The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-10-21 00:00:00, page 1

For the New-Jersey Gazette.
1 HE public, it seems, is once more en
' M tertained with another dying speech of
their Excellencies the Britilh Commis
sioners, who, like Mr. Partridge the
Almanack-maker, will be walking a
bout, after having been proved ftone
dead before. As these Gentlemen are not the firft
who have published their own disgrace, the dissemi
nation of their Manifefto, will, I am persuaded, in
jure none but themselves. It fully proves, and in
deed acknowledges, that they had no power finally
to do any thing but to grant pardons, that is, to hold
up the most insolent offer (for receiving from the bo
som of liberty into the fliackles of slavery) to a free
and independent nation, which their own tyranny
and nonsense (Johnftone himfelf being judge) have
eternally separated from them, and from which they
ought, in all humble manner, to implore forgivenefs
for their numberless barbarities and outrages: A na
tion that has reduced them to a degree of humiliation
and abasement of which their history knows no ex
ample, and that is only restrained by the principles of
humanity from imitating their own bribing pattern,
to lay their metropolis in allies. —They offer no in
ducement for any man to become of their party.
They tell all the world what all the world knew be
fore—They reiterate the nonsensical experiment of
difaffeHing the people against the Congress, which
they have attempted ever since they landed, and which
attempt muftnaturally end as all other the like at
tempts have ended —in nothing at all. But have at
ye my lads, —and woe to all non-returning rebels, —
they threaten in the ravings of despair to execute that
vengeance, with a ruined power, which they were in
capable of inflicting with all their strength in its full
eft vigour. To reconcile such proceedings to com
mon sense, it must be presumed that the Manifefto
is rather calculated for the meridian of London than
that of America. For as the English have not yet
heard that 'Squire Johnftone is banished for bribery,
and still believe (for except the truth, what is there
that they do not believe) that the people of America
can be spirited up against the Congress, (which is
but another name for the people of America in the
State-House of Philadelphia) their little fools here,
must govern themselves by the sentiments of the great
fools there ; and, to avoid the cool reception of al
most the whole fraternity that have been sent upon
the Quixote errand of enslaving America, must be
able to introduce themselves to their disappointed
constituents with the amplest proofs of their having
tried whatever the folly of their employers induced
them to believe practicable, however repugnant to
the sense or the conscience of the negociators employ
ed. This supposition, Messieurs Commifnoners, I
make in flieer compassion to yourselves, as I cannot
but think there must be some sense in a Scotch secre
tary, whatever there be in an English pair of red
heel'd shoes.
The Manifefto which has fallen into my hands,
friend Collins, I once thought of consecrating to the
Goddess Cloacina, but it being ornamented with his
Majesty's own arms, and I having heard so much in
times of yore about the Lord's anointed, (by which
some commentators understand Kings, but by which
the prophet David certainly meant the people) I was
struck with horror at the facriligious (rebellious) im
pulse. I shall therefore paste it up over my chimney
piece, but in all probability topsyturvy, (a ridiculous
exhibition, you will fay, of the Lion and Unicorn, but
very emblematical, fay I, of the affairs of Great-
Britain) that if I am hang'd at last, my defeendants
may know it was thro' flieer love of hanging, by re
fufing so gracious and unmerited a pardon upon sin
cere repentance, with so grim-frowning a lion on the
top, terrificly denouncing the royal vengeance against
final contumacy and impenitence after the forty days
quarantine mercifully allowed to air away all the in
fection of republicanism and rebellion.
110 RTENTIUS.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
MANIFESTO AND PROCLAMATION.
TO the Members of the Congress, the Members of the
General Assemblies or Conventions of the several Co
lonies, Plantations and Provinces of New-Hampjhire,
Massachusetts-Bay, Rhode- IJland, Connecticut, Ne<w-
York, NeKD-yerfe,, Pennsylvania, the Three Lower
Counties on Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-
Carolina, South-Ca rolina and Georgia, and all others,
free inhabitants of the said Colonies, of every rank
and denomination.
