The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1783-04-09 00:00:00, page 1

The proceedings of the fcederal army near New-
Windsor, to obtain the redress of their grievances.
SOMETIME in December last, the army came
to a serious determination to address Con
grcfs upon the fubjeft of their grievances,
which had become almost intolerable. A
memorial was drawn up and agreed to, by a com
mittee of the army —in which their wishes are thus
hated :
" i. Present pay.
" 2. A fettlcment of accounts of the arrearages
of pay, and security for what is due.
'' 3. A commutation of the half-pay allowed by
different resolutions of Congress, for an equivalent
in gross.
"4. A settlement of the accounts of deficiencies
of rations and compenfatipn.
" 5. A settlement of the accounts of deficiencies
of clothing and compensation."
Major-general M'Dougal and two field officers
were appointed to lay this memorial before Congress,
and make report to the army of their proceedings as
soon as possible. After nearly two months atten
dance, a letter was received from the commission
ers, informing the army that " nothing of moment
had yet been decided for them."
Upon this came forth the summons (No. 1.) ac
companied by the lit address (No.'z.) —After this
sketch the papers which follow will explain them
selves.
(No. i.)
A meeting of the general and field officers is re
quested on Tuesday next, 10 o'clock, at the PUB
LICK BUILDING. A commissioned officer from
each company, and proper representation from the
ftaff is expected. It is the object of this convention,
to confider the late letters from our commissioners
now in Philadelphia, and what farther measures (if
any) should be adopted to obtain that redress which
they seem to have solicited in vain.#
New-Windsor Cantonment, 7th March, 1783.
(No. 2.)
To the OFFICERS of the ARMY.
Gentlemen,
A Fellow Soldier, whose interest and affections
bind him strongly to you, whose past fufferings have
been as great, and whose future fortunes may be
as desperate as yours—would beg leave to address you.
Age has it claims, and rank is not without its pre
tensions to advise ; but, though unsupported by both,
he flatters himfclf, that the plain language of since
rity and experience will neither be unheard nor un
regarded.
Like many of you, he loved private life, and left
it withregret. He left it, determined to retire from
the field, with the neccffity that called him to it, and
not till then :—not till the enemies of his country,
tlie slaves of power, and the hirelings of injustice,
were compelled to abandon their schemes, and ac
knowledge America as terrible in arms as the had
been humble in remonstrance. With this object in
view, he has long ihared in your toils, and mingled
in your dangers.—He has felt the cold hand of po
verty without a murmur, and has seen the growing
insolence of wealth without a sigh.—But, too much
under the direction of his withes, and sometimes
weak enough to mistake desire for opinion, be has till
lately, very lately, believed in the justice of h's coun
try.—He hoped, that as the clouds of adverhty scat
tered, and as the funihine of peace and better for
tune broke in upon us, the coldness and severity of
government would relax, and that, more than jus
tice, that gratitude would blaze forfo unon those
bands, which had upheld her, in the darke.lt Rages
of her paflage, from impending servitude to acknow
ledged independence. But faith has its limits, as
well as temper ; and there are points beyond which,
neither can be filched, without linking into cow
ardice or plunging into credulity.—This, my friends,
I conceive to be your situation.—Hurried to the very
verge of both, another step would ruin you forever.
To be tame and unprovoked when injuries press hard
upon you, is more than weakness; but to lock up
fop kinder usage, without one manly effort of your
own, would fix your character, and shew the world
how richly you deterve those chains you broke. To
guard against this evil, let us take a view of the
ground upon which we now stand, and thence carry
our thoughts forward for a moment, into the un
explored field of expedient.
Alter a pursuit of seven years, the object for which
you set out is at length brought within your reach.
Fes, my friends, that fuffering courage of yours, was
active once :—lt has conducted the United States
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. Vl.]
WEDNESDAY, April 9, 1783.
of America through a doubtful and bloody war.
