Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-01-16 00:00:00, page 2

^ HUMAN LIF E.
AT our firft setting out in the world, we nave
two roads before us, rhe one leaning down
hill, the other afceading. The former, by its
inviting profpedls, allures many; and another rea
son may allo be given why it is so much frequented,
which is, its dcicent, as we are all sensible it is
tafier to go dpwn hill than up. The principal towns
and cities on this journey are, Indolence, Folly,
Intemperance, Inconsiderateness, Inexperience and
Prodigality. These are the firft Rages; afterwards
are Contempt, Poverty, Wretchedness, and lastly
Repentance. Some travellers, instead of arriving
at Repentance, and returning thence to Amend
ment (which lies out of the road by which they
came) have left these two places on their right,
and ruffied headlong on toincvitable rujn. There
are two companions frequently met with in every
Rage of this journey, called Prudence and Recol
lection, who, if the traveller is wife enough to
lißen to their dictates, will bring him by a very
ihort road (which none can find without them)
to Repentance, and from thence to Amendment,
and accompany him till they have coeduded him
back to the place from whence he firft set out, and
persuaded him to pursue the other road, of which
I now come to treat.
The chief places on this journey up hill are,
Sobriety, Temperance, Industry, and krugality,
and theie lead to several others progressively, each
of which appears more inviting the farther one ad
vances, till at length the traveller arrives at the
lummit of this mountainous road, where he meets
with a tine plain abounding with delights, in which
are situated the cities of Richesand Honour, which
are joined together like London and Westminster;
and if he be a worthy man, and lets the poor and
thole who merit, partake of his blessings, he will
have one of the most desirable dwellings allotted
him in each of the two little cities of Refped and
True Content. Though such numbers set forward
for, all do not attain the end of the journey; for
as it must be performed during the season called
Human Life, and as no adventurer, that l ever
heard of, had two of these seasons allowed him
to perform it in, great numbers find themselves
under a neceflity of taking up their tefpe&ive
abodes in different places upon the road, being
unable to reach any higher, by reafoh of the pon
derous nature of their heads, and a variety of
other cattles too tedious to enumerate. Though
people on this road travel in caravans for mutual
convenience, yet among all these crowds one ne
ver meets with Friendship. if a perlon inquires
for him, they are told there are none incompany
who ever had the pleasure of his acquaintance.
They will indeed tell you, that they have heard
their great grandfathers fay, that when they were
little children they remembered having frequently
seen him, but that he soon after disappeared, and
gave out, before he went, that, " disgusted in the
1) gheft degree to find his greatest favours molt
generally repaid with the blackest ingratitude, he
was determined to retire to some far distant and
unknown clime, amongst a certain wife nation,
who, peradventure (he used that word) would
esteem his residence with them their greatest ho
nour and happiness." They fay, since that time
he has not been heard of; and some, from this
circumstance, conclude that he died on his way
thither. But whether he died at sea, or on land,
they cannot form any conjecture, that carries with
it the lead appearance of probability. Since his
retreat, a person known by the name of Self In
terest has affirmed the title, by means of a mafic,
which bears the appearance of Friendship, and has
imposed upon many honest, good-nutured, unfuf
pe—ing people; but as he never was known to
hick by the unfortunate, or indeed any other per
son, longer than he found his account in it, every
body is fully convinced that he is only an im
postor.
It is now time to resume pur discourse on the
journey, left the author and the reader too should
find their seasons too Ihort, and be necessitated to
halt amongst the heavy heads, and others of whom
I have been speaking.
It frequently happens, that people going too
close to the fide, in hopes of spying a nearer and
easier road to the summit, flip down full as low, and
sometimes lower, than where they firft started;
for they often-times fall down to a dreary and
barren trad, called ivorfe than Nothing. It would
be no great matter, if they did not involve others
in their disaster, which they scarce ever fail to do;
for finding themselves going, they catch at every
thing, and generally lay hold by the leg or coat
lap of a fellow traveller, who, to save himfelf,
seizes another. And in this manner they proceed,
till they have got a pretty large number to bear
them company, insomuch that it is no unusual
fpe&acle to fee them come tumbling down topfey
turvey by half scores, or more, at a time; and
those have the mortification to find, on their
arrival below, that they can never hope to climb
up again with half the rapidity that they def
eended.
