The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-06-13 00:00:00, page 2

Tai! CRISIS, N° IX.
This Na über coming inconveniently l ie to the Press
on Friday ngnt; occ?fi;ned itsappeariog with some er
rors in our paper of Saturday irornnig, which we have
remedied by rep;bbihing the whole from a corrected co
py.
HA D America purfyed her advantages with half the
fpi it (he relifted her misfortunes, (he would, before
no v, have ^eo a conquering and a peaceful people ; but
hrl-d in the lip of (oft tranquility she reßed on her hopes,
and a v rfity only has convuif.-d hr into aßion. Wtje
t er fubc.lt; or fin-erty at the close of the last year, in
duced the enemy to an appear nee 'or peace, is a point
not materia! to know ;it is fofti&el that we fee the elf &s
it has had on our politics, and that we fteroly rife to re-,
sent-the delufiou.
Tie war on the part of America, has been a war of na
tural feelings. Brave in diftrels; serene in conquest ;
dovfy when at rest ; and in every situation gereroufly
dfpofed to peace. A dangerous calm, and the mod
heighten'd teal, hive, as circurnftances varied, fuccce%
ei each other. Every p^ffion,'but that of difpair, has
been celled to a tour ;f duty ; and so raiftaken has been
the enemy of our abilities and disposition, that when flie
fapp fed us conquered, we rest the conquerors. The ex
tenfivenefe of the United S ales andthevariety of their re
f tees; the university of their cause, the quick opera
tion of their feebpes and th> fimilsrdy of their 'fenti
ments, have, in every trying situation, produced a fo^-
tbi^r, which favoured by Providence, and nurfu°d %Rh
ar!oor ( has accomplished in an instant the bufloefs of a
campaign. We have never dlberately fought victory,
but Snatched it ; and bravely undone in an hour, the plot
ted op rations of a seas n.
The reported fate of C'harlefluwn, like the misfortunes
o' fev-nty-fx, has at last called forth a spirit, and kin
dled up a slime, which perhaps no other event could have
,r duced. If the enemy has circulated a falfehood they
have unwisely aggravated us into life, and if they have
told usa truth, tey have unintentionally done us
a service We were returning with folded arms from
the fatigues of war and thinking, and fitting leiufurely
down to enjoy repose. The dependence that has been
put upon Charleftown, threw a drowfidefs over America.
We 1 oked on tie business done—t^e confliß over—the
matter f til d—or that llwhich remained unfinished would
follow of idelf. In this state of dangerous relax, expo,
fed to the poisonous infufions of the enemy, and having
no common dan; er to attraß our attention, we were ex
tinguishing by stages the ardour we began with, and
furrcnder^g by peacemeals the virtue that defended ns.
Afflicting as the loss of Charleftown may be, yet if it
nmverfally rouse ns from the flmr&r of a twelve month\
past, an! renew in us the spirit of former days, it will
produce- an advantage more important than its loss. A
merits ever is what she thinks herftf to be. Governed by
fentim nt, and afli^g her own mig, (he becomes as she
p^afrs the victor or the vd&im.
ft is not tle o^queft of towns, ncr the accidental cap
ture of garrisons, that can reduce a country so extensive
as this. The furrings of due part can ever be relieved
by the exertions cf another, and there is no situation the
enemy can be in, that deqs net afford to us, the fame
advantages she Ireks herfelf. By dividing her force, die
leaves every p>fl attackable. It is a mode of war, that
carries with it a comefficu of we,kn<fs. and goes on the
prin< ipleof didre^, rather than conquest.-
Tee decline of re enemy is visible not only '° their
operating but in their olan; Charl^ftown'originally made
bora secondary object in their system of attack, and it ts
now become their principal one, because they have not
been abh to succeed else where. It would have carried
a cowardly appearance in Europe, had they formed their
grand expedition in fcventy.fix, against a part of the Coi
tnnt, where there was no army, or not a fuffi ient one
to opoofe them ; butfoiin? year after year, in their ire
predion h p re, and ; o the eaftwaid an 1 northward t ey
defected their firft capita! design, and prudently content
ing themselves with what they can get, give a flourish of
honor to conceal disgrace.
