The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1778-01-14 00:00:00, page 2

kro,ed and yet he is not discouraged---He raises
another and is still unfortunate.---Finding it impos
sible to make his way into the Netherlands, he is
reduced to go and fight in the Hugonot array in
France---At length the prince enters Brabant with
a small army---but is obliged to retire to Zealand
and Holland---His whole resource was a few pirates--
one of them surprises the Brille---A curate makes
Flushing declare in his favour---The prince's army
is again defeated and his brother is slain---yet it is
recruited and he again takes the field---The Flemings
were reckoned to have no genius for war---but in
a little time they became good soldiers---The War
was carried on with the utmost fury on both sides.
" The Spaniards at the siege of Haerlem having
" thrown the head of one of their prisoners into the
" town, the inhabitants flung the heads of eleven
" Spaniards into the enemy's camp, with this in
'' fcription— Ten heads in payment for the tenth penny,
" and the eleventh for interest, alluding to a tax of
'' the tenth penny the king had laid on their
" goods." —
But to return to the civil part of the dispute—The
king of Spain had manifeftly violated their undoubted
rights and privileges —For the Netherlands were an
assemblage of feignories, which, though fubjeCt to
that monarch, had their own laws and customs, and
it was particularly mentioned in the ancient consti
tution of Brabant, that " if the sovereign either by
'' open force or by artifice should attempt to violate
" their privileges, the states shall be discharged from
" their oath of allegiance, and may take what mea
" fures they shall judge proper,"
No law was passed, no tax was raised without the
fandion of the Rates —The king of Spain issues an
edict of proscription, in which he acknowledges he
has violated his oath to the Flemings—but that the
pope had released him from it —This is the reasoning
of a king.—
The usages and charters, and above all the spirit
of the constitutions of these colonies are incontro
vertibly in favour of their freedom—They have the
sole and exclusive rights of giving and granting their
own money —They have taxed themselves ab origine--
The king's ministers constantly made requisitions
from them only, and the parliament was so just as to
apply a restorative to repair the exhausted treasuries
of ' most of the provinces—after having been too
much drained by supporting the burden of the late
war. If these are not acknowledgments of the rights
of America in this case, I confefs I know not what
reasoning is—But his majesty is absolved of all the
tacit and declared ftipulatiohs in our favour, by
ads of parliament which are held up as equivalent
—to the papal power in its fulnefs.—'l he parliament
is infallible, it is politically holy and sacred, and
must be implicitly obeyed.'—But the thunder of St.
Stephen's chapel, like that of the Vatican, is become
infignificant---it is vox et pretserea nihil---mere
found.—
I think the case of Canada is very striking. Ca
nada was conquered by the British arms, and many
of the fubjeds of Britain fettled there under the faith
of the royal word pledged in a proclamation pro
mising them a free constitution—but how was this
fulfilled ? Why the parliament released the king in
directly from his promise, and established the Roman
Cgtholick religion and despotism in its stead.—Here
their principles and policy appear uncovered and
without disguise—they might have made them free
and happy, but they rather chose to enslave them;
and they deluded them into it by pensioning and
promoting their principal men, and by eftabliihing
their religion.
Great-Britain, before the close of the late war,
had a great Ihare of old English honesty about her---
she was politick but generous, and had a noble spi
rit---but now she is politick only or means to be
so. --The war was carried on in conjunction
against the common enemy---we Rood by her fide,
and Americans bled and died in the fame field and
in the fame cause----But at the end of the war when
we expeCted the cords of affeCtion would have been
drawn closer if possible by mutual ads of friendfhip
and a happy intercourse of good offices, what did
she do ?---fhe instantly set about forging chains for
us---ambition and power are step-ladders for each
other---they also inflame and intoxicate---and in the
forgetfulnefs which this inebriation usually creates,
she attempted to faften the fetters upon us which she
had prepared---we remonstrated and evaded them
all we could---we imagined our remonstrances, en
forced by reasons drawn from the justice of cur cause,
would have had some effeCt---but the was inexor
able.---
At this time came out the ftamp-aft, a miracle of
policy in itfclf, but the measure was a foolifh one,
because it opened our eyes and set the danger before
us in the most glaring point of view. This was so
unequivocal that America with one voice opposed
it---it was repealed upon principles of expediency, as
the preamble of the ad declares, but they could not
repeal the suspicions it had occasioned in the minds
of the people of this country---though no person
here could be ignorant of the precise meaning of the
word as it is here used, yet the parliament, with a
Bread rises a whole assize this day, and it rose
half an assize last week. This is an alarming cir
cumstance to the poor, who have reafori to curse
the American War. It is but three years ago since
we were supplied with many thousand quarterns of
wheat from America.
