The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-10-02 00:00:00, page 2

Prom the LONDON MORNING PO^T, of June x,
Upon the motion made by the Right Hon. Sir William Mere
dith, on triday iaft, in the House oj Commons, Mr. hdem
fake to the following Esra.
TMAY be permitted, Sir, to press myfelf on your
[ notice in preference to other gentlemen, as very
important matters which have been brought IGto tb , de
bate by my Hon. friend (Mr.. Fox) peculiarly affine,
and have not been Rated with that degree either of kind
ness cr candour that I might have expired. It does not
fall within the compass either of ny vwih or ability to take
notice of all that gentleman's portions ; I can have no ob
ject in difeuffing with him the consistency cf his cond^t
fa now voting for an address to lament the failure of a
commiffiou, "which he fays, made ridiculous proportions
derogatory from the dfeutiai rights and mterefls or this
four 7 it will be fufficlent for ir.e, if my own conduct
•4 this motion is rig t. I refped the mover and hr nr
tentions but he profeffes merely to recommend to the King
a general line of conduct so palpbly and ooviouily im
proper for his Mojedy to adopt, that I Ihall vote agrinft
his address as being atleaft foperfluous. It is equally fo
reign from my purpose to consider the Hon. gentleman •
flrange and d&fpltory mods of proving the weaknels ol ear
prefect army in America, from the greaioefe of its detach
ments to early and diftact services ; whatever onr actual
force in thatc^^ry is, or may be, every effect within
pokibility may be expired from that army and from its
Commander in Chief. Wittier do I with to enter into
the serious defence or will merited praises of the five orh*
hundred geivkincn from America who have been mention
ed in tbis'delfre; they were rationed indeed in i tone
which struck my ear as wanting the confirleration due to
such men to fixated ; but I know that the Hen. gentle
man feels r<fp e for misfortune, and a love tor loyalty ; I
know ton that he is iucarable of an urgen rotia intention,
and the Ann rican Loyplifh on bo|h fifes of the AMm,c
deserve from us ah, every good ephoet toot a gooo icind
can give. In the flow of language .«?refos win drop
which rfcolleaioß wcitld f\v:'chalked, and to the want
of , ^celledioi only • ^tribute the modi exp.-effigy with
whkh the honorable gentleman h.,s also treated t..e King's
CmnmfTui rs. lam n&t hurt oy th >fe expreflions. I
have lived toobug I.lthe world to lie now wounded by po
litical epithets. L r i?l), Ido not wifli 6 set up my own
knowledge of the Americans K 0, portion to Maj^r Gen.
Grey's ; kwas indeed my duty to reside in the cities of
Philadelphia and New-York whilst it was his (0 be in
camps and in action, anti aooard frigates ; it was my enf
tom to give every hour during my flay in America to
gentleman cf ever, interest, party, perfualion or principle,
who wouli come to my ta&, or would honor me with
their vifus. Major-General Grey was too geod an officer
to be so employed: but Ido not w ; fh to dwell on this; I
fought and had his friendship as far as our different walks,
in ^fe will allow, and tho' I do not fubferibe to all his
-political creed, I think him one of those officers whom it
fc a blessing in times like the prefect to p&ffefs. My rea
son for now desiring the attention of the House, is that I
may fay a few words upon the supposed offers, and the
supposed menaces of the late American commission, both
which the honorable gentleman is pleased equally to re-
probate.
With refpe& to the offers, I have on a former oocafion
submitted to the House my sentiments on the caution to
be used in difeuffin^ this fubjeft ; for I Hill hope and trust,
that the colonies will one day be re-united to these king
doms, on terms advantageous both to them and to us, tho'
those terms may vary much according to the paffiplis and
feelings of men, and the circumstances and events of war.
1 mutt however take a ffiort review of the grounds which
lie late Commissioners dated for negociatiun; nor do I
desire to call the attention of Parliament to the particular
situation of our affairs at the date of our frft letter to the
Rebel Congress, or to the confidaratioas which made it/
expedient to enter into the fulled fpecificaiion at the firfl
opening. The fa& is, that we offered, 1. ' To content
to a conation of hoflilit^s both by sea and land, 2. "To
nftcre free intercourfc, to revive mutual artedijn, and
renew thecommon benefits of iidturJezation through the
feverai part* of this empire." 3. “To agree that no mi
litary forces (hall Be kept up in the different Stales of
North-America, without the content or :.e General Con
gress or particular Assemblies." Thefc effrs ( allow were
absolute and poßttVe. The firft and second must of course
have b^cß the bed and immediate conriquem.es oi peace,
and if there is any doubt as to the lad I<ao only fay that
Ido not fc; the objf&icto: iti^pl^c m our minus, and
to every man's mind, that th«K a 1b uld ret ia toe fu
prente command of the military torce whatever it might
be, andtiie Homination.oW the officers. And it must be
for tire fefety and intereftof each colony to have a force a
dequate to ks.own relative filiation in this empire.