It is a diverting amusement to review the diffe
rent characters that compose these caravans ; which,
to be sure, at proper Pittances, must have cara
vanferas for their reception. Ahnoß every indi
vidual, at one stage or other of his journey, picks
up a wife to accompany him; though many of
those who commit this aft in a little time grow
very willing to get rid of her, if he knew how,
regarding her as an encumbrance which greatly
retards his progress, and imbitters the sweets of
his labours.
There are several who at firft look down with
exultations on those whom they behold tugging
and sweating below. These, however, looking
back, fee many behind them, and Comfort them
selves with reflecting that they are not the last,
and that it is possible they may pass by most, or
all, who are before them; which is frequently
the case, for when any one finds he can make
£ eater fp ed than his company he pushes forward,
overtakes, and passes (he next. There are many
of theie who are of equal speed; and, being far
fwifter than the rest, post away and obtain the
appellation of flying caravans.
from the Public Ledger, of Nov. ~
" SLAVER Yis so vile and miserable an efate
'''of man, that it is hardly to be conceived that
" an irgiftman, much left a Gentleman,foould
" plead for it." Locke.
TH E supreme power cannot take from any
man any part of his property without HIS
OvVN CONSENT; for the prelervation of pro
perty being the end of government, and that for
which men entered into iociety. it necessarily fup
potes and requires that men should have property;
without which they must be fuppoled to lole that
by entering into society which was the end lor
which they entered into it, an abiurdiiy too grols
for any man to own.
Men, therefore, in focicty having property,
they have such a right to the goods, which by the
laws of the community are theirs, that no body
hath a right to take them, or any part of them,
from them, without their OWN CONSENT:
Without this they have no property at all ; far I
have truly no property in that which another can
by right take from me when he pleases against my
consent. Hence it is a miltake to think that the
supreme or legislative power of any commonwealth
can do what it will, and dispose of the elates of
the lubjeds arbitrarily, or take any part of them
at plealure.
Government, into whatsoever hands it is put,
being inßrudted with this condition, and for this
end, that men might have and secure their pro
perty, the Prince or Senate who hath power to
make laws to regulate property between lubjeds
one amongst another, yet can never havea power
to take to themselves any part of the lubjeAs pro
perty without their own consent; for this would
be, in effect, to leave them no property at all.
It is true, government cannot be supported
without great charge; and it is fit that everyone,
who enjoys a (hare of the protection, should pay
out of his estate his proportion for the maintenance
of it : but Rill it must be done with his own con
sent, the consent of the majority given either by
themselves, or their representatives, chosen by
them. For if any one shall claim a power to lay
and levy taxes on the people without luch CON
SENT OF THE PEOPLE, he thereby invades
the fundamental laws of property and subverts
the end of government.
The bounds whicn the laws of nature, and the
society have set to the legislative power, are, that
they shall govern by promulgated ESTABLISH
ED laws, which ought to be deligned for no other
end ultimately, but the good of the people, they
must not raise TAXES on the people WITH
OUT their consent, given by themselves or their
representatives, to be from time to time chosen by
themselves. J. L.
From the MoR NI N G Post of Nov.fo
On the COMMERCE ^FRANCE.
HENRY the Fourth was the firft Monarch of
France who turned his thoughts to encou
rage the trade and manufactures of his country:
he promoted tillage, the cultivation and improve
ment of lands, planting of mulberry trees, and
making of silk, which has since been brought to
such great perfection as to become one of their sta
ple commodities; as were those of linen and pa
per manufacture all set on foot by him. So in
tent was that excellent Prince in making his fub
jefts rich and happy, and so judicious in his choice
of proper objects of pursuit, that he often decla
red he hoped to fee the day when not a fubjeC tin
his dominions should complain either of want of
work or bread. None of his successors pursued
his excellent schemes, or made any improvement
on them, till the reign of Lewis XIV. when Mons.
