The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1783-05-01 00:00:00, page 2

From the Political NT A 0 AZ I Nt, for Janu
ary, 1783.
The following letter is hid to have been written by
Mr. Laurens, to a merchant in the city, on the event
of his ton's death.
" MY Dear Friend,
" V Have a melancholy tale to fend yon. ,My fan was
I killed at Cambohee Bluff, at the head of a small
detachment, in a skirmish with a party of the Eritifh
forces under the command of major Brereton. When
I revolve this fatal blow, and turn the circumflances of
the present war in my mind, I am led to conclude that
Providence frowns on the obfiinate continuance of so
unnatural a contefl, and points its vengeance at the
leading men. I had hopes in the rising glory of this ex
cellent young man, which fed my declining years with
comfort. I looked on him with all the fond delight of
an approving parent, and I considered him in a direct
path to the highest honors which our new world could
bellow. But I have been too ambitious; for just
in the very moment when my fabric of glory was com
pleted, an unerring han^ hurled a fatal ball that has
levelled the building for ever, and leaves me to mourn
®ut the remainder of life in sorrow and affliction. [
now indeed feel those pangs, most sensibly, which o
(her foolers parents have experienced since the (word
has been unsheathed on the American shore ; nor can
that phiiofophy which I preached to others, afford
one ay of comfort to me. I amdeprived of that which
cannot be r< stored, and mus facknowledge the justice
of Heaven in not exempting the principal agents in war,
from the uncommon calamities of battle.
“ Good God ! my friend, what a feene of blood has
been exhibited in this contest. How many widows
has been made, how many orphans has it occaloned ?
and alas! how many, many sons have been snatched
from their now unhappy parents ! the very earth smokes
with blood ; and almofl every field contain the slaugh
tered bodies of Britons and Americans, whose aoimofi
ty was only to be reconciled in the grave of death.—
When I seriously confider these matters, as the present
moment I do, a train of horrer rises to my imagination,
and I fee that the impropriety of the leaders on both
sides, is the sole cause of all that has happened ; and
that on them vengeance will fall in the end. It is time,
therefore, to think of peace—it is time that the sword
should return to itsquiet habitation, and that the arms
which have been lifted against each other, should now
embrace with brotherly affeßion ; and by a permanent
bond of friendship, make some atonement for all the
mifehiefs they have occasioned.
" On my part, you may rest assured, that every
effort (hall be exerted to bring about this great object,
and once more to bind in unity and concord, those
brethren who have been so long attempting the de
firuaion of each other. There are many falfe lights,
in which the patriotic glory of a citizen is often view
ed ; and one of them is the deftrudion of a fellow crea
ture for an error in thinking—a fellow creature, not in
the charaHer of a common enemy, but in the internal
habits of fraternal friendship. This life, my dear
friend, is but a short space of time, and our business
should be to make ourselves happy ; not in the glare
of military atchievments, nor in the ambition of civil
oppression. The one is murder—the other tyranny.
Both, in an enlightened age are to be avoided, if those
who preside had as much refped for the well-being of
those whom they govern, as they entertain for their
own ambition, or their own emolument. The great
mass of mankind are never in the wrong. Error always
arises from a few leaders, whose opinions are held
too sacred, and whose judgement is often mis
taken. This truth is fatally verified in the present
war, which might have been easily avoided, had Great-
Britain been lets haughty, and America been more
dispassionate. The rubicon, however, is now indeed
passed, and its flream has been crimsoned with kindred
gore.
