The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1783-06-11 00:00:00, page 1

WORCESTER, May 22.
At a meeting of the freeholders and other inhabi
tants of the town of Worcester, held, by ad
journment, May 19, 1783'
VOTED,
ffg —IHAT this towri, with an equal and fa
§ cred regard to treaties of peace, and of
l alliance; to the resolves of Congress, and
the solemn ads of this Commonwealth,
puffed from time to time, for its prcfervation, fafe
ty, and defence ; and especially, to those great and
important principles of liberty and a free govern
ment, for which they have been struggling, at the
lifque of their lives, will continue with l,oit and
tirmnefs, their most vigorous efforts, to render glo
rious, and secure from danger, interruption, or di
minution, the ends of their past exertions, Peace,
Liberty, and Happiness.
2dly. Voted, I hat this town consider every
country, in times of invarton, as having equally a
right to the affittance, the perlonU services, and
the property of all its lubjeds, in oppuling the ai
failants.— That this country, more than eight years
since, was invaded, and has been scourged by a
war, which, for the purpose of reducing it to the
servile fubjedtion of foreign domination, has been,
by sea and by land, wafting, and by every Ipecies
cf barbarity, diftreffiog its innocent inhabitants; a
war that has defeated and burned whole towns,
and rendered wretched, and turned out thousands
of virtuous Americans, dertitute, delpoiied, and
unprovided for by the treaty of peace, which leaves
them dependent on the gratitude and generortty of
their country. —A war promoted, encouraged, and
invited by those who, the moment the bloody ban
ners were displayed, abandoned their native land,
turned parricides, and conspired to involve their
country in ruin, tumult, and in bleed.
gdly. Voted, That such traitorous conduct, up
on every principle of policy and justice, in all ages,
and in ail countries, would, in the opinion of this
town, operate a forfeiture of the conspirator's civil
and political relation to their injured and betrayed
country; cut them ofc forever, from a standing
therein ; render them enemies and aliens, and jufti
fy those necessary laws, and that general voice of
the people, by which they have been thus declared.
4thly. Voted, That considering, while the sword
was slumbering in its scabbard, when this country
was in the hour of quiet, and at peace with the
world, only pleading and petitioning for its rights,
for a free government; the sentiments of the ab
sentees, their principles, their languages, and their
feelings, were fixedly opposed to thoje rights, and
to that freedom, they then preferring, and to evince
the sincerity of that preference, engaged to rifque
their all, for its possible attainment, a government
totally inconsistent with the principles of the one
we have established, and for the destruction cf which
they have been waging a cruel war; that therefore
this town cannot conceive it to be their duty, or
their inter&f, ever to provide for the return cf
such ingrates, to naturalize them, or admit them
to the privileges and immunities of citizens.
§thly. Voted, That, whereas the said abfemees
and conspirators have, at all times, uniformly by
their representations, addresses, and avowed prin
ciples, considered the fubjefts of these states, of our
great arid illuttrious ally, and the treaties cf alli
ance, amity and commerce, as the proper fubje&s
of abuse, calumny, and reproach—the former as
the deluded tools of a party spurred on to treason
and rebellion— daefecond as the cowardly machines
of a Monarch, prefidioufly plotting the ruin of the
lormer and the latter as originating from the worst
of motives, deluhve, treacherous, artful, insincere,
and not to be adhered to, and have even attempted
to seduce the fubjeds of these states to violate their
faith, and tnofefacred treaties : That therefore,
in the opinion of this town, to admit persons of
fudi principles, and such practices, to incorporate
with, and reside among us, would betray the want
NEW-JERSEY GAZET TE.
[Vol. VI.;
WEDNESDAY, June ii, 1783.
gthly. Voted, That therefore, in the opinion of
this town, it would be extremely dangerous to the
peace, the happiness, the liberty, the intcref, and
fafety of these states, to fufter persons of the above
description to become the fubjeds of, and to reside
1.1 this government ; that it would be not only dan
gerous, but incouhrtent with justice, policy, our
P's laws, the publick faith, and the principles of
a tree and independent Rate, to admit them our
feives, or have them forced upon us without our
confront.
lOthly. Feted, That in the opinion of this town,
this Commonwealth ought, with the utmort cau
tion, to naturalize, or in any other way admit, as
fubjeds, a common enemy, a set of people, who
have been, by the united voice of this continent,
declared outlays s, exiles, aliens, and enemies, dan
gerous to its political being and happiness.
lithly. Voted, That while there are thousands
of the innocent, peaceable and defencelefs inhabi
tants of these states, whole property has been de
stroyed, and taken from them in the course of the
of a due regard to a generous friend, who has been
fighting, and bleeding by our fide, endanger the
treaty, and injure our national character.
