Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-11-20 00:00:00, page 2

h.d phbably never ben that glorious event. —
1 he intention of the Riot aft is to seize and bring
t regular trial by jury. N 'thing can be mote ab
sod (betides the cruelty l of it) than the app'ica
tijn of fiie-arms for qoediog mobs, because fire
arms do not seize people but murder them. The
under She r iff of Dublin, A. D. 1738, was brought
in gui'ty of murder for ordering a fie of muf
qaetiets to fie up^n a mob and killing one man.
The 'earned Judge Rt.ctfone reckons the Riot aft
among the caufrs of a great accession of power to
the Court fiuce the Revolution.
* Punishing libels public or private is foolifh,
because it does not answer the end, and because
the end is a bad one, if it could be answered. —
In public, as wril as private life, the only way to
prevent being ridiculed or censured, is to avoid
a j l ridiculous or wick, d measures, and tepurfue
such oidy as are virtuous and worthy. The peo
ple never endeavour to ridicule those they love and
e'leem, nor will they fuffer them to be ri liculed.
Hr. Gordon allows the maxim that,a libel is not
less a libel for being true, but tl is hNds, he fays,
only in refpeß of private character; and it is quite
ori^rwife when the crimes of men ass & the Public.
We are to take care of the public f afe:y at all ad
ventures ; and the loss of an individual's, or a
whole MiriNy's politics! character, ought to be
ddpifed, when put in competition with the fate of
a kingdom. Therefore no free fubjefY ought to'
be under the lead restraint, in refpe& to accusing
tl e greatest, so long as his accufat on strikes only
a; the political conduct of the accused. Eve* the
cruel Tiberius, when in good humour/ c uld fay,
'• In a free state, the mind and the tongue ought
t be freed — Titus defied any one to scandalize
hm.
I cannot help considering Judge Bhickfione as
ce of the many among us who endeavour to lull
u: afl:ep in this time of danger I own Ido not
underhand bis ideas -of free government. The
Judge fays, the prudence of future tim, ; theft find
nw remedies upon new erne gencies ; and after
w irds adds that . e lure a precedent in the Revo
lution of 1688, t< .shew what may be done if a
King runs away, as James ri. did, insinuating
t! at, if we had not such a precedent, w@ should
r *know how to proceed in inch a cafe*; and fays
exp-efly, that lo far as this precedent leads, and
no farther, we may new be al'owed to lay dowo
the law of redress against public oppreffin. Yet
he fays, p. 2.5, that necessity a^d the fafety of
t! e whole, may require the exertion of those in
herent (though latent) powers of society, whioh
no climate, no time, no confutation, no contract,
can ever dHroy or diminish.— For my part, I
cionot fee the ufe~bf all this hefitatihg, and mine
ing the matter. Why may we n^t fay a: once,
that without any urgency of distress, without any
provocation by oppression of government, and
though the fafety of the whole should Rot appear
to be in any immediate danger, if the people of a
country thick they should be, in any refpe&, hap
pier under republican government than monarchi
st, or under monarchist than republican, and find,
that they can bring about a change of government,
without greater inconveniences, than the future
advantages are likely to balance, why may we not
fay, that they ha"e a fevereign, abfaJulfe, and
unconti>u able right to change or new model their
government as they please? The authority of go
vernment, in Ihort, is only superior to a minority
of the people; the majority of the people are,
rightfady, superior to it. W herever a govern
ment aflumes to itself a power of opposing the
f nfe of the majority of the people, it declares it
fc f a proper and forma! tyranny, in the fulleft,
Rrongeß, and most correct fenfepf the word. I
rr.Qft therefore beg leave to submit to the Public,
whether tlv learned Judge is not clearly erroneous
EXER ICESfrof BuscTj ^f- \
q^fiti.ns. Continuedfo:n our A^J
Vl, 7 HEN a : untry is overwhelmed by luxu
\ Y rj, the patriot is the man w'o, by his ;
eMmpL, and by promting good p dice and|
the execution of good laws, Herns the tide oftnefel
tees. He who does other accidental services is
ft; far laudable; but not a patriot. The patriot
is he who delivers his country from that which ।
v rdi otherwise br : ng certain rein upon 't.—-
1 bough it mud be" owned that our liberties hare
nrNe a fed l acquifrion by the late demolition of
General W/r ants, arl seizure of papers, yet
there is, and will be great reafop to complain, so
lo^ as the Riot-act is kep in force. Soldiers
amed with firelocks are particularlyimproper ior
quelling rots. If the army can at anytime quel!
