The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-01-27 00:00:00, page 2

pOOKS, while they teach us to refpeH the interefls
,3 of others, o' r enmake us unmindful ofour own ; while
the? inftrofl the youthful reader to grasp at social happi
ness, Iw grows miserable in detail ; and, attentive to uni
verbal harmony often forgets that he himfelf has a part t®
sustain to the concert. Idiflike therefore the philosopher
who describes tne inconveniences of life in such pleating
colours that the pupil grows enamoured of diftrrfs, longs
to try th. charms of poverty, meets it without dread, nor
fears its inconveniences till he feverdy feels them.
A youtu, wha has thus spent his life among books, new
to the world and unacquainted with man but by philoso
phic information, may be coufidered as a toeing white
mind is filled with the vulgar errors of the wife ; utterly
unqualified for a journey through life, yet confident of his
own (kill in the direction, he lets out with confidence,
blunders on with vanity, and finds himfelf at last undone.
H firfl has learned from books, and then lays it down
as a maxim, that all mankind are virtuous or vicious in
ex-rfs ; and he has been long taught to deleft vice and
love virtue : warm therefore in attachments, and deadfall
in enmity, he tre its every creature as a friend or foe ; ex
pels fr >m those be loves unerring integrity, and cenfigns
his enemies to the reproach of wanting eery virtue. On
this principle he proceeds ; and here begins his difappoint
menrs: upon a closer infpedion of human nature, he per
ceives, that he fhoulJ have moderated his frirndfhip, and
foftened his severity, for he often finds the excellencies of
one part of mankind clouded with vice, and the faults of
the other brightened with virtue ; he finds no cbaraaer
so falsified that has notits failings; none so infamous, but
has lomewhat to attraQ our efteum ; he beholds impiety in
lawn, and fidelity in fetters.
Henow therefore, but too late, perceives that his re
gards should have been more cool, and his hatred less vio
lent ; that the truly wife seldom court romantic friendship
with the good, and avoid, if possible, the resentment even
of the wicked: every moment gives him frtfh infiances
that the bonds of friendfllip are broken if drawn too close
ly, and that those whom he has treated with difretperi:
more than retaliate the injury ; at length therefore he is
obliged to confefs, that he has declared war upon the vi
cious half of mankind, without being able to form an al
liance among the virtuous to espouse his quarrel.
Our book-taught philosopher, however, is now too far
advanced to recede ; and though poverty be the just con
sequence of the many enemies his condua has created,yet
h^ is resolved to meet it without shrinking: philosophers
have described poverty in most charming colours ; and e
ven h's vanity is touched in thinking, that he shall ihew
the world i, himfelf one more example of patience, for
titude, and resignation: " Come t en,#o Poverty! for
“ what is there in thee dreadful to the %fe ! Temperance,
" health, and frugality walk in thy train; cheerfulnefs
" and liberty are ever thy companions. Shall any bea
" shamed of thee of whom Cincinftus was not alhamed ?
" The running brook, the herbs of the field, can amply
" fatisfy nature ; man wants but little, nor that little long.
“ Comethen, 0 Poverty ! while kings fland by andgaze
" with admiration at the true philosopher's resignation.”
The goddess appears; for poverty ever comes at the
call : but, alas ! he finds her by no means the charming
figure books and his own imagination had painted. As
when an eaflern bride, whom her friends and relations
had long described as a model of perfection, pays her firft
visit, the longing bride room lifts the veil to fee a face he
had never fen before ; but instead of a countenance blaz
ing with beauty likethe fun, he beholds deformity shoot
ing icicles to his heart ; such appears poverty to her new
entertainer; all the fabric of enthusiasm is at once demo
liflied, and a thousand miseries rife upon its ruins; while
contempt, with pointing finger, is foremoft in tne hideous
procession.
Toe poor man now finds that be can get no kings to lo@k
at him while he is eating; he finds, that in proportion as
he grows poor, the world turns its back upon him, and
gives him leave to .€ Ithe philosopher in all the majesty of
solitude ft might be agreeable enough to play the philo
sopher, while we are confeious that mankind are fpe&a
tors ; but what lignifies wearing the mafic of fiurdy con
tentment, and mounting the flage of restraint, when not
one ereature will assist at the exhibition ? Thus is he for
faken of men, while his fortitude wants the fatisfaftion
even of felf applause ; fcr either he does not feel his pre
feot cd amities, and that is natural inf^fibility ; or he dis
guises his feelings, and that is dissimulation.
