The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-01-26 00:00:00, page 1

To RICHARD HENRY LEE, Efquir&
SIR
7 HAVE read a publication in Mr. Towne's paper of
I the 14th, taken from Mr. Purdie's Virginia Gazette,
of the firft infiant, under your signature. Whatever 16
delivered to the public, by a person of your elevated rank
and charader, mud be Nppofed to carry uncommon
weight with it, whether it re pelts men or things. This
consideration obliges me to make a few observations, ou
what you justly term your bafy narrative. In doing
which, I (hall take no ratther notice of the terms, libel,
fabulous inuendo, ca^mnus, &c. with wr ich your narra
tive is enriched, than to observe that it serves to support
the affection of Mr. Payne, who has told the public that
he has been for fevercl years pah your intimate acquain
tance ; 'and at the fame ' time to flew how much you have
improved by his ,ouverGtion, as well as by his writin s.
Had you taken proper time for reflection, you would I
doubt not have prevented me the trouble of writing, and
yourfelf the pain of reading what may be disagreeable th
you. You fay, " had I winked ft all information of pub
" itc abUje Ido not think Ijboutd bave incurred Mr. Deane /,
' censure, but whit, lam honored witU public trufi it
" /ball he my con,bant endeavour to prevent the community
" from being injured) and certainty to inJifl that all those
" <wbo have fingered lodge Jains 0; the public money Jbould
'be called uponfor a lair and bonefl jutlement."
Have I been charged with abuse of the public trust re
posed in me, or with leaving misapplied public monies ?
Have Congress or any one member of that honorable bo
dy brought forward any such charge ? After repeated and
urgent Elicitations 011 my part for an audi, nee, and to be
informed if any such charge had been made or any unfa
vorable representations 0 my conduct, you produced, itis
true, an extras of a letter from a person notoriously ig
norant of my tranGaiohs, wlvo was not in public trust
himfelf, and scarce known to me personally, and who
wrote not to Congress but to you or some other individu
al, not what he pretended to know himfelf but what he
understood from the conversation which gaffed between
him and a gentleman of my intimate acqs tintance. This
you were pleased at the time to calhinformation, —you did
not wink at it, but brought it forward, groundless and
unfuppotted as it was ; fortunately the gentleman =f my ac
quaintance referred to was in town, and was called before
Congress and examined. What was the issue? This gentle
man, from Whom this information was 'aid to be original
ly received, who had been intimately acquainted with me
and my public cendud, flora my firft arriving in Paris
until he left it, which was but two or three months before
I set out on nfy return to America, informed Gon refs of
nothing on which the molt distant grounds for a charge
could be laid against any part of my tranfadions. You
could not be ignorant of this when you wrote your batty
narrative. You were prefect in Congress at his exami
nation. You were also present when I intreated that, I
might be heard before Congress, and that all the affairs I
had been coricerned in for the public, whether ol a com
mercial or political nature, either solely or jointly with
my colleagues, might be examined into and fettled, and for
reasons ur„d that my private circumstances and situation
pressed me exceedingly to have such examination and set
tlement made. You know that this was the stile, in which
I uniformly spoke and wrote to Congress from my firft
arrival until you left Philadelphia, several months after ;
and the public will judge whether this is the stile of a man
Who willies to have al information of public abuse winked
at, or any information Withheld which refpefts himfelf.
The refolutioA of Congress for my recal was taken in No
vember 1777 ; the letter in< lohng that resolution was da
ted the Sth December following. Neither the resolution
nor letter accompanying it (though you were yourfelf one
of theCommittee for foreign affairs)intimated any charge
or suspicion of abuse of trufi in me, but directly the con
trary. It is now more than fourteen months since the re
solution was taken, more than fix that I have been atten
ding in this city. Has thert to this moment been any
charge against me ? ' lf there has been I call on ycu to
publish it to the world and to fapport it—for my part I
have heard of none.
I will here leave the artful but groundless insinuation
with which you set out, to take notice of the fad asserted
in,my publication of the s th of December, which is the
only one denied by you in your narrative. In your deni
al you carefully repeat the words I made use of, and
deny your ever having, said, " that America bad a
right by the alliance to make peace, without consulting
b r ally, if England did not declare war? You indeed
acknowledge timt you said, " that war may be made
without declaring it, and that if England Would acknow
ledge the independence of America, and not resent the part
France bad taken, America was at liberty to make a si
milar treaty with England or any other nation." 1
leave .to abler casuists than I pretend to be, to find out
any material difference between'the two affections, and at
the fame time, to reconcile if possible, your doctrine with
that of Congrefe, declared in their resolution of the r 4 th
:nftant, which is as follows: Refolded unar.imcvJly, That
a; neither France, nor tbefe United Spates, may of right,
TUESDAY,
wwwi^®^
OR
G E N ERA L
[Price Fifteen Pence single, One Shilling by the quantity. Published every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.]
