The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1782-02-20 00:00:00, page 1

By the brig Sally, Captain Worth, arrived at Pro
vidence from Nantz, we have the following ad
vices.
LONDO N, Odober 18.
A Cabinet council was held yesterday on the
late defpatches from Sir Samuel Hood;
but we are given to underfland, that it is
not, even yet, meant to abandon the A
merican war.
It is difficult to determine, whether the condu&
of the present Ministry is most deserving of ridicule
or contempt, any other men would fend out fleets
that might have, at lead, a chance of beating the
enemy; but under the present naval system, our fleets
are not meant to aft where the enemy are. Hence,
Darby leaves the channel the moment the combined
fleet enters it. Admiral Graves proceeds to New-
York, because the French have been so impolite as
to block up the Chesapeake. And Commodore
Johnftone, forfooth, returns home merely because
the enemy got to the Cape of Good Hope before
him !
By Johnftone's late defpatches, and his situation,
we learn, that his boasted South-Sea expedition is
as visionary, as that which duped the publick in the
year 1720.
Advice is received at Paris from the East-Indies,
by the way of Martinico. The return of M. Dorves
to the lile of France is confirmed. That event is at
tributed to the difficulty of procuring himfelf
provisions and ammunition, after having beat about
the coasts upwards of three months. The letters
received by that channel contain an anecdote un
known in Europe; which is, that the English having
set a price upon the head of Hyder illy, that furi
ous Prince had immediately ordered the right hands
of all the English prisoners, in his power, to be cut
off.
The Terrible man of war, deftoyed in America,
was a new ship, built only about seven years ago;
the firft time of her going to sea was in Admiral
Keppel's fleet, at the firft commencement of hostili
ties with France.
The Terrible is the eighth ship of the line loft to
the British navy since the commencement of the war ;
one only has fallen into the hands of the enemy,
the Ardent, of 64 guns, taken by the combined fleet
off Plymouth the year before last.
Od. 20. Yesterday at noon His Majesty came
from Windsor to St. James's when there was a
levee, at which were present the Earl of Talbot,
Lords Lifburne, North, Germaine, and Amherst;
several naval and military officers. The levee was
over at two o'clock.
Lords North, Germaine, and Amherst, had each
a conference with His Majesty after the levee was
over, when l His Majesty set out for Windsor.
Yesterday Lord Germaine laid before His Majesty
some expresses received from America.
OH. 22. The last week has made a wonderful
alteration in the tone of government. Before that
untoward period, nothing but the utter deftiudion
of the Carolinas was talked of by the Ministry and
their creatures; but since the French have blocked
up the Chesapeake, and landed eight thousand
troops, they can condefeend to think it very well if
Lord Cornwallis should be lucky enough to effect
his escape back to New-York.
We have every reason to fear that Mons. la Motte
Picquet has failed with ten or twelve ships of the
Jine for the Weft-Indies; in which case our islands
will be entirely left to his mercy, before a rein
forcement can be sent out from hence, or our fleet
be able to return thither from America. This will
truly correipond with the topick continually urged
by the Minister, that if America gains her freedom,
our Western Islands must be loft; but how they
can answer to the people for voluntarily refigaing
these valuable possessions, while they are fighting
for a shadow on the continent, their own ideas of
Tefponfibility may best be able to slitter their minds.
By private letters from Madras, the late troubles
occasioned by Hyder Ally have proved very ruinous
to the private fortunes of the principal members cf
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. V.]
WEDNESDA Y, February 20, 1782.
the presidency, who had been obliged to advance
amazing fams for paying the army employed for
their protection, without any terms being stipulated.
Governor W—ll, lately returned from fort George,
is said to have advanced to the amount of 3000001.
on that account.
The manufa&urors of Manchester are almost
ready for an infurredion, through a want of em
ployment, on account of the scarcity of cotton.
They are only retrained by the hopes of the Ja
maica fleet, and if it should not arrive fafe, the ap
pieheniions of famine will probably drive them to
outrage.
The important defpatches that are hourly expect
ed to arrive from Lord Cornwallis will, no doubt,
enable government to form a decisive opinion as to
the probability or improbability of recovering our
colonies in America: They will at least learn what
are the consequences to be expected from the junc
tion of the french and American forces.
The following is a lift of (hips intended to rein
force the fleet in the Weft-Indies, which will abso
lutely fail from Spithead the latter end of next
month, viz. The Fame, and Warrior, of 74 guns
each, Sceptre, Anlon, Agamemnon, Prothee, of 64
guns each.
Orders are given for the three regiments of foot
guards to be completed to their full complement of
men, previous to a draught being made to complete
the brigade of guards in America.
We hear, that in the course of a very few weeks
a formidable naval and military armament will fail
from Brest for the Weft-Indies, under the command
of Mons le Chev. Laurence.
Lord Dunmore took a great quantity of plate,
and some very elegant carriages with him, on his
embarkation for his government of Virginia.
