The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-06-13 00:00:00, page 1

" I have the fulleft reliance on your support, and
I trust that the vigorous exertions Fam determined to
make will, under the providence of God, defeat the
designs of all my enemies, and procure to my people
the blessings of a fafe and honourable peace."
The hurable Address of the House of Commons to
the King.
'' Most gracious Sovereign,
WE, your Majesty's most dutiful and loyal fub
jeds, the Commons of Great-Britain, in Par
liament assembled, return your Majesty our humble
thanks for your molt gracious message, and for hav
ing been pleased to communicate to this House your
Majesty's publick declaration, of the causes and mo
tives which have obliged your Majesty to direct let
ters of marque and general reprisals to be issued a
gainst the States-General of the United Provinces
and their fubjeds.
" Permit us, Sir, to assure your Majesty, that we
take a most sincere part in the concern and regret
which your Majesty expresses, for the unavoidable
neceflity of hostile measures against the ancient friends
and natural Allies of your kingdoms.
“ We acknowledge, with the warmest sentiments
of gratitude, the wisdom and moderation ofyour Ma
jesty's conduct, in using every endeavour, before your
Majesty proceeded to extremities, to prevail on the
States-General to revert to that system of found po
licy which used to govern their councils in the belt
times of the Republick, and which formed and esta
blished her union with Great-Britain, for the com
mon interest and mutual fafety of both countries.
" We beg leave to assure your Majesty, that your
faithful Commons will, with a firm and determined
resolution, support your Majesty against all your ene
mies, in the prosecution of thisjuft and necessary war,
for the maintenance of the honour of your crown,
and of the rights and interests of your people."
ThefaHooving Paragraphs are extracted from Riving
ton's Gazette.
March 5. We are credibly informed that the Bel
ligerent Powers, have at last resolved to flop the far
ther effufion of human blood, and have agreed to
fend Plenipotentiaries to treat of a peace, at a gene
ral Congress to be held for that purpose, under the
mediation of the Emperor and the Czarina; it is said
the Dutch, finding they were not to be supported by
the neutral Powers, have made the firft advances, and
that the Cabinet of Versailles is also disposed for
LONDO N.
The humble address of the Right Honourable the
Lords Spiritual and Temporal, in Parliament as
sembled.
Die Jovis, 25 Januarii, 1781.
" Most gracious Sovereign,
WE, your Majesty's most dutiful and loy
al fubjeds, the Lords Spiritual and
Temporal, in Parliament assembled,
beg leave to return your Majesty our
humble thanks for your most gracious message, and
for having been pleased to communicate to this House
your Majesty's publick declaration, setting forth the
causes and motives which have obliged your Majesty
to direct letters of marque and general reprisals to be
issued against the States-General of the United Pro
vinces, and their fubjeds.
" We observe, with much concern, and just in
dignation, that the governing part of a nation, whom
the ties of common interest, and the faith of mutual
engagements, should have made a sincere friend, has
employed the most hostile and pernicious means to
annoy an ancient Ally, by leaguing with your Majes
ty's revolted fubjeds, and furnishing constant and ef
fectual aids to your inveterate enemies.
" We acknowledge with the highest fatisfadion,
and warmest sentiments of gratitude, your Majesty's
wisdom, in endeavouring to bring the States-Gene
ral back to those principles which they have deserted,
and in the reluctance you have ihewn to proceed to
hostile measures against a state, connected with this
country by the closest ties of mutual interest. Your
Majesty's great moderation and forbearance strongly
aggravate their conduct, which made the present rup
ture indispensably necessary.
[Vol. IV.], THE [Numb. &.]
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
" We beg leave to assure your Majesty, that we
(hall, with the warmest and most dutiful zeal, give
every support to those vigorous measures, which your
Majesty has determined to pursue. We are sensible
they are founded in justice and wisdom, and are such
as the honour of your Majesty's crown, and the es
sential interests of the nation require."
His Majesty's most gracious Answer.•
M, Lords,
" I THANK you for this very dutiful and affec
tionate address.
WEDNESDAY, June ig, 1781.
