The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-11-24 00:00:00, page 1

His Majesty received this overture, with a fatif
faction proportioned to the desire he always had for
the maintenance of peace. Although the King of
Spain, at firft declared that it was indifferent to him,
whether his mediation was accepted or refufed; and
though notwithstanding he had these proposals, he
left the King his Nephew at full liberty to aft accord
ing to his own views, his Majesty not only accepted
the mediation, but immediately suspended the failing
of his fleet from Brest, and consented to communi
cate his conditions of peace, as soon as Great-Britain
should in a positive manner fignify her desire of re
conciliation, on terms comprehending the United
States of America, which France from principles of
duty as well as inclination, could not abandon.
Nothing surely could be more conformable to the
seeming intentions of the Court of London. His
Catholic Majesty, without doubt, loft not one mo
ment for negociating accordingly, with the King of
England and his Ministry; when these soon convinced
the Court of Madrid, that their proposals for peace
were not sincere. The British Ministry answered
without evasion, that there was no room for recon
ciliation and peace, until France should have with
drawn her declaration of the 13th of March last year.
This answer was injurious to Spain, as well as to
France, and difeovered in the most evident manner,
the hostile views of Great Britain. The two Mo
narchs considered it in this light; and although his
Majesty, continually animated by a love of peace,
still left it in his Catholic Majesty's power, if he
thought proper to continue the mediation, he ordered
his charge d'affaires at the Court of London, to be in
future silent on this head.
Such demonstrations, so manifeftly directed against
France, became a law to his Majesty. He put him
felf in a condition to repel force by force. With this
view he hastened the armaments in his ports; and
sent a squadron to America under the command of
Count D'Eftaing.
It is notorious that the forces of France, were firft
in a condition to act. It was in his power to strike
the most unexpected and sensible blow on Great-Bri
tain. It shall ever be confeffed that his Majesty had
entertained the thought, and that he was on the point
of executing his projects, when the very name of
peace flopped him. He was informed by his Catholic
Majesty, that the Court of London shewed some de
sire of a reconciliation, through the mediation of
Spain. This Monarch was not willing to appear as
a mediator, until he had clear and positive assurance
of being accepted; and without being informed of
the principal objects which were to form the balls of
the negociation.
His Majesty was still however in hopes of an ac
commodation, when the squadrons commanded by
Admirals Keppel'and Byron, failed from the British
ports: this served to rend the flight veil under which
the Court of London fought to conceal its true inten
tions. No longer was it pbffible to credit their insi
dious pretensions, nor to doubt of their inimical pur
poses. In this situation of affairs, his Majesty found
himfelf forced to change the directions of the measures
which he had before adopted, for the security of his
possessions, and of the commerce of his fubjeds.—
The event soon demonstrated the justice of his Ma
jesty's precaution Every one knows in what man
ner his Majesty's frigate La Belle-Poule was attacked
by an English frigate in fight of the French coast. It
is not lets notorious that two other frigates and a
smaller vessel, were taken by furprize, and carried
into the British ports.
The failing of the fleet which his Majesty had placed
under the command of the Count D'Orvilliers became
necessary; to oppose Mie designs of the enemies to his
Crown, and revenge the insults which had been com
mitted on his flag. By Divine Providence, his Ma
jesty's arms triumphed; the Count D'Orvilliers, at
tacked by the English fleet, fought and obliged it to
retreat, after it had fuffcred considerable damage.
SUCH an extraordinary conduct evidently
demonstrated to his Majesty what he had to
expert from the Court of London; and, if
any doubt had still remained on this head,
his Majesty would soon have found proof in
the immense preparations which were re
doubled with the most astonishing precipitation in all
the British ports.
On the Motives of the Conduct of the King of
From that time hostilities have continued between
the two Crowns, without any declaration of w& —
NEW-JERS-EY GAZETT E.
[Vol. ll.]
France relative to Great-Britain.
MANIFESTO,
(Concluded from our last.)
