Dunlap's Pennsylvania packet , The general advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1774-10-17 00:00:00, page 2

tyrant, or exterminating his whole 'race and pol
terky, that he may change the form of govern
ment of which for ages he has been the victim : If
he dares do less, he will sooner or later receive
the punishment of his halfcourage: The yoke will
fall with double weight and force upon his head ;
and the affected moderation of his tyrants will only
be a new snare where he will be caOght and irremif
hblyheld. Such in an absolute government is the
calamitous issue of fadions that neither the Prince
nor People can fee bounds to their resentment be
cause they know none to authority. But 2 con
stitution tempered like that of the English Colo
nies, bears in its principles the limits of its powers,
the remedy and preservative against the evils of
anarchy. When the Mother Country has removed
their complaints by re-eftablifning them in their
primitive situation, here they ought to stop, be
cause it is the most happy a wife people should
aspire to.
It is impossible that they should embrace a sys
tem of absolute independance, without dissolving
the bonds of religion, of oaths, of language, of
blood, ofinterert, of commerce, of habitudes in
fine which keep them united amongrt themselves,
under the peaceful intered of the Mother Country:
Is it credible that io great a rent would not tear
the heart, the entrails, and even the life of the
Colonies ? Should they not proceed to the dread
ful extremity of civil war, would it be easy to
agree on a new form of government ? If each
eltablifhment was to compose a different date,
what divifioos would follow ? We may judge of
the arimofities which would dart up from their
Separation by the destiny of all bordering people.
But if so many different communities, where di-
Terfityof laws, inequality of riches, variety of
possessions would secretly low the feeds of oppo-
thev regulate the tank which each should hold,
and the influence which each ought to have, in
proportion to the dangers it is fubjed to by its
particular situation and the degree of its ftrengrh?
Would not jealousy, and a thousand other paffrons,
which so soon divided the wife states of Greece,
give birth to difcoid in a multitude of Colonies,
affiliated by the transitory and corrosive ties of
spite and refentmert, rather than by the well di
geded principles of a natuial and permanent com
bination? All these conGderationsdeem to evince,
that an eternal divorce from the Mother Country
wool I be the g eatert of misfortunes fui the Qug
]iih Colonies.
We will go farther; we will venture to affirm,
fopnofirg the other states who have possessions in
the New World, had it in their power to effe&
this great revolution, that it wouid not be their
interest to wish it. This will perhaps appear a
paradox in the eyes of thole powers who fee their
Colonies continually menaced with an approaching
invasion. They think, without doubt, that was
the force of England less in America, they could
enjoy in peace the riches which the envies them,
and from time to time seizes upon. It cannot be
denied that she derives her influence, particularly
in the New World, from the extent and popula
tion of her Northern Colonies. It is they which
put her in a condition of always attacking with
advantage the islands and continents of other states,
of coriqueri g their territories, or ruining their
commerce. But, in sacs, this Crown has interests
in other parts of the world, which counteract its
progress in America, clog or retard its enter
prizes, and annihilate its conquers by restitu
tions.
Cut the knot which ties ancient Britain to the
new, and the n rthern colonies will, immediately,
be possessed of more strength than they had during
their union with the metropolis. This great con
tinent, when once freed of all connexion with Lu
r pe, will find all its movements at liberty. She
will then rind it important, as it is easy, to seize
upon thole territories whose riches will supply the
mediocrity of her own productions. Her inde
pendant situation will enable her to fettle the pre
vious measures of her invasions, before the rumour
of them can arritein our hemisphere. This peo
ple will press their military operations with the
energy natural to new formed societies. Theene
nil, the field, the momen for victory will be at
their option Their thunders will fall upon the
coatis unprepared, andupon the seas, ill-guarded,
of dillant powers. The countries which these
powers will attempt defending, will be conquered
before the fuccours can arrive. They can neither
recover them by treaty, nor prevent their f riling a
fecend time under the yoke from which they had
been delivered by so feeble ahand. The colonies
of oui absolute monarchies will, perhaps, fly with
alacrity, to receive matters, who cannot poffJrir
oiler to them a more wretched condition than that
of their refpeflive governments; or probably, af
ter the example of the English colonies, they will
break the chain which so ignominioully attaches
them to Europe.
