The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-03-28 00:00:00, page 1

PHILADELPHIA, March zx.
By the prize brigantine Amelia, arrived here on Mon
day lad from St. Kitt's, we have the following im
portant intelligence, taken from a St. Kitts paper,
dated the 10th of February, 1781.
From the LONDON GAZETTE Extraordinary,
Thursday, December 21, 1781.
MANIFESTO.
GEORGE
THROUGH the whole course of our
reign, our conduct towards the States
General of the United Provinces has
been that of a fineefe friend and faith
ful ally. Had they adhered to those wife principles
which used to govern the Republic, they must have
Ihewp themftlvcs equally solicitous to maintain the
friendship which has Io long subsisted between the two
nations, and which is elfential to the interests of both :
But from the prevalence of a faction devoted to France,
and following the dictates of that Court, a very dif
ferent policy has prevailed. The return made to our
friendship for some time past has been an open con
tempt of the molt folefan engagements, and a repeat
ed violation of public faith.
On the commencement of the defenfive war in
which we found ourselves engaged by the aggrGlion of
France, we ihewed a tender regard for the interdis of
the States General, and a desire of securing to their
fubjedts every Advantage oftrade, conlifterit with the
greit and just pripciple^of our own defence. Our
Ambassador was inftruded to offer a friendly negotia
tion, to obviate every thing that might lead to disa
greeable discussion ; and to this offer, solemnly made
by him to the States General the 2d of November,
1778, no attention was paid.
After the number of our enemies increased by the
aggreffien of Spain, equally unprovoked with that of
France, we found it necessary to call upon the States
General for the performance of their engagements.
The fifth article of the perpetual defenfive alliance
between our Crown and the States General, conclud
ed at Weftmintter the 3d of March, 1678, befidcsthe
general engagement for fuccours, expressly ftipul'ates,
“ That that party of the two allies that is hot aUatk
" cd, dial! be obliged to break with the 'aggreffor in
"'two months after the party attacked shall require
“ it:" —Yet two years have passed without the leatt
afliftance. given to us, without a tingle fyllablc in an
swer to our repeated demands.
So totally tegardlefs have the States been to their
treaties with us, that they readily promised our ene
mies to observe a neutrality, in direct contradiction
to those engagements ; and whilst they have withheld
from us the fuccours they were bound to furniih,
every secret afliftance has been given to the enemy;
and inland duties have been taken off, for the sole
purpose of facilitating the carriage of naval.Hores to
France.
In direst and open violation of treaty, they fuffefred
an American Pirate to remain several weeks in one of
their ports ; and even permitted a part of his crew to
mount guard ip a fort in the Texel.
In the East-Indies, the fubjedls of the States Gene
' ral, in concert with France, have endeavoured to
raise up enemies against us.
In the Weft-Indies, particularly at St. Euftatius,
every protection and assistance has been given to our
rebellious fubjeds. Their privateers are openly re
ceived in the Dutch harbours ; allowed to refit there ;
Applied with arms and ammunition ; their crews re
cruited ; their prizes brought in and fold ; and all this
in direct violation of as clear and solemn stipulations
as can be made:
This conduit, so inconsistent with all good faith,
so repugnant to the sense of the wisest part of the Dutch
nation, is chiefly to be ascribed to the prevalence of
the leading merchants of Amsterdam, whose secret
correspondence with our rebellious fubje&s was fuf
pefted long before it was made known by the fortu
nate discovery of a treaty, the firft article of which is:
" There shall be a firm, inviolable, and universal
peace, and sincere friendfhip, between their High
Mightinesses the Estates of the Seven United Provin
ces of Holland and the United States of North-Ame
rica, and the fubjeCts and people of the said parties ;
and between the countries, inlands, cities and towns,
situated under the jurisdiction ofthe said United States
of Holland and the said United States of America, and
the people and inhabitants thereof, of every degree,
without exception of persons or places."
This treaty was signed in September 1778, by the
express order of the Penfionary of Amsterdam, and
other principal magistrates of that city. They now
not only avow the whole transaction, but glory in it,
■ [Vol. IV.] THE [Numb. 170 J
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE
WEDNESDAY, March 28, 1781.
and expressly fay, even to the States General, that
what they did " was what their indifpcnfablc duty
required."
