Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1775-11-13 00:00:00, page 2

—We du ir, the m # i fjemn manner prct £ that
ve mean not to violate the rights of conscience
as we a r e unjuftlv charg'd, but cannot from all
the lights we are poff-ffed of, discover that,
under the idea of conscientious fcruoles, opiui
cns Could be promulgated fdbverfive of every
political principle of that glorious constitution,
i)def:nd which we have putcur lives and for
lanes to the hazard, and tending to throw a
C-mpunon the plan of cppcfi ion which alone,
under God, can save home Aruflion this devot
cd country. We cannot alter the opinion ue
have ever ii.ld with regard to those ^ ts of the
Charter qtoted by th , cdaredhrs, that they re
-1 rte only to an exemption from any aRs cf uni
formity in woifhip and froth pa, ing towards the
lipportlipport of other religious establishments—than
thofj to which the inhabitants < fthfe province
refpe& vely belong; we know cf no diftinftion
if Jells vhen we meet our fellow citizens on
matters of public concern, and ask those con-
Liertioufl/ ferupulous against bearing arms, to
contribute towards the expence of our oppofiti
cn, not because of their " religious perfuafan,
but because thcgeneral defence of the province
demands it; therefore that part of the charter
which relates to people not being" molelted or
prejudiced in their person or estate on " account
cf their cobfeientious persuasion or practice" is
totally out of the question, and has been held up
with a view to alarm the House with gr^undlefs
apprehenfi >ns. —We beg leave to remind the
Honourable House of she conilant usage of the
province, and that in all the wars we have been
cngagcLin, no exemption fora fines and taxa
tion hv been made in favour of any set of peo
ple; but on the contrary laws' and ordinances
hive repeat -dly been made, for the purposes of
defence, laying gene al imports on the inhabi
tants of the province of all f-ds and societies.
—We are however of opinion that Speculative
disputes fh^uldnot now be gone into. The cue
iy arc d.foiatimg our country and danger daily
awaits us. Car fauation therefore furnishes us
with arguments drawn from the laws of Nature
and Realm which transcend ail local establish
ments. From these laws and the general prin
ciples of civil society it is undoubtedly certain,
that all persons who enjoy the b^fa should also
bear their proportion of the burthens cf the State.
—We cannot conceive it to be confident with a
reafonahle confeience to acquire and engross con
siderable property in any country and not'part
with fame of it to defend the rest.—We farther
think that those who apply taxes and iot those
whom the exigencies of the State and the weight
of a majority oblige to pay them are answerable
far the conferences of such application. We
confaintiofy believe that QO member of society
should be exempted from paying a reasonable
proportion of his property towards the general
defence, though he may be exempted from ac
tually bearing arms; (and in such case bypay
ing a fine for such exemption, he is in a better
fiteutionjhan one who rifles his life in the Ser
vice, and if the wealthy members of the society
of Quakers are permitted to withhold their pro
portion, it will in feme degree be an invasion
of c^r liberty of confeience by denying us the
means of so effectually making a warlike oppo
hion again! our oppressors, which cannot be
done without money. We know not what
'' Schemis" the addreffors allude to —For our
parts we have none, but to defend our lives, li
berties and property, and by every lawful and
reasonable mode, to ob ain an equal and general
contribution for this purpose from all ranks of
people. We pray the House to recoiled the
mifehievous consequences which have arisen
from a former production said to come from the
whole body of the people called Quakers ; but
which, as we have reafob to believe (like that
now before your Honourable House) flowed
from a few individuals who assumed to them
selves the prerogative of speaking the fentlments
of the whole society ; and that your Honoura
ble House will reject from their minutes their
present address which tends to Shew a disunion
among us, and therefore may be of fatal confe
quencesto our cause.—And as we fear the peo
ple will not longer Submit to fee the public bur
then so unequally borne, we earnestly be?, to
preserve the peace of the province, and the con
fcqu^nce of your Honourable House (which we
would with to govern us in this important Strug
gle in preference to any other bod ) you will be
pleated t'o take into your consideration our for
merMcmofials relative to the Association, which
we engaged in from the best of motives, and
which hai be n Solemnly approved of by a vote
of your Honourable PredecefTors.
By Order of a Board of Officers.
Daniel Rob:.rdeau, Chairman."
Philadelphia, 31 O^obcr, 1775.
[Continued in the Fourth %,]
The following letter was written by Monf.de Voltaire
to bis friend at Amferdam, after the defeat of
the Spaniards before Algiers.
