The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-07-13 00:00:00, page 1

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OR I : THE
GENERAL^^
P H I L,A D ELPHI A#
„, following Dialogue composed for the occasion, and feo
ken at the Public Commencement at the Univerfay in
this City, on tbe fourth infl. having been much admi
red, me are happy in the opportunity of obliging the
public tbe ewith from the original copy.
FELIX. THERON. ARDENTIO.
THERON.
FELIX, good morn. Th now five irksome years
Since last within these honored walls we met
FELIX.
Hippy to meet once more. And may that pow'r
Whole will can huth the universe to peace,
Look kindly down and bl fs us with protection.
THERON.
Five years
(For ftil the thought hangs pain'ul on my mind)
His this fair country, once the feat of rest,
Felt the rude savage fin k of barbarous war.
FELIX.
And still five years hath heaven defended hen
Place then the good agiioft toe ill, nm let
Complaint out run tbe measure of our thanks.
THERON.
I will withdraw a while and seek Ardentio.
[Exit. ]
FELI X. (Sdu,.)
How various are our minds and pafnons cast !
Some, while the bufile of the world goes on,
Serenely wait compos'd to all events.
S mi, doze away their lives in fenfeiefs ease,
Or wake with no emotion but to yawn.
8 me, like tbe sirs lmark'd mutd'rer of mankind;
With every black Satannic passim rill'd,
Their hjgh r fl relish is the world in blood.
Some, touch'd with pity lead a life of tears,
And kindly feeling, where they can't relieve,
Infl fl a cruelty upon themselves;
While others carelefs^ the flowing breeze,
Know neither how they live, nor why;
Some, b'Rt on fierice, dedicate their lives
To thought : Asd that, which interrupts their Rudies,
Negatives their joys.
Such, is my lov'd companion Thoron.
A youth of gentl- mind, charm'd with what e'er
Cadd a new invention to toe Art#,
My friend Ardentio forms another part,
Born with a ful ambitious to excell
In all the dangers rd he fierce campaign ;
P Ri?n.t in hardships — ft^bborn to maintain
Hii cou itry's rights—the rights of all mankind.—
His pride wil be, to quit the fcez?s of rest,
And bravely put bis ife upon a poize
To gain the great event—his country's cause,
But fee t' ey botli return,
Welcome my friends.
ARDENTIO.
F^lix, I love thee for tbe candour of thy heart.
Theron and I hive held a high debate ;
He on the faience®, and I on arms.
Thou (halt decide, which most contributes
To a country's good.
FELI X,
Speak on.
THERON.
Thou knoweflmy cast of thought. There's not an ill
That waits mankind but lays its handson'me;
Nuryet a good t:at doe not give me joy.
Jlove the sciences. They're univerfaL
Within their ample circle all may meet
And lay their quarrels dozen
Ere fc^ence spread her morning o'er tbe world
And woa'd mankind to study, what was man ?
Or what would man be now were she withdrawn ?
See tbe rude Indian—the unlettered Moor, 1
The flupid Hottentot, and all the race
O'er whom the gloom of ignorance prevails,
They live, as live the animats 'be, bait.
Tn raise a city or create a world,
Where faience never beam'd, seem works alike.
To caff an arch acreb the flowing tide,
Or spread the beundlefs Canopy of heav'n
Confounds with equal force. 1 be, know not men from Gods.
Then turn thine eyes towards the lettered w@rld,
They live, compared with those, as Angels live,
ARDENTIO.
And w^r like Angels once.
THERO N.
Some on the fide of heav'n and forae against.
ARDENTIO.
Most nobly spoken.
FELIX.
Theron, thou haft concisely mark'd the difference
Which science makes; and e'er thou further go'ft
I'd with to hear Ardentio.
* Alluding to the last public Commencement.
S A T>U R D A Y,
Published every Tueiday, and Saturday. ]
ARDENTIO.
Hear me!
Would I could be heard through all America /
J combat not with arts and sciences,
But with my foes and enemies,
The enemies of freedom and my country.
Theron is fond of feience so am I.
But the herfelf \& this fair rising world
Must be defended or she live a slave,
Or, what to us is equal, quit the foil.
A country conquer'd is nofeene for her.
Conquest is best by ignorance fecur'd,
And belt endur'd.—
For what of knowledge after that remains
Serves like a torture to a dying man.
To make bimfeel be is d,irg.
Our country's cause is now our great concern.
To fcafon with invaders is as vain
As reading law to him who takes my purse.
They answer not by fludies of the Schools
But patthe bayonet against the question, Therefore—
FELI X.
Ye both have spoken well,
And with expreffrre definition mark'd
Your several parts. Now hear me both.
Man's darling favourite is liberty,
Which ne'er can be fecur'd nor understood
Without the mutual aid of literature and arms.
Theron ,
Ardentio, ) A ^" d -
F ELI X.
But e'er we quit the fubjed you have put;
I beg to press on your enlightened minds,
That you do nicely weigh and wifely judge
Between the use and the abuse of arms.
'Tis not the rushing to toe field on fire,
Or fiercely ftandipg midst a thousand slain,
Or facing every avenue of fate,
Tlat confthutts the fame of martial deeds.
Tae word of p^ffions in the word of men,
May teach disdain of danger and of death.
The aftiou from the object must derive
Its glory or its guilt There refls the whole.
For ever mark'd with infamy be be,
Whole cruel hardened unrefleaing foul
Firfl praftifed arms to plunder and oppress;
And may an equal infamy attend
The wretch who does ix now, or ever (hall.
But whenby fad necessity compet'd,
Men quit rceir homes and all thats calm in li%
And in defence of their invaded rights
And their invaded country, drains tbe ftverd—
May every bleffihg on their arriis attend,
Aid every care of heaven become their friend.