WEDNESDAY, November 24, 1779.
This concise exposition of the political views, pro
ceedings and successive events which have occasioned
a rupture between the Court of Versailles and that of
London, will enable Europe to draw a comparison
between his Majesty's conduct and that of the King
of Great-Britain; to render justice to the purity and
reditude of the intentions which have directed his
Majesty; and to judge which of the two Sovereigns
is the real author of the war that now afßids their
States, and which of the two must be answerable for
the many calamities that will be in its train.
The Court ofLondon made none, because she had no
reasons to juftify it. Besides she did not dare pub
licly to accuse France of being the aggressor, after the
British squadron had taken three of his Majesty's
Ihips; and they saw that they should have had too
much reason to blush when the execution of their
orders, clandestinely sent to the East-Indies, should
have convinced Europe what fort of confidence was
to be placed on their pacific dispositions, and should
have enabled all the world tojudge, to which of the
two nations, France or England, the appellation of
perfidious rightly belongs; which the English Mi
nistry on every occasion applies to France. The rea
son why his Majesty delayed to acquaint all nations
with the many complaints he had against the Court
of London, and to demonstrate the absolute neceflity
he was under to have recourse to arms, was, that he
still flattered himfelf the British Ministry would re
turn to their senses, and that justice, or still more the
critical situation into which they had plunged their
country, would induce them to alter their conduct.
This hope appeared so much the better grounded,
as the English Ministry incefiantly employed emissa
ries to discover his Majesty's dispositions, whilst the
King of Spain continued to speak to him of peace. —
His Majesty, far from falfifying the sentiments he had
always manifefted, on the contrary listened with ea
gerness to the new exhortations of the King his Uncle;
and, to convince that Prince of his sincerity and per
severance, he entrufled to him without reserve the
moderate conditions, on which he was willing and
ready to lay down his arms.
The Catholic King communicated those assurances
which he had received from his Majesty to the Court
of London, and pressed that Court to effectuate a re
conciliation for which it had itfelf teflified so great a
desire ; but the British Ministry still fignifying to with
for peace, only answered to the friendly efforts of the
King of Spain, by ambiguous proposals which could
not be admitted.
It was therefore fully evident that England did not
want a peace, and had no other end in view than to
gain the time essential to her warlike preparations. —
The King of Spain was perfectly convinced of this,
and saw also how far his dignity was exposed; not
writhftanding which, this Prince was so much affected
by the calamities inseparable from war, and was so
much pre-occupied with the hopes of flopping its
progress, that he forgot how far the conduct of the
Court of London had been offenfive to him, in order
that he might employ himfelf only about the means
of establishing his pacific views; for this purpose his
Catholic Majesty proposed to the King, a new plan by
which the Belligerent Powers should conclude a truce
for a long number of years. This plan was agreed to
by his Majesty, on condition that the United States
should be included therein, and treated during the
truce as Independent in fad, and to give more faci
lity to the King of England to subscribe to this eflen
tial condition, his Majesty consented, that that Prince
might treat with Congress, either directly or through
the interposition of the King of Spain.
In consequence of this plan, his Catholic Majesty
formed the proposition to be made to the Court of
London: independently of an unlimited ceffa.ion of
arms, during which the United States should be re
garded as Independent in fact, that Prince, willing
to make use of every means which might flop the ef
fufion of human blood, undertook of himfelf to pro
pose relative to America, that each of the parties
should remain in possession of what they might hold,
at the time of the signing of the treaty.
No one surely could doubt that those conditions
would be accepted; they were, however, refufed.—
The Court of London rejected them in the most for
mal manner, and shewed no disposition to peace, un
less his Majesty would abandon the Americans to
themselves. After a declaration so deceive, the con
tinuation of war is become inevitable, and from
thence his Majesty found himfelf obliged to invite the
Catholic King to join with him, in virtue of their
engagements, to revenge their mutual grievances,
and to fix bounds to the tyrannical empire which
Great-Britain hath usurped and pretends to maintain
ove.r all the seas.
