The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-11-14 00:00:00, page 2

pion, that I revealed it. To maintain this charge, he
relies on the opinion of Mr. Laurens the late president ;
and the purchases made in August and September 1778.
io which I was concern*!. I rejed the opinion of any
individual # proof*,'No man can agree, that his repu
tation Ri.U depend on the opinion of another ;I am con
fident my adverfar, would not consent, that his charac
ter ihouid be determined by the sentiments I and many
"others entertain of him. The prefldent's condu&
was always polite, and to appearance friendly, and di
redly contrary to his declaration, as fiated, "that from
his opinion of me he c ulI not take me by the hand.'
Tin members of congress in 1778 and 1779, and many
other, call bear witness to tne p lite attention and
hospitality he always fliewed me. The reason assigned
for his op nion was declared by the witness, but was
d fignedly omitted by my accuser, because the circum-
Rance on which the president grounded his opinion,
would fatisfy any man, that he had formed it impro
per y and without any foundation. Being atked, Why
he believed I had disclosed the resolve (of Auguh
1778)? he anfwere 1, “ As soon as the resolve patted,
he saw me go haflily to the end of the table, and write
a Ihort no e and fend it off by ti;e pofl." I have given
the very words as tiny fell from the witness ; for what
cdufe this part of t.e testimony was omitted by my ad
verjarj, I leave the world to det rmine. If the presi
dent and other members entertained a suspicion, that I
had violated my honour, and betrayed the secrets of
congress for my private emolument, 1 would ask, Why
did congress, on the 7th of September, 1778, appoint
me to confer with general Arnold on a secret txpediti
on ; or on the 12th with the minißer of Fra ce, re
fpeaing the future operations of the French fleet under
ebunt d'Estaing ; or on the 14th to draw inßruHious to
Lr. Franklin ; or from time to time on other business
of consequence, until I left congress in the month < f
Otto >r? It was the duty of the members to have op
poled tl ofe fev<ral appointments. Whatever was the
private opinion of particular members, I can venture
to assert, that I enjoyed the confidence of congress for
the four years I remained a member of that body. I
nv^r wa* concerned but in tivo purenafes of flour, and
they were made between the loth of Auguß and the
middle of September 1778 (tie one with Mr. Dorsey,
and the other with Mr. M'Clure); and it was proved,
tl;at both these purchases commenced from 10 to 20 days
bfere the 24th of A^gufl, and confequemly tney can
be no evidence of my revealing that refolve#
The other charge made by my accufir, " that I a-
Vailed inyfelf of my official knowledge, and purchased
in consequence thereof," remains now to be confider
edfl would firfl remark, that if my ad-verfary could
maintain this charge, it cannot possibly jußi<y nis vot
ing, " that [ revealed the secret resolve of congress of
the 24th of Aug. 1778," because I have clearly evinc
ed, that the said resolve was not a secret ; and there was
not a tittle of evidence to prove, if it was a secret, that
lever divulged it to any one. Mr. M'Clure (wore,
* I have not noticed commissary Wadfworih's epi
nion, in his letter of April last to general Cadwalader,
" that the resolve (in question) was a secret, and that
I revealed it; or that my purchase was unworthy or
degrading; or that I am unfit to be a delegate to con
gress." It (peaks an uncommon assurance in Mr.
commissary thus to intrude his opinion on the public
as fufficient evidence to decide the question in contro
versy, and to determine the propriety of my conduct,
and to damn my reputation. I may claim at least an
equality with commissary Wadsworth; and his opini
on alone cannot injure me, but with firangers. I fuf
ped, that the danders propagated by Publius origina
ted from him ; if he fuggefled them he justly merits
my contempt. His reflexion on our general assembly
evinces his fol y and arrogance. Mr. commissary
" believes that Mr. Lauryns,has such evidence as will
prove enough ; and he will collect all the papers, &c."
i (hall with reluctance defeend to an altercation with
this man, but he m y commence his attack, and de
pend on an answer.
f This charge was firfl mde in the New-York Jour
nal, by a writer i nd<r the signature of Publius. lam
an advocate for the liberty of the, press, and the right
of enquiry into the conduct of any man in public trust.
The attack by Publius on my public character might
have proceeded from mifinformation, and a mistaken
zeal for the public; but his wanton and malicious at
tempt to injure my private reputation, could only flow
from a foul wicked and Corrupt. The following ex
traHs from his address to me will colled into one vjew
the picture he Crew from fancy, and without the lead
regard to truth, applied to me, as the or g nal. My
defecation is loft in my contempt.