6thly. Voted, That whereas perlons of the above
description, have been of opinion, which they have
been assiduous to propagate, that these states could
find happiness, or protection, no where but in a re
union with the kingdom of Great-Britain; that left
to themfclves, they would become the sport of each
other, break to pieces, and crumble into ruin ; that
no calamity was more to be deprecated, for our
own fakes, than Independence established, and no
blessing more earnertly to be fought for, than Inde
pendence defrayed: And whereas, whence by a
change of British Councils, and Britilh meafurcs,
there was a profped of peace, they reprobated that
change, and solicited, for the purpole above, the
continued utmost exertions of britilh power, and
British resources, and even after the commence
ment of the pacifck treaty, with malicious intenti
ons, equally hostile to both countries, dated to re
present America, as but the proper fubje& of an
ealy conquest: 1 hat therefore, in the opinion of
this town, our independence mud ever be in dan
ger of annoyance from such persons who can never
have our confidence, friendship, or Jociety.
ythly. Voted, 1 hat the plea, for the return of
the absentees, of their becoming good lubjeds, in
creTug our numbers, and cf strength, is in the
opinion of this town, groundless and fallacious, as
it is improbable that performs who have thus ailed,
that are thus principled, and thus ftuated, would,
without any new reajon, light, or argument, alter
their conduct, and at once reje fl thole principles
they have embraced, and embrace those they have
rejected, endeavour to support ti. i at government
they have been Rruggling to destroy, cultivate that
harmony which they have been indufiricus to pre
vent, prevent that difeord they have been afiduous'
to create, QUELL THOSE RIOTS AND UN
LAWFUL ASSEMBLIES, which but of late
were the foundation of their darling hope, and en
deavour to strengthen that friendship and alliance,
which they have laboured to weaken, and lied to
afperle, and by a conduct, the reverie of their past,
become ufeful and good.
Sthly. Voted, That agreeably to the treaty of
peace, this town willies for no recollection of past
disputes with Great-Brivain, no repetition of past
injuries ; but the feeds of difeord being excluded,
that such a beneficial and fatisfa&ury intercourse
may be established between the two countries, as to
promise, and secure to both, perpetual peace and
harmony, which would be extremely difficult, were
those persons to reside among us, whom this coun
try considers as the occefon of interrupting that „,-
tercourjeJormeriy, and the cause of all their fuf
fermgs; especially as these wretched beings have
already begun a quarrel with that peace, and those
who made it, which terminates a long, bloody and
unnatural war.
THE
U R I N, March i.
Yesterday, February 28th, a courier extraord
nary arrived here from the Court of Naples, wir.i
the following iotelh°en r e •
On the sth, at eleven o'clock in the mornirc
all the farther Calabria felt a Ihock of an ernti
qua^e, which lasted no less than fix minutes, pr
mg iiom eart to weft. The Shocks were repeat:'
thirty-two times, from that hour till half part r_
at night, when the most violent happened. Them
Fill continued on the 6th and 7th; the sea, dur
ing the whole period, pouring in upon them, whiiu.
a deluge of water from the clouds contributed to
the deftrudion of this unfortunate country. The
people wrapped in the thickest darkness, beheld
nothing but lightning, and heard nothing but thun
der; which at once difeovered and scattered death!
It is impossible to give, as yet, all the particulars
of this dreadful phenomenon; all that is known for
certain at prefect is what the courier related on his
arrival, namely, that out of three hundred and fe
venty-iive villages, which the province contained,
three hundred and twenty had periled. Ihe prince
de Cariati had loft feverteen fiefs, among which
weie the towns of Seminica and Paima, of which
there is not one stone left upon another. The
prince of Scilla, living in the town of the fame
name, quitted it, and endeavoured to make his
escape in a deep, the vUIN funk, and he was
war; for whom no provision is made, to whom
there is no restitution of efates, no compensation
for losses; that it would be unreasonable, cruel and
unjust, to fuffer those who were the wicked ccca
fion of those lefts, to obtain a restitution of the
eßates they refined to proted, and which they have
abandoned, and forfeited to the justice cf their
country.
I2thly. Voted, That whereas persons of the
above description have already made various at
tempts to introduce themselves into this govern
ment, and thereby to establish principles and pre
cedents, by which others might be admitted, and
lettered to their forfeited estates ; that this town
will adopt every reasonable and consistent mcafure,
to prevent so great an evil; and that it is their ex
pectation and earnef requef of Samuel Curtis,
Esq. whom they have choten to leprefent them at
this critical period, that he will with frmnejs and
feadinefs, continue his patriotick exertions for the
duote purpose; that he will use his influence to
have those good and wholesome laws touching the
matter, duly executed, and such others ena&ed, as
events and circumstances, from time to time, may
render necessary; that he will receive a copy of the
above votes, to the principles of which, the prin
ciples of a sovereign and independent government,
the principles of our free constitution, and those
great principles which have carried us triumphantly
through a severe and bloody conflid, to those prin
ciples, he will invariably adhere, and make them
the governing rule of his condud, as what alone,
under heaven, has given energy to war, will cive
dignity to peace, and make life'happy.
Igthly. Voted, That it is the expectation of
this town, and their earnest request of their Com
mittee of CorrefpOndence, Infpedion and Safety,
that they will with care and vigilance observe the
movements, and watch the conduct of our only re
maining enemies; that until the further order'of
government, they will, with decision, spirit and frm
nefs, endeavour to enforce and carry into execute
on, the several laws of this Commonwealth, n
fpeßing those enemies to our rights, and the rights
of mankind ; give information should they know < f
any obtruding themfclves into any part of this ftp#
fuffer none to remain in this torfn, but cause to 1
confined immediately, for the purpose of tranfpo
tation, according to law, any that may presume to
enter it.
A true copy, Attest,
Wm. G. Maccaßty, Town-Cleric
[Numb. 285.]