The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-09-16 00:00:00, page 2

Last week died, at her apartments in Oxford Street,
Miss Mary Lydia Lucrine, a maiden Lady of genteel
fortune, and who some years since meeting with a
disappointment as to matrimony, made a vow " ne
" ver to fee the light of the fun again :” According
ly the windows of her apartment were closely shut
up, and Ilie ftridly kept her resolution.
May 16. It was yesterday confidently asserted that
General Burgoyne had received a message from a
great Perfonagc, intimating that his appearance at
St. James's would be dispensed with until his conduct
should be examined into by a General Court-Mar
tial, which will be convened with all expedition.
Gen. Burgoyne's troops are not fuffered to come
home until the enormous sum of 125,8001. is paid for
their maintenance from the 17th of October last.
There are now on a calculation upwards of 100,000
land forces in the pay of Great-Britain. In the be
ginning of the year 1776, tkey amounted to 86,628,
exclusive of provincial troops.
Ma, 18. The ministry are perfectly right in avoid
ing a war. The loss of thirteen colonies is not an object
of fufficient magnitude to juftify the commencement
of hostilities.
Strictly speaking, the conduct of France hath been
highly praise-worthy. In violation of her antient
prejudices, the hath declared in favour of liberty.
Whilst England, which boasts of her love of freedom,
hath made use of the engines of despotism for the bale
purpose of enslaving three millions of people.
A repeal of all the penal statutes passed against the
Roman Catholicks, should immediately take place.
The spirit of universal toleration should be infufed
into our councils. For the honour of the age, not
a law should be permitted to disgrace our statute
books, which functioned the idea of religious perse
cution. The good and the virtuous of every nation,
and of every persuasion under heaven, should be re
ceived as brethren of the fame species, deriving from
one common parent the benefits of existence.
Advices were received on Saturday last, at the se
cretary of state's office, that the court of Spain had
issued orders for all the British Flipping to depart
their coast in seven days from the receipt of the or
der, or they would be seized and their cargoes and
effects confifcated.
It was yesterday currently reported at St. James's
that Spain had sent a peremptory order to Portugal,
infixing that that court should also give notice of
departure to all the English ships in any of the Por
tuguese ports with the like resolution of seizure, and
that there was no doubt of the court of Portugal's
obeying the dictates of the Spanish court.
Various are the conjectures in the polite circles of
the fate of General Burgoyne: Some assert, that he
will be examined before the bar of the House of
Commons; others insist, that he will be tried by a
court-martial ; and some fay. that he will only have
a court of enquiry granted to him. The more in
telligent maintain, that neither a court-martial nor
a court of enquiry can fit on him in his present situ
ation, being in England only on parole, and by the
laws of war to be considered still a prisoner in Ame
rica. That an examination before the House of
Commons being the only procedure that can be had,
Lord George Germaine will endeavour to bring him
to that bar, in hopes of acquitting himfelf of that
obloquy and shame which throughout the whole of
the Canada expedition attended his measures
this examination, therefore, takes place, the Minister
or the General must fall.' True it is, that General
Burgoyne was informed that his presence at St.
James's would be dispensed with for the present.
The blame that Lord G. Germaine throws out on
general Burgoyne is, that the General refufed to call
a council of war, when requested by the officers un
der him several times and many days before his fur
render —that the officers to a man advised the Ge
neral not to proceed farther on the expedition as
impracticable and fatal. That General Burgoyne re
fufed to listen to their advice, or call a council of war
until necessity compelled him to surrender his army
in form. That had he called a council in time, he
could have maintained his post with security and ho
nour, and have waited every advantage afforded by
time and circumstance.
When General Burgoyne came to town on Thurs
day last, he went directly to Phillips's, in
Bond-street: From thence he did not go to Lord
George Germaine's, but to Lord Weymouth's. His
conversation with" Lord Weymouth is not reported
to have been of a temporizing nature; but to have
been concise and peremptory : That he waited upon
his Lordship upon the affair of Saratoga, and to de
sire a court-martial upon his conduct: If his request
was not granted, he would state his case in parlia
ment. Lord Weymouth, it is said, hesitated : At
length he promised to consult the other Ministers,
and to fend General Burgoyne an answer.
'To? 21. The Eastern battalion of the Middlesex
nF th has received orders to march with all possible
difoatch to Dover.
£ letter from Lisbon hath the following article :
" The American privateer which was flopped here,
with her prize, is released by an order from the court.
Their releafement was procured by the French Am
bassador, who has been very aftive in the affair;
and it is generally believed here, that the Americans
will soon find as much favour shewn them in every
po belonging to Portugal, as they have in the ports
of France or Spain."
