The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-08-05 00:00:00, page 2

This letter from Mr. de Berdtl shall consider as an
introduction to you, which line of communication I
shall endeavour by every means to improve by public
demonstration of refpedt or private friendfhip, as your
answer may enable me. lam, with great refpeCt, Sir,
Your most obedient and most humble servant,
GEO. JOHNSTONE.
London, iith April, 1778.
To ROBERT MORRIS, Esquire.
[PRIV A T E.]
Dear Sir, ^Philadelphia, June 16, 1778.
IC AME to this country in a sincere belief that a
reconciliation between Great-Britain and America
could be established or. terms honourable and bene
ficial to both. I am persuaded and can prove that
the last treaty with France should be no bar, and the
firft treaty, if ever, you saw it, should be an induce
ment- Supposing every obstacle to prevent us from
treating removed, we are then to confider whether
the terms proposed are advantageous. I inclofe you
my sentiments on the fubjedt at large; if they concur
with yours, we shall join in the work with all the pru
dence and all the means possible and virtuous. I be
lieve the men who have conducted the affairs of Ame
rica uncapable of being influenced by improper mo
tives. But in all such tranfadions there is riik, and
I think that whoever ventures should be secured, at
the fame time that honour and emolument should
naturally follow the fortune of those who have fleer
ed the vessel in the storm and brought her fafely to
port. I think Washington and the President have a
right to every favour that grateful nations can bestow,
if they could once more unite our interest, and spare
the miseries and devastations of war. I wish above
all things to fee you, and I hope you will so contrive
it. Do not think Great-Britain is so low; remember
Whenever can be lower than you were at Trenton. It
is the fame blunderers who produced the war who
have conducted it. When the sense of the nation is
roused, believe me she can make struggles that few
have conceived, but which I should be foiry to fee
exerted on such an occasion.
My Lord,
AS you, in conjunction with your brother Com
missioners, have thought proper to make one
more rruiueis ncgociatory ellay, permit me, through
your Lordship, once more to address the brotherhood.
It is certainly to be lamented that gentlemen so ac
complished should be so unfortunate. Particularly,
my Lord, it is to be regretted that you should be
raised up as the topftone to a pyramid of blunders.
On behalf of America I have to entreat that you
will pardon their Congress for any want of politeness
in not answering your letter. You may remember,
that in their last letter they stated certain terms as pre
liminaries to a negociation. And I am sure your Lord-
Ihip's candor will do them the justice to acknowledge
that they are not apt to tread back the steps they have
taken. In addition 'to this it so happens that they are
at present very indifferent whether or not your King
and Parliament acknowledge their independence ; and
still more indifferent as to the withdrawing his fleets
and armies.
Whatever may be our fate, I shall ever retain the
ftriCteft private friendfhip for you and yours ; but let
me entreat you to recal all those endearing ties to
your recollection. I am, with affection and esteem,
Dear Sir, your obedient servant,
GEO. JOHNSTONE.
Published by order of Congress,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary.
You mistake the matter exceedingly when you sup
pose that any person in America wishes to prolong the
calamities of war. No, my Lord, we have had enough
of them in all conscience. But the fault lies with you
or your master, or some of the people he has about
him. Congress when Sir William Howe landed on
Staten-Island, met him with their Declaration of In
dependence. They adhered to it in the most perilous
circumstances. They put their lives upon the issue ;
nay their honour. Now in the name of common sense
how can you suppose they will relinquish this object
in the present moment ?
I am fully of your Lordship's opinion when you
decline any dispute with Congress about the meaning
of the term Independence. They would have infinite
advantage over you logically, but what is worse, they
are politically in capacity to put upon the term just
what conftrudtion they please : Nay, my Lord, even
tually Great-Britain must acknowledge just such an
independence as Congress think proper ; they are now
in the full possession and enjoyment of it. How idle
in you to talk of insuring or enlarging what is out of
your power and cannot be encreafed.
You give two reasons for not withdrawing your
fleets a^id armies. The firft is, that you keep them
here by way of precaution against your ancient ene
mies. Really, my Lord, I was ata loss for some time
to comprehend the force of this reasoning, or how a
body of men in this country and a large fleet could
protest you against an invasion from France. And I
am even now perhaps mistaken when I suppose that
your sea and land forces have been kept here to draw
the attention of your enemies to this quarter and leave
their coast exposed, that so you may have an oppor
tunity or invading France. If this was the object, it
hath had the desired effect. Your armies are doubt
less assembled in readiness for the descent, which,
coufidering the unprovided state of that country, can
From the Pennsylvania Gazette.
