The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1781-04-16 00:00:00, page 2

HEAD- QU A RTERS,
St. Euftatius, Feb. 22, 17^1.
All inhabitants of this island, (foreigners
and native Duch excepted) are to deliver into
the Q. M. G. by 12 o'clock to-morrow, fign
cd certificates of the time they have resided
in the island. „.
All merchants and traders on this island,
are forthwith to give up their books of corres
pondence, letters, &c. to the Q^M. G.
Same date as above.
His Excellency the Commander in Chief,
orders that all Americans do leave this illand,
and that they be on the beach this afternoon,
by five o'clock, when boats will be ready to
carry them off.
March ift.
Whereas it appears by the inventories of ef
fects given in by the merchants and inhabi
tants of this place, that most of them have
r.egledted to make a return of cash and plate
they flood possessed of at the surrender of this
island.
It is hereby ordered that they do forthwith
give in to the Q_ M. G. an exact account of
all monies and plate, now in their possession,
as well belonging to themselves as other peo
ple, for which they are to be responsible when
required.
And if any future difeoveries shall be made
of monies or plate, concealed after this return
is given in, it will be deemed the property of
no particular individual.<
March 2d.
All merchants at present residing in this
place, who are inhabitants of Amferdami are to
prepare to leave this illand forthwith, and to
return to Holland. They are to give their
names to M. Brookes, Secretary to the illand,
at Mr. Henricus Godets, between the hours
of nine and twelve o'clock, to morrow morn
ing.
We are informed, that a captain who for
merly commanded a British transport fliip
bound for New-York, with a convoy, had
quitted the convoy and carried his ship into
the Delaware, and sometime afterwards failed
from thence in an American brig and arrived
a few days ago in Sir G Rodney's trap at St.
Euftatia. He was tried by a court martial a- a
traitor to his country, found guilty, an d on
Saturday last was executed. It is said his
name is Leach.
A gentleman arrived here on Saturday from
Guadeloupe, which he left on Friday morning
lad ; he contradicts the report of the arrival
of a French fleet as there was no account ofit
when he came away.
From the Antigua Gazette.
Feb. 22. Yesterday a vessel arrived in eight
days from Barbadoes, fheinforms that a fleet
of vessels arrived at that island from London,
and those defined for the other illands, were
to have failed the day after she left them.
The above fleet was convoyed part of the way
by a 74 g un ship, and several frigateg, but ha
ving captured two rich Dutch Ball India Ihips
the line of battle ship returned with them to
England, and the frigates convoyed the fleet
out The news by the fleet is, that the En
gl(h had captured 350 vessels in the Channel,
b : onpin? to th. Dutch, before they failed.
The Assembly met at Little Rest, agreeable
to adjournment, on the last Monday in Febru
ary, but the business was interrupted by a re
quisition for 12 hundred militia for one month
to be turned out immediately, which was,com
plied with, and the Assembly adjourned to the
third Monday in March, and' the members
hurried home to forward the railing the mili
tia, who were ordered to be ready on the 4th
inttant, they are railed accordingly, and are
doing duty at Fogland and Brißol Ferries,
with about the feme number of Massachusetts
militia, the remainder of our militia have or
ders to hold themselves in readiness to march
at a minute's warning.
There are about two hundred of this State's
quota of troops for 3 years passed muller and I
.am in hopes that the remainder will soon ba
NEW-YORK, April ri,
C ntinuation of Letters in the
REBEL MAI L,
Taken on the zgth of last Month.
Providence, March ii, 1781.
Sir,
YOUR favour of the 3d nlt, reached me a
few days ago, the contents of which give
me great uneasiness, as I fee little or no pro
fpea of removing theevil that threaten us, for
such is the difpofaion of the people in all po
pular governments, that they are afraid of de
veiling themselves of any power they possess;
upon this principle they will be loth to place
authority in hands from whence they cannot
re-call it, although the fafety of the commu
nity depends upon the meafare, 2nd they ^ie
actuated in general more by appearances and
prejudice than a principal of public good; up
on this plan have many member, teen .conti
nued in Congress, who as you justly observed,
are so convinced of their own importance, that
they think it impossible for any body to know
so much as they do; but, as the consideration
is now complicated, I am in hopes this diffi
culty will be removed, and the places of those
old Dons will be filled with better men at their
next election, who will attend to the good of
their country with less ceremony.
