The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-02-09 00:00:00, page 2

To the Printer of the LONDON EVEN
ING POST.
SI R,
WHEN Admiral Blake commanded a fleet under
Oliver, some of his officers expressed a diffa
tisfaftion on account of their differing in opinion with
their gallant Commander in political matters. Blake
replied, " what business have we with Rate affairs,
let us leave them to others, our duty is to oppose our
foreign enemies, and hinder them from fooling us."
This story hath of late, both in the public prints
and in private conversation, been exhibited as a piece
of conduct in the officers (who it seems took the ad
vice ) as Worthy of imitation at this unhappy crisis.
To those persons who seldom examine below the fur
face of things, but rest fatisfied with the opinion of
others, because it laves them the labour of thinking,
it may perhaps appear proper, and even meritorious,
always to assist administration without scrutinizing
measures, or enquiring how far, from past conduct,
ministers have reason to expect or to deserve confi
dence and support. To such cyphers in the commu
nity, who join a mob, holloa, and cry '' God save the
king" because they are bid to do it, I have nothing
to fay ; or to those whose necessities, or venal designs,
render them the ready tools of every minister under
every administration. To such prostitute creatures I
write now ; but to those who love their country, re
vere its old constitution, and with to preserve that
freedom it was meant to establish ; to such I addreis
myfelf.
But before I enter on the fubjed, give me leave
just to take a transient view of public affairs at the
time of the above tranla&ion of Blake. Ihe mad
folly of an arbitrary king, intoxicated with preroga
tive, had plunged the nation into a civil war that end
ed in the tyrant's own destruction. Our ancestors
had two much stern courage tamely to fuffer the in
juries from kings, which their degenerate tons mean
ly crouch under from ministers! Cromwell, though
not royally born and educated, had notwithftandiug
a kingly thirst for uncontrouled power, and he govern
ed at home something in the manner of a tory king,
with unlimited sway; a conduct which would un
doubtedly have terminated in his ruin, had he not
diverted the attention of the nation to his adminiltra-
fuccefsful. It was crowned with a glory never ex
ceeded, scarce ever equalled, unless we except the
last whig adminiftratio'n under the late king. The
whig ministers under the present king were too short
a time in office, and were too much lettered in the
execution of their patriot views, to complete the no
ble plan they had laid down, and in part executed,
of restoring tranquility and confidence through the
whole empire. Strange infatuation ! to remove mi
nisters because they were too honest, and had no de
signs but those of promoting the glory and welfare of
their king and country ! Had Lord Rockingham's ad
ministration happily continued to this time, most al
furedly we should have escaped thole calamities
which now tremendously threaten our very existence
as a great and independent nation. Rivers of blood
would have remained unshed, and instead of the pro
fped of approaching beggary, there is every reason
to believe we should reye been an opulent and flou
rifhing people. $.
But to return : Cromwell loved commerce; in it
he saw the real riches of the state ; encouraged, and
/every where protested, it grew and flourished to an
amazing height. English fleets rode triumphant on
every sea ; Jamaica and Dunkirk were added to the
British empire; the neighbouring States were awed
to peace ; and the very name of Englishmen became
almost as refpedable as the name of Roman, when
that republic enjoyed its freedom, and was become
mistress of the world. Need I draw the humiliating,
the disgraceful comparison ? Thirteen colonies, great
sources of the wealth and Strength of the nation,
forced by cruel treatment into independence ; the
tide of commerce ebbing faft away to other Rates,
never to return ; landed property reduced one third
of its value; inland trade Stagnated; merchants fail
ing ; manufacturers in a distressed Situation ; public
credit finking, and the nation itfelf on the verge of a
general bankruptcy. .Such, so great, so tremendous,
is our distress as members of the community; indi
vidually, as Englishmen, as freemen, jealous of that
inestimable gem, liberty, (without which life itfelf is
a burthen, and government a curse) have we not e
qual cause for anguish ! The executive part of go
vernment encroaching faft on the legislative power,
which treacherously recedes as the other pushes its
advances, the whole verging in an alarming manner
towards military despotism. Sinking as the nation is
under its galling load, yet troops are continually rail
ing, and employed in the most unconstitutional man
ner. But why enumerate grievances, of which there
is no end ? One instance, one fad'inftance, and I have
done. Our navy, dreadful reflection ! unable to cope
with the numerous fleets of the enemy, and there
fore incapable of defending us from being insulted on
our own coasts, but are themselves under the necef
lity of Skulking away for fafety ; add to this, thirty
millions of money profufely Squandered, with the loss
at least of 50,000 lives. Let us pause a moment, and
review the ruinous feene!
