The royal gazette — [Charleston] S.C., 1782-02-20 00:00:00, page 3

The SPEECH of his Excellency JOHN RUTLEDGE, Enquire,
to the Senate and House of keprefenta'ives of South-Carolina,
at Jackfonborough, the day of January, 17'CT
Honourable Gentlemen of the Senate,
Xr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House of Representatives.
SINCE the iaft meeting of a Genera )Affembly the good
people of this Rate have not only felt the common calami
ties of war, but, from the wanton and savage manner in which
it has been prosecuted, they have experienced such severities as
are unpractised, and will fcarccly be credited by civilized
nations.
The enemy, unable to make any impreffioU on the northern
states, the number of whole inhabitants, and the strength of
whose country had baffled their repeated efforts, turned
their views towards the southern, which a difference of
circumstances afforded some expectation of conquering, or
at lead of greatly distressing. After a long refinance the
reduction of Charleilown was effected, by the vast supe
riority of force with which it had been besieged. The loss
of that garrison, as it consisted of the continental troops
of Virginia and the Carolinas, and also of a number of mi
litia, facilitated the enemy's march into the country, and'
their efabliihment of strong polls in the upper and interior
parts ofic; and the unfavo ruble iffuc of the action near Cam
den, induced them vainly to imagine that no other army could
be collected, which theymight not easily defeat. The militia
commanded by the Bi igadiers Sumpter and Marion, whose en
terprising fpr it and unremitted perseverance under many diffi
culties are deferring of great applause, harraffed and often de
feated large parties; but the numbers of those militia were too
few to contend effectually with the collected strength of the
enemy. Regardtefs therefore of the sacred ties of honour, des
titute of the feelings of humanity, and determined to extin
guish, if possible, every fparkof freedom in this country, they
with the insolent pride of conquerors, gave unbounded scope
to the exercise of their tyrannical disposition, infringed their
publick engagements, and violated the most solemn capitulation.
Many of our worthiest citizens were without cause long and
closely confined, some on board prison-ships, and others
in the town and castle of St. Augustine—their properties dis
posed of, at the will and caprice of the enemy, and their fa
niilics sent to a different and distant part of the continent,
without the means of fuppbrt. Many who had surrendered
as prisoners of war were killed in cold blood. Several fuffered
death in the most ignominious manner ; others were delivered
up to savages, and put to tortures, under which they expired.
Thus the lives, liberties, and properties of the people, were
dependent solely on the pleasure of British officers,' who de
prived them of either or all, on the most frivolous pretences.—
Indians, slaves and a desperate banditti of the most profligate
characters, were caressed and employed by the enemy to execute
their infamous purposes. Levaftation and ruin marked their
progress, and that of their adherents ; nor were their violences
retrained by the charms or influence of beauty and innocence.
Even the fair sex, whom it is the duty of all, and the pleasure
and the pride of the brave to protect, they and their tender
offspring were victims to the malice of an unrelenting foe.
Neither the tears of mothers, nor the cries of infants, could
excite in their breads pity or edmpaffion. Not only the peace
ful habitations of the widow, of the aged and infirm,'but the
holy temples of the Most High, were confirmed in flames,
kindled by their facriligeous hands. They have tarnished the
glory of the British arms, disgraced the profeffion of a soldier,
and fixed indelible stigmas of rapine, cruelty, perfidy, and pro
fanenefs on the Britiih name. But 1 can now congratulate
you, and! do most cordially, on the pleasing change of affairs,
which, under the bleiling of God, the wisdom, prudence', ad
drtfs and bravery of the great and gallant General Greene,
and the intrepidity of the officers and men under his command,
bve happily effe&ed—a General who is fully entitled, from
bis many signal services, to honourable and singular marks of
your approbation and gratitude. His successes have been more
rapid and complcat than the most sanguine could have expected.