EVER finoethe religious wars ceased, Christian
Knights have become totally useless. The
knights or Malta, however, offered themselves
feme time ago to subdue the Stares of Algiers,
Tunis, Tripoli and Morocco, at a very easy fubfi.
dy from the maritime states of Europe. But it
was Christian policy that these Barbarian neigh
bours do exist, grow powerful, that Christian
Kings and mighty nations Send money and war
like femes every year to these inSignificant, ravage
and Barbarian Deys and Beys. Algiers, which
bas two men of war of 5° guns each, four of forty
guns, and five frigates of thirty guns, is sole master
of the Mediterranean, and prescribes law to the
Dutch, English, I rench, and Spanish nations, each
of whole navy at hart consists of two hundred
large Ships of war; and thus we submit to fee
our rich.merchantmen taken by Algerine barges
cue parents, friends, and best sailors taken prison
ers and fold for Slaves. It is ridiculous you will
fay, but no matter, they will aofwer you, it is po-
Jitical. I congratulated myfelf when 1 found
Spain (most Catholic in cutting throats) fitting
cut a powerful fleet to destroy Algiers, that nest
cf birds of prey; but to my great furrow I Hon
again beheld ten or twelve thousand Spaniards
Slaughtered before the batteries of Algiers, arid,
the fleet failing home as fall as poflible. But will
not France, Great Britain, and Holland immedi
ately j>in Spain, and pu* a period to those title
but troublesome Barbarian states? No, by no
means ; their High Mighrinefles the Dutch mnft
remain neuter, in order to fell gunpowder and
balls, as also their chicle, to both the belligerent
Bates. Great Britain is just engaged in a war of
more confeque .cc with her own colonies. Doubt
le's you are defitous to know the cause of that civil
war between mother and daughters, which in the
very beginning has cost the li\er of hundreds,
and is 1 kely to throw the whole empire into
convulsions. It is in one word this ; the daugh
ter colonies fay, we will Supply you with eve
ry thing in our power cheerfully, free, arid vo
luntarily ; but the mother country replies, because
you will give every thing cheerfully and volunta
rily, ye are rebels, and your throats muff be cut.
Perhaps you will expea twelve thousand men of
France, which She should give to Spain, according
to the treaty called the family compaß, whene
ver the lamer is involved is a war; but in reply
to this, I mu& inform you, that France must be
excafed os the present occasion, for a reason of
rtill mere conference, and'which is, ifin case fye
should fend any force against a Mahometan state,
her AmbafTador at Constantinople would lose the
exclusive privilege of wearing a coat of green cloth.
Sweden must take careof the Barbarians at Stock
holm. Denmark has been very busy these four
years, in order to destroy every wile regulation
introduced during the administration of Count
Struenfee. My old friend, Cohou, at Berlin, is
of opinion, that all this confufion denotes the com
ing of the Messiah ; but this I do not believe, be
caute Aly B^y was destroyed, and Chiek Daher
does not Succeed against the Porte.
From the London Morning Post, of
PRESENT STATE of the NAVY.
" '"THERE is no man," Says King James
L the Second*, “of common sense in our
inland who does not or ought not to know that Eng
land can never be fecufe and at ease without She
be master of the seas, at least to such a degree,
as that no Prince or State might dispute the Supe
riority with her." There never was a man who
understood the navy of England and its importance
Better than this Prince ; regulating ourselves by
the principles of this passage, what are we to
think of the present naval Situation of this coun
try: The King of Spain has been permitted to
colled together and man a fleet so much more
powerful than any we have on foot, the King of
Great-Britain pofTeffes a city of London, but at
the will of that monarch. I will not enter into
an examination at present of the objects assigned
by the Spanish Court for this armament ; I will
Suppose them as they are pretended; but still the
fads remain the fame. Spain is armed, and we
are unarmed: Spain may burn London, or Seize
Ireland if She pleases : this is an absolute uncon
troverted fad —I am not faying She will do it. but
that She has it in her power for want of the navy
of England being more powerful. Now that is
the Situation of which King James gave his Senti
ments, and the possible consequences of it are
truly alarming. But we are farther likely to con
tinue in this Situation and with even greater dan
ger, for if the King qf Spain while he is hourly
adding to his Strength, keeps up a quarrel with the
Moors, we are to continue naked and defencelefs,
depending for our national existence on the will
of the Spanish monarch, let us confider then the
events waich such a Situation leads to. Wemuft
put up with every affront, and grant every impe
rious demand; the moment we refufe any, 30 fail
of the line and 30,000 troops are ready to chas
tise us. Is this a Situation to be borne?