an infm're lion of the people, w'^ may they not
quell the Spirit of liberty in the pep Uri and then
a comfleat tyranny is established, f' 'every r
v^rnroent will be tyrannical if they dare. Had
tie Riot a& been made before the Revolution we
it his n ^ing, as well as words, when he fays,
p 251, that r uicnal diflrefs alone can juftify ex
c ntrica! remedies applied by the people. I think
I may tafel; defy all the world to p-ove, that there
L any neceffiry of any difhefs, or of any reason
affixed fur the people's a'tering, at any time,
the whole plan o f government, that has been el
tabbed in their country for a thousand years ;
b dides their w.ll and pleasure. I am not speaking
of the prudence of Inch a step; nor do I juftify a
people's proposing to alter their constitution, if
fi;ch alteration is likely to be followed by worse
evils, than it is hkely to redress; nor have I any
t! ing to fay concerning the difficulty of obtain
f g the real feofe of the majority of a great nation.
Bar I ass-rt that faringthe laws of prudence, and
0 m ,rab r y, the people's mere absolute, Sovereign
vil and ple<'u%,.is a fuffic ent reason for their
r dr ig any altcrati m in their fenn of government.
Ihe ruth i, therefore, that the learned Judge
h .< placed the sovereignty wrong, viz. in the g r -
V rerpent; whereas it Should have been in the peo
people, next, and immediately under God. F,r
the people give to their g vernors all the rightful
p wer they have, but nobody ever heard of the
* If private writers are to be intimid ted in
rawing their fidelity to their country, the principal
: writy of liberty is taken awry.
0
governors giving power to :l;e people. If the
teachers of the exploded doctrine of the divine
right of Kings, had taught the divine right of rhe
people, they had-stated that point in a just and
proper manner.
( To be continued. )
Tie next -will contain the proper means for re
ined,in, public grievances against a corrupt admi
nifiration of government.
Then, alas! too late ^all we lament that vaia
remonftranCcs have occupied the precious moments
which ought to have been employed in resolute
opposition. Then Shall those dreadful days return
in which the implements of peaceful hu&ndry
have been perverted into the horrid inftiuments
of fraternal butchery ; and then may divine justice
once more aid the rightecus cause of our inherent
Liberty, and call the all g-afping tyrant down
from his giddy height, as low as he would have
depreffeJ our gulden Rights! Then may cur con-
Ritution be established on a solid basis, which no
more Shall fear the Shocks of foreign or domestic
invaders! Then may unbiaffed choice nominate
the Representatives of a Free Fe^ie, and may
that nomination be revocable when abused ! May
the popular Mioifter be forced in full national As
sembly, to date a just, annual account of public
expenditure! May a well regulated Civil Lift
prohibit the scandal of indebted Sovereignty!
May the Princes of the blood enjoy a staple 'reve
nue, fufficiebt to render them the independent me
diators between the King and his People! And
a prudent oecooomical direction, render the Royal
acceptation of bribes as unnecessary as infamous 1
MISOPSEUDUS.
From the St. James's Chronicle, of tinguft 31.
SO! the 'ages at the helm, in the profundity
oftheir Arti Solomonian wisdom, have difeo
vered a 'afe, ea'y, pleasant, and infallible nostrum
to make the Hanoverians subservient to their de
figes, without incurring the imputation of having
called in the aid of his Mgefty's Electoral troops
to expedite the oppreflion of his monarchical fub
je&s. Short lighted politicians! can they imagine
that all England is to be duped by such a pitiful
evasion, tacked together with so flight an artifice,
that it would raise a blush in the confident face of
the most obdurate Old Baily Solicitor, should he
find himfelf reduced to the mean neccflity of defen
ding his guil y client by so palpable a quibble? The
Mediterranean Garrisons ae to . be conveyed to
America, and their places filled up with German
Soldiers. Why hav® they left any regiments in
Ireland? Why in Scotland? Finally, why have
r hey not arrayed and transported our Militia as
well as our Mercenaries? Since they can easily
replenish us with Foreigners; for the Landgrave
of Hesse has already twenty thousand useless men,
and can easily rarie as many more, all ready to
receive British pay; not to speak of the innume
rable forces that may be borrowed from other
German States, or hired in Switzerland, who
may all touch at some port, of England in their way
the Lord knows whither. Not that this is to be
feared during the reign of so amiable a Sovereign,
whose heart bleeds for the accumulated mleries
inseparable from a civil war, and who so confpica
oufly builds his authority on the voluntary, not
the forced obedience of his much-loved fubjeffs,
whose natural privileges he cherishes, in preference
to his own augoft prerogative. But, in future
times, when luxurious sloth shall have enervated
the now hardy race of animated Britons; when a
long habitude of servile supineness shall have inured
them to obedience; when Judges, devoted to the
Monarch's will, hull interpret the laws according
to his royal pleafare, because the hungry hirelings
shall have made themselves dependent on his bounty
by,that undated resignation which they shall have
given, in exchange for their patents; when Juries
shall tremble at the imperious mod of an over-bear
ing Chief-Juftice; and when the unnumbered ci
tizens of this vast metropolis, assuming the functi
ons of an ungoverned populace, shall spend their
idle rage in bonfires and fruitlefs insults; may not
then some King fill the throne, who, surrounded
by a junto of over-favoured fyebophants, advised
only by interested ceun'ellors, equally hating and
hated by his virtuous fubjeds, unnaturally era
broiled with his own deferring kinsmen, whose
so e aim shall be unbounded wealth and lawirfs des
potism, having a Parliament in his hand and a
Treasury in his pocket, these kingdoms drained of
all that are inured to arms, to fight a puerile bat
tie in the moon, and in their stead over deluged
by an inundation of foreign veterans, while the
most dishonouring RibmiiTions shall have secured our
domeftie jars from continental interp fition,—who
shall then tell such a King, “ here (halt thou ft w !''
