The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-08-03 00:00:00, page 2

filtered being the main spring on which all the
motions of Princes depend, let them by consulting
it examine, whether the.continuing of war be not
prejudicial to them. As neither jullice nor pru
dence authorife its being undertaken but with the
view of obtaining a solid and advantageous peace,
the Prince who continues it, when peace is offered
him on these two conditions, is not lets unreasona
ble, than the artiian, who, alter having given to
his work the most excellent form it is capable of,
would fain continue his labour, and take the fame
pains he did before in forming it, without being
able to.produce any other effed than what he had
already obtained.
A Sovereign acquires always glory enough, when
he makes his lubje&s enjoy happiness. the end of
political government; but, this happiness. being
intimately connected with peace:, he ought never
to refufe to conclude it on advantageous terms:
Public tranquillity is the end fought for by the
wife Prince, and that even for which he en^a^es
.'in war, which he never would have done, were it
net to give it the greater (lability. If we acquit
war of injullice, yet the very neceflity of it is .mile
ruble: What a train of injuries and inlolence it is
continually productive of! Who can doubt but that
it is followed by the want of all things, that it de
prives people of liberty, destroys the most superb
palaces, ties up the hands of Justice, covers fertile
countries with sterility, fubjecls the peasant to the
insulting barbarity of soldiers? This is not all: Is
not it accompanied with a thousand impieties, and
does it not abound with violence, extortions, and
cruelties? It introduces disorders and corrupt mo
rals; it deprives the most innocent of life; reduces
the most opulent to necessity; and it may be said
in general that it banishes the sweets of life to re
place them with uneafmefs and anxieties, so that
we cannot represent to ourselves a more deplorable
object.
Js not there more pleasure in feeing the earth
eloathed with its verdure, enamelled with an in
finite variety of flowers, priding itfJf in the diffe
rent foliage of trees, which either nature or the
hand of the labourer has planted; enriched witli
all kinds of fruits, and flowing with rivulets of
milk and honey; than to fee it languishing amidst
the rigours of rude winter; covered witli froft and
snow; the bloom of its complexion faded and dif
figured; and its bosom barren and overwhelmed
with ravaging torrents? In like manner, how great
the joy and content of a wife Prince ought to be
when peace difincumbers his fubje&s of the mise
ries war had plunged them into; when it restores
to them the free use of their properties; facilitates
the means for them to exercise their refpe&ive pro
feffions in quietness; turns from them the grim
afpeCl of necessity; and opens roads and avenues
on all fidcs for a free egress and regress in attend
ing upon their business.
cfecj^ocfocfocfoc^ocfo^^ *ofocfecfccfocfocfccfocfc^
NEW-PORT, (Rhode-Ij7aad) July 22.
Yesterday in the afternoon, Lieut. Calcott of the
Merlin ship of war (which lay a little without the
harbour) came in a barge with a flag, to this town;
the General AfTembly being then fitting he was
conduced to the State-house, where he delivered a
letter to his Honor Governor Cook, from Richard
Viscount Howe.
N E W-Y 0 R K, Julyzg.
Our troops stationed on Bergen Point, give the
ministerial fleet and army fom'e uneasiness, by firing
at the tenders, boats, &c. It to galls and provokes
them, that they return the fire witli great futy, but
have not done the lead damage to our people.
Last Lord's day a great many Shot were heard in
this city from Bergen-pomt. The occasion was this:
whicii lie may perhaps fee Lie country periili; for
rhe flames oOwar are mot so easily extinguished as
they are lighted up; and several great Monarchs,
thinking to involve others in ruin, by their ravages,
have seen alf their own glory and power confirmed
by them. Ji is not therefore lets unjust to Ilir up
war without necessity, than it is infamous to remain
at home in indolent case, when the public intereO:
calls aloud for its being, undertaken and waged
with vigour.
If the difficulties attending a war require the
matured deliberation) what ihall we fay when we
come to reded on the ihconveniencies'ot continuing
it?. War ought.to be cut short by peace, especially
when fortune favours us with a superiority over
our enemies. The inconstancy and flliftings of for
tune have been too often experienced: Hannibal
was prosperous in Italy, but, on his return to Car
thage, tlie fortune of war immediately changed
with the place; it is therefore fafch amidst the
fades of fortune to make an honourable peace
with the enemy; to teize and tire out prosperous
fortune with obhinacy, in the end, commonly
proves fatal; few Generals are accompanied by her
to their graves; ihe frequently at lall forfakes them,
and flops short as if quite fatigued. -The lad end
of the mercantile prefeffion is bankruptcy.; that of
Taimen, drowning. Livy calls Alexander the Great
happy, because in the prime of youth, and in the
height of his prosperity, he died without having
made trial oi a reverse of fortune; on the contra
ry, Qyrus is ranked among the unfortunate, being
ilain in the decline of life with all his forces.
