The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-03-13 00:00:00, page 1

By the Washington Packer, Captain
Barney, arrived here yesterday morning
from I'Orienr, we have the following—
HOUSE of LORDS, London, December 5, 17'2.
THE marquis of Carmarthen rose up to move for
an ad r*fs to I is majesty for bis most gracious
speech. He expelledan hope that tne house would
be unanimous in tefbfying their humble gratitude to
the crown for intentions so gracious, for sentiments so
paternal, for facrifices so generous. He declared a
full confidence in his majesty's servants, and that
while rieir condud should continue to deserve it, they
should meet with his support. He was happy, he said,
in every opportunity of testifying his re(pe& for the
crown, and doublv happy, when he could rehify this
refpefl on an occasion so happy as the present : when
it appeared that the relief, the happiness of his sub
jests, formed the 6rfl with in the royal breast. He
hoped that peace would soon return to bless the land ;
but, that if any untoward accident should fruflrate the
endeavours, and interrupt the negociati ns now on
foot for that deferable object, the spirit of this country
would enable his majefly to prosecute the war with
vigour. Toe flourishing flare of the navy, which was
a fubjea of hope and confide ^,in case of beieg o
bliged to carry on the war, was also an encouragement
to open a treaty for peace. Terms of peace w re of
sered with greatest advantag , at a season of victory
and triumph. The success of his majefly's arms, both
by sea and land, during rhe lad cam ago, afforded
ground to hope that his majesty's mmifters would be
able to make peace on conditions, fair, fafe, and ho
nourable. America, he hoped, would not yet be whol
ly loft to Great Britain. A fimen^fs of religion, lan
guage habits, and difpofiii^ns, togr/^r with mutual
interefl, would, he traded, re-establish a solid and a
reciprocally advantageous connexion between the co
lonies and the mother country. In the mean time, it
would be impolitic aniimprudent to relax the prepa
rations for war. These rauf tgo on w^n alacrity, as
the surest means of making peace. This country pnf
feffed the greater! rdfources; resources not only of
wealth and of ere b', but of men ; gallant and able ft a
and land officers, and an hardy and intrepid race of
sailors and foidiers, ready and determined to ex p cu'e
their commands Tnere was therefore nothing of which
we ought to be afraid, provided that with unanimity
and truly patriotic zal all ranks and defcriptons of
men should unite in bringing forth into exertion the
spirit and vigour of the nation It was not for him to
go farther into the fubjefts that were tokened in his
majesty's mod gr cious f eech. He trailed it would
meet with universal approbation. Animporta t revo
lution had happened in the hif?ory of the world. A
•merica, diffev red from Britain, was rising into an in
dependent Rate, and would fh^d various influences on
the old wor'd. But he hoped the parent date might
fiill derive some advantages from the prosperity of its
offspring. Tocultivate a good underftending between
these relations, let the whole nation, all the component
parts of the constitution, join hearts and hands; Let
-the crown, lords and commons unite to form one bo
dy of government, for the purpose of refloring, if possi
ble, a portion of the diminished glory of this nati
on. His lordship then read tue fubflance of an address,
recapitulating, as usual, and approving all the propo
rtions in the speech.
ford Hawke seconded the motion, that had been
made for this address. His lordship (poke in so low
a tone of voice, that it was with difficulty we could
catch these fcntiments. He encouraged the house,
and the nation, to Lengthen the hands of his majef
ty's Servants, and to W e f ° r an happy issue out of the
present troubles, from ^view of the glorious Rate of
the British navy. The firength, and the liability of
this bulwark, against foreign attack, his lordship as
fer'ed, depended not on the possession of our colonies,
but on the virtue of the nation The glory of the
tritifh navy was founded not on the sand of the Ante
rican shoe, but on the honour, the good faith, and
the industry of Britain. In the course of human af
fairs, advantages were not uncommonly blended with
difadvaatages ; the former rose out of the latter. His
lordship illustrated this general doHrine by force par
ticular instances : on which fubjed he glanced at the
effect, the independence of British America, muff have
on the dependencies of Spain and of France. $
Earl of Radnor protested that it was far from his
intention to mar that unanimity which the noble
lord who spoke last had so warmly recommended, and
which the fituadon of public affairs rquired. He
approved of the proposed address as far as it went ;
but was of opinion that it did not fufficimtly express
that sense of gratitude, which he was confident their
lordships felt to the crown, for facrificing the consider
ations alluded to in the address to the good of the
public. His lordship, therefore, proposed, by way of
supplement rather than amendment, to be inserted the
beginning of the second paragraph of the motion for
the address, viz. To acknowledge with the sincerest
gratitude, " The facrifice that his majefiy has been
^ graciously and affectionately pleased to make to the
THURS D A Y,
VOL. XHJ
'?o4rrtftl I Irl (frittA^lft Ar £K J r
GENERA L ADVERTISE R.
