The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-01-05 00:00:00, page 2

COMMON ^NSE G ^ PUBLIC, ^ _'fr. Deane's
affair.
(Continued from our lafl )
r , AD Mr. Plain Truth only informed the public that .
Mr. Deane had been inhuftrious in promoting and
forwarding the fending the Applies, his affirtion would
drive palled uncontradided by me, because mult natu
rally suppose that Mr. Deane would do no otherwrfe ; rut
to give him the whole and sole honor of procuring Gem,
and that, without yielding any part of the honor to the
public spirit and good disposition of those who furmUie.l
them, and who likewise must in every Ihapc have put up
with the total loss of them had America been overpowered
by her enemies, is, in my opinion, placing the reputation
and atkeion of our allies not only in a disadvantageous,
but in an unjust, point of view, and concealing from tee
public what they out to know.
Mr. Pllin Truth declares that he knows all the circcm
ftances, why then did he not place them in a proper line
and give the public a clear inform Mon how they arene ? I ne
proposal for fending over those supplies, appears to have
been originally made by some public spirited gentlemen in
France, before ever Mr. Deane arrived there, or was
known or heard of in that country, and to h^ve been corn
muuicattd (person illy by Mr. B.aurerchais, the gentle
man mentioned in the letter signed J. L. whi h letter is
given at length by Mr. Plain truth) to Mr. Art ur Lee
while resident in London about three years ago. from
Mr. B's m nnerof expression, Mr. Lee understood the
Duplies to be aprefent, and has fignified it in t at light.
It'js very easy to fee that if America had mifearried, they
^w'have been a present, which probably adds explanati
on'to Gematter. But Mr. Deane is spoken of by Mr
Plain Truth, as having an importance of his own and
procuring those supplies, through that importance ; where
as he could only rife and fall with the country that impow
ered him to act, and be in or out of credit, as to money
matters, from the fame cause and in the fame proportion ;
and every body must suppose, that there were greater and
more original wheels at work than he was capable 01 let
ting in motion. Exclusive of the matter being began be
fore Mr. Beane's arrival, Mr. Plain Truth has given him
the whole merit of every part of the tranfaaipn. Ameri
ca and France are wholly left out o' the question, the for
mer as to her growing importance and credit, from which
all Mr. Deane's confeq,uence was derived, and the latter,
as to her generosity in furnifhing those supplies, at a time,
when the rille of losing them appears to have been as great
as our wants of them.
I have always underßood thus much of the mattter, that
if we did not succeed no payment would be required, and
I think myfelf fully entitled to believe, and to publilh my
belief, that whether Mr. Deane had arrived in France or
not, or any other gentleman in his head, those fame sup
plies would have found their way to America. But as
the nature of the contrast has not b-en explained by any
of Mr. Deane's letters and is left in obscurity by the ac
count he signed the 16th of February last, which I haveal
ready quoted, therefore the full explanation must rest up
on other authority I have been the more explicit on
this fab est, not so much on Mr. Deane's account, as from
ap inciple of public justice. Alhews, in the firft inßance,
that the greatness of the American cause drew, at its firft
beginning, the attention of Europe, and that the justness
of it was such as appeared io merit support; and in tiie
second inßance, that those who are now her allies, pre
faced that alliance by an early and generous friendship, yet
that we might not attribute too much to human or auxili
ary aid, so unfortunate were those supplies, that only one
ship out of the three arrived. The Mercury and Seine fed
into the hands of the enemy.
Mr. Deane in his address, speaks of himfelf as “ facrifi
" cod for the aggrandizement of other/' and promises to
inform the public of “ what be has done and what be lis
" buffered." What Mr Deane means by being faer feed
the Lord knows, and what he has sass red is equally as my-
Rerious. It was his good fortune to be situated in an ele
gant country and at a public charge, while we were driv- •
en about from pillar to post He appears to know but lit
tle of the hardihips and losses which his countrymen under
went in the period of his fortunate absence. It fell not to
his lot to turn out to a Winter's campaign, and Reep with
out tent or blanket. He returned to America when tae
danger was over, and has since that time furfered no. per
tohal hardship. What then are Mr. Deanes bufferings,
and what the facrifees he complains of ? Has he loft mo
ney in the public fqrvice ? I believe not. Has he got any ?
That I cannot tell. I can assure him that I have not,, and
he, if he pleases, may make the fame declaration..
