The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-02-25 00:00:00, page 2

Extract of a Letter from Smyrna, dated the <)tb of July
1778, transmitted to the Lord Efount Weymouth by bis
Excellency Sir Robert Ainftie, bis Majeflfs Ambassador at
Conflant inople.
" PREVIOUS to the 16th of last month, fomelight
I Shocks of Earthquakes had been felt here, aad on
the evening of that day an exceeding strong one happen
ed; however happily without producing any mifchief;
but the mocks continued, from time totime, daily till the
third instant, when at half an hour after two in thejmorn
ing, a mold violent one happened, which damaged, more
or iefs, a great number of buildings in the town, and
threw down a Turkish. Mosque, where several people were
killed; the consternation and terror this occasion induced
a great part of the inhabitants to retire to the neighbour
ing villages, gardens, &c. for fafety.—The next morn
ing, ainidft the repeated fliocks of earthquakes, at three
o'clock, we had the most dismal profped of a most dread
ful and extensive fire, which began in the Armenian quar
ter of the town, nearly opposite the French Consul's
house, which being assisted by a strong northerly wind,
and little water attainable, upon account of the pipes
being brokeand choaked up with theearth, in consequence
of the earthquakes, and the people discouraged from giving
assistance, by the strong Shocks which threw down, da
maged houses, and killed many, occasioned the fire to
burn with mod incredible fury for near twentyfour hours,
consuming, it is calculated, near one third of the city,
which has occasioned a most melancholy scene of misery
and desolation ; the Greek nation has fathered an immense
loss of property; Armenians, Jews and Turks are very
great faftrers, this city may be laid almost totally ruined;
the consequences in all refpefts will be long and severely
felt ; a great part of the street inhabited by the Europeans
has been destroyed, quite from the Custom-House, where
the European merchandize is landed, to near the Capuchin
Convent. It is now hoped that we fhal! soon be free from
the alarmig apprehensions of the earthquakes, as few have
been felt within those few days past, and we are informed
by a Dutch Captain who was offone of the islands of
Nourla (about 18 miles from Smyrna,) that a strong shock
felt here on the sth, at near three o'clock in the morning,
had occasioned a considerable opening of the earth opposite
to where he lay at anchor, and that he apprehended his
thip to be damaged from the violence of the shock; and
perceiving the fire at Smyrna, it induced him to fend his
boat hither for information, upon a supposition that the
city had been thrown down by the earthquake, and was
productive of the fire. This circumstance may probably
contribute to our fafety, in having formed a vent to expel
the infiamatory exhalations.
It is confidently assured, that the fire was at firft occa
sioned by incendiaties, five or fix jews; one was hanged,
and another thrown into the fire. Other attempts it is
said, have been made to renew this dreadful calamity.
Extract of a letter from Edinburgh Sept. 24.
Every friend to his King and country must sincerely
regret that several negociations which w ere carried on yef
tetdiy between General Skene and the revolted Highlan
ders proved ineffectual. The continue in arms upon their
great natural fcrtrefs which they are able to defend against
many regiments. They have taken up their ground upon
the most advantageous manner and their centinels and ad
vanced guards are placed very judiciously: they havedrums
and Bagpipes and keep up their spirits with music and dan
cing and variety of animating exercises, the weather has
been uncommonly favourable for them except that a little
rain fell last night. A party of the eleventh regiment of
dragoons is come to town but nothing offenfive hath as yet
been attempted on either fide. This forenoon two of the
Officers of Seaforth's Highlanders, Mr. M'Kenzie of
Kileowica Highlander, and Mr. Moodiea Lowlander,
both beloved by the men, went up to them to endeavour
to treat, the officers were fafely conducted to the top of
Auther's feat, and being placed on the high rocky summit
they harrangued the foidiers with a very earnest. warmth.
Mr. M'Kenzie who spoke Erse seemed to be very eloquent,
some of the men who appeared as leaders were not less
eloquent, and it was expected that an accommodation
would take place upon condition of being paid every (hil
ling due to them, and obtaining affurmce, that they
Should not be sent to the East-Indies, but we are afraid
th.it things are in a very unsettled date, for the magistrates
have iffned a Proclamation for the inhabitants to keep
within doors when the great alarm bell call'd the fire bell
shall be rung, as it seems the Highlanders have threatened
to' march through the city, and the commander of the
troops it is said, has resolved to oppose them.
From tte St. Christopher's Journal, Nov.
2J, 1778.
To the Dutch Admiral commanding at St. Eu-
STATIUS.
