The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-06-02 00:00:00, page 2

fe„iee, we ANXIOUSLY desire to call your most vigi
lant attention to their conduct with refped to every
species of misbehaviour, whether proceeding from
ignorance, negligence or fraud, and to the making
of laws for inflicting exemplary punishments on all
offenders of this kind.
We are sorry to hear that some perfans are so
slightly informed of their own interests as to suppose
that it is advantageous to them to fell the produce of
their farms-at -enormous prices, when a little re
flection might convince them that it is injurious to
those interests and the general welfare. If they ex
peCt thereby to purchase imported goods cheaper,
they will be egregiously disappointed ; for the mer
chants, who know they cannot obtain returns in gold,
silver, or bills of exchange, but that their vessels if
loaded here at all mutt be loaded with produce, will
rajfe the price of what they have to fell, in propor
tion to the price of what they have to buy ; and
consequently the land holder can purchase no more
foreign goods for the fame quantity of his produce
than he could before.
The evil, however, does not flop at this point.
,The land holder by anting on this mistaken calcula
tion is only labouring to accumulate an immense debt
by encreafing the public expences, for the payment
of which his estate is engaged, and to embarrass
every measure adopted for vindicating his liberty
and securing his prosperity.
As the harvests of this year, which by the divine
goodness promise tobe plentiful, will soon be gather
ed, and some new measures relating to your foreign
.concerns, with some arrangements relating to your
domestic, are now under consideration, from which
beneficial effects are expected, we entertain hopes
that your affairs will acquire a much greater degree
of regularity and energy than they have hitherto had.
But we Should be highly criminal if we did not
plainly tell you that those hopes are not founded
wholly upon our own proceedings. These mutt be
supported by your virtue, your wisdom, and your
.diligence. From the advantage of those feats in the
national council with which you have honored us,
we have a pleasing profped of many blessings ap
proaching this our native land. It is your patriotism
tnuft introduce and fix them here.
In vain will it be for your delegates to form plans
of oeconomy; to strive to stop a continuation of
emissions by taxation or loan, if you do not zealously
co-operate with them in promoting their defigns,and
use your utmost industry to prevent the waste of
money in the expenditure, which your refpedive
situations in the several places where it is expended,
may enable you to do. A difeharge of this duty and
a compliance with recommendations for supplying
money, might enable Congress to give speedy assur
ances to the public that no more emissions shall take
place, and thereby close that source of depreciation.
Your governments being now established, and your
ability to contend with your invaders ascertained, we
have on the most mature deliberation judged it in
dispensably necessary to call upon you for forty-five
millions of dollars, in addition to the fifteen millions
required by a resolution of Congress of the 2d of
January lad, to be paid into the continental treasury
before theist day of January next, in the fame pro
portion, as to the quotas of the several Rates, with
that for the said fifteen millions.
It appeared proper to us to fix the firft day of next
January for the payment of the whole; but as it is
probable that some states, if not all, g will raise part of
the sums by installments or other Wife. before that
time, we recommend in the strongest manner the
paying as much as can be collected as soon as possible
into the continental treasury.
Though it is manifeft that moderate taxation in
times of peace will recover the credit of your cur
rency, yet the encouragement which your enemies
derive from it. depreciation, and the present exigen
cies demand great and speedy exertions.
We are persuaded you will use all possible care to
make the promotion of the general welfare interfere
as little as may be with the ease and comfort of indi
viduals ; but tho' the railing these sums ihould press
heavily on some of our constituents, yet the obliga
tions we feel to your venerable clergy, the truly
helpless widows and orphans, your most gallant,
generous, meritorious officers and soldiers, the pub
lic faith and the common weal, so irrefiftably urge
us to attempt the appreciation of your currency, that
we cannot withhold obedience to those authoritative
sensations.
On this fubjed we will only add, that as the rules
of justice are most pleasing to our infinitely good and
gracious Creator, and an adherence to them most
likely to obtain his favour, so they will ever be found
to be the best and fafeft maxims of human policy.
To our constituents we submit the propriety and
purity of our intentions, well knowing they will
not forget, that we lay no burthens upon them, but
those in which we participate with them —a happy
sympathy, that pervades focietics formed on the basis
of equal liberty. Many cares, many labours, and
may we not add, reproaches —are peculiar to us.
These arc the emoluments of our unfollicited Rations;
and with these we are content, if you approve our
conduct. If you do not, we (hall return to our pri
vate condition with no other regret, than that which
will arise from our not having ferved,ou as accept
ably and cffentially as we wished and strove to do,
though as chearfully and faithfully as we could.
Think not we despair of the commonwealth, or
endeavour to shrink from oppefing difficulties. No.