John-Trot-Honesty, immediately explain it by puffing
the declaratory ad---a short statute in answer to and
to take away the long lift of essential American pri
vileges. Indeed this is the only reply we have ever
had to our prayers and petitions, except the fending
their numerous fleets and armies against us.
P A TK U L.
LONDO N, fuly ro.
TH E King has had several conversations with
Lord Mansfield upon the conduct of the dispute
with America, in case the present campffign' fhohld
not be entirely decifiye against the rebels, and it'is
said his Lordship has given it clearly as his opinion,
that if this campaign does not reduce them, they ne
ver can be reduced, considering the game France is
playing, and advises that peace may be made with
them at all events.-This advice has given admini
stration much uneasiness.
August 14. It was yesterday reported, that news
was received of the death of his Royal Highness the
Duke of Gloucester, the 4th inftapt, at Trent, in
Germany; and that expresses were sent to his Ma
jesty at Windsor, and to his Royal Highness the
Duke of Cumberland at Southampton, on the like
melancholy event. The report was kept private on
account of its being the birth-day of his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales.
Last Wednesday rrived here Capt. Munro from Am
sterdam, by whom we learn, that (besides Embden)
the ports of Hamburgh and Gottenburgh, in Swe
den, are open to the Americans ; and that they have
hardly, made half a crop in England this season, the
summer having proved the most cool and moist ever
known. He adds, that she Dutch were fitting all
their ships of war for sea.
BOSTO N, December 16.
YO R K-T OW N, December 27.
In CONGRESS, October 14, 1777.
WHEREAS the British nation have received into
their ports, and condemned in their courts of
admiralty as lawful prize several vessels and their
cargoes, belonging to these States, which the mas
ters and mariners, in breach of the trust and confi
dence reposed in them, have betrayed and delivered
to the officers of the British crown.
TH E following gentlemen are chose by the Ge
neral Assembly of this State, as Delegates to
serve in the Continental Congress the ensuing year,
viz. the Honourable .John Hancock, Samuel Adams,
John Adams, Robert T. Paine, Eldridge Gerry,
Francis Dana, and James Lovel, Esquires.
Saturday last arrived fafe in port, a prize schooner,
bound from Halifax to Quebec, laden with wine,
oil, &c. and captured by the Lizard.
Refolded therefore, That every vessel or cargo, the
property of any British fubjed, not an inhabitant of
Bermuda or any of the Bahama Islands, brought into
any of the ports or harbours of any of these United
States, by the master or mariners, shall be adjudg
ed lawful prize, and divided among the captors, in
the fame proportion as if taken by any Continental
veflel of war. Extract from the minutes,
CHARLES THOMSON, Secy.
Extract from letters from the befl authority in South-
Carolina, dated Nov. 29 and 30, 1777.
" Indian affairs, both as to Creeks and Cherokees,
wear a favourable afped, and I think they will con
tinue peaceable. .
'' The Creeks have actually driven out of their
towns both the agents Cameron and Tait, and seized
upon one hundred horse loads of goods, which the
Superintendant, John Stuart, had sent to bribe them
to go to war against Georgia and this country. The
Little Carpenter and the Great Warrior from the
Cherokees, are actually on their way to Charleftown,
in order to strengthen their treaty of peace.
" A sloop is just arrived here, which had been
bound from Grenada to New-York, with 70 pun
cheons of rum and 6 hpgfheads of sugar, intended
for the enemy's troops there : The mate and crew
confined the master and brought her in here. The
Resolve of Congress, declaring captures in such cir
cumdances prize to the captors, arrived very oppor
tunely. The example established by the British court,
in order to encourage infidelity and treachery among
seamen in the service of these States, I hope will
very speedily be retaliated upon their own commer
cial interest an hundred fold."
We can assure the public from the best authority,
that by the assiduity and industry of Messrs. Otis and
CHARLES-TOWN, (S. Carolina) 08. 14.
LANCASTER, January 7.