It has placed her in the chair of independency, and
peace returns again to bless—whom ?—A country
courting your return to private life, with tears of
gratitude, and smiles of admiration, longing to di
vide with you that independency which your gallan
try has given, and those riches which your wounds
have preserved ?—ls this the case ? Or is it rather,
a country that tramples upon your rights, disdains
your cries and insults your distresses? Have you not,
more than once, suggested your wishes, and made
known your wants to Congress? Wants and wishes
which gratitude and policy should have anticipated,
rather than evaded. And have you not lately, in
the meek language of entreating memorials, begged
from their justice, what you could no longer ex
pect from their favour? How have you been an
swered ? Let the letter which you are called to
confider to-morrow make the reply.
If this, then, be your treatment, while the swords
you wear are neceflary for the defence of America,
what have you to expert from peace, when your
voice shall fink, and your strength dissipate by di
vision? When 'iofe very swords, the instruments
and companions of your glory, shall be taken from
your sides, and no remaining mark of military dif
tinCtions be left, but your wants, infirmities, and
fears? Can you then consent to be the only buffer,
ers by this revolution, and retiring from the field,
grow old in poverty, wretchedness, and contempt ?
Can you consent to wade through the vile mire of
dependency, and owe the iniferable remnant of life
to charity, which has hitherto been spent in honour ?
If you can, go, and carry with you the jest of TO
RIES, and the scorn of whigs; the ridicule, and
what is worse, the pity of the world. Go, starve,
and be forgotten ! But if your spirit should revolt
at this; if you have sense enough to discover, and
spirit fufficient to oppose tyranny, whatever garb it
may afiume; whether it be the plain coat of repub
licanism, or the splendid robe of royalty: If you
have yet learned to discriminate between a people
and a cause; between men and principles, awake,
attend to your situation, and redress yourselves. If
the present moment be loft, every future effort is in
vain ; and your threats then, will be as empty as your
entreaties now.
I would advise you therefore, to come to some
final opinion, upon what you can bear, and what you
will fuffer. If your determination be in any propor
tion to your wrongs, carry your appeal from the
justice to the fears of government. Change the milk
and water style of your memorials; assume a bolder
toinz, decent, but lively, fpiiited and determined ;
and fufpeCt the man who would advise to more mo
deration or longer forbearance. Let two or three
men who can feel as well as write, be appointed to
draw up your last remonstrance; for i would no
longer give it the foothihg, foft, unfuccefsful epithet
of memorial. Let it represent in language that will
neither difhbnour you by its rudeness, nor betray
you by its fears, what has been promised by Con
gress, and what has been performed; how long and
how patiently you have fuffered; how little you have
asked; and how much of that little has been de
nied. Tell them that, though you were the firft,
and would with to be the last to encounter danger :
that though despair itfelf can never drive you into
difnonour, it may drive you from the field; that
the wound often irritated, and never healed, may at
length become incurable ; and that the flighted: mark
of indignity from Congress now, mutt operate like
th r grave, and part you forever: that in any po
litical event, the army has its alternative. If peace,
that nothing ihali separate you from your arms but
death: If war, that courting the aufpiccs, and in
viting the direction of your illustrious leader, you
will retire to some yet unsettled country, smile in
your turn, and " mock, when their fear cometh on."
But let it represent also, that should they comply
with the request of your late memorials, it would
make you ipore happy, and them more refpe&able:
That while the war should continue, you would fol
low their standard in the field; and that, when it
came to an end, you would withdraw into the fhr.de
of private life, and give the world another fubjeCt
of wonder and applause; an " army victorious over
" its enemies, victorious over it felf."
(No. 3.)
General Orders.
Head-Quarters, March 11, 1783.