>we also offered, Sir, x. " To extend every freedom.of
trade that our refpeftive interests can re^uirc" 2? "To
ceocur in meofere^ calculated to difeharge the debts of A
nierica, and to raise the credit and value of the paper cir
culation " "To perpetuate our union by a reciprocal de
putation of an Agent or Agents for the different States,
wQo iha.ll have the privilege of afeat and voice in the Par
llam mt of Great -Britain, or if sent from Britain, in that
case to cave a feat and voice in the Assemblies of the d!f,
ferent States which may be lent, in order to attend to the
several interests of those by whom they are deputed.
The^ offers are qualified both in their expression and
obvious meaning, and were matters for negotiation. The
expression at the clefs of the firfl of them, was not insidi
ous ,nor were the perfonsto whom we addressed ourfeives
likely to be duped, if we had been capable of wishing to
dupe thrm. I cannot pay a greater compliment to their
abilities, mau by faying that I believe them nearly as
skilful in all the niceties of language, as the honorable gen
tieman whom Jam now endeavouring toaufwer : And be
fdes we lent a copy of our commimon, as the full and
fair communication of our powers. From the second of
the lift mentioned dafs of proposals, the honorable gen
tleman contends, that we offered to fubjed these kingdoms
-to the payment of the Continental debts : And does he
really think that "a concurrence in measures calculated
to difebarge debts," implies that the concurring party fluff
char.e himfelf with those debts ? When we talk of “ rai
ling the value and ci-edit of the paper circulation," can it
be inferred that we undertake to discharge and annihilate
flat circulation ? Are there no quit-rents, or other royal
and national claims of value in America ? Is there no pof
tye arrangffept b/ fw#4tog or otherwift, which might
have helped the po^r holders of all the wretched trifh ndW
circulating'by the Coogrefs, and have given some worth
to what is now finking into nothing? With refpelt to the
lafi article, I mull express my aftoniftment, that the ho
norable gentleman who talks sometimes with fpch lympa
thy and rapture of the American senators, should feel
degraded by the idea of ever fitting in their company: I
fh^l only fay on this proposal that I did not lugged it,
bu: I very willingly adopted it ; it was oile proot among
others of a sincere disposition to conciliate ; it might have
pleased some men ia that point of view; I did not think,
however, that it could produce any further ed'ett Dot I
fbetild not be lorry if it were practicable to fee a limited
number of Colony Agents and Representatives within
these walls.
Laffy, we offered ' •to efUbliih the power of the re
fptaiVe Icgiflalure in each particular State, to fettle its re
venues, its civil and military eftabl|fhments, and to exer
dfe a perfect freedom of legislation and internal govern
ment, so that the Brkith States throughout North-Ameri
ca, anting with us fa peace and war under one commqa
Sovereign, may have the irrevocable enjoyment of every
privilege that is ihort of a total reparation of interests, or
cnffiieit with that ui ton?, ?c^ce on n^bicb tbe fata, of one
common religion and liberty deprds
S. much jar the offers /—so diffeeffing the supposed me
naces, I fee! left anxiety and hesitation, because I carry
in my pocket the minute which 1 made very immediately
alter 1 indin,; 111 England, when I saw in the public papers
file debates which had puffed on this bibjeCl The mat
ter was then warm upon my mind. I have not lately re
ferred to it, but the minute was honestly written, and I
am not afraid of reading it without reserve. It is as fol
low —' December 20th, 1778. My late colleague ip
" peers to have done ample nd honors le justice in the
" House b < Commons to the whole bufirefs, and has 'eft
" ;i:tl* or bottling to be laid by me. But rs I ihould be
' called upon with rerpect to that paragraph m our Mani
" foflo, which has I fe, been represented by some to me
« nice a fyff-ni of cruelty, Unworthy of a great people,
<< r mdcontra) to the practice of civilized nations; I can
<: truly Gy that I thought it impossible for such a repre
" foi ation to be given iny tynere but ih the Rebel Cera.
" grefs ; and m,afton Ilimen: is very real, on now find
* ing, that many performs within this kingiom, whose
" judgments and good opinions I very highly refpe&
« have ferimifly emerisin.-d ideas of the pallage in quef
" tjon so very Mifcreni from the fentimems of those who
« penned it. If, however there is any demerit in that pas
" tage, it will be but fair to exculpate the innocent ; —
« the metfure ha, I fee, been attributed by some debates
c< to our secretary, and supposed Scotticisms are pointed
<< out in support of that idea. Tt w^l be fair tiien to a
<vow, that it was the work of the principals, none of
“ whom f believe everdaw the northern fide of the Tweed.
