The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-08-29 00:00:00, page 2

From the New-Jersey GAZETTE.
g*" l REAT-fRITAIN having tried in vain to reduce
(^^ tins country by fore, is now placing a second
game, in attempting to win over the minds of
the people to her views, by addressing herfeif to theim
tereft of individuals.
Sit Robert Walpole, the farther of corruption in
B o ^m, who frm many years experience as prime mi
niftr, had obtained an intimate knowledge of human
nature, uhd to sty, '< every man has his price " This
was only a more enlarged m<din<arion of Philip of
Macedon's maxim, “ that no city was impregnable in
to which an ass might enter laden with gold ;" and it
is fat'd he made himfelf master of more fortified towns
by this fort of artillery, than by ths strength of his ar
mies. Sir Robert did not confine his observation to
gold alone, he meant that feme were to be corrupted by
money, others by honours ; in fine, that the particular
paffiun was to be gratified, of whatsoever nature of kind
it may be. Governor Jchnftone, while in America,
put in practice this maxim of Walpole's, having ac
knowledge in the hbufe of commons that he had msde
life of other me?ns than persuasion, in order to make
converts to tlreß iti(h mtereft. From which declara
tion, and other circumstances, we have reason to be
lieve there is, at this time, a number of pensioners re
siding among us, who are bribed to for ward the cause
of th-ir employers. This cannot be done more effe&u
ally at prefect, than by introducing the manufactures
of Great-Britain into thele flutes, which has a two-fold
operation in their favour; firit, by providing a vent for
their Commodities, which lay a dead weight upon their
hands; and, secondly, by aiming a blow at our taxes
and fureds.
e^Md tiWesM&zMyfflWAb
R ID ING
With letters, dispatches or matters of trust, upon any
occasion, at an hour's notice, to every distance, will be
executed by a person of a fair and good character; rea
sonable security for performance of the undertaking will
be given it desired. Those persons who may chufe to
employ him will enquire of the Printers
Agriculture and manufactures are the foundations of
the wealth of Great Britain; the farmer tells his flax
and wool to the manufacturer,' who forms them into a
thousand shapes, and difoo^s o' them to the merchant,
who fends the fuperfluovs part abroad for sale. If the
merchant is disappoint'd in the fair, he cannot pay
the manufacturer, neither can ths manufacturer pay
the farmer, who is thereby disabled from Applying his
taxes. Hence the disagreeable neceflity oftentimes of
increasing the old taxes, or laying new ores, which,
in a country like England, heavily taxed as itis, is ever
apt to breed murmurs and discontents among the people.
This is one reason why ever* friend to America should
oppose ths involution of Britifti goods anions us at
this critical period.—But another more forcible than
the former presents itfelf to our view; it is, that the
enemy is draining us of our current cilh, so cffertial
at this time to the prosecution of the war. They know
we are just emerging from a sea of piper money, in
which we had well-nigh been loft. They know we
have i nported from abroad large sums in specie, which
have enabled us to do without paper ; and that it would,
with the present good management, have put it in our
power to have paid our taxes in solid coin. They know
too, that we have among us a set of men, who, re
gards fs of the welfare of their country, are only to be
tempted to be wore over to their views ; who are rea
dy, whenever the opportunity offers, to give them ell
our gold and silver for their manufactures, and cur li
berty into the bargain.
If we allow this pernicious traffic to go on, we shall
not, in - little time, have a milling of hard money
left among us. In this cfr we (half h, irvapaNe of
paving taxes in gold or silver, without which it will
not be possible either to cloath or feed an army ; the
confluences of which will be, that our lands muff lie
open to the ravages of the enemy, our houfs he de
Proved, and our cattle driven away ; and all thele
things are to be suffered because a few miscreants are
desirous of getting rich,
But there are some other arguments which also merit
our consideration, if we refpe& the laws of our coun
try, the interest of the fair trader, or the reputation
of America Congress feeing the ill tendency of ex
changing our gold and silver for British goods, and
having recommended it to the ftveral states to pass
laws to prevent it, some of the legislatures have gone
into the measure with a spirit truly becoming Ameri
can patriots. In Pennsylvania no Bntifh manufactures,
except prize goods, are allowed to be brought in,
even from neutral ports. The merchant there, at an
immense expence and risk, fends his vessels across the
Atlantic for Supplies of manufactures ; but, before they
return, difeovers the market is spoiled by a glut of
British goods brought fr®m New-York, in payment
for which the circulating medium of bard cath, so es
sential to the prosperity of trade, is sent thither. Is
there justice, or even humanity in such conduct ?