The Westminster regiment of the Middiefex militia
As the great purpose Mr. Johnftone had in view in
coming to North-America was to promote a reconci
liation between Great-Britain and her colonies, with
a full determination to do nothing that could have a
tendency to prevent it: In order therefore to defeat
the purposes intended by this resolution of Congress,
the subscriber, George Johnftone, thinks proper to de
cline ailing as a Commissioner, or otherwise interfer
ing in any meflage, answer, agreement, negociation,
matter or thing that may regard the said Congress,
which he does with so much the more pleasure as he is
perfectly Satisfied the business will be left in more able
and fufficient hands, reserving to himfelf the liberty,
if he fnould judge proper, of publishing before he
leaves North-America a justification of his conduct
against the aspersions thrown on his character.
When the Congress were contending for essential
privileges necessary to the preservation of their liber
ty, under solemn declarations that their resistance was
calculated merely to obtain redress upon those points,
Mr. Johnftone should have been sorry to have incurred
their censure, though unheard in his defence, and
upon a chain of evidence so totally inconclusive as to
him.
At present when the Congress can remain deaf to
the cries of so many of their fellow-fubjeds who are
fuffering by the miseries of this war, and from motives
of private ambition can so far fully the principles
upon which their firft resistance was made as to bow
New-York, August 26, 1778.
GEORGE JOHNSTONE, one ofthe Commission
ers appointed by his Majesty to carry into exe
cution the gracious purposes of his Majesty and his
Parliament for quieting the disorders now subsisting
in North-America, and for maintaining the people of
these provinces in the clear and perfect enjoyment of
their liberties and rights, having seen a Declaration
of the American Congress, signed by Henry Laurens,
their President, dated 11th of August, to which, for
certain assumed reasons therein fpecified, is subjoined
the following resolution :
" That it is incompatible with the honour of Con
" grefs to hold any manner of correspondence or in
" tercourfe with the said George Johnftone, Esq.
" especially to negociate with him upon affairs in
" which the cause of liberty and virtue is interefeed."
The said George Johnftone for himfelf fays, That
he is far from considering the said resolution of the
Congress as offenfive to him; That he rather re
ceives it as a mark of distinction to which he is by no
means entitled, either by his exertions in the cause in
which he is employed, or by his abilities for improv
ing any future circumstances that may occur towards
fulfilling the purposes of the commission under which
he is appointed.
That he Shall be happy to find when this exceptionas
to him shall be removed, that the Congress are inclin
ed to retraC their former declaration, and to negoci
ate with others upon terms equally conducive to the
happiness of both countries; at the fame time he is
inclined to believe that the said resolution of Congress
has been issued upon similar motives with those resolu
tions refpeCing the cartouch-boxes of General Bur
goyne's army, and calculated as an excuse to a delud
ed people for not fending an explicit answer to a plain
requisition that was made to the Congress from his
Majesty's Commissioners with regard to the unfor
tunate soldiers who are detained at Boston under every
indignity, contrary to the publick faith of a solemn
convention signed at Saratoga, and also to serve as a
pretext to the unhappy constituents of the Congress,
who are fuffering under the various calamities of war,
for disappointing the good effects of the commission
which the real friends of America had so long request
ed by the most solemn petitions, resolutions and pub
lick declarations, and which so many of the inhabit
ants of this continent now desire to fee carried into
full effect.
began their march this day for Portsmouth.
Orders are sent to Dover for the castle and forti
fications of that place to be repaired, and some ad
ditions made to the works as soon as possible.
A PAPER signed " Adam Ferguson, Secretary to
his Majesty's commission," dated at New-York,
August 26, 1778, accompanied with a Declaration by
George Johnftone, Esq. and a Declaration by the Earl
of Carlifle, Sir Henry Clinton, and William Eden, Esq.
and also a Requisition refpedting the troops lately
serving under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, were
read, and are as follows:
Orders are issued from the War-office for the coasts
of Kent and Sussex to be lined with troops, ready to
oppose an enemy's landing. Besides the Essex mili
tia, the Kent, Sussex and Surry, are all to be Rati
oned there, with a regiment of light-horse, a re
giment of light-infantry, and other troops.
New-York, August 26, 1778.
HIS Majesty's Commissioners direst Doctor Fer
guson to transmit to the President of the American
Congress, for the information of the Congress, the
Declaration of this day by George Johnftone, Esq.
and the Declaration of the fame date by the Earl of
Carlifle, Sir Henry Clinton, and William Eden, Esq.
and also the Requisition refpeCing the troops lately
serving under Lieutenant-General Burgoyne, signed
by the Earl of Carlifle, Sir Henry Clinton, and Wil
liam Eden, EQ
In CONGRESS, August 31, 1778.
