The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1778-04-22 00:00:00, page 2

TO ALL THOSE übo <wifbto seethe PFACE ,
'and Happiness of AMERICA/fc^
eJiabnfhed.
,uflum est bellum quibus necefcrium; it fa arto,
qiibus nulla nf in ar/nis relinquitur Jp c s.
Tit. Liv.
SUFFER me, my countrymen, for a moment
tofympathife with General Sir William itfuwe,
on the series of improving reflexions which the la<e
accounts from Europe have afforded his Excellency:
And with me indulge that kind us companion which
men usually feel on having it in their power to or
dain punishment an the guilty and offending. And
yet, that man may have fume claim to cur compas
sion, who is obliged by his Prince's orders, uniform
ly to prefer the empire of cruelty to that of clemen
cy; unremittingly, to practice, on the captive and .
prisoner, the greatest enormities and cruelties, thro'
the long (pace of three years. But, chiefly on these
who employed him, let fall the utmpft severity of
cenlure and indignation; on thole who contrived the
miniferial machine that Was intended to dretch and
tear to pieces the strong nerves of our civil and re
ligious liberty. Palliations may be found for Gen.
Howe, but what excuse is there for his Piince ?—
If Gen. Howe hanged or butchered the captive, we
may blame the King and Ministry.—ls he promised
thole who surrendered themselves prisoners of war at
Fort Washington, their lives and baggage, and de
prived great numbers immediately of both—cea'ure
his employers. If the prifone'rs were starved in
New Yotk, and elsewhere, it was not Mr. Loring's
crime, or Gen Howe's, but their matters.—ls be issued
orders at Trenton to put ghpfe to death who were
found in aims—we are to condemn the King and Par
Lament. —If he gave those who were fools enoughto
wait his coming, no pay for their waggons, cattle
and provisions let us lay the fault on 0 ofe who are
blame worthy.——ls our harmless peasants have'
been scalped, reproach these who employed General
Burgoyne., If our wives and daughters were de
livered up to the brutality of foldiCrs, it might be
owing to those soldiers not having the fame time and
opportunity for intrigue and feduXion, as their com
mander And if the prisoners lent out of New-
Yo r k, for healthy men we sent in, were dying, Gen.
Howe had a precedent before him in the coodud of
the faithles Plat^je, who promised the Thebans
their captives. The pLAT^^kept their word and
reflored them, but it was after they had previously
taken away their lives—General Howe when our
unfortunate people were on the point us expiring.
But when 1 confider the fixation of the ofteofible
author of all thete enormities, now Landing on the
eve of being recalled home, to answer his master,
why he did not commit greater outrages against hu
manlty and nature, 1 cannot but admiie the myfteri
OUS ways of a fuperint^nding Providence in employ
ing to put i(h him, the only fierier he has in the ar,s
of cruelty. Thus he Hands—His ideas from retro
fpcamn aggravated by locking forward, and his
hopes of supp rt confuted and uncertain. Three cam
paigns wafted without having atch eved any thing
that can either add to his glory, or flatter his King
with American Monarchy. England labouring to
indignities which the petty Princedom of Portugal
w old hard y truckle to—her bills protested—her
funds without money—obliged to solicit fubicripti
ors to raise troops —the Dutch threatening to with
draw thei Ipecie fom her banks, to place it in ours
-—her (hips without sailors—ab ve eleven thousand
of her belt troops and officers prifonets of war, in
our hands—the French and Spa Th armaments great,
unusual, and formidable —their ports open to our
vessels —convoys afforded our drips—our cause pub
licly countenanced—powerful foreign combinations
declarative of our independence—the death of the
Duke of Bavaria—the King broken-hearted, his
Ministry abandoned, desperate and bewildered, to
put the nation in a state of defence, and at the fame
time provide reinforcements for carrying on the A
merican war.
Is Sir William Howe's situation defireable, or is
it fafe ? Indeed it is neither; and every day, I am
persuaded, will render it still more distressing and
perilous. Wherefore, my countrymen, during the
continuance of his prefect untoward posture of affairs,
his personal fafety alone will induce him to use all
manner of policy, in order to preserve his army till
reinforced. England has long since given up all
hopes of conquest by force: And by her late con
dud she openly confeffes that her only expeditions
lay in cunning. There is no doubt but General
Howe has received his inftrudionson thishead. He
will therefore ad from two different motives, and
with his utmost fugacity. But after so many reite
rated attempts to deceive and divide us, so many
violations of the laws of war, of nature, and nati
ons, such proofs of artifice and left handed mifdom,
in commissioners without powers, to procure inter
views with our leaders, and such meanness in pervert-
ing their conferences to their odious designs.-—So
many insinuating proclamations, from chute of Gen.