" You are a character in fignificant in every other
ref ped, but interesting from the number and magni
tude of your vices: a character as abandoned as any
the history of the pafl or present times cm produce.
You excel in the legerdemain of the bar, have acquired
an indifputed title to be immortalized in infamy, and
have the peculiar privilege of being universally despis
ed. In popular commotions, noise and impudence pass
current for worth, and you took advantage of the
commencement of the contest to ingratiate yourfelf in
the favour of the people, by appearing an asserter of
their rights. You meanly courted a temporary im
portance, by patronifing the narrow views of local in
tereß, or by encouraging diffentions either among the
people, or in congress, You possess the cavilling petu
lance of an attorney ; the perverse duplicity of a par
tisan devoted to the fervic of a cabal; the temporif
ing flexibility of a courtier; and the fawning complai
sance of a fycophapt. Your heart is a satire on the
species, and it is hard to conceive one, in theory, of
more finilhed depravity. There are some men whole
vices are blended with qualities, that force us to ad
mire while we deleft, but yours are pure and unmixed,
without a single solitary excellence to serve for contrast
,or variety." I hope, for the honour of human na
ture, that such a wicked and profligate wretch never
existed. The iffaffin Publius has never been difeover
ed, when known all men ought to fly his converse, and
if; virtue, justice and honour have not fled from the
earth, he must be despised;
" that I did not, at any time, mention the resolve or
order of congress to him ;" and it would feern probable,
that if I ever disclosed the matter to any one, it would
have been to Mr. M'Clure. Why did my accuser omit
this part of his testimony?
f have ever .denied that the purchases of flour, in
which I was concerned, were made in consequence of
any knowledge derived from my bing a member of
congress , and I have always, and do now contend,
tnat they were lamfulao^ proper, and made with a fair
and honourable commercial view. I cannot admit the
truth of the general position, that a member of congress
engaged in commerce, ought not to avail himft If of any
information he may obtain by his public flation; be
CHUG: I efieem it neither improper or difhonourable for
him to benefit himlelf by such knowledge; with this
exception, that he does not thereby, in any degree, in
jure the public- I contend, that a member of congress
may disclose any matter, tne knowledge of which he
m y acquire as a member, unless he fhal be directed by
congress to keep it secret. The oath of the secretary
of congress, " to disclose no matter, the knowledge of
which th di be acquired in consequence of his office,
and ivbicb be Jball be diredied to keep secret, warrants this
opinion. I have expielled these sentiments, only to
combat falfe opinions [ ropagated by my adversary, and
Hot as necessary in the configuration of the present case ;
because no assertion tan be more ialfe, than that any
purchase was marie by me in consequence of my official
knowledge, or with a view to enhance the price on the
public, or to obtain a profit from the wants of the ar
my, by felling to the public purchasers. A candid
Hate of fads will fatisfy any difp ffionate man of the
injustice done me, by impudag my purchases to official
knowledge, or motives unworthy of a good member of
the community. My accuser, in his address, contends
that I oerived my knowledge from, and made my pur
crates in consequence of, colonel VVadfworUfs letter to
c lonel Blaine, of the 23d of July, read in congress the
gid of the fame month *, in which he thus exprefled
himfelf: " There is to be at Providence 5000 troops
which will occasion a great demand for flour ; it w,||
be therefore necessary to (hip a quantity from Virginia ;
apply to congress fortheir ire&tion in t: is matter No
time should be loft, as the French fleet will protect our
vessels on the r passage; and it would be necessary to
have a magazine of fl%r in New England, were there
no immediate demand. In case of any expedition east
ward, we lhould oedi'lrefftd for bread." On the trial
my accuser warm y argued, that I derived my informa
tion [rum, and perch fed in consequence of, a letter
of the 22d of Ju # y, from tie counc lof Maffachufetts
bay, in which they informed congress, " that the
embargo (laid by congress 9 h of June until the 1 sth 5 th
of Nov-mber 177.,) exposed their ft-te, efpeciaTy the
sea coast part thereof, to very diflrefling circumhances,
for the article of bread; that the very large importati
ons of grain, &c. formerly made from the fouthero
colonies, for their supply, fully proved the infufficien
cy of the produce thereof, within the state, for its
support; that the capture of vessels, employed the
preceding winter in importing, had increased the de
mands for fkur excessively, s o that in some of their
capital sea for s, there was not a barrel of flour to be
purc^afed ; and requeued permission for such vessels,
as they recommended, to take cargoes of flour or grain
at Philadelphia, Maryland, or Virginia, for some port
in their flat?, notwithftand ng the general embargo."