" They had in their Secretary, an excellent gffiflant on
<f many occasion, and profited much by Eis judgment
'' and abilities. But it happened that this particular mea
'' sure, involving in itfelf many fcrious and weighty mat
« ters of decision, for tfrhich the principals felt themselves
" refpenfible to God and their country, they were led to
" adjust it among themselves in repeated difeulions; and
" their minutes delivered to their Secretary were verbatim
" what was afterwards printed.
" Hiving thus admitted so very Intimate a knowledge
" of the paper in qoegion, I ought at last to be able to
" fay wuat my owu meaning was. I had been the intiru
rc m.-nt on the part el this country of making offers more
" explicit and more liberal than any government in any
«in ttaoce of hitiory ever made to its dependencies. What
<' we had said, amounted nearly to thi. We defireyOu to
"be pur brothers under one father; we claim no preten
" fiori!from our eidefliy• ,neeexpe3 m inequaii,; nue in
" fid only on bav.ng one king, one friend and one enemy,
" a free union oj forex andt^endfoi, " 'What then was ^
&r their anfwet ?" " We •wi/lbave a fetal and eternal feya*
'' rationfrom you we ba-ve attached ourfeiwee to yodr in
« valerate enemy ; to teat attachment me will adhere?
<What then was our natural and obvious reply ?" " If
<' you will be co^Jidered as Frenchmen, you mufl and
" Su^bt to be corfdered as Frenchmen, who are at war
" with us; the tonleft is ch anged; we have bikboto march
“ ed thro' your country, in tbe riad, expeßatim 0, jittin,
'< once m^e wtfbjeu ?mhr thefoade of the fame vine. We
" marched wit ^ut lading csfrribufions voitbmt deflrey
" % your docks or fareboufes, without dismantling ,cur
'' armed towas \ we quitted gf,n witboat injury ; <we e
'' evacuated ?kiiadeipbia and left large fares behind us ;—
0 we bave hitherto treated rm as children or friends under
" a temporary fefee ation ; we must now treat ,0% osyou
" cLufe to be treated, as granger s to oar blood, ,rfifing
'• %d,to usl Recited iben, tbat,u are calling upon
" J%'ebt;es and ibofe you pretend to retrfynt, all these fe
" verifies which the laws and ujages of war among civi
" fazed nations wilt warrant and juftby?
" A short collection of those bws and usages of war,
" applied to the pall conduct of our armies, is, indeed,
" a melt Efficient defense of the paragraph in question.
" Nothing in my opinion is more clear than that the ex
“ ertions made by this country, previous to the year 1778,
" have been amply adequate to the refaction of the rebel
" lion ; and surely the lenity to which that paragraph al
* lodes, though hot die chief cause, is the mos icredita
“ ble cause of our failure; that cause is surely the most
“ flattering both to this country and the late Commanders,
k and to those who inftrufted them.—ln plain Knglifh, if
« this war is to be prosecuted, and that it must be so is a
" matter, not merely of experience or justice, but of ne
“ ceffity, it must be fwilawed in a very different lyflem.
" Not with a wanton,inhumanity, unauthorized by civi
“ lized nation, but with those temerities which are usual
« iy exercised in cur days by one foreign nation at war
" with another, and which, horrible and calamitous as
" they appear in fanciful descriptions and declamations,
" are, in moralfenf% not more than the common use of
“ the musket, again ft which less is said, because we are
“ more familiarized to it."
I shall detain the House no longer than to add, that for
every part of ray conduct in America, I know I am and
ought to be accountable to my country. But when I con
fide, the leading assistance which I had from my col
leagues, and the motives under which we all atled, Fdread
neither the trial of my cotemporaries, nor the judgment
of podertiy. Through the whole, indeed, of this Ame
rican war, as well in the civil as in the military measures
adoptedand parfued, the land marks of truth are fixed and
I have seen with entire approbation the zeal you have
niannefted lor the support and prefecution of the just and
pe<teffary war in which I am engaged, nor am I bfs ferdi
ble of your attention to the prefect fiate of the kingdom of
Ireland: My paternal affgfli for all my people makes
me Hucerely anxious for the .typings and prosperity of
every part of my dominions.
Hitherto the evented war have afforded the court of
France no regen to triumph on the cordiqiwuCts of their
ipjuftice and breach of public faith; and i iruf tby 2 fpi
r'ittd and profpecous excruoq of the force you have put in
to my hands, that ambitious ^ower may be brought to
wish that they had not, without provocation or cause of
complaint, insulted the honour and invaded the rights of
my crown. °
I have already acquainted.you with the hoflile step
which has been lately taken by the court of 9faia. What
ever colour may be attempted to be put upon that mijuft
proceeding^ I am conscious that I have nothing to reproach
myfeb with: Ithss fefa followed by the dearest demon
flrations c^ the m/alty arid affection of my parliament to
my perlon and government, for which I repeat to you my
warmest thanks ; and 1 consider it as a happyomen of the
success of m, arms, that the encreaf? cf difficulties fervea
only to augment the courage and coaftancy of the nation,
and to animate arid unite my people in the defence of their
country, and every thing that is dear to them.