Alas 1 the rapid d^clerfion of our morals and
of our strength, the crimes of our princes, and the
calamities of our people, will render univerial this
fatal catastrophe which muff, forever, separate one
world frem the other. The mine is prepared
under rhe foundations of our tottering empires;
the materials of their deftruAion are collected and
heaped up, from the shipwreck of our laws,
the shock and fermentation of our opinions, the
fubveifion of our rights which conftittued our
courage, the luxury of our courts, and the defo
larion of our fields, the inexpiable hatted which
subsists between the worthkfs mortals who are in
poffeffit n of the riches of the earth, and the rebuff
and virtuous who have nothing to k,fe but their
lives. In proportion as our people decay and
are crushed one under the other, the popula
tion and agriculture of America will increase; the
arts, transported thithei by our care, will rapidly
spring ud ; this country emerged from nothing,
abeady burns to figure, in itsturn, upon the face
of the globe, and in the history of mankind, 0 !
pofteritv, may'ft thou be more fortunate than thy
miserable fore fathers.—Mav this last wrih be ac
complished, and the expiring generation find a
conlol'ation in the profped of greater felicity pre
sented to the riling,
fition, were to form a confederation, how would
brom the Public Ledger of August G.
TO censure the measures of administration re
fpedting America, is not an easy talk with
out having recourse to epithets too harsh for a
paper. To fay that they are " 'unjuft, cruel, ty
" rannic, and ineffectual," is to fay no more than
what the Americans feel, and Englishmen can de
monstrate. They are unjust to an extreme; be
cause they violate the colony charters, and thus,
instead of supporting government, they difolve it;
for the refpedive charters of the different colonies
are the only foundations of that jbcial compact
whereby allegiance and protection are mutually
promised, and mutually expected on the part of
Great-Britain and America; take away or anni
hilate this facial compact, on what can the claim
to sovereignty be founded? And where is the d f
ference between a total annihilation, or a partial
invasion? The colonists accepted their charters on
the plighted faith of government; their promise
of allegiance pr-supposed a conditional obligation
on the part of government; it pre fuppo'ed that
their charters should be maintained inviolate. If
it be urged," that the power which granted might
" take away at pleasure," I deny the position as
a matter of right, for the superiority of power
does not constitute a right. The Americans, by
soliciting the protection of Great Britain, clearly
acknowledge its sovereignty in point of power,
but on a mutual compact ratified by both parties,
on this only do they found the sovereignty of
Great Britain in point of right. The mutual
compacts, to the solemn ratification of which bth
parties have assented, are the several charters of
the different colonies; these charters are so many
covenants, the stipulated conditions of which are
prefuined to be equ illy binding on the grantor and
the grintee. ft is totally immaterial which of the
parties tirft violates the conditions ofthe instrument;
when violated, the compact is to all intends and
purposes aiffo ved, and that which should be bind
ing on b to ceases front thenceforward to be
binding on either. The single question then tobe
decided is, “ whether (admitting the exigence of
" such a Social compact) it was not firfl broken on
" the part of Great Britain ?" For if the violation
came from the protecting power, what would
have been barely unjust in the Americans was
douJy so in Great-Britain; the superiority of
power is an aggravation of the offence; the abuse
of autnor ty is more shameless when the means of
fappoting that authority are more effectual. In
the matter of taxatin then I will venture to affirm,
Great Britain fof .rotated the facial compact sub
sisting between her and America. We have no
mne r-ht to tax the Americans, unless through
the medium o' thri r Reprefntatives. than we have
to tax the Irifo, bu r through the medium 0: their
Rep^femative o . The Irifo Hos of Commons,
and the American Hoofe of Be,ref ntatives are, to
the inhabitants of rhe relpe^ive countries, exactly
upon anequal footing. Would the irijb complain
of being taxed by England without the consent of
their own Representatives? Would they call the
very attempt uncockitutimal? Would they re
monstrate against, and refft such atten pt by every
legal mode? Would they not deem it an inrringe
ment on their liberties? Would they be Satisfied,
because a Lord L eutenaut (like another traitercus
futchinfon) recommended an “ abridgment of
" Irilh liberties?" These questions will apply ex