On Tuesday laR General Washington ar
rived at Newport, with his fujte, and Gn
Thursday evening the French fleet, confiding
of 8 fail of the line, the Romulus, and 2 fri
gates, failed from Newport, with about fifteen
bundled land forces, commanded by the elder
General De Omeny, but where bound for is
unknown, though generally foppofed for Vir
g:nia>
Yesterday arrived from Chefapeak, Virginia,
the fallowing transports, viz. Elizabeth, Ne
stor, Harmony, Caledonia, Charming Nancy,
Empress of Ruffiay Lord Mulgrave, Apollo,
Providence, Belona, Eolus, and Eliza, with
sundry merchant v,ffels and other prizes.
They left Portsmouth last Friday, at which
time the garrison were in remarkable good
health, and abundantly supplied with .every
Species of provision the country affords.
By the fleet we learn, that prizes are daily
brought to Portsmouth from the different
creeks in that colony and Maryland.
ready, as those towns who appeared a little
soured, seem more pliable than they were and
though their men have not palled muster, I
am informed they have got near half them.
The plan of railing a revenue by duties on
imported articles, will be very unpopular a
mong the mercantile interest, not that they
would mean to oppose any measure that should
be thought beneficial to the country, but this
they think would embarrass trade, and would
be as pernicious as a state bill, for it will moss
certainly injure the fair trader, unless the a&s
are as arbitrary as those formerly adopted by
Great Britain, for it is the nature of mankind
to think his neighbour fares better than he
does ; from this they will be induced to smuggle,
and as our ports are situated, there is notning
to prevent their running as many goods as
they please, and those goods can certainly be
fold ata much lower rate than those that have
paid a duty, this makes me afraid of the con.
Sequence of the § per cent, duty, as trade al
ready labours under too many difficulties, tho'
I imagine the mode will be adopted.
The South Sea trade is again revived, and
has been followed pretty Ready, several have
been taken up in consequence of some discove
ries made, but they are all admitted to bail,
and I am afraid their informations will come
to nothing.
I am refpedfully, Sir,
Your molt obedient Servant.
Ino. J. Clark,
The Hon. fames MVernum, Esq;
Delegate for the State of Rhode-
Island, —Philadelphia.
Connecticut Camp, Highlands,
2fl March, 1781.
Dear Colonel,
AFFAIRS in Camp since you left us, have
proceeded in tie fame old routine.— —
Recruits arrive but i|owly, and I am sorry to
fay that very few of those which have, are fal
len to our (hare; the mode piefcribed in gene
ral orders has by no means been adopted-^he
recruit has been fuffered to chufe his regiment
to serve in, and that choice has generally been
directed by the officer conducing them to
Camp; none pf ours (commissioned or non
commissioned) have been employed in that
Service, for which reason but seven or eight
men out of upwards of an hundred have joined
your regiment; this is the only reason which!
can think probable (in short 'tis a damn'd Con
ne&icut trick!) The Companies from Sus
quehanna have arrived, and have been dispo
sed of in the fame manner, not a single man
has fallen to us; the moment General Parsons
arrives, I am determined to enter a pointed
complaint ag^inft such condyd, and Ihoqld
that measure prove infufficient, shall desire his
leave to wait upon his Excellency, who, in
that case, shall not want proper information;
Jwith to know your fertiments as to furnishing
the Regiment with leather Caps, if possible,
as you well know the difficulty of procuring
Hats, but the former I imagine, might be had
from Connecticut; I know of no other chance
of procuring a uniformity in that p^rt of dress.
