an hiftoreal essay on the English Conft'tution,
printed by Dilly, 1771, the author justly obfetves, p.
2.“ If the firft principles of government be erroneous
there is nothing but error that cin proceed from it.
And if the firft principles of government be even
founded upon truth, yet such is the infatiate thirst for
power in most men, that they will Sacrifice even hea
ven and earth, to wrest it from its foundation ; to
eftabhfh a power in themselves, to tytannife over the
persons and property of others. Thus what we call
the civilized state of man, has been long reduced to a
far more miserable ccnlition than the savage."
If Cato really means to entertain his dear country
men with a just and genuine accent if the English
Constitution, it is presumed he will trace up to the Sax
ens, who, as my author fays, “ considered every man
alike as he came out of the hands of his maker, man
as man, limply and detached from any foreign advan
tages, one might accidentally have over another: Such
as riches, which make the greatest outward difference ;
but riches with them, constitutionally considered, gave
no power or authority, or any tight to power and au
thority over the poorest person in the state: Every
man under that institution was preferred in his natural
* See Harrington's Oceana.
POSTSCRIPT to DUNLAP's PExNsYLvanraPacKEt. No. 2„.
and equal rights, whether be were rich or poor," p. 4.
I am certain that in the letters already published, there
is much that favours more of Norman than Saxon po
litics. This hint is published as a memento for the
learned Gentleman, to avoid giving occasion to some
vigilant Son of Liberty, to refer him back to the real
original English constitution, rather than admit defcrip
ticns of any Rate of that constitution, Jince it became
mangled and adulterated by the feudal fyftem#
EUDOXUS.
M~FXC^^R XXR(^'f*^^rf ^W ^^:^°
S A V A N N A H, (Georgia) February 7.
^ RID A Y last our Provincial Congress proceeded
4 to the election of Delegates to represent this pro
vince to toe Grand Continental Congress, when, on
closing the poll, it appeared, that Archibald Bullock,
John Houfoun, Lyman Hall, Button Guinnett, and
George Walton, Esquires, were duly elected, and de
clared Delegates accordingly.
deb. 14. Last Friday a large transport arrived with
foldieis from Boston.
Feb. 2 1. The ffiip which arrived at Cockfpur on Mon
day the 12th inst. proves to be a transport from Button
with more foldieri,
deb. 28. The Cherokee, the two transports from
Bolton, a (loop and three I^ll vessels are now laying
at anchor within three miles of this town.
Besides the Militia of the town and diftri& of Sa
vannah, there are a number of Companies from the
country now in this place.
CHARLESTOW N, (South-Carolina) Feb. 16.
We hear from Georgia, that the Scarborough man
cf war, of 20 guns, lately arrived in Savannah river,
w.th a prize (chooser, havng 40001 bof gunpowder
on board. Probably the Scarborough was the (hip
that was seen off Georgetown bar about a fortnight
face, and which took the pilot- boat mentioned in our
last.
1 he following is the best account we have been able
to obtain of the Georgia Squadron: Syren, Captain
kumeaux, 28 guns; Scarborough, Capt. Barclay, 20;
I am # r. Capt. Thornbiough, 18; Raven, Capt. Stan
hope, 18; Cherokee, Capt. Ferguson, 10; with some
armed Schooners and tenders.
Bsarch 8. On Sunday night, the 25th tilt, about
half an hour past eleven, a fire broke out in Meeting-
Street, in a houie belonging to one Lamput, a free ne
gro, about 200 yaids to the northward of the White-
Meeting. it raged with great violence till about three
o'clock, when the progress of the flames was flopped
at a brick house nearly in a line behind the Old Church.
Nineteen dwelling houses were burnt to the ground,
besides a number of out-buildings.
On Sunday a detachment of 120 men of the Charles
town volunteer companies, set out for Savannah.
On the 24th of lad month the Provincial Congress
appointed the following Gentlemen to be Delegates to
reprelent this province ii the Continental Congress, viz.
John Rut edge, Thomas Lynch, Edward Rutledge, Arthur
ftlsda. eton, and Thomas Howard, Jun. Esquires.
We hear from Savannah that two armed schooners,
and a Roop had got above the town, through Back
River, and had taken a brig and a schooner lying thfre;
th.it the Syren was arrived in the river, and that some
more large vessels were in the offing ; that the troops,
said to be about f or 600, were in transports near the
town; that it was expelled they would attempt to
land, to prevent which upwards of 1000 Georgia and
Carolina Militia-men were in Savannah; and that there
is too great realon to fear there will be much blood Ihed.
Tire troops are laid to be the 40th regiment and a
detachment of marines; Majors Grant and Maitland
are among them, also Capt. Pitcairn.
WILLIA M S BUR G H, April 6.
It is reported that Lord Dunmore has sent to Eng
land, in tffe Duke of Cumberland Packet, which failed
lalt Wednesday, four French Gentlemen, who were
lately taken in a vessel bound here from Cape Nichola
Mole, pretending he has found letters upon them which
prove their business was to treat with the Congress.
WATERTOW N, April S.
We hear, that on Wednesday last, the Rev. Prefi
denr, Fellows and Overleers of Harvard College,
waited on his Excellency General Washington,
with an address, conferring on him the degree of Doc
tor of Laws.
N E W-Y O R K, Aprils.