Andrews, of Boston, agents for the purchase of
eloathing for the Continental troops, upwards of
fiye thousand suits, with shoes, stockings, shirts, &c.
have been procured and are now on their way to
camp. This, with the supplies which are expected ~
from Virginia and other quarters, gives us the pleat
ing profped of feeing our whole army compleatl,
eloathed very soon. A very rich prize was lately'
taken by a Continental brig and carried into Boston-
She is a large flhip from Glasgow, loaded with dry '
goods, shoes, stockings, ticks, and a great variety of'
other necessary and ufeful articles. A brig has also
arrived there from Holland, richly loaded'with me
dicine, tea, linens, &c. &c. The Boston papers
also mention the fafe arrival of several other prizes
of lesser value---but, as the old faying is.
little helps."'
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in Boson, dated
December 18.
" Last evening arrived here a brig from Scotland
(taken by a Continental brig) loaded with shoes
stockings, and other eloathing to a very great value."
On the 30th or 31st of December last, a most va
luable prize fell into the hands of a body of Conti
nental troops stationed at Wilmington on the river
Delaware, commanded by General Smallwood —A
large brig from New-York bound to Philadelphia
was blown ashore about five miles below Wilming
ton, when a detachment with two field-pieces was
sent down to fire on her ; and after a few shot she
struck. Her cargo is chiefly as follows— 350 chests
of arms, with 25 hand in each, eloathing for four
regiments, the baggage belonging to the officers of 4
regiments, a quantity of wine and spirits, 1 Captain
3 Subalterns, and 60 Privates, and—about 40 officers
Ladies, &c. &c. Three other vessels are said to be
drove on shore on the Jersey fide, and that the inha-
bitants are taking proper care of their cargoes.
By accounts from the eastward we learn; that
Gen. Burgoyne had taken an house (the Rev Mr
Apthorp's) at Cambridge, near Boston ; that trans.' 7
ports tor his army were ^ot expeded to arrive at
Boston before next spring ;| that he had sent Captain
Lord Peterfham to England; that the Canadians
tones, &c. in his army, who - were by the capitula
tion to go to Canada, after marching to the lakes
and trying to pass, had been disappointed, and al
most starved, from whence they returned, and pro
ceeded a'Jer Gen. Burgoyne to New-En^ land ; that
desertion, as well of British as Germans, was thin
ning his ranks, and that none of his soldiers were
fullered to enter the town of Boston.
P H I T, A I) E LP II I A.
From the Penn JJ& UL miOTEveriing~Rffl of January %
The pains taken by the leaders in the present re
bellion, with a view solely to the promotion of their
own ambitiop, and the establishment of their intole
rable tyranny, is not to be parallelled in any history.
Misrepresentation, falfhood and fraud, hale been the
means by which it has been begotten, brought forth,
and noufifhed. A people, in the enjoyment of more
liberty and happiness than existed in any other spot
on the globe, they have deluded by these unmanly
artifices from a state of ^ce, plenty and freedom, to
that of ccar, vmnt, and inexp, effible tyranny. 'Tis true
the field of falfehood and deception is, by a variety
of circumrtances, grown more confined ; the people's
credulity too often imposed on, at length is, in a
manner, ffiut against their glaring impositions. They
find, instead of receiving at the hands of these dema
gogues the liberty so often solemnly promised, they
have nothing but the black and racking potion of
oppression. ? They have taken a candid and thought
ful view 01 their present extreme misery under this
oppression, and compared it with that feene of free
dom and happiness which they were in the full pos
session of under the mild rule of the best of sovereigns,
and yet, it is strange to tell, that these daring de
luders of mankind, never out of hope—never tired
of their wickedness, and without the lead remorse at
the bleeding distress of their country, or at the mul
titude of fouls they have hurried into eternity, with
out the ihorteft opportunity of repentance, to gra
tify their insatiable thirst of power, they still conti
nue their attempts to delude their brethren, and to
facrifice them to it.
We find in the present desperate circumstances of
their affairs, they are driven to the most improbable
and indeed evident untruths, to support them a lit
tle longer— They have published in their papers ex
tracts of letters ; probably wrote at the foot of Con
gress, as has been often heretofore pradtifed, assert
ing the profped of a war between Great-Britain and
France, and even in the General Orders from head
quarters, the fame improbability is intimated. It is
true, this is but faintly and modestly done. It is
there only hinted, that " There are reasons to believe
the period is not very distant when she will take a
more active part, by declaring war against the Bri
tish crown." However, that the unhappy people of
America, already too often and too long deceived by
the fame delusive tale, may judge for themselves, the
printer thinks it a piece of justice due to his country,
to give them the other fide of the question, not re
lying upon vague reports---but upon fa^j founded