The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1781-02-07 00:00:00, page 2

and with joy pay a much larger sum than his tax
zQUId amount to, if he had reasonable hope, that the
distresses, oppressions and dangers of the country
could be thereby removed, a free cour/e of juflice be
leftored, every man's person and property be protected,
and the natural inducements of industry be favoured
and encouraged, and our infalling enemies be effectual
ly opposed.
The yearly incomes of the country are much more
than fufficient to"do all this, if properly called into
"fe. We have two armies in the country to feed,
nd the produce of the country is amply fufficient for
Moth. The supplies of the one we are paid for, 'tis
nly the other which must be Supported from our own
.uefources, and after supplying both armies (if our
Qiufbandry and trade could be fullered to take their
"natural course) we should have large produce to spare
for exportation. In addition to all this, lam clear
ly of opinion that our resources are so great, that
with proper management (even tho' the war ihould
continue I'even years longer) the treasury of the Thir
teen States might be filled with Jilver and gold coin, and
be made a BANKasfafe and ufeful as that of Amfler
dam or Venice ; and ail this within a very short time,
as may be clearly demonstrated to any body who is
acquainted with the nature and constitution of this
kind of fubjert. The Dutch, as soon as they found
out the secret of inferring their people with the true
spirit of industry and enterprise, soon recovered their
national credit, and grew amazingly rich, long before
their wars with Spain ceased. We have vastly great
er means in our power than they had, and want no
thing but their wifdoni to improve them to as great
advantage. I conceive it to be yet very plain and ma
nifeft, that our national character, honour and fafety,
« are yet in our own power, and depend on nothing for
~their full and perfect eflabUfhment, but our own wif
_dom and effort, and the blessing of Divine Providence.
I will conclude this essay with one propolition,
which, however much like a paradox it may appear
' at firft fight, I think is very demonstrable, and I con
ceive will require little more than mere infpedion for
74 short time, to convince every man of discernment
rt "and serious attention of its truth, viz. it would be ea
ser and cheaper for every man of bufmefs, whether far
mer, tradesman or merchant, to pay his Jhare of the
whole annual expenditure of the publick within the,ear,
than not to pay it; i. e. he would live more easy through
the year, and be richer al the end of it, by paying such
tax, than by notpayingit. This was the great Poftle
thwait's grand dortrine in England thirty years ago,
and every body now fees the great advantages which
would have resulted from his advice, had it then been
, adopted and pursued. —Oh! that we could krow the
things of our peace, in this the day of them: God
forbid they should be hid from our eyes. Men often
look abroad for things that are at home, and feck at
a distance for things that are near. 1 apprehend that
union of sentiment and effort, in the practice of means
which it does not require any great sagacity to difeo
ver, would be quite fufficient for our fafety. A plain
simplicity is more to our purpose, than any depth of
policy. An honest integrity and natural produce al
"ways create dignity, confidence and refpert. On these
•' would with to build our national character, on these
I would ground our defence, and in the practice of
these I would hope for the divine blciling on ourselves
and on our posterity.
Philadelphia, Jan. 29, 1781.
LONDO N, September 16.
There are advices from a very authentic and intelli
gent quarter, that the British army under General
Clinton has loft near 1300 men in live weeks, by lick
nefs, desertion, killed in action, and taken prisoners,
and that they are but very miserably supplied with pro
vilions and camp furniture.
Sept. 18. Government are in possession of the difa-
Teeable intelligence, we hear, that there has been an
'expedition into the Jerfies, the result of which was a
repulse, with the loss of 500 men on our fide.
Extrart ofa letter from Paris, Aug. 4.
“ The King of Spain has given orders for using e
.ery pofiible means for taking Gibraltar; that Mo
narch being determined not to fuffer the strongest place
in his kingdom to be possessed by a foreign power."
Sept. 30. We hear the Ruffian Ambassador politive
ly refuted to communicate some dispatches from his
Court, to any person but his Majesty ; a circumstance
which has produced much speculation at St. James's,
and surprise among the Ministers.
Extract of a letter from the Tile of Man, Sept. 15.
" Our cutter, the General, is arrived from Barba
does ; die failed the 26th of July, and parted with the
convoy the 4th instant, in lat. 44, in a heavy gale of
wind, and thenext day he fell in with the wreck of
some drips, which he takes to be a part of the fleet ;
the sea for miles round him was covered with rum pun
cheons and bags pf editor, but the sea ran so high, he
was ableto save but two bags of cotton."
On Monday evening arrived express, at Lord Geo.
Germaine's office, Brigadier-Gen. Dalrymple, from
Gen. Sir Henry Clinton at New-York. Lord George
Germaine being at Stoneland in Sussex, an express
-was sent to his Lordship, and the dispatches were for
warded to his Majesty at Windsor.
' Gen. Dalrymple arrived from New-York in his Ma
-jefty's fliip the Virginia, which had a remarkable quick
passage. Capt. Ord, the commander of the Virginia,
arrived at the Admiralty at the fame, time, being
charged with dispatches to their Lordihips from Vice-
Admiral Arbuthnot.
