The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1780-08-15 00:00:00, page 2

From Lewis's New-York Mercury, of Ju
ly 28th, and Rivington's Royal Ga
zette, of August 2d, 1780.
Answer from the King of France to the Declaration of
toe Empress of Raffia.
<c CT~^ H E war in which the King is engaged having
I no other objeft than the attachment cf his
^ Majesty to the freedom of the seas, he could
not but with the truest fitisfaflion fee the Egprefs of
Russia adopt the fame principle, and resolve to maintain
it. That which her Imperial Majesty claims from the
belligerent ftwurs is no other than the rules already pre
fenced to the French marine, the execution of which is
maintained with an exactitude known and applauded by
all Europe.
" Tae liberty of neutral veffeb, retrained only in a
few cases, is te direct consequence of neutral right, the
faleguard of all nations, and the reliefeven of those at
war. Toe King has been desirous not only to procure a
freedom of navigation to the fubjefts cf the Empress of
Russia, but to those of all the states who hold their neu
trality, and that upon thefame conditions as are announ
ced in tlfe treaty to which his Majesty this day ans e s.
" His Majesty thought be had taken a great step for
the general good, and prepared a glorious epocha for his
reign, by fixing by his example (he rights which every
belligerent power may and ought to acknowledge ,to be
due to neutral vessels. His hopes hav? not been deceived,
as the Empress, in avowing the ftri^ft neutrality, has
declared in favour of a fyflem which the King is fuppori
ing at the price of his people's blood, and that her Maje
fly adopts the fame rights as he would wilh to make the
basis of the maritime code. ,
" If frelh orders were aeceffary to prevent the vessels
of her Imperial Majesty from being disturbed in their na
vigation by the fubjeßs of the King, his Majesty would
immediately give them, but the Empress will no doubt be
fatisfied with the dispositions made by his Majesty in the
tegnhtiooshe has published. They do net hold by cir
cgmftances only/but they are founded on life right of na
tions, find quite Suitable to a Prince who finds the happi
refs of his own kingdom in that of the general profeeri
ty. The Kiig wishes her Imperial Majesty would add
to the means (he has fixed to determine what merchan
dizes are reckoned contraband in time of war, precise
roles in the form of die sea papers with which the Ruffian
ships wiM be furnilied.
1° With this precaution, his Majesty is allurednothing
will happen to make him regret they having put the RuR
fi.m navigators on as advantageous a footing as can be
in time of war. Happy circumstances have more than
once occurred to prove to the two Courts hew important
It is for them to explain themselves freely relative to their
refpeaive inn re fls.
" His Majesty is very happy tohave explained his way
of thinking to her Imperial Majesty upon so intereffing a
point for Ruffiaand the trading powers of Europe. He
the more fiucerely applauds the principles and views of
the Empress, as his Majesty partakes of the fame senti
ments which have brought her Majesty to adopt those
raeafures which must be to the advantage of her own fub
jefts anl all other nations.",
Versailles, April 25, j/80.
Pr^ofab for a GENERAL PACIFICATION, 6, Dr.
Tucker, the Dean of Gloucefler, April 1780.
A LL th^powers at war are heartily sick of the ink
a.prudent parts they have taken. This affection neds
no proof; nay, it is evident that they would gladly re
cede from meft of those measures they have so inconsider
ately adopted, provided ways and means could be found
for doing it wth a salvo, to what they cril their honour ;
—I fay honour. For as to any pro.it or advantage;
which could be derived from contents, (wherein the mod
fuccefsfyi are only knocking their own customers on the
head)a'l of them are now convinced by dear-bought ex
perience, that all have been in the wrong. Therefore
Le propofols for terminating the prefect unhappy differ
ences, mud be such, as are not altogether inconsistent
with the thing called honour. On this ground the au
thor has the following proposals humbly to offer to those
of every nation, whom it may concern (not as what he
himfelf can recommend as the wisest and best, but) as the
most reafible. as the lead repugnant to the obflinate pre
judices of mankind, and therefore the likeliest to be a -
cepted by each Cf the contending parties. For wbilft all
are worshipping that vain idol, National Glory,
ioftead of puifuing their true and lading interests; per
haps nothing much better could be proposed, with any
profpeH of success.
Fropofed therefore to the EngHjh, Americans, French, and
Spaniards', now at war.
r. That Great-Britoin shall retain Newfoundland,
with t ,e desert coaffs ofLabradore, also Canada, Nova-
Scotia, and the country bordering on the Bay of Fund),
as far as the bay and river of Pnobf^ot.