or who shall moderate the ambitious projects of
his Ministers?
Extras from Entid's Naval Hist ry.
TH E Saxons, after the death of Egbert,
changing their system of politicks, let their
navy drop ; and by a fatality, to which none but
a people reserved for punishment by an overruling
providence would have yielded, refolded to leave
their crafts naked, to fortify their cities, and to
right the enemy after they Should land. Titis fa
tal mistake, permitting the enemy to land with
out interruption, enabled the Danes to unite their
forces; and at last to drive the inhabitants from
the coasts, and to gain Settlements for themselves.
In one of their expeditions, they failed up the
Thames with three hundred and fifty vefi Is
BURNT ALL THE TOWNS ON THE
SHORE, landed their men, and laid the country,
for many miles within land, waste with fire- cud
sword. It is true that Ethelwolf did at last force
thep to retire, but they returned, and landed in
the weft, with a more powerful fleet, and com
mitted such outrages, that when ALFRED as
cepded the throne of England, the country lay
desolate, the cities and great towns were demo
itihed, and the pe y!e consumed by continual war,
and fighting n ne 01 ten battles in a year, which
exhausted their wealth, their Strength, and their
Spirits. So that instead ofrefolvia^ to make any
Yesterday arrived from America, at his house
in Upper Grosvenor-street, Dudley Temple, Esq;
Lieutenant Colonel of the 26th regiment of foot,
he having obtained leave from government to come
over, on account of his impaired state of health.
A certain officer who lately resigned, was asked
his reason for so doing, when he answered, be
caue he wished to lee a little more of the world.
“ Why dont you go to America with the troops,
(laid the querift) then you will have an opportu
nity of feeing the world soon ?" “ Yes," replied
the officer, “ the other world, I believe I should
very loon; but as I am not tired of this, Ido
not choole to set out on such a journey yet."
^ugufi 29. Saturday last between 50 and 60
of the foot guards, who on promise of being made
lerjeaats had offered to go to America, embarked
on boaid a vessel in the river bound to Boston.—
; he above men had been exercised in (hooting at
a patteboard image in the shape of a man, and as
a reward for their bravery in fighting against an
helpless statue, every time each of the heroes hit
it a certain distance, with a single ball, they re
ceived a quart of porter and two penny worth of
bread and cheele.
Sept. 4. The last letters from Boston bring
advice of the death of Major Spendlove, of the
43d regiment, of the wounds he received in the
engagement on Banker's Hill. It is remarkable
of this gentleman, that he served with an un
blemilhed character upwards of 40 years in the
lame regiment ; was four times in the Gazette
among the wounded officers in America, viz.
when the brave General Wolfe fell on the heights
of Abraham; at the reduction of Martinico; at
the taking the Havannah ; and in the late fatal
business, when the bravery of his conduct excited
rhe particular approbation of the Commander in
chief.
farther fta. din defence ofthcii liberty and pro
perty, they f€emed determined to submit to the
yoke of slavery, rather than to expire with a pre
carious freedom.
