The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-02-20 00:00:00, page 1

Twenty-five CWks of Raisins,
And Fourteen Boxes Lemmons,
Being the CARGO of the Frize Br^ntin CHANCE,
taken ly the Priva^er Brigantine Ariel:
And at SIX o'Clock in the Evening,
In CO UN CI L,
Phil delphia, January 26th, 1781.
-tyHEREAS the militia law of this S'a:e requires,
“ that the Sub- Lieutenants of the city and coun
ties refyeßively shall, once in every three months, ren
der an account, to their proper L eutenant, of ail mo
nies received by them, and of their expenditures by
virtue of said aft, and fettle a^d pay the balance of the
fame to him. And that the Lieutenant of the said city,
and each county respectively, shall make out compleat
accounts of all the monies received by him, and of his
expenditures, and return the fame to the Supreme Ex
ecutive Council, once in every fix months, and on fail
ure of so accounting, each Lieutenant and hub Lieute
nant shall forfeit and pay, for every such neglect, Ten
Thousand Pounds, then current money."
Resolved, That the several Lieutenants and Sub
lieutenants be required to render their accounts agree
able to said aft, without delay, or in failure thereof,
the Attorney-General be directed to put the said aft in
execution agaihft all such as (hall be found delinquent,
within a reasonable time from this date.
Extract from the minutes,
T. MATLACK, Secretary.
@^s9GTO®ere^^
On FRIDAY Next,
At TEN o'clock in the Forenoon,
* At M.ffrl. Willing n M < '$ '<ha.f
PHILADELPHIA, February ift, 1781.
WHEREAS by an Aft of General
Assembly, passed the twenty-third
day of December last, the Supreme Exe
cutive Council arc impowered and required,
from and after the firft day of this present
month, to Publish in the several English
and German News-papers, printed in the
city of Philadelphia, in the firfl week in
every month, the Rate of Exchange be
tween Specie and Continental Money, which
exchange so published in each month, the
said A<ft declares, shall be the Exchange be
tween the said Continental Money and the
State Money, thereby made Legal Tender.
Relolved, That the Rate of Exchange is
Seventy-five Continental Dollars for One
Dollar in. Specie.
Extras from the Minutes,
TIMOTHY MA FLACK, Secretary.
Will be Sold by Public Au&ion,
One Hundred rod Thur fix Pips,
Forty Hogfoead,- And
One Hundred and Five Q 1 ter Cfks
LISBON WINE,
TO BE LE T,
A STORE m Second.vr< et, neo Chefnut street, with
or without Rooms. E: quire of the Printer.
With all her Guns, T,ckle, Apparel and Furniture,
agreeable to Inventory 1® be seen at the Place fS k.
By Order of the Conn of Admiralty,
CLEMENT BIDDLE, Marshal.
^ti@s§@{f^@
C H A N C E.
TUESDAY,
VOL. X. 1
Of the fame Day,
AT THE COFFEE HOUSE,
Will be Sold by Public Audion,
The iaid Prize Brigantine
In Council,
GENERAL ADVERTISER.
Published every TUESDAY and SATURDAY.
It is a queflion with some men, whether burning
the city of New-York, and desolating the country to
a certain distance, should not have been our policy ?
Despotic princes, the more effectually to preserve the
center of their dominions, have sometimes aCted on
this principle. It is affirmed, that the sentiment of
the people was opposed to such an expedient. They
said, let the enemy destroy our sea-port towns; we
acquiesce, because we cannot prevent it < but, they
did not fay, " we will destroy them ourselves." Eve
ry spot of ground was precious; and, in a defenfive.
war, to be disputed, by an established military max
im. Wehad not acquired that temper, which results
from experience and adversity. Hence it is that the
fame persons, who urged the necessity of fortifying
New-York, argued against a similar protection to
Philadelphia. To have yielded the former, without
the formularies of a defence, would have been like
relinquishing the dispute. But, there is a diftinaion
to be made in this case; a difference between burning
a city, and destroying to a certain point, the adja
cent country, and, the gradual direliCtion of both, so
as to seem to hold tliem, and yet to give them up,
without material misadventure. No fysem, however,
is without its defers. The art lays in preferring that
one, which has least. If, what we adopted, disposed
the minds of the people for calamity, it was Soon ex
perienced. The defeat on Long Inland ; the evacua
tion of New- York ; the reduction of fort Washington;
the loss of fort Lee, and the retreat through the Jersey,
set in so faft upon each other, as to threaten the total
subversion of the States. The gloom of public mis
fortune seemed every moment to thicken. The Spirit
of Liberty was seen retiring to groves and hiding
places. The force of the enemy, from such a Series
of successes, became as it were irrefi stable. He was
now on the lass limits of the Jersey : and our army
reduced to about two thousand men. With this hand
ful, however, the stores, which we had preserved thro'
the retreat, were lodged on the Pennsylvania fide of ;
the Delaware, and a stand made, to dispute the pas
sage of the river.
Success, which is generally made the criterion of
merit, is not always a just one. It may be sometimes
permitted us, to measure the abilities of men, by the
difficulties they encounter and surmount. At this
crisis, the fate of Philadelphia, and with it, all Ame
rica, was woundup in a single man. The cause flood
ftrl, or was loft in his cares. He appeared, as if
alone, and Struggling again,ft the mighty current of a
hitherto resistless army. It was now, that sympathy
did more for Independence than patriotifra. “ Come,
let us share the danger, or die with our General," said
a few brave Citizens of Pennsylvania; and imme
diately marched to his assistance. Encouraged by
this reinforcement, the plan of the furprize of Tren
ton was formed and executed.