The enemy, compelled to surrender or evacuate every post
vrich they held in this country, frequently defeated, and driven
from place to place, are obliged to seek refuge under the walls
of Charleftown, and on islands in its vicinity. We have now
the full and absolute possession of every other part of the state ;
and the legislative, executive, and judicial powers, are in the
free exercise of their respective authorities. I also do most
heartily congratulate you on the glorious victory obtained by
the combined forces of America and France, over the common
enemy; when the very General who was second in command
at theredudtion of Charleftown, and to whose boasted prowess
and highly extolled abilities, the conquest of no less than three
Fates had been arrogantly committed, was speedily compelled
to accept of the fame mortifying terms which had been imposed
on that brave but unfortunate garrison, to surrender an army
of many thou and regulars, and to abandon his wretched fol
lowers, whom he had artfully seduced from their allegiance,
by specious promises of protection which he never could
fulfil to the justice or mercy of their country: On the
the nayal superiority established by the illustrious Ally of
the United States—a superiority in itfelf so decided, *nd its
consequences so extensive, as muff inevitably soon oblige the
enemy to yield us the only post which they occupy in this state :
On the reiterated proofs of the sincerest friendfhip, and the
great support which America has received from that powerful
Monarch—a Monarch, whose magnanimity is universally ac
knowledged and admired, and on whose Royal Word we may
confidently rely for every necessary assistance : On the perfect
harmony which subsists between France and America : On the
liability which her Independence has acquired ; and on the
certainty that it is too deeply rooted ever to be shaken; for
animated as they are by national honour, and united by one
common interest, it must and will be maintained.
"hat may be the immediate effects on the British nation of
Ue events which I have mentioned, of their loss of territory in
YESTERDAY afternoon the brig , Capt. Forrester,
arrived here from New-Providence.
On the 16th instant, the privateer flrip Goodrich, Capt.
Buchanan, arrived at New-Providence, in 12 days from Tor
tola. Just before he left that island, intelligence was received
there, that Admiral Hood, being joined by Admiral Kem
penfelt with ten fail of the line from England, had proceeded
with a fleet, conlifting of twenty-eight line of battle ships,
to the relief of St. Christopher's, where, as we mentioned In
a former paper, the French had landed a large body of troops,
by some accounts eftimatbd as high as 10,000 men, by others
at 6000 ; that our fleet, when off Nevis, was seen by a French
cruising frigate, who immediately returning to St. Christo
pher's where the Count de Grafle was, with all his fleet, the
enemy flipped their cables and flood for Admiral Hood; that
there had been two actions between the fleets, the particulars
of which were not known, but the issue evidently in our
favour, from the French fleet precipitately retiring, and aban
doning their army on St. Christopher's to its fate.
Admiral Kempenfelt left England on the 20th of Novem
ber, in company with the Grand Fleet, destined for the relief
of Gibraltar and Minorca. It is added, that he parted with
them at the mouth of the Straits.
We hope soon to have it in our power to give our readers
more ample accounts of these interesting events.
Charlestown, February if
other parts of the world, and of their well founded appreheh
fions from the powers of France, Spain, and Holland, it is
impoflible to foretel.—lf experience can teach wisdom to a
haughty and infatuated people, and if they will now be go
verned by reason, they will have learnt that they can have, no
solid ground of hope to conquer any state in the union ; for
though their armies have obtained temporary advantages over
our troops, yet the citizens of these states, firmly resolved as
they are never to return to a domination, which, near fix
years ago, they unanimously and justly renounced, cannot be
subdued; and they must now be convinced, that it is the
height of folly and madness to persist in so ruinous a war. If,
however, we judge, as we ought, of their future by their past
conduct, we may presume, that they will not only endeavour
to keep possession of our capital, but make another attempt,
however improbable the success of it may appear, to subjugate
this country. It is, therefore, highly incumbent on us to use
our molt strenuous assorts to frustrate so fatal a design ; and I
earnestly conjure by the duty you owe, and the sacred love
you bear to your country, by a constant remembrance of her
bitter fufferings, and by the just detestation of British Governs
ment, which you and your posterity mult forever possess, to
exert your utmost faculties for that purpose, by railing and
equipping with all possible expedition, a refpeftable permanent
force, and by making ample provision. for their comfortable
subsistence. I am sensible the expences will be great; but a
treasure so indilpenfible to the preservation of our freedom, is
above every pecuniary consideration.