KINGSTON, (Jamaica) April 28.
Extract of a letter from Sir George Rridges Rodney,
to a gentleman in this town, dated St. Euftatius,
the 18th instant.
“ My fleet are now close blockading Matinique,
where they give out they are hourly expecting 24 fail
of the line and 10,000 troops. They must fight be
fore they get into that Island. Sir Samuel Hood com
mands the blockade, but as the very troublesome af
fairs of St. Euftatius are nearly fettled, and that Is
land now put in a posture of defence, General
Vaughan and myfelf intend very shortly to leave it,
and ,unless the arrival of the French fleet prevent us,
to try if Surinam is not vulnerable. Barbice, Da
marara and Ifequebo, have already surrendered to
his Majesty's arms and are become English Colonies.
The enemy in great force are daily expected in these
seas, but let whatever will happen, i beg you wilt
tell my friends at Jamaica, that my particular care
shall be the protection of their Island, and the trade
thereof.
St. J OHN's (Antigua) May 8, 1781.
Yesterday arrived here his Majesty's packet Ante
lope, Captain Kempthorn, with the March Mail.
She failed from Falmouth the 13th of March, and
will proceed to-morrow evening for Montserrat, St.
Christopher's, St. Euftatia and Jamaica, and thence
to England.
Captain Kempthorn fell in with the English squa
dron, under the command of Admiral Sir Samuel
Hood, off Martinico, soon after they had got notice
of the approach of Monsieur la Touche Treville, and
saw the whole engagement. We are sorry to under
peace: In order to facilitate this great work, not a
word is to be said in the conferences relative to Ame
rica, but that Great-Britain and her Colonies are to
be left to adjust their differences in the best manner
they can.
Not only on consideration of a political kind, but
for the cause of honour and credit of human nature,
we rejoice to experience that the great Catharine is
about to be the peace-maker of Europe. Splendid
through every part of her reign, her faithful amity to
Britain will be of all her memorials the brightest.
It would be precipitate, and at present premature,
to fay that a treaty of accommodation was formed,
or is forming, between our Court and the Dutch Re
publick; still there is little doubt but that through
the mediation of the Empress of Russia, an inter
course is just opened to re-establish amity between
us. It was this event which occasioned the rapid rife
of flocks on Saturday.
March 8. We learn, by the information of a gen
tleman, who has a letter from a perlon at Vienna in
high trust from the Court of Great-Britain, dated
Feb. 15, that every preparation is making for the re
ception of the Ambassadors to be font there by the
Courts of Russia, England, France, and Spain, who
are to meet and negociate terms of general peace.
Sir Joseph Yorke holds himfelf in readiness to fct
off on his journey to Vienna. If no recent circum
stance occurs, however, to render his departure pi e
vioufly necessary, he will wait till the return of the
meflenger from Petersburg. There is every reason
to form the most flattering prefaces from this embas
sy, which is certainly addressed to a power amica
bly disposed to this country, and to be conducted by
a person of the most indisputable ability. The im
mediate occasion on which Sir Joseph sets out, is this :
The Court of Vienna, since the death of the late
Queen, have felt their natural consequence in a na
tural way, and have given the Empress of Russia to
underhand, that they wished to take a joint part with
her in the mediation the proposed between the Belli
gerent Powers. After various communications upon
the subject, it has at last been adjusted as follows:
That the Courts of Russia and Vienna shall undertake
to enquire into the causes and circumstances of the
war between France, Spain, and England, and af
ter having formed such a determination as shall ap
pear to them just and reasonable, from an impartial
investigation of the business, they will immediately
deciare against any of the particular powers above
mentioned who shall refufe to acquiesce in their de
cision, and submit to their decree. One thing, how
ever, the Emperor has infilled upon in favour of En
gland, and that is, that America shall be left entirely
out of the question, as a separate power, and that
no ad of this confederation shall appear to fanftion
the independence of that country. Ambassadors are
to meet at Vienna from all the Courts concerned in
this grand and interesting business, and there is great
reason to believe that a general peace will be the re
sult of it.