2. That all the country from Penobfcot river to the
river of Connecticut, containing aimoft the fear popu
lous Provinces of New England, shall be ceded to the A
mericans.
3. That all the country from the Conneaicut, to the
river Delaware, containing the whole of New York,
Long Inland, and the Jerfeyr, with some parts of two
other Provinces indenting with them, (hal return to
Great Britain.
4. That all the country from the Delaware to the
northern boundary of Smth-Carolina, containing the
greatefl part of Peaufylvania, all Maryland, Virginia,
and North Carolina, shall be ceded to the Americans.
5. That all the country from the northern boundary
of South Carolina to the extreme point of the Eaflern
Florida, containing three whole Provinces, shall be re
tained by Great-Britain.
6. That Weft Fieri 3, chiefly barren farid ; and the
fortrefs of Gibraltar (totally ufeltfs) shall be ceded to
Spain, in order to fatisfy the Punto of that nation, and
that the Spaniardsxhdi give Porto Rico in exchange—
an ifhnd, on which they seem to let no value, and which
indeed is of no use to them, though large in itfelf, flored
with good ports, well situated, and capable in the hands
of the Englilh, of great improvement.
7. Laftiy, that the Engldh shall giveup the conqfcfts
they have made on the French in the Bast-Indies; who
shall do the like to the Ebglifh ia the Weft Indies.
The point of honour, and national reputation being
thus attended to on all sides, as far as the case will permit,
there is but one obje&ion of real weight which can be
nvdeto this pl-in, receding Great Britain. But alas!
it is of such a nature, as will probably defeat the whole
design. The Rheme has too little of a dirty job, and too
much of public virtue, and is by far too boneft, to be
cordially relished either by the fubalrerns in Admhiftra
tion, or the leaders in opposition. It has been our mis
fortune, and will if persisted in, become our ruin, toaim
at things which pre incompatible. Unhappily for us, we
are continually wishing to be 'a nation of heroes, and a
nation of traders and ,mechanics at the fame time. We
expert to give laws to all the world, especially at sea,
and yet to be cohfi lered by this world as a quiet, harm
less, and unoffending people. All parties among us con
cur in this fatal miflake, therefore all are now furpriz<d
to find, that the honours of war, and the sweets of peace,
—the glories of conquers, and the rewards of industry,
---the dissipation of a vast, (cattered, unwieldy empire,
land the economy of a moderate, compa^ fiate, cannot
be made to unite together,Sureiy we ought to have known
long ago, ,hat these things are incompatible; for they
are obvious truths. Had we been content with the por
'tion of riches and honour, which national honefly, indus
try, dexterity, ingenuity, and frugality, could have pro
cured for us, without looking any further, we, had not
been brought to our present condition. What then have
,we so do,, but to untread the wrong steps we havetaken?
.We have no oth'r good choice to make ; and yet alas !
,we will try every other experiment rather than adopt this
the only 'proper dhe.
From the M ORNING POST.
The QUESTION stated with IRELAND.
Mr.,Edito.r,
SIR R'fCHARD JOHNSON'S motion in the
House of C ommons of Ireland for the repeal of those
jaws which 'lead to the gre*t question of Peyning's aft,
having been postponed till after them affixes, in order to
take the sense of the people upon it, nothing ean be more
immediately necessary in both kingdoms, than to confi
der the confeqyepces likely to flow from the present fiate
of^ftjirs^ Toere is but one tendency that the present de
signs manifefty have, which is to dissolve every band of
union between Great Britain and Ireland, further than
paying obedience to the fame Sovereign. The confequen
tes of this are not surely understood ; the Irish, with a
fr-e trade to all the world, will have connections with all
the world and consequently deputes, jealoofies, bicker
ings, an 1 quarrels in all foreign coun rieG Are we to fight
with our fleets and armies the battles of that country, as
we have done those of America, for no better reward ?
If the projeas now in agitation are fully matured, we
shall have no more to do with Ire'and than we have with
Manorer; for Ireland most manifeflly will mo longer be
part and parcel of the imperial crown of Great-Britain.
M A R T I N I C 0, June 15,
An account of the three engagements on the 17th of
April, and the igh and 19th of May, between our
fleet, Commanded by M. the dount de Guicheu, and
that of the Engblh, under the command of Admiral
Rodney.