Gage, blockaded in Bolton, down to the puny pro
dudions of Sir William Howe, besieged in irima
delphia—after these things, he has little reason to
hope for fuccels or iafety, without Some uncomibun
stroke of political deception on his fide, equalled by
as finyular flupidity on ours, But, thank God,
neither he nor the MioiHry 'have been hitherto ab.e
to deceive us materially. We ail remember that in
the very beginning of our Druggie our porters had
virtue lufficisot to refufe helping to land their tea,
for the vile purposes it was lent: And 1 ana happy
to find that all members of the Scares have as yet
feea into their defigus, and molt heartily oppoied
them.
But, my friends, our enemy will now, if possible,
more than double their usual industry to deceive;
and cautioully employ every artifice that may Item
calculated either to-fa our attention to feme once po
pular point, or withdraw it from strengthening
our army, on which alone (under the protection
of heaven) our furelt hopes of peace add happiness
depend. Let us therefore keep a watchful eye upon
all that comes from abroad, as wed as what ^y ^
Jmuggled among us by erntfariet from General Howe.
When we advert to the fr nation of England and her
General in America, w$ will nut think this catuioti
unneceffaty. Beneve me, the prelent time with the
enemy is a time of tearful expectation, and dHperhte
trial. Their ail depends on belt g able to prucradi
nase the approaches of General Warrington; in
didradiog the minds of the people; in producing
confuhon in our military councils and operations;
apd concealing their inability to all snfve) under
a mod pompous parade us pushing on the VT.tr.
Wherefore, while our breeding country beckons us
to Ihut up the temple of Janus, and annihilate the
power of Great Britain io America by one exertion
gs nor combined Jirengtb —who dare be idle. Where
is the man who lays claim to the enjoyments of free
dom, that will not exert himfelfiq abiding our great
General to comp etc what he so diiimerededly to
gaged in, what he preserved after the loss of a capi
tal part of his 'army, and a molt disheartening re
treat, on the memorable basks of the Delaware,
with a handful of brave followers. Is these an A
mericau mho can fight, but this moment wishes to
share witl) our Commander the glory of completing
the Independence and Happiness or the Coutinen.
I dare fay, nay I am confident of it, that there will
not be found one out of the field when it is known
their services are required, but such as cowardice,
or the lurking principle of toryifm, detains. Such
men we want not.
'Tie said that Hannibal swore to his father never
to be at peace with the Romans. I call upon all
thole who are in league with virtue and indepen
dence, to swear with me, and to each other, by
the honour of their aueeftors —by the faith they
have p ! ed^ed to the States—by their abhorrence of
chains and slavery—by (acred liberty and religion —
by their wives and children- -by the ardent princi
ple of revenge kindled up in virtuous bosoms—by
the dear spirits °f those who have fallen in battle—
by the ghosts of their starved and murdered bre
thren, never to be at peace with Brirons, till they
have humbled them with the dust, and taken coa
fummate vengeance for all their Outrages, rapines,
ravages and murders, by the final eHablilhment of a
glorious Independence.
^prihS, 177 3. HENRICUS.
LANC A.S T E R, Hpil 22.
Want of time and room will not at prefect admit
of more of the following, which came fate. It is
taken from a Philadelphia paper of the 17th instant.
A thip of wararrived here on Tuesday last, in 28
days from England, by which we have Lord North's
speech in Parliament, to the following effed: He
propefes two a&s of Parliament, one for declaring
they will not exercise taxation in America; another
for appointing Commissioners with ample powers to
treat, consult, and agree about conciliation ; to agree
to drop hostilities, to grant pardons, to suspend ads
of Parliament, totippoint Governors, &c. Draughts
of these are given, as brought into Parliament, on
the 19 hos February. He urges this, becaule the.
natural force of America had proved greater then
was expeded; because, the expence of proceeding in
the war would be beyond the value of the matter in
dispute; because, Independency in America would
be fatal to Britain and very barthenfomb and hurtful
to America.
The speech is long and in open unreserved terms.
It is not easy to guess what immediate motives
have humbled the high mind of the man who declar
ed, be would not treat till he had America at his feet.
The further news which this ship may bring, is in
the keeping of General Howe. It is likely that the
important and decisive success of General Gates at
Saratoga, has damped Te spirits of natives for enlist
ing against America, and utterly prevented foreign
aid. Perhaps the profped of a FRnch war has pal
heJ the language of the haughty ones cf Britain.
