The New York packet, and the American advertiser — New York [N.Y.], 1776-01-18 00:00:00, page 1

1
Mr. Loudon,
SIR,'
Though much has been feid of late about Wit ig
and Tory, yet I don't remember to have fan
in any of the newfoabers an account of their firft
rife. If, therefore, vox will insert the following,
fra will doubtless infrufl and obrge the greater
part of,our readers. Neal Crookshanks.
& Z^^^^&N the year 1679, King
ff^&^'t ^ Charles 11. fell tick in the
§ $ CT 'O I)§ summer, upon which the
««$ I I I #' Duke of York, the King's
1 1fo c 0& 1w brother, an avowed Papist,
^^cooo^^ §l™ returned immediately to
4'^ ^^C'* Court without the King's
leave, with a view to secure thefucceffion of the
Crown to himfelf, as his Majesty had no legiti
mate iffuc. This alarmed th- Proteflants and
made them eager for the fitting of the Parlia
ment, to regulate the succession, which gave
rife to fundre petitions, signed by great numbers
of hands, both in city and country, which was
very displeasing to his Majefly., This arbitrary
tyrant told the petitioners, " That he was sole.
judge of what was fit to be done: You would
not'take it well, fays he, if I should middle with
votir affairs, and I desire you would not meodle
with mine." According to which principles, the
King may leave or fell the crown to whom he
pleases, but no man may f^ much as offer a
humble petition against it. Upon this, counter
address were promoted by the in^u mce of the
Court all over the nations c%:_ ft ....
reflation and abhorrence of the oracb.ee of the
petitioners, and referring tlre littiug of the Fai
liament absolutely to the King's pleahire, from
which they obtained the name of ABHOR rers ;
which bc<;afioned a great ferment among the
people, so that sundry of the Privy Council de
ferred their Rations at Court.
The petitioners for the fitting of Parliament,
and their adveffiiries, the abhorrers of Inch
petitions, gave rife to the two grand parties,
which have lince divided the nation under the
diflinmtifhing names of WHIG and I ory. Ihe
Whig's, or low-churchmen, so called from mo
deration about the hierarchy, and their charity
for their fellow Christians of other denomina
tions, were the more zealous Protestants, de
clared enemies to Popery-, and willing to re
move to a farther diftaice from the luperftiti
ons of the Church of Rome. They were firm
to the British constitution and the liberties of
their country. The Clergy of this persuasion
were eminent for their candour and charity, so
that they were far from confining salvation to
their own communion: Their laity were re
markable for their z ml in promoting the famous
bill for excluding the Popilh Duke of York from
the Crown, as the belt expedient to secure the
Proteflant eftablhhment. They were for con
fining the Royal prerogative within the compass
of law, for which reafon'their adversaries char
ged them with republican principles, and gave
them the reproachful name of Whig, or four
milk ; a name firft given to the Presbyterians in
Scotland,' when they were periecuted by the
high church, because, when they were forced
to flee from their habitations, hun: ry and thir
fly, they often drank butter-milk whig, or
whey, when they came to any friends house
that would shelter and entertain them.
The Tories, or high-churchmen, flood on the
fide of the prerogative, and were for setting the
Hiner above law : 1 hey went int r , all tli; arbi
trary mealures of the Court, and adopted into
our religion (fays Dr. Welwood) a Mahometan
principle, under the names of non-refitlance and
passive obedience, which since the times of, that
impostor, who firft broached it, has been the
means of enslaving a great part of the world.
These Gentlemen leaned more to a coalition
' with the Papists, than with the Presbyterians.
They cried up the name and authority of the
church, and being men of little tenderness and
conscience themfeives, paid no regard to the
conferences of others. They were for forcing
the Non-conformifts to come into the church by
all kinds of coercive measures, as fines, impri
sonments, gibbets, &c. But with all their zeal
about the church, they were generally perfors
of lax and difiblute morals, and would rifque the
whole Protestant religion, rather than go into
4 any measures of exclufioa or limitation, Most
ASSIZE of BREAD. Flour at 20 s. per Ct.
AWheaten Loaf of the fiheft FLOUR, to
weigh 1 lb. 8 1-2 oz. tor 4 Coppers.
Published AW: 2, 1775.
V 0 L. L ' NUM B. <
THE
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N^J <, oraore<h± ^_, (;^GuVUt < i%^6N}4/^SIX%
A -N D THE
§ A D V ERTIS E R.
