The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1779-08-25 00:00:00, page 1

To the GOOD PEOPLE of IRELAND.
, H ,HE misery and distress which your ill-fated
& country has been so frequently, exposed to,
■ and has so often experienced, by such a
• combination of rapine, treachery, and vi
olence, as would have disgraced the name of govern
ment in the most arbitrary country in the world, has
most sincerely affected your friends in America, and
has engaged the most serious attention of Congress ;
the Ministry of Britain have seen the extreme mean
ness and folly of the attempt to eftablifa a supreme au
thority in Parliament, as their veaal Scribblers had
endeavoured to define it, exempt from question and
coiitroul, appeal or reftri&ion; but it is evident to
all the world, that such doctrine is incompatible with
every idea of a civil constitution ; for all compacts,
bills of right, nay, the solemn obligation of their King
to govern according to the Statutes in Parliament a
greed on, and the laws and customs of the fame,
iv^uld have been all nugatory trumpery, were such a
Supremacy admitted ; for this Supreme authority hav
ing no rule or law to direct its operations, or limit its
power, it must neceflarily become arbitrary and .ab
solute ; for ceaiing to be a government by force, and
it will appear fully evident that this unnatural war,
in which we have been unavoidably engaged, has been
begun and supported for no other purpose than to e
ftablilh this supreme or arbitrary power, for they are
individually the fame ; nor is it in the power of fo
paiftry to draw a line of Separation; the flimfy and
contradictory speech of Lord North, introductory to
his conciliatory motion, furnishes the fulleft convic
tion on this point. He fays, " before the war broke
out he offered a conciliatory proposition. The ground
upon which he made it was, That it was just the co
lonies Should contribute to the Support of govern
ment." And almost in the fame breath he fays, "he
thought it necessary to lliew the colonies we were not
fighting for taxation, for he never thought taxation
would be lieneficial to us.— He farther fays,- '' he
never proposed any tax, his maxim was to fay nothing
about America, neither to propose or repeal laws,
neither to advance nor recede, but to remain in total
silence." His Lordihip, I hope, will excuse me, if
I presume to look beyond the acknowledged indo
lence of his disposition, to explain this stupor of a
firft minister, and the case is very obvious ; for as
soon as their five regiments Ihould have completed
the conquest of America, it Should lie, with the lives
and properties of its inhabitants, at the mercy of the
conqueror's sword. The very names of assemblies,
conventions, or charters, those odious appendages of
democratical power, should be finished, and the ty
rant's fiat should henceforth become the law of the
land, and hence sprung the torpedo that benumbed
the mihifter's faculties.
His Lordihip fays, his proposition was misinter
preted or misunderstood, and was rendered suspicious
by a fappofition of a variety of cases; the Congress
treated it as unreasonable and insidious, and rejected
it. War began, and his intention was from the be-
ginning, at the moment of vi&ory, to propose the
fame proposition in terms obviating all the misrepre
sentations and mifundet handings concerning it. Here
it is confeffed, that this wife and virtuous administra
tion, at every hazard, and at a certain expence, has
almost annihilated public credit, have been looking
for victory which has never come, and J trust never
will come ; and which, if it did, must have been ac
comphlhed by the murder of fellow-citizens sooner
than clear their own proportions of their ambiguity
and fufyicion. And what deprives them of the co-
lour of excuse for the horrid barbarities of the war,
the city of London, in the most refpeclful language,
petitioned the throne to declare clearly and explicit
ly before the war commenced, what they wished to
have darle on the part of America; but all to no
purpose ; they would not, they dare not declare their
true object. The solemn appeal was made, and, for
the honor of virtue, the comfort of human nature,
and the terror of oppreflion, it will be indelibly re
corded in the historic page, that a few virtuous citi
zens could effectually relift the most vigorous efforts
of the most powerful tyranny, and thereby eftabliih
the freedom of the western world for ever. To ar
rive at power, Gustavus like, by a bold effort of
courage, proves at least the exigence of one virtue,
at the fame time that we detest the treachery ; but
to facrifice the public treasure, to devote every effort
of rapacious taxation, and the fruits of an ever-grow
ing excise, to this idol of madness and folly, to efta
bhlh a system of venality, by which the price of every
man's integrity and abilities was to be determined, to
stipulate the precise condition for which he shall
treacherously betray the intereß of his country, and
vicLie every obligation of private friendship and pub.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE
[Vol. IL]
WJE D NES D A* Y, August 25, irfg.