T H E King's feet failed from Fort-Royal on the 13th of
1 April, confining of 22 th ps of the line, 4 frigates,
2 advice boa's, and a cutter ; tae Marquis de Bouille em
barked on board the Couronne, to concert with the
Count de Guichen, on the operations Which circumstan
ces might give rife to, and for which 4000 land forces had
been put on board. The firft defect was to get to wind
ward of this iflmd, through the channel of Dominique,
and to provoke the enemy to battle. The calms, cur
rents and winds, prevented us from getting through the
channel, till the <gth 111 the evening, when,the frigate
Iphiginie made a figual, that the English fleet was to
windward; our van rallied in the night; the 16th was
ffot in different manoeuvre, to colled into the body of
the fleet, those lhip, which by calms or currents had fal
len to leward, to get into the line of battle, and to ^ork
up, in order to approach the enemy's fleet, which was
4 leagues to windward. The Count de Sade, Comman
der of the White and Blue fqnadrpn, who formed the van
in natural order, and the Count de Graffe, who comman
ded the Blue squadron, were charged with the manoeu
vres of their chviftm. The frigates were ordered to work
up to windward as far as they could in the night, in or
der to observe the enemy's motions. At nine o'clock the
Couraguefe made a signal, that the English fleet was ma
king for our rear, the General made us tack about imme
diately, With the tacks to larboard, like the enemy. As
soon as they perceived this manoeuvre, they again took
their starboard tacks on board. Soon after, we saw their
fleet in order of battle close to the wind, at the dis
tance of three cannon Ihot to windward. The 17th from
day light we were making mmceuvres, corresponding
with those cf the enemy. The vigilance of cur Gene
ral, rendered ail their artifices useless. The two fleets
were then nine leagues weft of the south end of Domi
nique. At a quarter past one o'clock, the aftion began
in the van, and soon became general ; we were then on the
ftarbeard tack in an inverted order, the Blue fqhadron
forming the van. At tl ree quarters afier one, the van fhipef
Admiral Rodney, having come up, and all the fliips of
his rear fuc< effively, we judged that his design was to flint
up our rear, and cut it otf, in case our centre continued
to make fail to cut off his van, which fought edging a
way from us. The Count de Guichen could not doubt
of it, when he saw the English Admiral himfelf with his
forefail loose, come up full owed by 7 ships, he fo< n made
the signal to tack luff for luif in order to cut him off ; but
scarce was this movement begun, when Mr. Rodney and
the ships with him, went again upon their former tacks,
which obliged us to get into the line of battle again on the
flarboard tack. The fmeak undoubtedly prevented our
rear from feeing the last signal of counter orders, and the
following one, since having obeyed the signal of tacking
luff for luff, it continued for some time to run upon the
other tack. The greater part ofthe ships of the van were
fallen to leward, by observing the signal. The Count
de Guichen, in order to reform the line of battle readily,
made the signal for disregarding their polls; but before 9
it was formed again, the Emglifh who had tacked their
.lower fails, and kept dole with the wind under the fire of
the Fendant, the Couronne ; the Palmier and the Indies,
had advanced very much to the windward, when the Ro
bufle and Sphynx, having presently put about, placed
themselves in front of the Fendant, in the room of those
which hal fallen to leward.
It appeared fr?m the enemy's manoeuvres, that their
design was to attack only the weakest parts of our line ;
they had formed feverai knotsoftheir Grange/? gd,s, who
kept as much as possible opposite to our fixry four's. The
Frincefs Reyal, of 90 gons, declined engaging the Robuf
te, and turned all her force against the Artefien, one of
our weakest ships, who did her a great deal more mifehief
than (he received. Admiral Rodney himfelflay but a ve
ry (hurt time dlong file of the Couronne, and ail his ma
ncevres made us belive that he was affraid of the approach
of our centre ; he and his two conforms seemed determined
^ engaging the Deft in and Vengeur, who received him
as an Admiral, and complimented him with the brifleeft
'firing."
, At the inflate the' battle was mofi lively, we thought
wefaw a g^at deal of confufonon board the Sandwich#
it appeared to us that Admiral Rodney's flag had been ta
ken down, and that he was going, into another (hi, t We
were not ' mistaken, some time after Wefaw his flag tioihed
on board the Conqueror ; we judged at the time, that'
the Sandwich had received comiderable damage, , and it
has since been confirmed by the accounts of the Eogiifh
therofcl^es. At the fameinftmt, one of hrr top&iafts fell
down, ffre appeared on board, and the Riots.fl 4 ehad re
ceived between wind ahd water, endangered her linking.