But what will our great and good ally, the king of
France, think of this traffic, after the many seasonable
aid o' men and money he has furnished us in our utmost
distress ? In whata mean and defpicablel ight must they
appear to him; how unworthy the buffings of liberty,
who can so soon forget the ravages and insults of the
British armies, who can lay aside their just resentments,
and even Sacrifice, as far an lies in their power, the in
terest and happiness of their country. I conjure you,
my countrymen, as vou tender the welfare and fafety
of America, to bestir your Selves, to watch every avenue
by which this destructive trade may be carried on with
our enemies, to keep an attentive eye to all the manoeu
vres of these sons of mammon, and by this kind of war
fare you will render your country as e ffential services
in the present stage of the contest, as you have done
in the field with your muskets and bayonets.
C AI U S.
His grace added, that previous to the conclusion of
his remarks, he must beg leave particularly to address
himfelf to t^e n<ble vifeount in the green ribband who,
probably, might ima ine from his powerful weight and
influence resulting from his exalted public Ration, and
from his potent family connexions, that he was aCual
ly a great minister, and a great man in this country.
It, however, behoved him to recoiled that the Ship of
which he seemed the noble pilot, was, at the present
aweful moment, agitated by a violent and dangerous
tempest which it would prove extremely difficult to
weather. He earnestly wished that the noble vifeount
would confide, the power and effect of all the various
elements with which this vessel of the state was detained
to Contend : that he would refleß in time, upon the
common hazard which it ran of finking to the bottom,
and upon the good policy of treating the crew at least
with tolerable civility, and of not affutning the haugh
ty port and the insulting language of an arrogant com
mander who, much too confident that the vessel wou'd
arrive fafely within the harbour, had determined not to
relax, even fora moment, his accuflomed distance, and
contempt for all around him. At this instant, admi
nistration appeared to wear their honors and their offi
ces iu all the plenitude of pride; and (if a judgement
could be formed from their arFeded greatness) consider
ed themselves as objeds of the general envy. It was,
however, to be feared that the calamitous and humilia
ting period would soon approach at which they might
become the obj°&s of the general pity; and when feel
ing to the quick, the gathering and irretrievable cala
mities of the nation, they would and must bend down
their lofty crefl, and speaking in a gentler tone, ex
change for the profeffions of repentance, the too pre
sumptuous language of a mind, which plumes itfelf up
on the fancied permanence of power, that may be dash
ed away without the warning of a single moment.
Vifeount Stormont rose again, and said, that it was
impoffibie to describe with what aflonifhment he hear*-
ed the pointed and unmerited reflections which the no
ble duke had heaped upon him, as a kind of punishment
for expressions, that however, violently misinterpreted,
were of themselves too unexceptionable to afford the
flighted cause for censure. His lordship trusted, that
in the judgement of the house, he Rood intirely acquit
ted ; and that they must conceive, that neither all nor
any part of his expressions deserved the singular reply
or rather commentary which had been put upon them
by the noble duke. He only meant to fiate his fixed
opinion that a continual adherence to the established
rules and forms of parliament was absolutely requifite*
and that by declining to enter upon premature difcuffi-'
ons of the business which was not yet brought regular
ly before the house, and consequently, could not be
TH E duke of Richmond rose a second tifoe,
and said he should have imagined that the
open, candid manner in which he took the
liberty of Rating to the house a business,
certainly of some importance, could neither fail to
have a full effect upon the minds of mibifters, nor,
what was more extraordinary, contribute to an
indirect refufal of the requested information. But the
noble vifeount in the green ribband thought proper to
meet openness and candor with disdain; and conceived
that it became his dignity to rife, not merely for the
fake of giving his assurance to their lordships that he
refolded, if possible, to keep them from all knowledge
of the several points relating to the fubjed, but to
convince them that he would bear himfelf with an ex
alted hand, and haughtily receive each requisition,
made to ministers (by peers who were not of their par
ty) though unexceptionable in itfelf, refpedful by the
mode of introducing it, and Singularly important to
the consequences that might ensue. The noble vifeount,
undoubtedly, supposed it proper, in the greatness of
his mind, to scorn to follow the candid and the liberal
example which had been set him, and deemed it a Con
summate flroke of wisdom to wrap himfelf within tne
mantle of his ministerial capacity; and with all the
pomp of words and the parade of tone and geflure, to
fay : “ Not until the question comes properly before
the house, Shall I declare my sentiments concerning it.