Coleaberte, Secretary of State, formed some ufe
ful projects in favour of trade, which so enriched
the kingdom and encreafed their navigation, as to
enab'e that Monarch to withstand the united force
of the maritime powers, and other very powerful
Princes in confederacy with them. To facilitate
the plan he had laid down, he represented to the
King his master the extent of his territories, the
great number and equally great poverty of his fub
jecls; and by drawing a parallel between them
and the United Provinces, convinced him and the
world of the truth of the assertion. “ The for
mer (he said) contained 100,000,000 of acres, and
not above 13,000,000 of fubjeds; eight acres to
every fubjedt. How inconsiderate must be the
value of lands, when so many acres are to provide
for one (ingle person, and where one person is
the whole product for the market of eight acres ?
There are in the united provinces 3,000,000 of
acres, and as many millions of persons, or one
to every atre; why then should not the sin
gle acre there be as valuable as the eight acres in
France, since 'tis to provide for as many mouths?
Orif great part of the provision of the people is
brought in by trade, they will end at last in the
improvement of lands." He concluded his dis
course with the following advice, which is well
worthy of notice : " Disband (said he) the great
est part of your forces, and save so many taxes to
your people; your very dominions make you too
powerful to dread any insult from your neigh
bours; turn your thoughts from war and culti
vate the arts of peace, the trade and manufactures
of your fubjefls; this will make you the molt
powerful Prince, and at the fame time your fub
jeCts rich and happy.
In the Ipace of a few years they will be able
to give your Majesty greater sums with ease,
than you now can with difficulty extort from them.
Louis was of too penetrating a temper not to
feel the whole force of his Minister's arguments;
and though he did not ftri&ly pursue his plan in
every refpeCt, yet he put by far the greatest and
most principal part immediately into execution,
by promoting trade and navigation to the utmost
of his power. The French have ever since been
very sedulous in the choice of able men to super
intend their trade, and in fending persons, proper
ly qualified, into the principal trading countries
to infpe<ft their management, and pry into the
secrets of their traffic. The care and thoughts
of this Minister to promote their interest in this
But we have much to expel from the new par
liament; and a neglect of duty in our representa
tives, on our behalf, will put the finifhing hand
to the exiftcHCe of thousands. Your's,
DISTRESS.
❖{>s+ frfrfo SO-4" s4,+^*-+#**
B O S T 0 N, January 3.
AT a meeting of the freeholders and other in
habitants of the town of Boston, by adjournment,
at Faneuil-Hall, on Friday last.
Mr. SAMUEL ADAMS, in the Chair.
The Committee appointed to take under consi
deration a paper signed T. Gage, being an an
swer to a letter written to General Gage, by the
Hon Peyton Randolph, Esq; President ofthelate
Continental Congress—Reported as follows, viz.
WE would not, unless urged by the clearest
necessity have taken up the consideration
of General Gage's letter to the Hon. Peyton
Randolph, Esq, late Prefidentof the Hon. Con
tinental Congress ; but we conceive that letter,
though it appears to be addressed a Gentleman in
his private capacity, has a strong tendency to ini
prefs the whole continent with sentiments very
unfavourable to this afflicted town. We shall nor
intentionally throw any disagreeable imputations
upon the General, but shall endeavour only to de
fend ourselves against the injurious tendency of
hisletter. The General, contrary to theknown
sense of every man of common understanding, h u s
been pleased to insinuate that the complaints of
the town of Boston against his conduct, were ut
terly groundless and unreasonable ; and would
have the Continent believe that not he, but the
people of this Province, and especially the inha
bitants of Boston, were the aggressors in all the
differences which have arisen. We freely acknow
ledge, that the arrival of a British army with a
profeffed design of enforcing ads of the British
Parliament, deftrudive of our liberties, gave a
great and universal alarm; and it cannot appear
strange, that we should be considering ofthe mea
sures neceffaty to preserve our just rights and
privileges. We hoped however, that peaceable
and gentle means would have effeded our deliver
ance : We believed, that his Excellency would
have laid some proposals before the General Assem
bly, which he had summoned to meet at Salem ;
but after treating both the Council and House of
Representatives in a manner which we shall not
animadvert on, he was pleased to dissolve the As
sembly: The people were then compelled to
turn their thoughts and attention to other me
thods, of preventing the impending deftrudion.