—— # — ——— V^^,^ *^s9^:&ffi#i^^ — —— —— —
T H V, R S D A Y,^^^^^^^^^JANUARY 1^ <„fy
Printed by S A MUEL LOUDON, in Water-Street, between the Coffee-House and the Old Slip.
Thursday, 77 Min. after 6
Friday, 36 Min. after 7
Saturday, 32 Min. after 8
Sunday, 31 Min. alter gi
of the high-church Clergy were for railing mo
ney without Parliament; one or two Court Bi
fnops giving measures to the rest, and they to
their Clergy. No men did more to enslave the
nation and introduce Popery, than they. Th ir
adversaries therefore gave them the name of
Tories; a name firft given to Irish robbers or
highwaymen, who lived upon plunder, and
were prepared for any daring or villainous enter
prize. The Non-conformills fell in unanimous
ly with the Whigs, or low-churchmen, in all
points relating to liberty and the civil constitu
tion, as they must do always, if they are con
fident with themselves.
Whig and Tory then, are names used only
with allusion to their originals, from whence
they are borrowed, four milk and highway robber.
Such as trust to our common dictionaries for an
explanation will only deceive themfelves^ and
they ffiould know, that th y only difeover their
ignorance in history, when they profefs they are
not Tories, because they are not Ii ifh robbers.
CA MBRIDGE, January 4.
The following is a Cop, of Dr. Church's much
t&lked-of traitorous Letter to a inin serial Of
ficer in Boflon, dated July 23, 177;.
“ I hope this will reach you: three attempts
have I made without success; in effecting the
last, the man was difeovered in attempting his
escape; but fortunately my letter was sewed in
the waillband of his breeches ; he was confin %<
aDw days, during which time you may guess
my feelings; but a little art, and a little cash,
fettled the matter. 'Tis a month since my re
turn from Philadelphia. I went by way of Pro
vidence to vilit mother. The Committee for
warlike floras made me a formal tender of twelve
pieces of cannon, 18 and 24 pounders. They
having -to a previous resolution to mike the
offer to General Ward. To make a merit of my
services I Ant them down; and when they re
ceived them, they lent them to Stoughton to be
out of danger, even though they had formed a
resolution, as I before hinted, of fortifying
Banker's Hill; which, together with the cow
ardice of the clumsy Col. Gerrilh, and Colonel
Scammon,' were the lucky occasion of their de
feat. This affair happened before my return from
Philadelphia. We loft 16g killed then, and since
dead of their wounds: 120 now lie wounded,
the chief will recover. They boast you have
1400 killed and wounded in that action. You
fay the rebels left igod, I suppose with equal
truth. The people of Conn Aleut are raving
in the cause of liberty. A number from this
colony, from the town of Stamford, robbed the
King's stores at New-York, with some final! as
sistance the New-Yorkers lent them. These were
growing turbulent. I counted 280 pieces of
cannon, from 24 to 3 pounders, at Kingibridge,
which the Committee had secured for the use
of the colonies. ' The Jerseys are not a whit
behind Connecticut in zeal; the Philadelphians
exceed them both. I saw 2200 men in review
there by Gen. Lee, contifting of Quakers and
other inhabitants, in uniform, with 1000 rifle
men, and 40 horse; who, together, made a
most warlike appearance. I mingled freely, and
frequently with the members of the Continental
Congress. They were united, determined in
opposition, and appeared assured of success;
Now to come home: The opposition is become
lor nidable; 18,000 men, brave and determined,
with Washington and Lee at their head, are no
contemptible enemy. Adjutant-General Gates
is indefatigable in arranging the army. Pro
visions are very plenty. Cloaths are manu
facturing in every town for the use of the sol
diers. Twenty tons of powder lately arrived
at Philadelphia, Connecticut, and Providence.
Upwards of twenty tons are now in camp. Salt
petre is made in every colony; powder-mills are
erected, and constantly employed in Philadel
phia and New-York. Volunteers of the firft
fortune are daily flocking to the camp ; 1000
rifle-men in two or three days. Recruits are
now leveying to augment the army to 22,000
men. Ten thousand militia are appointed'in
this province to appear on the firft summons.