In the inpAn time Lhe States General declined to
give any aniwer to the memorial presented by ourAm
baifador; and this retufal was aggravated by their
proceeding upon other bufmefs, ndy, upon the con,
liberation of this very fubjett to internal purposes;
and while they found it impoflible to approve the
conduct of their fubjeds, they still iaduftriqully a
voided to give us the fatisfaction so manifestly due.
We had every right to expert that such a discovery.
would have roofed them to ajuit indignation at the in
fuit offered to us and to thcmfelves; and that they
would have been eager to gi've us full and ample fa
tisfaCtion for the offence, and to inflict the fevered
pundhrhent upon the obcudero. The urgency of the
business made an instant answer clien'tiai to the ho
nour and fafety of this country. The ,demand was
accordingly pruned by our Ambahador in repeated
conferences with the Ministers, and in a second me
morial. It was prclfed with all earnestness which
could proceed from our antient fries.dihip and the
sense of recent injuries; And the aniwerf now given
to a memorial bn such a fubjeht, delivered above five
weeksago, is, That theStates have taken it
ad referendum. —Shell an answer, upon such an
occasion, could only be dictated by the fixed purpose
of hoftihty meditated, and already resolved, by the
States, induced by {he offensive councils of Amster
dam thus to countenance the hoftiie aggrefiion, which
the magistrates ofthat city have made in the name of
the Republic.
The[e is an end ofthe faith of all treaties with them,
if Amsterdam may usurp the sovereign power, may
violate those treaties with impunity, by pledging the
States to engagements direCtly contrary, and leaguing
the Republic with the rebels of a fovercign to whom
lhe is bound by the closest ties. An infraction of the
law of nations; by the meanest member of any coun
try, gives the injured Rate a right to demand fatisfac
tion and punishment : How much more so, when the
injury complained of,is a flagrant violation of public
faith, committed by leading and predominant mem
bers in the date ? Since then the fatisfaCtion we have
demanded is not given, we must, tho' moll reluctant
ly, do ourselves that jutyce which we cannot other
wise obtain : We must consider the States General as
parties in the injury which they Will not repair, as
sharers in the aggrefiion which they refufe to phhifh,
and mult act accordingly. We have therefore order
ed our Ambassador to withdraw from the Hague, and
shall immediately pursue such vigorous measures as
the occasion fullyjultifies, and our dignity and the el
fential intcreft of our people require.
From a regard to the Dutch nation at large, we with
it were poflible to direct those meafurts wholly against
Amsterdam; but this cannot be; unless the States
General will immediately declare that Amsterdam
shall, upon this occaiion, receive no assistance from
them, but be left to abide the consequences of its
aggrefiion.
Whilst Amsterdam is fuffered to prevail in the ge
neral councils, and is backed by the strength of the
State, it is impossible to refill the aggrefiion of so con
siderable a part, without contending with the whole.
But we are too sensible of the common interests of
both countries not to remember, in the midfl of such
a contest, that the only poiht to be aimed at b,us is,
to raise a disposition in the councils of the Republic
to return to our ancient union, by giving us that fa
tisfattion for the past, and security for the future,
which we shah be as ready to receive as they can be
to offer, and to the attainment of which we shall di
rCCl all our operations. , We mean only to provide for
our own security, by defeating the dangerous deligns
that have been formed against us.' We shall ever be
di posed to return to friendfhip with the States Gene
ral, when they fincercly revert to that system which
the wisdom of their aneeftors formed; ahd which has
how been fabvefted by a powerful faction, conspiring.
with France against the true iutereft of the Republic,
no gets than against those of Great-Britain.
St. James's, December io, 1780. G. R.
At the Court at St. James's, the 20th of Decem
ber, 1780.
P RESEN T,
The KING'S molt excellent Majesty in Council.
