The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-05-28 00:00:00, page 2

%xtra&ed from English Papers received by the late
Arrivals from Europe.
PARI S, February ii.
r^ N Friday last was- performed, at the opera house,
I^ a piece called Iphigenie en Aulide. M. Ie
marquis de la Fayette, being in one of the boxes near
the stage, in company with the princess de Roix, and
ihe durchefs de Lauzon; the pitt not knowing him,
did not immediately pay much attention to that part
of theho'ufe; nor was it until Achilles, crowned by the
hands of victory, was sung, that any acclamations were
heard, and as two thirds of the fpedators were igno
rant of the allusion, the applauses were not very gene
ral : but when the crown of laurels was presented to
Achilles, the adrefs, having previously designated the
niirquib as in every refpeß deserving that honour,
the acclamations immediately f founded through the
house, and continued till the intermediate a& ; when
the marquik, who had modeflly retired to the back
part of the box, was obliged to appear and fatisfy the
impatience of the audience who received his thanks
with the most lively expressions of joy.
Feb. 22 They are employed at^Brefton another arma
ment, which will confit of about one hundred ships, to
c^r: ^OO ^en. Each regiment is to furnish 150
fold! ^ and feme of them 200 and 250. On the re
turn of EE de la Motte Picquet, the whole will be rea
dy for failing under his orders many pe fans fay,
t.a f in his return he will conduct to Port ^Orient the
the batch Eafllndia ships, which have been at Cadiz
a long time.
L O N, D O N,
Feb. 2t. In consequence of the shabby failure attend
ing every a f te. pt to fubdoe America, one man has so
far ventured, whether in jest or earnest we know no',
as to hint to a certain perfenage, that he cannot do
better how than try his own hand upon the business.
The event of fir Guy Carleton's command will pro
bably terminate no better than any of his predecessors :
indeed such are now known,to be the inseparable and
insuperable difficulties of the attempt, that it could
not prosper with any, with all the generals of Europe!
With marshal Broglio, prince Ferdinand, nay the king
of Prussia. himself!
The governments o f princes, in ref,ea to success, take
their tone from the teachable dispositions : The king of
Prussia, and the emperor, the celebrated princes exist
ing, are r markable for being open to advice, and duc
tde to conviction. The lead celebrated monarch now
living, is remarkable for the opposite qualities, for ob
flinancy, and of course for errors!
0 Stiff in opinion, always in the wrong," is a moie
tv of one^f Dryden's diflicks, describing the aforefaid
amiable qualit es
Feh. 22- The appointment of fir Guy Carleton to
the chi's command in America, seems a measure of the
fame extraordinary nature, as the continuing of fir
G Ar ,rpe Rodney at the head of the Weft India fleet.
Both these gentlemen have had opportunities of distin
guishing thernfelves and serving their country , but
what have they done? It would puzzle their warmed
advocates to assign any good reason for employing ei
ther df them a second time. One is almost tempted to
think, from the many flrange things that have happen
ed, that there has been all along a fettled conspiracy
even in the cabinet itfelf, to eftabhfh American inde
pendence. Poor Old England, what had thou done
to be thus debated and betrayed?
The secret views of government with refpeH to' Anfe
rica, are now made evident beyond all doubt. Their
choice of a new commander in chief for that country,
explains their sentiments better than a thousand mani
feflos. How can we believe they mean to do any thing
effectual, when they fend outa man, whom they for
merly deemed inadequate to a far inferior command?
It is impcffible! They had, therefore, much better
give up America at once, than laviih away the blood
and treasure of this country by such ridiculous and
bore's modes of continuing she war.
G ml Freytag, who has greatly diflinguifhed
himfelf by his affiauity, refpeaing the embarkation of
t h e forign troops, has had some conferences with ge
• - o \ '.- old, whole whole time °at present employed
in mribary adiuftments of future operations^ America.
Mrs. Arnold, like the queen, dresses with great
tape, vet with the most perfeH'neatnefs. When she
had the honour of being presented to her majesty, the
hea 1 dresses of the queen and fubjea were so much a
like, tht one would have imagined they had both
just come from the fame'frbenr.