A letter of marque from Salem, took a sloop and
ship from Jamaica; the sloop loaded with dry goods
and salt, bound for Halifax; the ship bound to Eu
rope, with 370 hogsheads of mgar, 140 puncheons
of rum, 55 pipes of Madeira wine, 27 cannon, 9
and 6 pounders, and a large quantity of wrought
plate ; —They were carried into Sheeplcut.
July 3T. On Monday last five of the men of war's
boats endeavoured to land on Tappan meadows,
where about 15 inhabitants of the neighbourhood
concealed themselves in a fifhing hut, on the edge
of the meadows, which they had barricaded up, and
lay there until three of the boats were within shot
of them, iwhen they :fired, loaded again, and fired
eleven rounds, without the lots of a man 'on our tide.
They killed several of the enemy, as they heard a
great shrieking and crying amongst them.
PHILADELPHIA.
The following is an exa& date of what palled at the
interview between his Excellency Gcner.il Wash
ington and Colonel Patterson, Adjutant General
of the army under General Howe, July 20, 1776.
AFTE R usual compliments, in which, as well
as through the whole conversation, Col. Pat
terion addressed Gen. Walkington by the title of
Excellency, Col. Patterson entered upon the bufi
nets by laying, that Gen. Howe much regretted the
difficulties which had arisen refpe&ing the address
of the letters to Gen. Washington; that it was
deemed confident witli propriety, and founded up
on precedents of the like nature by Ambassadors
and Plenipotentiaries where di putes or difficulties
of rank had arilen; that Gen Washington might
recoiled he had, lad summer, addressed a letter to
Gen. Howe, to the Hon. William Howe, Esq; chat
Lord Howe and Gen. Howe, did not mean to dero
gate from the rank or refped of Gen, Washington;
that they held his perlon and character in the high
est esteem that the direction, with addition of
&c. &c. &c. implied every thing that ought to fol
low. He then produced a letter which he did not
diredly offer to Gen. Wafliington, but observed
that it was the fame letter which had been sent, and
laid it on the table, with a superscription to George
Washington, &c. &c &c. The Gen. declined the
letter, and said, that a letter directed to a person
in a public character, should have some description
or indication of it. otherwise it would appear a mere
private letter; that it was true the &c. &Z &c. im
plied every thing, and they also implied any thing;
that the letter to Gen. Howe alluded to, was an
answer to one received under a like address from
him, which the officer on duty having taken, he did
not think proper to return, but answered it in the
fame mode of address; that he should absolutely de
cline any letter directed to him as a private person,
when it related to his public station. Col. Patterion
then said, that Gen. Howe would not urge his de
licacy farther, and repeated his assertions, that no
failure of refped was intended. He then said that
he would endeavour, as well as he could, to recoi
led Gen. Howe's lentiments on the letter and re
solves of Congress, sent him a few days before, re
fpeding the treatment of our pr ; foners in Canada.
" T hat the affairs of Canada were in another de
partment, not fubjed to the confront of Gen How,
but that he and Lord Howe utterly disapproved of
every infringement of the rights of humanity." Col.
Patterion then took a paper out ofhis pocket; and,
after looking it over, laid he had exprefled nearly
the words. Gen. Washington then said that he
had alio forwarded a copy of the Resolves to Gen.
Burgoyne. To which Col. Patterson replied he
did not doubt a proper attention would be paid to
them, and that he (Gen. Washington) was sensible
that cruelty was not the charaderiftic of the British
nation. Co. Patterson f hen proceeded to fay he
had it in charge to mention the case of Gen. Pref
cot, who they were informed was treated with fucli
rigour, that, under his age and infirmities, fatal
consequences might be apprehended.
Gen. Washington replied that Gen. Prefcot's
treatment had not fallen under his notice; that all
perlons under his particular direction, he had treat
A barge from the fleet full of men, landed on the
point, but were opposed and driven off with preci
pitation by our troops; a finart fire ensued from a
tender for a considerable time, without doing any
injury. By two deserters, we are informed, that a
Captain and two privates were killed on board their
barge.
July 29. The Whaling sloop Gilbert and John,
Capt. Jagger, belonging to the company returned
here lad Monday from a 12 months voyage, but
narrowly escaped being taken off Block-island by
two frigates; he is last from Guadaloupe, where he
fold his cargo of about 250 barrels of oil, there took
in molasses, and has now on board 12,000 gallons,
and thirty hogsheads in another vessel that failed in
company with him bound to the eadward.