SIR,
JM EA Nto address you, as a man in high command in your
l country's service, on your injurious conduct to Great-Bri
tain in the piefent dispute. If I pay you not all the refpedt
which you may claim as due to your rank, 1 /ball at lead en
deavour to avoid raifreprefentation, and allow only your own
anions to bring unpleasant founds to your ear. What your
country owes to Great-Britain, what you have engaged by
treaty, what your own incerefts demands of you, will form
the contrafl with your prefect conduct.
To tell how far your country is indebted to Great-Britain
for her exideiic as a community would be to tranfe ibe her hi
ilory. 1 hull confine the review, on which I mean to found
my censure, to that crisis, when the monarchs of Great-Bri
tain and France combined to annihilate you as a people, when
you were reduced to the wretched expedient of resolving to
transport yourselves to the inhospitable clime at Batavia. It
was then, that the voice of a disinterested people, the British
people at large, interposed their authority in your favor, forced
their King to break with Fiance, and saved you from ruin,
saved you to combine in these rimes with traitors and pirates
io a deftru&ive war against them. At the moment of danger
indeed your High and Mighty States appeared for once, impress
ed with the feelings of gratitude, and aded as if sensible that
their fate was wound up in the prosperity of Great-Britain
They solemnly declared by treaty, " to give no afijftande ror
Shelter to Ships cruizing against the State or commerce of Great
Britain: if any such, belonging to powers in amity with Hol
land, Should enter their ports, they are to take on board only
as much water and provisions as are fufficient tc carry them by
the Shorted course to the neared port in their own State: if any
captured British Ships be brought into the Dutch ports, if any
captured British property be difcovere+ in them, they and it
Shall be carefully attached and be faithfully restored: Pirates
LONDO N, November 30-
The letters from Paris and Nantz fay. “ In the begin
ning of hostilities between us and the English, we loft more
merchant-men than we took, but for two months past the
seas are covered with our privateers, who amply repair
our former losses. Subferiptions are made every day, and
even the Fair Sex are eager to teftify their zeal by being
amongft' the number of fubferibtrs. In the months of
September, Odober, and November last, upwards of one
hundred and twenty privateers, of twenty-two guns and
upwards, failed from the ports of Bayonne, St. Maloe and
Dunkirk only, who have had prodigious success. There
are now upwards of 19,000 Englilh seamen in our prisons.
The Court of London has sent Cammiffioners to the Court
of Versailles to negociate an exchange, and the reason of
its not taking place is general y reported to be, that His
Most Chriflian Majesty has infixed that the firft article
of the cartel should include the exchange of American
prisoners in Great Britain: as the powers of the English
Commissioners did not extend so far, they were obliged to
return to London. We do not doubt but they will soon
return, as the English marine is in absolute want of sea
men ; and altho' there are few English Ihips who are cem
pleatly manned, they have many others laying in the
docks which cannot be fitted out for want of hands. Un
til now the King's marine has had a remarkable advan
tage over that of England. We have loft but two fri
gates, and they were taken toy ships of the line in fight of
Admiral Keppel's fleet; for In all engagements where fri
Have not your Ships been employed as convoys to these your
trouble associates ? Have not the British cruizers been fire-1
upon by you, because a rebel or a pirate vessel has been in fight,
and you have trembled for her danger; and yet, under what
pretence, confident with your engagements to Britain, can you
giant the protection of your ports to pirates cruizing on her
trade, cr out-laws that have fled her justice ? Before this time,
out-laws have been seized at the Hague, and sent to Britain to
punishment. Have you nor permitted the rebel flags to fly in
your presence ? and treated with a contempt that glanced even
at his Britannic Majesty the remonstrances made on the fubje<,
by the British governors. Has not your squadron robbed the
British cruizers of rebel prizes taken on the high seas, and car
ried the men ,r,foners into you r ports? Have not pirates been
entertained, been fitted out and manned in your ports? Have
you not lately Suffered a Fiench frigate to bring in and fell in
your presence a British prize ? Have y®u not summed up eve
ry mark of insolence and injurious behavior in your late recep
tion sf Cunningham, a known out-law, who lo^g infefted the
British seas, without so much as the flimfey pretence of a Con
gress commission, with which indeed he. had no connection,
and in whefe quarrel he had no pretence to enter? Surely
wherever such a fellow could have been seized, he Should have
been Sacrificed to the violated rights of mankind. When your
predecessor in command, Du Graaf, aCted such an injurious and
scandalous part, we thought the conduC t cogenial with his sor
did foul, and were contented with his removal. But as we ex
peffed more propriety of conduct, more attention to the ho
nor and interest of your country in a man es your birth and
rank, so urilefs you retrieve your character by respecting the
jnterefts of the only true ally cf your country, we Shall be apt
to demand in you a more exemplary vindications of our vio
lated rights. By mentioning that groveling miser Du Graaf, I
mean not to compare you with such a wretch. Ido not sup
pose in year conduct you are influenced by the dirty bribe or
the pitiful bargain. Yet why cannot you get above low prju -
dices and piefent considerations, to aft a part worthy of your
felf and your country.
