The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-11-15 00:00:00, page 1

To the PRINTER.
THE following letter to Tabitha was intercepted
' when the American army lay near the New-
Bridge. It was put into my hands by the fame per
ton who detected the former one inserted in your pa
per ; but it has not been in my power, till now, to
make such alterations as appeared proper for conceal
ing the author. I am sorry however to inform the
public, that I might have saved myfelf that trouble,
aS there is good reason to believe the writer either
dying or dead of a distemper, occasioned it is said by
the ignorance or mismanagement of her physicians in
treating a common cold.
October 26th, 1780.
% ^ /4/.
New-York, September 12, 1780.
HOW little I dreamt when 1 wrote last, my
sister,
The rebels were hill on our backs like a
blister.
When th' mov'd to Fort Lee, I was happy too soon,
And thought myfelf snug as the man in the moon.
But the bustle was all to be gone o'er again,
And I was to sorrow once more for my swain.
—O'er night the commander had labor'd so hard,
That each rebel look'd like a tyger or pard;
The guides were all sent for, and maps finger'd o'er.
And questions were put, that were put ott before,
Till each prov'd as plain as the nose on his face,
That the roads all remain'd —just in the old place.
Such forfooth is the case when the enemy comes,
And as usual, I'm told, as the noise of their drums.
We thought, who knew nothing at all of the matter,
The guards of the rebels poffefs'd all the water,
And hence, that Sir Harry had got to a hand,
Not feeing a place where a soldier could land.
But when that the rebels were all drawn away,
We flood like a fool —who has nothing to fay.
Next, we hop'd they meant only to fight in grimace,
But their hill keeping near, quite alter'd the case.
At school we are wont to use pounce for a blot ;
A general plenty of powder and Ihot.
The man who for wiser than others would pass,
The 100k 1 of an owl and the gait of an ass;
Or pent in his room ; or apart from the croud,
Is seen for a moment, then gone like a cloud ;
Is silent when sager men speak to the point;
Or nods, as to fay —you have hit the right joint,
While flow from his feat he stalks off with an air,
More fix'd than a priest's in the depth of his pray'r.
What's odd for Sir Harry, he nothing begun,
Kept close to his works —without firing a gun.
But, perhaps, th' poor man could not get 011 his legs,
After fitting so long—like a hen o'er fpoil'd eggs. .
Alas, my sweet sister, I cannot but fear
That something not good is to happen us here.
The Knight he is either involv'd in deep gloom
When no mortal but Andre dare enter his room ;
Or careering, whip stitch, with a dozen o' fool>,
Like children astride, upon switches or itools,
Hot after a dog, who has tied to his tail
A herring, as boys tie a bladder or rail.*
Not th' fool that some chance has to dignity rais'd;
Not a cat when flie's ftrok'd, or poet wtien prais'd,
So pleas'd is, or finds it so much to their tarte,
As hunting the herring our hero in palte.
'Tis strange in what whimsies some men take delight,
I wish he but lov'd half as well for to fight,
We should with the rebels no longer be teas'd,
And the officers too might do what they pleas'd;
Nor A,res at the Hook be afraid of one Lee f
As your spouse of a scold, or the Major of me.
Here th' feenes are all fhifted, and barrens the
,shore,
And gone all the magic that pleas'd us before.
What's life, my Tabitha? Instable as land;
A pleasure that's spent while it seems in the hand ;
A lilk changing color as men change their ground ;
A thing when once loft —ne'er again to be found ;
A sea full of dorms, or ebbing or flowing;
A riddle, —a something, —acharm not worth knowing.
Now dulnefs, and drivel, and folly, and pride,
Triumph at each corner, or tigh by our lide.
What lack-a-day lovers, what nothings but ihow;
What pedants with Iwords, and all muik'd as a beau ;
What forrowful tunes do they set to our eyes ;
When they sing of themselves, what fuftian and lies ;
While each dunce as he reads be-praises his brother,
Like figures of China, that nod at each other.