Spleen now begins to take up the man ; not diftinguifll
ing in his refentmmts, he regards all mankind with de
teflaiion ; and commencing man-hater, seeks folitade to
be at liberty to rail.
It has beta said, that he who retires'to solitude, is ei
ther a beast or an angel : the censure is too severe, and
the praise unmtrited; the difeontented being, whoretires
from society is generally some good-natured man who has
begun life without experience, and knew not howto gain
it in his intercourse with mankind.
The Folly of attempting to learn Wisdom in RETIRE
MENT.
On the 0 R IGIN of CARDS.
ABOUT the year 1390 cards were invented to divert
Charles the 6th, then King of France, who was fall
en into a melancholy disposition. That they wore not in
use before, appears highly probable, ift, Because no
cards are to be seen in any painting, sculpture, tapestry,
&c. mere ancient than the preceding period, but are re
presented in many works of ingenuity fin.ce that age xd!y,
No prohibitions relative to cards by the King's edicts are
mentioned ; although, some few years befcre, a mol lfe
vere one was published, forbidding, by name, all manner
of (ports and piftimes, ig order that the fubjeds might
exercise themfeJves in Shooting with bows and arrows, and
be in a condition to oppose the English. Now, it is not
to be prefaced, that so alluring a game as cards would
have been omitted in the enumeration, had they been in
use. 3 Ily, About thirty years after this, came a severe
edid against cards in France, and another by Emanuel,
Duke bf Savoy, only permitting ladies this paflime, pro
Spinulis, for pins and need! s, the design ofcards. The
inventor proposed by the figures of the four suits, or co
lours, (as the French call them) to reprefant the four
ftatee or classes of men in the kingdom) By the coeurs
(hearts) are mea::t the gens de rears, choir men, or ec
clefiafticks; and therefore the Spaniards, who certainly
received the use of cards from the French, have copa's, or
chalices, instead of hearts. The nobility, or prime mili
tary part of the kingdom, are represented by the ends
or points of lances or pikes ; and our ignorance of the
meaning or resemblance of the figure, induced us to call
them spades : The Spaniards have efpadoes (swords) in
flead of pikes, wuicbis of like import. By diamonds are
designed the order of citizens, merchants and tradesmen ;
carreaux (flones), the Spaniards have a coin, dineros,
which answers tor ; and the Dutch call the French word
carreaux, ftienen, stones and diamonds, from the form.
Treble, the trefoil leaf, or clover grass, (corruptly called
clubs) lludes to toe husbandman and peasants: How this
suit came to be called clubs, I cannot explain, unless, bor
rowing the girce from the Spaniards, who have baftos
(Raves or clubs) instead of the trefoil ; so gave the Spanish
lignification to the French figure. The hiflory of the
four Kings, which the French in drollery sometimes call
the cards, is David, Alexander, Crcfar and Charles,
which names were then, and still are, on the French cards:
These refpeH ikle names, represent the four celebrated
monarchies of the Jews, Greeks, Romans and the Franks
under C arlemag ie : By the Queens re intended Argine,
Esther, Judith and Pallas, (names retained on the French
cards) typical of birth, piety, fortitude and wisdom, the
qualifications residing in each person ; Argine is an ana
gram for regina, Queen by defeat : By the knaves were
designed, servants to Knights, (for knave origionally
meant only servant, and in an old translation of the Bible,
St Paul is called the knave of Christ) but French pages
and valets, now indiscriminately used by various orders of
persons, were formerly allowed only to perfonsof quality,
Enquires, (Efeuirs) iheild or armour bearers. Others
fancy, that the Knights themselves were designed by these
cards, because Hogier and Lahire, two names on the French
cards, were famous Knights at the time cards were suppo
sed to be invented.
WILLIAMSEURG, Jan. 8.
TH E brig Retaliation, Philip Rollocks; Roop Ifa
brl|, Capt. Trip, from Baltimore; Wafter,
from Pnilad Iphia; and sloop Page, Tuomas Palmer; are
all fafe arrived at Port L'Orient.
Came th town a few days ago, Captain Harris, former
ly commander of the Mulkito brig, belonging to this
State, after a painful imprisonment ofthree and twenty
months, in Fortune jail, in En,lmd
7he schooner Dove, Captain Hayward, and the schoo
ner , Captain Wadlington, is just arrived in James
river, from St. Euflatia, also a schooner from St. Croix,
belonging to Dumfries, in this State.
