The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-10-21 00:00:00, page 1

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GENERAL ^i^ ADVER^r IS EF.
For THE PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
To SIR HENRY CLINTON.
WHEN I had the honour to address you 00 a
former eccafion, I did not fupp<fe it would have
fallen to my part to have exptr.enced, a second
time, E finguiar a diftinaion. You w.re then defc* nd
in, from the final! degree of eminence you had io d ffi
cu!tly acquired, to midge your fame with that of your
forgotten r redectffori. Even your friends beheld you
like ore of iholecem ts whole faint appearance nei her
produces fear nor aftonifhmeot; and whole course, af
ter afw hours idle curiosity, is on!y to be seen in the
recor is of the ^ftrenom r. The hopes of your flatterers,
and the expectation) or your enemies, were equally a
verse from a revival of your reputation. Indolence at
one time, parade at another, and a senseless vfr ety of
feeding enterprises, half-formed, or terminating with
out ma, had justly fixed your char. &er, and masked
it with that bewildered expreflion which it was thought
no experience could better. But you have lived to en
joy a triumph over public opinion, and to ere& a new
:ame on (he talents of another. With a fubm flion, that
ih^s you at kaft p ff lkd of a certain portion of pru
dence, you committed the management of your coun
cils to a man of superior abilities. From this moment
Mr. Andie became the firft minister of his commander ;
and your affa rs te t the influence of such a director.
Zur, Sir H rry, thy lagacity forefaw no evil in his at
tempts, nor could his penetration provide against his
own sh awieck. Flattered with the baubles of favour
itifm, he gave frefh life to your hopes, and drew you
from he elofet, where you were sadly anticipating the
horrors of finking authority. What others viewed as
impcffible appeared to him only as difficult, and he em
braced your intermit from the fame passion that made
CaeTr a kirg, and, perhaps, Brutus an afl^ffin. Such
are the errors of ambition or the madness of elevated
minds.
The reduction of Charleftown produced the firft
ch nge in your character. I will rather suppose that
you Affirmed the command of this expedition from a
principle peculiar to men of your fpiit, than that the
meafuie was the relult of advice. You were sensible
that you had not less to bar ir m the fucceis of ano
ther than from your own mismanagements. To you,
all victories but your own brought with them the force
of a punishment. An! as your commission Invtfted you
with a liberty to aft where you piealed in America, you
thought this experiment the only one that remained.
Ministry fearer this ; but without limiting your power,
they could not guard against your interference. Corn
wallis felt the injury, and commenced your enemy ;
iubmited te be a secondary a&or where he should have
been the principal, and you succeeded with a force that
made it imp< ffible to fail.
But the execution of the enterprize clogged with the
chara&enfticks of your chzraaer, brought with it confe
quences you intie apprehended. You let down before
a place which you should have carried by alLult.
With an a.my of ten thouiand men and a competent
naval tuperiorriy you inverted a town of a large extent,
fortified only by sandy entrenchments, railed in two
months, without covered - way, destitute of ont-works,
open in Several places on the .eater fide, exposed every
were to an open attack, and defended by a ganifon in
sufficient by one half. 1 0 remain ferty-two days be
fore such a place with open trerches, and difpfiy all
the apparel of a re 1 lar fi ge, trmfeis the whole glory
to the ga rifon. In all tris p rba>s, you may have been
gev+rnvd by the rules of prud^ ce if not of enterprize.
But when we contrast your con uH with that of the
Amrri an troop., in fupporti g ar inceflant fire, f u >-
jed all the wuile to th danger of a lurorfe, anu to
open attacks, the fu-cfs of which was almost certain
had you taken prop r measures, yo< r very friends, Sir
Harry, lose fighi of your triumph in contemplating their
firmnefs and fortitude.
This is t er^fuli of your expedition, when ftript of
t e pomp of a long la oared letter, wuich was to give
you anew existence at St. J mes s, and youi miniftty
a frefh motive for carryi gin the war. Any oth.r peo
ple, bet one devoted ta /rmfhnent ho tre course of
thei crimes, kno^ig he ircumftances of your success,
would ha^e emp'oyed the v.n 0 have conditioned for
peace. Bu.yon u tio , in purfui g the meteor it had
failed, t ough fme ne g ound # s gaffed over, found
themfelhes no nearer their objtd. Still they were aschil
dren fooled b the am five figures of a magic lantern,
and conti ued vain du d es to toe dexterity of their jugg-
Ls.
In all courts, but that of G eat Britain, the capture of
Chaileflowf wil have tea en to operate in your favour.
