The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-04-22 00:00:00, page 1

OR ^ 'ilii^^ N T HE
GENERAL ^R^^ A DVERTIS ER
'H E Creditors of John Reynolds, late of
JL the county of Philadelphia, Shop-keeper, are
detired to fend ih their accounts to Coxe, Furman and
Cexe, on or before the firft day of June next, when a
dividend will be made. All accounts not furnifhed
within the time mentioned in this notice will be ex
cluded. April s,
STATE of PENN STLVA N lA~
THE Auditors, appointed by the Honorable House
of Assembly to fettle the accounts of tbis State,
finding little attention paid to their late advertisement in
the public news papers, refpe&ing that business, do now
inform all those concerned, that unless their lefyeaive
accounts (with proper vouchers) are produced for set
tlement at their Office before the firft day of July next;
they will immediately take such measures to compel the
parties to furnifh them, as the Law diredk.
All persons who may have accounts with the late Board
of War and Navy Board of this State, unsettled, are de
sired to bring them in to the above-mentioned Office
JOHN NIXON.
Drills, *779- JOHN M. NESBITT.
BENJAMIN FULLER.
N. B. The Office is open from Nine w'clock to Twelve
in the forenoon, and from Three to Bix in the afternoon.
The HIGH EST -PRICE
IS GIVEN FOR
CLEAN LINEN RAGS,
BY
JOHN DU N L A P.
Philadelphia, April 6, 1779.
TH E Committee of Public Accounts Will
attend at the State- house, in Philadelphia, from
the ninth day of August next until the firft day of Sep
tember, in order to fettle/the Public Accounts, of which
ameers add others having Accounts depending with
this Common- Wealth are requeued to take notice and
give their attendance; with their proper vouchees and
accounts. JOHN LACEY, Jun.
J. GARDNER.
DANIEL HEESTER, Jun.
4. SAMUEL DALE.
Baltimore Town, April 13.
TH E Sabfefiber offers his Plantation on
Elk-Ridge, eight miles distant from the landing
and sixteen from Baltimore Town, confiding of fcven
teen hundred acres of land, for sale. The value of this
plantation for fertility of foil, luxuriance of paftnrage,
abundance of timber, pleasantness of fituaticn, health
fulnels cf air, but especially for its immense quantity
of rich bottom, its numbetlefs springs, fiae rivulets,
and' its various conveniences for water-works, is almost
inrftimable. There ' are foft fettlementa containing al
together about fix hundred acres cf upland and meadow
clear, great abundance and variety of fruit trees, one
orchard only corfitfs of one thoufapd apple and pear
trees, best grafted fruit. Among other convenient im
provements are a grifbmill, saw-mill, distillery, and
malt-kiln. There is part of an elegant house begun,
with a considerable quantity of the joiners work for the
whole finished, and at a proper distance a good ftore
faoufe fitted, with apartments fufficient to accommodate
a final! family, and a large ware-hbufe, All the flock
of negroes, horses, cows, hogs, theep, and farming
utensils, will also be fold. Any person desirous of pur
chasing this estate, may treat with the fubferiber in Bala
timore, who will receive Continental money, gold,
filter, or bills of exchange in payment.
THOMAS USHER.
TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD.
TXT AS LOST, on the ninth inst. (April) a silver
WATCH, with a new steel chain, brats key and
seal without a stone, the chryftal broke, the maker's
name and number unknown. Whoever has found the
fame and will deliver it to the Printer hereof, or to Mr.
Samuel Homes, at the corner of Lombard street, in
Third-ftrcet, Philadelphia, shall have the above reward.
N. B. All watch-makers are desired to ftap said watch
if offered for sale.
FORTY DOLLARS REWARD.
S ° .° r " BOLEN from eff the Commons
Philadelphia, on the 6 bir,ftant. (April) a black
MARE, about fourteen hands high, two hind feet
white, has a fear on one of her hind feet, five years old,
paces and tarts well. Whoever takes up said mare and
the thief, if stolen, and brings them to the fubferiber
living in Race-street, near Ffth-ftreet, Philadelphia,
ffiall have the above reward, or Twenty Dollars for
the mare only. PHILIP OHELER, Batcher.
THURSDAY
•
[ Price 2s. 6d. single, 2s. by the quantity. Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ]
Mordear opprobriisfafc, mutemque color's ,
Falfus honor juu at, et mendax infamia, terret,
^uam niji mendojum, et medicandum !
IT is an undeniable postulate, that the history of man
kind cannot furnifh an instance of a nation, in a situa
tion similar to that of Great-Britain, at the period when
her colonies firft manifefted a disposition to contest her
, fight of fupremac, over them.
