The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-02-16 00:00:00, page 4

Frazey's coming ind had even by letter reco^mehded the
business he came upon, yet in this joint letter of Feb. 16,
he appears to know no more of the matter than they do.
I have gone alittle out of the order of time to take in this
circumstance focurioufly explanatory of Mr. Deane's don
bie conduct f r
Nothingmaterial appears to have happened from the time
of Mr. Francy's failing in Sept, till the 6th arid 7th of
Oft following, when the dispatches of those dates were
.loft and blank white paper feat to Congress in their stead.
I muff request the reader in this place to take his stand
and review the part Mr. Deane had a&ed. He had ne
gotiated ;roared, present into a purchase; and I have
quoted letters to show, that though he was privy to Mr.
Trancy's corning over for the money, he had nevertheless
concealed it from his colleagues, and was consequently
obliged, when anting in conjunction with them, to know
nothing of the matter, and to concur with them in forming
such dispatches as they might have authority to do, not
with Handing such dispatches might contradict, or tend to
expefe himfelf. He had at leaf! the chance of the seas in
his f avor.
The dispatches of OT. 6 and 7, 1777, (as appear by the
duplicates which have since arrived) wereofthis kind ; and
are, as far as letters can be, positive evidence against Mr.
Deane's accounts. Th^ one is a single letter from the Hon.
Arthur Lee Esq; and the other a joint letter from B.
Franklin, 3. Deane and A. Lee, of Off, 7th. That of the
6th gives id circumfiantial account in what manner the pre
sent wis firft offered, and the latter declares, “ That for
the money and military /lores already given no remittance?
^id ever be required' But Mr. Francy was sent off
with Mr. Deane's tingle letter to demand.the money, what
then was to be done with those dispatches? Had they ar
rived, tongrefs would have had a line to go by—an 1 as
they did not they had nothing but Mr. Deane's tingle let
ter and pretended contrast with Mr. Beaumarchais to go
vern them,
I fliall now rel ite such circumftanpes as I am aquainted
with concerning the loss ®f those dispatches, by which the
reader will fee, that the theft could only be committed by
fame bosom apostate.
When the fuppbfeJ dispatches were brought to York-
Town by C pt. Folger, who came with them from France,
they confined of a packet for Congress of nearly the fixe
of a half fleet, another, for Robert Morris &q, of about
the fame fi:§ another for Mr Barnaby Deane, brother to
Silas Deane, of about the fame size, a fmailer.one from Mr.
Arthur Lee to his brother, Col. R. H. Lee, besides letters
and some small parcels to different persons private, and ano
ther packet which Tihall mention afterwards. The pack
et for Congress and that for Col. R. H. Lee had both been
robbed of every article of their contents and filled up with
Mank white paper; that for Mr. Morris and Mr. Bar
4aby Deane came fafe with ad their contents. Whoever
was the thief muff know exactly what to take and what to
leave ; otherwise the packet for Mr. Morrisand Mr. Bar
naby Deane mu fl halve been equally as tempting as that to
Col. Lee, cr rather more so, because they were more bulky
and promising. In ihort the theft difeovers such an intimate
knowlege of the contents, that it could only be done, or
directed to be done, by some perlon originally concerned
in the writing of them. None of the p ckets or letters
that came fafe contained a single article of intelligence, ex
cepting a letter from Doctor Franklin to myfetf dated the
fame day of the dispatches, in which he fays “ Our affairs
" fofar as they are concerted <witb tb s country are every
" day more promfin," I received this letter at Lancaster
fhro' the favor of the then President, /Ln, Laurens E;q;
and returned if train to him to be communicated to Con
gress ; and this, as [have before mentioned, was the only
article of information which Cengrefs received from May
177-, to May 1778. Which may now be set down as a
nother extraordinary circumstance.
Among the packets was likewise a large handsome one
directed to Mr. Hancock, who, at the time the dispatches
were written, was President of Congress, and this would
undoubtedly have been a gre ter inducement to a British
emissary than that directed to Col.R. H. Lee; yet this
packet which was only on private' business was likewise
furered to come in fafety. But how, I ask, should any
British emissary know that it contained no information?
There are two ways by which this theft might be com
mitted, viz. either by changing the packets and placing
blank ones in their flead by the assistance of a counter
feit seal, (and why not as well counterfeit a seal as coun
terfeit Common Sen/e) or by opening their, and filling the
cover up with blank paper. In the firft of those cases, the
perlon must know how to imitate, and in either of them
he must know which to felcct.
