The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-01-21 00:00:00, page 1

Thus the new year opens favourably upon us, but
what its future complexion will be, depends upon
the manner in which we employ the prefect winter.
Heaven hath indeed smiled upon us—but some drops
of bitterness hath been kindly mingled in the cup of
joy, left the draught should intoxicate and lull us to
sleep. Our successes encourage the most sanguine
hopes ; our Joffe§ forbid the lead presumption. The
power of the enemy, and dhe resources of Britain,
are not to be despised; and if profpenty betrays us
into fecurity:—if we think the work is done, and be
come rein® in our exertions, our successes have on
ly smoothed the way to deftrudtion, and the laurels
which entwine our brows serve but as ornaments to
deck us for the facrifice.
Hitherto Ue regular force which we have kept on
foot hath been no ways proportionate to the strength
qf the States, or the importance of the object it was
railed to figure. It would have been ufelcfs to have
fyd more men in the field than we could supply with
arms, ammunition, and other military stores —Hence
our operations against the,enemy's main army have
been feeble and indecisive ; and the General, check
ing the impulses of his own gallant and enterprizing
spirit, has been obliged to consult the fafety of A
merica by protra&ion and delay.—But, through the
blessings of Heaven, we can now armthoufands with
mulcts of the belt kind and of one caliber—we have
; tillery, ammunition, and camp equipage in abun
dance —and we can feed and pay ^ur troops without
difficulty. The period is therefore arrived when, by
arming our beloved General with the united force of
the States, we /hall enable him to take the field with
a superiority of strength, and which will ensure him
all those advantages (and they are neither few nor
small) which aflailants ever have over those who att
on the defenfive.
This however can only be done by immediately
tiling up the Continental regiments. But as the
pradice of militia fubftitutiqn hath universally ruin
ed the recruiting Service, it will be necessary to draft
the number required, who Should serve either per
forally or by substitutes, for one campaign at least.
But a, this is a measure which, Should it be adopted,
may give umbrage to some who never look beyond
themselves, and raise a clamour among others who
with to impede every vigorous exertion, let us cou
id,er the propriety and advantage of it.—
It is a maxim in government which I never heard
¥ man of sense deny, that eyepy Bate hath a right to
demand the personal service of its members or an
equivalent, whenever the public weal demands it.
Ibis is a duty which ibould be exacted in the man
ner least oppreflive to the people, and which we have
Mi readied, without murmuring, in the different
THOUGHTS on THE SITUATION or
AFFAIRS.
AT the opening of the last year, the A
merican cause wore a fickiy afpe&.
The Continental army, reduced to an
inconsiderable body, retired as faft as
the enemy advanced ; and a vast tradt
qf country, from Hudson's river to the
Delaware, lay exposed to the ravages of an intuiting
foe. Roofed at length from the lethargy which at
firft seemed to seize them, the militia, poured in to
the afiiftance of General Washington, and gave his
little army an appearance of numbers. The fortunate
furprizal of the Hessians which soon followed, and
the brilliant manoeuvre at Princeton, firft checked the
current of misfortune, and gave the tide of affairs a
contrary direction. General Howe, confining himfelf
to the narrow limits of Brunswick and Amboy, fur
fered us to invert him with a handful of militia. The
States wifely improved the breathing spell which
Heaven lent them; and such were the exertions of
the winter, that, before the Britiih army took the
field, we had a refpeQable force on foot —A force,
part of which, assisted by the gallant militia of New-
York and New-England, hath destroyed their Nor
thern army ; while the relidue, tho' unable to hop
the progress of General Howe, hath neverthe/efs
fought him bravely, and even now limits his con
quests to "just so much territory as he can com
mand with the mouths of his cannon." It is true
they are in possession of the firft city on the Conti
nent —the loss is deeply felt by the unhappy citizens
—But America disdains to fay Jbe fullers by the
event.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. I.]