I do not hold myfelf as bound to answer calls from any
individual, and therefore I will not divulge my own
opinions, until Monday next, when motions for en
quirks may be regular y made." Thus might the mat
ter rest. The noble vifeount mod certainly enjoyed,
in common with his peers, the privilege of adopting
this, hitherto unusual, line of condua, and of withhold
ing from the house all information which was not
wrung from him in full compliance with the Rrifteft
rules and forms. Vet lie begged leave to tell the no
ble vifeount, that there was a time win n the deport
ment of a minister would have appeared Irfs haughty,
and when if (as at present) a question had been put to
him thus openly and candidly, and the peer proposing
it had most explicitly avowed that his -chief view, on
this occasion, was in order to avoid tr spa ffing 'too
much upon the time and patience of their lordships, at
a future day, that minifler would have Condefeended
to rife, and either to declare at once that particular
reasons of state must unavoidably prevent him from
giving an immediate answer to the questions aiked, or
to express his readiness to divulge the whole intelli
gence with which he had been furnifhed. The duke
remarked, that he had called upon ministers colleriive
ly, but not on any individual as a private peer of
parliament, and that his question being of a public
nature, he was intitled to an open and full a reply. The
conduct of the noble vifeount occasioned him to despair
of receiving it; and, therefore, nothing remained but
to give notice, that on the Monday following, he
should propose some motions. He also now moved,
that on Monday the fourth infiant, the lords be fum-'
monedi
DEBATES in the House of lords, on the 27th of Fe
bruary, 1782, refpefting the Execution of Colonel
ISAAC HAYNES, at Charleflown, on the
day of August, 1781.
(Continued from our lafl.)
Prem the PARLIAMENTARY REGISTER.
deemed the proper fubjed of debate, he manifeffed that
deference and refpeft which he should always Drive to
shew to every order that received the fandion of their
lordships. Delivering these sentiments, he could ven
ture to assert, in spite of the insinuations of the noble
duke, that he had not recurred to pompous tones, to
haughty gestures or to proud and dwelling language
but that he used a form of words as plain, and accom
panied them with emphasis and a&ion as cautiously re
pressed and unassuming as it was possible for him to
adopt. To pomp of every kind he was averse ; nor
could tie think so vainly of himfelf as to presume to
make the slightest claim to eloquence. Had he pro
ceeded to the liberty of using such a language as that
wit . h r h ^. the n ° ble . du ke thought proper to address
their lordships ; had either he or any member of admi
nistration defeended to the illiberality of talking of their
crew, then might they have lain open to the charge of
having ventured to address their lordships in a stil e the
most indecent which possibly could be conceived. He
should indeed disdain to utter words so grossly unbe
coming. He should have blushed at such a glaring in
stance ofa total want of that refpeft to which the house
was constantly intitled. He should ....
The earl of Abingdon observed, that he rose for the
purpose of speaking to order, because he perceived, that
the noble vifeount (Stormont) in the green ribband,
was on the point of running into personalities, difa
gretabe in themselves, and not productive of the least
advantage either to the public or to the country. The
noble vifeount had certainly mifeonftrued the expres
sion of the noble duke (of Richmond) -who using the
word crew, during his comparison of the Rate to a ves
sel toff' d and agitated in a dangerous storm, evidently
alluded to the people at large, and not to any of the
peers of that house, voting either with or against his
majesty's miniflers. His lordship said that effeDually
to prevent all personalities whatsoever, he should him
felf move a question.