Lie virtue, to beat down every fence to honor and
principle, to destroy t^e very bond and frame of civil
Society, to make the pillage of property the means to
accomplish the plunder of liberty, and to drive,the
people into all the miseries of a civil war, i, pursuit
of this dream of power, arc ,instances of such deter
mined depravity as are not to be described even in
the language of a country where new villainy adds to,
the catalogue of crimes almost every day. The per
fect similarity of the declaratory act of fupremaey,
and that relating to your country, viz. that Ireland
should be Subordinate to and depend on the imperial
crown of Great-Britain, is very obvious ; but this Re
clamation ex parte can avail nothing, at the fame tune
that it furnifhes the most incontefliblc and dttihVe
proofe that no such fubordinqi^i or dependence war
ever understood before, or.tligp would have been ho
necedity for such an aft, • ?°
The navigation adt, which had been framed for the
sole purpose of ecuring to thdßritifh fubjefts all the
advantages to be derive irom*he commerce of their
own fcttlements has bpubfequent ads been framed
into the most odious land impolitic monopoly that
could be devised ; creating local diftintlions and com
mercial schisms, giving privilege to one set of fubjefts
to the injury of others, and operating on all the in
dicted provinces as an oppressive tax, comprehending
all the taxes of Britain, however variously modified
or compounded. And we wish to have it for-ever
fixed on your minds, that by a monopoly of trade
every pretence to internal taxation is gwen up ; for
were you even without a constitution of your own,
and as dependant as usurpation has endeayoured to
make you, the monopoly of your trade is more than
a full and equitable oompenfation for all other taxes,
and it will not appear paradoxical to futurity, that
the rife and fall of therßritifh empire have been ow
ing to this ad, and the engine by which the wife po
litician, who framed it, deligned to wind up and
conned the BritrfMffftft all over die world; we have
seen employed as the wheel on which British liberty
and grandeur have difgracefully expired.
The anticipation of public revenue has fixed the
crisis of Britain, the labour of their people for all suc
ceeding generations being engaged to pay the interests
of their public debts. I cannot suppose it an unfair
deduction to fay they are all born in a Rate of slavery,
for an obligation to work for any other purpose than
one's own advantage, is truly the condition of a slave,
and every new tax adds a link to the chain. But even
in this gloomy picture there is a dawn of hope, all
bodies are capable of refraction to a certain degree,
beyond which it is impossible to expand them ever so
little without absolute deftrudion. It is evident to
all the world, that the nerves of public credit in Eng
land are on the rack of extension, and the dreadful ex
plblion mutt follow of courie ; and can itbe supposed
that the system of weakness and folly, that has so long
usurped the name of constitution, can survive the
shock ; and their people may yet hope to fee a vigo
rous young one grow out of the ruins of the old.
I have it in my commission to repeat to you, my
good friends, the cordial concern that Congress takes
in every thing that relates to the happmefs of Ireland;
they are fenhbly affected by the load of oppressive pen-'
fions on your eltablilliment, the arbitrary and illegal
exactions of public money by King's letters ; the pro
fufe diflipation, by sinecure appointments with large
salaries; and the very arbitrary and impolitic restric
tions on your trade and manufactures, which are be
yond example in the history of the world, and can
only be equalled by Hat illiberal spirit which directs
it, and which has Ihevn itfelf so abundantly in peti
tions from all parts >f their illands, and in the de
bates in their House ^Commons, when you had been
lately amused with tie vain hope of an extension of
your trade, and whictwere conduced with such tem
per and language as night be supposed to suit their
copper coloured allis in America, but must fix a
Rain on the charaderof a civilized nation for ever.
When I had the plafure of residing in your capi
tal some years ago, itkave me pain to observe fucha
debility and morbid Ingiior in every department of
your government, as,vould have disgraced anarchy
itfelf; the laws are to weak to execute themselves,
and vice and violenceften reign with impunity ; and
even the military withyou seem to claim an exempti
on from all civil reftrint or jurifdidion, and indivi
duals are forced to till to themselves for that fecii
rity and protection zhich the government of the
country can no longr afford them. We congratu
late yon however bithe bright profped which the
western hemifpLere h, afforded to you, and the op
pressed of every natro, and we trutt that the libera
tion of your countryhas been effected in America,
and that you never w[ be called on for those painful
THE
though necessary exertions, which the sacred love of
liberty inspires, and which have enabled us to Gla
bldh our freedom for ever.