We have no late news from the Eastward, yog
have doubtlefi heard of the embarkation of a
considerable part of the French troops; that
England had declared w@r with Holland; and
l wish I could add the profpedt of Pay for the
Army; it seems our c wije dumbly are much
nonpjus'd about that fame thing called Ray;
they never ought to have had any thing to do
with that; or indeed any thing else that had re
ference to the army. Twq Captains have
lately joined, Parsons and Allen ; Hopkins I am
informed is gone Ealfward with General Howe,
if so probably 1 may differ with him, as you
are acquainted with the reasons which he urged
for his absence; your party for deserters I am
told has met with success, and that they are on
their way to Camp; I have not a word from
H —g-tn, nor know I what he is about.—We
enjoy ourselves here as well as we can ; I am
juR returned from a ramble upon one of our
highest hills, where we had made a match gt
firing the pigol. I feel fatigued, and wish you
a good night—a much happier one than wjl)
fall to the (hare of
Your friend and humble servant,
John PHILIPS.
Colonel Samuel B Webb,
North branch Rariton,
New-Jerjey.
NEW-YORK, April 12.
By a gentleman from Philadelphia we are
informed, that the British prifopers of war con
fined there, receive only one pound of beef,
and that generally of the coarfett and most un
ferviceable pieces, for thr,e days allowance ;
but th^t xhey have proper rations of very good
bread, 3 ee f f e ^ ^ Philadelphia a : t jz dollars
the pound; and one hundred and sixty Con
gress dollars may be purgh^fed for one of silver.
We can with truth assure the public, That
all our Welt-India lilands .are well supplied
with every fort of provisions in the greater
abundance; that the fleet vnde, the command
of Admiral Sir George Brydges Rodney coc
fills of 23 fail of tfe line, a,nd that of the
French, by the last accounts no more than
four.
From the Pennsylvania Gazette, March 28.
The Independent American. No. 111.
To the PEOPLE of aMERICA,
Friends and fellow Citizens,
THE actions of men in the adminiftrarion and public
councils of a nation, especially of those men who
have not made the welfare of their country the rule of
their conduct, are often so involved in obfeurity, that it
is impossible to form from thence a clear, decided opinion
of thecharallers of the perlons themselves. The art and
secrecy with which they act, together with the natural
or affected complexities of the bufinefr, render it impos
sible to trace out their motives and d: Signs. Where the
general run of business is myrterioufly conduced, or im
perftaiy communicated to the public, one cannot judge,
with the least propriety of the virtue or ability of the per
sons who tranfa&ed it. Under these circumrtanres,
mankind in general are apt to rest fatisfied with the re
puted characters which those perf s ns have sustained.
They do not recoiled thgt the real character is not un
frequently found to differ from the reputed one, That
men, anting in a collective capacity, where the odium
or the infamy of a bad measure falls on no one in par
ticular, but rerts on the b>dy at large, are lefts felicitous
to observe that delicacy and uprightness in their proceed
ings, which they would be affirmed to depart from if it
were to be publicly known : That good men, being freed
from the quickening eye of public observation, may be
come inattentive and careless, white others, finding them
selves under no rertraint or consul, eager!' fhze every
opportunity to propose and carry measures that may firve
their private views, however injurious they ray prove
to the public. In the mean while the national prosperity
declines ; and difficulties and diftlefs prefect them elves
on every fide. Where this transition from glory and hep
pinefs has been uniform and great, it justifies a suspicion
that the administration of affairs is badly conduft^d, The
flourishing or ruinous state of a country, iq a certain proof
I of the ability grid virtue, or of the weakness and corrup-
Ition ofits government, To rest ft that the profpepty,
land even the liberty of nations have been frequently dc-
I ftroyed by the idcap^ity, fcififonefs, and perfidy of those
who hgg the administration qf thirr affairs, Should ren
der a free people rxtreamly attentive to al' public mea-
Ifores. Should one or more of the'e circuniflances obtain
I in our case, the method in which Congrets tranfa& the
I public business, will render it v.ry difficult to redress the
evil. It is, impuflioie from the printed journals of Con
gress, to form an accurate judgment of the management
l of affairs by that body, As those j^^nals are rhe only
general means of information, and very def-aive, it is
I likewise impossible that the bu It of the people, ror even
} those in the governments rr legislatures of the several
I Hates,' or indeed any others than those who have resided
sometime in the place where Congress is h^ld, ad have
thereby, bad afyhtiunal opportunities of looking into
I things, Arnold be able to judge rightly of the adminiftra-
Ition of affairs They cannot know the real cuodadt o the
I several members ; nor which of them it may be neither
Iproper nor Safe to continue in the trull.