C RI T O.
* Maepberfon's State Papers. Vol. I. p.Bl.
O+*+ *++++ +-$+ -fy+*»-+O+s
LONDO N, September 1.
VERY fmad matters often give rife to very im
portant events.—The recalling the Duke of
Orleans 10 court, and there-establishment of the
parliaments of France, was owing to the follow
ing incident; —lt happened that the French King
was taking the air in his coach one evening on the
ancient ramparts of Paris, now the usual place of
amusement and feftivity for the inhabitants of that
city; his Majesty, instead of the joyful acclama
tions which had hitherto surrounded him, found
an aweful and profound Silence to prevail wherever
he appeared, and saw dejection and difeontent
painted in every countenance. This sudden change
of behaviour affected the heart of a youthful
Prince; he could not bear the thoughts of being
unpopular among his fubjeds; Some honest men
about him encouraged this amiable sensibility of
mind, and pointed out the true remedy, the com
plying with the universal inclinations of the peo
ple.,.
Many striking instances can be given of the
great affediou which Henry the Fourth of France
had for his people, but nothing furnifties a Wrong
er proof of it than the warm exprmTions of pater
nal love which he made life of in his letters to the
governors of provinces—“ Take care of my peo
p # e; they are my children, God has committed
them to my care, I am answerable for them." Io
Short, this good Prince would have been unhappy,
if he had been unpopular, if his people had not
loved him as a farher.
A letter from St.Maloe's mentions, that a num
ber of galley Slaves were lately Shipped off from
that port, by order from the court, on board an
Eaft-Indiaman, bound for the island ofMauririus,
where they are to work on the fortifications.
Letters from Jamaica mention, that several
fllips failed from the savannah, under pretence
of putting a flop to ;he dandefliue trade which
the Dutch at St. Enhatia carry on with the in
habitants of New Spain; but it being fufpeaed
* This town is infamoufy remarkable f or being the
only one in England where the Pretender found an,
number of friends. He entered it on the zeth of Ro
vember, 1745; after being proclaimed K:ng, be beat
up for volunteers, and so great was the zeal cf the
place that be soon raised a regiment, the command of
which he gave to a lownfman of the name of Townley,
whose head was afterwards fixed upon Temple Bar
where the remains of it are fill to be seen. One Ca,-
pock, a Clergyman in the town, also joined the Pre
tender, and was honoured with the title of Bijbop of
Car life. On the gib of December following, when
the rebels again puffed through the town, upon their
retreat from Darby, the inhabitants fpontaneoufy
raised two thousand five hundred pounds jor the ass
ar.ee of the Chevalier and friends to the good 011
cause. And they nowfobferihe fix hundred thousand
pounds to enable government to barrafs the Americans,
confident they have no chance in an open attempt to ex
pel the prfent /amity, they have recourse to intrigue,
in hopes o' rendering it Jb odious as to prevent a^lju
ture confidence and reconciliation.
September q.
LONDON ASSOCIATION.
Globe-tavern, FL ^et-street, tiugufl 25.
Resolved,
'{-'HA I this ASTociation, duly sensible of the
l many blessings weenjoy from the Revolution
and fecefon, to which, under God, we owe the
free Constitution of our Country, wdl u e our bed
and molt unwearied endeavours 10 extend and
transmit to posterity ther excellent principles and
consequences; and that we will embrace every op
portunity to evince our zeal, affection, and fidelity
to his present Majesty, Ring George the Third, and
bis /ty^ Family, for whufe honour ^d Safety,
whilst we manifest the highest regard, we holj the
that they are bound to a different quarter, Admi
ral Gaytcn dispatched a frigate to ^connoitre
their c^urfe, and follow them 'til they put into
Some pdrt.
Sept. 4. A correspondent obfervesthat heis hap
py to find that some of the young nobility retain the
courage of their aEceftors, as he has it from un
doubted autl ority that many have offered their
service to his Majesty to Serve as volunteers in
America, and are absolutely preparing to join bis
Majesty's army at Borton.
It is ths avowed purpose cf miriiftry to pursue
the most rigorous measures again! the Americans.
It is said that the'feveral proposals offered for
terminating the unhappy disputes with the Colonies,
will be refoi red to the consideration cf Parliament.
