The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-06-11 00:00:00, page 1

" But the consideration most proper to
Con sole us for this event (if any thing can
Console us for the misfortune of a faithful
and geneious ally) is, that it has afforded
us an occasion of displaying a national cha
racter, a good faith, a cpnftancy and firm
nefs worthy of a people who are free, and
.determined to periffi sooner than cease to be
so. 'ir Guy Carleton was presenting him
felf with the olive-branch in his hand, at
the very moment when this disagreeable
intelligence arrived ; perhaps he had form
ed so bad an opinion of us, as to suppose
that this was a favourable crisis for de
taching us from our allies. He has an
nounced his plan ; he has endeavoured to
fend his secretary, Mr. Morgan, to congress,
and he has perhaps thought us so base, and
so ignorant of what our duty or honour,
and our interest prescribed to us, as to be
ensnared by the hope of an approaching
The following Extract of a Letter, writ
ten from Philadelphia, by a Gentleman in
Office, to one of the principal Officers in
the State of New-Jersey, cannot fail to be
acceptable to the Public. We are autho
rifed to vouch for the Authenticity of the
FaCt& contained in it.
Philadelphia, June 9, 1782.
" , ''h ave received no intel
g / ligence from the French
j W inlands which can remove
* v or lessen our anxiety, with
refpeCt co the actions between the fleet of
our ally and that of our enemy : 1 am how
ever inclined to believe, that the broken
accounts published by the latter are true,
but we shall learn from the French ac
counts only the entire damage sustained
by the British fleet. There are a few a
mong us, who, arguing from the reitera
ted and bold impositions of the English,
and from some contradictions remarked
in their accounts, still doubt the reality
of the victory ascribed to them : for
my own part, it appears so natural for 37
ships of the line to beat 30, and the Bri
tish publications are so circumEantial, that I
can no longer doubt that fir G. Rodney
has chained a victory; but it is a victory
which can yield him only bitter fruits, and
which bellows on the conduct and cour
age of the unfuccefsful. admiral, the glory
of having refilled for twelve hours a force
one-fifth superior to his own. Instead of
multiplying conjectures on the confequen
oes of this event; 1 shall content myfelf
with informing you, that the French fleet,
according to all reports, has joined fifteen
French and Spanim ships of the line which
awaited it at Hispaniola ; so that even the
victory of the English has not been able to
frulfrate this junction, which they were re
folded to spare no efforts to prevent; and
we may confider this disappointment to
them as an important point gained on the
other fide.
TUESD
VOL. XI.T
^^^tiW^mWlr^W^M?£
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GENERAL ADVERTISER.
Published every TUESDAY, THURSDAY and SATURDAY.--Price Six-Pence.
peace; but although he has scarcely been a
month on this continent, he must already
have begun to know the Americans: four
years have elapsed since the date of the
happy,alliance which unites us with France;
we had every year received new benefits
from this nation, without being able to
make any other return than barren acknow
ledgments ; and like one friend who iscon
ftantly obliged by another, without having
it in his power to render reciprocal services,
we waited with impatience an opportunity
of demonstrating that our profeffions of
attachment and gratitude were engraven
on our hearts, and were not to be affe&ed
by the vicissitudes incident to a long war.
This opportunity has happened ; the ene
my themselves have presented it to us, and
I cannot exorefs to you the joy with which
I have ken Maryland, Pennsylvania and
Virginia, with emulation and with unanimL
mity, declare their fixed resolution to re
ject with disdain every offer of a separate
peace, and every proposition which would
throw the slightest stain cn our national cha
racter or the alliance. I have just read,
with the lame pleasure, rhe resolutions pass
ed by the assembly of New-Jersey ; they
breathe a true patriotism. The enemy
can no longer fay that nine-tenths of the
Americans are in their favour: they can
not even lay that they have a single parti
zan in the thirteen fUtes since thelc reso
lutions are all unanimous. The United
States had for fix years assumed their rank
among independent nations'; and from the
present moment they will hold a diflinguifhed
place among nations the molt celebrated for
their generosity, their firmnefs and their vir
tue. Thanks to ourenemy, who, in endea
vouring to fix an indelible biot on our natio
nal character, and to ensnare us into an igno
minious perfidy, have enabled us to dis
play thole qualities which are the founda
tion of the glory and happiness of states.
Europe will at length know us: England
herfelf will perhaps learn to judge less un
favourable of us ; and finding that we are
actuated by principles of justice, of con
stancy and fidelity, will relinquish her
scheme of degrading and debasing us, that
she may in the end enslave us.
. But I have still to relate to you the most
happy circumstance in this affair: At the
time the assemblies were passing these. wife
and noble resolutions, congress received
information, that the most (educing pro
positions had been made to our ally by a
British agent sent to Versailles; that con
cessions had been tendered, the best adapt
ted to seduce a power influenced either by
avarice, by ambition, or by a sense of weak
ness; but the agent refufed to treat at the
fame time of the independence of the United
States: our allies answered simply, that
THIS INDEPENDENCE FORMED
THE BASIS OF THEIR SYSTEM;
and the negociation went no farther. The
O R, THE
.T H E
nevertheless, it is not to be denied, that a
power who proceeded with a less firm step
in the path of justice and wisdom, might
easily have fuffered itielf to be led away by
the dazzling offers which were made.
" This was the proper conduct, both 011
cur part and that of France, to do honour to
the two nations. It is happy for their mu
tual glory that, without any communicati
on, without any concert, and without any
consultations, they have both, from the fame
innate rectitude, adopted the fame resolu
tions against separate negociations. What
was the object of these propositions fecredy
and separately made to the two parties?
If Great-Britain had been actuated by good
faith, she ought to have apprised France
that she meant to treat with us ; and to ac
knowledge to us that she was endeavouring
to treat with France: but (he hoped, by
lowing feeds of jealousy and diLruft, to di
vide us: she flattered herfelf that the two
allies, or at leaff one of them, might listen
to her propositions ; that the other would
conceive suspicions therefrom; that difeon
tent would succeed, and that a rupture
would eventually take place which would
terminate in our subjugation: her project:
has mifcai ried, the artifice is detected ; and
whilst it displays the insidious policy which
still directs her councils, serves to evince the
mutual fidelity and attachment of the allies;
and the necessity of an unlimited confi
dence and conitant communication of every
thing which relates to our mutual interests.
" I am now more proud of the title of•
American than I have ever been: the ene-
W have, without intermission, represented
us. as a timid and dakardly people, without
>aith and without honour: they are now
undeceived at their own expence. But there
is one point in which our national honour
has too long Offered: we have Efficient
firmnels to abandon our houses and our ha
bitations to an incendiary foe; we have
seen without terror dur houses and our
farms in flames; we have seen our
effects, out hoiles and our cattle swept
away, and our lentiments have remained un
shaken; we have received with contempt
overtures of peace which would have co
vered us with shame; we have fuffered all
the calamities and wants which afflict ex
iled citizens', obliged to leek an asylum at
a great distance from their own country.—
Our wives have shewn the fame firir nefs of
foul, and sometimes their firmnels and pa
triotism have invigorated our own. We
have med our flood in the glorious cause
in which we are engaged; we are ready to
shed the latt drop in its defence. Nothing
is above our courage, except only [with
(hame I speak it| except the courage to'
TAX ourfdves.”
•
conduct of the French has been io uniform,
and so upright through the course of this
war,that this answer excited no surprise in US;
JUN E 1X,1782:
[NUMB, 896.