In this difficulty, however, we are nog utterly deftityte
I of the mz,is of forming a true opinion of these matters.
Though pubilp trania^ons may in general be to myftqri
oufly carried on, or of such a nature as to preclude the
making rational cuncufi ns from them on the points in
question, it is not always the case, Joftanecs sometimes
happen, and that too in matters of great importance,
Iwherein the principal circumftaufesprr so fficicntly known,
land the charade, of men are Strongly and clearly mark
lad by their aßions. Such instances, if properly attended
to, will give os an iofight into met )and things. From
I what plainly appears in them, we may fairly judge what
I happens in caf s thpt do not come within our knowledge.
I I tor example, fob instances mould afford proofs of pal-
I pable abpfeg in administration, it they Should afford fvffi
! fient reason to think that the public welfare was made to
Igive way to private considerations, it may reasonably be
I believed that the like praft ces may obtain in o'her cafe@.
It is not to be expelled that men will be more scrupulous
,of doing what is improper where there is less chance of
Idetection. Such inftancee are just criterion of any admi
} migration ; and according to the behaviour of the several
!individuals, of the wifoom and weakness, the virtue and
i turpitude of the perlons comp.fmg it. To judge of an
I adminiNation, or of private men, by their a& ons, is cer.
; tainly just. Doubtsand difficulties may fometin— s poff,-
Ibly occur in a particular case. Where they do, let ten
-Idernefs always determine'.
Wees few of the measures of Congress to be investi
gated and held out to public observation, they might give
you some idea of the principles anti v.ifdom which direst
the administration of our affTrs. At present, I ffiall con
fider the conduct of Congress, and the proceedings in that
body, in one or two instances relative to our foreign as-
In September 1779 Congress thought it necefoy that a
Secretary (hould be appointed to our Einbaffy in F ancr.
Lieut. Coi, Lau*e s was appointed to that office. When
the appointment was notified to him, he declined to ac
cept of it; and Congress has ever free emitted to ap
point another perlon to it. This is a fho:t and plain
Rate of the fact, It naturally occurs to ask what can be
the reason why Congrefi have emitted, for eighteen months
to appoint fonye other person to it ? The neceflity wh ; ch
occasioned the appointment of Col. Laurens, lurely exist
ed after his refuting to aft, and therefore another person
ought to have been immediately appointed ii his room.
As that has not yet been done, what are uc to think of
the appointment itfelf---that it originally proceeded from
a patriotic view of serving the public, or from some other
motive ? that the nrceffity on which it was founded was
,rcal or pretended ?
Though we had a Mlnifter Plenipotentiary, Dr. Fran
k ft the Court of France. Congress were last fall ftru.k
with the necessity of fending an ther person to that Court,
to negociate lome bufin^f the firft importance. Lieut.
Col, jurens was appointed Envoy Extraordinary
for that purpoff, The title of Envoy Extraordinary was
afteryv^ds,changed for that of Minister tot facial bu-
Jinefs ;an alteration of no confequence/in our enquiry,
since, notwithstanding that change, and h's bei # g directed
go advise with Dr, Franklin, the absolute management
of the bafinefs was committed to him.