Sept. 7. At a General Meeting of the Gentle
men, Clergy, Merchants, Manufacturers, and
principal Inhabitants of the town and neighbour
hood of Manchefter*, held on the Sixth instant,
the following Address to his Majesty was unani
mously agreed to; and yesterday eight very re
fpe&able Merchants ofManchefter presented it to
his Majesty at St. James's, and it was most gra
ciously received.
To the K I NG's Most Excellent Majesty.
The humble Address es the Gentlemen, Clergy,
Merchants, Manufacturers, and principal Inha
bitants of the town and neighbourhod of
MANCHESTER, in the County Palatine of
Manchester.
“ Most Graci'us Sovereign,
" ACT DATED by an affectionate and dutiful
regard for your many Royal virtues, and firmly
attached to that constitution, which Secures to us
the enjoyment of liberties k-own only to British
fubjeCis: We presume, in the most loyal and ref
peCtful manner, to offer our tribute of gratitude to
your Majesty, for the many blessings we have en
joyed under the benign influence of your govern
ment.
" Since your Majesty's accession to the throne,
commerce, the great source of wealth, hath been
not only fucce,f,fully encouraged, but firmly esta
blished in this irtand; and under the auspices of
peace, hath been carried to an extent unknown to
your Royal predecessors : Manufactures flourish
in every part of your Majesty's dominions, parti
cularly in this town and neighbourhood, where
they are daily advancing towards perfection, and
where the lowest of your fubje&s are fully em
ployed, and bluffed with the peaceable enjoyment
of the fruits of their industry.
“ Thus happy under your Majesty's govern
ment, we look with horror upon every attempt to
disturb its tranquility, and 'tis with inexpressible
concern we behold the Standard of rebellion erect
ed in some of the American provinces, and our fel
low fubjefls involved in am unnatural war against
their lawful Sovereign. We observe with regret,
that the lenity Shewn by your Majesty towards
the infiirgents has been of no avail, b^t instead of
reclaiming, hath Seemed rather to irritate and urge
them on to more daring ads of violence: And as
force has become necessary to bring them to afenfe
of their allegiance, we think ourselves bound in
•duty to assist your Majesty in the execution of the
legislative authority.
“ We are not intimidated at the prohibition
laid by the Americans on the exportation and im
portation of goods to and from the British domi
nions; our extensive trade happily flows in so
many different channels, that the obftrudion of
one can but little distress, much less deter us from
our duty to our King and country. But whatever
check our manufadures may receive by a necessa
ry war, we Shall cheerfully submit to a temporary
inconvenience, rather than continue fubjed to law
less depredations from a deluded and unhappy peo
ple ; as we are fully persuaded, that trade with
America can never beeftabliShed on its true basis,
until the Colonies are reduced to a proper fubraif
fion to the government and laws of Great-Britain.
As Englishmen we are led by inclination, as well
as impelled by interest, tp preserve the authority
of the British legislature, and to proted the digni
ty and prerogative of the crown, (as founded on
the principles of the constitution) sacred and in
violate. And we further beg leave to assure your
Majesty, that we are ready to support with our
lives and fortunes, such measures as your Majesty
Shall think proper for the punishment of rebellion
in any part of your dominions, being convinced,
that the sword of justice will be directed by the
hand of mercy towards such of your fubjefts as
have been deluded by the artful designs of a dis
contented fadion."
truest concern forthe ftc-I;m, peace and wef ; •e
of the whole Britim En-p . ; convinced that un
der a Prince of the Hou'e m B^ri^ck we only
can be free, and at the Same time resolutely deter
mined, that under a rimc-e of the Houle of 3ruoD
wick we will be free.
Refolded, It is the opinion of this Affociarion,
that Proclamations have never been considered as
La-ess of the Land, and though frequently iffted
junder the arbitrary Reigns of the Stuarts, to <erve
the abominable designs of defpoifm, unl^fs direct
ed by, and enforcing the Laiv, were opposed and
refitted by our forefathers, as Solent inf/incements
on the Liberties of the people of England.'
Revived, That the present high price of the
necessaries of life, the decay of trade, and conse
quent distresses of the industrious poor, those most
ufefu! members of the state, demand our best con
federation, that Peace may no longer be the parent
of Poverty and Misery, iartead of the Source of
riches and bappinefs.
Refolded, That as it is declared by the Bill of
Rights (Art. V.) that it is the Right of the Sufon
to petition, we will t:fe our best endeavours to
bring to the ,ufl:ce cf their Country those men who
have prevented the cries of the nation from being
heard by bis Majesty, and consequently their mi
series and complaints from being redressed.
