The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1782-08-24 00:00:00, page 2

In short, to sum up the whole of what the present
rulers have done, it amounts to this. They have made
unbounded promises, but they have performed no oae
serviceable aft They said they would save the coun
try and were on the brink ofdeftroying it forever. Pro
vidence indeed, interfered to prevent their wantonly fu
perceding Rodney until the grea blow of national fal
vation was struck- But the eyes of the people are o
pened, and they now can perceive what those patriotic
orators would intentionally have done. They would
have difplaod the man that did fight, that did glori
ously conquer, because he was appointed by lord Sand
wich ; and they would have sent out one of their own
creatures, who might perhaps follow up the idea of the
late republican opposition—that it was wrong too much
to enrage the enemy. From such a set of rulers, good
Lord, deliver Old England!
landed, and the other
'difobeyed wuheut any re
serve, that this country
might be saved. Divine
Povidence wesagainft lord
Sandwich.
lAddrefs you, as the ostensible American minister, on
an important fubjed ; and I have the more confi
dence in doing it, because your condud in opposition
Shewed more attention to the claims of Britain than that
of your colleagues. You boldly gave your opinion a
gainfl the independency of America, even when a ro
mantic sentiment was for the sons of Britain's helping
to establish it by the ruin of their own country. You
cannot then but have some refped for those Americans,
who, with the loss of their property and country, at
the hazard of their lives, have flruggled in concert
with Britain to preserve that due dependence, on which
the happiness of the whole empire was bound up. It
Supplies of naval Bores
were t b- lent to the fa
mifhed fleet in the Weft-
Indies. If such was not
done, Mr. Fox laid all our
fliips would be loft in that
quarter ; for on his com
ing into office, he found
the navy in so d 1 plorab'e
a situation, that they could
not fight. He could not
find that any care bad
been taken in that quar
ter
The new men proud fed
that our powder should be
good, and not of t at kind
uhd in lord Sandwich's ad
miniftratibn, which had
not force to carry a ball
thro' a mainsail.
Lord Shelburne exclaim
ed, " I,ad our forces at
tacked Negapatam in
flead of Euftatius, that
would have been fome
-oin g!"
The naval commanders
in the late administration
did not do their duty, and
therefore they were to be
discharged.
My L^rd,
From a late LONDON PAPER.
To LORD SHELBURNE.
administration did not come
into office time enough to
lose Jamaica, and our
Wefl-India squadron. But
his divine will regulated
matters in such a manner,
that the glory of defeat
ing the enemy and saving
the country from destruc
tion, should fall to the
ffiare of the last miniflers;
whilst evident proofs ffiould
arise, that i,f the present
ministers had been one
week sooner in power,
Rodney's laurels would
have been changed to a
naval willow of national
despair. The event is how
ever claimed as an aft of
Providence to the change
of adminifiration, and
therefore it is placed to
the credit of the new minis
ters.
Extras of part of fir G.
B. Rodney's dispatches,
for which the new miniflers
are to have credit : " The
" great supply of naval
'' stores lately arrived in
' c the Weft-Indies, will
" soon repair all the dam
" ages his majefiy's fleet
" has sustained."
Negapatam is taken,
but notiling except Divine
Providence can give the
credit of it to the new
administration ; for the
East-Indies lies so far
from Great Britain, that
lord Shelburne had not
time, since he came into
office, Jo transport a fleet,
an arm'y, and inftru&ions
there.
Extract of a letter from
an officer in fir G B. Rod
ney's fleet, for which cre
dit is to be given to the
new ministry under Di
vine Providence: '' the
" balls of the Barfleur
" went quite through the
" Ville de Paris." The,
Barfleur is a 90 gun ship ;
the Ville de Paris carried
iio guns.
Sir George Rodney,
who, this war, took a
Spanish admiral, a Dutch
admiral, and a French ad
miral; and who has so
gloriously refeued this
country, by a decisive and
bloody vidory ; is, for
those ads of heroism, ex
iled from the navy, and
difolaced by the present
adminifiration; nay, his
property, that he acquir
ed from the spoils of the
enemy, is to be seized on,
and returned to our
Dutch friends: the lau
rels of triumph are to be
torn from his brows, and
a ministerial manoeuvre
set on foot to deprive
him of his feat in parlia
ment. This is an ad for
which the new minis
try deserve credit in
deed !!
It is well known to your lordfllip, that there are
many more native Americans in arms for us, even now,
after they have repeatedly been abandoned by our com
manders, than Washington can arm against us. You
know the firength of the rebel army has ever confifled
in renagado Irish, Scotch, English, particularly from
Devon and Cornwall. You know this prediledion to the
mother country lias continued to influence them in spite
of the cruel negled, and indifference, with which they
hav~ been treated byour commanders, both by sea and
land. A persuasion that they were favourably efleem
ed of by the king and his ministers, made them con
tinue to hope against hope. But now when they find
their sovereign has resigned hfmfelf to those, who must
abhor them for their perseverance in their duty to him,
it will be much easier to imagine, than describe their
anxiety and diflrefs. Yet it cannot be intended by the
present minifiry to drive them to despair, unless they
mean to be deprived of all the means left us of command
ing, or rather buying that peace from America, on
which alone it is said our preservation as a state de
pends. Britain's friends in America are dll a numer
ous and powerful body, capable of procuring good
terms for themselves; and who can possibly blame them,
should they make their peace with their enemies at t e
expence of those who despise them for their attachment
to their government.