Surely the Congress might recal Mr. Deane if they
thought proper, without an insinuated charge of in uftice
for so doing. The authority of America must be 1 ttle in
deed when fixe cannot change a Commissioner without being
insulted by him. And I conceive Mr. Deane as speaking
in the moil difrefpe&ful language of the Authority of Ame
rica when he fays in his Address, that in December 1776
he was “ honored with one Colleague, and fcdllid with
another." Was Mr. Deme to dictate who should be Com
missioner and who fhwuld not? It was time, however, to
saddle him, as he calls it, with somebody, as I Ihall ihew
before I conclude.
When we have elected our Representatives, either in
Congress or the Assembly, it is for our own good that we
fopport them in the execution of that authority they de
rive from us. If Congress is to be abused by every one
whom they may appoint or remove, there is an end to all
useful delegation of power, and the public accoun s in the
hands of individuals will never be fettled. There has, I
believe, been too much of this work pradifed already, and
it is time that the public fliould now make those matters a
point of consideration. But who will begin the disagree
able talk?
I look on the independence of America to be as firmly
established as that of any country which is at war. Length
of time is no guarantee when arms are to decide the late of
a nation. Hitherto our whole anxiety has been absorbed
in the means for supporting our independedee, and we have
paid but little attention to the expenditure of money ; yet
we fee it daily depreciating, and how fliould it be otherwise
when io few public accounts are fettled, and new emiflions
continually going,on ? —I will venture to mention one cir
cura Stance which I hope will be fufficient to awaken the
attention of the public to this fubje&. In October 1777,
some books of the Commercial Committee, in which,
among other things, were kept the a. counts of Mr. Tho
jnas Morris, appointed a Commercial Agent in France,
were by Mr. Robert Merris's request taken i.itn his pqf
feflion to be fettled he having obtained from tee Council
of this Rate fix months leave- of absence from Congress to
fettle his affairs. In February following those books were
called for by Congress, but not being complicated were not
delivered. In September .1778 Mr. Morris returned them
to Congress, in, or nearly in, the fame unsettled Rate he
took them, which, with trie death of Mr. Thomas Mor
ris, miy probably involve those accounts in further em
barraifment. The amount of expenditure on those books
is considerably above two millions of dollars, t
Imow quit this subject to take notice of a paragraph in
Mr. rlain Truth, relative to myfelf. It never fell to my
lot to have to do with a more illiberal set of men than th-fe
0. Mr. Deane's advocates who were concerned in writing
that piece. They hive neither wi manners, nor hones
ty ; an inßance of which I ihalln.^v produce. In Speak
ing of Mr. Deane s contrasts with individuals in France,
I frid in my adirefs “ We are all fully fenirde., that the
“ gentlemen which havecome from France since trie arrival
“ of Doctor Franklin and Mr. Lee in that country are of
“ a different rank from the generality of those with whom
“ Mr. Deane contrasted when alone." These are the ex
act words I used in my addrtfs.
Mr. Plain Truth has misquoted the above paragraph into
his piece, and tint in a ma mer, which Blows him to be a
man 01little reading and lets principle. The method in
which he has quoted it is as follows. “ Al are fully fen
“ fible that the gentlemen who came from France since the
“arrival of Doctor Franklin and Mr. Lee in that country,
" are of a different rank with thole with whom Mr Deane
“ contrasted when aCting separately." Thus by leaving
out cue word,, “ the generality oj," Mr. Pliin Trutt ihas
altered the sens- of my expression, so as to suit a 1110 ft ma
le iouS purpose in his own, whicn cqu d be no otaer, tiara
that of embroiling me with the French gentlemen t at have
reniamed , whereas it is evident, that my mode of ex
preflion was intended to. do jufiice to,fuch characters as
Fieq-ry mJ TouGird, by making a dißinCtion, they are
clearly entitled to. Mr. Pl in Truth not content with
tnus un,ußly {objecting me to the mifeonceptions of those
gentlemen, with whom even expl .nation was difficult on
account of the language, but in addition to his injustice,
ende ivoured to provoke them to it by calling on them, and
reminding t.iem that they, were toe “ Guardia,;s oj tbeir
" oivn honor , and I have reason to believe, that either
Mr. Plain , ruth or some of the party did not even flop
he e, but wmr so far as personally to excite them on. Mr.
Fleury came to my lodgings and complained that I had
done aim great iniußice, but that he was sure I did not
intend K, because he was certain that I knew him better.
