The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-08-27 00:00:00, page 2

LITERARY ARTICL E,
Extracted from a I ondon Paper of the 2d of June last.
^ LITER AR Y correspondent on the continent
" writes us, tirt what chiefly engroffesat prefentthe
conversation of men of letters abroad, and what has
raised the/expeaation of toe public in general.to an
uncommon pitch, is a triplicate edition of the worksof
Voltaire,now uner press at Fort Khel, near Str, fburgh;
a place where the press is Subject to no restraint or im
primature.
This extraordinary publication has been set on foot
by the friends of freedom in thinking, of iberalify, and
toleration in France- most of them men of high rank,
some even princes of the blood. They have by sub
scription or (hares amongfltbemfelves, railed the amaz
ing sum of 100,0001. fierling towards carrying on this
work, and finishing it with a typographical elegance,
a correchvfs, and magnificence, which may do honour
to the age, and Serve as an univerfd monument, erect
ed to the memory of the author.
The compiling, co'lhting, digesting and correcting
cf this work, are in 0 e hands of no less dißinßion ;
men of the fir/t eminence, on the continent, in the litera
ry line, have generoußy taken upon them the arduous
ia.lr; 'concurring with the editors in the laudable d fire
oi extending to mankind the benefits of liberality, taste
and genius. +
The : r names cannot be given to the public openly,
but those who are acquainted with the present slate of
literature broad, the connexions of the French acade
micians, will not be ata loss to know who they are.
This edition will c >ntain all tha Voltaire really was
theautho; of, and be fre from all that Spurious trash
imposed on the public under his name. His portfolio
and manuscripts cost twelve tboufand guineas. There
are, it is said, many things of great merit in his Post
humous works: but what chiefly excites the curiosity
of the public is, his correspondence. One hundred
and thirty nine letters from the empress of Russia, in
her own hand writing - a long Series of correspondence
with the king of Prussia; many letters from the late
pop Ganganelli ; and, indeed, almost from all the men
of diftinguifh^d eminence in this century, cannot but
be highly relishing to'he curious.
It does, not, we underhand, come to the- public
market like other publications ; only a fixed number
of lets is to be taken off"; each set is to be numbered
and appropriated to the fubferiber, who has am order,
given at the tim^ of fubferibing, for that individual
number. The number of fet,:is to be 400 for the firft
class, 600 for the second, and 4000 for the third; a
number which we think by no means equal to the de
mand of all Europe. Many amateurs, and even li
braries, must be necessarily excluded. It is said, that
most of the protestant princes have already fubferibed,
directing their names to be classed in the public lift of
fubferibers. Some of the catholic princes have likewise
fubferibed, but under tne nanrsof 'heir librarians Se
veral universities and seminaries of education have also
given it the Sanction of their fubfeription. Those of
Dublin and Edinburgh have taken the lead in this
country ; probably the agent for the work had not ac
cess to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge.
The correspondent who sent us the above, wishes
success, as he does to every .attempt to eftabdfh taste,
elegance, and literature, on the ruins of error, bar
barism, and prieftcraft.
From the (British) Parliamentary Register.
A full Account of the DEBATES in the House of
Lor's on the Execution of Colonel Isaac Haynes,
at Ciarleftown.
THE duke of Richmond opened the fubjeX of
the execution of colonel Haynes, at Charlef
town, by observing that he could not ima
gine that, in times similar to the present, it
would be deemed either extraordinary or improper, if
he (or any other peer of parliament) should beg the
favour of the attention of their lordships to points
which, when fufficiently explained, might totally
eradicate the prejudices of the public, and clear away
a multitude of doubts, perhaps ill founded, but (0 im
portant in their nature that they deserved the serious
attention of the house. His grace remarked that,
though convinced of the pernicious influence of majo
rities within those wall*, he could not think so meanly
of their lordships as to insinuate that he did not feel a
firm conviction, that in a novel and alarming matter,
of which he hoped that the deliberate examination
would rest upon the basis of humanity, entirely uncon.
neXed with any question political in its tendency, their
lordfllips would at once come forward and meet it with
support. Indeed, the case which had induced him to
request the honour of their attendance applied solely to
the compassionate and generous emotions of the heart.