TEMP L E.
St. Chronopher, Nov. 19, 1778.
By the Privateer General Miffiin, Capt. M'Niell, arriv
ed at Boston from France, we have the pleasure cf com
municating to the public the following authentic and
agreeable inteltelligence from that country, as late as
the 15th cf December, received in Letters from the
best authority—
eruirtng on the trade of Great Britain, Shall be seized, where
ever found, and be delivered up or brought to punishment."
This union of intcreft did Dutch gratitude at that time dictate,
and for this conduct is Dutch faith engaged. Gratitude or ge
nerosity, when we talk of your country's conduct, at this
time, we will pass by ; but surely we may suppose Dutchmen
femetiiQes influenced by commercial good faith, and to be feme
times open to the call of interest, at least if we can, on your
fide produce no a&s of difintereßed gratitude we Shall have a
faithful adherence to treaties, w'wich have been entered into for
the mutual interests of both States; and in all your transac
tions with other nations, by which Britain may be affected, we
Shall find an indisputable preference shewn to her interest and
fafety, which are in truth your own. Your country, 1 affirm,
is interested in the fafety, nay, in the honour and grandeur of
Great-Britain, as intimately as Britain her fafety, I dare add,
more nearly concerned. Holland will exist no longer as a State,
than Britain, her prote&or, preserves her rank and influence
among the kingdoms of Europe; but Britain reduced within
her own limits, is Still capable of maintaining her laws and go
vernment entire, Half the property of your country is lock
ed up in the British funds, and if any difaller befal her, that
will be the firfl facrifiee to misfortunes, ^hile her own natural
wealth and productions will still be fufficient for her and her
children. And in truth so much am 1 impressed with the opi
nion of the ftrift attention of your people to their interest, that
in all the late melancholy profpedls of the affairs of my coun
try, I have reaped no fmalS consolation from your ungrateful
behaviour to her, and that apparent contradiction to your real
interest, which has marked the whole of your conduct refpe&-
ing America. For thus have I argued, if the disastrous issue of
the present war were but probably to end in the loss cf the In
dependence of Holland, and of fifty-fix millions Sterling, Dutch
money in the British funds, the Dutch would exert all their
Strength in common to counteract the event. But as they have
affixed the foes of Britain, and of consequence of their coun
try, with warlike (lores and necessaries by every means in their
power, in contradiction as well to their own general interest,
as to the most solemn particular treaties; as they have sent out
in time of peace Admirals and strong squadrons, to insult the
British navy, and vindicate and protest the illegal and scanda
lous traffic, 1 am left to conclude, that however fatal in other
refpeas the war may be to Britain, Bill She will be able to pro
tect Holland, still be able to pay to the Dutch two millions
flerling yearly interest money.
Perhaps you may affect to take fire at this indignity, and may
pretend to consider a representative of some of the old noble fa
milies of Burgundy, and a Dutch Admiral affronted by being
called a protector of Smugglers, and a copartner with pirates.
I do not pretend to know your instructions, yet if they can be
read, the legible colours in which consequences cannot be mis
taken, have nut miff eprefented them. And for no other pur
pose but to protect a dirty traffic with and encourage smugglers,
rebels and pirates, is a man of your family and rank kept with
a strong squadron at a little rocky isle, that cannot supply you
even with water.
PHILADELPHIA, February 25.
To the REPUBLICAN SOCIETY.
Gentlemen,
I AM one of those who have heretofore been open and
violent in my opposition, to the present constitution.
The objections made against it, were specious, and had
influence on me. But lam now fatisfied that there is no
forming a true judgment of any confiitution, but from
careful observations on the effects of the administration
under it. The necessity of two branches of the legislature
has been pressed upon the public; and the arguments ap
pear to great advantage when the question is considered
in a speculative view. But, gentlemen, a little attention
to the manner in which matters of legislation may be con
ducted, will certainly remove all your objections, and I
will make it appear that all the advantages cf a double
branch may effectually be atained as the confiitution now
Stands.—Suppose that you have in your Council men of
address and intrigue, how easy is it for them to form par
ties in the house, and then contrive to have meetings with
a majority of the members, and fettle between them the
business of thehoufe. If there are any refraCtory noisy
members who would with to interrupt this laudable in
tercourse, it is only leaving them out of these meetings.
JOHN M'KINLY.
Wilmington, February 15, 1779.