„ The organization of our militia is likewise a fubjedt of infi
nite importance :—A clear and correct law, by which the bur
den of service will be equally sustained, and a competent
number of men brought forth and kept in the field, when their
assistance may be required, is essential to our security, and
therefore juilly claims your serious and immediate attention.
Certain it is, that some of our militia have, upon certain occa
sions, exhibited instances of valour, which would have reflected
honour on veteran troops. The courage and good conduct
of the Generals whom I have mentioned, the cool and deter
mined bravery repeatedly displayed by Brigadier Picken, and
indeed the behaviour of many officers and men of every bri
gade, are unquestionable teftimonics of the truth of this affec
tion; but such behaviour cannot be expelled from militia in
general, without good order and drift discipline ; nor can that
order and discipline be established but by a salutary law, steadily
executed.
Another important matter for your deliberation is the con
duft of iuch of our citizens, as voluntarily avowing their
allegiance, and glorying in their profeffions of loyalty and at
tachment to his Britannick Majesty, have offered their con
gratulations on the success of his arms, prayed to be embodied
as Royal Militia, accepted commissions in his service, or en
deavoured to subvert our constitution, and to establish his
power in its dead; of those who have returned to this coun
try, in defiance of a law, by which such return was declared
a capital offence, and have abetted the British interest; and of
such whose behaviour has been so far reprehensible, that justice
and policy forbid their free admission to the rights and privi
leges of citizens. The extraordinary lenity of this State has
been remarkably conspicuous; other states have thought it
just and expedient to appropriate the property of British fub
jedts to the publick use, but we have forborn to take even the
profits of the estates of our most implacable enemies. It is
with you to determine whether the forfeiture, and the appro
priation of their property, should now take place. If such
shall be your determination, though many of our firmeft friends
have been reduced, for their inflexible attachment to the cause
of their country, from opulence to inconceivable distress, and
if the enemy's will and power had prevailed would have been
doomed to indigence and beggary ; yet it will redound to the
reputation of this state, to provide a becoming support for the
families of those whom you may deprive of their property.
,The value of paper currency became of late so much depre
ciated, that it was requisite, under the powers vetted in the
executive, during the recess of the General Assembly, to sus
pend the laws by which it was made a tender. You will now
confi^er whether it may not be proper to repeal those laws,
and fix some equitable mode for the discharge of debts con
traded, whilst paper money was in circulation. In the pie
feat scarcity of specie, it would be difficult, if not impractica
ble, to levy a tax to any considerable amount, towards finking
the publick debts ; nor will the creditors of the state exped
that such a tax should at this time be imposed; but it is just
and reasonable that all unsettled demands should be liquidated,
and fatisfa&ory assurances of payment given to the publick
creditors.
The interest and honour, the fafety and happiness of our
country, depends so much as the result of your deliberations,
that I flatter myfelf you will proceed on the weighty business
before you with firmnefs and temper, with vigour, unanimity,
and dispatch.
To JOHN" RUTLEDGE, Esq
S I R,
THE speech you lately made to the New Assembly at Jack
+ fonburgh, as it compleatly answers your purpose of de
ceiving and inflaming, must be allowed to have considerable
merit. You knew well to whom you were addressing your
felf, and you have seized upon every advantage which could
be derived from that circumftahce.—You knew that your au
dienc ewas principally compofcd of two classes of persons; of
those, who fromdread of the puni fhmentdue to their crimes, or
from the fear of being obliged to pay their just debts, had
never submitted to the British Government after the conquest
of this Province, and of others who had violated their military
paroles, or their oaths and declarations of allegiance.—You
knew, that the firft sett of men would gladly be thought to
possess virtues which were foreign to their breads ; and that/the
second wished for some excuse, even to their own consciences,
for the infamous part they had adted. On the one, you have
accordingly bestowed every praise that is due to the most dis
tinguished worth; and you have demonstrated to the other,
that the pleasing change of affairs has been effected under the
blessing of God.