To the other accounts received by thelaft dispatch
es from New-York we subjoin the following :
That General WafhingtoA having received a rein
forcement from the arrival of M. de Tcrnay, is strong
ly encamped near New-York, having upwards of 12
thousand men under his command, a large body of
whom are French ; that the Americans are in posses
sion of Weft-Point and Sandy-Hook, at the latter of
which polts 1500 men are Rationed ; and all the land
ing places about New-York are also in their hands.
That the French and Americans are molt firmly
united, and that the utmost we can do at present is to
stand on the defenfive ; that the Marquifs de la Fay
ette is very strong at Rhode-Illand, his force consisting
of 3000 French, betides Continental troops ; that the
French Commander in Chief has published a procla
mation, importing, that on the arrival pfa very strong
reinforcement that was on its way, and which he dai
ly expected, one grand object would be the conquest
of Canada, re-uniting it to the continental govern
ment ; that the last accounts from Gen. Earl Corn
wallis were, that he was in the interior parts of South-
Carolina, and that the militia of that province, who
had profeffed so much loyalty, have seized their offi
cers and carried them into North-Carolina, which is
still attached to the government of Congress; that
the 'laft packet from England was taken within fight
of Sandy-Hook, and that several of the Quebec spring
fleet have likewise been taken.
From these accounts it also appears, that the French
have quitted the object of taking the Weft-India
Islands, and mean, by a powerful exertion, to drive
us from the continent of America.
Lord Cornwallis's dispatches are also arrived with
,Sir Henry Clinton's, and by several letters received
from officers on that service, we learn that he had had
several engagements with the inhabitants of North-
Carolina, in detached parties, and that he had fuffer
ed a repulse in every attack ; that the idea of a total
conquest of that province, as well as the reduction of
Virginia, was entirely absurd and impracticable ; on
which account, he strongly recommends it to Admi
nistration to give up all subsequent attempts for that
purpose.
A packet had l failed for England from New-York
two days before the Virginia left that port ; and in
the latter, besides Gen. Dalrymple, Governor Tryon,
with the Generals Matthews and Pattifon, are said
to be passengers.,
Oct. 7. On Friday Commodore Tohnfton'e arrived
in town from Lisbon: He has brought home the Re
nown, commanded by himfelf, and the Brilliant fri
gate, Capt. Ford, which are arrived at Portsmouth;
but not one of the prizes he had taken, and carried
into Lisbon. The cause of his coming homeis stated
to be as follows: The two frigates, which he had
taken and carried into Lisbon, he had resolved to tit
out to cruize against the French and Spaniards. The
Court of Portugal remonstrated against it, as highly
improper, and a breach of the neutrality they had
observed. He still, it is said, insisted upon doing it.
The Court of Portugal then applied to the Ruffian,
and to the other Ambassadors of the Northern Courts,
who have agreed to the armed neutrality. These Mi
nisters made a point of o'ppoling the measure to the
utmost ; they asserted, that if the English men of war
made prizes, and it was thought proper to fit out
those prizes as ships of war, they ought to have lent
them home ; and that they (the Ambassadors) can
not behold, but with the utmost coniternation, any
attempt to fit them out in a neutral port; and that,
if the Court of Portugal permitted it, such permissi
on mud and would be considered by the other powers
of Europe as a publick breach of her neutrality. Up
on the delivery of this memorial, the Court of Por
tugal ordered an embargo to be laid upon all Commo
dore Johnftone's prizes, among which are several
Dutchmen, &c. In consequence of these mcafures he
is come home.
Amongst the last dispatches from New-York, Gen.
Clinton, we hear, has acquainted government of his
intention of co-operating, as much as pofiible, with
Lord Cornwallis, in the reduction of North-Carolina;
for which purpose a body of troops, confining of 2000
regulars and loyalists, were embarked and ready to
put to sea under the escort of one line of battle Ihip,
and a number of armed vessels and frigates. The
land forces are said to be diftined against Williams
burg, or to make occasional diverlions in the province
of Virginia, whilst the ships of war are to perfectly
cut off all supplies, by blocking up the entrance be
tween the Capes Charles and Henry.
Oct. 14. The Portugueze being at present in no
condition to withstand the English, should they be
inclined to wreak their vengeance upon them for join
ing the armed confederacy, ten Ruffian ships of the
line have entered the Tagus for their protection. His
Catholic Majesty has also given orders for fix velfels
of the line to fail from his ports for Lisbon, where
they are to be joined by fix others fitting out by order
of the Queen of Portugal, to protect her trade and
commerce from insult. Measures so preparatory for
war, seem to speak nothing else, and will scarce ad
mit of any other aggravation, than an acknowledge
ment of the independence of America.
All the neutral powers, fays a correspondent, have
agreed to declare America free, and to lay the foun
dation of a general peace ; and if either Great-Britain
or any other power should be hardy enough to lay we
will not accede to the terms, they intend to compel
them.