THE
A PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS the Honourable the Congress, by
their refoltition of the 20th day of October last,
reciting, " That it becomes us humbly to approach
" the throne of Almighty God, with gratitude and
'' praise, for the wonders which his goodness has
" wrought in conducing our forefathers to this we
" stern world; for his protection to them and to
" their posterity, amid difficulties and dangers; for
" raising us their children from deep distress, to be
" numbered among the nations of the earth; and for
" arming the hands of just and mighty Princes in our
" deliverance; and, especially, for that he hath been
" pleased to grant us the enjoyment of health, and so
" to order the revolving seasons, that the earth hath
" produced her increase in abundance, blessing the
" labour of the hulbandman, and ipreading plenty
" through the land; that be hath prospered our arms
" and those of cur Ally; been a shield to our troops
" in the hour of danger, pointed their swords to
" vidory, and led them in triumph over the bul
" warks of the foe; that he hath gone with those
" who went into the wilderness against the savage
" tribes ; that he hath flayed the hand of the spoiler,
" and turned back his meditated deftrudion; that
" he hath prospered our commerce, and given fuc
" cels to those who fought the enemy on the face of
" the deep; and, above all, that he hath diffufed the
" glorious light of the gospel, whereby, through the
" merits of our gracious Redeemer we may become
'' the heirs of his eternal glory;" did recommend it
to the several States to appoint Thursday the ninth
day of December next, to be observed as a day of
publick thanksgiving and praise; and did further re
commend, that, together with devout thanksgiving,
may be joined an humble supplication for the conti
nuance of his favour and protection to these United
States; to beseech him that he would be graciously
pleased to influence our publick councils, and bless
them with wisdom from on high, with unanimity,
firmnefs and success; that he would go forth with
our hosts, and crown our arms with victory; that he
would grant to his church the plentiful effufions of
divine grace, and pour out his holy spi r it on all mi
nisters of the gospel; that he would bless and prosper
the means of education, and spread the light ofchri
ftian knowledge through the remotest corners of the
earth; that he would smile upon the labours of his
people, and cause the earth to bring forth her fruits
in abundance, that we may with gratitude and glad
ness enjoy them; that he would take into his holy
protection our illustrious Ally, give him victory over
his enemies, and render him signally great, as the
father of his people, and the proteCtor of the rights
of mankind; that he would be graciously pleased to
turn the hearts of our enemies, and to dispense the
blessings of peace to contending nations; that he
would in mercy look down upon us, pardon all our
fins, and receive us into his favour ; and, finally, that
he would establish the Independence of these United
States upon the basis of religion and virtue, and sup
port and protect them in<Qp enjoyment of peace,
liberty and fafety.
BY HIS EXCELLENCY
William Livingston, Esq.
Governor, Captain-General, and Commander in
Chief in and over the State of New-Jersey, and
Territories thereunto belonging, Chancellor and
Ordinary in the fame.
I have therefore thought fit, by and with the advice
of the Honourable Privy Council of this State, to
appoint THURSDAY the said ninth day of DECEM
BER next, to be set apart and observed throughout
this State as a day of publick Thanksgiving and
Praise, for the purposes in the above resolution set
forth; whereof all the inhabitants of this State are
hereby required to take notice and govern themselves
accordingly. And Ido hereby recommend it to the
ministers of the gospel of every denomination in this
State, to perform divine service, and to the people
committed to their charge, to attend on publick
worfhip'on that day, and to abstain from all servile
labour, and all recreation inconsistent with the so
lemnity of the feltival.
Given under my hand and seal at arms, in Mount
holly, the ninth day of November, in the year of
our Lord one thousand seven hundred and se
venty-nine, and in the fourth year of the Inde
pendence of America.
WIL. LIVINGSTON.
By His Excellency's command,
Rowes Reed, Secretary.
GOD save the PEOPLE.
(Numb. 100.]