Mr. Deane thro' his advocate FbiWetfa in the Penn
. fylvania Packet ofjanuary 3d f ys, in substance, that as
neither the King c/ England's fpeecb in November 1777, nor
yet any min,erial information to Parliament tbro' the course
'of that session dis over any knowtege, of any ferret fappofed
to be contained in tbfe dispatches, that it is, therefore, A
PROOF THAT THEY CONTAINED NO SECRET. But
surely Mr Deane will not be hardy enough to deny the
contents of the dispatches which himfelf was concerned in
forming, and is now fufpeded offoppreffing? This would
be such a refinement upon treachery that I know of no
law which provides for the case. Ifh 11, therefore, in this
p'ace, content myfelfwith answering to Philaleffies gene
ral: y th it he himfelf knows nothing of their con ents,
and that the silence ofthe Britilh King and Minifiry is a
circumflantial evidence th?tthey have not got the dispatches,
and that they were loft for some other purpose. One thing
however, we are certain of, viz. that the loss oft .em, in
any case, answered, at that timp, the money purpose which
Mr. Deane had in view, by giving an opportunity to his
single letter by Mr. Francy, and the business that gentle
man came upon, to arrive at Congress, instead of the
" dispatches.
It is true, that the duplicates were brought over by Mr.
Deane's brother, Mr. Simeon Deane, with the Treaty of
+ The committee for foreign affairs in their firft letter
to the comm ffioners after Mr. Francy's arrival, fay “ We
“ think it flrange that the commiflioners did not jrinty
“ write by Mr.Francy, confi iering the very importantde
" signs of his coming over, viz. to fettle the mode of pay
« ment for the pas lcargoes, sent by Roderique Hortalez
" and Co. and to make centrads for future. It is certain,
" that much eclaircifiement (explanation) is, at this late
moment wanting."
PHILADEL P HIA: Printed and Sold by JOHN DUNL AP, in Market-street.
Alliance, but it would have been too barefaced to have had
them stolen out of bis hands and the treaty left behind.
Besides which, it was reasonable to suppose that Con.refs
had before that, refclved upon, and fettled the mode of
payment, and that their attention to the great object of
the Treaty would make them inattentive to duplicates
of a prior date, which appears to have been the case.
But it was Folger's hard fate to be confined, partly in
prison, and partly on parole nearly five months on account
of those dispatches; he was at last set at liberty because
nothing could be found against him, mere, than that;
he appeared to be a blundering foul, and therefore a pro
per person to pitch upon to bring over blank dispatch
es, as his probable inattention might afford a wilderness
to the theft committed by others.
The public have now a clear line of circumAances before
them, and tho' Mr. Deane may deny the fft, it becomes
him likewise to remove the fufpiciohs, which I am certain
he cannot do without denying the letters I have quoted.
In his address of December sth he set out with a falf
hood, by declaring that the “ Ears of the representatives
(in Congress) mere,out again, him," and tho' the charge
was unjdft, as appears by the Journals, yet so loft are
that body to the dignity of the fates 'they represent, that
toey not only fuffered the accusation to pals unquestioned
but invited him, at the public expence, to their next pub
lic;entertainmeat on the 6ri of Febuary. It was the dif
graceful fubnhfhon of Congress to Mr. Deane's f Ife ac
cusation, that was the real cause why the late President
Henry Laurens, #,; quitted the Chair, and the fame cause
promoted the present President Mr. Jay to it. The secre
cy which Congress imposes upon th@mfelves is become a
cloak, for their mifcondua, and as I wifn. to fee a Congress.
'"" as America might be proud to own and the enemy
afraid to triffle with, it is full time for the dates to know
the conduct of their members, that they may make that
body fu.h as they would with it to be. An evil cured is
better than an evil concealed and fuffocated
I thall conclude this paper with mentioning another cir.
cumhance or two, in which Mr. Deane's reputation ap
pears to be involved.
In his addriC ofDecember sth he informed the public,
that, “ About the time the news arrived in France of Ge
“ neral Burgoyne's surrender Mr. Arthur Lee's Secretary
" went to and from London, charged with affairs which
' were feCr^r to the other Commissioners," meaning him
felf and Doctor Franklin; and on this ground, unsupported
by any kind of evidence, Mr. Deane endeavours to have
the Public believe that Mr. Lee gave information to the
Britilh Court of the intended Treaty.
xaatMr. Lee sent his Secretary to some sea port Towns
in England is very true, and that hedid not acquaint Mr.
~'eane with the reafona or the business is as true. Mr.
