The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-03-04 00:00:00, page 1

^^.r. , # T H E [Numb. 14. J
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
EXTRACT'S from His Excellency's Mefagc to the
GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Gentlemen,
Considering the multiplicity of
business that Will require four attention
at this Netting, and how much was left
unfinished at the last, I dm pervaded
that your zeal for the pubiick/iiitereft
will not Lifter you to rile till you have
dlfpatched every matter of moment that fbartTequirh
your deliberation. k
As the .completing out battalions demands ywar
foeedy confidention, 1 herewith tag before you a Bate
of the non-conunihioned officers and fiddlers of the
four New-Rrfey'regiments according to the weekly
return of the sth in January h& By this you will
be Convinced of thaneceffity of the moil expeditions
and vigorous meafurcs for increasing those regiments
to the full complement of men of which, according
to the eftabliihment, they ought to confifh I am
.confident I need not h&.any arguments with you th
Blew the importance of our having a refpertable ar^
my to open rm early campaign before the enemy can
be ftrefethened by reinforcements from Europe.
Whatever exportations we mAy have of a supturt
between Great-Britain and France, which is doubt-
Jess highly probable, it is finely mot the part of wife
men to depend, upon uncertain contingencies. We
Ought under God to rely .fiddly upon ouriclves and
<our own resources; and art as though we had no
expedatrohs of foreign itecours, becaiife we may,
for any tiling that can be known to tire contrary, be disc
Appointed, how rational and Well-founded soever such
expeditions may it fofent appear. If, however,
in addition to our ofvn preparations, weihould derive
any advantage from a declaration of war against the
enemy by the king of Frarce, or any other potentate,
such eoadjutanfc power will facilitate the final efta
bliihment of air independence. But in a work so
Amous, and fas far so happily atchieved vrithoutfo
reign &&, ^^Wnrither be confident with curhonour
br fafety to be.in ia condition that will matoe such
teffifrance ncet@ry. , .'
from the .repeated blunders bf our enemies in
what they vainly imagined a Efficient force to reduce
us to \aTalag&a»d the iufuppartabte disgracetoftheir
arms in the attempt, it is to be presumed that the,
sill be simulated to prolong the. war by indignation
and disappointment. Anti as they may continue it
another year without being totally ruined, nor will
ever come to.their fenfcs till they are, and gris well
known to be a profitable job to the principal agents
employed ia carrying itbn, and to a numerous set of
dependants, who cahhot otherwise be provided for,
they will doubttefs Brain every nerve, both at home
and abroad to rajfe and procure as early as poflible
all the troops they can collect for reducing us to ab
solute submission. To put outdrives in a proper pos
ture of defence is therefore evidently both tout duty
and dur in^redt
I also lay before you a memorial of Col. Shreve
of the fecund, and Lieutenant-Colonel Brcarly of
ihe fourth New-Jersey regiments. As this memorial
is addressed to the Council and Alterably as well as
io m$ it will of course obtain your confideration b
But as it is presented by authority and in behalf of
the whole of the troops railed in this Bate, and I
conceive the matters contained in it to be of great
importance to the army, I. cannot but recommend
it as a matter worthy of your.early attention to re
medy the evils complained oh
£ am row to tequeft your attention to a very so
lemn aft of Congress of the &.h of January, for
fafending the embarkation of Lieutenant-General
Burgoyne and the troops under his command, till
a diftinrt and explicit ratification of the Convention
of Saratoga th ail be properly notirifll by the Court
of Great-Britain to Congtefs.' The reaibns for adopt
ing this meafore are set forth at large in the art
which I herewith lay lxfwv you. As the CongYefc,
after long and mature consideration, judged the
measure fa be indrfpehfably their duty, and equally
juftipable and necessary, they are confident their re
lolutroQs will be confirmed by the approbation of
all their constituents in: thefd United States, who
are most nearly concerned. They conceiving it an aft
of such folemniby, as to deserve the concurrence of
all the States in -the union, though they are dpubt
lefs competent to the business of ratifying or difup
proving any capitulations made bv their Generals, I
(Ibubt not it will meet, with your 'confirmation.
I am farther: to acquaint yob, Gentlemen, that
Congrefs,conceiving it.expedient to promote a fpcedy
reformation in the artny as well- for the purpose of
difcipiine as ceconothy, and the number of officers
WEDNESDAY, March 4, 1778.