But this piece me 1 vork is not conquering the Conti
nent It is d'feredit in them to attempt it, and in us to
foTer it. It it now nil time to put an end ?oa war of
ag ravations. which on one fide, lias no possible cbjeft,
and on the other, has every inducement which honor, n
tereft, fafety and happiness, can iqfpire. If^efuffer them
much longer to r.m'in among us we thill become ac bad
as tbemfe!vc&.' Anaffociation of vices will redue us more
than thefw rd. A nation hardened in the practice of in'
iqofy, knows better how to profit by it, than a young
country ne^ly corrupted. We are not a match for them
in the line of advantageous guil, nor they r o us, on the
principles we bravely set out with. Our fi; ft days w.re
our days of honor. They have marked the character of
Amer ca whoever the story of her wars are told; and
convinced of this, we have nothing to do, but wifely and
u litedly to tread the well known track.
T. e orogrefs of a war, is often as ruinous to individuals,
ns the issue of it is taa nation ; and it is not only h&ef
fa y t at our force be such, that we be c nquerors in the
end, but "at by 'imely exertions, we be secure in the in
terim. The present campaign wi l afford an opportunity
which a. ,never presented itfelf before, and the prepara
tion r it, are equal'y necessary, whether Charles town
stand or fall. Suppose the firft, it is in that case, only a
failure as the enemy, not a defeat. All the conquefta
befogs t®vi can hope or, is not to be conquered ; and
compelling an enemy to raise the siege is to the beiieged
a r i'l>r/. But there mufl be a probability amounting
alnoft to certainty, that would juftify a garrifom marching
cut to attack a retreat Therefore Ihould Charleftowu
no' be taken, and the enemy abandon the siege, every
other p ft of the Continent should prepare to meet them ;
and on ti e contrary, iboaldit be taken, the fame prepa
rations are neceffaty, to balance the loss, and put our
feves in a condition to co operate with our allies, imme.
diately on their arrival. ,
We are not now fig h ''ng our battles alone, as we were
jn (evenly- fix. England, from a malicious disposition to
America, has aofonly not declared war against France and
Spain, but the better to prosecute her passions here, has
afforded those Powers no military object, and avoids
them, to distress us. She will fuffer her Weft-India
Islands to be overrun by France, and her southern fett'e
men's taken by'Spain, rather than quit the obje& th^t
gratifies revenge. Thisconduft on the part of Britain,
has pointed out the propriety of France fending a naval
and land force to co-operate with America on the fpet.
Their arrival cannot be very distant, nor the ravages of
the enemy loeg. Io the mem time the part necessary to
us, needs no'iiluflration. The recruiting the army, and
procuring the supplies, are the two things needful, and
a capture of either of the enemy's divisions, will restore
to America peace and plenty.
At a Cr sis, big, likethe prefect, with expectation and
events, the whole country is called to unanimity and ex
ertion. Not an ability ought now to deep that can pro
dure but a mite to the general good, nor even a whisper
futfersd to pass that militates against it. The necessity of
the c fe, and the importance of the consequences, admit
no delay from a friend, no apolegy from an enemy. To
spare now, would be the height of extravagance, and to
consult present ease, would facrifice it, perhaps, for ever.
America, rich in patriotism and produce, can want
neither men nor supplies, when a serious necessity calls
them forth. The flow operation of taxes, owing to
the extensiveness of collection, and their depreciated va
lue before they arrived in the Treasury, have, in many
instances, thrown a burthen upon Government, which
has been artfully interpreted by the enemy into a general
decline throughout the country. Yet this, iuconve
n'ent as it may at firft appear, is not only remediable,
tout may be turned to an immediate advantage; for it
makes no real difference, whether a certain number of
men, orcompany of militia, (and in this coumr: every
man is a militia man) ared rtChd by law, to fend a re
cruit at their own expence, or whethera tax is laid on
them for that purpose and the man hired by government
afterwards. Thefirß, if there is any difference, is both
cheapen and best, because it saves the expence which
would attend collecting it as a tax, and brings the man
sooner intothe field, than the modes of recruiting former
ly used: And on this principle, a law has been puffed in
this 8 ate, for recruiting two men from each company
of militia, which will add upwards to a thousand to the
force of the country^
But the flame,which has br>ke forth in this city, finre the
report from New-York, of the loss of C ,ar ! eftown,not on
ly d es honor to the place, but like the blaze of seventy-six,
will kindle info action, the Scattered (parks throughout A
merica.The valour of a country may be learned by the bra
very of its fold ery, and the general cast of its inhabitants,
but confidence of success is best discovered by the active
measures pursued by men of property ; and when the spi
rit of enterprize becomes so unverfal, as to a& at once
on all ranks of men, a war may then, and not till then,
be stiled. truly popular.