Franklin! thou eldest born of malice, how wilt thou
rejoice to fee profeffed patriots co-operate with thee in
bringing down the spirit of that once haughty nation,
that saw thee indignant stand before her council detect
ed in, and covered with all the blachguilt of an un
grateful Jago? Yet, my lord, if you feel as a man if
you regard the honour of your country, it you can
suppose integrity and sentiment to inhabit the bre fts
of men, who generously have facrificed property and
family, and hazarded lie to vindicate their conneft on
with your country, exert yourfelf against the malice
of some of your fr ends, to pref rve from ruin men that
have so greatly merited from us. The goodness of the
king's heart we know from what he felt for them, and
did to encourage them in confeqnence of that disgrace
to British faith, their surrender at York-Town. And
surely none of your friends can be so bent on the ruin
of these unhappy men, these phenomenons in the pre
sent age, who dare to fuffer for principle, as at this
awful crisis, to threaten to quit the helm, unless they
be allowed to facrifice them at the altar of American
rebellion.
is true, some have not dared to call them the worftof
traitors to both countries, and to mark them out for
deftrudion. Yet it is well known that Britain's friends
in America, thus devoted to ruin, by implacable ene
mies, and flern patriotic British miniflers, were the
men of the bed property in their country, are of the
best families, the fareft characters, and most enlighten
ed understandings. For one moment [fuppofe them
wrong in their attachment to a country, that, speaking
by those, thus devotes them to deftrußibn, Bill feri
oufly speaking, doth such an attachment, carried such
a length in our favour, in a case that (heir greatest ene
mies will allow to be a little doubtful, give tuem no
claim on the gratitude of a people for the support of
who'e honour they have abandoned their all, and
thrown the hazard of their lives also into the balance.
Every man has a right, without impeachment to his
integrity, to change his opinion once. Therefore some
regard is due even to one Arnold, who had once so
much of the esteem of our patriot# Can his feeling some
compunction for the part he had in hastening on the
fate of Britain, at once so perfectly annihilate all ' nis
worth, as to vindicate Britain for withdrawing ; er pro
tection from a returning culprit. For shame! let facti
on sleep, and the minister of a great people act as such.
Judging from my own fallible mind, I think, in com
ing over, he might have been sincere, and, on that ac
count, deserving of attention; but no excuse can be
made for abandoning to their foes men, who from the
firfl, have been our steady friends and have abandoned
every thing valuable in society to maintain our cause.
After fairly laying the case before you, what have I
to recommend, but that you encourage your country's
friends, and make use of their numbers, and the r in
fluence, to rest ore peace on equitable terms to our ru
ined state. DETECTOR.
Foreign Intelligence.
C 0 NSTANTINOPL E, April 18.
THE people having begun to murmer at the exces
sive price to which coffe had been railed, the
grand vifir, in order to get information of the reasons of
such augmentation, disguised himfelfas a peasant, and
repaired to one of the dealers in that commodity, and
being convinced that four-Jews purchased it by whole
sale, to fell it by retail to whom they pleased (which is
rigorously prohibited by the Muffulman's laws) he or
dered themall to be arrested the next morning, and fen
tenced them to be publicly hanged, which was immedi
ately done-
P AR I S, May 10.
M. de la Motte Piquet is ready to put to sea from
Brest, with ten ships of the line and some frigates.
On the news o M. de Graffe's defeat, the king, hav
ing caused an account to be given him of the quantity
of timber in the royal dock yards, fit for ship building,
immediately gave orders to M de Castries for con
Rruding, with all possible diligence, twelve ships of the
line.
May 30. French patriotism already haflens there
paration of the losses sustained by the fleet in the Weft-
Indies: monsieur and the count d'Artois have given or
ders for conftruding a firft rate man of war, which they
have offered to his majeffy ; and the prince of Conde has
presented him a vote ofthe Gates of Burgundy b, which
they beg his majesty, in the name of the province, to
accept a ship of 110 guns.
BERLI N, May 25.
The great annual review of the Prussian troops, in
the diftria of Berlin, took place this week as usual.
The king of Prussia came on the 19 instant, from
Portzdam to Charlottenburgh, by way of Spandau,
wher# he reviewed prince Ferdinand's regiments of in-
HAGU E, April 25
Mr. Adams, envoy from the united states of Nortb-
America, hath had a conference with the principal
members of government, and with his serene highness
the prince Stadtholder. He was in conference this day
with their high mightinesses, and was received and ac
companied by the baron de Brantzenburg, on the part of
the province of Utrecht, and Mr.C.Bigot for Weft-Frief
land The day before yesterday the due de la Vauguy
on, the French ambassador, gave an elegant dinner to
Mr. Adams and all the foreign miniflers resident here.
