The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-01-07 00:00:00, page 1

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Characterises of a good ffembty-Mani
To accept his delegation with a sincere desire, and
for the sole purpose of rendering his country all the
Service in his power.
Seriously to confider what laws will be most bene
ficial; industrious in collecting materials for framing
them; and prompt to hear all men, efpecialiy the
most judicious, on the Slate of his country ; and the
regulations proposed to render it more happy and
flourishing.
111.
To make conscience of doing his proper Share of
business in the House, without leaving it .to others to
do his part, by which they mutt ncceffarily neglect
their own; every member being bound in honour to
do as much as he can.
IV.
Candidly and ' 'impartially to form his own judg
ment for himfelf, yet to be always open to convicti
on ; and upon proper arguments for that purpose,
ready to change, and frankly to confefs the change
of, his Sentiments. y
To detach himfelf from all local partialities, and
county-interests, inconsistent with the common weal ;
and ever considering himfelf as a representative of
the whole State, to be assiduous in. promoting the
ntereft of the whole, which must ultimately produce
he good of every part.
VI.
Never to grudge the time he Spends in attending
the sessions, tho' his private affairs may Suffer, since
the loss he may thereby sustain will be amply re
compensed by the delightful testimony of his confci-
Cnce, in favour of his difinterefed. patriotism ; while
no pleasure arising from the advancement of his for
tune, to the neglect of a superior obligation, can ba
lance the upbraidings of that faithful monitor.
VII.
, In every vote he gives, to be solely directed by
the public emolument ; and never influenced in his
fuffrage by motives merely felfilh or lucrative.
. VIII.
g^e no leave of absence to a fellow-member
on trilling occasions, in hopes of the fame indulgence
™ return ; but to be Strenuous in supporting the rules
To the; Printer of the New-Jersey. Gazette.
SI R,
f^ —^ HOUGH lam an old man thatcan
' ' not render my country any active fervi
ces, I am willing to contribute my mite
to its prosperity, in the only way in
whiclrl can be ufeful to it. Having loft
- 1 that vigour and vivacity which is pecu
liar to youth, and necessary for the more busy Scene's
cf life, I am retired from the buttle of tfee world,
Solved to Spend the remainder of my days, not as
. Q idle Spectator of the Struggle in which we are en
aged, but with a refolutidn of conveying to the pub
lic, through the channel of your paper, such hints
and observations on our internal police, as I think
pfeßy be falutAry to the cause of liberty and virtue.
-We have, by the blefiing pf Providence, establish
ed a glorious fabric of freedom and independence ;
but unless that fabric is Supported by the fame Spirit
of patfiotifm by which it was reared, I am afraid
that it will not be of long duration. Whenever our
public virtue decays, our government, which owes
its origin to and was founded upon public virtue,
will languish ; and upon the total extinction of the
former, (which heaven avert from ever proving our
case) the latter will crumble to pieces, and be totally
demolished. It requires great virtue in the people,
and great wisdom and activity in their rulers, to pre
vent the constitution from degenerating in anarchy
and confufion. I Shall therefore, from time to time
publish my Sentiments, as well on the errors of the
people at large, as on the failings of those who are
placed over us, either as legislators or magistrates,
and that with the freedom becoming a fubjed of a
free government, but at the fame time with the de
ference and decorum due to id terrors. A Ac p^
sent be pleased to insert my thoughts on um duty of
representatives, which are honestly meant, and 1 nope
will be gracioully received.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. I.]
WE DNES DA Y, January 7, 1778.
My dear Count,
T # .H E British court I find, still persevere in their
mad attempt to conquer this country. A re
inforcement of fifteen hundred troops have lately ar
rived in New-York ; and General Howe, at the head
of ten thousand men at Brunfwickjn Ncw-Jerfey,
is preparing to open a campaign which is to end, we'
are told, in the total rechi&ion of all America to the
crown of Britain., ,
It is umAceffary to fay a word of the spirit and
numbers of the people of America—of their attach
ment to their liberty—qf the extent and nature of
their country—of their resources—and of the inte
rest all the powers in Lurope have in maintaining
the independance of the American States—to Shew
the absolute impracticability of Great-Britain's ever
subduing this country. I Should not despair of the
final success of the Americans in the prefect war,
if they were at this # time expending their lad pound
of powder, and their last ounce of ball.—Desperati
on would supply the want of every thing. No force
can subdue the hearts of these people ; and nine tenths
of these, I am sure, are determined in their oppofi
t^n to the government of Britain. It is inconceiv
able to fee the exertions of these young republican
States. They.have done wonders.' All the force of
the monarchy of Britain in the last war with France,
did not produce from the whole continent of Ame
rica, half the exertions which we Sometimes fee here
in a Single State ; and yet these republics have as vet
put forth but a small part of their Strength. I expert
'° 's' them, before the cloie of the war, upon a
footing with the oldest monarchies'in Europe—and
" { w ^ s n °t bire that a love of conquest was incom
pa^ble with a love of liberty, I Should think they
would make some of them tremble from their foun
dations.
IX.
Inflexible in his resolution # of acting agreeably to
the dictates of his conscience be utterly regard
lets of the applause or censure, that may ensue upon
the difeharge of his duty.
X.