“ I have now no ambition left, but that of feeing
peace reflored. I have no other glory in view ; for
he, on whom my only hope rested, is numbered a
mong the thousands of his countrymen, whose pulse
of life no longer beat. My boy is gone, and with him
all my happiness! He was in the bloom of life—in the
fulnefs of military fame, adored, refpeded, and esteem
ed by all who knew him. The loss of such a son is
enough to break an old man's heart. Indeed, indeed
my friend, I most sensibly feel the firoke; nor can all
my fortitude on this orcafiou rife fuperi'or to the in
firmities of nature. My enemies in malice, for such
almost every man has, may now triumph: they fee
me stabbed in the tendered, in the only vulnerable
part • they fee me the most wretched of mankind, tak
ing all the misery of the most poignant dißrefs, in de
fence of the blessings of a country in which I can ne
ver taste happine's. Farewell! and may we food meet
the day, when we shall embrace as national brothers,
in the fame manner we now can do as private friends."
Your's, &c. &c. &c.
Foreign Intelligence.
PAR I S, Januuary 23.
SOME time ago Dr Franklin sent to South-Carolina
nine vine-dressers from Burgundy, and 1,200,000
sets of plants of vines, to try whether those plants
would thrive there. Our merchants do not with they
may. '
HAGU E, Feb.fr
The dates of Hol and and Weft Frfefland resumed
their deliberations to day. We are assured their high
mightinesses will this week nominate a resident to
North-America.
We learn that their high mightinesses have, agreeably
to the proposition of the deputies of Holland, and the
orders of the dates of the other provinces, resolved
unanimously, « That the naval preparations shall be
pushed on vigorously ;" notice whereof is to be sent
to the refpedive admiralties, for their inftrnßion in
this refpetl.
Many wagers cf 10'0 guineas to 80, have been laid,
within this week pass, that there is another French war
before the expiration.of f^ ur years.
Lord Selburne's resignation is talked of with great
confidenceat the weft end of the town. The terms of
peace have given general disgust throughout the nation,
and his having kept it profoundly secret until the
possibility of retradion was passed, is universally con
sidered as a great difrefpea to the trading part of the
country, who were so Pronely interested in the event.
Extract of a letter from Chatham, Feb. 17.
" The Sandwich of 90, Belleifle of 64, and Warwick
of 50 guns, are ordered to be paid off at this port."
Extras of a letter from Barbadoes, Dec, 31.
“ Three days since, Mr. Hutchefon, a wealthy planter
of this island, was executed for the murder of his par
ticular acquaintance, Dr. Watkins. We have not such
solemnities often ; but when they do happen, they are
much heightened by a striking proceffiou. Mr. Hutch
efon was attended to the place of execution by a cap
tain's guard, in addition to that of the civil power, the
drums and fifes playing a dead march. The wife of the
unfortunate convift paid him the last visit on,the fatal
morning of his exit, and Raid with him so long that the
interposition of her friends was necessary to separate
them, in order to carry his sentence into execution : no
sooner, however was this done, than file mounted her
horse, rode within a hundred yards of the gibbit, to
wait the death of her husband, and perform the last
office, in feeing his remains placed in the herfe, all which
she Supported with singular fortitude. The criminal
bore but an indifferent character, independent of the
crime for which he fuffered ; but from the moment of
his conviction, no man could conduct himfelf better,
or difeover more real penitence. A prodigious con
course dispeople attended his execution, which, was on
the pier at Bridgetown, close to the water's edge, af
fording a diftina, but melancholy fpeflacle to the British
fleet lying at anchor!"
L O N D O N.
Feb. 6. Yeflerday lord Carlisle made a formal resig
nation of his place as |6rd Reward of his majesty's
houfhold ; and we have the bed authority for aflur
ing the public, that it will, in the course of a few days,
be followed by the resignation of several others. The
reason of lord Carlifle's refi nation is, the entire dis
approbation he has of the peace; to oppose which, his
lordship did not think confident, while he held the above
office.
HOUSE of COMMON S,
February, 2r, 1783.
REASONS of Sir Keith Stewart, in support of the
PEAC E.
" I think myfelf fortunate that l ean speak with
confidence upon a fubje&, with which probably no
member present has such perfect acquaintance as I
have. My authority is such as admits of no doubt.