The small-pox is now so brief in and about Boston,
that there is no less than 10,000 persons in and near
that place down with that disorder; to prevent the
Ipreading of which no more News-papers will be
printed there for tome time; but the post has fa
voured us with the following agreeable advices—
That a ship from Ireland, with 1700 barrels of
pork, 400 firkins of butter, 100 calks of oats, and
100 calks of oatmeal, was taken and carried into
Boston last week.,
ed with kindness, and made their situation as caff
and comfortable as possible; that he did not know
where Gen. Prefcot was, but believed his treatment
very different from their information. Gen. Wash
ington then mentioned the case of Col. Alien, and
the officers who had been confined in Boston jail.
As to the firft, Col. Patterson answered that Gen.-
Howe had no knowledge of it but by information
from Gen. Washington, and that the Canada de
partment was not under his direction or controul;
that as to the other prisoners at Boston, when ever
the state of the army at Boston admitted it, they
were treated witli humanity and even indulgence;
that he asserted this upon his honor, and should be
happy in an opportunity to prove it.
General Washington then observed, that the con
dud of several of the officers would well have war^
ranted a different treatment from what they had
received; some having rcfufed to give any parole,
and others having broke it when given, by escap
ing or endeavoringfo to do. Col. Patterson answer
ed, that as to the firft, they' mifunderflood the
matter very much, and seemed to have miflook the
line of propriety exceedingly; and as to the latter,
Gen. Howe utterly disapproved and condemned
their condud.o
That if a remonstrance was made, such violati
ons of good faith would be severely punished; but
that he hoped General Washington was too juf lto
draw public inferences from the misbehavior of
some private individuals; that bad men were to be
found in every class and society; that such behavi
or was considered as a dishonor to the British army.
Col. Patterson then proceeded to fay, that the
goodness and benevolence of the King had induced
him to appoint Lord Howe and Gen. Howe his
Commiflioners, to accommodate this unhappy dis
pute, that they had great powers, and would de
rive the gr ateff pleasure from effecting an accom
modation; and that he (Col. Patterson) wished to
have this visit considered as making the firfl advan
ces to this desirable objed. Gen. Washington re
plied, he was not veiled witli any powers on this,
fubjed, by those from whom he derived his autho
rity and power. But.from what had appeared or
transpired on this head, Lord Howe and Gen. Howe
were only to grant pardons; that those who had
committed no fault wanted no pardon, that we
were only defending 'what we deemed our indispu
table right. Col. Patterson said that would open a
very wide field for argument. He then expressed
his apprehensions that an adherence to forms was
likely to obftrud business of the greatest moment
and concern.
He then observed" that a proposal had been for
merly made of exchanging Gov. Skene for Mr. Lo
vell, that he now had authority to accede to that
proposal. Gen. Washington replied, that the pro
pofnion had been made by the direction of Con
gress, and having been then rejected, he could not
now renew the business, or give any answer, till he
had previously communicated it to them.
Col Patterson behaved with the greatest atten
tion and politeness during the whole business, ex
pressed strong acknowledgements that the usual ce
remony of blinding his eyes had been dispensed
with. At the breaking up of the conference, Gen.
Washington strongly invited him to partake of a
small collation provided for him, which he politely
declined, alledging his late breakfaft, and an im
patience to return to Gen. Howe, tho' he had not
executed his commifTion so amply as he wished.
Finding he did not propose flaying, he was intro
duced to the General Officers, after which he took
his leave, and was fafely conduced to his own boat,
which waited for him, about four miles distant from
the city.
Made public by order of the Congress,
JOHN HANCOCK, President.
The Congress privateer, Captain Craig, has ta
ken and .carried into Egg Harbour, a brig from
Nevis. This prize is said to be worth near twenty
thousand pounds,
Extrafl of a letter from the Camp at Perth-Amboy
Neto Jersey, July 26, 1776.
" Yesterday afternoon we had a smart cannon
ading with the enemy, occasioned by four or five
fhallops coming down the lound—the General di
reded a small battery mounting two iron four poun
ders to fire at them, this brought on a heavy firing
from the enemy's battery, from an eminence that:
overlooked ours.
“ Capt. Moulder, witli his two field pieces, was
ordered to the shore, but being encamped at some
distance, before he could come up the fhallops had
all nearly pall, however, he began a well directed
fire, and though they had got to a considerable dis
tance hulled one of them.
" When the vessels were passed, the firing ceased
on both sides We had the misfortune of losing
one of the Second Battalion, and having another
wounded. The young man's name who was killed,
is Owens, belonging to Capt. Weed's company—
he was shot right through the heart—the ball, a four
pounder, :entering his left fide, and coming out of
his bread ; —this morning he was buried with the
honors of War. —The other, who is wounded, is one
Freeman, a ferjeant in Capt Boyd's company—his
wound is not dangerous —the ball having firft taken
the street, and rebounding (truck the upper part of