My nerves are less hurt at the fight of a wen,
Than th' fame story kill, by the fame set of men.
* A fub/litute for foxhunting ; or a favorite and
conflant diverfah of the Knight's.
f A,res, the commanding officer at Paulus-llooh.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. lII.}
WEDNESDAY, November 15, 1780.
Let me die an old maid if you'd find in the town;
'But humor to make a conundrum go down.
Nay, I'd lend you a sample; an effort molt rare,
That's cook'd up in'cantos, and proves to a hair,
By a cast of the die, or a desperate hit,
A piece may be made without genius or wit :
—But, I wish to lay nothing at all of the dead,
Left, perchance, th' dull thing ihould be afk'd for
or read. *
This morning, quoth Bet, as flie lac'd on my stays,
It enters my head, we ihall have no more plays;
And as for the balls dance at them who may,
I trust there will some of them fall in our way.
There's something that tells me—who's at a dead lift,
And even the belt will be put to their iliift.
]'ve had my own qualms for this month and more past,
Now 'tis plain what I fear'd will happen at last ;
For fare as in Rome there are priests or a pope,
Affairs here have got to the end of the rope ;
And if there is aught or in visions or skill,
We all mutt give up to the rebels at will.
I dreamt when the city they'd got, you were seen,
All charming as naw, and bedight like a queen ;
A beautiful youth bow'd down to your feet,
(The Major befure never look'd half so sweet)
Then bade you not fear with an air so divine,
As' melted your heart, —as it could not but mine:
I never felt so, in my days, as 1 live,
For befhrew me, I thought, no quarter they'd give.
—I hope, my dear mistress, when this trial comes
They'll finith the work without tiling thier bombs ;
To think of their tails I almolt lose my breath,
But Ihould one burst near me, it would be my death.
The yea-forfooth Yankee I hate as the Turk ;
The dogs under Wayne too will make bloody work.
And yet, how I long to leave this place of fin,
When think you, good mistress, the rogues will begin.
If they don't do it now, pray is it not clear
That they'll double their force —and do it next year?
Z.
* I foppofe the author alludes to a late Nezu-York
poetical jet ; but as Jhe seems unwilling to give it a
chance to be knocun, the editor begs leave to follow the
example.
In CONGRESS, Odober 14, 1780.
ESOLVED, That a monument be erected to
JL( the memory of the late Major-General the
baron de Kalb, in the city of Annapolis in the Rate
of Maryland, with the following inicription:
Sacred to the Memory of
The Baron de Kalb,
Knight of the Royal Order of Military Merit,
brigadier of the Armies of Fiance,
And
Major-General in the Service of the United States
of America.
Having served with Honour and Reputation for
three Years,
He gave a last and glorious Proof of his Attach
ment to the Liberties of Mankind and
the Cause of America,
In the Adion near Cambden, in the State of
South-Carolina,
On the 16th of August, 1780;
Where, leading on the troops of the Maryland and
Delaware Lines against superior Numbers,
And animating them by his Example to Deeds of
Valour,
He was pierced with many Wounds, and
On the 19th following expired, in the 48th Year
of his Age.
The Congress of the United States of America,
\ In Gratitude to his Zeal, Services and Merit,
Have ereded this Monument.
Resolved, That the thanks of Congress be given
to Generals Smallwood and Gift, and to the offi
cers and soldiers of the Maryland and Delaware
lines ; the different corps of artillery ; Colonel Por
terfield's and Major Armstrong's corps of light in
fantry, and Colonel Armands cavalry; for their
bravery and good conduct, displayed in the action
of the 16th of August last, near Cambden, in the
Pate of South-Carolina.
Resolved, That the thanks of Congress be given
to such of the militia officers and soldiers who dis
tinguished themselves by their valour on that occa
sion. Extract from the minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
THE
LONDO N, Jun^ 19.
THE debates in thy House of Commons on Wed
nesday last, insensibly turned from particular ob
jects to the general measures that had been pursued
by ddminiftration, and the present afpett of affairs.