Such was the ruinous condition of the Saxons,
when Alfred began his reign over them. Howe
ver this wife and magnanimous Prince presently
inflated new spirits and better hopes in'o his bleed
ing fnhje&s. He represented to them the iniqui
ty of those ccuncils in former reigns, which pre
ferred a land to a sea war, and engaged them, as
the best feeurity against irtafions, to build drips of
a proper conftru&ion to defend the coast against
the naval force of their enemies ; and, in conse
quence of this advice, we find they immediately
let about a refloration of their naval affairs, and
to build ships of a new conftruflion, devised by
the King himfelf, capable of holding sixty rowers,
and in all refpeßs double to the largest flrips then
in nfe. When this navy was compleated, Alfred
took special care to have it manned with experien
ced sailors, and commanded by officers of untaint
ed courage and fidelity, and ordered them to put
to sea, with an express prohibition neither to re
ceive or give quarter. By which he released
himfelf from the incumbrance and hazard which
arise from a number of prisoners on board of a
ship, and intended to strike terror into those ro
vers who, as they kept no faith in their treaties,
he thereby declared were unworthy of mercy.
The firft encounter between this navy and the
Danes was off the Isle of Wight. The King in
formed that fix pirates of an unu r ualfize infefted
those parts, he ordered nine of his new ships to
fail in quest of them ; and his commands were so
pun&uady executed, that they were all except
one, either funk or taken ; and the men that sur
vived, were hanged as pirates. At Winchester,
A. D, 897, in this single year the Saxons de
stroyed not less than twenty flrips, and all their
men, on the fotith coast only.
§+§+s H4Ot-{>+ ^ ++*+4°+s
HAMBURGH, Asguft
SEVERAL agents have lately arrived here
from Holland, in order to buy up cannon,
Jmall arms, fores, &c. and likewise to hire tranf
perts to embark them in. They have ordered
and bought upwards of thirty pieces of cannon for
the use of an army; many thousand Hands of small
arms, and several hundred barrels of gunpowder,
&c. which are embarked on board ten fail oflarge
transports which they have taken up and viaualled
for a three months voyage. Many conjectures
are raised in consequence of these preparations,
but the most prevalent opinion is, that they are
meant to serve the continental army in British
America.
Extras of a Letter from General Burgoyne to Lord
Stanley, bis brother in-law, grand Jim and heir
apparent to Lord Derby, dated Boflon, June 25.
“ Boston is a peninsula, joined to the main
land only by a narrow neck, which on the firft
troubles General Gage fortified; arms of the Sea,
and the harbour futround the rest on the other
fide, one of these arms to the north is Charles-
Town ; or rather was, for it is now rubbish, and
over it a large hill, which is also (like Boftoo)
a peninsula; to the south of the town is a still lar
ger Scope of ground, containing three hills, joining
also to the main by a tongue of land, and failed
Dorchester Neck ; the heighths as above describ
ed, both Perth and south, (in the soldier's ohrafe)
command the town, 'hat is, give an opportunity of
eredling batteries above any that you can make
against them, and consequently are much more ad
vantageous. It was abfolytely neeeffary we Should
make ourlcives makers of these heights, arid we
proposed to begin with Dorchester, because from
particular Situation of batteries and Shipping (too
long to describe, and unintclhg'b'e to you if 1 did)
it would evidently be effected without any confide
table loss ; every thing was accordingly disposed,
my two colleagues and mjfelf, (who, by the bye,
hrve never differed in one jot of military senti
ment) had, in concert with Gen. Gage, formed
rh^ plan; Howe was t- land the transports on the
point, Ointon in the center, and I was to canno
na^ simile Causeway or the Neck, each to
take advantage of circumstances: The operations
LONDO N, August 28.