The appointing an Enyoy Extraor din a rv,or S,E
-£lal Minjs,L,white we had a Minister Plenip terti
ary in France is a tacit confeffion that Congress th night
that Minister r ypequal togheftation he fills, let the ca use of
the incapacity be what it mj. But whether the appoint
ment be confideaed in that light or not, the conduct < f
Congrefe appears very toprope, and exceptionable. The
matter lays in a frnall campafs, and is very plain and
.clear. If Dr.fiFranklin y/as really incapable of doing
any part of our business at the Court of France, he was
unfit to be our Minister, and he ought to have been re
called, and another p^fon sot in his room. Common
sense would have dictated this meafure^ and perhaps we
must have recourse to some cause, which neither com
mon sense nor patriotism has any thing to do with, to
account why it was not done. It is folly at all times to
keep a man in that ftaticn, or in any station, whois un
equal to ir. In the critical fouation of cur affairs, it is
something worse than folly, On the other hand, if the
Doctor was really able to cifeharge the duties of his Na
tion, there was no occasion to fend over an Envoy Ex-
TR AOR DINAR Y, Or SPECIAL Minister, and toun
nec'ffarily burthen the public with a double expence. In
short, let the ranfaßion be considered in the mod favour
able light, it amounts to this; cither that the Doctor is
Previous to the failing of the fleet General
Arnold wrote a polite letter to George Robin
son, Esq; Agent of transports, requeuing him
to present his thanks to the makers and crews
of transports for their alacrity in manning the
guns and doing duty on shore when called on
for that purpose.
Proceedings, my fellow citizens f6ipconfiftent with the
wisdom Oeidinefh aqd gravity of condor, which should
ever mark rhe foprene administration of a free peoples
may at firft fight ex^tr ridicule and laughter. They
deserve however your n, it serious confiscation, Thrife;
what iruft b. thecbn&quence to y ur country, y?ur fa
milics, your fortunes, and yourselves, if able affairs
fo.,u d continue to be con.card on the fame p ihciplefy
Confider whence these mrafures arofc ; whether inatten
tion, wane of judgment, and a want of virtue may not
have severally had a (hare in them. I is certain that no
step can. be taken so likely t defeat or injure important
metres, as by getting perform to execute them who ate
not the bft qualifi d for the underta J % To place the
last tranfuftion in « clever point of vi w. it is to be ob
served thd r Colonel Hamilton went early from College to
the army, and remained in it afterwards. Yet this youn^
gentleman was to be taken from the army --a line in
which he was very uftful,—to be placed in one, the Jine
of political negotiation, where the probability was that he
could be of no great use ! An Envoy Extraordi
nary, of twenty-three, thus educated to politics, to
fupercede a Minister Plenipotentiary 4 To cnndu& a dis,
ficult and important political bufinefa! What could be
the inducements ot th- gentlemen who were for making
this very lingular appointment ? Did they originate from
a design of serving the common cause, or, a dtfire of
ferying some other purpoft ? To confider the matter in
another point of view: does it favour most f the over
weaning partiality of good motherly women; or, of
that solidity of judgment, propriety and gravity of con
duff, which alone can briny order out of confafion,
restore public happiness, and establish an empire on the
immortal basis of wisdom, virtue, aryl honour?
An Independent American.
WANTED; a clerk, inat underttanus ac
counts, can write well, and take the mt,r
nagement of a Dry Goods Store. Enquire of the
Printer.
Richard Jenkins,
INFORMS his friends, owners and matters of
veffeis, that he continues to bake SHIP BREAD,
at his house, No. 24., John Street. He presents his
thanks to bis old (hip-mates and friends, for theic
favours. He is determined to bake the belt of bread,
knowing the distress of eating bad bread at sea, by
the experience of upwards of thirty years. All
Captains of vessels who want the best of bread tq
keep, will pleale to call before hand, and they fhal|
be provided with the best, on reasonable terms.
N. B. WATER and BUTTER BISCUIT,
made from the best of Philadelphia fuperfine freflj
flour, for cabbin or family use, in frnall or great
quantities.
7TTKrToT~D;-
incapable of tranfiaing imperiant bufiaefs, that beset&.
verthelefs to be left in France to attend to trifling thingy
and when a matter of consequence is to be done, an En
voy Extraordinary is to be'fent: or that an Envoy Ex,
traordir^ay was unne^eff&rily font, and the public bur
thened with an unnecessary expence, ,!n either case what
are we to think of the conduit of Congref6?