-being already out of all proportion to that of the
privates, to avoid further embarrassments in this re
fpert, they have recommended it to the governments
of the several dates by a refolutfon of the 31st of
-December, to suspend filling up any vacancies in
their refpertite' regiments until they shall hear far
ther from Congress on the fubjert.
You will also be pleated fa turn your thoughts to
a very important refoJution of Congress of 4:he 3d
of December last, efrheftly recommending it 'to the
legislative authorities of the refpertive Bates, forth
with to ena& laws requiring all persons within their
refpertive Bates who may be possessed of any bills
of credit struck under the function and authority of
the king of Great-Britain on or before the 19th day
of April 17,75, forthwith to deliver in the fame to a
commiffionq or commissioners for that purpofc to be
appointed in each county of the lefpe^ive Bates,
authorising such commiffipner or eommifliohers to
give in exchange for any sum so paid in continental
money or bills of credit .01 their rtfpertive Bates,
and to declare in the laws so enarted, that ail bills
of credit under the , description above-mentioned,
which (hall not bofo delivered in within such 'rea
fonabic time as the respective Bates (hall for such
purpose limit, thrill thenceforth become utterly
irredeemable.—A law to this purpose must be so
evidently conducive at once tp abolish the mfifmoits
practice of making a difference between what is
called the old and the new money, and to i^ereafe
the value of the continental currency, (under both
which views I recommended it to you before Iwhs
honoured with the last mentioned refulution of Con
gress) that! doubt not it will receive your ready ap
probation. And ihouldfych an art be accompanied
by a tax at Icaft of £. r%c@c, the effect it will have
in supporting the credit of pur money, and reducing
the price of • previsions, canum but strike the molt in
considerate mind.
I also submit to your consideration a number of
most momentous reflations of Congress of the 20th
of December, upon the immediate adoption of which,
and the enacting them into a law, the Safety Of this
hate appears most intimately to depend, and wifrich
I therefore hope will meet with that dispatch, which
their importance will appear to you to deferv'e.
Your attention, Gentlemen; is farther solicited by
a resolution of Congress of the 15th of January last,
accompanied with a letter from the Board of War
of the 19th of the fame month. —As good ftecl is art
article so indifpenfibly necessary not only for the pur
poses of, war, but those of internal hufba}uir„
and it is laid that the Andover iron is better fufted
to this bufiuefs than any other in America, I doubt
not you will readily comply with the expectations
of the Congress in this refped.
I cannot upon this occasion help remarking that
as . do articles whatsoever can with lets difficulty be
dispensed with in military operations than iron and
rteel, you will find upon the flighted rtcoueeion,
that none of our citizens are, more generally difaf
fedted than those who are interefted.or employed
in the manufacturing of iron. A ftrgng presumption
that the enemy has been particularly industrious in
corrupting these men, with a view to distress us in
a most essential point. And as I suppose one of the
firlt things that will engage your attention will be
the confiscation of the estates of our internal enemies,
recommended to you at the last fittihg, this- requi
lition may be carried into execution by the general
bill of forfeitures.
From the difficulty of havirig recdprfc to the mem
ber of fefarate arts into which our military edde is
already branched,! would recommend to you a re
flfion of all our militia laws, and to have them
eomprifed in one. > In forming this digest, I hope the
procuring of substitutes, of. Which we have experi
enced the fatal consequences, add which mult at
lass inevitably ruin our militia, will be repealed.
In lieu of calling obt the militia to be Statedly
poked in such parts of theft Ate as are more parti
cularly exposed to the incurfioris of the enertly, 1
would recommend a plan both more effectual agarnft
hostile irruptions, and attended with much lets ex
pence to the public.