This is a consideration that candid and Impartial exa
miners ought never to lose fight of, when they find theni
felves inclined to censure the condh& of those who have
been intrufted with the administration of public affairs,
in so nice and difficult a conjuncture.
The difeuffion of this claim of fuprirriacy has been so
voluminously treated of already in other places, that it
would be foperfluous to enter upon it here farther, than
to remark that no natural born fubjed of Great-Britain,
can, by a change of residence, or local fituatioh, be en.
titled to any legal exemption or privilege, but by the
grant or concurrence of the fdpreme legifrative power of
the state; and that consequently every grant, whether dis
tinguished by the name of charter or otherwise, is con
trolable and revokable by the joint aft of the King, Lords,
and Commons, in whom by our constitution such supreme
power resides. Now with due submission to abler heads,
this is as clear and inconteftible an axiom as can possibly
be adduced upon a political subject
How far it may be prudent or advifeable in the mother
country, at any given period, to relax from the exercise
of this rigid, theoretical right, either with regard to taxa
tion, or any other article, is intirely a different question,
and undoutedly a very interesting one. Whenever the
crisis of affairs make it necessary to come to a decision up
on so tender a point, it must be allowed that it requires
a coincidence of as much good fortune as dexterity in the
minister to fleer clear of popular discontent and odium.
It was certainly an instance of great friendship towards
his sovereign, (if such a term may be allowed) as well as
of fortitude, in Lord North, to take upon himfelf the ad
miniflration of government, when the Duke of Grafton
so ignobly Suffered himfelf to be frightened from his post ;
the feeds of that mifehief, which by the foftering induAry
of aspiring factions, have since alarmed and agitated the
kingdom so much, were then Sprung up to a considerable
height, and to preserve the constitutional Subordination of
the colonies, without straining the authority of the mo
ther country, so as to increase their discontent, was per
liaps the most arduous talk a minifier of this kingdom
ever had upon his hands.
Thus critically circumstanced upon his coming into
power, his I.ordfhip was urged, by the ties of honour, du
ty, interest and reputation, to exert his utmost abilities in
attempting to extricate his King and country from so em
baraffing a situation ; neither can any finifler views be
possibly suggested that could prompt him either to widest
the breach, or oppose a reconciliation, if it could have
been accomplished without a Sacrifice of the national ho
nour and interest.
The principles his Lordship espoused in this cause, he
h,s always clearly and openly avowed, and uniformly ad
hered to, wherein he has been Seconded by the general
voice of the people; neither was there probability that his
endeavours Should have failed of the success justly due to
them, but for the madness, the folly, and the wickedness
bf those who have Shewn the world they would have stuck
at no villainy towards their country to Supplant him in his
Ration. This was the only point in which the members
o ' opposition concurred; upon every ether occasion they
Split into a multiplicity of petty factions, jealous of each'
others ascendant; either wafting their time in a fruitlefs
and turbulent contention for power, or abusing it by la
bouring with dishonest industry, to eXpofe the nakedness
of the kingdom, while in the fame breath, they were
ala: ming the nation with the apprehension of being attack
ed; and this which is the least exceptionable instance of
fheir conduff, may Serve to give their fellow Subjects Some
idea of the sincerity of those gentlemens pretensions to
patriotism.
It is natural to those whole judgment is guided only by
"'"!'? '° beguile their diflatisfadion at the present state
of affairs, by finding fault with those who have had the
management ol them ; and such persons will be apt, with
out retrofpeß to raft circumAances, to censure Lord
North for not adopting more vigorous and coercive mea
sures by a military force, previous to the affion at Bun
ker's-Hill; which, it must be acknowledged, would, in
all human probability, have proved decisive. If indeed it
had been possible to have been fully aware of the lengths
to which toe rebellions craft and obftiaacy of these people
would carry them, this might justly have been deemed a
most unpardonable neglect ; but Surely, without a certain
preference of such extravagan t perverseness on their part,
and of the traiterous encouragement they found on this
fide the water, no man, whole politics had not completely
hardened his heart, against the impulses of humanity.
From RivingYon's ROYAL GAZETTE
The Character and Conduct of Lord NORTH and the
MINORITY fairly contrasted.
THR
would have so precipitately imbrued his hands in the blood
of his fellow fubjeffs..