I take this opportunity also to inform Mr. M'Kean and
Brigadier Thorfipfon that tho' it is true, I was "taught to
believe," or rather had just grounds to believe, "that he,"
Mr. M'Kean, "had obstructed and delayed my exchange,"
yet I never did fay or believe, that this washout of favour
to the Brigadier," as is alledged in a publication in your
Packet of the 31st December last, fubferibed Thomas
M'Kean. And I was not a little furprized at feeing the
allegation there, as I had long before mentioned the rea
sons of that belief to some of Mr. M Kean's friends, who,
I did suppose, would immediately communicate the fame
to him.
Mr. DUNLAP.
IN reading your papers of the 2d and 4th instant, I find
in the dispute between Brigadier Thompson and Mr.
M'Kean, some expreflions highly injurious to my cha
ra&er and conduct when I was made a prisoner by the
enemy in September 1777. As a man confeious of not de
serving any such reproach, I could have wifli'd that the
Brigadier had taken due pains to have informed himfelf
of the real “ circumilances attending my capture," before
he had exprefled himfelf so pointedly as to me, both in
the Coffee-houfe when the dispute began, and before Con
gress when afterwards examined into. From the general
character of the Brigadier, with whom I have but a very
flight personal acquaintance, having never been but once
in his company, I had reason to expect that he would not
have given credit to a groundless report, maliciously and
industriously propagated by some evil minded perfons,dur
ing my captivity. And J doubt not, when he is rightly
informed, that I was captured by a large detachment of
the British army, which had mhde a very rapid, unexpec
ted and retrograde march of 1 2 miles, to furprize and take
possession of the town of Wilmington, where I dwelled,
on the second night after the battle of Brandywine ; that
this detachment, being piloted by some difaffeaed persons
in the neighbourhood, immediately surrounded and broke
open my house ; the heavy losses,! sustained; nay close
confinement for twenty-one weeks of the year I was a
prisoner; the treatment I received and the conduct I ma
nifefted, during fix months of that time in which I resi
ded in the city of Philadelphia, well known to several per
sons there of undoubted veracity, and well affeHed to the
cause of America : But more especially when he is inform
ed by those, in whom he may place the greatest confidence,
and who have had the best (opportunities of knowing what
my conduct has constantly been from the firft commence
mentof the present conteftwith Great-Britain ; how ma
ny public stations I have filled since that period, and with
what attention I discharged the duties, which have been
amply certified in the application from the Delaware State
to Congress, when soliciting that honorable body for m,
exchange. I fay, when the Brigadier hath the opportu
nity of being truly informed of the aforementioned parti
culars, which I with he may speedily have, Ido expert
he will have candour enough to acknowledge, that his
suggestions-against me have proceeded from mrfinforma
tion.
gates have been engaged against each other, curs have al
ways had the advantage. We have now fix of them in owr
ports, and we hear that Count D'Efiaing has taken and
destroyed a greater number. Those successes give the
greatest hopes to our marine, and raise their spirits to the
highest degree. Our fleets are well fitted, manned and
commanded. Besides the Count D'Orvilliers fleet of
thirty ships of the line and a great number of frigates, the
Count De Graffe has seven flrips of the line and several
frigates, who cruize from Cape Finiftre to the Sertingu^s
for the protection of our trade and that of our allies. M.
de la Motte Piquett has failed with fix ships of the line
and several frigates, it is thought for the East-Indies. The
Chevalier De Fabry is full cruizing in the Mediterranean,
with fix ships of the line and seven frigates. The fleet
under the command of the Count D'Eftaing is to be rein
forced by fix or seven ships of the line. In short, the French
marine has never been so formidable, and every day new
fllips are launched. The Neptune, a new ship of eighty
guns, built at Rochfort, failed from thence to join the
fleet at Brest, and on her passage took an English priva
teer of thirty-fix guns, and after an engagement of three
quarters of an hour with an English sixty-sour gun ftiip,
obliged her to strike, but could not take possession of her,
as at that instant five British ships es the line appeared,
who chafed him, but he arrived fafe at Brest with his pri
zes, after having sustained the fire of those fix eips. For
ty British privateers within two months have been brought
into the ports es Brest, Port L'Oricnt, Nantz and Ro
chelle. L'lphiginie on the sth of November last brought
into L'Orient a transport richly laden, bound to Gibral
ter. Le Therpficore has taken and carried into Rochfort
the Lisbon Packet, bound to London, with a great quan
tity of Gold and Diamonds. Le Juno has taken the Fox.
L'lphiginie has taken the Lively. Le St. Michael has
carried two frigates to Corunna. Le Vengeur is returned
with eight considerable prizes. I,e frigates Confolante and
L'Engageante are also returned with sixteen prizes which
they have taken in the Baltick. Indeed it would be too
tedious to mention all the particular advantages we have
gained."