so tbefe United States will not conclude either truce or peace
with the common enemy, without the formal conjeni of their
ally fir, obtained, and that any matter or things which may
be injinuated, or averted to the contrary thereof, tend to the
injury and dijbonor of tbefe States This is the only sass
asserted in my address which you have denied, but insinu
ations fometinaes answer, as well as direct assertions, or
denials, and therefore you fay, That “ Mr. Deane talks
much about bis great services, and good conduct, but bow
happens it, that of four Commissioners besides himfelf, three
are so clear and fofreng in reprobating that conduct ? Nor
are tbefe the only men that have done so, as I fball make
appear hereafter." I ask you who those three are? and
why you did not tell the world that two of them are your
brothers, and that the third is not Doflor Franklin ? You
know that Dodor Franklin's conduct is as severely repro
bated by this Triumvirate, as mine has ever been by them.
You know in what stile two of them have wrote to Con
gress refpeaing him, and his conduct, nor are you igno
rant of what this truly great man has wrote to Congress
of me, my services and conduct. Were you not present
in Congress when his letter of the 21st December, 1777,
was read ? Speaking of me in this letter, he fays;
' He daily approves himfelf to my certain knowledge, an
" able, faubjul, afiive and extreme, ufefal servant of
" the public ; a tefimony which 1 think it ry duty to take
" this eccafon giving to bis merit, unasked as conJidering
" my great age, I may probably mot live to give it person
-" .ally in Congress, and ! perceive be has enemies " You
were pref nt when the following letter from him to the
President of Congress cf the 31st ofMarch 1778, was read.'
"SIR,
" MY colleague, Mr. Deade, being recalled by Con
" grefs, and no realms given, that have yet appeared
" here, it is apprehended tp be the effect of some mifre
" presentations from an enemy or two .-st Paris and at
' Nartz. I have no doutthat he will be able clearly to
" jnftify himfelf; but having lived now fifteen months,
" the greatest part of the time in the fame house, with
" him, and been a coniiant witness cf his public condufl,
“ I cannot omit giving this testimony, tho' unasked, in
cc hisbehalf, that I esteem him a faithful, active and able
" Minister, who, to my knowledge^ has done in various
" ways great and important services to his country, whose
" interests I with may always by every one in tier employ
<c be as much and as efFe&bally promoted.",
You introduce your hilly narrative by declaring that,
you have a good confci.nce, and that you have done your
duty, and afterwards go on to declare upon the honor of
a gentleman and the faith of a chrifiian. But let me ask
you how, actuated by such principled, you could throw
out so doubtful and so ensnaring an expression as this —
*' Mr. Deane talks much about bis great jervices, &c " and
why you did not tell the whole; to which you were no ftranc,
er ? Had you told it it would have flood thus. Qffour Com
mifioners in public service, (or rather in public pay) three,
viz M% A. Lee, Mr. IP. Lee, and, Mr. Izard, reprobate
My. Deane's condufl ; the fourth, Dr. Franklin, bight, ap
proves of it There are tt is true, other persons also who
reprobate its conduft, as I Jhad make appear hereafter.—-
But it is equally true that bis Moji Cbr ftian Majfly and bis
Minifer have declared to Congress their approbation of his
conduct id the ftromgeft terms; and of the three reprobating
. Commiffi ners, one only, Mr. A. Lee, was Mr. Deane's col
league, and in the way of being acquainted with bis trans
actions. You fee, Sir, that the Whole truth might have been'
told by you in very few words ; and where the cause is good
and the intention of the writer sincere, it will serve better
than either threats or inuendoes. You might have told the
public that this Trio of Comroiffieners reprobate the con
dha of Dr. Franklin, and that you have seen letters from one
of them which represent him as void of every principle of
common honor and common hohefty. I have been cre
dibly informed, and I presume you will not deny it, that in
a public letter from one of them there is this Sentence,
fpeakingof this great Patriot and Philofopher,--“ His abi
lities are great, and his reputation high; removed as be is
to so considerable a dijiance jrom the observation of bis con
flituents, if be is not guided b, principles of virtue find honor,
tbfe abilities andthat reputation may produce the most mif
cbevious rffifls. In my confience I believe him to be under
no such internal refraints, and Gid knows Ifftak the real,
unprejudiced fentimeats of m, heart." Here ,s reprobation
indeed ! and a protest and appeal as foUran as you or any
other person can make. Neither you nor the public can
be at any loss who those enemies are of whom Dr. Franklin
speaks in his letters; nor will it be much longer a feefet to
the public that Dr. Franklin and myfelf are not the only
persons reprobated by then?, but that the firft characters,
both in Congress, in the most secret and confidential de
partments of,Congrefs, in the army, and civil departments,
have been reprobated or caballed against by one or more
of those Commiflionet, and by certain persons on this
fide of the water, to whom, I presume, you are no stran
ger, since Mr. Payne has undertook to vindicate you on
a fubjeft wh;ch you can doubtless explain much better than
he can. He fays in his publication in Mr. Dunlap's pa
per of the 7 th instant, speaking of you, " I have beard it
“ mentioned of this gentleman that be was among those wbafe
THE
s33^^.tyrefiffare^ffi^
/won
IN^ltyltffyi^^\
b^^Oil^
'ra^&^^w%Wßffi|l
JANUARY 26, 177%
THE
ADVERTISER
« impatience for vi^ory led them into some kind of difant'erd
"at the operations of last winter, The event has, T think,
“ fully proved tbefe gentlemen wrong, and muff convince'
them of it; but A can fee no reason why a mis-grounded
" opinion, produced by an over-heated anxiety jor fucctfs.