We hope the political Quixotes of Great-Britain
will no longer be able to dilturb the peace and hap
pfoefs of mankind, and which Providence has per
mitted perhaps to shew the monftrots abuse of pow
„er; yet 101 l to all public virtue as they are, we with
they may turn from, their wickedness and live; and
we doubt not the noble efforts of America will meet
the full approbation of every virtuous Briton, when
they ihall be able to diftinguilh between the mad pur
suits of government and the tr^e intcreft of their peo
ple. But as for you, our dear and good friends of
Ireland, we must cordially recommend to you to con
tinue peaceable and quiet in every possible situation
of your affairs, and endeavour, by mutual good will
to supply the defects of ^jmini(tratioi). But if the
government, whom you at this time acknowledge,
does not, in conformity to her own true interest,
take off and remove every refftaint on your trade,
commerce and manufactures,. I am charged to allure
you, that means will be found to cftablitii your free
dom in this refpeCt, in the fulleft and ampler man
ner. And as it is the ardent wish of America to pro
mote, as far as her other engagements will permit, a
icciprocal commercial interest with you, I am to as
sure you, they will seek every means to establish and
extend it; dad it has given the most fenlible pteafure
to have those indrudions committed to my care, as I
have ever retained the most perfect good will and e
':"', f° r the people oflrcland. And am, with every
sentiment of refpeft, their obedient and humble fer
va% ~ BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.
I'etfiities, OBober 4, 1778.
BY HIS EXCELLENCY
WILLIAM LIVINGSTON, Entire,
Governor, Captain-General and Conimaxdor ;» Cfe}o,: w
and over tbe Stale ofNesu-'Jerfey,and Territories there
unto belonging, Chancellor and Ordinary in thefame ;
PROCLAMATION.
WHEREAS the United States of Am<rica in con
gress assembled did, on the ninth day of July
lad, resolve ' That the Executive Powers of each Rate
' be earneflly requeued instantly to make the ftrideft
' enquiry into the conduct of every person u ithin such
' Rate refpedively, employed cither in the Quarter
' matter General's or Purchasing or Issuing Commif
' fary General's department ; and in case of any kind
‘ of mifbehaviour, or hrong suspicion thereof, in any
' such person, not being an officer immediately ap
' pointed by Congress, to remove or suspend every
' such person, ordering him at their diferetion to be
6 prosecuted at the expenceof the United States, and
' to appoint another in his place, if necessary ; and
‘ so from time to time, as occasion may be, giving
' notice to the Board of War, and alio to the Quar
' termafter General or Commissary General in whole
' department such removal or fufpenfipn ihall be, of
' the change; the person so appointed to have the*
' fame authority and pay which the person removed
' had been veiled with or entitled to, or such pay as
' the said Executive Powers refpedivcly shall agree
‘ for, to be in like manner subject to the head of the
' department to which he belongs, and to observe all
' the regulations for the government of Deputy Quar
' termafters and Deputy Commiffarics refpe&ively;
' and that the Executive Powers of each Rate be in
' like manner requeued to enquire into the number
' of perlons employed in the Quartermaster General's
' or Commissary's department, and immediately to
' discharge such as shall be adjudged unnecefiary."
And whereas the laid resolution of Congress will be
more effectually carried into execution in this state,
and the proceedings of the Executive Power in pur
suance thereof greatly facilitated by the previous vo
luntary information of such credible persons under
whose more immediate observation such milbehaviour
or unnecessary number of officers in the said depart
ments may have fallen ; or who from their local si
tuation, personal intercourse, or other circumflances,
may at present be, or hereafter become acquainted
therewith. And forafmuch as it is the duty of every
citizen of America to disclose every kind of miibcha
viour in the servants of the United States, and to pre
vent an unnecessary number of officers from being
employed in the said departments, in order that such
delinquents and fupernumcraries may respectively be
brought to justice or difeharged : And it being more
Specially to be expected that all Magistrates and Others
invested with civil authority, will manifeft their zeal
for the. common cause, and a becoming "concern for
the public interest ; by every proper exertion for d?
[Numb. 87,