Deane had been a traitor to Mr. Lee; and broke open and
suppressed some confiderabie information of Mr. Lee's to
congress some considerable time before. Ido not in this
place mean the difpitcf.es of October 6th, and 7th, 1777,
but another affair, and the original letter, which I here
allude to, has likewise been in my hands since the time
Mr. Deafle broke it open.
But it is no proof that because Mr. Deane did not know
the bufinefy that Dr. Franklin might not, or that others
did hot. Mr. Deane never gave a line©/ authentic infor
mation to Congress refpe&ing t e condition of the enemy's
fleet,, their ftrengp, weakness or deflination; or of their
land force, cr their politics. Mr. Lee has constantly done
so and beenon that head the most industrious and belt in
formant that America had in Europe, and that even be
fore the Congress existed, @f which I ffiall mention one in
stance, viz; by the fame we,ll that brought over the Bri
tifli King's inftruefions to Sir Francis Barnard, while Go
vernor of Massachusetts, Mr. A. Lee, I fay, by that fame
w/eifent ibe People of Be, on the particulars of theft t,^
fructi ns. Whereas Mr. Deane's letters are for the most
part filled up with flattering compliments to himfelf and
Mr. B&ihmarchais.
But taking it for granted, that the enemy knew of the
intended treaty, the question is, who informed them?•
Mr. Arthur Lee had certainly no occafien to fend his
Secretary over to England to do it, because a privatehint
given to Lord St^rm^nt, who was at that time at Paris as
a British Ambassador, would have been much fafer and
more conveniently done.
Yet that it was known in London, before it was execu
ted in Paris, is a matter of which I have no doubt.
The public, or at leaf some of them, may recoiled a
letter that was published a confi jerable time since, from a
gentleman in London toa relation of his in this city,
in which he spoke firm y of the eflablifhed Independence
of America, and advised the attention ofhis relation to mo
zig matters: that letter was from one of the Mr. Whartons
of London, and came accidently to fight. I mention this
as a corresponding circura dance to what lam now goin^
to relate.
I have seen and have in my possession, an attestation of
a gentleman, which declares, that he saw at Mr. Whar
ton's in London, a letter from Mr. Deane's secretary, and
in his (the secretary's ) hand writing, dated Paris, Janu
ary zrfo, informing, that the Treaty of Alliance beseem
France and America nesiuld befgned the ,b or 6th of Febru
ary following ; vjlich letter likewise recommended an at
tention to money matters, by which, I presume, is meant
Stockjobbing in the English funds. And I have seen ano
ther account, which fays, that much about the fame time
Mr. Deane remitted over to Londe: 19,520 Livres.
I frail now conclude this long letter with declaring, that
from the beginning of fois dispute, I have had no other ob
jeftin view than to bring truh to light ;in the prosecu
tion of which, I have gone contrary to my own perforin!
interest. The opposition and insults I have met with have
been numerous; yet from an unwillingness to ficrifice
pubic advantage to private resentment I have thought it
belt to take as little notice of them as podible. Truth, in
every case, is the mod reputable victory a man can gain.
And if Mr. Deane has hitherto been the Jenas of the
Aorm, I sincerely wish he may be found out, that the
vessel may have relief.
As my fignatare, Common Sertfe, has been counterfeited,
either by Mr. Deane or some ofliis ad herents, in Mr. Brad
ford's paper of Febuary 3d, I shall fubferibe this with my
name.
T lIOMAS PA JN E.
Philadelphia, Febuary 13.
Philadelphia, February rb,
DRUG $ and MEDICIN E S;
A large and frefh affartment just opened, and to he 'old
by the Subfciiber, at the corner of Walnut anc Se
cond.ftreets, who can assure bis Cuflomers and thh
Public, that they are equal in quality to any hereto
fore imported ;—Amongft which are the following:
AN TI MON Y, Manna,
Camphor, M/gnefia alba,
Calomel, Sago,
Cantharides, Pe^rl Barlev,
Gum Arabic, Salop,
Jefniis B^rk, Bit Sweet Oil,
J^'ap, Daffy's Elixir,
Ipecaccoarihs, Bateman! Drops,
Sena, Andekcri's Pills,
Tartar Emetic, Hooper's ditto,
Opium, Hemet's' Pearl Effcr.ee for
Glauber and Epforn Salts, the teeth and gums,
Flowers of Chamomile Milk of Rofet, °'
I mor of Sulphur, Eau 'de Luce,
Cream of Tartar, Essence of Peppermint,
Roman Vi rid, Baribin of Honey, &c &c.
A confiderabk allowance will be made to fu<h as take
a quantity. SHARP DELANY.