The necessity for explaining it was urgent to an ex
treme. If not accounted for beyond the reach of cen
sure, an ignominious stain would rest upon the British
character; and all the slates of Europe, with every
diflant country, through which the Scandalous report
might spread, would mark us as a nation totally
estranged from the benevolent and noble feelings of the
mind ,nd dead to those exalted principles of juflice
and 01 mercy, which are the true and great character
istics of a magnanimous, yet mild, commiserating peo
ple. His grace said that the particulars, concerning
which he should beg leave to make some requisite re
marks, were generally mentioned; had even made no
inconffder ble noise, and passed through many of the
public prints, both in America and in England, ac
companied by a variety of Sharp, and aggravating stric
tures. He hoped that, subsequent to an enquiry, the
whole would prove an actual misrepresentation Al
ready must their lordships have discovered his intenti
ons, and supposed that he adverted to the fate of col
onel Isaac Haynes, a gentleman who (if report spoke
truth) was executed in cons quence of the too rigid
orders of a British officer, and under circumstances par
ticularly shocking to the feelings, and repugnant to the
principles of every Englishman. He was described as
having Suffered death without a previous trial. This
was the alledged matter, and whatsoever had been said,
written or printed on the fabjeX was aimed (with how
considerable a degree of truth, investigation might per
haps determine) at the establishment of the sass. On
t is occasion his grace remarked, that it was absolute
ly necessary to premise that, whilst he brought the
matter before the house, and intreated their lordfllips
to make it, in the firiaeft sense of the expreflion, the
ground of an enquiry, he would not in the least pre
sume to pledge himfelf for the veracity of the incidents
which he was desirous of Submitting to the tef tof drift
examinations He would not venture on the doubtful
talk of ascertaining in any de ree whatever, the parti
cular occurrences reported to have taken place. He
considered them under those appearances in which they
firft presented themselves to his ideas ; and he was ra
ther governed in his application to their lordships, by
anxious wishes to prevent those baneful consequences
which might refull from a neglect to in fiitute Such full
enquiries as might elucidate the matter beyond the
power of controversy. He was very far from expect
ing (and certainly he did not hop ) that the occur
rences dated to the public were grounded upon fafts.
His grace remarked that what little intelligence he pos
sessed upon the Subject, exclusive of the narrative of
those incidents which must have reached their lordships,
through the channel of the news-papers, he received
in a manufeript account (passing to him last from
the office of the Secretary of state (lord George Ger
main)and) transcribed by a Mr. Bowman, of Charlef
town, in South- Carolina. The duke said that this
person declared; in the letter which enclosed the
written Statement, that it was a faithful copy of the
narrative drawn up by colonel Isaac Haynes himfelf,
immediately previous to his execution, and left
by him for the purpose of fending it to the two de
legates of the province, in order that they might deli
ver it to the congress. His grace observed, that he was
not acquainted either personally or otherwise with Mr.
Bowman; that he never Saw him in his life time, nor
knew more concerning him than what he had an op
portunity of collecting from his own letter, wherein he
remarked, that he was a loyalist; fettled under the pro
tection of the British government in Charleftown.
It was, indeed, evident that the account given by Mr.