WEDNESDAY, January 21, 1778.
But whatever mode the States devise for railing
men, it is of the highest importance that it be speedily
adopted and vigoroufiy pursued. The prrfent win
ter is worth millions to America; and if she idles it
away, her folly will be without a parallel. We have
every argument that can work upon our hopes and
fears, to excite us to the most strenuous exertions.
Peace, liberty and fafety, lie before us as the reward
of our exertions —Infamy, dirtrefs, and ail that we
have felt or feared from the tyranny of Britain, may
be the consequence of fupinenei sand ina&ion. The
main army of the enemy is in our country, and dill
formidable —Britain, enraged at the loss of her Nor
thern army, will exert her utmost power, and having
no troops in Canada to reinforce, will direct her un
divided strength against the middle States. We t< ,
thank Heaven, can meet them with an undivided
army ; but we must encreafe its numbers to ensure its
success. Let us then, my countrymen, make one
general and mighty effort; and if we can but rouse
the unwieldly ftre.gth of these States, and bring their
united force against the enemy, the contest will at
once be over, and the footfteps of tyranny ihall never
mark this land of freedom more.
ADOLP II U S.
Pennfyhama, Jan. 8, 1778.
For the New-Jersey Gazette.
To his MA j c FSTr of GREAT-BRITA IN.
DELUDED Prince! how wretchedly art thou
mistaken in thy idea of true grandeur? That
Prince is truly great who draws his sword with re
luctance, and sheaths it with pleasure—Who draws
it against the enemies of liberty, and the oppressors
of human kind—Who builds on his empire, what in
real value transcends all empire, virtue, patriotism,
philanthropy, and the happiness cf millions; and
thus makes his throne a fcaflbld to the lkic§. But
what are thy notions of glory, who art waging war
unprovoked and beyond example sanguinary ?°War
against those it was thy duty, thy'bounden thy
sworn duty, to protect ; and for complaining that
thou didst not protest them ? War against libertv,
and against men for defending liberty ?
modes prescribed by the militia laws of the respective
States. To serve under officers nominated by our
selves, is most conformable to the genius of a free
people ; but if this mode becomes improper or ina
dequate to the exigency of affairs, the Rate hath un
doubtedly a right to adopt another which tho' less
agreeable will prove more salutary. The practice of
reinforcing the Continental army by calling out the
militia, will in common cases be of little service.
When the yeomanry of a country, roused by a sense
of danger, or fired by indignation at their wrongs,
fly to arms; then indeed their resolution is dread
ful to an enemy, and their impetuosity alraoft irre
liftible. —But when the date of our country is such
as awakes no agitation of mind, the militia dragged
unwillingly to the field soon become disgusted with
their duty, and are impatient to retire.---A great
part of these will be substitutes, who while in the
militia will always prove sorry soldiers. While they
can shrink from danger with the profpeft of impu
nity, the temptation will be too powerful for men
of their feelings to resist.---They know that if they
can keep out of harm's way for a few months, they
will be at liberty to retire or t® renew their bargain--
They know, that if called to answer for their con
duct, they will be tried by laws milder than mercy,
and by men who judge with a gentleness incompati
ble with the welfare of an army. But let one of
these be drafted into the regular army, or become a
substitute for one who is so, and he will presently
equal the Continental veteran.-r-Subjedt to ftri<fter
discipline, amenable to a severer tribunal, he catch
es the spirit of a soldier and courts dangerswith the
foremoft of his comrades.
Besides, as the militia officers have not devoted
themselves to a military life, they will find a lengthy
service inconvenient and disagreeable ; nor can they
be supposed to be acquainted with the minutiae of
camp duty, which cannot be dispensed with in con
ducting the flow and steady operations of a regular
army. But we have already in pay a number of ex
cellent officers, formed by serving thro' an active
campaign ; and it is a pity that their fp^it and mili
tary knowledge fhculd become ufelcfs, for want of
men to command.