ThefiJt moment of its impieffion was yours. The Sue
<ee< ing one a panegyric on America. It was told and
talked 0 by } oui c tut and its rurners, as it the hidden
fubd< &ion of at left the Southern Spates was a natu al
confequen e. In tis paroxifm of success, an elated ini
nirtei hurried out to the world a Gazette extraordinary,
SATURDAY,
[ Published every Tuesday and Saturday.]
to pnblifh your letter, where you speak of Lord Corn
wairib's expected presence on the frontier of North Ca
rolina, and a small expedition into Cape-Fear river, to
favour the revolution you looked for higher up thecoun
try * to have made these bo? flings efficient they fliould
have been followed by a second account of cities taken and
provinces subdued. But mftead of this they matt read
of North-Carolina palling a vote of thank to Brigadier
General Smallwood, and of Congress promote g him to
the rank of Major Getter?!, for his b«h viour in the late
battle ns^r Cambden, in the State of South-Carolina.
How will your emplovers colour your affection and their
folly, when, after iuch an elapf of time, Cornwailis is
So remote from the frontier cf N< rth-C^rohna- It will
not be enough to te I the world that he gained an 'ad
vantage, where it was led to believe he had no enemies
to oppose : Nay, Cornwallis will lose even the honour of
a victory, when it is known that although the Ameican
troops we/e inferior in num ers they wee Superior in
courage; and that they recovered by the latter what
they loft by the former : Nor, after the defection of the
militia, did they submit to a retreat till their enemy were
disgraced by their refinance.
But, leaving these m:tte% we find you m New-York,
returned f. om your ftekn expedition in alLtue pomp of
an Eastern Conqueror, fweiled with the prai es of your
parasites, and flattered with the profpeasof f elh marksof
royal diftinftion. With such an army as you command
ed yeu looked forward to an aOive campa gn in tnis
quarter- But prevented from this by the exertion of the
S ates, and confined to your g*rr fun, after the engage
ment at Springfi Id, you fat down gloomy and disap
pointed. Ycu saw the campaign (pending it elf in a
bortive parade; when the powers of coriupt on were
called on to dole it with echt. Welt Point was to be
the object, and General Arnold its betrayer. From
what medium of intelligence you gained a knowledge
of his principles, whether you argued from your own
heart to his, or received it fiom himfelf, we Shall leave
to the better explanation of time. Nor Shall we enquire
why one So high in military reputation as Arnold, ac
quired too under such a splendor of circumftarces as
justly enttied him to that rank which he held in Europe,
Should thus dispose of his fame and his moral char &er.
For the fake of human natuie it were to be wished that
a veil could be for ever thrown over such examples of
depravity. „
But from time to time society is disturb d by theirap
pearance. In Arnold's situation, Cromwell Would i ave
a&ed as Arnold : and could Clive have chang'd places
with Arnold, Clivg would have fold America, and Ar
nold would have exhausted the East Indies of its
wealth, and bribed the British Parliament to Suffer him
to spend a few years in wfetchednefs and infamy. la
these we fee the compofcion of certain Spirits, which,
as corfeaures point, are considered as the ornameht cr
the disgrace, the pride, or the pestilence of mankind.
By the deteaion of Arnold America hat one enemy
less; and you are not lure of a new friend. He that
submits to ooe sale may be tempted to another, it your
nation can be pleafid with the purchase, it must lately
have experienced a conversion in favour of traitors.
And, Should your army submit to his company, it is
no longer at enmity with dishonour, perfidiculnefs is
become sacred, and you must fear for your own Safety
fuch is the man you have bought, and it were wrong did
America envy you his possession. But the exaltation,
you enjoy'd on this occasion was not that of a moment.
It was desultory and fugitive, as the faint hopes of a
dying finner; whilst the capture of major Andie, your
adjutant general, under the circumstances of a spy, and
the failure of your scheme, burst upon your head, like
the difeovery of a plot on that of a traitor's. It was a
dagger, ready to be plunged into the heart of your ene
my, planted in your own. Were the Succeeding hours
of your life 10 be burnished with the smiles of your Sove
reign, they could not repay the distractions that follow
ed. But they were diffractions for your-feif, in which
Andre had no Share. But for this; and had you felt
but one pang for his fate; there might have been thole
who would even have pitied your horrors.
It is not easy. Sir Harry, to estimate the lo's you Suf
fer'd in major Andre. Your enemies were not inlenfi
ble to his worth. Men of genius Sympathised with him,
and lamented that misguided zeal in the Service of his
prince, which led to his puniffiment. Thofs who have
toiled to betray the liberties of America could lye; but
he could deceive. Others might display cunning; but
he difeovered wisdom. The utmost of your efforts v^^s
a bribe; hut he pofteft a power that was Superior, that
of Seduction. His talents were beyond most men's vir
tue, and he had no enemy but in the field of action.