A noble lord, (lord Mulgrave) and some other mem
bers have given as a reason for their repugnance to
fubferibe to the terms of peace, the flourishing Rate
of our land and sea forces. They have said that we
were superior to the combined enemy, by sea, in all
parts of the world, and particularly in the Weft In
dies, to windward and leeward. I answer, that this is
taking advantage of a very momentary superiority.
To begin with the Weft Indies, there were 60 ships of
the line in the port of Cadiz upon the point of failing
for that part of the world. The number of large
ships, French and Spanish, which these would find
there already were 27 or 28; could we have pretend
ed to a superiority against a fleet of 90 fail of the
line.
As to the East-Indies, tho' at the moment when fir
Richard Bickerton would join fir Edward Hughes, we
might be on an equal footing with the French, I know
with equal certainty, that France had, as well on the
way, as on the point of departure for India, 5 fail of
the hue, and 5 cr 6 others of less force.
We come next to speak of the naval forces allotted
for the defence of this island and of our trace. It
would not have been this year as during tne last cam
paign. It is not probable, that the Low Dutch would
have lain ina&i\e in their ports, or that diffentions,
which by a mirac e saved our Baltic fleet, would have
this year worked new miracles in our favour. I lay
it down for sass, and I speak with certainty, that if
the war had gone on a year longer, at the opening of
the campaign, the Hollanders would have had 52 fail
of the line, at sea, which joined with the naval force
which the house of Bourbon would have kept in Eu
rope, must inevitably have crushed us. These are no
paradoxes or sophisms ; they are faffs which speak to
reason ; they are fads which have produced a peace,
founded on found policy, prudence and wifdom $ a
peace which was indifpenfibly necessary to be conclud
ed, and which, at the bottom, contains nothing dis
honorable for this country."
NOTE of the News-Writer.
We might goon and exhibit 20 members, 10 of whom
commented on the reasons for, and 10 on the reaons a
gainst the peace ; but however ready our fpeechifyers
may be on every possible fubjeft, there can be only a
limited number of reasonable arguments winch impress
upright minds, and when these have been once given,
the new modifications of them only serve to lessen their
solidity and propriety. It is easy to fee that above
half of the members who speak in the house, would
not tire their lungs if it were not necessary to noti/y
their dependants, the course they are to take upon put
ting the question. We shall add, that this upon which
fir Keith (poke, was the fourth vote put by lord John
Cavendish, which obliged the minister to retire.
He loft it by 17 votes. We have seen the consequence
of it ; God alone knows the final result of it.
D U B L I N, February 16.
All the commissioners who have been authorised by
the oppressed Genevans, to make proper enquiries
concerning the different asylums which have been of
fered to them, and the advantages they severally af
ford, are now in this city. This commission confifis
of seven persons, to wit, Mr. William Ringler, here
tofore counfellor of Rate at Geneva, Mr. Stephen Cla
niveatid Mr. Anry Melly, heretofore members of the
TR E NT O N, April 2 %
Saturday last his excellency the governor of the Rate,
accompanied by the honourable the vice president
and a number of the gentlemen of this town, set out'
on his way to his feat near Elizabeth-town: previous
to his departure the inhabitants waited on his excel
lency, and by their committee appointed for that
purpose presented to him the following address:
May it please your Excellency,
THE inhabitants of Trenton and the vicinity, ani
mated with the most sincere joy, beg leave ra
congratulate your excellency on the full establishment
of the independence of America, and the accomplifh
merit of a glorious peace. Opr acknowledgments to
those decided and persevering patriots who have, by
their exertions and their fufferings, been instrumental
under Providence, in procuring these blessings, are^
we assure your excellency, no less sincere than our joy
and we should confider ourselves as wanting in a pro-'
per expression of them, if we omitted this occasion of
manifefting our high refped for your character and
virtues as a difljngpifhed patriot, and upright, zealous
magistrate. We recoiled, with pleasure and venerati
on, that when the helm of Rate was committed to your
hands, at an ear)^ period of the revolution, you ac
cepted, with firmnefs, the perilous Ration ; and when
the Rorm encreafed and raged with the greatest vio
lence, we have seen you persevering in the face of eve
ry danger and difeou ragement, till we have happily ar
rived in the haven of peace, liberty and independence.
