The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-04-09 00:00:00, page 2

wriy. Was not this pardoning in the lump? Was mot this
pardoning a whole community ?—As to the original matter
that gave rife to this bill, I always was of opinion that the
people of America were as much bound to obey the ads of the
British Parliament, as the inhabitants of London or Middlesex.
I always thought, that ever since the peace of Paris, the Nor
thern Colonies were meditating a Rate of independancy on this
country. They have told you as much in one of the publi
cations of the Continental Congress, wherein they thank
Providence, in inspiring their enemies with the resolu
tion of not attempting to carry their schemes of dominion in
to execution, till they had arrived at a growth and strength
fufficient to refill them. I have not a doubt on my mind but
this was their intention from the period I allude to.i
Whatever might be their wishes before that time, their fitu
avion rendered it impracticable, because it was this country
that could alone protest them against the power of France, to
which their whole frontier lay exposed. But allowing that
all their profeffions were genuine, that their inclinations were
those of duty and refped towards this country, that they en
tered into the present instance at the instigation of a few fac
tious and ambitious men, or those who ultimately directed
them ; that the stamp a& was wrong, that the declaratory law
should assert the supremacy over that country, but should
amount to no more than such a power his present Majesty ex
ercises over the kingdom of France ; that no troops Should be
font into the country, even to defend them without their own
permission ; that the admiralty courts should never be made
to extend there, though by the trial by jury the' parties would
be judges; that offenders against the lans and authority of
this country should be tried for offences by persons who them
selves were ready to declare they did not think the charges
criminal ; that no restraints should be laid upon their com
merce, though that great bulwark of the riches and com
merce of this country, the ad of navigation depended on
such restraints; that every measure hitherto taken to compel
submission to the parliamentary authority of this country,
was cruel and unjust ; and that every ministry in this country
were tyrannic and oppressive, and that the last was the worst
of all. Yet admitting all this to be true, my Lords, what
are we to do ? Are we to rest inactive till they shall think pro
per to begin the attack, and gain strength to do it with effe&?
Weare now in such a situation that we must either fight or be
pursued. What a Swedish General said to his men, in the reign
of Gustavus Adolphus, is extremely applicable to us at pre
sent, just at the eve of a battle, pointing to the enemy who
were marching down to engage them, fays he, “ My lads,
you fee those men yonder, if you do not kill them, they will
kill you!" If we do not, my Lords, get the better of America,
America will get the better of us. We do not fear, at present,
that they will attack us at home ; but corifider, on the other
hand, what will be the fate of the sugar islands, what will be
the fate of our trade to that country? That, my Lords, is a
most valuable and important confederation ; it is the belt fea
ther in the wing of this country. They are preparing to raise
a navy ; they have begun in part ; trade will beget opulence,
and by that means they will be enabled to hire ships from fo
reign powers. It is said the present war is only defenfive
on the part of America. Is that the case ? Is the attack on
Canada, or the attempt on Halifax a defenfive war ? Is the
prohibiting all trade and commerce with every other part of
the dominion of the British empire, with Ireland, for whom
they express such friendly sentiments ; is starving the sugar
ifiands a&ing on the defenfive? No, though those people
never offended, nor oppressed us, we will distress them (fay
they.) because that will be didreffin^ of Great Britain.. Are
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we in the midst of all the outrages of hostility, of seizing ott,
flips, entering our provinces at the head of numerous armies,
seizing our forts, to hand idle, because we are told this is an
unjust war, till they have brought their armsto our very doors,
The last Dutch war was generally understood to be unjust ; yet
that did not prevent us fiom repelling the invaders, when they
came up to burn our navy at Chatham. The causes of the
late war were much condemned, but that did not prevent as
from pursuing it with vigour. Indeed the nature of all war
is such, it ought to be carried on with vigor, till the objects
which caused it are either obtained or abandoned as unattain
able, or not worth pursuing. Neither, I trust, is the case in
the present instance ; Ido not therefore confider who was origi
nal!) in the wrong, we are now only to confider where we are.
'1 he justice of the cause must now give way to our present
situation, and the consequences which must ensue, should we
recede in that point of view; I am fatisfied that, it cannot
be properly called either hasty, rath, ruinous,? or unjust.
WILLIAMSBURG, March 29.
This day his Excellency CHARLES. LEE, Esq; Major-Ge
neral in the Continental army, arrived at head quarters in
this city, to take the command of the Virginia troops, at
tended by Otway Byrd and Lewis Morris, Efqrs. his Excel
lency's Aids-de-camp, h secretary, Mr. Nourfe, Mons. Le
Brun, engineer, and the rest of his fute.
We have certain intelligence, by express, that on the second
instant the American fleet, commanded by Admiral Hopkins,
put into the island of Providence, and took possession of two
hundred and eighty peices of cannon from fix to eighteen
pounders, and a large quantity of ball and other warlike
fores which they found in the town and fortification of Nassau *
but the Governor being advised of their approach, had se
cured all the powder except seventeen barrels, by fending it
off in the night. The Admiral ordered the Governor and
Council, the Collector of the Customs, and the Judge of the
Supreme Court, to be confined in their houses till the stores
should be got in ; but fuffered no injury to be offered to the
persons or property of any of the inhabitants. It was ima
gined the fleet would be ready to fail in two or three days.
WAT ERTO WN, April 2.
Thursday last the Ledure, which was established, and has
been observed from the firft settlement of Boston, without in
terruption, until within these few months paftwas opened by
the Reverend Doftor Elliot. His Excellency General Wash
ington, the other General Officers and their futes, having
been previously invited, met in the Council Chamber, from
whence, preceded by the Sheriff with his Wand, attended by
the Members of the Council who had had the small pox, the
Committee of the House of Representatives, the Sele&nen^
the Clergy, and many other Gentlemen, they repaired>to the
Old Brick Meeting House, where an excellent and well
adapted discourse was delivered from those words in ths
xxxiii. chapter of Isaiah, and 20th verse.
After divine service was ended his Excellency, attended and
accompained as before, returned to the Council Chamber,
from whence they proceeded to the Bunch of Grapes tavern,
where an elegant dinner was provided at the public expence;
after which many very proper and pertinent toads were drank.
Joy and gratitude fat on every countenance, and smiled in
every eye.
The whole was conducted and. concluded to the fatisfadion
of all.
On Friday last (without special permission of Gen. Gag%-
or any other murderer of the present corrupt and abandoned