Your speech commences with a highly finifhed description
of the calamities which this country has fuffered from the
British Army. Like a fkilfiil painter, who in composing a rich
landscape, feleds from general Nature those circumstances
alone which contribute to the effect he wishes to produce,
regardless whether their combination ever really existed, it
being fufficient for his purpose that it might have existed ; you
have fatigued your fancy in colleding all the possible excesses
of an army in war, and them you have boldly ascribed to the
British in this country. You have studiously concealed every
cause of their resentment, which is to be found in the baseness,
perfidy and savage disposition of the people they had to deal
with: You have charged them with the cruelty ot practices
which the Rebels firft adopted: The irregularities of a few un
authorized individuals, you have swelled into the established
mode of procedure of the whole Army : You have misrepre
sented many circumstances, and exaggerated others: You
were well aware, that a detention of fallhood would quickly
follow any attempt towards the narration of particular fads ;
you have therefore made use of such general expressions, that
it is scarcely possible in any case to determine what are the
events you would seem to allude to. I think, however, I have
discovered what has given rife to one part of your description.
A detachment of dragoons being sent from Camden to surprise
the people of Waxfaws, at a mufterfield, were difappoHited
in their object, by the day proving iftt. Unwilling, however,
to return without doing something, they, without orders, as
have been informed, set fire +0 a building, ^ hich served the*
inhabitants the double purpose of a House of Muster and %
House of Prayer.. But this paltry circumstance now conftitute^
the very summit of your be: utiful climax of British enormities,
and has furnifhed the following brilliant close to one of your
periods—“ The Holy Temples of the Most High were con
sumed in flames, kindled by their facriligeous hands."
Having, by these artifices, heated the minds of your hearers
to the degree you desired, you rightly conceived that you
could now speak with boldness on the present state of this
country. You were well acquainted with the effects of con
trast, and knew that even objects of a dusky hue appear bright
when placed upon a darker ground. In the cool hour of re
flection, the mod vifibnary of your adherents must confefs their
situation at present to be both disagreeable and unhappy; but
when they compare it With the horror and mifrry of that whicli
you have shewn them they have so miraculously escaped, they
may well have reason to congratulate themfelvesf that the le
gislative, executive, and judicial powers of the state ate now
in the free exercise of their refpedtive authorities; and that
their hopes of every necessary assistance are no less ftrongl,
founded, than on the Royal Word of the magnanimou.
Monarch of France; and they may also coincide with you
in opinion, that a refpe&able and pet manent military force is
a treasure fuperiour to every pecuniary consideration; that 116
taxes therefore can be too high, which are to fhrnifli the means
of railing and equipping it, nor any duty too severe to be un
dergone, by a well organized bbd,y of niilitia, when the objed:
to be gained by these exertions, is of so great a magnitude as
to prevent the British Army from ever again appearing from
under the walls of Charleftown, or from the islands in it#
vicinity.,..°,
In the firft part of your speech, you have assumed the cha
frafter of a man of fancy and invention ; you now come forth
in a more natural one, that of a man of business. The former
fits but aukwardly upon ydti, and is indeed so opposite to that
of the low blackguard, which you formerly used to p%farn,
on many oedafions, particularly when any persons fufpe&ed of
toryifm was brought before you, with the greatest case to your
felf, and to the high entertainthent of your thirteen Aides', that
unless we allow you to be an universal genius, we must suppose
it to have been composed for you by one of your friends.