March 6. The last French mail proved the vehicle
of some of the most alarming information which ever
was received through the medium of one single convey
ance in this or any other Country. It contains the in
telligence of the loss of no less than four British islands,
which, if the information be true, have surrendered
to the arms of France. The firft in this melancholy
inventory is Minorca, of which mention is made in
yesterday's papers.
The second nd third islands, said to be captured
in the last Paris Gazette, are those of Demerara and If
fequebo, which were so fangtiinely described by fir
George Rodney on his original capture of them, at the
timehetook St. Euflatia.
The fourth and last island, which is represented td
have undergone a fimivr fate, is'St. Kitt's.
The Gazette of last night is entirely silent refpefting
the above melancholy accounts.
Loss of Minorca — Why if it was worth the keeping,
was it not relieved ?' Our ships have been idle these se
ven months! —Why, if it was not worth the keeping,
was it not fold? Russia would have bought it. The
general might have been intruded to have taken the
money which was offered him.
The odds now are, that a conciliation with America
takes place before the rising of parliament.
Lord Sandwich is now said to be retiring. He is to
have.a pension for what he has done; and for what he
has not done he ought at least to have un Cordon of
some kind or other !
Foreign Intelligence,
The firft will be upon a plan for effectually driving
out the French from North America, without anting
offerlively.
The second is to persuade the Americans to treat
with him for peace, without infixing upon that odious
preliminary which foiled the last commissioners, viz.
that we should withdraw al' our forces by sea and land.
Orders have been issued by lord T , since Friday
last, tuat all the king's servants shall drink American
spruce beer for three months during the spring feafun
I to purify their blood.
It was yesterday reported, that an expre-fs arrived
the. night before, with advice that Gibraltar is taken.
We do not engage ourselves for the truth of this report,
but it is certain that some very importrnt dispatches
were then received, and since the arrival of the courier
who brought them, a very confident whisper has got
abroad, that they relate the capture of that fortrefs.
Lord George Cavendish, as presumptive heir to the
duke ®f Devonshire, bids fair to be the richest fubjea
in Europe, the fortunes of the two brothers being fe
venty-eighetf houfand pounds perannum.
Letters from Leghorn mention, that no less than fix
Spanish victuallers had been taken by the Algerines in
going s o Minorca ; that there are several large xebecks
cruizing in the Mediterranean, and that three Spanish
frigates had been dispatched in search of them.
France has long been tampering with the court of
Sweden to take an offensive part in the war. to which
circumstance it is owing, that the Swedish fleet is kept
in so refpeHable a date at present ; that in case the em
press should declare in favour of Great r ßritain, they
may be prepared to assist France, with a squadron of e
qual power.
According to the latest accounts from India, the
Dutch are so well provided at al| their settlements, that
it was utterly impracticable to undertake any thing
against them, till the war with the Mahrattas or Hy
der Ally, is put an end to.
It is a notorious fad, that one-fourth of the royal
navy of France re Swedish, built upon French modais;
a circumstance that exhibits a charge against our tru
ly virtuous ministers unanfwerably criminal.
Messieurs Gov^rneur and Curzon are liberated to ne
gociate with Holland, as Mr. Laurens has been to ac
" commodate with America. MioiOry wish to let all our
force loose against France and Spain : this is the wish
of the nation also, but not to be trufied to the wisdom
or honefly of. our present directors.
March 8. It were much to be wished, fays a cor
respondent, that there may be a good foundation for
the report, that an express has been Cent after fir George
Rodney to recall him from the Weft Indies, and ap
point fir Samuel Hood commander in chief on that
station; but this, it is to be feared, is too good news
to be true. If his m J has really taken such a step,
it is certainly one of the wisest of his measures for the
last seven years at least, and the best compensation he
could make for the paftmisfortunes of the war.