aftly to the Americ ns; the cases are precisely
similar; theanfwers to the one 'olve the difficulties
of both ; if then t' e taxation meajures of Great-
Britain were unjust in the firft instance, the Mini
sters of this country, not the patriots of America,
are to blame for each resulting evil; nor have the
subsequent measures of the present foge at the
helm been only as unj^ft as thole of lis rr decef
fors; he has exceeded them as much in thecrue ty
as tyranny of his proceedings. The Bfm Port
Bid is a bloody edict that would sh >ck the feelings
of a sanguinary ^ejanus; it spares neither innocence,
age, sex, nor condi i n; —it involves an whole peo
ple in one common ruin;—it lavs waste private
property, reduces the wealthy to beggary, and
deprives the industrious of Bread, —it feerns in
tentionally framed to subjugate a province by
starving its inhabitants, unless relieved by the
neighbouring colonies. The Bolivians must be
reduced to abfolutefimine —children with looks
distorted, in the agonies of hunger, may grasp
their p irents knees, and call impetuous foifnd
the aged may droop, the young be reduced to
gha''ly fpedres fcr want of common fuftenarce 1
these are evils the bill for (hutting up the p,rt of
Bolton may produce; and if thyy happen nor, their
prevention will be owing, not to the humarit of
the Miuirter, for he is callous to such phr L&in.s,
but to the gencrofityof the other colonics. What
man who feels within his breast a glow of pity can
refufe it vent, even if a sympathetic te ?r (tiiat tell
tale herald of commifferation) should pice it down
his cheek? Who can forego a curse of execration
on the Minirter whose lavage measures may pro
duce such woes? Is this the reditude of the cabinet
courier? Where is that egm'fyof which he so much
boasts? Where that candor about which he cants
Lae any preaching cobler ? We know by what ba
lance we ought to weigh his deserts ; we know,
lumpilh as he is, that if thrown into the scale of
merit, he will kick the beam, and be found " lighter
than vanity itfelf. There is but one way of
proper!, adjusting his weight, and that would be
quite a 'hi!ofofthica : experiment: The fpecific gra
vity ofhis care de should be determined by fujpen
fon; in that condition,' for about half an hour, he
should be left, an hanging] eftacle, between earth
and air, on which good men might gaze—the bad
might take example.
^*^- '> <: </4^
By Capt. Townsheno from Liverpool, arrived at
Bro-York, qve have the following advices.
B A S T I 14, so.) g.
TO what has been already said of the firc
cefsful expedition of the French in the
province of Niolo, and of the defeat of the rebels,
we have further to add, that a general fackage was
ordered throughout that pieve, for the advantage
of these folders, who, exclusive of valuable fersi
We hear that an ingenious gentleman of the na
vy has invented blocks of a new conftruftion, and
upon such principles, that they muftif adopted, be
very advantageous, not only to his Majesty's ser
vice, but to all persons concerned in commerce.—
Fhefe blocks are admirably well calculated for
hoillingup great weights, careening ships, &c. and
are free of those ineonveniencies which attend the
common careening tackles; besides which, they are
extremely quick, of vast power, and easily over
hauled ; to unite which properties has ever been
thought impracticable.
Aug. 3° A great misunderstanding is said to
prevail between the courts of Madrid and Lisbon ;
it is said that the latter has given orders to its
Ambassador to leave the Spanish dominions unless
a proper regard is paid to some remonftrancis
which he has lately offered upon matters of great
importance.
This morning several packets were sent off from
the Plantation Office, Whitehall, t> be forwarded
from Fd!m >uth for the Governors of the respec
tive colonies in America.
It was last night believed, that the premium of
insurance on British ships and merchandize bound
to the southward, will soon be considerably ad
vanced.
✓tug. 12. Last night a Prussian courier, said to
be a person of great diftindion, arrived at St.
James s with some dispatches from his Majesty the
King of Pruffra, which were immediately transmit
ted to Kew.
August 16. An express is arrived at Lord Roch
ford's office, with an account of the peace between
the Ruffians and Turks being signed the 17th of
July fall
Several papers refpe^ing the Manilla affair, are
now said to be under the confid'eration of the Pri
vy council.
Admiral Montague has struck his flag at Ports
mouth, and is now arrived in town: the accounts
he has brought of the disposition of the Boftoriians
occasioned frequent meetings of the ministry, but
their intentions are kept very sec et. The price
of tickets io the State Lottery is rzl. i^s.