I would propose two state regiments properly , offi
cered, and by the best officers, to be railed for a
year, and not liable to be called out of it, except by
the authority appointed to call out the militia. As
these corps would be better disciplined than the
common militia, they would of consequence be better
troops; arid more formidable to the enemy, —1 he
time thatis at prefentfoft by the militia?s going from
and returning home in their monthly tours, would
be saved. The posts to be occupied by them would
not be vacant, till there wa§, re^° n for wholly quit-
ting them, as it now frequently happens (in great
measure) by the monthly reliefs. The bounty which
is now paid monthly in addition to the continental
pay, would in. all probability raise the regiments for
a year. Such men as could bed be fprired from
home would be most likely to enter into the fervich,
.and the more industrious farmer remain at his hus
bandry, except in case of an actual invafiOn^ The
difortiers and depredations so often committed by
the militia on the property of their fellc,v citizens,
which is principally to be hhputed to the connivance
of such worth!cfs Officers by whom they are some
times commanded, as 'hafe not the Spirit to maintain
a proper subordination, would be ^prevented; The
superiority of this plan to pur preferit practice of
harraffmg' the husbandman in a # ftate fubfiftihg by
aCTrndtUfe, needs I 'think tp be but mentioned, in
.order to be approved.•
I would moreover recommend to you, Gentlemen,
the pacing a law whihh ft recommended to the former
assembly in September last, to enable every obligor
or debtor whole creditor is removed out of the Rate,
or cannot be found in it, or wfe.refufcs to receive
the debt when tendered, to pay the fame into the
treasury for iris use, find to be thereupon uncharged
from the sum fa paid, and all the riitereft thereafter
.accruing, or to be di(charged from 'the principal and
intereftin such other manner, without paying the
sum into the treasury, as the legiflkture ihall think
most proper.
As there is great reason to apprehend that a corf
fidcrable part of many of the perform! estates which
are forfeited in-coirfcq deuce of an art; intitled, " An
Art of free and general pardon, and for Othdr pur
poses therein mentioned," is feercted and concealed
from the corrimiffioncrs by the laid art appointed,
it appears highly neertfary for the more eft'ertually
attairiing the Valuable ends thereby intended, to pats
a law for authorising ttie.commTffione'rs to compel the
appearance of peifohs fcfperted of concealing such
.effects, or of being indebted to the defaucrit, and
do examine them as Wffl as other wittieffes upon
04th,.with proper penalties for frith conceahrient,
. and adequate rewards to induce a'difcovery. Alaw
to this purpose will tye the ftatg many thousand
pounds, which will ditherwife be loft through the
fraudulent prartices of the friends and agents of the
offenders, whose personal estates are by the said art
declared forfeited.
The militia posted along such of our frontier*
from Which the difa'fferted among ris carry on a
commercial intercourse with the enemy, frequently
fcize the commodities^ carried; or the merchandise
brought back ip exchange.for them, and appropriate
thenvto their 'own life. This being altogether ilte*
gal, cannot be cohutenauced by government, and•
the r.JUtia bring thus judges ik their Own case, and
immediately interrilc'd in, c'ondemning as prize th'e
booty they take; are tmder Irtong temptations to plun
tier under that pretext persons neap the 'enemy 's;lmes.
who hive ho intention of conveying into them the
effert§ they are traitfnortiifel If on the other hand
they hre retrained bom confiscating the provisions
or oth'er effects actually defined to be conveyed t 6
the emmy; or the return cargo bartered for them,
confdering the additional service and hazardin mak
ing such ferzures, they will not inAke them ht all;
and thus this pernicious traffic will be carried on
without interruption. I frould therefore recommend
to your consideration a latv authbridng the militia,
or any other persons; to fei'Ze all efterts lufyerted tu
be carrying tb or coming from the enemy, and to
have them properl, inventoried and fecufed till the
person from whom they are taken Ihall be legally
tried ; and if convirted of the offence, to be appro
priated to the person who seized them 'as part of tire
punishment to be inffirted upon the delinquent, but if
acquitted, to be reriored to ttie ovfner.--Thrs Willmer
both, mv encouragement to niake such seizures, and
oblige the perfbn making them to bring the crihfi
nal to justice, without whose cohvirtion he cannot
be entitled to the property, at the fame time that
it will prevent tire lawiefs hhd indiferinrinate viola
tion of private property, under the fptcibus pretence
of an illicit corretyon^^n^^ .
Contidering the fufferings of such of our rnilitia as
have been made prifonel* by the enemy, I doubt,
net yup will fed the neceflity of appointing a Hate
commilfary to supply them with provitioris and 'fuch
other necefl'aric^ as they trihy want.
Gentieniek, •,
We are+now arrived at a very important crisis of
the contrite The next campaign will proba'blt ter
minal in something very decisive. Corifiderihg the
natural ftrengfh of America, and the reafof iUt hive
from the justice cf orir cairfe to depend upon fbe.