The catalogue of misfortunes with which we have been
presented within these last four or five days, is already
followed by a frefh detail of calamities ; for we were
told yeflerday that Gibraltar had su rrendered, and
that the outward bound EaR-India fleet, with a con
voy of fix or eight ships of the line, was taken by the
combined fleet of the enemy. We have surely real mis
fortunes enough to distress us, without being disturbed
by fictitious ones.
Notwithstanding the (hips which are to form the
grand fleet are in such readiness, no person is as yet
appointed to take the command.
One of the most famous marine rebels that ploughs
the American or European seas, is named Holker. This
man has by dint of plunder, acquired aconfidera ble for
tune,and is at this time disposing of some prizes at Mar
tinico.
The principal exports from the valuable island of St.
Christopher, areindigo, ginger, and sugar cotton. What
ever fatet his island sustains, her filler isle, Nevis, will
inevitably take (hare with her, being separated by on
ly a narrow channel. Thus will two more fine ifla ids
be facrificedto that spirit of obfiinacy wnich has depriv
es ofour American possessions.
The British empire is at a fa ft rate mouldering away ;
for there is no wisdom or virtue to ave it. As the
Roman empire fell from its meridian of glory, so is the
British falling. The former, for ages, could not be
shaken by any foreign force ; nor could the latter : yet
through the prevalence of luxury and internal dis
cord, the former turned her arms upon herfelf; and
the latter has done exactly the fame.
Thefconqueft of America being the great hobby-horse
of administration, other objects escaped their attenti
on, because such attention would impede the accom
plishment of their wishes; like a traveller going a long
journey, who is so eager to get to the end of it, that
he difregerds every thing op the road. Continually
March 7. Colonel Stanton's regiment of foot were
embarked for Minorca about fix weeks ago : it is to
be hoped thfty will meet with some vessel to give them
accounts of its having surrendered, otherwise they may
arrivein time to be inc tided in the capitulation.
It is expected that two very important motions will
be brought on soon in the house of commons by gene
ra Conway.
It is certainly time to close the American war, because
we know not how to continue it with advantage; but
if there were abilities in the kingdom, we should never
Roop to the meanness of asking for a peace, which must
be difgraceful, come when it will.
Last war, fir George Bridges Rodney bombarded
Havre-de-Grace, for fifty hours, without intermission,
and set the town on fire, defiroyed all the magazines,
with a prodigious number of flat bottomed boats.
This conduct of the British admiral divided the French
councils, and obliged the enemy to decline a plan they
had adopted to invade this kingdom.
Mr. Laurens's late interviews with lord Sandwich at
the admiralty, hate been merely to request, that he
might be allowed to visit the American prisoners in
their various places of confinement ; which has at length
been complied with on the part of government, on
condition that he (peaks to no prisoner but in the pre
sence of the officer who shall be appointed to attend
him.
St. JOHN'S (Antigua) April 20, 1782.
No account of the operations of our viaorious fleet,
subsequent to the brilliant affair ®f the 12th infl. has
yet come to hand. They have, no doubt, pursued the
flying enemy, who were as we learn from various
quarters, fomuch scattered, and many of them so de=
pGrabiy crippled, that we may reasonably hope some
will be overtaken. Two of them were seen, by several
persons on board a vessel coming up from St Croix,
to piss the'road of Baffetterre, at St, Christopher's on
this day fe'ennight, being the day after the last aHion-
One of these (supposed to be the St. Esprit) seemed to
be so exceedingly disabled that there was a necessity
for the other, which was apparently in good order, to
Rick close by her. We shall anxiously exped the se
quel of the late glorious successes.
It must give pleasure to many of our readers to know,
that lord Cranftoun, was the officer pitched upon by
admiral Rodney, to be the bearer of tiis last important
dispatches to government. His lordship went home in
the Andromache frigate, which passed this road on tne
morning of the 16th instant.
St. J O H N's, (Antigua) April 27.
[We are obliged, for want of room, to defer the con
tinuation of the St. Pierre's article of 14th March ,|for
which we Rand engaged. In the mean while, how
ever, it may not be unpleasant to our readers to fee
how highly the expectations of our brother Journa
list , monsieur Richard, had been raised, on the very
day preceding that which gave so fatal a blow to
the naval power of France.]