The advanced season of the year requires that I ffiould
afford you fo^e recess from the public business ; and I do
it with the lets reluctance, as by the powers vefiedid me
by law, I can have toe aid of jour adviceaud affiance
within fourteen days, fhoulu any emergency make it neces
sary for me to convene you before the usual time.
Geutemeh &f the House of Commons,
The various and exteafive operations of the war have
unavoidably occ^fibned uncommon* expence, and brought
additional burthens on m, faithful and beloved people,
which I most fincefly regret. T cannot fuffluiaitly thank
you for the confidence you have reputed in me, and for the
cheatiulnefs and public spirit with which the large fupplra
for die Current year hare been granted:
My fords and Genkfemm,
It is impossible to (peak of the continuance of the rebel
lion in North-America without the deepest concern ; but
we have given such unquefitonable proofs of our sincere
difpofitiou to put an end to those troubles, that I must ftio
hope, that the malignant designs of the enemies of Great,
Britain cannot long prevail agaiaft tte evident interefta of
those unhappy provinces, and that tty will not blindly
petfifl in preferring an unnatural and dahgerous connection
with a foreign power, to peace and reunion with their
mother cduntr,.
Then the Lord Chancellor, by his Majefly'9 command,
(aid,)
My Lords and Gentlemen,
IT is his M^efty's royal will and pleasure, that thte
parliament be prorogued to Thursday tlie sth day of Au
gust next, to be then here holden ; and this parliament is
accordingly prorogued to Thursday the sth day of August
next.
A P ROCLAMATION.
GEORGE R.
WHEREAS we have received intelligence that
preparations are making by out enemies to invade
this our kingdom, the fafety and defence W which require
our utmost care, and wherein by the assistance and bluffing
es God, we are resolved not to be wanting ; and to the in
tent that they may not, in case of their landing, ftr<ngth
en tbemfelves by seizing the horses, oxen and cattle of our
fupjeds, which may be ufeful to them tor draught or bur
then, or be easily supplied wi,h provificns : We have that
fit, and do by this our Royal proclamation, by the advice
of eur Privy Council, ftri&ly charge and command the
Warden of the Cinque Ports, his Lieutenants, Deputy or
Deputies, and all and every the Lieutenants and Deputy
Lieutenants of our Councils, and all Sheriffs, Justices of
Peace, Mayors, Bailiffs, and all and every other of
ficers and ministers, civil and military, within their re,
fpzfbve counties, cities, towns, and divifiops, that they
cause the coasts to be carefully watched, and upon ffie firft
approach of the enemy, immediately to cause all herfes,
oxen and cattle, which may be fit for draught or burthen,
and not actually employed in our service, or in the defence
of the country, and also (as far as may be practicable)
all other cattle and provisions to be driven and removed to
some place of futurity, and to such a distance tram the
place where the enegiy fhaU Attempt, er appear to intend
NEW YO RK, September 27.
Last Monday afternoon the ship Catharine, Capt. Cale
lough, arrived here in 3 weeks from Cork, being part
of the fleet under convoy of his Majefly's fliip Roebuck,
Sir Andrew Hammond, Commander : By her, and the
remainder of the fleet that came up on Wednesday, we
have the following advices:
LONDO N.
WESTMINSTER, ful, ~
THIS day his Majefly came to the house of Peers, and
being in bis Royal Robes, seated on the Throne with
theumai f®lemnity, Sir Francis Mlyneux, Knight, Gen
,tieman Uther of . the Black Rod, was sent witbameffage
from his Majesty to the house of Commons, command
ing their attendance in the house o f Peers. The Com
mens being come there accordingly, his Majeft, was plek
fed, to give the royal affein to
An ad for removing certain difficulties with refpo£ tto
the more speedy and efteHual manning of bis Majtf)%
navy for a limited time.
An I*l for augmenting the militra. 4
And one private bill.
After whith his Majefly was pleased to mke the follow
ing most gracioefffp<ech.
' My /lords ernd Gentlemen,
TH E many great and essential services you have ren
dered to me and to your country, during the course of
your attendance in Parliament, demand my most cord ial
thanks.
permit! The torrent of my Hun. friend's eloquence,
may obfeure or overwhelm them for a day ; but the tor
rent will disappear, the land marks will remain, arid the
fair and steady stream of history will continue te'flow
round them, long after that Gentleman has loft the talent
of commanding the opinions of others, and I wish to be
better able to express my ow^.
By the KIN G.