WHEREAS the Alia having quitted her station,
and left the harbour, the navigation between this city
and New-Jersey, by the Kills, is become quite fafe:
The troops u^on Staten-lfland and Bergen Neck are
to let all boats coming to New York, or returning to
jersey, to pass and repafs without molestation. Given
at Head barters, in New-York, 14th April, 1776.
HORATIO GATES, Adjutant-General.
PHI LADELPHI A, April 22.
Saturday fe'ennight his Excellency General
Vv A SHINGTO N arrived at New-York from
Cambridge, attended by Wjlliam Palfrey, Esq; his
Aid-de-Camp, Horatio Gates, Esq; Adjutant-Ge^
aeral, and several other Gentlemen of diftip&ion.
Extras of a letter from ESECK HOPKINS,
Esq; Commander in Chief of the American fleet, to
the President ofthe Congress, dated on board the
ship Alfred, New-London harbor, April 9, 1776.
“ When I put to sea on the 17th of February, front
Cape Henlopen, not thinking we were in a condition
to keep on a cold coast, I appointed our rendezvous at
Abacco, one ofthe Bahama Elands.
" I arrived at the Rendezvous, in order to wait for
them fifteen days, agreeable to orders, I then formed
an expedition againii New Providence, which I put in
execution the third of M^rch, by landing two hundred
marines under the command of Capt. Nicholas, and fif
ty Tailors under the Command of Lieutenant Weaver
of the Cabot, who was well acquainted there. The
fame day they took possession of a final! fort, of seven
teen pieces of Cannon, without any oppofftion, fa've
five guns which were fired at them without doing any
damage- I received, that evening, an account that
they had two hundred and odd men in the main fort,
all inhabitants. I then caused a manifefto to be pub
lished, the purport of which was, that the inhabitants
and their property Should be fafe, if they did not op
pole mein taking poffelhon of the fort and King's ftorest
l his had the desired effect, for the inhabitants left the
fort almoff alone# Captain Nicholas, by my order,
sent to the Governor for the keys ofthe fort, which
wete delivered, and the troops marched directly ia,
where we.round the several warlike ftofes agreeable, to
tne inventory inclofed ; but the Governor lent one
hundied and fifty barrels of powder off in a (mail (loop
the night before# I have taken the Governor, Mont
'°" brown, the Lieut. Governor, who is a half pay
officer, and Mr# 1 homas Erwin, who is a Counfellor
and Colle^or or his Majeftvs quit rents ia South Ca
rolina; and it appears, by the Court Calendar, that
he is alio inferior General of his Majefty'sCuftoms of
North-America# Since we came out, we have loft
company with the Wasp.
" i he fourth instant we fell in with the east end of
Long Inland and took the fc sooner , commanded
by young Wallace, of fix carriage guns and ei^ht swi
vels ; and the fifth we took the bomb brig of eight
guns and two howitzers, ten swivels and forty-eight
hands, well found with all foits of stores, arms, pow
der, &c. The sixth in the morning, we fell in with
the Glasgow, and her tender, and engaged her ne>r
three hours# We loft fix men killed and as many
wounded. Ine Cabot had four men killed and seven
wounded, the Capt. is among thglatter. The Colum
bus had one man who loft his arm. We received a
considerable damage in our (hip, but the greatest was
in having our wheel rope and blocks flrot away, which
gave the Glasgow time to make fail, and I did not
think proper to follow, as it would have brought on art
action with the whole of their fleet, and I had upwards
of thirty of our best seamen on board the prizes. I
therefore thought it most prudent to give over the chafe,
and secure our prizes, and having taken the Glasgow's
tender, arrived the seventh with all the fleet.
fc Among the dead are Mr. Sinclair Seymour, Mas
ter of the Cabot, a good officer; Lieut# Wilson, of the
Cabot; and Lieut. litzoatrick, of the Alfred.
" Ihe officers all behaved well on board the Alfred,
button much praise cannot be given to the officers of
the Cabot, who gave and sustained the whole fire for
some considerable time, within pistol (hot.”
Inventory of STORES taken at Fort Montagat,
March 3, 1776.
17 Cannon, from 9 to 36 pounders.
1240 Round (hot.
121 Sheils.
81 Iron trucks for carriages.
22 Copper hoops.
2 Copper powder measures.
I Worm.
1 Ladle.
Some old iron, copper and lead.
STORES taken at Fort Nassau, March 4, 177''
71 Cannon, from 9 to 32 pounders.
15 Mortars, from 4to 11 inches diameter, and beds#
5337 Shells.
9^31 Round Shot, and 165 chain and double head dittos
140 Hand grenadoes.
816 Fuzes, or falfe fires.
99 Spunges, rammers and worms.
46 Copper ladles.
407 Copper hoops, and 5 copper powder measures.
220 Iron trucks for carriages.
3 Bells.
24 Calks of powder.
A quantity of match rope, not weighed.
2 Double blocks, with brass fheafs.
I Scale beam, 1 hammer, 3 tanned hides.
2 Boxes of tallow candles.
4 Barrels of flour, 4 ditto bread, 4 ditto beef.
Part of a calk of spirit, 1 fun-dial, and 1 English flag.
Fublifhed 1, Order of Congress,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
In consequence of a Resolve of Congress for institut
ing Courts of Admiralty, which Resolve is adopted by
our Aflembly, who have thereupon appointed the Ho
norable George Ross, Esq; Judge, Matthew Clarkfon,
Esq; Marlhall, and Andrew Robeson, Esq; Remitter.