The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1781-02-10 00:00:00, page 1

To conduct either of the departments with proprie
ty, a man should be of decided attachment to the
American cause from the very beginning ; of a liberal
disposition, superior to local connexions and attach
ments. One who would confider himfelf as a minister
of the United States, and whose views should be di
rected to the general good of all the States, not par
tially adapted to the interest of any one. He fliould
have a natural turn of mind to the business of the de
partment in which he is to ad, extensive knowledge
in the different branches of it ; good natural abilities,
improved by education and opportunity. He should
be conversant with the world ; of an active, yet Rea
dy, disposition • of an enlarged, comprehensive mind,
that is not tied down to little things, or confined to a
few objects ; but which, with a due attention to infe
rior matters, can extend its views and cans te the
AS success in war depends much on the vigour of
government, it affords great fatisfaftion to the
friends of liberty, that Congress hath determined on
a measure, which will give life and energy to our pro
ceedings, both in the civil and military line. The
measure I allude to, is that of putting a man at the
head of each of the great departments, viz. of the
treasury, the admiralty, the board of war, and foreign
affairs, — to commit the conduct of the department,
under some general regulations and reftriftions, to him;
and to make him responsible for any abuses in it, which
he might have prevented, or soon suppressed.
This measure is well calculated to draw into public
service, the greatest exertions of genius and industry.
When men are placed in such conspicuous Rations,
every inducement, which tends to call forth the pow
ers of the mind, and to stimulate men to act with
more than usual vigour, will have their full force.
Though love of country, a sense of honour, and of
duty, will always influence a virtuous man, in what
ever Ration he may be called to serve his country,
they will operate with greater weight under this estab
lishment, than were he to aft in conjunction with
others : for having no colleagues, to whole opinion,
care, or activity, he might indolsntly resign himfelf,
he will confider, that the welfare and honour of his
country depend greatly on his personal prudence and
application. Even those inferior motives to activity,—
the laudable ambition of distinguishing one's felf, the
emulation that naturally arises between equals in rank
and office, the consciousness of public applause on the
one hand, of public censure or contempt on the other,
will alone excite and animate any man to exert his ut
most abilities, who is not destitute of sensibility, and
devoid of all regard to his own reputation.
Toilluftrate further the ut-li yof the intended flab
lifhment, it may be observed, that when men aft col
lectively in a department, where each has an equal
authority, no one in particular is responsible; nor can
derive either honour or difgrac° from the conduct of
the whole. This discourages industry and applicati
on, relaxes attention, and disposes to indolence and
negle&. Each person is apt to trust to another, and to
ihift the labour from himfelf : and fence it frequently
happens, that what is every man's duty to do, re
mains u .done, or is imperfectly performed.
Tiie intended establishment will be free of these de
fe&s; and may be productive of many co^fider^ble
advantages to the public, whch cannot be obtained in
any other mode of tranfafting the business of these
veral departments. But in order that the public may
reap these advantages, great care should be taken to
feled proper men, to fill the refpedive offices. Unless
this is done, the establishment will be of little use.
This point being so very important, it may not be
amiss to confider what qualifications are necessary to
fit a man for the office, and ougnt therefore to be at
tended to, and to direct the choice.
great and various concerns of a large department.
Besides these effenfial requisites to difeha rge the duties
of a particular department, the greater knowledge he
possesses of commerce and politics in general, of the
trade and resources of our own country ; of the com
mercial and political interest, views and connexions of
foreign nations, their genius and temper, their re
sources and trade, the more use he will be of on other
occasions.
But with these qualifications, something further is
necessary to render a man fit for the office, or truly
nfeful in it. As the persons who shall fill those offices,
will have the fulleft information refpeHing all our af
fairs, they may render the public essential Cervices
and facilitate the business of Congress, if they were
frequently to meet together to deliberate on them,
and then to lay their opinions and plans before Con
gress. < Much therefore will depend on their having a
good understanding and friendly intercourse among
themselves They mufl likewise, in the ordinary as
fairs of their departments, necessarily fee, and trans-
SATURDAY,
VOL. X. 1
OR, THE
For the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
GENERAL ADVERTISER.