and though thus diltreffed, his Excellency would
gladly have prevented them from availing them
selves of the Counsel of each other in town meet
ings; and actually ordered the marching ofa body
of armed soldiers to disperse the inhabitants of
the town of Salem, when peaceably assembled to
Consult upon the most important interefis ofthem
felves and their posterity: This was followed by
the feizingof the powder in the magazine at Cam
bridge, and of the cannon which had been lent to
the firft regiment in Middlesex. The mounting a
number of field pieces on an eminence in Boston
Common; the Rationing guards in various parts
of the town, and many other ads, which could not
leave any doubt in the minds of the people of
the General's intention to employ military force
against the Province, at length roused the people
to think of defending themselves and their pro
perty by arms, if nothing less could save them
from violence and rapine. Fort the juftification
of the conduct of the people in that refpe& we
may fafely appeal to the Continent—to the world,
and tothe Supreme Omnifeient Governor of the
universe. All the tranfaAions from the firft ar
rival of the troops, we hope will hereafter be cri
tically and judiciously examined : And we trust
that the time will come, when we shall have a
fair and impartial hearing. We mean not now
to give particular answers, except to such parts of
the General's letter, as seem to charge the Conti
nental Congress with having raifeonceived the
faffs Rated in their letter to him.
First, his Excellency fays, that from the letter
(meaning the letter of the Hon. Continental Con
gress) " People would be led to believe that works
were railed against the town of Boston, private
property invaded, the soldiers fufFered to insult
the inhabitants, and the communication between
the town and country shut up and niolefted."
How far his Excellency was governed by the Con
sideration of what answer he should make, when
he gave this turn to the expressions of the Con
gress, need not be enquired into. To this charge
his Excellency replies, that “ there is not a single
gun pointed against the town." His Excellency
did not advert to the number of field pieces which
were, at the time that letter was written, and
long before, pointed against the town from the
Common; but if the assertion had been literally
true it would not in the least affed the point un
der confederation.
particular, Lave been conduced with so much
ikill, that they could not have taken juster me
thods had they applied themselves all their lives
to study and regulate commerce, and had nothing
else to engage their attention.
POPLICOL A.
\
From rfe M ORNING Post of Nov. 4.
The humble thanks of the poor manufadurers of the
kingdom called England, to the tcre & fates thereof,
1^ OR the great labour and pains taken in the
last Parliament (ever to be remembered) for
the many ads past therein, but to our great grief,
not one to be found in so great a number to the
benefit either of foul or body of us the poor la
bouring manufacturers ofthis kingdom, as thousands
of us are Rarving in aland of plenty, and our trade
cut from the induttrious by the iron hand of op
preffion—foreign courts fufFered to prohibit the
product of England, when theirs are fuffered to be
imported in all our dominions on small duties, thro'
tender love to us, to keep us poor and humble.
And, lastly, a prohibition of our goods to our
own colonies, to the utter ruin of our trade and
manufacturers.
Are not the works ere&ed on the Neck in ret
lity ereded against the town ? Are they not de:
signed to intimidate the inhabitants, and to lead
them to think they were altogether in the power of
the army:—lhe Continental Cdbgrefs plainly
express the sense in which they mean to be under
stood by hi^ Excellency. They fay “ that the
fortifications ereAing within that town" (Boston)
" the frequent invasions of private property, and
the repeated insults they" (the inhabitants)
“ receive from the foldiefy, have given them
great reason to fufpe& a plan is formed very de-
Riudive to them, and tending to overthrow the
liberties of America." The General therefore hat
in no way answered the charge brought against him ;
but has only by varying the expression, attempted
to elude it. The next aflertion is, that “no man's
property has been seized orhurt, except the King's.
We need not enumerate all the instances of pro
perty seized : It is enough to fay that a number of
cannon, the property of a refpe&able Merchant
in the town, were seized and carried off by force ;
—that timber and lumber have been violently ta
ken from the owners—that rightful Proprietors
have been driven from their lands. It is im
poffble for us to mention ore half of the instances
in which property have been hurt; they are noto
rious to every inhabitant, and have been made
known to the public from time to time.