Your cause is too good, your objects too sacred, to
be relinquished. We tell you truths, because you
are freemen who can bear to hear them and may
profit by them ; and when they reach your enemies,
we fear not the consequences, because we are not
ignorant of their resources or our own. Let your
good sense decide upon the comptrifon. Let even
their prejudiced understandings decide upon it, and
you need not be appr&henfive of the determination.
Whatever supposed advantages from plans of ra
pine, projects of blood, or dreams of domination,
may heretofore have amused their inflamed fancies,
the conduct of one monarch, the friend and protestor
of the rights of mankind, has turned the scale io
much against them, that their visionary schemes
vanish as the unwholesome vapours of night before
the healthful influences of the fan.
An Alliance has been formed between bis Most
Christian M^jeftyand these States, on the basis of
the most perfect equality, for the aired end of main
taining effectually their Liberty, Sovereignty and In
dependence, absolute and unlimited, as well in mat
ters of government as of commerce. The conduct
of our good and great Ally towards us in this in
stance and others, has so fully manifefted his sincerity
and kindness, as to excite on out part correspondent
sentiments of confidence and affection.
Observing the interests of his kingdom, to which
duty and inclination prompted his attention, to be
connected with those of America, and the combina
tion of both clearly to coincide with the beneficient
designs of the Author of Nature, who unquestionably
intended men to partake of certain rights and porti
ons of happiness, his Majesty perceived the attain
ment of these views to be founded on the single pro
position of a separation between America and Great-
Britain.
The resentment and confufion of your enemies will
point out to you the ideas you should entertain of the
magnanimity and consummate wisdom of his Most
Christian Majesty on this occasion.
They perceive, that selecting this grand and just
idea from all those specious ones that might have con
fufed or milled inferior judgment or virtue, and fatis
fied with the advantages which must refuit from that
event alone, he has cemented the harmony between
himfelf and these States, not only by establishing a
reciprocity of benefits, but by eradicating every cause
of jealousy and suspicion. They also perceive with
similar emotions, that the moderation of our ally, in
not defiling an acquisition of dominion on this conti
nent, or an exclusion of other nations from a share of
its commercial advantages, so ufeful to them, has
given no alarm to those nations, but in fad has in
terested them in the accompliihment of his gene
rous undertaking to dissolve the monopoly thereof by
Great-Britain, which has already contributed to ele
vate her to her present power and haughtiness, and
threatened if continued to raise both to a height in
supportable to the rest of Europe.
In short, their own best informed statesmen and
writers confefs, that your cause is exceedingly fa
voured by courts and people in that quarter of the
world, while that of your adversaries is equally re
probated; and from thence draw ominous and well
grounded conclusions, that the final event must prove
unfortunate to the latter. Indeed, we have the BEST
reason to believe that we shall soon form other Alli
ances, and on principles honourable and beneficial to
these States.
Infatuated as your enemies have been from the be
ginning of this contest, do you imagine they can now
flatter themselves with a hope of conquering you, un
less you are falfe to yourselves?
When unprepared, undisciplined, and unfupport
cd, you opposed their fleets and armies in full con
joined force, then, if at any time, was conquest to be
apprehended. Yet what progress towards it have their
violent and incessant efforts made? Judge from their
own conduct. Having devoted you to bondage, and
after vainly wafting their blood and treasure in the
diflionourable enterprize, they deigned at length to
offer terms of accommodation with refpedtful addres
ses to that once defpifcd body the Congress, whose
humble Applications only for Peace, Liberty and
Safety, they had contemptuously rejected, under pre
tence of its being an unconstitutional assembly. Nay
more ; desirous of seducing you into a deviation from
the paths of rectitude, from which they had so far
and so rashly wandered, they made most specious
offers to tempt you into a violation of your faith giv
en to your illustrious Ally. Their arts were as una
vailing as their arms.—Foiled again, and Rung with
rage, embittered by envy, they had no alternative,
but to renounce the inglorious and ruinous contro
versy, or to relume their former modes of prosecuting
it. They chose the latter. Again the lavages are sti
mulated to horrid malfacres of women and children,
and domestics to the murder of their matters. Again
our brave and unhappy brethren are doomed to mise
rable deaths in gaols and prison-ships. To complete
the sanguinary system, all the " Extremities of
War" are by authority denounced against you.
Piously endeavour to derive this correlation from
their reniorfelefs fury, that " the Father of Mercies"
looks down with dilapprobatfop on such audacious
defiances of his holy laws; and be further comforted
with recollecting, that the arms aflumed by you in
your righteous cause, have not been Allied by any
unjuftifiable severities.