<<fhould be mixed up with other matters it has no concern
“ with. A man's political abilities may be exceedingly
“ good, though at the fame time,he may differ, and even,
" be wrong; in his notions of some military particulars."
For my own part lam fully confident, that every in
trigue and cabal formed against our illustrious Commander
in Chief, will prove as ineffectual as those against Defter
Franklin. I have not the vanity to rank myfelf with these
great men. But I cannot but be conicious of having ren
dered some important services to my country ; I have re
ceived the most honorable testimonials thereof, from those,
and from some other great and distinguished personages;
and I have been reprobated by three Commtflers, and
some others : Thus far lam placed-in the company of those
great performs, and I take a pride in it, though thousands
of such reprobators attack me. Has not the brave and
patriotic President of this State been attacked from the
fame quarter ? Has not but I have neither inclina
tion nor leisure to go farther on the long lift of dignified,
and truly patriotic characters, which have been attacked,
or reprobated, by some of those whom you refer to, and
with whom you are acquainted. It is fufficient to have
reminded you, and shewn the public, that you appear 111
your hasty narrative, to have forgotten what ought to
have been well known to you ; and that I am not'unin
formed of tran factions and designs, which 1 am grieved to
think could ever have had exigence, and that a perfe
yerance in them, will force me to lay them before the pub
lic. Mean time wishing you that faith of a Christian,
the fruits of which are eminently charity, Jim,licit, and
candor, I bid you farewell.
S.-DEAN E.
Philadelphia, Jan. 17, 1779.
4*4+* +±++4+++H4++4+§
WAN I°E Dtb Purchase,
CONTINENTAL &O A N-O F FICE CER
TIFICAT E S, bearing interelt payable in
France, for wffich an advanced price will be given in
current money, Eiquire of the Printer.
Wafbingtonfburgh, January 8.
TWENTY DOLLARS REWARD.
DE S ER FED on the second of December last,
from the Continental Works near Carlifte, a Sol
dier and Artificerin Col. Berj>min Flowers's regiment,
hatred BENJAMIN BADLOCK, born in Con
nedicut, of a twarthy complexion, thort black hair,
about feventeeh years of age, five feet eight or nine
inches high, smooth faced and flow of speech ; had on
« hen he went away, a black coat faced with red, brown
jacket with white butters, having the letters USA oil
them, buckskin breeches, white ftpekings, and felt hat;
he tock with him a gun branded United States. Who
ever lings said deserter to the above-mentioned place,
or secures him in any gaol so that his officers may have
him again, (hail have the above reward and reafchable
charges, paid by
THQMAS WYOE, Capt.
, Weft.Nar.tmeU; Cbejler Count), Jan 21.
TK7 HEREAS a certain John M'llderry
▼ V obtained a note of me for One hundred and one
pounds ten (hillings, to be paid on deriland, dated the
of November i 77 |, being for a Mare that I bought:
of him, which afterwards was fufpeded to have been
stolen. This is therefore to forwarn all perlons front
taking any alignment on the fame, as 1 will not pay it
until compelled thereto by law. Said Mare is three
yeais old past, a sorrel, with a light coloured mane and
tail, and a blaze in her face. The true owner is desired
to come, prove his property, pay charges and take her
fry, otherwise (he will be fold for expence of keeping
th three weeks from the date hereof.
_ Bartholomew Coleman.
CAME to the place of Peter Deal, on
the Germantown Road, in the Northern Liberties,
near the Five-mile Stone, an old bay HORSE, about
fifteen hands high, branded on the off fide, on the
moulder and on the buttock with a ring and crosses
therein, and has a saddle mark on his back. The owner
is denred to come, prove his property, pay charges and
take him away, otherwise he will be fold to pay costs.
T ° BE S'O LD,
A^A I '.^ g r y Horses > fifteen and a half hands
high. Tiling seven years old ; a few chests of Bohea
1 ea; also a quantity of Narrow Axes and Grubbing
J^'^ of Rv ORWELL, in Water- ftreefy
above Arch-street,