The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-04-15 00:00:00, page 1

BY H^ S EXCELLENCY
WILLIAM LIVINGSTON, Esq.
Croernor, Captain-General and Commander in Chief
in and over the State of New-jersey, and the Ter
ritories thereunto belonging, Chancellor and Ordinary
in the fame :
PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS the honourable the Cor,
grefs did, on tke 7th day of this
present month of March, pass a
refalution in the words follow
ing, to quit, ' Whereas Almighty
' God in the righteous difpenfa
' ion of his providence, hath permitted the conti
nuation of a cruel and desolating war in our land ;
* ind it being at all times the duty of a people toy
' acknowledge God in all his ways/ and more efpe
' dally to humble themselves before him when evi
' dent tokens of his difpleafurc are manifefted ; to
' acknowledge his righte®us government, confefs and
' forfake their evil ways, and implore his mercy.
' It is therefore recommended to the United States
' )f America to let apart Wednesday the ud day
)f April next, to be observed as a day of sering,
' humiliation ai sprayer ; that at one time and with
)ne voice, the inhabitants may acknowledge the
righteous dispensations of divine providence, and
:onfefs their iniquities and transgressions for which
' .he land mourneth; that they may implore the
' nercy and forgivenefs of God ; and beseech him
hat vice, profanenefs, extortion and every evil
' nay be done away, and that we may be a reformed
' tnd happy people: That they may unite in hum
' >le and earnest supplication, that it may please
' Ilmighty God to guard and defend us against our
' memies; and give vigour and success to our mili
' ary operations by sea and land ; that it may please
' aim to bless the civil rulers and people ; strengthen
" ind perpetuate our union, and in Eis own good
' ime establish us in the peaceable enjoyment of our
' rights and liberties ; that it may please him to bless
' )ur schools and fen^inaries of learning, and make
' hem nurferics of true piety, virtue and ufeful
" knowledge ; that it may please him to cause the
Mith to yield its increase, and to crown the year
6 with his goodness.
' And it is further recommended to the inhabitants
' of the United States, to abstain on that day from
' ill labour and recreations.'
I have therefore thought fit by and with the advice
cf the Privy Council, to appoint the said zzd day of
7 pril next, to be set apart and observed throughout
t is State as a day of publick filing, humiliation and
, ayer for the purposes in the above-recited refolu
t in mentioned : Whereof all the inhabitants of this
^ ate are hereby required to take notice and govern
% emfelves accordingly. And I do hereby recom
-1 end it to the ministers of the gospel of every de
nomination, in this State, to perform divine service,
aid to the people committed to their charge to at
t nd on publick worship on that day; and to ob
s rve the fame, with the devotion and humility, the
gratitude and fear becoming finful dependent crea
t ires, towards the' inexhaustible source of all their
mercies ; who, by his all-wife and superintending
providence, hath hitherto enabled us to refifta pow
erful enemy meditating the total extinction of our
Liberty ; and whose indignation would be justly ex
asperated for our spending, with levity, a day, pe
culiarly appropriated to his honour ; and which, our
manifold offences and unnatural ingratitude against
him, render it our indispensable duty, to fanftify,
with the mod awful veneration for his tranfoendant
majesty, the most unfeigned thanks for his unmerited
favours, and the deepest contrition of foul for the
innumerable transgressions, by which we have pro
voked his righteous displeasure—And as no external
farms of humiliation, or corporal aufteriti.es, nor
any momentary sorrow for fin, can propitiate an of
fended God ; nor avert his vengeance from a guilty
land ; without genuine repentance, real amendment
of life and reformation of manners; it is devoutedly
to be wished, that the appointed solemnity may be
the happy means of bringing us to an utter derelic
tion es all our prevalent vices ; our avarice and ex
tortion ; our want of bowels for houfelefs impover
ilhed exiles; our criminal langour in the glorious
cause of Liberty, our profanenefs and infidelity ; and
our contempt of things sacred and serious: That it
nay by a thorough renovation of hearts, render us
confpfcuous for our generosity and beneficence ; our
patriotism and publick spirit ; our virtue and purity
)f manners, and our habitual reverence for Almigh-
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. I.]