The commander in chief, having heard that a ge
neral meeting of the officers of the army was pro-,
posed to be held this day at the New Building, on an
anonymous paper, which was circulated yesterday
by some unknown pcifon, conceives, altho' he is
THE
fully persuaded that the good sense of the officers
would induce them to pay very little attention to
such an irregular invitation, his duty as well as the
reputation and true interest of the army, require
his disapprobation of such difordcrly proceedings.-—
At the fame time, he requests the general and field
officers, with one officer from each company, and
a proper representation of the ftaff of the army, will
afiemble at 12 o'clock on Saturday next, at the new
building, to hear the report of the committee from
the army to Congress. After mature deliberation,
they will dev:fe what farther measures ought to be
adopted as most rational and best calculated to at
tain the just and important object in view. The se
nior officer in rank present will be pleased to pre
lide, and report the result of their deliberation to
the commander in chief.
(No. 4.)
Address to the Officers of the Army, dated the iith
of March, 1783.
Gentlemen,
THE author of a late address, anxious to deserve,
though he should fail to engage, your esteem ; and,
determined at every risk, to unfold your duty and
discharge his own, would beg the farther indulgence
ofa few moments attention. Aware of the coyness
with which his last letter would be received, he felt
himfclf neither disappointed nor displeased with the
caution it has met. He well knew that it spoke a
language which, till no<w, had been heard but in
whispers ; and that it contained some fertiments
which confidence itfelf would have breathed with
distrust. But their lives have been short, and their
observation imperfect indeed, who have yet to learn,
that alarms have been falfe ; that the best designs
have often been obliged to assume the worst afped;
and that, synonymous as furprize and disaster may
be in military phrase, they convey in moral and po
litical meaning, ideas as different as they are diftin&.
Suspicion, detestable as it is in private life, is the
loveliest trait of political character. It prompts you
to enquiry, bars the door against design, and opens
every avenue to truth. It was the firlt to oppose a
tyrant here, and hill stands centinel over the liber
ties of America. With this belief it would illy be
come me to ftifle the voice of this guardian ; a guar
dian who, authorized by circumstances digested into
proofs, has herfelf given birth to the address you have
read, and now goes forth amongst you with a re
quest to all, that it may be treated fairly ; that it may
be considered before it be abused, and condemned
before it be tortured ; convinced that, in a search after
error, truth will appear ; that apathy itfelf will grow
warm in the pursuit, and though it may be the last
to adopt her advice, it will be the firft to ad upon it.
The general order of yesterday, which the weak
may mistake for disapprobation, and the designing
dare to represent as such, wears, in my opinion, a
very different complexion, and carries in it a very
oppofre tendency. Till now, the commander in
chief has regarded the steps you have taken for re
dress v. ith good wishes alone. His official fi|ence has
authorized your meetings, and his private opinions
fanCtified your claims. Had he d Hiked the object in
view, would not the fame sense of duty which for
bade you from meeting on the third day of the week,
have forbidden you from meeting on the seventh?
Is not the fame fubjeCt held up for your difcufiion ?
and has it not palled the seal of office, and taken all
the solemnity of an order? This will give system to
your proceedings, and inability to your pefolves. It
will ripen {peculation into fact ; and while it adds to
the unanimity, it cannot lefßn the independency of
your sentiments. It may be necessary to add upon
this fubjeft, that, from the injunction with which
the general orders close, every man is at liberty to
conclude, that the report to be made to Head-Quar
ters is intended for Congress. Hence will arise ano
ther motive for that energ, which has been recom
mended: For, can you give the lie to the pathetics
descriptions of your representatives, or the more alarm
ing predictions of your friends ? To such as make a
want of signature an objection to opinions, I reply,
that it matters very little who is the author of sen
timents which grow out of feelings, and apply to
your wants; that in this instance, diffidence sug
gested what experience enjoins; and that while I
move on the high road of argument and adivce,
which is open to all, I shall remain the sole confi
dent of my own secret. But, should the time come,
when it shall be neceflary to depart from this gene
ral line, and hold up any individual amongst you as
an object of the refitment or contempt of the rest,
I thus pubhckly pledge my honour as a soldier, and
my veracity as a man, that I then will assume a vi-
[Numb. 276.]