The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1780-12-13 00:00:00, page 1

It is our peculiar felicity to find that such a consti
tution, originating with the people who are to live
under it, and formed by delegates oftheir own choice,
has met with so general and cordial a reception ; and
that the firft elections have been conducted with the
most perfect order and harmony, but more especially
that the virtue and patriotism of our conßitucuts have
led them to the free and unbiased choice of a gentle
man to till the highest office in the commonwealth,
whose native and political attachment to their civil
and religious rights, early and uniformly conspicuous,
have been so illustriously distinguished both by the firft
honours of the Supreme Council of these United
States, and by the earliest proscription of the British
government.
As it is essential to a free republic, that it be a " go
vernment of laws and not of men," so the principles
and views of your electors are fully confirmed, when
by your Excellency's speech from the chair, they are
inconteftibly afeertained, that far from being elated
by the honors you have so justly merited and received,
your Excellency regards the Ration to which you are
now advanced, although an honorable, yet as an ar
duous and extehfive sphere of ufefulnefs, and that you
realize a proportionate weight of obligation and duty.
As the powers vested in the Chief Magistrate are
afeertained, limited and retrained by the constitution,
so are they fufficiently competent to the purpoies of
commanding refped to government, and obedience
to the laws, and for calling forth the utmost energy
of individuals for the necessary service and protection
of the commonwealth. While, therefore, you con
tinue to difeharge, with fidelity, the duties incident
to your exalted Ration, govern according to law, ex
ecute justice with clemency, and duly exert your ci
vil and military powers for maintaining the rights of
the fubjed, you shall never fail of support.
While the people over whom you are called to pre
side, defeended from republican ancestors, well in
, >rmed in the principles of gov ernment, and animat
ed by a generous and ardent zeal for the rights of men
and of citizens, with a laudable jealousy, regard the
conduit of their rulers, we trust, they will find yours
uniformly coafiftent with the constitution.
We are happy in being able to assure your Excel
lency that our constituents, disposed as they now are
and ever have been to good order and a peaceful fub
jedion to laws of their own making, will ever chear
fuily exert themselves to support a constitution which
afeertaius to them personal security, liberty and pro
perty; and to render the arduous services of thofc who
rule well, as easy to themselves and as conducive to
the great ends of government " as the lot of huma
nity will admit." While, from our long experience
of your Excellency's firmnefs on the one hand, and
from their fffe&ion and confidence in you on the o
ther, we flatter ourselves that your administration will
exemplify in all periods of the commonwealth, that
its utmost powers may be called forth and exerted in
a perfect consistency with the happiness of the fubjedt.
We beg leave further to assure your Excllency, that
relying, under God, upon the firm support of our
constituents, no efforts or assiduity of ours shall be
wanting to fulfil the part assigned us by the conftitu
&on. Happy should we be, could we perform it to
BOSTON, November 16.
On the 7th inßant a Committee of both Houses of
AfTembly of this Commonwealth presented his Ex
cellency the Governor with the following Answer
to his Speech at the opening of the session.
May it please your Excellency,
IT "Y T' the Senate and Representatives of the
/ people, who constitute the Free and In
dependent Commonwealth of Malfa-
V v chufetts, in General Court assembled,
beg leave to address your Excellency on your accession
to the high and important office of its Chief Magistrate.
With grateful hearts we acknowledge, with your
Excellency, the goodness of the Great Lord of all, in
the steps of his providence which have led to the pre
sent happy revolution, and afforded to this people an
opportunity of framing a constitution of civil govern
ment, upon the liberal and permanent basis of free
dom and independence, and with such powers and
barriers, as have a necessary tendency " to secure the
existence of the body politic, to proted it, and to
furnifh the individuals who compose it, with the pow
er of enjoying, in fafety and tranquility, their natural
rights and the blessings of life."
A government thus constituted, well adminiftred,
and supported by the people ; being at certain periods
revertable to them who are the fountain of honour,
the last resort of power, and the exprtfs guardians of
their own lives, liberties and properties, cannot fail
to command refped, and answer the ends of its insti
tution.