Never to be instrumental in promoting to any of
fice or trust, his dearest connections or intimates,
whom he believes not qualified for the department ;
nor ever to oppose the promotion of any that are,
from perfopal pique or refentme'nt.
XI.
As the belt calculated laws will be found ineffectu
al to regulate a people of dissolute morals, he will
recommend by his conversation and example, virtue
and purity of manners ; and discountenance all irre
ligion and immorality, as equally fatal to the inte
rests of civil society and personal happiness.
XII.
Serenely to enjoy the praises acquired by his merit,
as an additional testimony to the approbation of his
own heart, of the rectitude of bis conduct ; but from
public clamour and obloquy, to retire within bim
felf; and there to feat on his own virtue, without
seeking to retaliate the. ingratitude of unrcafonablc
men, lave only by putting their malevolence to the
blush, by frelh and more exteufive Services to his
country.
Y A T 0.
I hurry on from these facts to inform you, that
every part of the conduct of Great-Britain, and of
her generals and armies, Shews the power of this
country, and of the absolute impoffibiJity of conquer
ing it,—Why has the court of Britain meanly solicit
ed all the courts of Europe to withhold aid of all
kinds from the Americans ?—Why has She bought up
twenty thousand foreigners to assist in the reduction
°, Ameiica? Why did flie fend an army of forty
thousand men across the ocean for that purpose last
year ?— Why did the King of Britain proclaim a fall,
and call upon the Almighty to enter into an alliance
f T' : f A original Letters of Monsieur De Lisle,
trarflatedinto EngliJbi
and orders of the House, (which are the life of bu
siness) tho' he may thereby disoblige an irregular, or
disappoint an home-Sick individual.
For the New-Jersey Gazette.
Morrifo<um, Neiv-ferfej, June 9, 177%
TH E
with him, to assist in conquering his rebellious fub
je&s! —Surely all this has been done because they
dreaded the power arid resources of America.
I believe in no war with the powerful monarchy of
France did Britain ever negociate with more expence
—stoop more for foreign alliances—lie more for in
ternal support—or faft and pray with more seeming
devotion than in the present war with America. An
uninformed fpe&ator, from a view of these things,
would suppose that the only object of'Britain in the
prosecution of the war, was not to suppress a re
bellion in America, but to defend herfelf from being
subjugated by her American Colonies.
But the conduct of her Generals in America is all
of a piece with the conduct of the court. Read their
letters to the British ministry. Observe with what
caution they land—how slowly they advance —and
how circunlfpeCtly they march thro' this country.
Them modes of attack and defence in all their battles
and skirmishes with the Americans, from their own
accounts of them, shew that they are aware of the
skill, and fear the courage, of their generals and ar
mics., Their stratagems (of which they boast) con
fefs that they are contending with a regular army,
a " c '? ot ""th an undisciplined mob. Even their shouts
of victory and the high encomiums they publish of the
gallant behaviour of their, officers and soldiers, declare
that they fight with a formidable enemy. The in
humanity of their generals—the insolence of their
officers—=an'd the rancour of their soldiers towards
the Americans, are all testimonies of the strength of
this country. They indicate hatred which can only
be exercized towards equals or superiors. The ex
change of letters and prisoners between the British
and American generals, are further acknowledg
ments on the behalf of the former, of the liability
of the power fiom whence the latter derive their au
thority. In spite of all the pains the British generals
have taken to destroy the credit of the paper money
emitted by the Congfefs, they have given a sanction
to it's validity by fending it cut from New-York to
support their prisoners among the Americans.—The
indiferimiriate ravages to which the profeffed royal
, ills or tories are exposed in common with the re
publicans or whigs, shew that the British army be
lieve that a great majority of the people of America
are opposed to them, and that all profeffions of at
tachment to them are hypocritical, and intended only
to lave property. But the British generals have gone
kill further in declaring by their conduct, that thd
Americans are invincible. They have, in some mea
sure, thrown down their arms as rifelefs in the pre
lent controversy, and Save attempted to subdue their
enemies by the perfidious arts of a court. They
have attempted to surprise the Congress into a nego
ciation, only for the purpose of deceiving them,
'they have published proclamations for the encou
ragement of desertion in the army, and deletion a
mong the citizens of America. They have hired
printers to traduce the Congress and the army; and
to complete all, they have made and attempted to
circulate large quantities of counterfeit continental
money among the Americans ; aiming thereby, at
one blow, to cut their sinews of war. Their folly
in this manoeuvre exceeded their villainy; for they
weekly advertised their money for distribution, in a.
New-York paper.
'am not so sanguine as some of my friends, as to
the issue of the present campaign. But I rest fatisfi-l
ed at all times, that the loss of a battle, or of a
town, will detract nothing finally from the Ameri
cans; and that the acquisition of victories and of
territory, will serve only to weaken General Howe's;
army, and to accelerate the period when Americas
Ihall establish her freedom and independance, upon^
the permanent foundation of public virtue, and mi—l
litary knowledge.
I have the honour to be, my dear Count, with(
the mod perfect esteem,
Your most affectionate friend and
Most humble servant,
Delisle.
AM ON G all the apparatus of General Howe's
army, not even excepting some of the sultan's
conveniencies, I cannot learn that he carries witli
him a single poet, to celebrate his exploits. He
maintains indeed two historiographers in New-York# ,
To the Printer of the New-Jersey Gazette.
SIR,
[Numb. 6.]