BY the Earl of CARLISLE, Sir HENRY CLIN°-
TON, and WILLIAM EDEN, Esq. Commoners
appointed by his Majesty, in pursuance of an act of
Parliament, made and sassed in the iZtb year of his
[Vol. I.]
WEDNESDAY, October 21, 1778.
Previous however to this decisive step, we are led
by a just anxiety for the great objects of our mission to
enlarge on some points which may not have been fuffi
ciently understood, to recapitulate to our fellow-fub
jeCts the blessings which we are empowered to confer,
and to warn them of the continued train of evils to
which they are at present blindly and obstinately ex
poling themselves.
To the Members of the Congress then, we again
declare that we are ready to concur in all fatisfaCory
and just arrangements for securing to them and their
refpedive constituents, the re-eftabliihment of peace,
with the exemption from any imposition of taxes by
the Parliament of Great-Britain, and the irrevocable
enjoyment of every privilege confident witli that union
of interests and force on which our mutual prosperity
and the fafety of our common religion and liberty de
pend. We again assert that the Members of the Con
gress were not authorized by their constitution either
to reject our offers without the previous confideratiom
and content of the several Assemblies and Conventions
their constituents, or to refer us to pretended foreign
treaties which they know are delusively framed in the
firft instance, and which have never yet been ratified
by the people of this continent. And we once more
remind the Members of the Congress that they are
responsible to their countrymen, to the world, and
to God, for the continuance of this war, and for all
the miseries with which it must be attended.
To the General Assemblies and Conventions of the
different Colonies, Plantations and Provinces, above
mentioned, we now separately make the offers which
we originally transmitted to the Congress ; and we
hereby call upon and urge them to meet expressly for
the purpose of considering whether every motive, po
litical as well as moral, should not decide their reso
lution to embrace the occasion of cementing a free
and firm coalition with Great-Britain. It has not
been, nor is it, our wiih, to seek the objects which
we are commissioned to pursue by fomenting popular
divisions and partial cabals ; we think such conduft
would be ill suited to the generous nature of the of
fers made, and unbecoming the dignity of the King
and the Rate which makes them. But it is both our
with and our duty to encourage and support any men
or bodies of men in their return of loyalty to our so
vereign and of affection to our fellow-fubjeds.
To all others, free inhabitants of this once happy
empire, we also address ourselves. Such of them as
are actually in arms, of whatsoever rank or descripti
on, will do well to recollect, that the grievances,
whether real or supposed, which led them into this
rebellion, have been for-ever removed, and that the
just occasion is arrived for their returning to the class
of peaceful citizens. But if the honours of a military
life are become their object, let them seek those ho
nours under the banners of their rightful sovereign,
and in fighting the battlcs of the United British Empire
againfe our late mutual and natural enemy.
To those whose profeffion it is to exercise the func
tions of religion on this continent, it cannot surely be
unknown, that the foreign power with which the Con
gress is endeavouring to conned them, has ever been
averse to toleration and inveterately opposed to the
interests and freedom of the places of worship which
they serve ; and that Great-Britain, from whom they
are for the present separated, must both from the prin
ciples of her constitution and of protestantism be at
all times the belt guardian of religious liberty, and
most disposed to promote and extend it.
To all those who can estimate the blessings of peace
and its influence over agriculture, arts and commerce,
who can feel a due anxiety for the education and esta
blishment of their children, or who can place a just
value on domestic security, we think it fufficient to
observe, that they are made by their leaders to con
tinue involved in all the calamities of war, without
Majefly's reign, to enable his Majefly to appoint Com
mffioners to treat, consult and agree upon the means
of quieting the disorders now fubffling in certain of
the Colonies, Plantations and Provinces in North-
America.
HAVING amply and repeatedly made known to
the Congress, and having also proclaimed to the
inhabitants of North-America in general, the bene
volent overtures of Great-Britain towards a re-union
and coalition with her colonies, we do not think it
confident either with the duty we owe to our coun
try, or with a just regard to the characters we bear,
to perlift: in holding out offers which in our eftimati
-011 required only to be known to be mos tgratefully
accepted; and we have accordingly, excepting only
the Commander in Chief, who will be detained by
military duties, resolved to return to England a few
weeks after the date of this Manifefto and Procla
mation.