In seventy-six the ardour of the enterprising part was
copfi^eftWy checked by the real revolt of feme, and the
coolness of others. But in the present case there is a firm
n«fs in the substance and property of the country to the
public cause. An association has been entered into by the
merchants, tradesmen, arid principal inhabitants of the
city, to receive and (upport the new State money at the
value of gold and fiiver; a measure, which, while it does
teem honour, will likewise contribute to their interest,
by rendering the operations of the campaign convenient
and effectual.
Neither has the spirit of exertion ftopt here. A vo
luntary fub'cripdon is^kewife began to raise a fund of hard
money, to. befi en as beynties to fill up the full quota of
the Pepnf, Iv^nia line. It has been the remark of the
en my, that every thing in America has been done by the
force of government, hut when file fees the individuals
throwing in their voluntary aids, and facilitating the
public measures io concert with the ehabbfhed powers of
the country, it will convince her that tie c use of Ame
rica (hands not on the will of a few but on the broad foun
dation of property and popularity.
Thus aided and thus furported,difafFeclion will decline,
and the withered head of tyranny expire in America. The
r.vago• f the enemy will be short and limited, and like
all their former ones will produce a victory over them
feives.
COMMON SENSE.
Philadelphia, June 9 17^.
At the time of writing.hto number of the Crisis, the
loss of Charleßowo, thou h believed by some, was more
confident/ dTnelieved by others. But there ought to be no
lon.er a doubt on the matter. Charleftown is gone,
and I believe for the want of a fufrieht (apply of
provisions The man that does not now fetl for the ho
nor of the best and n^blef lcaufe that ever a country en
gaged in and exert himfelf accordingly, is no longer wor
thy a peacable refi Jeace among a people determined to
be free./
C. S.
MARTINIQUE, May u.
We are informed the Dutch fleet which was taken on
their pafffe to Ereft, have been declared by the Court
of Admiralty in London to be lawful prizes.
From the COUNTRY JOURNAL, dated
Boston, May 79, 1780.
Meffi'rs. PRINTERS,
As the darkfiefs which happened on the la'fl Friday was
unusual, and to many people furprfiig, it will no
doubt gratify the public, to have the observations which
have been made in various parte communicated: In
this way we may learn tne extent, and perhaps ascer
tain the cause of so remarkable a Phenomenon : With
these views I fend you the inclofed.
TH E observations from the firft coming on of the
darkness, to four o'clock, P. M. were made by se
veral gentlemen of liberal education, at the house of the
Rev. Mr. Cutler, of Ipswich-Hamlet. There are force
things worth noticing before and after this time. The
Hemisphere for federal days had been greatly obfeured
with fmoakand vapour, so that the Sun and Moon ap
peared unusually red. On Thursday afternoon and in
the evening, a thick cloud lay along at the south and south
west, the wind small. Friday morning early the Sun ap
peared red, as it had done for several days before, the
wind about south-west, a light breeze, and the clouds
from the feuth-^ed came over between tight and nine
o'clock, the Sun was quite fliut in, and it began to show
er, the clouds continuing to rife from the fouth-weff,
and thicken from the tbickoefb of the clouds, and the
confusion which attended their motions, we expected a
violent gust ^f wind and rain, the wind however, near the
earth, continued small, and it rained but little. About
eleven o'clock the darkness was such as to demand our at
tention, and put us upon making observations. At half
pift eleven, in a room with three windows 24 panes each,
all open towards the south ea ft and south, large print
could not be read by persons o' good eyes. About iz
o'clock the windows being ftil open, a candle call a made.
so well defined on the wall,as that pr files were taken with
as much ease as they could have been in the night. A
bout one o'clock a glin of light which had continued 'till
this time in the east, shut in, and the darkness was great
er than it had been for any time before. Between one
and two o'clock, the wind from the weft frefhened a little,
and a glin appeared in that quarter. We dined about
two, the windows all open, and two candhs a burning
on the table. In the time of the greater darkness some cf
the dunghill fowls went to their roost. Cocks crowed inati
fwer to one another as they commonly do in the night :
Woodcocks, which arenight birds, whirled as they do.
only in the dark: Froggs peeped. In short, there was
the appearance of midnight at noon-day. About three
o'clock the light in the weft iocreafed, the motion of the
clouds more quick, their colour higher and more braffi
t an at any time before . •There appeared to be quick
Belies or corufeations, not unlike the Aurora Boreuh.