A I the other vessels of their fleet, were a good deal worse
treated than ours, in their ma.fts and rigging; but the
integers of the day, and the advantage cf the wind, wh ; ch
they had prTerved,,favoured their retreat, and prevented
us from completing the victory.,.',
The 18th we were employed in repairing, and the 19th
having 80 knowledge of the enemy, we were ordered for
Gaudaloupe, which was very near, where we landed our
sick and wounded without anchoring,,. The z<th, at
day break, the Englilh appeared in the S. S. W.at about
5 leagues distance, the General ordeteo immediately the
boats on board, and we mancevr^d in order to preserve
the w : nd. The zift at 8 in the morning, we saw them
S. 1-4 S. W. Our fle^t made federal tacks in order to
keep to windward ; at half past ftrfe; our, van begun to
fed the effcHsofa calm. The Count d; Golchen made
a figual t@ ta k, which the Solitani could not bring in a
flat calm. Toe English £a#tbearing down upon her, by
means of a breeze at 3. W. we tacked again ip order to,
protest her, and joined her at £ in the evening, The
Englilh who were act mere than 2 guns (hot diflant,
went away immediately. This day gave them the advan
tage of the wind. The z2d at 7in the morning, we saw
them in the horizon; at 8 o'clock they were out of fight.
Our General having then no longer any hopes of gaining
the wind in this position, agembled all the general off,
cers, to take their opinions; it was determined to fait
away.
The Bth of May at 10 in the morning, we were at the
entrance cf the channel of St. Lucia, the Ceres frigate wl&
had been out to reconnoitre, made the signal for feeing
them in the S. W. from this to the 15th the end of all our
manoeuvres was to keep the wind, to draw the enemy ta
windward off Martinico, so avail ourfelve, of their mis
takes and to fight them with advantages The marceuvre^
of Admiral Rodney, on the contrary, tended to get to
windward and avoid fighting. When ever we came near
him, he advanced his van, and formed the line of battle,
bn the opposite tack to ours, but always in filch a mann
that when we were within a gun (hot and a half, th e,,
was not daylight enough to engage. In the eight he ti
large, so that the next day we were obliged to make
long a manoeuvre, without being more advanced, or if
we wore too much to the south, the whole day was (pent
in running to the north, and thc'Engldh who would not
frem toayoH us, went upon the fame tack. While we
admire the masterly manoeuvres cf our General, we can
not retrain ourselves from doing joftice to those of Ad
miral Rodoey, which were all well conceived and dex
troufly executed except one, of which we Should have ta
ken the advantage, had it not been for a calm in the cri
tical minute.
At two o'clock in the afternoon of the 15th, we had al
most joined the enemy's van, when the wind fhifted to
the south, with ghfts, which obliged us to (hut our lower
ports. The Bnglifh, desirous of rendering this change
advantageous to them, by gaining the wind, tacked their
rear by countermarch, which obliged us to tack checker
wife. But at five o'clock the wind having returned to
S. E. the Count made a lienal fcr re tacking and forming
the line, with the tacks to leeward, in natural order, with
out having any regard to their posts, becaafe the change
of wind had deranged the clicker. This order of battle
was very well formed, and pretended a front to the ene
my which forced them to advance by a fuccefiive motion,
in order to extend us to the leeward. The action began
at (even in the evening, the van (hip of the enemy being
only within a quarter of a gun (hot: It lasted only, an
hour. Our General ordered the vessels before him to
tack about by countermarch with the wind ahead, in or
der to file off a fecund time on the enemies, in case they
(hould effir to charge our rear on our putting about, but
having perceived this manoeuvre, t! ey failed off, tearing
no doubt of a night engagement, and thus we preferveffi
the advantage of the wind. The English ran all night on
the opposite rack to ours.
On the 16'th at day break, we could scarce observe some
of their frigates, by whole mat oeuvres we found that
their fleet was to leeward, and was making for one of
their Colonies. Our General took immediately the head
of the Royal fleet, and about fix o'clock P. M. he arrived
to W. in the erder of merch of conveys, all his fliips
being formed in one line. Between eleven and twelve ia
the night the frigates of our van gave signal of the ene
my, who immediately fhifi&d their tacks to the larboard
fide. At twelve we saw them a league from us to leeward.
The 17th and i2th were employed in manoeuvres equally
masterly on both sides, ours tending always to bring on
an engagement, and those of the English to avoid it,
without difhonoiing the British flag, by an evident flight.
On the 19th, Admiral de Guichen feeing that theenemy'#