MUSIC.
RECITATIV E.
May ev'ry bleffi g on their arms attend,
And e/'ry care of Heav'n become then friend;
A 1 R.
Rife ! 0 rife! ye pow'rs fupreune,
S ed your choicest blessings down.
Aid our Councils; aid our arms,
Mike our battles as your own.
Sov'reign States of Europe rife,
Join in time the great defi,,n.
Wealth and commerce are the prize.
And frhndflrip form'd on faith divine.
FELIX.
There's femething in this noble cause of ours
Which so expands and vigorates the heart,
That every thought and feeling catches fire.,
In principle we mugnt right; and there A
The corner stone of fuishaien lies
ARDENTI O.
— —Let us but doour parts
And 'twould be impiety to doubt success,
Heav'n never yet designed a country'^ fall
By such beginning as she flaw'd to us!
We were
But as a cradled infant in the world,
Nui.il only by her care. Faffive we lay
As fay the clay beneath the Potter's hand
Not seeking form nor yet refilling it,
THERON.
What loads of guilt has Briton on her back f
I would not as an individual bear
My portion of it for the world.
I/t no offence to drench a land with blood;
To bu^t mankind as animals of game,
And then as if 'twere possible to cheat
The All-discerning Eye of Heav'n, lament
That blood isfpilt? Is it no fin, *a crime,
To banish education from tbe earth,
And in its Head, to introduce distress
Con ufion node and war.
Britain we ne'er invaded nor difturb'd.
Why then has she with bitter hatred fill'd,-
Affualted us, who ne'er assaulted her.'
— ^—. ——This country is cur own
TH E
By all the rights which make the other her's.
Without her pains, Zier labour or her cost
These plains, were clear'd, trefo (pacious cities built:
Where is the man who luoang round cart fa/
'Twa# Britain made him rich^ Plough'd she his ground?
Built she nis uarns? Drain'd file his marfliy lands?
Shar'd she bis labours, or repaired his losses?
She gave, indeed, What any o^e might give,
A leave to live, if cue could find the means —
And for that nothing she a tribute claim'd
'Twere those who came, not those ribo Raid behind
T hat made this rifi^g world what now it is;
They even knew not what we were, nor car'd
A thought for us, till commerce mark'd cur fame,
And wealth, by us created, drew their eye.
FELIX.
All thingsare for the best.—
Heav'n works it's will by means to us unknown.
The greater is the guilt of Britain'# Kug,
The more illustrious w 11 our cause appear.
A R,D ENTI 0.
His guilt becomes our advocate with Heav'n,
It pleads our cause with ev'ry Sovireign pow'r,
It jollifies our conduct to the world,
And gives a double ener> ,y to duty.
THERON.
We had been rigki if be had not been wrong,
For Indep ndeuce was our natural right.
ARDENTIO.
Therefore the wrong adds lufre to the right,
FELI X.
Ne'er was so ffiort a time mark'd with such great events!'
That in a century fuh a world should rife
Is matter of aftonilhment to all.
Egypt may boast her roaffy pyramids
And Greece and Rome their monuments of art,
But where'^ the power or people that did e'er
Within so short a (pace, from firnple earth,
And tbnt encumbered round with woods and wilds;
Product ' a mighty cultivated fcence
Embelidh'd and adorn'd like this !,
ARDENTI O.
Or where's the people who unused to arms,
With scarce a spear or Ihitll among ten thousand,
That in tbe course of fifteen months cr lek
Threw of the yoke of Inch a pow'rful foe
And weather'd out the storm as we have done ?
Four years has independence (once our fear,)
Stood li&e a rock against the rage of Britain.
THERON.
And may it fiend united in its parts,
As long as hands the world.
FELIX.
How like a tree just planted io the foil,
And striking root, did independence bear
Tae black and bellowing blaftsof feveuty fix.
ARDENTI O.
The fhaking.dtd her good.
And fixt tier but the (after ; n he r piece.
T HERO N.
May ev'ry fliaking have the 'amt effefL
ARDENTI O.
And so it ever will.
Has not the loss of Charleftown prov'd once mote;
That where the Jowl's engaged
Danger becomes a kintulcs to action.
Look at those lirgeand honorable aids
By voluntary contributions rail'd
Which this fair city give— her fplended Bank
And liberal subs riptions; whence are they ?
But from the arduous feeling of the foul
Rout'd by feme new and unforefeen misfortune.
And you, ye fair, where ever you may be,
Whose gen'rous grateful sympathizing hearts
Led you, by bounteous gifte, unafk'd, to cheef
The rugged hardships of a fol tier's life—
Accept a folder's thanks - and may you ne'er
The least degree of frowning fortune bear,
But wrapt in bleft security descend,
'Thro' all the fleets of life, till life shall end ||.
| | As fopn as the loss of Charleftown became a certain
matter, the Ladies of Philadelphia to shew their attach
ment to the Qcol^ cause this country is engaged in, and to
express their esteem for those btave men, who In the field
b;ve undergone every hardship to defend them, raffed a
purse among themfdves of above One thousand Gui
neas, as a present to the soldiers of the army. The ex
aft sum was fix hundred and twenty-five pounds, ten
{hillings and nine pence, Pennsylvania Currency, in gold
and blver, and Two hundred thoufard, fix hundred and
eig' ty dollars, Continental Currency, an account of which
have been transmitted to the Commander in Chief, by the
President's Lady of this State.
And at the fame time the the gentlemen of the city en.
tered into several measures to forward the operations ofthe
campaign, among others a fubferiptiou was filled jn ti.e
space of a few days 0 f Three hundred and fifteen thon
fand pounds hard money, a; security for the eflablifr
rcent of a bank.
JULY if, 1789.