THE
Oppression confirts in taking the advantage of the
necessity of others to extort from them an unreason
able price for the necessaries of life ; and is an offence
against the laws of reason and morality, and is incon
hrtent with the righteous and beneficent rules of
chriftianity, and resembles the infernals whose cha
racter is to devour one another.
Every one who is guilty of this vice and lives in
the practice of it, forfeits his character of a reason
able being, a man, and a chriftian, and is fit for no
thing but to be joined to the society of devils.
The faith of the Continent is engaged to redeem
every drilling of the continental bills, after a certain,
period, at the rate of one dollar for every fix Ihil
lings---and mucli of the money now circulating was
purchased or contracted for v hen wheat was four
Shillings per bulhel, and other commodities in pro
portion---every fix shillings of continental money,
therefore, is in the hands of the poffefior, equal in
value to a dollar, or it is worth nothing, for there
is no medium; if the former, then to exa& more of
it for an article than of silver, is extortion, and no
better than specious robbery. If the latter, then to
pats it for more than the value of the paper on which
it is impressed, is an imposition and fraud : But that
which by common qonfent has a certain value damp
ed upon it, ought not, nor can be altered without
the lame authority that gave the fan&ion. The con
sequence is, that the continental bills must be consi
dered as equiyalent to dollars, and pass as such; or
be rejected as the grossest cheat.
^"t A' ma Y b ^ objected, that the credit of these
lulls will vary with the probability of the success of
our arms. This objection might fairly enough be
made by a foreigner, but comes with an ill grace
from ourselves, who by common confect have put a
certain value upon them. But further, America will
maintain its independency and be able to redeem
these bills, or it will not.---If the former, then every
ux flullings entitles the poffeffar to a dollar or an
equivalent. It the latter, our estates may as well be
in continental bills as any thing else; for the whole
will be considered as forfeited, and taken from us by
the conquerors. # I appeal to every one, and call up
on ail, to reconcile, if they can, the prefect enhanced
prices ot articles, with the rules of common honesty.
Let the merchant take into his computation, the
freight, rifque, iiilurance, and every other extraor
dinary charge on trade, and to it add his profits,
fifty or a hundred per cent, and he can't make out
one half the price the articles are usually fold for.
Let the fanner take into his computation, what?
tearcity, no? Providence has been bountiful, and
crowned his labours with plentioufnefs Labour,
I For the Remainder fee the lafl Page. - ]
From the Connecticut Courant.
A LOOKING-GLAS S.
I HEN the liberties of America were firft in-
VV vaded by the tyrant of Britain, all considered
themselves jointly interested, and their united
efforts requisite to repel the invasion ; and no one
then even dreamt, that our struggles against the com
mon oppreflor would involve us in mutual oppressions
of each other, of the mod pernicious and heinous
nature.
Tutored by preceptors of arbitrary principles, and
but too prompt a scholar under such tutorage, thou
wart early intoxicated with the love of despotic sway.
Prerogative over-rating, undervaluing law, and mis
taking the true glory of a British monarch, and of all
monarchs —the power of doing good; you placed it
in power boundless and unlimited. To secure to
yourfelf this delusive phantom, you eagerly adopted
a plan (a plan of murder and havoc, desolation and
tyranny) invented by hell, matured by a Scotch fac
tion, and now executing by hell's prime agents, thy
bloody mercenary minirters of vengeance. A plan
for depriving, by fire and sword and plunder and
torture, of liberty and property, habitation and life,
a people who never gave thee cause of offence, but
loved^hee tor thy grandfather's fake ; and would
have loved thee for thine own fake, hadst thou not
compelled them, by a reversed ambition, to turn their
love into hatred, and defend themselves by open
force against the bloody schemes of a raging tyrant,
whom neither reason could convince, justice reclaim,
nor supplication mollify.
HORTENTIU S.
[Numb. B.j