Du^in, Aug. i,. During the present proroga
tion of Parliament, adminiffration is not idle, but
ae preparing work againftits meeting. Some ad
ditional taxes are in contemplation, and' out of a
tender regard for an already over-burtbened peo
ple, our tender ministry hope to find one that will
prove the leaf hurtful to the poor and industrious
part of the nation. That which is now under con
fidtration is, a tax upon every thing fold by public
aufiion, which it is expected will be adopted, as it
will be vcryeahly cjileclcd, and bring in above
“ Great preparations are making by his Sardi
nian Majesty for taking pofTeffion of the island of
Corsica, which is ceded to him by the French.
This accession now clearly accounts for the many
arrangements and augmentations which have been
for some time part making in the Sardinian army
and navy. A fleet of 14 fail of the line is now
preparing at Cagliari, on board of which are to be
Flipped a great number of troops, under the com
mand of the Duke de Chablais, brother to his Sar
dinian Majesty, in order to take possession of the
island."
dug. z. The paragraph of the lap dog's running
mad at Bnfhy park, and biting so many cf Lord
North's servants, being talked of yefte day even
ing at the Cocoa-tree, a Gentleman present re
marked, “ It was very happy for the public his
Lordihip was out of the way; for then we should
have had a mad minster as well as a fad one.
Extras of a etter from Baris, /u/y 8.
It is said that a French Nobleman of great qua
lity is in London incog, fettling some bufiuefs re
lative to Poland. He is so cautions of being seen
that he never goes out of his lodging til late at
night, when he goes in a chair to Downing street,
from whence he is conveyed io a coach, attended
by a certain Lord, to such places astheir business
ma/ require. 'Tis thought this will mike the
Kingof Prussia sweat and fret when he is acquaint
ed wi'h it.
LOND O N, Aug. i.
A correspondent informs us, that some very
disagreeable accounts have arrived of the Spani
ards having attacked the Portugueze settlements
in South America; in consequence of which a
requ fition has been made by the court of Lisbon
to Great Britain for assist nee.
Very large contrasts are now making in Ireland
for meal, flour, biscuit, and other articles for the
use of his Majesty s foreign garrisons, as well as
for the navy.
The Spaniards are said now to have fifty (hips
of the line in their several European pm s, in ex
ceeding good order, exclusive of those in the Weft
Indies.
Some further orders and inftrn&ions of an im
portant nature were lart week sent off to General
Gage, Governor of Massachusetts Bay, in New-
England.
1 he King of Prussia is said to have been private
ly advertised, that if he does n t drop his designs
upon Dantzick, he will raile to himlelf some new
and unexp &ed enemies.
ture, plate, And other effe&s, seized fix thousand
horned cattle, and left not the least trace of
a house.
The 4th inst. was a day of lamentation and ge
neral consternation for this town, where a horri
ble execution was made of the chiefs of the revolt,
some of them were racked, others hanged, many
more condemned to different kinds of death ;
those less culpable were whipped, branded, and
employed on rhe public works. The life of the
Podeftate,or Magistrate of Niolo, hath not been
spared, notwithstanding some very pious and very
refpettable persons interested themselves in his
favour. We are assured that Nicodemus Pafqua
lini, one of the chiefs of the rebellion, has been
killed by one ofhis friends.
They write from Brest, that the French engi
neers, assisted bv three regiments of invalids, are
now busy in fortifying the haven of Palmerin, a
few leagues from thence; which by its situation
is capable of being made one of the strongest ports
in the kingdom.
B O S T O, N, Oflober 3.
At a convention of Committees for the county ofWor
cefter, held by adjournment, at the Court - House in
said IVorcefler, on the 29th of August, and conti
nued by adjournments to the 2 Ift of September, the
fol owing votes and resolves puffed, viz.
VOTE D, That if there be an invasion or
danger of an invasion in any town in this
county, then, such town shall by their Committee
of Correspondence, or some other proper persons,
fen, letters by port immediately to the Committees
of t' e adjoining towns, who shall fend to the
other Committees in rhe towns adjoining them,
that they all come properly armed and aecoutied
to protest and defend the place invaded.
Voted, That it be recommended to the military
officers in this county, that they resign their offi
ces to their refpeflive Colonels.
Voted, That the field officers in this count,
resign their offices, and publish such resignation
in all the B Ron news papers.
Voted, That it be recommended to the several
towns in this county, to choose proper and a fuf
ficient number of military officers for each of their
towns.