Bowman carried with it firong marks of authenticity,
because it corresponded rather closely to the recital of
the particulars which preceded and accompanied the
execution of colonel Haynes; a recital published after
wards in America, under the authority of congress
This had been since copied into most, if not all of
the English news-papers, and the truth of the fad
seemed more corroborated in consequence of th p pro
clamation published, by general Greene, in the Ame
rican Service, Soon after the execution of colonel Haynes,
and filled with actual menaces of retaliation from that
commander, by hanging up, not the firft American of
ficer, but the firß British officer, who should fall into
his hands. His grace remarked, that thee were the
motives which induced him to appeal with earnestness to
the humanity of their lordships, and to implo e them to
proceed at once to the institution of enquiries for the
great and Serviceable purpose of probing to the bottom
of the faffs, and taking such measures as might at
once Secure the English officers from any danger of be
ing made the victims to the threats of general Greene,
and to retrieve the British name from the opprobrious
Ram which had been cast upon it in this alarming pro
clamation. Nor would the advantages of enquiries be
terminated here. A signal benefit must arise from the
difeovery to all the world, that tneir lordships were ri
gidly averse from giving countenance in any Riape
whatever, to such a line of conduft in British oncers,
as might expose to foul reproach our national pretensi
ons to juflice and to clemency. A train of happycon
sequences would also follow the applaud d inßance of
a determination of the English parliament, on no ac
count to Suffer the particulars of fuco conduct either to
appear in print or be adverted to even by report, with
out immediately availing themf<lves of all the oppor
tunities within their power to trace out the authority
on which the faffs in question were given to the public.
The duke remarked, that he was not actuated by any
political motives whatsoever, when he desired the per
mission of Submitting to the serious attention of their
lordships the case in question. The motives for his ap
peal to them had been already mentioned; and it was
needles to repeat, that it was more a point in which the
house were generally interefled, than, of particular im
portance to one noble lord rather than to another. Re
solved, on this occasion, that the utmost fairnefs and
the RriCteß candor should invariably regulate his con
duff, he came down on the preceding day to the house,
to move that their lordships might be Summoned, and'
for the purpose of preventing the most distant appear
ance of a with to take the house by furprize (on that oc
casion .which indeed, of all others, rendered the assistance
of a furprize, if such an artifice were laudable, the
lead neceffary)he had opened the reasons which would
induce him to make one, two, or, perhaps, more moti
ons, on the ensuing Monday, unless any of his majes
ty's ministers would please to rife and tell the house whe
ther they had received authentic information of those
circumßances, to which he now alluded. Should it
appear that they were not deflitute of such intelligence
as might convince the house that the written account
from Mr. Bowman, the printed narrative published, by
order of congress, and the proclamation cf general
Greene were Severally falfe he should :hen confider it
as his duty to decline all farther prosecution of the
bufiiVfs ; but, if administration were either determined
to maintain a fallen Silence or could not prove whether
the Statements of which they were poss ffed would ope
rate to a Substantial and effi acious contradiction of the
alledged circumflances, be must, in such a case, give
notice to tehufe of his design to make some motions
on the Monday following, relative to the Subject ; and
he should, also, now move that their lordships be Sum
moned.
Vifeount Stormont rose next, and declaring, that he
never ventured to intrude upon the patience of the
house without considerable reluctance, observed, that he
was more than usually averse from troubling thm at
the present moment, when no question was before
them, and when it was impossible to (peak without
militating against the rules and forms of parliament.
Unless he actually miflook the meaning of the no
ble duke, no motion whatever had been submitted
by him to the consideration of the house, and he had
only fignified his resolution to make Some motion on
the Monday following. Under these circumflances, his
lordship said he could not go beyond a declaration,
that whensoever the business should come regularly
before the house, and consonant to the general order of
their proceedings, he should then beg leave to deliver
his opinion relative to the point in question, and take
the liberty of Submitting it to the judgment of their
lordships. Immediately to enter into a debate relative
to the matter thus opened by the noble duke, would
be to take the business up with an exceptionable haste,
and violate the fettled usage of the house. A compli
ance therefore, with its established orders, would
prove the most unequivocal example of his de
ference and refpeft ; and, upon this ground, (his lord-
Ship said) he Should reserve his fentirnents, until the
time when, agreeably to the forms and rules of par
liament, it might be proper to divulge them. He trust
ed that the noble duke, whole rank and character must
certainly give weight and recommendation to any mo
tion which he might chufe to make, would not take in ,
an ofenfive light his present wishes to avoid informal
and precipitate difeuffions of a Subject not actually be
fore the house.
(To be Continued.)
The SUM of HUMAN LIBERTY,
by Soame Jenyns, esquire.