ADAM FERGUSON,
Secretary to his Majesty's Commission.
In Congress, September 9, 1778.
Resolved, That the retreat made by Major-General
Sullivan, with the troops under his command, from
Rhode-Ifland, was prudent, timely, and well con
duced; and the Congress highly approve of the
fame. .
Resolved, That the thanks of Congress be given to
Major-General Sullivan, and to the officers and troops
under his command, for their fortitude and braver,
displayed in the action of the 29th of August, in which
they repulsed the British forces and maintained the
field.
Refolded, That Congress have a high sense of
the patriotic exertions made by the four Eastern
States on the late expedition against Rhode-Ifland.
ExtraC from the Minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary,
Monday last we were informed by express from
Plymouth, that on Sunday preceding upwards of 20
fail of ships were seen from thence standing to the
Northward; and on Tuesday afternoon a fleet of 22
fail appeared off this harbour's mouth, and after
stretching in very near the light, on the approach of
eve, stood to the Southward ; they consisted of 8 fail
of the line, and the remainder were supposed to be all
frigates. I consequence of which an alarm was given
by the usual signals, and the militia immediately ap
peared under arms in State-street, from whom a fuffi
cient number were detached by the Hon. Gen. Han
-9° c ' { '° occu py the fortreffes in and near this town,
likewise to guard the magazines and avenues leading
to the town ; the remainder were dismissed, with or
ders to hold themselves in readiness to appear at the
beat of the drum. General Hancock's spirited ex
ertions on the occasion did him great honour.
The above fleet is supposed to be the fame which
appeared off Plymouth, and commanded by Lord
Howe, from New-York.
The Count d'Eftaign has erected very formidable
Works on George's island, in which we hear he has
mounted near 100 cannon, of heavy metal, which he
took from his fleet, with a determination to defend
himfelf against any invasion from our enemies, while
his fleet are repairing the damage they sustained in the
late storm.
FIS H-K I I, L, Sept. 10.
Last evening we were informed that the enemy's
whole army had marched from New-York to Kingf
bridge, as if they meant by this move to give General
Washington battle. Should they advance, with
heaven's aid, they will repent their rash attempt.
Deserters to a considerable number come out to our
camp from Kingfbridge from day to day. 'Tis said
Delaney's corps is reduced to less than 300.
Accounts from New-York by deserters, as well as
persons come out of the city in exchange —That the
enemy, by appearances, are preparing to leave the
city, their heavy baggage and artillery being embark
ed. They are felling off the firewood, salt, &c. which
was stored for public use ; —all their flour is delivered
to the bakers to be made into biscuit. Governor Try
on was returned with some thousands head of cattle
from the east end of Long-island, and that they were
killing and salting them up.
to a French Ambassador, and league with the antient
enemy of both our countries, from whose hostile de
signs Great-Britain has so often rescued the inhabit
ants of North-America, and this for the avowed pur
pose of reducing the power of the parent state, after
all their just claims are gratified, and thereby injuring,
their nearest and dearest friends and relations, forget
ting all the principles of virtue and liberty that ought
to regulate the conduct of men in society, Mr. John
ftone is not anxious about the good opinion of such
a body, notwithstanding the regard he shall always
bear to many of the individuals who compose it, from
ajuitallowance to be made for men acting under
t,e heats incident to civil commotions, and from a
certain knowledge they did entertain, and a persuasi
on that they now entertain, different sentiments.
BOSTO N, Sept. 3.
Friday last the fle et of his Most Christian Majesty,
commanded by his Excellency the Count d'Eltaign,
arrived Safe in Nantafket Road ; and the day follow
ing his Excellency and part of his fleet came up to
town. He was saluted by the shipping and forts on
his landing.
GEORGE JOHNSTONE.
[ The Declaration of the Earl of Carlifle, &c. the
Requisition reflecting the Troops captured at Saratoga,
with a Resolve of Congress thereupon, and some alni
madverfions by W. H. D. will be in our next. J
CHARLES-T OW N, (S. Carolina) July 2.
Congress have resolved on an expedition, under
General MTntofh, with 3000 men, against Detroit;
and have voted 932,743 dollars for the service. An
expediton is also ordered from the Mohawk River, of
12 01 15 00 men, to penetrate the Six Nations, and re
duce the hostile tribes to a pacific difpofition^
With refpeC to the people of America at large, the
subscriber sincerely wishes to avoid every fubjed of
offence which deligning men may possibly intend to
create by exciting angry passions in return to personal
provocations, and thereby defeat any effects of good
will towards Mr. Johnftone which the remembrance
of former good offices he has rendered them might
occasion.
PHILADELPHIA, September 10.