His Excellency is pleased to fay,that "no troops
have ever given less cause for complaint, and
greater care was nevertaken to prevent it." What
care has been taken, is not our part to determine;
we are ready to admit the most candid opinion.
But we beg leave to fay, that the insults received
from officers and soldiers, have been in many in
stances such as were shocking to a spirited people ;
and of which, humanity in fomeinftances, decency
in others, and in all, a generous disposition to
avoid placing even those who have injured us in an
odious light, prevent us from giving a particular
account.
The General declares that " the communica
" tion between the town and country has been
“ always free and unmolested, and is so Rill." We
shall only give the fads. Guards were fixed at
every entrance into the town. No person was
allowed to cross the ferry to Charleftown after eight
O'clock in the evening, however urgent his bufinefsr
— PafTengers on the Neck were flopped for hours
by the guard—^their property injured or destroy
ed. One inhabitant ftopt in his chaise, and his
horse Rab'd with a bayonet; others were fhamefully
beaten, abused and confined, and many other in
stances very alarming to our friends in the coun
try, whose free ingress to the town is essential to
our subsistence.
The General perhaps might not juftify these
enormities, but could he not have prevented them
by removing the cause of those frequent abuses ?
Be that as it may; could he with justice assert that
“ the communication between the town and coun
“ try has been always free and unmolested, and
“ is so still ?"
We wish the General had given us some parti
cular instances concerning “ the menaces ofblood
“ and Daughter," which he intimates made it his
duty to alarm and distress the people in the
manner he has already done. We doubt'not that
we shall be able fully to answer his Excellency
whenever he is pleased to descend to particulars.
We can only fay at present, that we conceive his
Excellency to have been very ill advised in the
measures he has pursued, and that we ardently
wish for an opportunity to meet our accusers upon
equal ground.
The above report having beer iduly considered,
it was voted nem con. that the fame be accepted;
and that the Moderator of this meeting be desired
to transmit a copy of the report to the Hon. Pey
ton Randolph, Esq; by the firft opportunity.
The following vote expressive of the gratitude
of the town for the benevolent afliftance received
from the other colonies under our present cala
mities, and the kind recommendation of the late
refpedablb Continental Congress for future sup
port passed nem. con.
WHEREAS the town of Boston is unfortu
nately become the most Riiking monument
of Minißerial tyranny and barbarity, as is particu
larly exhibited in the sudden shutting up this port,
thereby cruelly depriving the inhabitants of this
metropolis of the means they have hitherto used
to support their families. And whereas, our
brethren in the other Colonies, well knowing that
we are fuffering in the common cause of Ameri
ca and of mankind, have from a generous and'
brotherly disposition contributed largely towaids
our support in this time of our general distress
(without which many of our worthy and virtuous
citizens must have been in imminent danger of pe
rishing with cold and hunger.) And whereas the
Honourable Members of the Continental Congress
have kindly recommended us to our Sifter Colo
nies as worthy of further support from them,
while the iron hand of unremitted oppression lies
heavy upon us : Therefore voted, that this town,
truly sensible of the generous afliftance they bate
received from their fyropathifing brethren, re
turn them their warmest and most sincere thanks
for the fame: And they pray that God, whose
beneficence they so gloriously imitate, may bestow
upon them the blessing he has promised to all
those who feed tile hungry and clothe the naked:
And the thanks ofthis town are accordingly here
by given to our benefactors aforementioned, and
to the Honourable Members of the Congress for
their Benevolence towards us expressed as afore
laid, which support, if continued, cannot fail of
animating us to remain ftedfaft in the defence of
the rights of America.
The town then made choice of the following
Gentlemen for their Delegates at the Provinciri
Congress, to be held at the town of Cambric^;
on or before th^ firft of February next. viz.
The Hon. Thomas Cuftirg, Esq;
Mr. Samuel Adams,
The Hon. John Ha%c%f, Esq;
Dr. Jofefth IVarrer,
Dr. Benjamin Church,
Mr. olive # Wendell,
Mr. John ditto