A L TIMORE, May 27.
Fhe following articles were extracted from a ton
« paper ' dated the lft of March last.
The following is reported to be the substance of
the preliminary articles offered by the Em-
P re ,° f , u , a > for restoring peace to Great-Britain
and Holland :
A ceffatioh of arms to take place between both
parties, as soon as the nature of such undertaking
admits. °
.That the contending powers do meet by their
Mimfters Plenipotentiary, at Antwerp, or some other
place, as shall be fixed upon by the Ministers from
mediating power—The time as Ihort as possible.
That all prizes taken before the cessation of arms
may take place (being legally condemned) shall be
the property of the captors.
That all old treaties shall be abolished and can
celled, and a new one entered into between England
and Holland, in the articles of which shall be fully
and minutely described, every article or thing, and
nature of trade, that may be deemed contraband and
illegal, in times either party may be at war with o
ther powers, &c. &c."
A letter from Paris, published in a London paper
of the 17th of February, mentions, that a council
had been held at Versailles, on the fubjeft of some
B'?^' P TIz e f r ° m Port L'Orient we are informed,
that Admiral Darby had arrived and effectually re
beved the gatrifon at Gibraltar, without any molest
ation from his enemies. It is said the Spanish fleet,
a vaunti ugs) at firft fight of him, fled
and took shelter in Cadiz Bay.
By a prize vessel from the Havanna, we are inform
ed, advice was brought from Pensacola that Don Gal
vez had been defeated in an attack upon that place,
a " umbtr of ins troops, and himfelf wounded in
the aCtion. The vessel had a pafiage of about 3 weeks
from Havanna, at which time no accounts more fa
voidable had been received from their General Don
Galvez..
stand from his account, that notwithstanding the
English, and more especially the two Admirals, Hood
and Drake, acquitted themselves with the utmost gal
lantry and good conduct, yet they were obliged at
length to give way to the superior force of the ene
my. Captain Kempthorn fays, however, that the
retreat was effected in the best possible order, and
that so far from the enemy's having any reasonable
ground for triumph, nothing could be more evident
than, that if our brave Admirals had been nearly
equal in force, the affair would have terminated glo
lioufly for them, and fortunately for their country.
Perlons who judge only from events may corhdef
this as the mere fanfaronade of a news-write ; but
we have every imaginable reason to believe, that when
the particulars of the action come to be minutely in
vestigated, it will appear that the honour of the Bri
trill flag has fuffered no dilgrace upon this occasion,
but that every thing which could be done by a fleet
so much inferior in real efficient force as was that of
Admiral Hood to Monsieur la 1 ouche Treville's, was
done in the late engagement.
It does not yet appear that any ships were taken
or dettroyed on either fide ; nor do we hear that any
of opr fleet have fuffered fererelv, except the Russel,
which was obliged to bear away for St. Euftatius ;
and even her damages, great as they were at the
time, must have been of luch a nature as to admit
of a very speedy repair, if it be true, as we hear, that
the is one of the reinforcement which Admiral Rod
ney has tailed with from St. Euftatius, to the assis
tance of Sir Samuel—We sincerely with that the gal
lant veteran may happily effect this junction, and that
he may take ample fatisfaCtion for the late unavoida
ble failure on the part of his brave colleagues. [The
name of Monsieur Treville is here inserted instead of
that of the Count de Graffe.]
„ N EW-Y O R K, May
a veilel from the Weft-Indies we are informed,
' , a French fleet from Europe, consisting of at least
22 fail of line of battle (hips, convoying a number of
transports, and their Weft-India trade, fell in with
three of Sir Samuel Hood's division, par t of Sir George
Rodney s command, viz. the Russel, the Centaur,
and another ship, all of 74 guns ; they had the good
fortune, after the most gallant exertions, to escape
from this immense superiority. The commander of
the Centaur tis said was killed, and much executi
on done on board each of these seemingly devoted
™° days not hble exertion of all
^ St ° Euftatius , restored the most injured ship
(Russel) to a perfect fitnefs for resuming her Nation
in Sir George's line of battle.