ST. PIERRE's, April 11.
On jSunday„night the king's brigantine, called the
Cornwallis, arrived here with orders for all the vessels
in this road, which were ready to fail, to hold them
selves prepared to weigh anchor on th^ firß signal on
the succeeding day, in consequence of which there ap
peared on Monday morning near 130 transport ships
and merchantmen under fail, some of which had gone
from hence, and the rest 'from Fort Royal. This val
uable convoy Rood to the northward, under protecti
on of the Experiment and Sagittaire ; and very short
ly afterwards our fleet under the command of the count
de Graffe made its appearance, standing also to the
northward with a fine breeze, part of the convoy hav
ing by that time doubled Point Precheur.
The English fleet which had remained at anchor in
Grofiflet Bay, St. Lucia, until Monday morning, pre
sented itfelf on the fame day at 4 in the afternoon, with
the line of battle very much extended to the South
ward. Three of their fwifteft failing vessels were de
tached in the evening to observe more narrowly the
motions of the squadron ; at 9 o'clock they were recall
led to the center by the uight-fignals, and the fleet tack
ed in order to colled thernfelves more closely. Th^
number of English ships taken, all together, were cer
tainly either 43 or 44 ; but the most accurate obfervera
have not been able to determine precisely how many
of these were of the line; according to the best infor
mation, however, they must have been 35 or 36.
Who could have imagined, prior to the commencement
of hostilities, that we should ever have seen here, in the
Course of five or fix hours, two such formidable fleets ,
We are ignorant hither to, what may have been the
refult'of this sally on the part of the English—whether
admiral Rodney really intended to attack our fleet;
and if so, whether or not he has come up with them.
Our uncertainty and impatience on this fubjea are,
equal.
[The following is a POSTSCRIPT to the fame Gazette,
of tith April.']
What we forefaw has happened, Sir George made
his appearance on the 9th in the morning to leeward of
Dominica, opposite the Grand Savannah: the engage
ment began at 9 o'clock and continued until 3 in the
afternoon, when the enemy quitted the field of battle,
having one fllip almost entirely difmafted, and two er
three others very much disabled. Such is the fubflance
of letters which a schooner from Dominica has this mo
ment brought us. We have to add to this important
intelligence, that our convoy with their powerful^
HOUSE of COMMO NS, Wednesday, March 6.
SIR Joseph Mawbey claimed the attention of the
house to what he called an indecent, behaviour in
ministers, who always took care to have inserted in the
Gazette, every address from any little paltry borough
that flattered or cringed to them, but the important ad
dress to his maj fly, to put an end to the cursed Ame
rican war, and his majesty's answer to it, had not
yet made its appearance ; he therefore desired to know
the cause of such neglect This brought on a conver
sation between lord North, Grey Cooper, Mr. Towh
fhend and others, which was put an end to, on
Lord Surrey rising to declare, that however indecent
ministers had behaved on former occasions, and with re
fpeß to the late address, they had never behaved in so
fllameful a manner as on Friday last ; for when the
house of commons went up with the address, who
should they fee, close to his majefty^s right hand, but
that declared and most determined fo^ of America, ge
neral Arnold. Surely if ministers had the least particle
of shame left in them, they would have advised his
majesty otherwise, and not so wantonly have insulted
the people.
EPIGRA M.
BRITANNIA'S 'dead, her glory now is o'er.
Undone by N- , her fame will rife no more;
The drooping lion with funk spirit sick,
Falls by the Afs's ignominious kick.
CONTEMPLATOR.
A mail arrived yesterday morning at the poft-office
from Ireland; all the volunteer corps were making
preparations to go into camp.
thinking on the object of his journey, he is indifferent to
the beauty of those which present thernfelves in his way
Nevis and St. Kitts might have well attracted the regard
of ministry, as very estimable branches of the British
empire.
Motions similar to thofeof general Conway, are soon
to be madd in the I,ifh house of commons, to address
the thorne against offenfive operation in America,
meffrs. Flood and Grattan are talked of as proposed
movers.