Published every TUESDAY, THURSDAY and SATURDAY.—Price Six-Pence.
" wifhesand opinions of his people, fully convinced
" that his majesty's own conduflhas always been ac
" tuated by a fimilardifpofitioo."
The earl of Sandwich then rose, and immediately
declared his r fi fo ution to support his majesty's pre
lent servants, both by contributing h;s endeavours to
raise the necessary supplies and othrwife, until they
should prove by their conduct (which he did not ex
pe& would be the case) that they were unworthy of
tne confidence of the nation. He entirely agreed with
the marquis of Carmarthen, that unanimity in the
present momnt was that on which all the hopes of
tie hation did rest. Our enemies would mark wed
what degree of unity, or of difeord, prevailed in the
councils of this country; and in proportion to these,
their hopes, and coafequently their efforts, would be
vigorous or languid. He profeffed an ardent desire
of peace, but cautioned, with much feeling and ener
gy, the servants of the crown against grasping with
eagerness and precipitation at such a peace, as would
only be a temporary refuge from impending dangers,
and, as mull be followed soon, by frefh attacks, and
all the calamities of a new war. Ir is admitted, said
his lordship, that there is no cause of despondency.
Success, brilliant success, has attended his majesty's
arms, this la^t campaign, both by tea and land. The
two great cb;eßs againfl which the efforts of France
and Spain had been directed, were Gibraltar and Ja
maica. Their attacks against both these important
places had been baffi d. The firft had been preserved
by the brave, andable, and vigilant, and unexam
pled efforts of a great laed commander. The second
by the bo d and fkilful courage and address of a na
val hero, whose name was dear at home, and r fpe9ed
abroad. General Elliot had finalized his valour and
condua in Europe, and admiral lord Rodney had dif
tingvbbed his capacity and bravery in the Weft-indies.
Success he hoped, would Bill attend his majesty's
arms, and iffo, the nation had a right to look with
confidence for a good peace. He had been employed
in negotiation, and having had a little experience, he
would give his majesty's minivers some advice. If the
French (hon'd refufe to accede to honourable terms of
peice at thi* time it was not reasonable that they
should be indulged withan offer of the fame terms, if
the events of the war should be in favour of Great-
Britain — as he doubted not they would be. The terms
that were offered in November, 1781, were not of
reerffity, the term* that should be offered in Novem
ber 1783. The French, he assured their lordships
would life or fall in their demands, according to the
fucc fs er drfcomfiture of their arms: and his majes
ty's ministers, be affirmed, would be fools, if they did
not follow the r example. His lordship also caution
ed his majesty's ministers againf linnovations in the
constitution.
Lord vifeount Stormont, profeffing the greatest re.
fpe& for the crown, said that he fliould be very for
ry to withold his affect to an address fraught with sen
timents of loyalty and affedion to hi, majefiy ; and
in the present situation of public affairs, he would not
oppose the granting of the necessary fapplies. He was
aware of the importance of unanimity, and therefore
he would not do or fay any thing that looked like
hanging on the wheels on government. But be refers
ed to himlelf the liberty of deliverin bis opinion, on
any future occafiot), upon tfie matters that formed the
fubje& of the proposed address to eis majefiy. This
he understood, from their lordship's journal, was per
fe&ly parliamentary. A deference, a complaifmce, he
understood, to the crown, might forbear all anmad
versions on doHrines, or proportions contained in an
address, in reply to a speech from the throne, wittiout
precluding any member of either house from deliver
ing his sentiments with the mod perfeß freedom, on
the fame doctrines and proportions, when they came
formally before parliament. Having fad this, h
would now trouble their lordships with a few observa
tions on some parts of the speech, which he was at I:
berty to underhand to be the speech of the minider.
Unconditional independency had been granted to the
Americans- If what was said on that fuhjrft in the
address meant ary thing, it meant t!rat, Not even a
truce, or cessation of hostilities, bad been obtained as
the price of so important a conceffioo. Wham^r be
the nature of the peace between this conn ry and
France, or at whatever time it may p ak? pNea, at all
adventures, and in all cases, the American are inde
pendent. The offer of independence is unqualified,
unconditional, irrevocable. The navy is a lowed to
be in the highest Rate of perfeflion. The epthet gio
rious has been applied, and not improperly applied to
this bulwark of the nation. Let it then be remember
ed, and I give warning that I (ball remember, that
when the peace was made, if it shall be made, the
Fate of the British navy was glorious. His lordship
then reasoned on the important subj a under confide
ration from history, and particular treaties, force of
which were on record in the journals of the British
parliament. When Philip the third of Spain, treated
with his revolted fubjeds of the united provinces of
the Netherlands, on the footing of independence, l>e
obtained, as the price of his concession, a truce of
twelve years, a truce from the year 1609 to 1622, the
commencement of the reign of Philip IV. He obtain-
OP, THE
THE
ed imdemnity and oblivion for all the parbzans of his
government, and the free exercise of the catholic reli
gion, if they should chufe to remain in the low coun
tries, without any lhare of political power; or tney
were permitted to retire with their effe&s to a; y part
of the Spanish dominions. And at the peace of Mun
her, the Spanish nation, by perseverance in a ms, re
tained ten out of seventeen provinces, more than two
thirds of the whole, in value and extent of territory.