A want of candour is evident in all his conduct I a
ver the following faßs and circumflances to have been
of public notoriety, ill. In the beginning of July
!77^> it was "*'' known in Philadelphia and Baltimore,
that not only flour, but wheat commanded a very high
price in Boston. The causes were evident; Maffachu
fets-biy seldom raises more grain than fufficient for
the support of its own inhabitants ; and the usual sup
ply from New York was appropriated to the support
of pur army ; and the demand or the convention troops,
then in that date, was very confiderabh. Flour in
Boflon, the lat'er end of July, fold f r 30 dollars per
barrel, and wheat 9 dollars per bu'Ghel ; and by the
sirs l of September flour role to 40 dollars per barrel.
2d. The crop of wheat and other grain in this state in
1777 was equal to the crops in the preceding years (the
export of w.cat alone in 1772 was 700,000 buihels) and
there had been no demand, to exhaust the crops of
1776 and 1777* and very I trge qumtiTs remained in
barns and fheks. 3d. At June session 1777, the ge
neral assembly delared by law (which continued 'in
force until November 177-8) tie buying any merchan
dife, &c. except grain, or lumber, coming to market,
to b^forefailing ; and that purchasing certain enumera
ted article,, nut mentioning gran or flour,to fell again
in t' is or any of the adjoining hams, was engroffig.
4 Count d'Efl&ing arrived off the Hook the 10th, and
there remained to the 21st of Ju'y r 77 8; and 'during
that time took m ny prizes; and therefore, on the
19th of Augufi, congress efolvd to purenafe prizes
of him, and to pay in flour. The supply of flour tor
# I have not noticed the letter of comm ffary W ? df
worth of the 6th Sept. 1778, becauft I miftated it in
my defence, in fuppofi^g that in the letter "he complain
ed, that the mills in the neighbourhood of Baltimore
town were engaged, and that his orders to purch de the
20,000 barrels of flour were known before he got
down.'' My adversary lias catched at the circurnftance.
I wrote my defence from memory only Since his ad
dress I procured commissary Wadsworth's letter of t! e
6th of September, in which he writes, " On my way to
this place (Baltimore) I found the several magazines
were almost exhausted, ^nd but a poor profpe& of fill
ing them again, as every where here are (peculators
purchasing wheat and flour. At this market four pounds
currency (equal to 2of fp^cie) is given per hundred or
flour, and no controls can be made with the farmers
for wheat, or the mills for flour, by the purchasing
commissaries, as a higher price is Rill<xpe&<d; and no
public officer thinks the States rich enough'to keep
pace with the (peculators. I ha ve reason to believe, that
people who arein trade have hopes t e embargo will be
taken off, or rather that when the time for which it is
laid in this state expires, they reaving vessels ready, and
flour, can push them out before it be renewed."
count d'Efiaing's fleet would require two thirds of the
quantity necessary for the whole American army. 5.
In the month of August it was the general expectation
that the embargo would be taken off; and it was uni
versally believed that a convoy would be obtained from
our bay to Rhode-lfland and Boston. 6. On the 27th
of August cong efs resolved to export a ship load of
flour from this Bate. 7th. On the 2d of September
1778, congress resolved to permit the export of flour
or wheat to the eastern Rates, agreeable to the request
of the council of Massachusetts. Bth. Agents in Au
gust 1778 began to purchase flour in Baltimore, to ex
port to the eastern Rates. 9th. The quantity to be pro
cured in tnefjur middle Bates (agreeable to the resolve
of the 24th of August) was only 20,000 barrels, to be
laid up in magazines*: the probable proportion to be
purchased in this state might be about 8000 barrels.
10th. In the beginning of August 1778, the price of
wheat in Baltimore was 10s. continental currency per
buftel, or 2s. 6d. specie ; in the course of the month
15s, or 3s. gd. and by the 20th of September (after
which time I made no purchase) 20s. or ss. the depre
ciation in August and September being four for one.