It has bran observed that wife flateftnen shew theig
judgment ja no tefpe& more than in feinting men to fill
the great offices of governra it, and to execute their po
litical defig s. Where this sagacity is wanting, public
business must naturally fuffer^; and the best planned poli
tical fchemrs, which depend on ability in execution, muff
fail of kiccefs. There is great difficulty in feme cases in
making a proper choice. f here never can be any in a
voiding a mani feft impropriety ; and therefore where tba^
occurs, it must be referred to ft me other cause than want
of judgment. Admitting that Col. Laurens possessed all
the talents that any man of his age ever did pofiefs, yet
prudence and policy are the produce of time pad expe
rience. It is reasonable to foppofe that a young man of
25 or 26, not bred to any business, who had spent the
three Ixll years in military service, who had devoted him
felf to the military faience, and had never been employed
in political tianfaaions, could possess the knowledge of
the world, the prudence and policy, requifiie to conduit
a difficult political negotiation ? If this luppofition be not
admitted, how are we to account for the conduit of Con
grrfs in making this apoointm-nt, unless by fuppnfing
they act'd from the moftunjuftrfiable partiality, and in
contradiction to the uniform experience of mankind?
The'e obfetvations are not intended to detrait from Col.
Laurens: Th y come from a person who is sensible of his
merit. To allow a man to be as well qualified as it is
reasonable to think any one in the like circumstances can
naturally be, is surely not being flingy of apulapfe: to,
afcr/be to him more than that, would be paying □ com
pliment to his delicacy or underfunding. The conduit
ot Cengrefa at any rate appears unjudifiable. If the ne
gotiation or other.bufinefs then in agitation was of a diffi
cult ki^d, it will be hard to ffiew that Cong.efs have not
ailed ioconfiftently with wi&m: if the business was not
of a difficult nature, it will be hard to assign a good reason
why Col, Laurens wgs inverted with extraordinary powers
and an extraordinary pharaller, the public put to great and
unnecessary ex ©ice on that account, and an old servant
of the public, Dr. Franklin, held up in a dilagrecabie
light to the world.
But these a^e not th only reasons for which this tranf
altion is reprehensible. The honour of a nation depends
on the wifdem and justice of its councils. The people in
Europe arc not ac-urtomed, unless in reigns of iveazrefa
and folly, to feinex erienced young men appointed En
•%: extraordinary to traufa& important business. There,
they generally felelt for that office perfuns who have not
only had experience in life, but e4perw.ce in fimiia, bu
siness. Whet opinion then will foreigners entertain of up
wif.lom, when they fee a young gentleman 0+25 or 26
inverted with such extraordinary powers? When they fee
an inexperienced young gentlemah taking rank, in an
important bufiuefr, ot an old one who was deemed inca
pable of doing it, but still co-operating with him : will
they not be apt to smile, and fay that Congress, in order
the more effectually to accomplish an important point,
had united rhe imbecility of age with the inexperience of
yotrh? Should they go further, and recollect the public
fa.th Solemnly pledged and Shamefully violated, what opi
nion will they form of the wisdom and virtue of that
Aijembh ?
It has been observed th .t bodies of men have their pas,
fions as well as individuals. At the period we are Leak
ing of, there seemed to be a great'di fpofitioh in Gorgrefs
for making young men minister,. Lieurcnant-Coioqel
Hamilton, a young gentleman %0 whom I allow every
merit but that knowledge which time and experience only
can give, who was then twenty tbrtf years of age, was
likewise nominated for envoy extraordinary,
qnd at the firft balloting had as many votes as Col. Lau
rens. The Europeans have heard Strange things, and en
tertained Strange notions of America. Thus disposed to
expelt and to believe what is marvellous of our country^
may hey not infer from hence, that the course of nature
in this western continent is directly thereverfe of what
it is in their own : that men decline in knowledge as they
advance toward the meridian of Efe: that experience,
observation, and the Study of men, and things fur a confi
derablc length of time, do not qualify men for business,
So rrfpeltable an authority as that of members of Com?
grefs must undoubtedly have great weight in deciding
a point of thisknd!
A Valuable LOT of GROUND in Duke-Greet,
Adjoining Mr. Isaac Low. Breadth cl the
lot, front and rear, 27 feet ; length on the wellerl,
fide adjoining Mr. Low, 66 1 2 feet, ditto on the
easterly fide adjoining Mr. Bayard, 67 set 7 inch ' s,
all English measure. A good ad indisputable title
will be given. Enquire of th: Printer.