The bills of all the colonies circulate freely,
and are readily exchanged for cash. Add to
this, that unless some plan of accommodation
takes place immediately, these harbours will
HIGH WATER at NEW-YORK.
Monday, 20 Min. after 10
Tuesday, 49 W- ^r 11
Wednesday, 14 ^?n. after 12
New Moon 20th.
swarm with privateers. An army will be 'rail
ed in the middle provinces to take pofLEion of
Canada. For the fake of the miferabl 'convulf
ed empire, solicit peace, repeal the adds, or Bri
tain is undone. This is the result of warm
affection to my king and to the realm. Re
member I never deceived you; every article
here sent you is sacredly true. The papers will
announce to you, that I am again a m raber for
Boston. You will there fee our motiy council.
A general arrangement of officers will take place
except the chief, which will be suspended but
for a little while, to fee what part Britain takes
in confequerice of the late continental peti
tion. A view to independance grows more and
mote general. Should Britain declare w. ra
gainft the colonies, they are loft for ever.
Should Spain declare ngainft England, the co
lonies will declare a neutrality ; which will pro
duce an offenfive 'and defenfive league between
them. For God's, fake prevent it by a speedy
accommodation. Writing this has employed a
day. I have been to Salem to reconnoitre, but
I could not escape the geese of the capitol.
To-morrow I set out for Newport on purpose
to fend you this. I write you fully, it being
scarcely peffible to escape discovery. I am out
of place here by choice, and therefore out of
pay'; and am determined so to be, unless feme
thing is offered in my way. I wilh you could
contrive to ,vrite me freely in cyphers, by the
Way of Newport, addressed to Thomas Richards,
rhefchant, inclofe it in a cover to me, intimat
ing that I am a perfe& Granger to you, but be
ing recommended to you as a gentleman of ho
nour you took the liberty of inclofing that let
ter, intreating me to deliver it as directed ; the
person, as you are informed, being at Cam
bridge. Sign some fictitious name. This you
may fend to some confidential friend at New
port, to be delivered to me at Watertown. Make
ufe,of every precaution, or I periffi.
LONDO N, oa. 28.
The following, it is said, was the amendment
proposed on Thursday lift in the House of
Lords by the Marquis of Rockingham.
" That we behold, with the utmoftconcern,
the difo 'ders and difeontents in the British colo
nies, rather increased than diminished, by the
means that have been used to suppress and allay
them; a circumstance alone fufficient to give
this House just reason to fear that those means
were not originally well considered; or properly
adapted to answer the ends to which they were
direded.
“ We are fatisned by experience that the
misfortune has, in a great m afure, arisen from
the want of full and proper information being
laid before the Parliament of the true ftite and
condition of the colonies; by reason of which,
measures have been carried into execution in
jurious and inefficacious, from whence no salu
tary end Was reasonably to be expected; tend
ing to tarniih the luftre of the British arms, to
bring diferedit on the wifilom of his Mfrfty's
councils, and to nourish, without hope of end,
a inoft unhappy civil war.
“ Deeply imprefled with a melancholy ftath
of public concerns, we shall, in the fulleft in
formation we can obtain, and with the moil
mature deliberation we can employ, review the
whole of the late proceedings, that we may be
enabled to difeover, as we shall be most willing
to apply, the most effectual means of reftorin^
order to the diffracted affairs of the British em
pire, confidence to his Majesty's government,
obedience, by a prudent and temperate use of
its powers, to the authority of Parliament, and
fatisfaffion and happiness to all his people.
“ By these means we trust we shall avoid any
occasion of having recourse to the alarming and
dangerous expedient of calling in foreign forces
to the support of his Majeffy's authority within
his own dominions, and the ffill more dreadful
calamity of ihedding British blood by British
arms."
In the House of Lords, on Thursday, before
any motion could be made for taking bis Ma
jesty's speech into consideration, Lord Camb
den rose and presented a petition from the Lord
Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Council of
London. The petition was accordingly receiv
ed, read, and ordered to VC on the tabla The
Wheat per Buffiel, 6s. adj
Flour, - - - igs. od.;
Brown Bread, -18 s. od.!
)Veft-India Rum, 4% 3d.
New-England do. 3s. od.j
PRICE-CURRENT, in NEW-YORK.