By the ill of February 1779, wheat fold for 60s. conti
nental, or 6s. specie. 11th. About the middle of
A g^ft 1778 it was difeovered, that the fly had
greatly injured the wheat on the eafierro and lower
parts of the weflern Ihore of this state. 12th. The
Borm in the beginning of September 1778, broke down
or greatly damaged all the mills near Baltimore, and
in many different parts of the state- 13th. Great floods
of rain, n September 1778, damaged the wheat in flacks
and ruined the crops of corn. Tne reasoning and de
dufbons from these fads mull be obvious. If true, e
very impartial, benevolent man will conclude, that
the purcbafes (in question) were moR probably made
from knowledge not acquired from official information,
but from faffs known to numbers not members of con
gress; and that they were not made with the difho
nourable intention of railing the price on the public,
and that such consequence did not follow; that there
was no real or artificial scarcity of wheat in this state
from July <778 to February 1779, and that the want
of fufficient supplies of that article for the army, in
the fall of that year, cannot be imputed to the two
purchases in which I was concerned, or to any other
purchases: bw to other caufesf.
In my defence, on the trial, I produced my original
letters to m, partner, and copies of a proposition to
and contrast with, genremen in Philadelphia, in Au
guß 1778 (which were proved by one of the witnesses)
to fliew the time and the object of the purchases. My
accufir, in his state of the evidence, has omitted all this
part of the tefthnohy. t To evince that I did not en
gage in the purchase, in consequence of the letter of
the 22d of July, from the council of Massachusetts
(which my prosecutor relied on at the trial) I produced
an original letter from me to a genderyan of this Rate
dated the 14th of J^ly 1778, in which I proposed to
fend flour and ot.br provisions to count d'hflaing's
fleet which had arrived /i^r days before: this fad al
so demonflrates, tnat I did not adopt the purchase in
consequence of the information contained in colonel
Whdfworth's letter of the 23d of July. Why did my
accuser omit this circumflance ? That the fivo purchases
of flour were made for the express purpose of procuring
prizes of count d'Eßaing, or if they could not be ob
tained, to be lent to Boston for sale, was fully proved.
Mr. M'Clure swore, that the purchase made with him
wa c for the declared pwrpofe of procuring prizes, or to
be sent to Boßon ; and yet my adversary, after Rating
his evidence, with a degree of effrontery rarely to be
met with, asks, " Can any p^rfon believe that these pur
chases were intended either for the purchase of prizes,
or to be sent to Boflon ?" It is clear from this question,
that my adversary gives ho credit to Mr. M'Clure's
oath. That the other purchase made by my partner
was for the fame purpose, was proved by my original
letters to him, and by the proposal and contra& above
mentioned. The Jetters and papers were read, laid on
'the tabl-, and perused by the members. My adver
sary is ple Ted to give his opinion, " that it is immate
rial, whether my fchem' was to buy flour to purchase
prizes of count d'Eßaing, or to fend to Boflon for fair,
or to fed to the public;" and yet, fays he, " the intention
conflitutes the crimes." Was ever so much nonsense
crouded in so small a (pace?
* In the fall of 1779, congress required 200 000
barrels of slur to be procured in the ftaies of New-
York to Virginia inclusive.
t On the fird of September 1778, commissary Wads
worth wrote congress, “ the purchasing commissaries
are in such bad credit, that they cannot buy the ar
ticles wanted in season, or at reasonable rates ; and
the great difficulty in obtaining money for the pur
pi'?sfthe department mak'sit necessary alwaysto buy
on credit;" and on the 29th he also wrote," immedi
ately on toe resolution of congress to allow the New-
England fl itis to carry out flour, by water, the price
ei)cred( d 25 per cent, and he buyers were numberlefo
and the price continued toencreafe when I left Mary^
land "
1 The evidence Rated by general Cadwalader in -e
---ry fewinfianrec is accurate, but this may be imputed
to ins being only in h s noviciate; he may improve hy
future prosecutions. His wilful omiffiohs of'material
facts could only flow from he depravity of his heart
It is p' ffiole his miflate of Mr. Stone's tefiimory migh.t
have proceeded from the firfl cause ; it is however cer
tain that ne has made that gentleman fp^ak incoofift^rt
and very diderent f io m w :at he.delivered. He mnk A s
him declare, that he never saw or fubferibed rules in
congress, and immediately a terwa r ds (peak pofitirtay
and precjfcly of the rule of congr (s in cases intended
to be secret. Mr. Stone beingafked by me, if he knew
the rule of congress relpefting secrecy, answered,
that he did not rem ndvr that he ever saw or Reneci
any rules of congress, upon that or any other fubjeft;
and that he collected his idea of the rule as to fecreer
from what he ohf a rve,j to be the pr-ftice, while he wa
a member; which according to the bed of his memo
ry was in fubflance (but not in the words) related b,
the general.