From Paris we are informed, that a very fine train
of new brass ordnance, consisting of twelve i& pounds
ers, twelve 24 pounders, and twelve 32 pounders,
with several large mortars, with tumbrelb, &c. com
pleat, are ready to be embarked as a present from the
Court of Versailles to the United States of America.
B O S T Q N, January 12.
Extract of a letter from St. Pierre's, Martinique,
December 17, 1780.
" Admiral Rodney is arrived at St. Lucia from N.
York, with ten fail of the line, five of which, it is
reported, with 3000 troops, are gone against St. Vin
cents, where we have a garrison of 600 men, 400 are
now embarking at Fort Royal on board of frigates,
to reinforce the garrison ; the British left St. Lucia
last Friday. A few days will determine the matter,
when I flatter myfelf I shall have the plealure of in
forming you of the enemy's defeat."
Jan. 18. Mr. Bollan, late Agent of Massachusetts-
Bay, tells us in a pamphlet of his, that " St. Bernard
told Moro the' Doge of Venice, that the Republick
would last as long as the custom continued of doing
justice ; which Father Paul in his advice to the Re
publick fays, was a maxim no less politick than holy,
because under this short rubric are continued so many
good advices, that were they all faithfully observed,
we might justly expert thereby to perpetuate the do
minion of the Commonwealth to all ages." After
wards he fays, “ On all occasions wherein the publick
faith is engaged, it is necessary to observe it inviolably
without being amused by any profit that may accrue
to the Republick by the breach of it. And it is fit to
conlider that the benefit reaped by breaking it is mo
mentary, but the damage that follows upon the not
observing it is perpetual."
Jan. 25. A v^ffel is lately arrived at Salem from
Cape Francois, but last from the Havanna. She left
the Cape on the 15th of December last. Just before
(he failed from that place a brig arrived there from
Marfellles, and brought advice that the Count d'Es
taing, commander in chief of the combined fleets of
France and Spain, was before Gibraltar with 72 ships
of the line, and had completely cut off all supplies by
sea from that garrison-: That he had attacked some
out batteries with four firft rate fhips,/beat down the
walls, and killed many of the besieged; while the ships
received but little damage : That the commander of
Gibraltar refufed to receive any prisoners: That a
company of British troops in an out post of that for
trefs, had to a man deserted to the Spaniards: That
the garrison of Gibraltar had solicited supplies from
the Moors, but were told they might come and fetch
them, but they could not be sent to the garrison. The
vessel which brought the above account, failed from
the Cape for the Havanna in company with 3 ships of
74, and 1 of 64 guns, 2 frigates and 2 tenders, with
all which the arrived at that place, and found there
3 Spanish ships of 74 guns, and a number of frigates
well fitted, and two of 74 guns and a frigate difmaft
ed. The report at Havanna was, that the Spanish
troops at Pcnfacola were waiting for a reinforce
ment.
Sunday arrived a ship from Philadelphia, with a
cargo of four.
PROVIDENC E, January 17.
A sloop laden with wheat was captured on Sunday
last near Long-Illand by two whale boats, and car
ried into New-London.
CHATHA M, January 31.
On Saturday evening, the 20th instant, about one
hundred and lixty soldiers, of the Jqfey brigade fol
lowing the example of the Pennsylvanians, left their
huts and proceeded to this place, under the direction
of their sergeants. They were unacquainted with a
late resolution of the legislature, appointing commis
sioners to enquire into their enlistments ; but as soon
as the commissioners, who met them here the Mon
day following, had read and explained that resolution
to them, they immediately agreed to return to their
duty. The commandant of the brigade, in confede
ration of their great penitence, and of their being un
acquainted with the measures adopted for fettling the
djfputes refperting the enlistments, promised full par
don to all who immediately returned to and continu
ed in their duty. But upon the way to, and after
their arrival at the huts, a few of the ringleaders, en
couraged by emissaries from Sir Harry, and perhaps
by the too great clemency of granting them a gene
ral pardon, again became infolert and mutinous. A
detachment from the main army, under the command
of General Howe, which had been sent on to quell the
mutineers, arrived about this time, when those who
had forfeited the pardon, by not performing the con
ditions, were apprehended by order of the General,
and David Gilmore, sergeant in the 2d regiment, and
John Tuttle, private in theist, were tried, found
guilty, and immediately executed. Every mark of
penitence and refpert for order was manifefted by the
others who had offended, and entire order and sub
ordination took place in the brigade.
Last week the enemy hung, at Bergen-Point, one #
Ball, an inhabitant of Rahway, who was fufperted of
being a spy.
A letter from New-York mentions " That there is
a homeward bound fleet, of upwards of two hun
dred fail, which it is expected will leave there this
week, under convoy of the Brilliant of 32 guns, and
the Clinton of 30, in which a number of his Majes
ty's defponding fubjerts are to take their departure."
Last Friday General Robertson, with between two