But great abilities have their fluctuations a d Emits,
nor are they at all times of the fame temper - his Jailed
him at that point which would have complected his for
* Sir Henry Clinton's letter, dated Charleftown, June
4, 1780.
THE
tune, and created you a fame to which yeu had no title;
It is curious by what little incidents and unforefeen
c mbinations great events are decided : but for three ar T
raed peafan s, of the Rate of New-York, Weft-Point
and its dependencies would have been at this hour in
your pofleffion. For it is not probable, with an enemy
Within, and your army without, that it could have
been laved. Let this instance of hohefty refeue human
nature from infamy, end serve as a lesson for mankinds
And let the names of PAULDING, VANVERT a^d
WILLIAMS, who rejected an immense bribe, with a
grandeur of foul infinitely Superior to the baseness with
which Arnold received one, be remembered when the
trophies of pride, and the monuments of falfe glory, are
trampled on or ne,lra:d.
Mr. Andre's rank and talents made his case pecu
liar. Vour army, I am told, lov'd him. Gene
ral Washington's admired him. The latter Shed tears
at his death, while you, Sir Henry, fearer condefeend
ed to shew the cold formalities of an affected condo
lence.
There remained but this to compleat your character •
the torpor in which you heared the circumstances or
his capture, and your unanimated efforts to save him-
His faithful services surely claimed your utmost inter
position ; your own fame required it, and your suppo
sed) friendihip demanded it of you as a right. But a
vain felf- importance filled ,ur heart, and you remain
ed, during the suspension of his fate, in all the imagin
ed majesty of your native sullenness. If you were
withheld by a punctilio from being more forward, I
would not have possessed your place for a kingdom-
But policy, (for who will serve you in future) what
you ow'd to Mr. Andre, (for his abilities supported
your character) and the general expectation of your
army, dilated every possible expedient in his favour-
The very ar&y of your enemy wondered at your total
privation of sensibility, and, while they complied wittl
the laws and usages of nations, did justice to his mag
nanimity. “ Be my witnesses, said he to them, while
“ I acknowledge the propriety of the sentence, that
“ I die like a brave man."
Had you aught of sentiment, Sir ^arry, there
would be no end to your afflictions. Had you a mag-
Dinimity like Andre's, you would, at least, have facri
ficed your commission, could that have preserved his life.
If to be great is to be unfeeling, I aik not for great
ness: if to fe our best friend fuffer without a tear is
charaCteriftic of dignity, give me lowliness: if' high
Rations teach men t believe that the abilities of others
were only formed to forward their designs, and that
friends fho&ld be no longer pr tested than they are
thought to be ufeful, place me in a cottage and obscu
rity, and let me forever be secluded from such men.
But alafs! it is the nature of power to attract and de
ce.ve; and, perhaps, there is no country without its
Clinton.
But I leave you, Sir Harry, to sullen reflection.
Your fame is finished, and I with not to renew my ad
dress.
Odo. 4, 1780. Z.
To be Sold,
A WATER LOT, 94 . feet front and goo feet
deep, extending from Swanson-street into the ri
\r Delaware; there a ? on the Lot two three ftor,
brick Routes, a good Wharf, and the stone Walls and
Roof of a Store house; formerly the estate of Benja
min Loxly. Aifo a convenient three story brick House,
low in the tenure of Timothy Matlack, Enquire, in
Fourth-street, near Market street, and the frame House
adjoining : The cellars are large and convenient, and the
hack buildings are extensive and commodious : The
Lot is loity-four feet front and eighty eight feet deep.
For terms apply to REUBEN HAINES.
IHEREBY1 HEREBY inform the puHlhktf at I have erected
a very compl at FULLING MILL on the
Benches of the Long-Gieen run, in Baltimore county,
Maryland, about 15 miles from Baltimore town, which
is .cow ready to work, and being much in want of a
perlon to undertake the lame, either on the (hares or
hie. The greatest encouragement will be given to
such a perlon, by applying to the fubferibrr at said
place. JAMES BOSLEY, of Charles.
|OAME to the plantation of the fublcriber, living
Ci near the Rising- Sun, a light coloured red COW,
loppoud to he old, the end of her tail as allo her belly,
unite, likewise her fore feet, hind feet and face white,
baa two Arts in Hr left ear. Woiver proves property;
pays charges, may uav%her again. It the owner docs
>otapply in a month's time, (he will be fold to pay her
expenses.
JACOB PAINTERS
O CTOBER 21, 1780;