Vifeount Stormont, proceeding in his speech, said,
that he was incapable of being governed for a moment,
by the odious and, on this occasion, the highly crimin
al passion of contempt for either the noble duke indi
vidually, or for the house collectively. He declared
himfelf at a loss to discover whether he ought to confi
der as a compliment, or as a fir ke of irony, the ob
servation of the noble duke, that he possessed great
weight and influence; but he could assert, that he
made no pretensions either to the one, or to the other-
He well knew that the interest of every man on board
the vessel of the Rate was equal ; because the common
concerns or all ranks of the people were embarked in
one bottom. It was therefore natural for every person
to feel the fame anxiety for the preservation of the ves
sel, in the we fare of which none, howsoever axahed in
rank, had a right to suppose himfelf more interested
than another. All adventurers on board of it were of
equal importance and it would prove criminal in any
individual to advance preteOTons to superior notice.
Relatively to hir own particular situation, his lordship
said that, in a moment of great exigency, and when
the Rate of affairs was extremely critical and difficult,
he was called upon, as it were by accident, to fill a
highly responsible office in the line of his profeffion, and
to the nature of which his former avocations had ren
dered him not absolutely a Rran;er. During the whole
time that he was honoured with the permission to retain
""' P°„ e had endeavoured (and he would endeavour
to the last moment of his holding it)to exert every nerve
in the execution of the duties of it, and to promote
faithfully and zealoußy, and to the utmost of his pow
er, judgement and abilities, the real interefls, and wel
fare of his cpuntri. Such were his sentiments- and,
such his undisguised and well inclined profeffio'ns, the
Rncenty of which would not, he trusted, be called in
question even ly these with whom he had not the ho
nour to coincide in their political opinions, when, to
confirm and flrengthen his assertions, he seriously
declared that the integrity and zeal with which he
should tranfaß the business of his department (he had
no right to speak of talents) could be equalled only
by the pleafire which he should feel at the approach
of opportunities to resign it into the hands of a fuccef.
for more capable of filling it with honour to himfelf
and with advantage to the nation.
The duke of Ri,hmond answered that if the noble vis
count in the green ribband was not possessed (as he him
iclf declared) of weight and influence,and actually made
no pr tenuous to either the one or the other, he Should
not nutate to tell him that, of all men living, he was
the east fit to be a minister. At this alarming junc
r° re ' r °° P er .'° n food jollified in accepting a highly re
fp^flile office (for such it actually was) who did not
possess considerable weight and influence, both in the
caviller and in parliament, in the closet of bis office
and in the consideration of the people at large.- His
grace said that the noble vifeount had totally misin
terpreted the sense of his expressions; and that when
he mentioned the crew (a term, the lignification of
which in the present inßance, had been mod clearly
and obligingly given by a noble earl (of Abingdon) ne
had not the most diflant idea whatsoever of alluding
particularly to tne house ; but referred to the whole
body of the people whole common concerns (to use the
just language of the noble vifeount in the green rib
band) were embarked in one bottom, and who ought
to feel an equal anxiety for the preservation of the
vessel. Thus far the position of the noble vifeount was
indisputable. But, his idea that all adventurers
on board this vessel of the state were equal; and that
no individual advanced pretensions to superior notice
was open to objections. Several were more at eaR?
and happier in their birth than others- and, fur'ly
the poor bailors to whom thet^fk and toil of navigate
ing the vessel was conflantly assigned, felt greater rea.
son to complain of effeDs of the tempers than those
who were at shelter in the state cabbin, and felt not ei
ther the fury of the waves or the violence of the florm.
Much, however, did it behove the pilots at the helm
to take care how they pushed on the vessel along that
and (i ^^ rous track in which thethitherto
directed her. Of late, (he had approached, with a rapi
dity that caused a general alarm, the pointed rocks and
Ihoals, on which her ignorant and frantic helmsmen.