It was reported on Tuesday night, that govern
ment had received advices by way of France, by a
fliip arrived at Nantz from America, that, exclusive
of the troops landed at the Chesapeake by M. de
Graffe, M. de Barras embarked in his squadron
between 2 and 3000 men from Rhode-Bland, part
of the Count de Rochambeau's army for the lame
purpose. The account of an engagement having
happened, was not known when the Ihip failed; yet,
as the French fleet, after the action, moored in the
Chesapeake, and M. de Barras of course landed his
men, the situation of Lord Cornwallis and the Bri
tish army must be very far from fafe. Greene,
Wayne and Stevens, on one fide, with the Ameri
can army, and the Marquis de la Fayette, with be
tween 5 and 6000 French, on the other.
It was the wife maxim of Mr. Pitt, never to
wink at the hostile actions of our affected friends,
and real enemies; but to strike the firft blow of
open war, rather than to rifque the dangers of clan
destine malice. For these sentiments he left the
reins of government, and we too soon perceive the
loss of him who had conducted a glorious war, by
the contrast of those who concluded the last igno
minious peace. The Swedes are now waging ho
stilities against us in such a manner as can scarcely
any longer be called clandestine and though their
neutral masque is attended with double injury, our
Ministers are affraid to open their eyes on those
tranfarftions.
What an intolerable insult to be tamely borne by
the British flag, blocking up a large Dutch fleet in
the Fexel, to fee a lingle Sweedifh ship of 74 guns,
purchased for the audacious purpose, quietly convoy
the Dutch fleet under protection of its flag, and
proudly bid defiance to ten Englfh fail of the line
to touch the prey they had been so long watching
in vain. This tale is so unusually ignominious, that
it may seem the extravagance of fiction, but we
again pledge our utmost credit to the publick for
the ftridttruth of it. What madhefs is it thus to
resign our ancient honour and interest, while, through
an inhuman revenge, we are fighting for a shadow
in a distant world !
Though the Minister has delayed the meeting of
Parliament till a very late period, in hopes ofa more
propitious moment than the present, the appearance
THE
BOSTO N, January 31.
Thursday last His Excellency the Governor was
pleased to make the following S PEECH to
both Houses of Assembly, viz.
Gentlemen cf the Senate, and Gentlemen 0, the
House of Representatives,
WIT H particular pleasure, 1 embrace this
firft opportunity to congratulate you on the
important and glorious success with which it has
pleased Heaven to crown the arms of these United
States and those of our illultrious ally, in the re
duction of York, and the surrender of Lord Corn
wallis and his whole army. An event that reliefs
signal honour upon the counsels and plans of France
and America, and upon the ikill and bravery of the
leaders and forces who have so happily executed
them; an event that gives new luftre to the names
of General Washington, the Count de Graffe, and
the Count de Rochambeau, and forms an addition
al ground of friendship and mutual confidence be
tween the allied nations.
The pleasing profped now opening to our view,
is, in no small degree brightned by the memorable
advancement of our arms through many difficulties
in South-Carolina and Georgia; a fruit, under the
Divine smiles, of the abilities, firmnefs and perse
verance of Geneial Greene and the gallant officers
and men under his orders.
These events, together with the general face of
the war in other quarters of the globe, must have
their effect in humbling the power with which we
are contending, and at the fame time cannot but
raise our own expectations of speedily feeing the
independence, peace and happiness of these States
established upon a solid basis. But you are sensible,
gentlemen, as I can be, of the fatal consequences
that might still ensue, should we, in this moment of
victory arid joy, abate our vigilance and relax our
efforts, and thus give a new spring to the hopes and
exertions of the enemy.
Our claims, righteous as they are, have hitherto
been supported only by force, not by an impreflion
which their own manifeft justice have ever made
upon the minds of our enemies; and by force,
through the favour of Heaven, must these claims
be finally established. The success of our negotia
tions in Europe, those negociations by which our
fi eedom, our rights of commerce and fifhing, our
honour and happiness, and even our very being as a
of things in the political hemisphere, forbodes no
thing but misfortane and distress, infinitely fupciior
either to the defeat of Admiral Graves, or the dil
appointment of Commodore Johnftone.
If the heart of the Minister is not wholly callous
to all feeling, it cannot but fail him on the meeting
of Parliament, if it is only on account of the re
proaches he must expert from those country mem
bers, whose votes he has, year after year, so com
pletely swindled, under pretence that the war would
terminate in the conquest of America, and conse
quently produce a revenue that would enable go
vernment to make a considerable reduction of the
land tax.
The appearance of the great and good ally, triumph
ant on their coasts, and prepared to assist them with
a numerous body of troops, will inspire the Ameri
cans with the most animated renovation of their
spirits. The decided friends of freedom will glow
with a redoubled ardour, the timid waverers will
declare in favour of the common cause, and the
diflembling loyalists will become sudden converts to
patriotic virtue.
Unless something very much in the shape of a
miracle should happen in favour of Lord Cornwal
lis, he must be inevitably cut off by the French and
American troops in the Carolinas.
Ihe refignatian of Lord North may very soon
be expected. His Lordihip has frequently declar
ed in Parliament, that he never wou^d retire till he
had brought us through; and he has only just to
wait the capture of Lord Cornwallis and Sir Henry
Clinton, and we shall then have nothing to fear, as
it is the only thing now left us to be uneasy about.
[Numb. 217.]