To the Earl of CARLISLE.
not but prove fucceAful; and therefore I congratu
late your Lordfllip on the fair profpeCt you enjoy of
feeing your Sovereign make his triumphant entry
through the gates of Paris.
Your second reason for staying here is to protect
the tories. Pray, my Lord, ease your mind upon
that subject. Let them take care of themselves. The
little ones may be pardoned whenever they apply.
The great ones have joined you from conscientious
or from interested motives. The firft in having done
what they thought right, will find fufficient comfort.
The last deserve none. I offer you this consolation,
my Lord, because we ! both know that you cannot pro
tect the tories, and because there is every reason to
believe that you cannot protest yourselves.
You have, it seems, determined your judgment by
what you conceive to be the interest of your country,
and you propose to abide by your declarations in every
possible situation. I rather imagine that you are deter
mined by your inftrudions; but if otherwise, surely,
my Lord, you are not to learn that circumftahces may
materially alter the interest of your country and your
conceptions of it. The decision of some military
events which you did not wait for, would put you in a
situation to speak to Congress in much more decent
terms than those contained in your last letter.
But you want to know, my Lord, what treaties we
have entered into. In pity to your nerves Congress
have kept back this knowledge. It will make the
boldest among you tremble. As we are not about to
negociate at present, there is no need of the commu
nication. However, to fatisfy your curiosity as far
as an individual can, I pray you to recollect, that the
Marquis de Noailles told you his Court, when they
formed an alliance with America, had taken eventual
measures. You cannot but know that a French fleet
is now hovering on the coast near you. —Draw your
own conclusions, my Lord.
It is a most diverting circumstance to hear you aik
Congress what power they have to treat, after offer
ing to enter into treaty with them, and being refufed.
But I shall be glad to know by what authority you call
on them for this discovery. The Count de Vergennes
had a right to it, but the Earl of Carlisle certainly has
not. Let me add, my Lord, that in making the re
quest there is a degree of asperity not suited to your
situation. When you were in the arms of victory we
pardoned an insolence which had become habitual to
your nation. We shall revere it if preserved when
you are reduced to the lowest pitch of wretchedness.
But in the present moment, when you certainly can
not terrify, and have not fufered so as to deserve pity,
such language is quite impreper. And it forces from
me certain fads which I am sorry to mention, as they
Ihew your matters to be wicked beyond all example.
When they found that ar alliance was actually on
the carpet between his Most Christian Majesty and
these States, they offered to cede a part of the East-
Indies, to give equal privileges in the African trade,
and to divide the fifleries, provided they might be
at liberty to ravage America. And when that would
not do, they told the French Ministry that it was ab
surd to treat with Congress ; that they were faithlefs ;
nay, that the bargain was actually struck for the pur
chase of America, and money, to the amount of half
a million, sent over to pay the price. These, my
Lord, are fads—fads which will hang up to eternal
infamy the names of your rulers. The French, my
Lord, laughed at the ireannefs and fallhood of these
declarations. But they fuffered themselves to appear
to be deceived. They permitted you to flounder on
in the ocean of your follies and your crimes. You and
your brethren, I find, are directed to play the fame
game here ; to call our allies faithlefs ; to tell a hun
dred incoherent fictions about our treaties, the sub
stance of which you confefs yourselves at this mo
ment ignorant of. And what is the very complicati
on of absurdity, you pretend to tell Congress the
manner in which the negociations were carried on,
when Mr. Deane, the principal negociator on their
part, is on the spot to give information. For shame.
For shame. It is for these reasons that Congress treat
you with such utter contempt.
There is but one way left to fink you still lower,
and, thank God, you have found it out. You are
about to publish ! Oh my Lord! my Lord! you are
indeed in a mighty pitiful condition. You have tried
fleets and armies, and proclamations, and now you
threaten us with news-papers. Go on; exhaust all
your artillery. But know, that those who have with
stood your flattery and refufed your bribes, despise
your menaces.—Farewell. When you come with
better principles, and on a better errand, we shall be
glad to meet you : Till that moment
I am your Lordship's most obedient
And most humble servant,
An AMERICAN.
L O N D O N, May 4.
A Vessel from the file of Man, arrived yesterday,
brings an account of the Drake having two
companies of soldiers on board; that she was taken
by a privateer, supposed to be the Ranger. She made
a stout resistance, and in the engagement loft her
bowsprit and fore top mast.
The account of the Drake being taken was also
brought express from the shore of Belfaft, on Friday
night. The Drake failed from Belfaft on Friday
morning full of men.
May 9. It appears by the books at the War-Office,
that there are of the army in America, upwards of
2900 men, of whom no account can be given: They
are not among the killed, wounded or prisoners ;
therefore the conclusion must be, that they have de
serted: They are chiefly foreign troops.