NEW-JERSEY GAZETTE.
[Vol. I!I.]
WEDNESDAY, December 13, 1780.
While on this head we sincerely regret with your
Excellency, that in the course of events many of the
creditors of government, among which are unhappi
ly a great number of widows and orphans, and of
that patriotic and valuable order of men the clergy,
and of our brethren in arms, have been injured in their
property, as well as in consequence of the rapid de
preciation of our currency : As the late assembly have
taken up the calc of the latter, so the present are go
ing on to perfect their relief, while urged by all the
principles of justice, honor, and humanity, they will
do every thing for the redress of the former which can
be deviled and effected.
Convinced that the means of supporting the war to
any period, are, under the aufpiccs of Heaven, with
in our own power, we Ihall, by such reforms in the
mode of taxation as shall be found necessary, draw
forth the large resources of the commonwealth in such
just proportions as we have reason to think have not
heretofore been properly attended to, which will add
their expectations, and to the fatisfaeion of our own
minds.
But in order thereto we shall immediately enter
upon the consideration of the important purposes for
which we are convened, and especially those which
your Excellency has recommended to our attention.
Sensible that no one valuable object of government
can be either completely attained or enjoyed unltfs the
defence of the Rate is firft fufficiently provided for ;
and that every regulation of internal police, which
does not terminate in or facilitate the accomplishment
of this grand object, must be postponed to it ; our firft
and principal attention shall be paid to the army—
which, by the most vigorous and decisive measures,
we are determined to complete for the war, and ac
commodate so far as our proportion of men and sup
plies shall extend, without a moment's delay and at
any e*pence—retting no longer on those temporary
levies and occasional provisions which have only tend
ed to distress the people, enhance the expencts, and
protract the period of the wa, d
And we doubt not, that w^^efult of the general
commilliou on this most interfiling fubjeft, instituted
by the lalt General Aliembly under the late constitu
tion, executed as we trust it will be by the people of
these Rates, will be such as shall enable the good peo
ple of America, cemented as we are by ipdiffoluble
connection, and aided by the forces of our powerful
magnanimous ally, to bid perpetual defiance to the
utmost power and policy of our enemies.
The militia of the commonwealth, upon which its
more immediate security depends, we shall endeavour
to place upon such an eftablilhment, and under such
regulations and provisions as that we may be able ei
ther to repel invasion, or to co-operate with the ar
my of the Rates or of our allies on any emergency, be
it ever so sudden or unexpected. Taking the necessa
ry mcafures for their pay and subsistence as occasion
may require, and forming such arrangements in the
civil or Raff department, as that the purchases and
distribution of the public stores may be placed in suit
able hands, and conducted, both in the army and in
the militia, upon just principles, and to proper effect.
The General Court will also take effectual order for
the protection of our sea-coasts ; and of that naviga
tion and commerce, with the freedom and extent of
which the opulence and Rrength of the common
wealth is molt intimately connected, from the insults,
interruptions and depredations of the enemy. While
we shall guard with all possible vigilance against a
trade clandeltinely carried on by flags of truce with
the fubjeCts of that insidious and cruel power, with
which we are at war—nor shall the impolitic and falfe
delicacy of admitting prisoners of diftinCtion to go at
large, make a part of that liberality with which, as
citizens of the world in time of profound peace, we
might be inclined to treat those, to whom confidued
as enemies, although we should shew every office of
humanity, confident with the public fafety and with
the comfort of our friends in captivity, yet whose rc
fidence with us in time of war, except in confinement,
may be and often has been very injurious.
In order to the accomplishment of the grand objeCt
of war and of victory, we assure your Excellency that
we will critically examine into the Rate of our finan
ces, and place them, in addition to what has been
already happily effected, upon so refpedable a foot
ing as that the public faith shall be fully restored and
established ; and are very happy in finding that not
withstanding the infamous practice of our enemies to
ruin our cause by counterfeiting and depreciating our
currency, the real debt of the continent does not a
mount to more than half the fura which is annually
expended by them in support of the war against us,
in addition to the load of many millions of national
debt.