Published every TUESDAY and SATURDAY.
aft business with, a great number of people of diffe
rent characters and tempers. For these reasons, it is
of no small consequence that the person to be chosen
should possess an affability and complacency of man
ners ; that he should not be disgusting, either from
ridiculous pr'de, conceit of superior understanding,
moroseness, or a dogmatic positiveness of opinion:
that he should have a good share of the spirit of ac
comm dation, to make allowances for the weaknesses
and foibles of others ; and to smooth the difficulties
that may arise from thence, and prevent the par
ties from cordially attending to and promoting the
public welfare. Nor should there be a fondnefs of
ostentation and parade, left, under a notion of Sup
porting the honour of the nation, or the dignity of
office, it may divert him 'rom business, pave tie way
to dissipation and extravagance, and set a bad exam
ple. Instead of that, perhaps it would be more agree
able to the spirit of our government, and more con
ducive to the mtereft and glory of our country, were
a man to possess that firmnefs and elevation of mind,
which have lead fame men to think, that the best me
thod of supporting the honour of a nation, is by the
wisdom, justice, and vigour, of its administration ;
and which may lead him to think, that the best way
of sustaining the dignity of office, and his own cha
racter, is to adapt his manner of living to the circum
ft rices of his country, and to place his pride, in be
ii an independent Minister of a Free and Independ
ent People. A. B.
TH E result of what I proposed in my last, on
the fubjed of privateering, so far as it refpeHs
the general principles to be established by Cengrefs,
is this : that British property, without any exception,
shall be fubjed to capture, and that British papers,
found on board of any vessel, or the deftrudion of any
papers, or the want of papers, shall be conclufire evi
dence against her : that either of these circumflances
shall warrant a condemnation.
One principal means, which the king of France has
very wifely adopted, as the groundwork for eflab,
lifting a refpeCtable navy is, that of encouraging cap
tures at sea ; and in order to give due encouragement
to this business, he has thought it necessary to eflab
lifh a regulation to the fame effeft with that which is
here proposed. His regulation on this head has been
already published in our papers. The other powers
at war pursue the fame line of conduct, and we ought
not to be ashamed to learn from them a lesson, upon
the means of conducting a war, which is the result of
.^ experience. Many of the notions upon this fub
je^, with which we set out in the beginning of this
contest, were very crude and futile. None '^as ever
more so, than that of persisting, after the declaration
of independence, in the idea of fighting one half the
British empire, while the other half should be our
friends. Wars between two nations muR become ge
neral, and that nation will cripple its operations,
which attempts to (pare any of the fubjefts of the
other.
The mode of trial by evidence, extrafted from the
mouths of prisoners, taken on board of any vessel, is
attended with continual perjuries, and makes the suc
cess of privateering highly precarious in all cases .—
but in a war between two nations, who speak the fame
language, and have the fame manners, the difficulty
is infinitely greater. If a Frenchman can find no
other test, by which to distinguish an Englishman but
his papers, how can an American avoid deception ?
Yet so far have we carried the foohfh idea of trusting
to people s own Rories, when they are taken, that in
the case of the Sea-Horse, our courts have thought
themselves bound to believe the specious tale of the
captain, even after he had piratically run away to the
enemy with the Luzerne privateer. After such a de
cision, (which I do not dispute being consistent with
the resolutions of Congress,) with what courage could
the captors o the Sea Horse persist in privateering ?
Sir„ I have seen people's names in news-papers, as
captains of British privateers, who had but just be
fore been acquitted on their own oaths, in our courts
of admiralty
The real difficulties, in the way of privateering,
are certainly very grea, but all these will be magni
fied in the public opinion, and opinion is of great
weight in public affairs. The profped of lawsuits,
doubts, Cruples, delays, and disappointments, is Rill
more discouraging than all the evils which actually
happen. Men of business love to walk in a plain path,
and a plain path ought to be prescribed to them, or
else a thousand difficulties are forefeen in the business
of privateering more than are really experienced.
One advantage an not the least, which I should
hope to fee arising from a revision of the laws, refpeft
i°s prizes, upon the plan which is here suggested, is
Mr. PRINTER.