Refolded, That if any Descendants of those il
lustrious Noblemen, who by their undaunted and
zealous endeavours, brought about the glorious
Revolution, and effected the Accession, Shall deter
mine to join this Association, for the great pur
poses of constitutional Ereedom and national Hap
piness, we will pay due regard to their Rank and
Birth, though we Shall always keep their zeal for
the Public Cause, and their uniform Support of the
Principles and Proceedings of their gallant and pa
triotic Ancestors firemoft in our view, our grati
tude, and refped.
Signed and published by Order.
THOMAS JOEL, Secretary.
To the Printer of the St. James's Chronicle.
SO, Mr. Baldwin, a Royal Proclamation has
at length made its appearance, and no com
mon one neither. It is not a Proclamation con
cerning Bartholomew-Fair, the landing of linen
rags or feathers, the gold or copper coin, nor
the difordef among the horned cattle. No, Sir,
it is a sober denunciation against a very nume
rous and formidable body cf men; no less, if I
mistake not, than against rhe whole tribe of au
thors, essayists, printers, publishers, plagiaries,
and printers devils— Mum's the word. Not a'
syllable about American Rights or British Op
pression, Scotch juntoes or Jacobite cabals, wit
less ministers, or s without hearts, brains or
bowels. Mansfield dilates, Jenkiafon writes,
and my old acquaintance Mess. Eyre and Strahan
are the compositors. This fura is worse than the
proscription of the Jesuits, or the suppression of
the Knights Templars. We are too/r^W to bep,
too honest to rob, and we muff cat. But joking
a-part, it is, methinks, rather cruel to deprive
us of our livelihood without making some decent
provision for us. A dawn of hope however
breaks in ; for after all is said and sung, I cannot
persuade myfelf, that this Butean-Mansfellian
expedient will answer, as I never yet heard that a
Royal Proclamation, when manifestly contraryto
the sense of the nation, produced any effed but
' n an d c—n —t. Rapin justly observes that
there was always a marked opposition between the
interests of a court faction, in the reign of
Charles 11. and the nation at large. All the
world, who had not an interest in Shutting their
eyes, saw it and were sensible of it : It was the
common talk, and the fubjef tof daily libels,
The King therefore, by and with the advice of
his virtuous Council issued a proclamation for
luppreffing all coffee houses, on pretence of they
being the places, where all difaffeded per Sons
met, and devised their calumnies against theKifo
and his advisers. Immediately after came out an
other proclamation, promising a reward to the dis
coverers of the writers, who every day published
truths, called libels against the government ; but
all to no purpefe; because the disposition of the
Prince, the designs of the Cabal, and the Servili
ty ofa placed and perfiooed Parliament, had alarm
ed the people against such an union of power, ty
ranny, and talents.
'' A PATRIOT.
H A' R TFOR D, November 6.
Barracks for the accommodation of 15000 men,
are now building at the American Camp at Cam
bridge and Charleftown.
Extras cf a letter from an Officer at Lake Cham
plain, before St. John's, Od. 23.
“ We arrived here with our litt/'e army, for the
third time, on Sunday the 17th of September, and
have kept ourground ever face. Ct. Johns is a little
^ l^ ce > "well intrenched all round, with about
500 red lobflers in it, who are conftantlyfitting
their large plums and chefnuts at. us, feme cf which
are so hot as to crack almost where they cheofe, but
have done us little harm. We have three batteries
open, but the land here is so fat it is imp ffible at any
placets ovet look them; but as we so intirelyfurround
them, they never dare to come out to fee us on any
quarter, nor do they get either provisions or intelli
gence from any place. They are like a fox in his
hole, with a dog at the mouth, that barks ever, time
be can fee but so much as lis ears. It appears as
though we must fan have them.
" At eight o'clock yeflerday morning a party of
our troops, with the Canadians, took pofefen of
Cbamby, twelve miles north of . St. John's, after a
sage of 48 hours. We took in this garrison 83 Re
gulars, total of the prisoners (including women and
children which be ong to the garrifa at St. Rehn's)
180; also threejmatl mortars, eleven swivels, with
a considerable quantity of artillery. The enemy here
had a jchooner of 12 guns, and a large row galley,
which being unable.to digefl our /American , urns,
grewfeu-Jick and are gone to,the bottom ofthe Lake.
“ On the whole I think we have taught them to
be a little more civil, as they have been very filert
for two days pa,ft, /t thefirft ofour acquaintance
with them tig would be bay ing, " file away vcu