TH E
to the satisfaction and chearfulnefs with which our
constituents will contribute of their property to the
public service, and afeertain to us seasonable and a
dequate supplies.
Nor can we admit a doubt that the fame genius of
liberty which at firft inspired, still animates the free
men of Maffaebufetts ; and that not " an ability will
be fuffered to lay dormant or be misapplied, not a ne
cessary measure be left unexplored, or just one unat
tempted, nor a nerve unexerted" until, from the wis
dom of our councils and the vigor of our arms, glory
and peace shall crown the contest.
The civil matters which your Excellency has been
pleased to recommend, are fubjeCta of real and inte
n-fting concern.
Deeply impressed with a sense of the importance of
religion to the happiness ©f men in civil society, to
maintain its purity and promote its efficacy, we shall
protest it profeffors of all denominations, demeaning
themselves peaceably and as good fubjeds of the com
monwealth, in the free exercise of the rights of con
science ; and fliall exert ourselves to carry the a+fe
and equitable provision of the constitution for thofc
salutary purposes into the fulleft effect —and as one
necessary measure, shall revise the laws and make such
additions to or amendments in them as may be neces
sary and consistent with personal liberty, for the due
observance of that day which the Supreme hath conse
crated to his more immediate worship and service.
Inasmuch as knowledge and virtue are essential to
the preservation of freedom in a Rate, we shall be hap
py in affording the highest marks of attention and re
fpeCt to all seminaries of literature, and yielding them
all the support they may need, and which it becomes
the reprefentative# of a wife and free people to afford
—especially our University at Cambridge, founded by
the wisdom and virtue of our ancestors, approved by
long experience of its utility, and honored by the
many illustrious characters which have adorned our
country, and who imbibed the firft principles of fei
ence at that pure and copious fountain.
Wor can the schools throughout this commonwealth
be permitted to continue under such inattention and
difcQuragement as they have for many years fuffered,
to the irreparable injury of the present and future ge
neration, and to the indelible disgrace of a free go
vernment. We shall therefore hold ourselves obliged
to form proper establishments for restoring them to
th<ir primitive dignity and ufefulnefs.
It gives us lingular pleasure to find the society of
arts, &c. lately founded in this commonwealth, dig
nified and enriched by the addition of many refpeCt
able literary characters, and promising such happy
improvement.—lnftitutions, which have a tendency
" to cberifh the interests of literature and the sciences,
to extend and improve commerce, to promote agri
culture, arts, trades, and manufactures, and a na
tural history of the country," are by the constitution
entitled to, and cannot fail to find the patronage and
protection of the government.
We beg leave to assure your Excellency that we shall
make it our sincere endeavour, both by precept and
example, to countenance and inculcate obedience to
the laws, with the principles of religion, patriotism,
" humanity, and general benevolence, public and
private charity, industry and frugality, honefly and
punctuality in dealing, sincerity, good humour, and
all social affections, and generous sentiments among
the people."
And as the dignity and reputation of the common
wealth, as well as the interest of the fubjeCt, demand
the independence both of the Chief Magistrate and of
the Justices of the supreme judicial court, so it shall
be among our firft a&s of legillation, to provide and
establish permanent and honorable salaries for each.
May it please your Excellency,
With all the liberality and candor, unanimity and
harmony which can consist with the due exercise of
the powers and rights vested in the several branches
refpeCtively, we shall now proceed to the bufiuefs of
the session, and shall forthwith attend to the revision
of the laws and to the framing such new Ratutes as
may be requisite for accomplishing the important pur
poses of our election ; and shall at all times pay that
refpeft to the communications and recommendation
of your Excellency, and give the dispatch to the pub
lic business which the fafety and happiness of the
commonwealth may require.
PARI S, September 4.
LETTERS from Marseilles mention, that a ship
from Smyrna, laden with a valuable cargo of
cotton and silk had arrived there, after escaping from
the enemy, by the following stratagem: The ship on
her homeward parage, was chafed by an English pri
(See tie foxrib pay.)
[Numb. 133.]