Jan. 15. One day last week, a house in James City, on
the road about twelve miles from hence, known by the
name of Fox's ordinary, caught fire, and in a short time
was entirely confuted.
Monday lad were seen, between Jamestown and Swan's
Point, two boats, one with two, the other with four men
on board, in the greatest difirefs imaginable, and not a
ble to reach either shore, for the vast quantities of ice then
floating in the river. The Captain of one of our Slate
ships sent his barge with twelve men to their off fiance,
who, after rowing many hours, until the fun was almost
down, without getting to them, were obliged to return ;
and as the boats have not been finco heard of, it is feared
the poor men perilhed.
The Tempest is on shore between Hog-Island and Cob
ham, a brig and a snow are aground near Mulberry-I(land,
and the privateer brig Jefferfon, is funk off Jamestown.
She was a fine new vJLI, just finifhed and ready to fail on
a ruife.
For a week past we have had the most severe weather
that has been felt in this country upwards of forty years.
By his Excellency
THOMAS JEFFERSON, Esq ;
Governor or Chief Magifirate of the Commonwealth of
Virginia.
TCX?HERBAS the General Assembly by their Aft,
Vv intituled An Aft for the prote&ioa and encourage
ment of the commerce of nations acknowledging the In
dependence of the United States of America, have au
thorifed the Executive to receive and admit into this Com
monwealth a C^niul or Coufuls from any State which
shall have acknowledged the Independence of the United
States of America, have given them jurildidion to deter
mine all coniroverfies between the fubje£ls or citizens of
their own State, and exempted them from all personal ser
vices required from the citizens of this Commonwealth;
and further to prove their regard to justice and the inte
rests of those in amity with them, have provided a sum
mary mode of decision for all controversies arising be^
tweeen citizens of this Commonwealth, and fubjeas or
citizens of any Srare so acknowledging their Independence,
and more effedual means for preventing desertion of sai
lors, seamen, or marines from the vessels of such States t
And his Most Chrirtian Majesty, our Great and Good
Ally, having been pleased, after declaring and fupperting
our Independence, farther to manifeft his willipgnefs to
cultivate friendthip, commer e, and free intercourse with
these States, by eftablifliing Consuls to be resident therein)/
and hath appointed the Sieur Chevalier D'Anmours, to
exercise that office within this Commonwealth : I hay,
therefore thought fit, by and with the advice of the Coun
cil of State, to declare that the said Chevalier D'A^mours
is received and admitted within this Commonwealth, as
Consul, on the part of His Most Christian Majesty, and
that he is intitled to all the exemptions, prerogatives, arid
jurisdictions belonging to the said office; and hereby to
notify and promulgate the premises, ftridly charging and
enjoining all good citizens of this Commonwealth, and all
fubjeas of his Most Chriftiaq Majesty, and others with
in the fame, du'y to refpe& the prerogatives and jurifdifti
on of the said Consul established by Law, as they will an
swer the contrary at their peril.
GIVEN under my Hand, and the Seal of the Com
monwealth, this thirtieth day of December, io the
Fourth yr.- of the Commonwealth, and in the year
of our Lord One thousand seven hundred and (even
ly nine.
THOMAS JEFFERSON,
BOSTO N, December 16.
Since our last. was sent into Marble-head by the
privateer Terrible, a brig mounting 14 guns, call
ed the Suake, commanded by one John Sheppard,
who kas been a prisoner with us thrice : Prevous to
his being made a captive now, he was taken in a 24 gun
fill?, called the Revenge. The above Snake brig,
was owned in Hallifax, by rhe notoriously infamous and
ignorant Jack Butler, of that place.
December 23. It is reported that a vessel is arrived at
the Eastward from France, that brings an account
that the combined fleets of France and Spain, and the
British, are by order of their refpedive. Courts ordered
into port, in consequence of other foreign powers interpo
£ng.
By the late intelligence from Canada (which is un
questionably true) we learn, that some hundreds of A
merican prisoners, taken from the back settlements of
these States, are now in the hands of the Savages, whole
unparalleled barbarity (if they are not refeued) will soon
bring their miserable lives to a fatal period; Listen A
mericansl Our negle^ing to put an end to the depreda
tions of these Savages, and their more Savage employers
(by the reduction of Canada) is the admiration of the
world! And should we (by emission) let flip the pre
sent opportunity, it would cost us rivers of blood, toge
ther with the best part of America, and our neglect
would be jufily handed down with infamy to all future ge
nerations.