Muscovado Sugar, 60s. oT,
Single relink. So, is. 2d.;
Molasses, - ^ - 2s. B<k;
Beet, per Barrel, 455. od.l
Pork, - - -70 s. od. 1
Lord Chancellor rose with some de,;r e cf
warmth, and condemned the impropriety 01ife
conduct of the noble Lord who preiented rhe
petition ; said that it had always been a ruk in
that house, on such occasions as the p -feimrot
to re reive 0 enter upon any byline 1 whatever, till
the speech from the Throne was previously taken
into cunfideration. He added, it was a cvn_..-
ment uniformly paid and expected; that a lai
lure of it was looked upon as a mark of dhre
fpe&; but that, however, since the learned and
noble Lord hid thought proper to depart from
that rule, he iliould, in turn, beg leave to pre
sent a petition from the Freeholders, &c. ot his
Majefly's colony of Nova-Scoria His Lord
flip then presented the petition in his place,
which was of course read by the Clerk. It is a
very long one, and affects the fovcieignty and
supremacy of the mother country, in the strong
est and most (pacific terras ; makes offers of af
fittance, and test fies the loyalty, obedience and
zeal of the Nova-Scotians, in expressions as the
moll zealous Supporters of the claims of the
British Parliament could pudihly dictate, /mt
before the Clerk had proceeded quite half
through, the matter took a firange turh; for
after this political confeffion of faith, the Nova-
Scotians immediately change their note, and
enter into a very long enumeration and detail
of their grievances; condemn the whole system
of colony government ; point out Several modes
of redress and regulation ; and in fine, become
a: once the ainhorimive o^TeT^Y—nUAjJk
the adua!, at leaf the virtual accufefs of their
tritfty friends the prefect minifies. When the
Clerk was beginning to read this part of the
petition it fecmed to be the with of feme of the
noble Lords in office and their friends to fink it;
but several of the ruble Lords in opposition.
infixed that it flioul6 be read though, that toe
whole might be received or receded together.
It was ordered to lie on the table.
The Speech ofrhe Lord Mayur, John Wilkes,
Efy lafi Thursday in th- House of Commons,
on the motion for an Address to the bit;:
" Mr. Speaker,
" I entirely agree with' the Hon. Gentleman
who fecori'ded the motion for an Addref to is.
M^efty, that every man ought now to >p?ak out,
and in a m >ment so important as the prefont, to
the whole empire, I think it ill becomes the dig
nity and duty of Parliament to lose it eh in uch
a fulfome, adulatory Address to the Throne, as
that now proposed. We ought rather, hr, >
approach oar Sovereign with foun ! and w^ ^~
foineadvice, and even with rem mhrances against
the conduct of his minifies, who h:% precipi
tated the nation into an unjust, ruinous, feloni
ous and murderous war. 1 cal! the war with
our brethren in A herica, ah unud 1 furious
war, because the primary cache and contend
origin of it is, the attempt o take their mc^y
from them without their content, contrary to
the common rights of all mmkint, and these
great fundamental prinepe^ ol the EpLChcon
ftitution, for which Hampden bled. I afert.
Sir, th it it is in consequence a murderous war,
because it is An attempt to dep i e men of their
lives, for dathing U?in the ; ift cause oft • de
fence of th^ir properties, and their cle r rights.
It becomes no less a nur lerous w r w th re
fpeSt to in iny of our fellow fubjefts oftnis 11cnd,
for every man, either of the navy or army, who
has'been sent by government to America, and
his fall: n a victim to this unn uur.d an 1 unjust
cont^fl, has then murdered by Adminiftraf on,
and his blood lies at their door. Such a war, I
fear, Sir, will draw do.cn the vengeance of hea
ven upon this devoted kingdom.
" I think this war, Sir, fatal and ruinous
to our country. It absolutely annihilates the
only great source of our wealth, which ween
joyed unrivalled by other nations, and deprives
its of the fruits of the laborious indufrrv of
near three millions of fubj^s, which centred
here. .That commerce has already taken its
flight, andour American merchant are now
deploring the consequences of a wretched poli
cy,which hs been pursued to their d.ftructipr.
It is, Sir, no less ruinous, with regard to the
enormous expence of the fleets and armies ne-,
ceffary for this nefa ions undertaking, o that
we are wafting ou r present wealth, while we are
destroying the fourth of all we might have in
future.
Fine Salt, - - - None.
Cowie Saif, - - 3s. pc.
Indian Corn, fret Bulk. 3s. od.