WEDNESDAY, April 15, 1778.
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.
IT is his Excellency's order, that Brigadier-Gene
ral Heard's brigade counft of the militia of the
counties of Middlesex, Hunterdon, Burlington,
and Monmouth ; and that the militia of the counties
of Bergen, Morris, Essex, Somerset and Sussex, com
pose the brigade of General Winds : % And that the
said Brigadiers-General, and every Colonel or com
manding officer of a regiment, and every Captain or
commanding officer of a company of the militia of
this State, not having already', made a return of the
number of men in his regiment or company, and of
their accoutrements and ammunition, pursuant to
his Excellency's order.of the thirteenth of December
last, is hereby directed to make such return on or
before the firft day of May next, on pain of being
prosecuted for default thereof, agreeable to the di
rection of the Act of Assembly in that case made and
provided. And the said officers are further directed
particularly to fpecify the perrons in their refpedive
corps who have procured, or pretend to have pro
cured substitutes in any of the four New-Jersey re
giments in the continental service, with the names of
such substitutes, and the time when, place where,
and the officers by whom such substitutes are said to
have been inlifted.
GIVEN under my band at Princeton, the 6th day
of April in the year of our Lord one tboujand seven
hundred and feventy-ei^bt.
WIL. LIVINGSTON.
By His Excellency's command,
Wm. Livingston, jun. D. See.
LONDO N, Dec.fr
Saturday the Commons met about two o'clock, and
agreeable to an order of the House, proceeded
with their Speaker to St. James's, to present the
following address to his Majesty, for his most gra
cious speech from the throne:
'' W'' y° ur Majesty's most dutiful and loyal ■
VV fubjefts, the Commons of Great-Britain,
in parliament assembled, with hearts deeply interest
ed in every event which tends to increase your Ma
jesty's aomeftic felicity, and impressed with the live
liest sentiments of duty and attachment to the Queen,
beg leave to offer to your Majesty the congratulati
ons of your faithful Commons, on the birth of an
other Princess, m.d on her Majeffy's happy recovery.
Permit us to allure, your Majesty, that we take
a sincere part in the confidence which your Majesty
expresses, that the conduct and courage of your of
ficers, and the spirit and intrepidity of your forces
both by fe^ and land, will, under Divine Providence,
be attended with important success; but, at the
fame time we entirely concur with your Majesty in
thinking that it is necessary to prepare for such fur
ther operations, as future events, and contingencies
of the war, may render expedient ; and we learn,
with much fatiafadion, that your Majesty is, for
that purpose, pursuing the proper measures for keep
ing your land forces compleat to their present efta
blilhment ; and whenever your Majesty shall be pleased
to communicate to this House any new engagements,
which you may have entered into for increasing your
military force, we will take the fame into our con
sideration ; and we trust your Majesty will not be
disappointed in the gracious sentiments which you
entertain of the zeal and publick spirit of your faith
ful Commons.
" We are truly sensible, that your Majesty's con
stant care for the welfare of your people, and your
ty God, his hply revelation, and instituted ordi
napces---In a word that, in the language of the
prophet, it may appear to have been a faft, chosen
of the Lord, by cur fublequent practice, of dealing
our bread to the hungry, and bringing the poor that are
cast out into our houses ; by covering the naked when
we fee him, and not hiding ourselves from our own
jlefb ; by loafing the bands bf cuickednefs, AND BREAK
ING EVERY YOKE.
G IE E N under my band and seal at arms at Tren
ton, the 19th day of March in the year of our Lord
one thousand seven hundred and seventy-eight.
WIL. LIVINGSTON.
By His Excellences command,
Win. Livingsion, jun. D. Sec.