December 27. A vessel arrived at Cape Ann yeflerday
7 night, in 23 days frm Martinico, the master of which,
we hear brines an account, ti at just before he failed, a
vessel arrived t ere in a short passage from Marseilles in
France, and brought an account, that the combined fleet#
of France and Spain, together with the British were re
turned into port, by express orders from their refpeaive
Courts ; and that the mediating powers were negociating,
in erder to bring about a peace, which it was thought
would soon take place.
Williamsburg, Nov. 13, 1/79.
SIR,
ID O myfeif the honor of returning to your Excellen
cy, the papers referred to me, respecting the Portu
guese (now, captured by Capt. Cunningham, while Cem
mander of the privateer Phoenix,
The resolutions entered into by Congress upon this fub
jeft on the 21st day of July, 1779, call for public punish
ment, as well as private reparation ; the former of which
can be fought for upon no other principle than that Capt.
Cunningham was guilt, of piracy, and Mr Braxton ac
ceffary thereto by virtue of his infractions.
If those, to whom letters of marque are granted, should,
infteadof taking the flips and goods of that nation, a
gainst whom the fame were awarded, willfully take or
spoil the goods of another nation in amity, this would a
mount to a direct piracy. See Molloy. 81. C 2d.
Sec. 23d. For as the animus furandi is a necessary in
gredient in the crime of piracy (4 Black. 72, isl. H. P.
C. Fa. 100) I underfiand Molloy, as intending by the
terms " willfully taking or spoiling," a capture accom
panied with such circumstances, as indicate a depravity
of mind, or in other words an intention to fleal. But
Capt. Cun,niDgbarn's fubfeguent conduct (eems to remove
all suspicion. He does not appropriate the snow to him
felf, upon the confidence that mere power conflicted a
right, but brings her before an American Court of Admi
ralty, in order to obtain a regular condemnation. Upon
these grounds, the persons deputed by George Carew to
execute certain letters of reprisal against the States Gene
ral, which were called in by proclamation, were acquitted
upon and,indictment for piracy : The reason assigned for
fuel) a acquittal being, that such caption was in order to
adjudication. Molloy, 81. C 4. Sec. 34.
It indeed there were any evidence of a felonious and pi
ratical fpoilation, before the (now was brought into court,
the mere libelling of her there might rot be a fufficient
gloss for theaC tof plunder. But Ido net find any docu
ment transmitted by Congress, which jufiines such a
charge.
Hence the innocence of Capt. Cunningham, the princi
pal agent in this affair is affu med, and therefore Mr.
Braxton cannot be criminal, as an'acceffary. But al
though Cunningham were in truth guilty of piracy, n® tri
bunal exists in Virginia for the cognizance of such an of
fence. For a jurisdiction for this purpose, can be derived
fr©m one of two sources only, a statute of the Britifli
Parliament 28 Henry VIII. or our own Ad of Affsmbly
whi'h erects the Court of Admiralty, the former howe
ver will be found to be merely local, and therefore not
within the ordinance of Convention, by which the British
Acts, prior to the fourth year of James I were adopted
by our Legislature, and the latter, in conformity I pre
furze to the articles of confederation, interdicts the Admi
ralty from the exercise of criminal authorty. But at any
evert, the 28th Henry VIII. though it were not merely
local extends to principals only, not to acceffariee. 3 inst.
112. H P. C B 1 Ch. 37 SeCl 7. How then can Mr.
Braxton be amenable here ? But I arc persuaded, thatre
drefs io a civil way is within the attainment of the owners
of the Snow: For although this doctrine is somewhat con
troverted by Molloy (B. 1. Ch. 4. Bed. 19) yet thead
judged case there referred to, proves, that the proprietors
of the privateer are certainly liable for damages; but un
der this Imitation,that the master of the (now afforded no
probable cause of seizure.
I am, Sir,
With refpea,,
Your Excellency's
Most obedient servant,
E. RANDOLPH.
His Excellency the G" vernour.
Tothe Prl n ters oftheVlag l nlA Gazett£
TH V eoclofed opinion of the Attorney General to
the Governour, tending to elucidate an affair is
which I was concerned, and which had been grofly mifre
pfefented much to my prejudice. In justice to myfclf, I
am to beg the favour of yew to pubhlh the whole letter to
the Governour in your paper, tnat the world may judge
how unjust the treatment to me has been, in the opinion
of a Gentleman deeply read in law, and of whole inte
grity you have fufficient testimony. If you think it ne
cessary you may let this letter precede it.
CARTER BRAXTON.