THAT all men are born free, is so far from being
true, that the firft infringement of this liberty
is being born at all ; which is imposed upon them with
out their consent, given either by tbemfelves or their
representatives: and it may easily be shewn, that man,
by the conflitution of his.nature, never fabfifts a free
and independent being, from the firft to the last mo
ment of his residence on this terreftial globe; where,
during the firft nine months of his exigence, he is con
fined in a dark and sultry prison, debarred from light
and air ff ; till at length, by an habeas corpus, brought
by the hand of some kind deliverer, he is set at liber
ty; but what kind of liberty does he then enjoy? He
is bound haqd and foot, and fed upon bread and water
for as long a period • no Sooner is he unbound than he
makes so bad a use of hisJiberty, that it becomes ne
cessary that he should be placed in a state of the sever
est discipline firft under a nurse, and then a school
master, both equal tyrantsin their Several departments,
by whom he is again confined without law, condemned
without a jury, and whipped without mercy ! In this
state of Slavery he continues many years, and at the ex
piration of t, he is obliged to commence an involunta
ry Subject of some civil government, to whole autho
rity he must Submit, however ingeniously he may dif
pate her right, or be jußly hanged for disobedience to
her laws. And this is the Sum of human liberty !
On the loth instant, bis excellency the marquis de
Viudruiel, arrived in the lower harbour of this town,
with his whole fleet, and a number of prizes, taken on
the passage from the Weft Indies. Having made the
best disposition of his Ships, and brought them as near
the town as circumßances would allow, the marquis,
on the 13th, ga ?e his public salute by the discharge of
the cannon of his ship, to which the castle instantly
made a suitable return. Soon after the marquis, with
the chiefs d'Efcadr% and principal officers of the sea and
land service came up to town, and passing in their boats,
received the salute of thecaßle, and on their approach
to the to^D, that of the fortrefs on Fort hill. They
were attended and complimented at landing by colonel
Symmes, an officer sent by his excellency the governor
for that purpose, and by a large number of gentlemen,
and a great concourse of people, voluntarily collected,
who paid them every mark of refpeC tproper to such an
occasion, and demonstrated their joy in repeated and
warm acclamations.
The marquis and the officers of dißinaion accompa
nying him, on ti eir way to the house of the consul ge
neral of France, were met by the couful, wno proceeded
with them Immediately to the feat of his excellency
the goyernor, where nis honour the lieutenant gover
nor and he honourable council were convened, and
where every thing d splayed, on this agreeable occasion,
the sincerity and warmth of the happy friendship subsist
ing between tietwo nations. After an elegant forenoon
repast, the marquis with ids officers and the consul gene
ral, accompanied by his excellency the governor and
the council, paid a visit to his honour the lieutenant
governor ; upon which the company proceeded to the
house of the couful genera! of France, where an elegant
dinner, and toa sis expressive of the close connection and
increafog affedion between France and America, were
given.
After dinner the marquis, with his officers, and the
consul general, went to the governor's house to pay
their particular compliments to bis excellency's lady.
The indications of a general joy, and a public friend
ship were visible through the whole town.
Yellerday another cartel with 400 American prison
ers, from Mill-prison, in England, arrived at Salem.
Extract of a letter from an American gentleman, in
public employment, residing at Amsterdam, to his
friend in New-England, dated 18th of February,
1782.
" There is one thing, my dear fir, you'll pardon my
repeating, and that is the attempts of the English mi
nistry, by their agents, to bribe our countrymen to
supply th^m with masts. One hundred and Seventy
pounds Sterling, have been offered for every one, thir
ty inches diameter. I have heard from good auth%i»
B O S T O N, Au?ufl 15.
On Sunday last a cartel arrived at Salem in 50 days,
from England, with near 200 American prisoners; by
whom we learn, that all the prisoners in England. Ire
land and Scotland, were, by order of the British go
vernment, liberated, and are on their passage to the dif
ferent hates of America. Several more cartels, with pri
son r^ for this port are daily expected. All who are
confined on Ship board are likewise to be exchanged ;
but those who have entered into the British fervtce will
be detained.