Extras of a letter from Kircudbright, April 23, 13
o'clock, noon.
" This morning an American privateer appeared
in this bay, and has plundered the house of the Earl
of Selkirk, within a mile of this place, of the silver
plate, &c. Expresses have been sent with the above
intelligence to Glasgow, London, Whitehaven, and
Liverpool."
P A RI S, March 9.
An accurate LIST of the MARINE of FRANCE.
fift Rate 8) Prames, 10
Veffels.< 2d Rate 29 > Flutes, 23
(3d Rate 30) Senaux, 9
Frigates, 49 Bomb vessels, 4
Chebecs, 8 Gallies, 4
Corvettes, 16 Half gallies, 8
Honcres, 8 Canopieres, 5
Total 211
Eight vessels of 80, 74 and 64 guns on the stocks.
STATE of the SPANISH NAEY.
Clft Rate 7) Frigates, 32
Vessels. < 2d Rate 41Chebecs 12
(3d Rate 11) Brigantines, 3
Bomb veil els, 4 Packet-Boats, 7
Goaletes, 2 Corvettes, 1
Half gallies 7 Hourques fregatees, 9
Hourques reguliersß
Total 144
BOSTO N, July 20.
The only hopes of the British army in America are
upon the arrival of the fleet from St. Helens, of 11
fail of the line. But by the last accounts, that fleet
was not in a condition to put to sea immediately ;
nor did the British ministry seem eager to part with
so great a share of their channel defence, while so
powerful a fquadrbn lay at Brett, ready to fail at an
hour's warning. But granting the St. Helens fleet
have failed, it is without doubt, that a fupeiior squa
dron from Brest will immediately follow it, and per
haps arrive on the coasts of America before it.
A small vessel of war, with very few guns and men,
fitted out from Salem, has been at Egg-Harbour, be
tween New-York and Philadelphia, and taken 14
fail of the enemy's vessels, laden with tories and their
effeCts to a great value, bound from the Delaware
to New-York.
Orders, it is said, are issued for all the Continental
frigates, that are equipped, immediately to join the
French fleet.
July 23. Tuesday last arrived a prize sloop from
Dominica, bound to New-York, laden with sugar,
coffee, cocoa, limes, &c. She was captured by Capt.
Greely, in the Speedwell, three days after his leaving
this port. Capt. Greely was in chafe of a brig when
the prize left him.
A fleet of twenty fail of shipping were seen to leave
Rhode-Ifland last Tuesday, handing to the southward,
supposed to be bound to New-York.
The Martinico Gazette, of May 30, fays, " The
Kings of France, Spain, Portugal, Prussia, Sardinia,
and the Two Sicilies, with the Emperor of Germany,
have acknowledged the Independence of the United
States of America."
NE W-L OND O N, July 17.
Mr. Green,
Please to insert the following disagreeable intelligence
brought by Mr. Solomon Avery, this moment return
ed from Wyoming, on the Sufauehannah river.
He informs, that on or about the 26th of June last,
a party of tories and Indians made their appearance
near the settlements at Wyoming, and after some
days, in which time several Ikirmilhes happened be
tween the enemy and our people ; and not being able
to learn any thing of the number or force of the ene
my, on Friday the 3d instant, Col. Butler with about
400 men went out and attacked the enemy, about
one mile north of the fort called Forty Fort, and sup
posed the enemy about equal in number, but after
an engagement of one or two hours, in which great
daughter had been made, our people found themselves
surrounded on all sides ; but fighting till all profpeCt
of success was over, and most of Colonel Butler's men
being killed, the residue endeavoured to make their
escape; but when the informant came away there
was but about 30 had returned of the 400 that went
out. Two small forts up the river had surrendered
before this action, and that night and the next day
the inhabitants were making their escape naked thro'
the wilderness, to the settlements below, leaving their
effeCts behind—Women and children in the most for
lorn condition that can be conceived. The inform
ant conceives of about 5000 inhabitants, one half are
killed and taken by the enemy prisoners, and the
other half fleeing away naked and distressed. The
informant fays, that the party is supposed to consist of
tories chiefly. The inhabitants and militia in the
back parts of the Jerseys and Pennsylvania are col
lecting to drive the enemy off the ground again.
This party was commanded by one Butler, that has
been anting a villainous part to the Northward.
I am your's, &c.
Norwich, July 15th, 1778. S. AVER Y.
The Articles of Confederacy are ratified and signed
by the delegates of nine States, and will probably be
completed by the others very soon.
PROVIDENCE, July 18.
HARTFORD, July 21.