Can this be the nation, that in the late reign hurl
ed its thunders in every place effectually against its
enemies ? Are those the people, whose arms carried
Guncueft with them into every quarter of the globe ?
tion abroad, which was wife, great, and every where
Ala^! how fallen! " Slabbed fy traitors." It js a
melancholy truth, that notwithstanding these cala
mities, and the impending ruin with which we are
threatened, we are become so much the contempt of
every nation around us, that we are quite deserted
by our former friends, and are left without a single
ally, excepting only his Most Excellent Savage Ma
jesty of Morocco, (it is hoped our news-writers have
not deceived us in their accounts of this flattering
alliance!)
Can any one read this detail and reflect, that it is
the present miniflry which hath brought us into our
perilous and wretched situation ; a lituation, that
must terminate in our deftrudion, if the guidance of
affairs be much longer entrusted in the fame hands ?
Can any man fee this, (and if he does not discover it,
he must be either mentally or wilfully blind) can he
coolly view this calamitous feene, and then aflift the
men who have uniformly and progreflively drove us to
this dreadful brink of ruin? Can he do this, and be
a friend to his country ? O, no ! it cannot be! it is
impossible! The murderous assassin ihares only part
of the guilt with those who point the dagger, or
strengthen the arm that uses it! Confider this well,
ye associators! ye fubferibers ! Whilst you are lend
ing assistance to guard the extremities, your greatest
and most dangerous enemies are preying on the very
vitals of your constitution. If you enable them to
protest you from a distant foe, at the fame time you
furnifh weapons to destroy every thing at home that
ought to be dear to an Englishman. What avails
your country when its liberty is gone? Of what
worth will your boasted constitution be, when the
few remaining pillars are sapped ; if its spirit, its sub
stance evaporates, and the shadow only remains!
Such was the situation of Rome under Nero, that im
perial traitor to his country. The form of the re
public only remained, the power all centered in one
man, whose folly, extravagance and cruelty at last
brought him to the ignominious death which his
crimes had long deserved, A poor atonement for the
blood he had wantonly spilled, and the injuries he
had inflicted on the people ! Happily, we have nothing
to fear from the king ; but from his ministers we have
every thing to dread. Sheltered behind the throne,
they have fhamefully made it a Walking horse, and
have trampled on the dearest rights of the people.
Like tigers, thirsting for more blood, they now roam
without restraint. Parliaments, which formerly were
bulwarks against ministerial encroachments, are now
become venal tools, ready to be employed in every
dirty work, (a virtuous band of patriots excepted,
who have nobly endeavoured to stem that torrent of
corruption and ministerial despotism, which, like a
resistless deluge, hath bore down all opposition !!! )
My view in Iketching this picture (in which I have
neither exaggerated the features, nor heightened the
colouring) is to warn you, my countrymen, against
the deftrudive designs of dangerous ministers, and
their abandoned minions, who seem bent, like Seja
nus and his profligate associates, to ruin their coun
try, that they may ihare and riot in the plunder.
May the deserved fate of Sejanus be their merited
reward! lain, Sir, your's, &c.
An ENGLISHMAN.
North Riding, Yorkshire, Sept. xi.
From the VIRGINIA GAZETTE, Jan. 15.
A correspondent has favoured us with the follow
ing account of the weather.
THERMOMETE R.
Days; |p- 7A. M. Noon. 3P. M. Winds.
7 'ls 18 20 NW
8 14 16 18 NW
9 16 20 23 W by N
10 27 29 31 W
11 33 34 34 sw
12 26 22 16 W
13 6* 16 17 NW
14 10 16 W
* Within two degrees of the bulb.
From the BOSTON GAZETTE, December 27.
State of Massachusetts-Bay.
THE Committee of both Houses, appointed to en-
I quire into the reasons of the failure of the late
Penobfcot expedition, have, after giving due notice
to the commanders by land and sea, and cited such
persons as the Committee judged most likely to give
the belt account of the reasons of the failure afore
laid, proceeded to enquire into the causes of said
failure.
General Lovell's narrative of his procedure with
the Councils of War by land and sea, and the depo
sitions of the several witnesses, delivered in on this
enquiry, accompanying this report —and the opinion
of your Committee upon the aforefaid fubjett, will
appear as follows :
ift Question. Is it the opinion of this Committee
that they have made fufficient enquiry into the causes
of the failure of the late expedition to Penobfcot?
Answer, unanimously. Yes.
2d Question. What appears to be the principal
reason of the failure ?
Answer, unanimously. Want of proper spirit and
energy on the part of the Commodore.