Why should not Britain follow this example of perse
verance? Why should she relinquish all her colonies,
without reservation ? The Dutch deserted their alliance
with France, in order to make a separate peace with
Spain at Muffler ; so, if we reason from human na
ture, displayed in the conduft of nations, is there
ground to hope that the Americans might one day re
nounce their connexion with France in like manner.
It is well enough known, continued his lordship, that
when his majesty's troops took possession of Charlef
town, the French did not befitate to declare, at differ
ent times, that they did not tiink that it was possible
to wred the whole of the thirteen colonies from Brit
ain. France, even ambitious France, was avowedly of
opinion, that you might retain the southern provinces—
you are doing yourselves, what the united power of
your enemies could not force them do. The political
veffi I, on board of which you are passengers, is in the
midst of a storm, which she has long weathered, and
from an impatience of toil, you advise to run her in
to the enemy's port. Nature had placed Britain in
the neighbourhood of a powerful, proud and ambiti
ous rival, envious of her prosperity and glory. Ame
ca and Britain united, she knew were able to refill the
attacks 0 Europe confederated againf l them. It was
her object to dissolve the union that formed so mighty
a power, and this she has effeßed at a time when the
die was cast, when fortune favoured, when the scale
was turned. He did not reason concerning the illega
lity cf making peace on the terms he futpeded were
proposed, but concerning the political wifJom of such
a measure or expediency. But while his lor ship al
lowed the right of making peace or war, in general to
the crown, a dismemberment o' the empire could not
be made without tie authority of the elates of the
kingdom. It had been affirmed in the speech, that his
majefiy had resolved to acknowledge independence to
America, having colle^ed the sense of parliament.
H" contended th t the sense of parliament on that fub
je& had not been coined. The house of commons,
indeed, had refoived that offenfive war ought not to
be carried on any longer against America ; but that
queflion had never so much as been before the house
of peers. ^is lordihip then spoke on the fubje& of
American loyabfls; and infixed that they ought not,
either in joflice or good policy, to be abandoned ; but
that they should be referred to the full enjoyment of
all their privileges and estates. Here too he reasoned
from history ; from certain articles refpe&ing the in
demnity of the Catalonians, in a peace concluded, a
bout half a century ago, between Spain and England,
from the case of the fubjeds of France and Holland,
who were mutually pardoned and restored to their pri
vileges, upon a truce or peace between these powers.
When firft a peace was talked of, when ,the house of
commons determined to give up offenfive war against
America, it had been advanced by those who advised
that measure, that there were persons in London au
thorized .0 treat for a separate peace between America
and Great-Britain; but upon enquiry, no such per
sons were to be found. A negociation is opened at
Paris, under the eye and direction of the French mi
nistry ; under their vigilant and penetrating eye, that
saw, and pursued invariably the interest of the mo
narchy. Great Britain, in the midst of the most no
ble atchievments by sea and land, receiving on the
bended knee the law from revolted fubjefts, in alli
ance with her inveterate foe, was a fpe&acle he could
not behold without indignation and griT. He con.
jured their lordships to confide, that the loss of Ame
rica would be felt by Great-Britain in a double pro
portion. For what was taken from the scale of Eng
land wa ? thrown into tkat of France. His lordship
spoke afo againfl all fanciful innovations in the con
fiirution—He adverted also (but this in the hurry of
writing, we omitted to mention in the proper place,)
to a disposition common to all nations, but particu
larly observable among the English, to depreciate
what they are obliged to part with, and to magnify
the importance ofevery new acquisition. The import
ance of America to this country had been diminished
by certain writers ; but a man ofp'ainand blunt under^
Handing, like himfelf, could not raise his views to that
sublimity of (peculation which was necessary to im
press a conviction, that the loss of America was not
an efrntjal loss to tide country.
The earl of Shelburne, from a regard to unanimity,
would not have risen to fay any thing that might
wear the afpe& of debate, if he had not been called
up by the noble lord who spoke lafL He maintained
that unconditional independence had not been granted
to the Americans: that the offer that had been made
was not irrevocable; and referred the noble lord to
the words of the address, which he repeated with em
phasis, insisting, that if fair, honourable, and equal
terms could not be obtained from France, the ally g;
MA RC H ,13, I„3„
[NUMB. 1014.