THE
having either a just object to pursue, .or a subsisting
grievance which may not instantly be redressed.
But if there be any persons who, divested of mis
taken resentments, and uninfluenced by felfilh inte
rests, really think that it is for the benefit of the co
lonies to separate themselves from Great-Britain, and
that so separated they will find a constitution more
mild, more free, and better calculated for their pro
sperity than that which they heretofore enjoyed, and
which we are empowered and disposed to renew and
improve ; with such persons we will not dispute a po
sition which seems to be fufficiently contradicted by
the experience they have had. But we think it right
to leave them fully aware of the change which the
maintaining such a position must make in the whole
nature and future conduct of this war ; more especi
ally, when to this position is added the pretended al
liance with the Court of France. —The policy, as well
as the benevolence of Great-Britain, have thus far
checked the extremes of war when they tended to
distress a people still considered as our fellow-fubjects,
and to desolate a country shortly to become again a
source of mutual advantage: But when that country
profeffes the unnatural design not only of estranging
herfelf from us, but of mortgaging herfelf and her re
sources to our enemies, the whole contest is changed ;
and the queflion is, How far Great-Britain may, by
every means in her power, destroy or render useless
a connection contrived for her ruin, and for the ag
grandizement of France. Under such circumstances,
the laws of felf-prefervation must direct the conduct
of Great-Britain, and if the British Colonies are to
become an accession to France, will direct her to
render that accession of as little avail as possible to
her enemy.
If, however, there are any who think, that not
withstanding these reasonings, the Independence of
the Colonies will, in the result, be acknowledged by
Great-Britain, to them we answer without reserve,
that we neither possess or expert powers for that pur
pose ; and that if Great Britain cvuld ever have funk
so low as to adopt such a measure, we should not
have thought ourselves compellable to be the instru
ments in making a concession, which would, in our
opinion, be calamitous to the Colonies, for whom it
is made, and difgraceful as well as calamitous to the
Country from which it is required. And we think
proper to declare, that in this spirit and sentiment
we have regularly written from this Continent to
Great-Britain.
It will now become the Colonies in general, to call
to mind their own solemn appeals to Heaven in the be
ginning of this contest, that they took arms only for
the redress of grievances ; and that it would be their
wish, as well as their interest, to remain for-ever
connected with Great-Britain. We again ask them,
whether all their grievances, real or supposed, have
not been amply and fully redressed ; and we infill that
the offers we have made, leave nothing to be wished,
in point either of immediate liberty or permanent se
curity : If those offers are now rejected, we withdraw
from the exercise of a commission, with which we
have in vain been honoured ; the fame liberality will
no longer be due from Great-Britain, nor can it either
in justice or policy be expected from her.
In fine, and for the fuller manifeftation as well of
the disposition we bear, as of the gracious and gene
rous purposes of the commission under which we aft,
we hereby declare, that Whereas his Majesty in pursu
ance of an ad, made and passed in the eighteenth sessi
on of Parliament, entitled “ An aft to enable his Ma
jesty to appoint Commissioners with fufficient powers
to treat, consult, and agree upon the means of quiet
ing the disorders now subsisting in certain of the Colo
nies, Plantations and Provinces of North-America,"
having been pleased to authorizezand empower us to
grant a pardon or pardons to any number or descripti
on of persons within the Colonies, Plantations and
Provinces of New-Hampshire, Massachusetts-Bay,
Rhode-Ifland, Connecticut, New-York, New-Jersey,
Pennsylvania, the Three Lower Counties on Dela
ware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, South-
Carolina and Georgia; And WHEREAS the good
effeCs of the said authorities and powers towards the
people at large, would have long since taken place,
if a due use had been made of our firft communica
tions and overtures, and have thus far been fruftrated
only by the precipitate resolution of the Members of
the Congress not to treat with us, and by their declin
ing to consult with their constituents; We now in
making our appeal to those constituents, and to the
free inhabitants of this continent in general, have de
termined to give to them what in our opinion should
have been the firft object of those who appeared to
have taken the management of their interests; and
adopt this mode of carrying the said authorities and
[Numb. 46.]