We are assured that a treaty of commerce between our
r public and the united Rates of North-America, will
very soon be concluded.
LONDO N, May 14.
Lord Charles F tzgerald, captain of his majefiy's
Clip Pruden t?, on his return to St Helen's from his
late cruize, looking out of his cabin window, observ
ed a person to fall from a ship that was in company
with him into the sea, upon which he jumped out of
the window, and saved his life; he proved to be a
midshipman on board the ship.
A lett.r from Whitehaven, dated May 7, fays,
" The weather Rill continues to be uncommonly severe;
on Sunday the hills in Scotland were observed to be
covered with snow, which had fallen the preceding
night ; and yesterday morning a great deal fell in this
neighbourhood.
A correspondent informs us, that however extraor
dinary t e weather may seem at this advanced season
of the year, we have but a neighbour's share of the
worst that has ever been remembered in most parts,
even of the southern and midland countries of Europe^
In that fine climate, the kingdom of Naples, the cler
gy and people have made religious processions, and
public prayers are celebrated daily, to obtain the bless
ing of seasonable weather. In the province of Grenada
and Andalusia, in Spain, they have had severe frofts,
which have almost ruined their olive tree; nor is
their corn in a much better condition The fame dread
ful weather has prevailed in France and Germany.
Admiralty-Office, May 4.
Extract of a letter from the honourable captain Fre
derick Maitland, of his majesty's ship the Queen,
to Mr. Stephens dated off the Start, April 28.
I beg you will communicate to their lordships, that,
on Sunday morning the 21 ft instant, commodore Elliot
made our signal, about tea o'clock, to assist the Fou
droyant and i:er prize, as it then blowed very hard.
So soon is the weather permitted, I took every expedi
tion method to fhift the prison-rs, and to refit her,
and by nine o'clock next morning we had taken out a
bove 300 prisoners, and sent an officer and 40 men, in
addition to the rffi cer and 50 men put on board by
captain Jervis ; about which time we difeovered a large
Q) to the fouthward,,flanding to the S. W. upon a
wind. I could soon perceive the was not an English
man of w r, and the French officers assured me she was
the "roteaeur, of 74 guns, I immediately ordered the
Pegasus, together with one of the cutters that was in
company, to make the best of their way for the firft
convenient port in England, and made fail towards the
strange ship, which after a chafe of fourteen hours we
came up with in the night, and took, upon firing one
broadside, (Gill supposing her to be the Protefteur)
and h only fired his guns and struck his colours. On
fending < boat on board I found her to be the Afttion
naire, of 64 guns, armee en flute, commanded by
monsieur d Querrngd, knight of the order of St. Louis,
with 2 0 seamen, and 550 oldiers on board, of which
9 w^re kill d and 25 wounded, bound from I rest to the
Die of France. We find she has a great quantity of na
val anl ordnance stores on board, befid^s provisions,
wine and rum, together with eleven chests of money.
When we were in chace, the Lacona frigate appeared
to windward, and made the private signal, but being
disabled in her masts, it was next morning before she
joined us. I now had 1100 prisoners to manage, and
therefore took the liberty to detain her twenty four
hours, to affiflin drifting the prisoners, And to take on
board 150 of them. Captain Conway then parted com
pany.
In juflice to my officers and (hip's company, I can
not omit faying, char they difeovered a very high de
gree of ardour and spirit in coming up with the enemy,
.and, during the whole of this affair, behaved in such a
manner as meritbmy efieern and approbation.
fantry. Next morning his mafefiy reviewed the feve^
ral regiments that had marched into Berlin from the
towns in the neighbourhood ; and on the 21st, 22d and
23d, the general manoeuvres were performed on the
plains of Templehof, adjoining to this city. The 20th
and 23d immediately after the review, he returned to
Portzdam. His majefly seemed to be in perfect health,
and expressed particular fatisfadion with the manner
in which the troops performed their evolutions. He
made a considerable promotion of officers on this occa
flon: four major generals were railed to the rank of
lieutenant generals; and a proportionable advancement
took place in 4 he inferior ranks.
C A D I Z, April 2.
The whole convoy which failed from hence on the
20th of March (except five ships which have entered
the port of Algefiras) are put into Malaga, and there
wait for an answer to the representations sent to our
court, by the parties interefled, for an effort of men
of war to condud them to the Canaries. The frigates
Moot Carmel and la Sainte Perpetu, which had fuffer
ed in the fame storm returned with much difficulty,
and the damage tuey received will require a month to
repair. It was the 97th regiment which the English late
ly landed at Gibraltar, of 700 men. It is said, that
since the arrival of this reinforcement, the comman
dant of the blockade is apprehensive that the besieged
will make some sallies, and has taken proper fleps to
prevent them, or turn them to his own advantage. The
grand guards are reinforced, and the corps of grenadiers
which every night prote& the works are augmented•
and as the daily service is fatiguing, the commandant
has demanded 0 the governor of this city a regiment
from his garrison, and one will be immediately sent to
him. • 1 .