GOD SAFE THE PEOPLE.
THE
-generous concern for the happiness of mankind, dis
pose your Majesty to defire', that the peace of Eu
rope may not be disturbed. We acknowledge, with
equal gratitude, your Majesty's attention to the se
curity of your kingdoms, and the protection of the
extensive commerce of your fubjeds, in your having
made a conliderable augmentation to your naval
force, on which the reputation And importance of
this nation must ever principally depend. We hear,
with the highest Satisfaction, and rely with perfect
confidence on your royal declaration, that you will
always be the faithful guardian of the honour of the
British crown.
" Permit us again to assure your Majesty, that
we will, without delay, enter into the confideratiom
of the supplies for the ensuing year; and that we
will chearfully and effectually provide for all such
expences as shall be found necessary for the welfare
and essential interests of these kingdoms, and for the
vigorous prosecution of the measures in which we
are engaged, for there-establishment of that consti
tutional subordination, which, we trust, with the
blessing of God, your Majesty will be able to main
tain through the several parts of your dominions.
" We acknowledge, with equal gratitude and ad
miration, your Majesty's paternal declaration, that
you will be ever watchful for an opportunity of put
ting a flop to the effufion of the blood of your fub
jeCts, and the calamities of war.
" We cannot but still entertain a hope, that the
difeernmunt of their true interests, the remembrance
of the blessings they once enjoyed, and the sense of
their present fufferings under the arbitrary tyranny of
their leaders, will induce the deluded and unhappy
multitude to return to their allegiance, and will re
animate their hearts with a spirit of loyalty to their
Sovereign, and of attachment to their mother coun
try.
" The gracious and condefeending manner in
which your Majesty expresses your desire that you
may be enabled to restore peace, order and confi
dence to your American colonies, cannot fail of en
dearing you to the hearts of all your fubjeCts ; when,
this great work can be accomplished, and fettled on
the true principles of the'eonftitution, your Majesty
may depend on the most zealous concurrence and
support of your faithful Commons."
Ihe following is bis Majesty's Answer to the Address
of the House of Commons, which was presented
left Saturday.
" Gentlemen,
<< TRETURN you my hearty thanks for this duti
-1 ful Address.
" The affectionate part you take in the happy re
covery of the Queen, and the increase of my family,
is highly acceptable to me.
" The steady and zealous support of my faithful
Commons, will, I trust in God, enable me to put an
end to this unhappy rebellion. Whatever strength
you shall place in my, hands, shall be employed only
for the good of my people, and the welfare of my
kingdoms ; and be assured, that I wish for success in
this great national cause for no other purpose but
that it may enable me to restore peace and happiness
to all my fubjedts. ' -&
Mr. Collins,
Please to give the following a place in your very ufe
ful Paper, and you will, I presume, oblige ever, reader
who is a lover of bis country.
" A CKNOWLEDGE the Lord in all thy ways,
and he shall direct thy paths," is the admo
nition of Solomon, Prov. 3. 6. This may be appli
ed both to nations and societies, as well as to indi
vidi^ls at all times, but especially in times of trou
ble and diffrefs. If so, what reason have hot the
people of these United States of America to acknow
ledge the Supreme Ruler of the universe, in our great
and painful struggle against our former friends, but
now inveterate enemies. It is true we have once
and again been called Upon by the Honourable the
Continental Congress to acknowledge him by con
feffing our fins and the righteousness of his dealings
with us as a finful people ; and rendering him thanks
for the various interpositions of his gracious provi
dence in our behalf, without which we must before
now have fallen a prey to our enemies.
I am allo persuaded, that numbers of God's own
people on this extensive continent, wrestle daily with
him in prayer for this finful land, praying not only
for a deliverance from our temporal foes, but also
from the power of fin and fatan our spiritual enemies—
That the means of grace may be al ^idantly blessed
for the performance and conversion of persons of all
[Numb. 20.]