Every anecdote of celebrated men, is not worthy to
be related ; but there are some, which, it would be
criminal to omit. Upon examining the ammunition
of one of the divisions, designed for the assault of
Trenton, it was found so much damaged, by eroding
the river, as to be unfit for service. In this emergen
cy, the commanding officer dispatched one of his aids
to General Washington, to report his condition, and to
receive his further orders. " Tell the General," said
his Excellency, with great composure, “ the town
must be taken ; if there is no ammunition, we must
do it with the bayonet." This decision fared Ameri
ca. The event was brilliant ; but was rendered more
so by its consequences.
I cannot forbear, in this place, quoting Voltaire's
character of Turenne. “ This general,'' he favs
“ had not always been fuccefsful in the field. He
had been beaten at Mariendahl, Retel, and Cambrai;
he had likewise been guilty of some faults, and was so
much the great man, as to own them. He had never
gained very striking victories, nor fought any of those
pitched battles, which decided the fate of one or the
other nation; but by always repairing his defeats,
and doing a great deal with a little, he passed for the
Political Characteriflics.
THE affair of Sullivan's-lfland, while it afforded
us a triumph, assisted in the reduction of one of
our principal cities. The British troops, which were
disgraced here, were united to those under general
Howe, and directed against New York. The posses
sion of this place had become the firft object with the
English ministry, from whence, as from Olympus,
their thunders were to be hurled to all parts of the
continent.
JAN U S, N°- IV.
" At some particular times, the fafety and glory
" of a nation has been known to depend upon
“ a single man, or upon a very few."
O R, THE
THE
It has been the fortune of our arms, to astonish by
what was unexpected. Like the genius of Shakefpear,
they are seen to break out in great but irregular
flalhes, always confounding where they do not over
power. After a defeat, apd total route, the army of
the States marches from Skippach, and furprizes the
Britith camp at Germantown. To remote nations, or
those just entering upon the Study of our genius, such
an attempt was hardly within the compass of proba
bility. The refu,t, however, was against us. The
enemy were our Superior in discipline. It was on this
occasion, that, a foreign officer of diftindion said to
General Washington: " You have conquered general
Howe, but his troops have beaten yours."
During these tranfaftions, Ticonderoga, to the
northward, is evacuated. This port had acquired am
importance beyond its valued Vaftfunis of money had
been expended on its works. These, though, were still
inconfpleat, and our garrison inadequate to their de
fence. If was, however, the prime favorite of the
people, who beheld it as the repository of their liber
ties. We must not pass over a memorable faying of
the officer who commanded. No one of antiquity is
more.deferving of record. To Save my character, said
the celebrated Lucretia', I takeaway my life. I Sacri
fice my character, said the American general, but I
save my country. On this occasion a man of less vir
tue would have rifqued its ruin.
Elated by success, Burgoyne pressed forward, pre
ceeded by a pompous proclamation, and seconded by
a multitude of Savages, till he penetrated the country
beyond the point of'h:3 fafety. Our army, encreafed
by an accession of militia, every where opposed him.
Victory and its reverse; the affair of Bennington ; the
19th of September, when he gained the field of battle;
and the 7th of October, when he lof i it, equally con
spired to produce the convention of Saratoga. We
shall flop here. It is the Second great epocha in the
American war. It is here, our Independence, that
was nearly expiring, but recovered at Trenton, re
ceived its final confirmation.
Toe interval between this period and the present,
although fit exhibits Splendid and brilliant matters,
added no new lines to our military fame.
Europe beheld and considered these events with ad
miration, and deliberately laid,“ These people have
deserved their Independence." We had commenced
and carried on a war, under circumflances, which
Nations, like individuals, are often seen to the great
est advantages through the medium of misfortune.
The king of Prussia astonished mankind, not more in
prosperity than adversity. It is said of this prince,
by a celebrated writer, “ That he turned his very
mistakes to better advantage, than others do their
success." The Dutch raised the admiration of the
world, more by forming a new fleet, in the course of
two months, after greatest defeat they had ever ex
perienced, than if they had triumphed over their ene
mies. Our misfortunes were of such a nature, as to
produce similar effects. " Nothing can ruin these
People, (said the nations of Europe,) they are capa
ble of every thing."
The withdrawing our troops and stores from Long-
Island, in the course of one night, and within whisper of
a victorious army, could not but inspire them in fa
vour of our genius for war: this, with the counte
nance Hill preserved at New-York, and our ulterior
conduct, assisted in confirming a caution in their mea
sures, no ways inauspicious to our condition. Bunk
er's-Hill had opened a new train of thinking.
In none of the affairs of this world are the changes
of fortune more observable than in war. The ground
which a haughty enemy had traversed, in conquest
and cruelty, was re-meefured in difappointmerit and
defeat. Victories, which encreafed his Confidence,
were the pivot to our successes. The farmer now re
turned to his home. The war assumed new vigor.
Jersey was in a great degree recovered, and the flame
of ,patriotism every where re produced.
The campaign of 1777, on the part of general Howe,
comprehends a system of tedious and elaborate move
ments. Our object was simple, and our motions were
lets complex. But it is not our design to enter into a
detail of particulars. The battle of Brandywine, in
which we were beaten and routed, laid open a passage
to Philadelphia. This city was taken po ^effion of by
lord Cornwallis, on the 26th of September ; but ge
neral Howe did not feel himfelf Secure, till after the
reduction of Mud, or Fort-Island. The defence of
this place, which was conducted with great firmnefs
mod gallantry, and the defeat of count Donop at Red-
Bank fort, restored to us those laurels we had loft at
Brandywine.
This turn in the tide of our affairs was followed by
the success at Princeton, the dissolution of the British
cantonments, and their retreat to Brunswick.
ablest general in Europe, in an age, when the art of
war was better understood than ever it had been.
FEBRUARY x, 178^
[ NUMB. 709.