He i onxffe.i to me that he was pointed at a ,d teld that I
meant him, and ae T ithal desired, that as I knew his ser
vices and character, that f would put the matter right in
thenext paper. I endeavoured to explain to him that the
mistake was not mine, ani we parted. Ido not re
member that in the course of my reading i ever met < ith a
mode illiberal and malicious mifquot ition, and the more
so when all the circumstances are taken with it. Yet this
fame Mr. Plain frutn, whom no body knows, has the
impertinence to give nimftlf out to be a man of “ educati
on," and to inform the public that “ he is not a writer from
“ inclination much less by ^rojifon, to which he might
fafely have added, fill le/f by capacity, and leaf of all by
principle. As M. Clarkton has undertaken to avow the
piece signed Plain Truth, I Roll therefore confider him as
legally accountable for the apparent malicious intentions
cl tins mis-quotation, and he may get whom he pleases to
speak or write a defence for him.
I conceive that the general dißinCtion I referred to be
tween those with whom Mr. Deane contracted when alone,
and tho e who have come from France since the arrival of
Doctor Franklinand Mr. Lee in that country, is fuffici
ently warranted. That gallant and amiable officer and
volun epr the Marquis de la Fayette, and some others
whom Mr. Plain Truth mentions, did not come from
France till after the ar ival o; the additions Comnifßion
ers, and proves my affection to be rue. My remark is
conrined to the many and unnecessary ones w th which
Mr. Deane burtnened and dißraCted the army. If he ac
quired any part of his popularity in France by this means
he made the continent pay fmarily for it. Many thou
fmd pounds it cost America, and that in money totally
funk, on account of Mr. Deane's injudicious contracts,
and whit renders it the more unpardonable is, that by the
instructions he took with him, he was reflriaed from ma
king them, and confcquently by having no authority had
aa ea(y answer to give to felicitations. It was Doctor
Franklin's answer as fopn as he arrived and might have
been Mr. Deane's. Gendeuien of feience and literature
or conversant with the polite or ufeful arts, will, I pre
sume, always find a welcome reception in America, at lead
with persons of a liberal cast, and with the bylk of the
people.
In speaking of Mr. Deane's contracts with foreign offi
cers, i concealed, out of pity to him, a circumstance that
must have fufficiently Shewn the necessity of recalling him,
ahd, either his treat want of judgment, Qr the danger of
trusting him with diferetionary power. Itis no less than
that of his throwing ou a propo al, in one of his last fo
reign letters, for contracting with a German Prince to
comm nd the American army. Fur my own part I was
no ways furprifeJ when I read it, though I presume ai
med every body else will be fowhen Gey hear it, and I
think when he'got to this length, it was time to “saddle”
him.
t There is an article in the Constitution of this state,
which, were it at tins time introduced as a Continental re
gulation, might be of infinite service : I mean a Council of
Censors to infped into the expenditure of public money and
call defaulters To an account. It is, in my opinion, one of
the best things in the Constitution, and that which the peo
ple ought never to give up, and whenever they do they
will deserve to be cheated. It has not the most favorable
look that those who are hoping to succeed to the govern
ment of this hate, by a change int e Constitution, are so
anxious to get that article abolished. Let expenses be
ever so great, only let them be fair and neceff.iry, and no
good citizen will grumble.
Perhaps it may be said, Why do not the Congress do
those things? Jo which I might, by another question,
reply, Why don't you support them when they attempt it ?
It is not quite so easy a matter to accomplish that point in
Congress as perhaps many conceive; men wiil'always find
friends and connections among the body that appoints
them, which will render all such enquiries difficult,
Mr. Deane was directed by the Committee winch cm.
ployed him to engage four able engineers in France, and
be yond this he had either authority nor commission. But
disregarding his inftruftions, (a fault criminal in a nego
ciator) he proceeded through the several decrees of fa "afc
terns, to Captains, Majors, Lieutenant Colonels, f olo
neis, Brigadier Generals; ynd at lift to Mpor Generals -
he Sixt their rank, regulated their command, and on feme,
1 believe, he beftoweda penfi'on. At thi Rage, I set him
down tor a Commander in Chief, and his next letter prov
ed me prophetic. - '
Mr. Plain J ruth in the course of his numerous enco
miums on Mr. Deane, fays, that “The letter of the Count
" de Vergennes, written hy^rder of his Most Christian
“ Maefty to Congress, speaking ofMr. Deane in the most
“ honorable manner, and the letter from that Minificr in
" his own character, written net in the language of a cour
“ tier, but in that of a person who felt what he expressed,
“ would be fufficient t w counterbalance, not only the 0-
“ pinions of the writer of the address to Mr. Deane, but
even of characters of more influence, who may vainly
“ endeavor to circulate notions of his insignificancy and
“ unfitnefs for a public minister"•
I ne supreme authority ofone country, however differ
ent may be its mode, will ever pay a ult regard to tout of
another, more Specially when in alliance. But thole let
ters can extend no further than to such parts of Mr. Deane's
conduit as came under the immediate notice of the Court
as a public Mnaifler, or a political agent; and cannot be
fuppoled to interfere with (uch other p irts as might be dis
approved in him here as a (ontra&er or a Commercial
Agent ; and can in no place be applie I as an extenuation
of any imprudence of his either there or since his return,
besides which, letters of this kind, are as much intended
to compliment the power that employs, as the per on em
ployed ; and upon the whole, I fear Mr. Deane has pre
sumed too much upon the polite friendship of that nation,
and en : ruffed to himfelf, a regard, that was p irtly intend
ed to express, through him, an affection to the conti
nent.