On the other hand, , there were not Wanting those who
inveighed with the utmost bitterness at the meafare of
fending any troops at all there; although it was upiverfal
ly known, that they were chiefly intended for the protec
tion of his Maje Sty's peaceable fabjeds, from the violence
of the populace, who had bpen spirited up, by their de
magogues, to exercise the most cruel outrages and inSults
on those who had been marked out as friends to the con-'
ftit^tional authority of the Briiifh legislature : So that his
I.ordfhip's case might aptly enough be compared to that cf
the o.d man, &c. In the fable; not that his situation is to
be deemed a fubjelft of pity, while he has the Satisfaction
to be conscious of having tried ^zery juftifiable expedient
to prevent that deflation of bloodshed, in which tk fub
jeds of this empire have been involved, ,by the daring
ambition of a cunning and desperate Set of men in Ame
rica, aided and abetted by the detestable treachery of a
faction at home.,
When government at length became convinced that the
colonies were obftmately bent upon rejecting all terms of
accommodation th, were not dilated by themselves, or
in other words, had received undoubted confirmation
that they were determined to throw off all dependance on
he parent st ate , it then became necessary to adopt the
harsher mode of compulsion ; yet even in this Rft refourc:
° G th ^ ^ cboice of the commanded
i ^ ''' powers joined to their commission,
) v ,,h at reluaance admirnftration Precompiled to re
sort to hostilities, and how anxious they were to prevent
an unnecessary effufien of blood. ' prevent
Whether the noble persons who were pitched upon to
conduct toe operations of war, were originally of his lord
ihip's n omi nat,n, I will not undertake to affirm but it
may however be presumed, they were not chosen without
his concurrence; and this at least, I will venture to aff^r
that it was not possible, at that period, to have feleßed
two others of equal abilities, who were so universally ac
ceptable on both sides the Atlantic ertajy ac-
How far the execution of their trust has angered the
public ,p e &,n may perhaps at this time, be no so
sing fubjeft to dwell upon ; neither is it likely that / nr ;
form, ton upon the article of military oper &~
f" a % A lll I'l° '"'*' whether they have upon all occa
sions effedualiy availed themselves of every opportunity
and advantage that may have occurred during fheir com-
Z^^ tliatmuft be ^t^
^ '^ ^ " 1 fufficient upon the present ocCafion
cutable for a^v f^ N °' th f^^ ' vith J usti c e beseemed
DroTfs of^ '2 theexecuti ve part, without such
proofs of CTiminahty as have not even been suggested ef
penally when rt , considered, the events of war so.
dent upon a variety of local and other continyfo &t
tro ' at l ^'^ IfA °° "V^ cr can possibly forefee or con
; ' < ha diftance from the feene of aHion.
The next effort of these domestic incendiaries has ten
to charge his Lnrdfhip with apostatizing from his former
declarations and principles, in the propofol for fending
Commission, s to treat with these uf ur p crs . this
occasion he has no other refcrt than an appeal Jthe can!
It is no Secret that his Lordship was desirous to have re
claimed them by lenient measures, and that proposals for
that purpose were transmitted to those men who had
taken the lead in these seditious transactions; but by the
operations of their correspondence on this fide the Atlan
tic, they produced the direct contrary effect to whatth^y
were intended ; their allies here having assured them that
they might be confident of making their own terms, pro-,
Tided they had but resolution enough to fiend £rm ; for
that the bulk of the nation was so much inclined toefpoufe
f that government durst not venture to fend any
considerable force to attempt their reduction, and that these
amicable overtures were the mere effeds of timidity, from
an apprehenfiouin the mi^iftry of their inability to ac
the de '^ n of ensla ving them by military con-
That this i§ no calumnious misrepresentation @f their
proceedings, is notorious to the whole world, from the most
authentic information of the incendiary tales, and fiaitri
ous intelligence of the disposition of the people here which
were constantly kept in circulation throughout our Settle
ments, although without the smallest attention to the wel
fare of the coiomftsfo whom their condud was equally
treacherous.
If the relation of this unnatural perfidy had not been
clearly ascertained, the public would newer have believed
there were wretches wicked enough to betray the dearest
°^ " °? un „> ni ; h 1)0 other temptation than
the distant hope, that by multiplying the difficulties and
embarrassments ofgovernnient, and by thwarting and tra
versing the ministers measures, they mould be able to wor
ry him ofhis station; but however uncertain the du
ration of his Lordship's power may be, it is to be hoped, as
this flagrant enormity has damped an indelible infamy oa
their char&Rers, and it may likewise prove an insuperable
™' '?" b e £° m| ng his successors; for which the abo
mmable depravity of their hearts has so utterly disquali
fied them. J
APRIL ai, 17%