nr fl h..ve been very ea r y, tl is was to lure been
execution the t^h. On the 17th, at dawn of
day, we found the enemy had pushed intrenchments
with great diligence daring the night, on the
heighths of Charleftown, and we evidently law
that every hour gave them freth ftiergth ; it
therefore became necessary to alter our plan, and
attack on that fide. Howe, as fecund in command,
was detached with about two thousand men, ard
landed on the outward fide of the peninfela, co
vered with shipping, without oppodtion; he was
to advance from thence up the hill which was over
Charleftown, where the strength of the enemy lay;
he had under him Brigadier Gen. Pigot; Clinton
and myfelf took our Hand (for we had not any
fixed post) in a large battery directly oppofiie to
Charleftown, and commanded it, and also reach-
ing the heights above it, and thereby facilitating
Howe's attack. Howe's disposition was exceed
ing soldier-like, in my opinion it was perfect. As
his firft arm advanced up the hill, they m % t with
a thousand impediments from strong fences, and
were much exposed. They were also exceedingly
hurt by mufquetry from Charleftown, though
Clinton and I did not perceive it till Howe sent us
word by a boat, and desired us to set fire to the
tewn, which was immediately done; we threw a
parcel of (hells, and the whole was instantly im
flames; our battery afterwards kept an incessant
fire on the heights; it was seconded by a number
of frigates, floating batteries, and one (hip of the
line. And now ensued one of the greatest feenes
of war that can be conceived; if we look to the
height, Howe's corps, afeending the hill in the
face of intrenchments, and in a very disadvantage
ous ground, were much engaged; to the left the
enemy pouring in frefh troops by thousands, over
the land, and in the arm of the sea cur ships and
floating batteries cannonading them; strait before
us a large and noble town in one great blaze ; th^
church steeples being of timber, wdi+ great pyra
mids of lire abovb the rest; behind us the church
steeples and heights of our own camp, covered
with fpe&ators of the rest of our army which was
not engaged, the hills round the country covered
with fpe&ators, the enemy all in anxious suspense,
the rear of cannon, mortars and mufquetry, the
crush of churches, ships upon the flocks, and
whole streets falling together in reins to fill the
ear ; the form of the redoubts, with the objects
above described, to fill the eye, and the reflexion
that pgrhapsd defeat was a final loss to the British
empire in America, to fill the mind, made the
whole a picture and a complication of horror and
importance beyond any thing that ever came to
my lot to be witness to.
“ I much lament Tom's* absence—it was a fight
for a young soldier that the longed service may
not furnifh again, and had he been with me he
would likewise been out of danger, for except two
cannon balls that went an hundred yards over our
heads, we were not in any part of the direction of
the enemy's (hot. A moment of the day was
critical. Howe's left were staggered, two batta
lions had been lent to reinforce them, but we per
ceived them on the beach, seeming in embarrass
ment what way to march. Clinton, then next for
business, took the part without waiting for orders,
to throw himfelf into a boat to head them, ard ar-
rived in time to be of service. The day ended
with glory, and the success was most important,
considering the ascendancy it gave the regular
troops; but the loss was uncommon in officers for
the numbers engaged.
“ Howe was untouched, but his Aid de Camp,
Sherwin, was killed; Jordan, a friend of Howe's,
who came engage de le coeur, to fee the campaign,
a Shipmate of oars on board the Cerberus, and who
a&ea as Aid de Camp, is badly wounded. Pigpt
was unhurt, but he behaved like a hero. You will
fee the lift of the loss. Poor Col. Abercrombie,
who commanded the grenadiers, died yesterday of
his wounds. Capt. Addison, our poor old friend,
who arrived but the day before, and was to have
dined with me on the day of the a&ion, was also
killed ; his fen was upon the field at the fame time.
Major Mitchell is but very Slightly hurt; he is
out already. Young Chetwynd's wound is also
Slight. Lord Percy's regiment has fuffered the
inoft, and behaved the best ; his Lord Ship himfelf
was not iathe a&ien. Lord Roden behaved to a
charm; his name is established for life."
* His nephew the Hon. Thomas Stan'ey, Est;
(and brother to Lord Stanley) who is gone a volun
teer to Boston, in his Majefy's service.
WILLIAMSBURG,^ 3 .
A small squadron, commanded, it is laid, by
Capt. Montague, a few days Since exchanged
Some Shot with a party of riflemen at Jamestown,
without any effect The frequent depredations
committed on the rivers by the tenders have pro
voked the inhabitants in every part to await their
people coming on (here, when they expert to treat
them with that rigour due to thieves and robbers.
Between one and two o'clock last Wednesday
morning, it being very dark and rainy, the centi
me! on duty at the treasury fi re d upon feme per
sons, whom he had repeatedly challenged without
receiving any aufiver ; and fufee&ing they we:e
armed, and that they might return, he hung his
blanket upon some pales, and ftcod with his gun
ready cocked to fire at the flash of their guns. In
about half aa hour a gun was difeharged from be
hind the treasury, the ball from which ftfuck close
to the blanket, and the centinel fired a Second
time. The Captain of the guard at the magazine,
hearing the report of guns, went immediately
with a small detachment to endeavour to intercept
the villains upon tbvir retreat, and it is Said Saw
three men at whom he fired, without success, it
being exceeding dark. Next morning fevcral par
ties were feet after them, but could gain no other
intelligence than that two or three men, in blue
jackets, had been Seen early that morning, near
the creek, by some Negroes.
It has been fufyeded that Captain Montague
himfelf was the person, a d that his .fcfan was to
attempt to destroy the ma azine or treasury; and
that his maduefs or folly n^de him return the
centine^'s fire. Whrev:r h was b< had a nar
row escape.