We cannot omit our thanks for the affability and at
tentions we have experienced from your excellency
during your residence in this place, which have called
forth our unfeigned esteem for your private and so
cial virtues; and our sincere regret at your departure
would be Rill greater, did we not reflea that it restores
you to that domeflic felicity which you have been so
long obliged to facrifice to the public welfare. With
these sentiments of gratitude and affe&ion, fitting, we
trull, for freemen to express, and for the firft magis
trate of a free people to hear, we wish a long continu
ance of domestic and personal happiness to your ex
cellency, the warm attachment of a generous and grate
ful people, " the teflimony of a good confeience," and
the favours of indulgent Heaven.
In behalf of the inhabitants,
Elihu Spencer,
Isaac Smcth, /
John Cox, (-Committee,
Sam. W. Stockton,n
Wm. C. Houston, -J
To which His Excellency was pleated to return the
following Answer :
'Gentlemen,
yOU do me great honour by your very polite and
friendly address, for which I return yob my most
hearty thank r .
I have never been fond of parade, nor courted ap
plause; but when men of sense, when true patriots,
when those who have distinguished themselves in our
late arduous conflia, approve of the public conduct of
men in eminent Rations, such applause cannot fail of
imparting zeal and heartfelt fatisfa&ion. It produces
this effect in the breast of everv man of sensibility, be
cause, (where flattery is not to be presumed, and re
publicans should feern to flatter) it ought to be regard
ed as an additional teflimony to that of his own con
feioufnefs of the reditude of his intentions, whatever
errors he may, through human frailty, or the fingulac
difficulty of the times, have involuntarily committed.
I mod sincerely join you, gentlemen, with heart
and with voice, in your exultations on the full efia
blilhment of the independence of America, and the
accomplishment of a glorious peace. I join you with
heart and with voice, in my acknowledgments to those
decided and persevering patriots who have, by their
exertions and their fufferings, been instrumental, un
der Providence, in procuring those blessings. That
you are pleated to rank me amongß such illoflrious
characters, deserves my warmest gatitude; and the
share I have had in the glorious cause, small as it is
in comparison of the exertions of thousands of others,
I shall ever confider as the most ufeful, the most im
portant, and the best employed part of my life; and
enjoy, I hope, the contemplation of it even in the ve
ry solemn hour of death;
council of Two Hundred, Mr. Jimes Anthony Duro
veray, heretofore attorney-general, Mr. Isaiah Gale,
formerly minister of the church of Geneva, Mr. James
Grenas, counfellor of Rate, and Mr. Francis D'lver
nois, advocate: All those gentlemen had an audience
of the lord lieutenant on Friday last, and have had
the honor to lay before his excellency the powers which
they have from their countrymen.
The favourable sentiments, gentlemen, which you
are pleased to entertain of my affability and attentions,
at the fame time that they do me great honour, very
properly remind me and every other magißrate ap
pointed by a free people, of our duty, and direst our
eyes to that grand object of which no man in public
office ought ever to lose fight, " that for the service
" of the people, and to promote the happiness of so
" ciety, he is appointed by the people to the office he
“ sustains."
The social pleafure^ I have enjoyed in the company
of the inhabitants of Trenton and vicinity, when bu
siness had admitted of leisure for recreation, have, in
a great measure, compensated for the deprivation of
that domestic happiness to which the lingular cruelty
of the late war, on the part of the enemy, has so long
obliged me to be a flranger. Do me the justice, gen
tlemen, to be persuaded, that but for the particular
situation I am in, I should take my I rave of those ia~
habitants with Rill greater regret than I do.
American News.