Your enemies detailing however, as it seems, of
the success of their united forces aghinft cur rah
army, have divided them, as if their delign was to
hanai's you by predatory, desultory operations. If
you are assiduous in improving opportunities, Sara
toga may not be the only foot on this continent to
give a new denomination to the baffled troops of a
nation impiously priding hcrlelf in notions of her
omnipotence.
Rouze yourselves therefore, that this campaign may
finiih the great work you have io nobly carried on for
several years part. What nation ever engaged in such
a contcit under such a complication of disadvantages,
so soon surmounted many of them, and in so ihort
a period of time had io certain a prufped of a speedy
and happy conclusion. We will venture to pronounce
that so remarkable an inßance shifts not in the annals
of mankind. We well remember what you said at
the commencement of this war. You law the immense
difference between your circumßances and thole of
your enemies, and you knew the quarrel must decide
on no less than your lives, liberties and estates. Ail
these you greatly put to every hazard, refolding ra
ther to die freemen than to live (laves; and jußice
will oblige the impartial world to confefs you have
uniformly aded on the fame generous principle.
Confider how much you have done, and how com
paratively little remains to be done to crown you with
success. Persevere ; and you ensure Peace, Freedom,
Safety, Glory, Sovereignty, and Felicity to Your
selves, your Children, and your Childrens Children.
Encouraged by favours already received from infi
nite goodness, gratefully acknowledging them, earn
estly imploring their continuance, constantly endea
vouring to draw them down on your heads by an
amendment of your lives and a conformity to the
divine will, humbly confiding in the protection so
often and wonderfully experienced, vigorously em
ploy the means placed by Providence in your hands,
for compleating your labours.
Fill up your battalions —be prepared in every part
to repel! the incursions of your enemies—place your
several quotas in the continental treasury—lend mo
ney for publick uses—sink the emissions of your rc
fpedive Rates —provide effectually for expediting the
conveyance of supplies for your armies and fleets, and
for your allies—prevent the produce of the country
from being monopolized—effectually superintend the
behaviour of public officers—diligently promote pie
ty, virtue, brotherly love, learning, frugality and
moderation —and may you be approved before Al|j
mighty God worthy of these blessings we devoutly
with you to enjoy.
Done in Congress by unanimous consent, this 26th
day of May, one thousand seven hundred and
seventy-nine. JOHN JAY, President.
Attest. CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
BOST O N, May 20.
One of the last vessels from the Weft-Indies informs
that a large number of Rore Ihips, with some ships of
force, had arrived at Martinico, from Old France ;
this is probably the fleet mentioned to have failed from
France to the Weft-Indies, by the cutter not long since
arrived here, and which left Brest the beginning of
March. This reinforcement it is said, will give the
fleet of France a superiority of strength to that of the
British in those seas.
By the fame channel we are informed that two ships
of the line, belonging to the squadron of Admiral
Byron, were hauled up at St. Lucia, for want of men,
each of them having buried 300 of their sailors.
Wednesday last a prize llup of 250 tons, laden with
salt, arrived fafe in port. We hear ihe was captured
near the channel of England.
PROVIDENCE, May 15.
The Continental sloop Providence, Capt. Hacker,
arrived in port on Tuesday last, with two prizes ;
one of them a brig of 12 guns, a British cruizer from
New-York, which was taken after a sharp conflict of
three hours; the enemy had 28 men killed and wound
ed, and Capt. Hacker 4 killed and 8 wounded. Ihe
other prize is a valuable Ihip, with 400 tierces of rice.
Thursday morning arrived here a prize sloop of
about 70 tons, captured the preceding day, off New
port harbour, by the armed boats Seven Brothers,
Capt. Hoxfey, General Sullivan, Capt. Oman, aid
Bradford, Capt. Martindale. She was bourd from
the island of New-Providence to New-York, and
had been taken by the Monmouth privateer, of Salem,
recaptured by a British tender, and again retaken by
the armed boats, as above. Her cargo conlilis of
rum, melaffes, fruit, &c. A midshipman and four
seamen, belonging to the Renown man of war, were
made prisoners.
F I S H-K I L L, May 27.
By a person from Peek's Kill, we learn, that five
of the enemy's light-horsemen had just come in there,
and brought off their horses and accoutrements.
It is asserted, that the enemy at New-York art in
motion, and have determined to attack tome of our
posts on this river. This intelligence is corroborated,'
by Rune of their vefiels coming up the river a few da)#
since, in order, as is fuppoied, to reconnoitre our
present situation in this quarter.
B A LT I M O R E, Maya,
The force of the enemy, lately landed at Ports
mouth, Virginia, amounts, at must, to two thousand
men, said to be principally Heliums, and commanded
by Lieutenant-General Kniphaufem