Certain it is, very compulsive motives mutt have
operated. A little time will throw back the curtain,
firmuefs of mind, and unremitted efforts for the
campaign, becomes every patriot. in this way we
Iliad be best prepared for whatever may happen.
The arrival of the ship of war from England, and •
the subsequent publication, cauled great commotion
io Philadelphia. A French war was fuppoled to
have been declared, and the immediate departure of
the King's tioops was fulpe&ed. Should the citi
zens be mistaken, it is no wonder; for the news
paper of last Friday must have Wrongly agitated the
minus of many among them.
Departed this life, on Monday the 13th instant,
io the 20th year of bis age, Mr. W ILLIAM
C L AR K, youngest son of Capt. John Clark and
Tabitha his wile, after a tedious ilinels, which he
bore with becoming fortitude: He was a youth of
uncommon piety—a dutiful son, an affectionate bro
ther, a fiocere friend, and an honefl man. Ptevi
o&y to his ijhidsi his parents fonned great hopes us
him, but death hutched him away; ind lika the
" Tyrannous breathing of the north;
" check'd all his buds from blowing:/
Friri rebuilds were decently interred in Friends bury
ing ground at Go(her.
A rem arkable dfarce of hnriamty and benevolence.
A free Negro wox;da (who is in the service of a
gentleman of the c'i;y us Philadelphia, nbw a refugee
io the country) having received two hard dollars for
wafhiufoand hearing of the diPrefis of our prisoners
in the gaol; went to market a^d bought fume neck
beef and two heads, with fume g r eens, and made a
pot of as good broth as she could; but having no
more money to buy b^ead, she got credit of a baker
for fix loaves, all which she carried to our unfor
tunate prisoners, who were much in want of such
supply. She has since that paid the baker, and favs,
she never laid out money with so much iatisfa&ion.
rich or poor,
white or black.
^J^!^#^^^^^^^^^
To be SOLD by the Subscriber,
Living in Kent Conn ~ Maryland,
J-pORTY o<id hoglheads of exceeding fine TOBAC
CO, made on the Western (here of Maryland.
For, terms apply to WILLIAM £T. CLAIR.
THIS is to givonorice to Simon Rear
don, living m Paxton Township, in Lancas
ter County, That if he comes to the house of the sub
scriber, in the Manor Tuwuflup, in Lancafttr Count),
he (hall receive his ho.fe and cadi, from •
ANN MORRIS.
To be SOLD by Public Vendue,
On TuehTy, the fi tn day of My next,
A CERTAIN Plantation, and Tra& of warranted
A Land, lituate, lying and being in the Townfliip
ci Little-Britain, containing two hundred and eighty
five acres, with the jiaH allowance of fix per cent, for
roads and highways (be the fame more or IHs) one
hundred and fixty-five of which are cleared, and all
under good fence, and has the following improve
ments on it, viz. a good dwelling-boule, barn and
Tables, about twenty-five acres of meadow, and a good
bearing orchard with two hundred apple-trees; toge
ther with the appurtenances thereon ; late the real es
tate of John Cooper, deceaied. The laid vendue will
be held on the precedes, at Ten o'clock, when the
terms of sale will be made known, and attendance
given by JAMES COOPER, Administrator
of tiie laid John Cooper, deceased;
By order of the Orphans Court, in and for the
County of Lancaster.
EIGHTY DOLLARS REWARD.-
DE SERTED from the 13T Penniyivania regi
ment, a certain John GiLlaspy, a flout well
let man, about five feet seven inches high, of a dark
complexion, black h dr, born in Irel nd, and follow
ed drftillin, in Sherman's Valley, Heron Tow,(hip,
Cumberland County, when enlisted, Robert Wil
son, who lived in the laid Townflrip, ado a diltiller
about five feet fix inches high, dark complexion, black
bushy hair, about twenty five years of age. Alex
ander. Ewen, who alfe lived in the fame Townihiu
about twenty-one years of age, fair complexion, brown'
hair, five fret eleven inches high, American born.
Thomas Bigly, by trade a weaver, enlisted in Car
lifle, an eidewly man about five feet fix inches high,
dark complexion, black hair, born in Ireland, and
Ipeaks very broad. John M'Clelland, emitted in
Carlisle, an elderly man about five feet fix inches high,
fair complexion and fair hair, is a Highlander, and
speaks very little English. Whoever appiehenrg c, e
laid deserters and secures them in any gaui in tlie bi&c
or fend's them to the regiment, fliall have the above
reward, or Twenty Dollars for each of the three
firft, and Ten Dollars for each of the two lift, and
reasonable charges, paid by
• JOSEPH COLLIER, Ensign, 33th P. Reg,