Between three or four o'clock we were cut and perceived
a ftrongjootby smell, some of the company were confident
a chimney in the neighbourhood must be burning, others
conjectured the smell was more like that of burnt leaves;
About half past four,our company which had past an un
expected night very cheerfully together broke up. I will
now give you what I noticed afterwards. I found the
people at the tavern near by much agitated, among other
things which gave them fwrpife, they mentioned the flrange
appearance and smell of the ram water, which they had
saved in tubs ; upon examining the water I found a light
scum over it, which rubbing between my thumband find
ger, I found to be nothing but the black ashes of burnt
leaves, the witer gave the fame Frong foothy smell which
we had observed 'in the air ;and confirmed me in my opini
on,that the smell mentioned above was occasioned by the
fmoak, or very small particles of burnt leaves,which had'
obfeured the hemisphere lor federal days pa ft,and were now
brought down by the rain : The appearance la fl mention
ed served to cerroberate the Hypothesis on which we had
endeavoured to account tor the unufu l darkness. The
vaf ibody of fmoak from the words which had been burn
ing for many days, mixing with thecommon exhalations
from the earth and water, and condensed by the adjon
of winds from opposite points, may perhaps he (efficient
chuffs to produce the surprising darkness.
The wind in the evening puffed round further north
where a black cloud lay, and gave us reason to expe& a
sudden gust from that quarter : The wind brought that
body of fmoak and vapour overus in the evening (at Sa
lem) and perhaps it never was darker firce the Children
of Israel left the Hiufe of Bondage. This grofedarknefa
held 'tid about one o'clock, although the moon had fulled
but the day before.
Between one and two the wind fiefhened up at north
east, and drove the fmoak-and clouds away, which had
given distress to thoufand#; and alarmed the faff
creation.
VIATO R.
May, tzd.
NEW-LONDO N, May 19.
Saturday last was brought into port, by the Young
Cromwell, Hawk and Sally privateers, the (hip Jenny,
Cap*. Hambleton, from Writby, in England, bound to
Nev York, burthen about 400 tons, and laden with coal,
cordage and duck.
Same day arrived a flag of truce from New-York, with
110 Americans, feat from the prtfon-fhip there for ex
change. #
A genieman who came in the above flag informs, that
three days before they failed from New York, a frigate
arrived there from England, with dispatches, but the con
tents had not transpired : that she tarried only 24. hours,
and then failed for Carolina,
We hi ar that about ten days ago the woodsnear Ti 6
conderqga took a fire, which spread for thirty miles
round.
Last Tuesday five persons arrived in town, who made
their escape in a boat from the prison ship in New-York,
and bro't off the centry with them.
PROVIDENC E, May 27.
Extract of letter from Camp at Morristown, dated the
17th instant.
" By recent intelligence from New-York we learn, that
a frigate had arrived there, in fix weeks from England,
with dispatches for that place ; also for General Clinton,
at Carolina : Those for New-York were, orders to turn
out the whole of the inhabitants immediately on fatigue,
in order to cut a can .Ihcrofs the island, from the north to
the east river ; likewise to build a fort on the Look-Out,
cn Staten-Island, also to fink 20 vessels in the channel, in
confequenceof a fleet having failed from France, consist
ing of I? , fail of the line, with 10000 troops, to be under
the command of the Marquis de la Fayette, which might
be expected every hour : That if the di(patchesarrived at
Carolina seasonably, and General Clinton had not effect
ed his intentions in reducing that capital, he was to raise
the siege, and return to New. York."
We learn that four privateers, three of them belonging
to New- London, 00 Wednesday last drove a copper-bot
tomed (hip ashore on Long- Island Beach, 6 miles from
Sandy-Heok; she mounted 22 nine-pounders, and by
some papers found on board proves to be the London pack
et, from Falmoutb, which place she left the 15th of April.
Her crew, 55 in nuriiber, tfeaped with the mail, A Lon
don print, of the Bth of April, taken in her, mentions
that Gibraltar is again blocked up by a powerful Spanish
fleet. Some valuable effects were taken from on board the
packet, but a fleet from New-York heaving in fight, and
feme frigates landing for the privateers, they were obli-