HIS Majesty, having taken into consideration the
many injurious proceedings of the States Ge
neral of the United Provinces, and their fubjedts, as
set forth in his Royal Manifefto of this date, and be
ing determined to take such measures as are neceflary
for vindicating the honour of his Crown, and for pro
curing reparation and fatisfa&ion, is pleased, by and
with the advice of his Privy Council; to order, and
it is nereby ordered, That general reprizals be grant
ed against the Hrips, goods and fubjefts of the States
General of the United Provinces, so that as well his
Majesty's fleet and ships, as also all other ships and
vessels that shall ^ commissioned by letters of marque
or general reprizaLs, or otherwise, by his Majesty's
Commissioners for executing the office of Lord High
Admiral of Great-Britain, shall and may lawfully
seize all ships, vessels and goods, belonging so the
States General of the United Provinces, or their fub
jcCls, or others inhabiting within any ofthe territories
of the aforelaid States General, and bring the fame to
judgment in any of the courts of admiralty withih his
Majesty's dominions: And to that end his Majesty's
Advocate General; with the Advocate of the admiral
ty, are forthwith to prepare the draught of a curnmif
fion, and to present the fame to his Majesty at this
Board, authorizing the Commissioners for executing
the office of Lord High Admiral, or any person or per
sons by them empowered and appointed to issue forth
and grant letters of marque and reprizal to any of his
Majesty's fubje^s, or others whom the said Commif
lioners shall deem fitly qualified in that behalf, for the
apprehending, Sizing and taking the ships, vessels,
and goods belonging to the States General of the U
nited Provinces, and their vassals and fubjedts, or any
inhabiting within the countries, territories or domini
ons of the aforefaid States General; ahd that inch
powers and claules be inferred in the said commission
as have been usual, and are according to former pre
cedents: Ahd his Majesty's said Advocate General,
with the Advocate of the admiralty, are also forth
with to prepare the draught of a commission, and pre
lent the lame to his Majesty at this Board, authorizing
the said Commissioner for executing the office of Lord
High Admiral to l will and require the high court of
admiralty of Great-Britain; and the Lieutenant and
Judge of the said court, his surrogate or surrogates,
as also the several courts of admiralty within his Ma
jesty's dominions, to take cognizance of, and judici
ally to proceed upon all, and all manner of captures,
feizuies, prizes and reprisals of all flips and goods
that arc or shall be taken, and td hear and determine
the lame, and according to the course of admiralty,
and the laws of nations, to adjudge and condemn all
such ships, vessels and goods, as shall belong to the
Stales General of the United Provinces; or their vas
sals and fubjefts, or to any others inhabiting within
any of the countries, territories and dominions of the
aforefaid States General; and that such powers and
clauses be inserted in the commission as have been usu
al, and are according to former precedents: And
they arb liKcwife to prepare and lay before his Maje
sty at this Board, a draught offuch inftrudions as may
be proper to be sent to the courts of admiralty in his
Majesty's foreign governments and plantations, for
their guidance herein ; as also another draught of in-
Itrudions for such ships as shall be commissioned fol
the purpofcs aforementioned.
BASSETERRE, (St. Chriftophers) Feb. 10.
By the ship which brought the Dutch soldiers and
otner prisoners to this island, we are informed, that
the flstt of vessels, amounting to 27 in number, bound
to Holland, under convoy of the Dutch Admiral,
which took its departure only two days before the
capture of St. Euftatius, was all brought back in fafe
ty to that road by a detachment Admiral Rodney had
difpatebed for that purpose. That the Dutch Admit
ral was killed,by the fifft broadside, and, after a very
short but smart brgagement, the whole struck.
Yesterday evening about fix o'clock appeared off
this road, a brig with a figiial of a white jack at her
foretopmaft head, on which the fire ship and frigate
that were here immediately got Under way and pro
ceeded with the brig, supposed for St. Euftatius. Va
rious are the conjectures upon it, as report lays there
was a fleet seen to leeward of Martinico.
St. CHRISTOPHE R's.
A PROCLAMATION.
By the Honourable Anthony Johnson, Command-,
er in Chief in and over all his Majelty's Leeward
Charibbee Islands in America, Chancellor, Vice-
Admiral, 'arid Ordinary of the fame, de .6c. 6c.
WHEREAS I have this day received from Lord
George Germaine, one of his Majesty's prin
cipal Secretaries of State, a letter, dated Whitehall,
the 20th of December, 1780, thereby acquainting me
that the King, having taken into copfidfration the
many injurious proceedings of the States General of
the United Provinces, and being determined to take
most vigorous measures for vindicating the honour of
his Crown, and for procuring reparation and fatisfac-