3d Question. Was General Lovell culpable in not
storming the enemy's principal fort, according to the
requirement of the Commodore and Naval Council,
who infified upon that as the condition of our ftdp,
attacking the enemy's ihips, when at the fame time
the Commodore informed him that in case of such
an attack, he must call the marines on board their
ships ; the last was not made a part of the condition
by the Naval Council ?
Answer, unanimously. No.
4th Question. What, in the opinion of this Com
mittee, was the occasion of the total deftrudtion of
our fleet ?
Answer. Principally the Commodore's not exert
ing himfelf at all at the timcof the retreat, in oppos
ing the enemy's foremoft ffiips in pursuit.
sth Question. Does it appear that General Lo
veil, throughout the expedition and retreat, acted
with proper courage and spirit?
Answer, unanimously. Yes ; and it is the opinion
of the Committee, had he been furnifhed with all the
men ordered for the service, or been properly dip
ported by the Commodore, he would probably have
reduced the enemy.
6th Question. Does it appear that the Commo
dore dffcouraged any enterprizes or offenfive measures
on the part of our fleet ?
Answer, unanimously. Yes; and though he al
ways had a majority of the Naval Council against of
fenfive operations, which majority was mostly made
up of the commanders of private armed vessels, vet
he repeatedly laid, it was matter of favour that'he
called any councils, and when he had taken their ad
vice, he ihould follow his own opinion.
As the naval commanders in the service of the state
are particularly amenable to the government, the
Committee think it their duty to fay, that each and
every of them behaved like brave, experienced, good
officers, throughout the whole expedition.
7th Question. What was the conduct of Brigadier
Wadsworth during his command?
Answer. Brigadier Wadsworth ( the second in
command) throughout the whole expedition, during
the retreat and after, till ordered to return to Boston,
conducted with great activity, courage, coolness and
prudence.
The Committee find the number of men ordered
to be detached for this service were deficient nearly
one third. Whether the ihameful neglect is charge
able upon the Brigadiers, Colonels, or other officers,
whose particular duty it might have been to have
faithfully executed the orders of the General Affem
biy, they cannot afeertain.
ARTEMAS WARD, per Order.
PRESEN T,
From the Connecticut Courant, Jan. 11.
A description of Farenheit's standard Thermometer.
'I'HIS instrument is conftruded to determine the
I heat and cold of the atmosphere or any fluid in
to which it is immersed. It is formed by a hollow
glais ball or globe, which communicates on the top
of the ball with a small glass tube about twenty inches
in length, and hermetically sealed. The ball and a
small part of the tube is filled with Argentum V^vum
or Quicksilver. By heat the Mercury is thinned and
expanded ; by cold it is condensed and contracted in
bdlk, so that it rises and falls in the tube, in pro
portion to the temperature of the atmosphere. The
ball and tube are placed upon a nicely graduated plate
of metal, by which the rife and fall' of the Mercury
may be accurately ascertained. A certain point in
the tube is marked upon the plate with a cypher,
thus c, from which point the degrees are numbered
and marked on the plate, both up and down. In
our climate the Mercury falls below 0 but seldom,
perhaps two or three cold mornings in a winter, as
the season is commonly. .When the Mercury stands
at 32 water begins to freeze or skim over with ice;
at 55 the air is called temperate ; at 76 summer heat ;
at 98 blood heat; at 112 fever heat. Immersed in
boiling spirits the Mercury stands at 175 ; in boiling
water at 212.
The height of the Mercury the firft eight days in
January at sunrise is below. Several days it has been
as low at 2 o'clock p. m. as in the morning, which
uncommon cold is owing to the great body of snow
with which the earth is covered.
January. Sunrise. January. Sunrise.
1-2 5.6
2 - 7 below 0 6 - 10
3-14 7 - 9
4 - 16 8 - I below 0
Tuesday afternoon arrived here ( Boflen) Capt, Clagban,
in 42 days from Gottenburgb, by whom we have
London papers to the 13th October, from which cue
have extracted the following frejb intelligence, viz.
PARI S, September 28.
WE have accounts from Cadiz, that as well for
fecrefy-fake as on account of the hot weather,
the preparations for the siege of Gibraltar are carried
on much more by night than by day; 35,000 bombs
and near 400 pieces of cannon, have been brought
behind the wall of the lines of St. Roch, and as there
are but 1000 gunners, it is said that his Catholic Majes
ty will ask for some from France, as well as engineers.
In truth it is thought the garrison, which amounts
but to 3500 men, will be insufficient to guard all the
General Ward, General Titcomb,
Mr. Dana, General Farley,
General Danielson, Major Osgood.
Boston, October 7, 1779.
Published by order of the General Court.
Attest. JOHN AVERY, Dep. Sec'y.