Severe cenfares fell upon the miniitry from several of
the members in the opposition refpedting Ireland, the
disordered and convulsed date of the nation, and the
core of all our distresses, the fatal plan for subjugat
ing America. This attack routed the Treasury Bench
and their friends, and at last brought up Lord North.
His Lordfllip was more warm and explicit than usual.
He observed, " that minift/y had often been reproach
ed for the unfuccefsfulnefs of measures by those very
men who had done all in their power to deafeat those
mealures; and that they, whose language and con
duct upon all occafibns tended to weaken government
and inspire the people with the utmost contempt of
it, could yet gravely complain that government was
infu fficient to maintain due order and regularity in the
kingdom. With refpert to Ireland, had ministry re
lolved to continue that part of the dominion under all
the circumstances of which it so loudly complained,
and, without any mild couceffions, to'have drove it
to extremities, would these men have acquitted the
measure ? Would they have employed their eloquence
in favour of it ? Loudly asrthey complain of the con
tinuance of the war, would they have juftified the
conceflion of thirteen Rates to be allied with our an
tient rival and enemy ? Our affairs in America, con
tinued his Lordship, wear a brighter afye& I would
not be too sanguine % but we may be allowed to en
tertain agreeable hopes from the operations of our
forces at the southern quarter. There are other cir
cumstances to encreafe these hopes : Many in the re
volted colonies, who appeared zealous to throw off
their constitutional dependence on this kingdom, have
since difeovered themselves more attached to their
gains than their independence.. There are a number
of individuals whom the war has greatly enriched.
Many, even of these, shrink, it is laid, at the bare
mention of any extraordinary efforts to sustain their
cause, and do not choose to lend what they have ac
quired, to support the paper money, which, frail as
it is found to be,' is the only instrument by which the
revolt can be .maintained. Their boasted love of li
berty is too weak to support itfelf against felf-intereft.
Their enthusiasm has abated ; they no more contend
who ihall be foremoft in defence of their mad ideas of
independence. They begin to quarrel, it is said, a
bout their proportion of the taxes, and each one en
deavours to fhift as much as he can of this burden
from his own Ihoulders to those of his neighbour's,
while their army has been unfupplied. Much has
been faid^of the entire union of the revolted colonies,
though their confederation is not compleat, and Ma
ryland has not acceded to it. While the agents of
Congress at Paris have given exaggerated accounts of
the resources of their constituents, they have been
obliged to have continual recourse to France and Spain
for all kinds of supplies, for arms, ammunition and
clothing. Allies so lituated must soon become disa
greeable to one another. Notwithstanding all the re
forms made in the finances of France, it is known
that Louis XVI is obliged to continue all the taxes of
the last war, which were to have ceased in 1780 : And
that Mr. Neckar cannot support the military opera
tions of that kingdom, but by the force of loans,
which, considering the losses its commerce has sus
tained, cannot long continue." Upon the whole his
Lordship was persuaded that Parliament would per
severe in such measures as must finally establish the
honour and commerce of the nation, and the fafety
and tranquility of its dependencies.
Mr. Burke, Col. Barre, and Mr. Dunning, spoke
with great force in reply to his Lordlhip: So did
Charles Fox. One must have heard him, to judge of
the warmth and force of his speech on this occasion—
We can only give a sketch of it. He was severe in his
sarcasms bn the ministry, respecting the affairs of Ire
land and the internal commotions of Britain, both
which had rendered the nation contemptible in the
eyes.of all Europe. He did not dispute the right of
Ireland to the advantages it had lately obtained ; but
all the world knew, they had been gained as much a
gainst the will of the ministry, and as truly by force of
arms, as the independence of America. What might
have been granted as an obligation, and a bond ofa
mity, had been evidently extorted by fear, and con
ceded with an air of meanness, to become a source
of future confufion, and perhaps rivers of blood. He
remarked with great poignancy on the diametrically
opposite principles upon which the fame men had
aded with refped to Ireland and America: "In their
infatuated conduct, said he, resolution and conceffi-
( See the fourth page. J
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