Mr. Deane should likewise recoiled that the early ap
pearance of any gentleman from America, was a circum
stance, so agreeable to the nation he had the honor of ap
pearing at, that he must have managed unwisely indeed to
have avoided popularity. For as the poet fays,
“ fnme then i^as cheap and the fir,, corners Jped,
The laR line of the couplet is not applicable.
“ Which they bavejince preferw'd by being dead.”
(To be continued :n our next.)
Mr. DUNLA P,
^- H E pains which has been taken by the author of a
^ piece in your last paper, signed M. Clarkfon, to vi
lify and lessen the chara&er of the author of Common Sense,
appears to be designed to intimidate him, and to draw the
public attention from the question before them.
Mr. Payne has a right to protedion from the public, in
dependent of the favour of Mr. Plain Truth, Mr. Clark
son, or any of the aiders and abetters of either of them ,
and whatever these men may think, I am fully fatisfied,
the public will defend him against any attack which shall
be made on him in consequence of his publications, while
they tend to the information of the people, on any fubjed
in which they are interefled.
Previous to the publication of the piece signed Plain
Truth, the author declared his nayte, Should be left with
the Printer. Has this been done ? This is a very plain
question. M. Clarkfon has twice avowed the piece ; but
is he the author ? He has not yet said he is ; and the pub
lic i n general believehe is not. If he is the author why not
fay so ? If he it not, he has stepped in between the author
and the public, by which means the author remains unjeen
as Mr. Payne has said. Whether the author of the piece
signed Plain Truth, is justly fliled by Mr. Payne an un-
Jeen incendiary, or not, the people will judge for them
felve: It will probably come befarea jury.—Let any man
or candour examine the Litter part of the fourth paragraph,
wherein there is a quotation from Common Sense, and then
fay, whether or not there is an evident design to inflame
the resentment of the French officers there mentioned a
gainst Mr. Payne. If this appears to be the design, is it,
or is it not an incendiary design ?
Haw does Mr. Plain Truth account for his pretending to
give quotations from Common Sense, in the paragraphs
mentioned, and suppressing parts of the sentence he pretend#
to give ? The words “ Che generality oftbe/e,” which he
has suppressed, gives the sentiment a very different com
plexion from what it wears, as quoted by Mr. Plain Truth.
Is this candid ? Is it honest?
fan. id, i 77 9. T. GRACCHUS.
By the Halifax Packet, Captain Boulderfon, lately arrived
at New-York jram England, we have the following ad
vices—Taken from New-York Papers of the tall month.
CONSTANTINOPL'E, Sept. 3.
fr W O hundred thousand people have lately died of the
1 plague, and the city is almost become like a defart.
Minden, Sept. 1,. The King's head quarters were 011
the Sth instant at Wildfcutz. His Majesty, as well as
Prince Henry, hath tried all experiments to bring the Em
perer and General Laudohn to a general engagement, but
without effect. The Hanoverian army continue their pre
parations for taking the field, in order to cover the Prussian
dominions of Magdebourg and Halberftadt, ihould there
be oecafion for it.
Intelligence is this moment received from Bohemia that
en the 12th instant Prince Henry marched with his army
from Nimes, crossed the river Elbe, and advanced towards
Lawofchutz, with intent to march to Prague.
L O N D O N.
Aug. 29. Tue Captain of the Duke is certainly broke for
his cowardly behaviour in the late engagement.
Sept. 26. The transports that are to t ke in provisions
at Corke for the use of the army at New-York, are to fail
from thence, under convoy, the nth of next month.
Since the long nights have come on, it has been found
difficult in the camp of Coxheath, to keep the militia sent
ries awake on their posts. Notwithstanding the import
ance of this part of duty, much indulgence has been shewn
them, as being accuStomed, from their former manner of
life, to goto rest at early hours; while, at the fame time,
many expedients were devised, to inure them to so neceffa,
ry a branch of discipline, as well as to prevent the danger
ous consequences that might arise from the neglect ofit, if
an enemy should actually be in the country. Nothing,
however, proved effe&ual, till, at length, it luckly occur