N. B. Mtd<cw Chest, for imps and private families
put up with pr p^r cire&ions.
Philadelphia, February 13.
To be SOLD by Public Vendue,
At the Coffee.botfie, on Saturday; the twenty-seventh
inherit, at rour o'clock in the afternoon, (if not
former fold by private file)
# LVALUABLE LOT, situate in the diftrid of
cl ^uthwark, in front seventy feet on the east fide
of bron'-hreet continued, and from thence ext n ring
e Reward eiglit hundred and ninety feet to the live; De
laware, divided .n ti.e following marmr; Three lets
of twenty feet front each on th: east fide of Swanfon
ftreer, having ere&e< ltherein a good two story fram
houfe fixtren and a half feet by twentymo and a half
feet deep, with a fried back thereof : A good twentye
inch foie wad, ten feet above the furface, one hundred
arid fix feet Ibng, and a wharf extending one hundred
and tvven y feet I eyend the end of laid wall, atthe end
of which wharf there a e fifteen feet water at low water ;
abo the foundations and a contidernble part of the walla
of two ftcr-% thirty, fix feet by thirty fix : Three lots
on the pelt fide of Sw-mfonftreet, twenty feet each, and
extending westward four hundred anj four feet to the
eat fide of a thirty feet Greet called Swedes-Chuich-
Alley, whereon are ere&ed a rood brj k three-story
hfufe fixt^en feet front by thirty-two feet deep, with a
Kitchen adjoining of two Goring, thirteen feet by sixteen
feet, an even, a brick pavement eighty feet long by ten
feet wide, and an excellent pump of good water at the
door, haying a good cellar under the whole building ;
abo a twe-ftory frame tenement fifteen feet by twenty
one feet : Three lots on the east tide of Front-street con
tinued, seventy feet front, and extending e ft card tyro
hundred and sixty feet to the weft fide cfSwede -Church-
Alley afcrefaid, having eroded thereon three frame te
nement', whirh are let on ground-rent of eleven pounds
four Killings per annum. The whole lot fubje& to a
ground-rent of twenty, pounds per annum, and both
ground rents ieferved in Pernfylvania currency. For
terms apply to Jacob Banksok, Eq ; Attorney at
Law, in Philadelphia, or to the fubcriber arMount-
H <%, \ J ° H : N JONES.
N. B. There is also appurtenant to the premises, the
privilege of a landing on the east fide cf Swanson-street,
thirty feet wide, and from thence extending and widen
ing into the river Delaware, where it is fix y feet wide.
Philadelphia, February 8.
TEN DOLLARS REWARD;
WAS LOST yesterday, on the road between
this city and Frankford, a fiver mounted
HANGER, maker's name on the mountiri^ of the
scabbard, Bailey, Verplanck's °oint, a filver° twisted
guard to the handle, and the Hunger of a large size.
Whoever has found >he feme and wiil deliver it to the
Printer, fhdl receive the above Reward.
Silver-faiths are desired to give information to the
Printer if it should be offered for tale
EIGHT DOLLARS REWARDS
BROKE out of the gu^rd-boufe at the Barracks
in Philadelphia, on Monday the eighth day of this
instant, (February) a soldier belonging to Col. Benja
min Flowers's regiment of Arilleiy and Artificers,
R2med JOHN LAN.DOLPH, about twenty five
years of age, five feet seven or eight inches high, brown
hair, and smooth face; bad on when he went away, a
British regimental coat died brown, with white edgings,
and a red jacket. Whoever takes up tbe above D ferter
and delivers him to me at the Continental Fr&ry in
Water-Greet, between Walnut and Spruce-Greets, or
secures him in any gaol, hull have the above reward
and reasonable charges, paid .by
THEOPHILUS PARKE,
Capt. of Artillery and Artificers.
TO BE SOLIT
A LIKELY, healthy NEGRO MAN, about
^A twenty-two years of age; he is a good cook, and
capable of taking care of horses; is fold for no fault
but want of suitable employ. Enquire of the Printer.
TTTay ED OR STOLE N,
From Abel James's Table in Water-street, about the
twenty third day of last month,
ASM ALL dark bay HORS E, about thirteen
hands high, marked x on the near hip, not very
plain, his back appears as hurt with the fiddle, shod
all round, had a small rope halter on. Whoever has
taken up said Horse an 1 will return him, or give in
formation to the fubferiber, fyall have Ten Dollars
reward, and if stolen, Twenty Dollars more on
convifton of the thief.
Feb. io. GEORGE JAMES.