Voted, To accept the report of the Committee
refpe<9bg the civil officers, of this county, whick
is as follows:
Whereas tU ate aft of Parliament, intitled, Are
set fir the better regulating Cs 'lajefy's government
of the Mafochufetts Bay is evidently designed to pre
vent any civil officers from holding their places by
virtue of the charter the)eof; and as it is necessary te
have officers, till further provfm may be made:
Therefore,
CHARLES-TOWN, (S. Carolina) Sept. 5.
About three months ago, a number of gentle
men made an offer to cloath themselves in a pro
per uniform, to provide themselves with suitable
arms and accoutrements, and, if they could be in
dulged with officers of their own choice, to form
a Company of Grenadiers to the Chdiles-Town
Regiment of Militia. An application being made
for that purpose to Col. Charfes Pinckney, that
worthy officer, who is a great encourager of mi
litary improvements, gave it all the countenance
in his power; in consequence of which we have al
ready a Company of Grenadiers, who made their
firft public appearance in the field, in their uni
fo ms and properly accoutred, on Thursday laft o
when they went through their exercises a..d fir
ings with a dexterity and regularity that farprized
the numerous beholders, and reflects great honor
on themselves as well as on their officers, whole
assiduity to discipline and exercise the men, has al
ready rendered the Company a very refpe&able
one, and capab eof being of great service. The
Officers are, Capt, John M'Call, jun. Lieute
nants John Brewton, John Smyth, and Willie
Glen, jun.
No less than twenty seven cargoes of Slaves have
arrived here this year, dire&ly fiom the coast of
Africa, besides many small parcels from the IVefc
Indies, &c. by which this colony is supposed to have
been brought into debt not less than f. 200,000
sterling.
Refo ved, That the Justices of the Peace for
this county, who were in said office the last day
of June past, except Timothy Ruggles, John
Murray, and James Putnam, Enquires, be hereby
directed to ad in said office as Angle Justices, ex
cept in judicial proceedings merely civil.—Also,
that the Judges of probate, Sheriffand Co toners^
who were in said offices on the last day of June
past, exercise their refpe&ive offices, till the pro
vincial Congress, proposed to fit at Concord, on
the second Fuefday of October next, notwith
standing any pretended fuperfedeas that may be
lent them or any of them, or any proclamation
deigned to prevent them from holding and ex
ercising their said offices: And we hereby.alfo re -
commend to the people in this county, that they
confider and treat them as being in their said offi
ces, and support and defend them in the execution
thereof, according to the laws of this province.
I'oted, As the opinion of this body, that the
Sheriff do not adjourn the Stipe rior court, appointed
by law to be held this day, and that he retain
such as are or may be committed as criminals in
his cuftody,until they have a trial.
Refaved, That as the ordinary courts of Justice
will be stayed in consequence of the late arbitrary
and oppressive ads bf the British Parliament, we
would earnedly recommend it to every inhabitant
of this, county, to pay his just debts as loon as
possible, without any disputes or litigations. -
" And if any disputes concerning debts or tief
paffes should arise, which cannot be fettled bv the
parties, we recommend it to them to fabmit all
such causes to arbitration^ and if the parties on
forty thousand pounds yearly. The plan is said
to be as follows.
I he talk of an Union is again reviving, and said
to be absolutely determined upon for next session.
In order to prepare the minds of the people for this
great change, it is affirmed that a very eminent
writer, who has hitherto been on the fide of free
dom, is purchased to write several essays for feme
months, to blazon forth the great advantages that
will accrue to this nation from this measure, and to
instance the thriving condition of Scotland, since
the union of that kingdom with England. Quere,
Which News-Paper will public these hireling
essays? °
Liverpool, Aug. 19. On Tuesday night last, we
had a violent storm here at N. W. in which the
Philadelphia Packet, Capt. Halleck, who failed
from hence that evening for Maryland, was drove
upon Hoyle Bank, where she beat to pieces; two
of thehands, the fhipand cargo, ate totally loft.
Six pence in the pound on the produce of every
au&ion of lands, houses, Dipping commodities,
houfhold goods, jewels, plate, pictures, and books,
to be paid by the auctioneer out of the money re
ceived by him, and he is to make oath to the
amount of the several articles in the auction book.
— Perjury in this case to be deemed felony, and
the government to be empowered to fend a clerk
to any au&ion they think proper, to keep a check
on the auctioneer.