TH E
J coarse Broadcloths, o
all colours,
Blue, brown and white
Knaps,
Thickfetts, Velvets and V.I
verets of ail colours,
Spotted and flowered Cor
duroys,
Rrttinets, Shalloons, and
Tammies, i
Duroys, Everlastings, Cam-
Islets and Corded Worst
ed,(
Min's, women's and child
ren's Werfted Hose,
Cotton Cords and Tassels, (
A quantity of Blanketing, .
Fine Linens,
Ruflia Sheetings, ]
Coarse and fine Hollands,
Cotton Checks,
Diapers and Dimethies, ]
Drawboys,
Marseilles Quilting,
A quantity of the best Sew
ing Silks,
A quantity of Irish Linens,
A large and general Aff.rtment of the best En lifh
SADLERY c
that it would tend to promote a continental unions
The laws of Congress ought most certainly to be the
only rule of decision, in the case of captures ; other
wise one Rate may encourage piracy, and involve the
continent in a war with neutral powers, whilst ano
ther forbids all privateering, as in effect we have late
ly seen done in a neighbouring Rate, by a law which
forfeits the half of all prizes to the use of the public.
Now in order that the laws of Congress, upon this
fubjeft should be obeyed, it is necessary that the,
should be such as can be understood, and such as are
really calculated for the public welfare. I fear it is
under an impression that this is not the case, that the
eastern Rates at this moment deny the controul of
Congress over their prize causes ; and this very cir
cumstance, perhaps, has its weight in that superior
degree of success in privateering, with which they
have been attended. Egg-Harbour was but the other
day a rendezvous for the privateers of different Rates.
Through the operation of the resolves o Congrefs,-
more than from all other causes, this place has a se
cond time become a defart, whilst the eaßern people,
without half the supply of nava 1 stores, which our
country affords, have supported the loss of a gr@at
part of their (hipping, and yet Rill 'warm with pr-v^
teers and prizes.—Will these people have so little ^f
dom, as to fu bje& themselves to all the foolifh e.i
barrafsments, which attend the business here? em
barrafsmehts, which really seem to be continued as
if it were on purpose to deftioy privateering, and to
encourage smuggling.
If the fllip's papers were made conclusive evidence in
the trial of prizes, I should hope to fee the decisions
of Congress on this head received with joy in every
part of America. I should hope to fee this important
branch of business revive in these parts, w ere it now
languifhe£ I should hope to fee privateersmen every
where acquire a weight and influence, which would pro
test them from being treated like thieves and vaga
bonds, or ftript of their honest gains, by any little
tyrant whatsoever.
Drawboys,
Genteel Boarding and Lodging may be had
b y applying to the Printer.
The present system, it is true, is calculated for the
extension of trade. It affords indeed a cover for un
limited commerce, and baffles every poßible reflraint
of law or policy 4 for at present, such as are ha, Jy
enough to swear through thick and thin, may trade
any where. In other words, the present resolutions,
refpe&ing prize causes, afford a glorious opportunity
for smuggling. In my next I shall take the liberty of
suggesting a few thoughts on the consequences, which
will result to a people, from the encouragement of
smuggling. Yours,
WATERMAN.
^B®@o@©2X®Q®&®^&©
Just Imported in the last V flels from Europe.
And TO BE SOLD. By
WILLIAM NICHOLS,
At his STORE, on the north fide of Market street,
opposite the Indian king, by W olctale *nd R%il,
A large and general Aifortment of the following
ARTICLES.
gUPLRFINE, second and Mohair ^nd Twist
FEBRUARY 10, 1781;
SADL
White & coloured Threads,
Pint, Needles, Tapes and
Bobbins,
Cambrirk% Lawns, and
K~n,in s,
T^ffaties, Persians, Padua-
Lys ^nd fa fnets,
Brnd?n,, Romal and Bare
celorra Handkerchiefs,
Croft-barred, striped and
plain Muslins,
Britannias,
Check Hndkei chiefs,
A quantity of Chintzes and
Calicoes,
;Gauzes of different kinds,
A quantity of Lace,
Waiting Paper,
English Shoes and Boots,
ALS O,
Madeira & Claret Wines,
Jamaica Spirit, and many
Articles which art not
enumerated.
A quantity of the best Ca
rolina Indigo.
[ NUMB 706.