This conjecture will acquire strength, when the opposition of
the lentiments which are maintained by the two characters is
pointed out t The man of fahey and invention boldly affertsi
that the naval superiority acquired by the Illustrious Ally of the
United States :s in itJilf so decided, and its consequences so
extensive, as must inevitably soon oblige the enemy to yield the
only post they occupy in this state. The man of business how
ever is with reason so much afraid that the enemy will not only
retain possession of the capital, but even make another attempt
to subjugate the country, that he never thinks of the mighty
consequences of the mighty naval superiority of France, but
ransacks the times, both past and present. and goes even in
futurity for arguments by which he may conjure his country
men to exert their uttnoft faculties to fruflate so fatal a design.
You proceed, as the man of business, to descant; witha pe
culiar elegance of expreflion, on the former lenity of this state,
in never appropriating the property of its most implacable ene
mies. Ihe fait may be indeed true, but I question if lenity
can be called the principle. An ordinance was passed by the
Rebel Assembly, when this place was in their possession, which
authorized the confifeation of the estates of those persons who
should withdraw themselves from the country ; and in pursu
ance of the power vetted in you by that ordinance, you publish
ed a proclamation, bearing date on the 15th day of December
1779> in which you gave notice to certain persons, whose names
are also recited, that unless they returned to the state within
forty days, they should be declared 'guilty of treason, and their
estates be confifeated. The arrival of the British Army imme
diately after, effectually prevented the execution of the pains
and penalties threatened; and should its operations a second
time rather diftuab the due enforcement of the new aft of
confifeation, I fancy that an additional proof will be gained
of the conspicuous lenity of this state;
The next matter which you offer to the consideration of
the Assembly, is the depreciation of the paper-currency. On
this business, you have'chalked out a line of conduct which
perfectly ^ coincides in principle with the confifeation of the
estates of your creditors. The debts in this country were for
the molt part due to the merchants of Britain, or to their fac
tors here. Whenthe value of the paper-currency diminished,
many persons availed themselves of the tender aft to force
their creditors to receive it in payment of old debts; among
others, your worthy friend Mr. T. Ferguson found out the art
of difehargmg debts to the amount of 50,000 guineas with as
many fhillinga. It would be distressing therefore to those Sons of
Virtue, that any reference should be had to the payment of old
debts in depreciated money. It is only necessary that these
should not fuffer, who borrowed bad money to discharge a
debt which was contrasted while the real and nominal value
of the Currency corresponded; as the latter were some of our
(worthies citizens, and the old creditors our moji implacable
enemies.
The last business which you recommended to the attention
of your audience, is one of the highest importance, as it is
intimately conneded with your own private interest, and that
of many other equally goodnen^ It is certainly proper that
all of you should receive fatisfadory assurances of paynter, ,
for the many services you have done to your country. I wo< 't
here remaak your modesty in demanding no more than ff.^
rancet of payment, were I not informed that you have alr^a y
taken care to reimburse yourfelf at least in part, out of the
indigo you were kind enough to borrow from the different
planters in the country.
I have thus, Sir, made some small attempt to point out the me
rits of your very elegant Speech. I ndw take my leave of you,
and every thing that regards you, with pleasure. While your
station, as Rebel Governour, exalted vou to the notice oftha
world, I frequently, and I believe with some small success, en
deavoured to lay open your real character ; but now, that you
are reduced to herd with the comman rabble of your country
men, your infignificancy secures you from any farther perse
cution.—Go, and slumber with the other despicable hirelings io.
Congress, and if you are ever roused from your state of torpi
dity, let it be to extol the generosity of your General in fuffer
ing you to exist any longer as a body; or to thank your Royal.
Master of France, for the daily bread which you eat.
MARCU S.
Charlefloavn, Februa, 22, 1782.
Two Guineas Reward.
RUN awry about two months ago, a NEGRO MAK
named Jack, belonging to Mr. Philip Smith of the Horse-Sheep
is in Charleftown and seen frequently, and follows his trade of
fhoemaking; he is rather below the common feature, of the Guinea
country, very black, Hammers in his speech, is cat-ham'd, affe6tg
to dress spruce, and speaks but indifferent English. Any perlon that)
secures him in the Sugar-House, by applying to rhe fubferiber, shall
receive the above reward, JAMES SKIRVING.
4%i February, xyh.