The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1780-03-20 00:00:00, page 2

Countrymen, FkllowCitizens & Brethren,
UNDER the Hrengel ties of friendfhip, as men who
have equally feff-ved together, fam the iron red
o'granny, in the late cruel measures of Great-Britain ;
and have gone hand in hand, and flood by each ether,
ii times when threatened with ruin, tyranny and death ;
v e beg lour ftrious attention by our address to this very
important fubjea. And whilst like the Dove in the fa
b^e, you bend the branch, to save the poor Bee struggling
for life ; remember it may be in our power, to Aing the
fowler so f verely, when drawing the net to ensnare
the Dove, as may hereafter procure your liberation.
' ^e can never believe that the prefect inhabitants of the
United States, are so loft to ail feelings of humanity,
brnevolence, and religion, that while they extend the r
right hands to Heaven, and weary unbounded grace, in
pr ying to be delivered from British tyranny and oppref.
Go, ; they should with their left hands, be forming
ffia:kles of slavery for their American brethren. It gives
i< pain and grief, to mention the intrigues, and artifices,
used by wicked and designing men, to destroy the inesti
mable liberties, and privileges of the State of Vermont ;
and that ten by those ungrateful ones, who have been
preferred from Indian cruelty, by our brave and Arena
ous exertions during this present war.
not to deliberate in the choice we fliould make.
Iftuts Tender Law is injurious to the State in
general, will the pleasure, arising from the
rum of the Tories, be a compensation for the
rum we ihall pull de ,vn on our own heads, by
continuing it? If the law is cruel and oppres
sive, fhab we be cxcufed from the guilt of that
oppression, because those whom we have too
much reason to despise, are involved in the
common misery? Surely not. —But the truth
is, that it is the Whigs—and to their honour
be it fpoken—lt is the Whigs I fay who are
urgent for a repeal, and who do molt severely
reprobate the further continuance of the Aft,
The arguments in favour of a repeal have
been dated by a late writer who,calls himfelf
Adolphus, If fr hey do not convince, let me
aik any rhe in fame hoar of cool refleaion to
consult his own heart, whether he would take
the advantages of the law if it were in his
power to do so ? if to discharge an old mort
gage, or pay rent reserved on an old lease, he
would tender only the nominal fam in Con
tinerital money ? I believe he would abhor the
idea; if he is an honest and well informed
man, lam sure he would. No good man will
attempt thus to defraud his creditor. What
then is the consequence? Why, that tie law
exiles only fo^jbe benefit of villains
Let me make the fuppohtion, that the trader
has contrasted a debt Of one thousand pounds.
For property that might formerly have been
purchased for twenty. Let me suppose, that
the quantity of money is suddenly lessened
and reduced to one-fiftieth, by an Act of the
States, as has been proposed by fume specula
tive writers. Would he not expect the Legi
slature would step in to his relief? Would he
not expert .that a tender of the real value of
the debt Should discharge it without regarding
the nominal turn? And would he not complain
of that dilhefs which the prefentTender Law,
if unrepealed, would heap upon his head ? He
certainly would. Then let him endeavour to
extend co others the relief he would so reason
ably expert: " Let him do as he wishes to be
done by." CONSCIENCE.
WE gave the Public, last week, an opportunity to
know in what a contemptible point of light the
Congress is held by the inhabitants of the diftri& who
have set up for themselves, under the title of the State of
Vermont —They have lately circulated a call for aid
from others aginft the tyranny of their High Mightinesses
in the following publication, printed at Hartford, in Con
necticut :
An Address to the Inhabitants of the United
States of AMERICA.
'' „,is an ill rind (fays the old proverb)
I that blows no-body good ;" and it must
be an extraordinary law hdeed from which
nc advantage' a- • to be derived. The Tender
Law, it is true, injures the State, depreciates
our currency, destroys our morals, encourages
frauds, ingratitude and oppression, and ruins
thousands of those whom Government is bound
by every tye to protect. But what then?
Shall it be repealed? “ No!" cries some dis
honest creditor, " 1 have not yet difeharged
the mortgage that encumbers my estate."
" No!" echoes another, " my bond-debts are
yet unpaid." ' No!" adds a third, '' my
lease is not expired"—and thus on, till one
would be tempted to think that those who sup
port the law were a formidable phalanx :—
And so they aie; from the strong, interelled
and mifehievous opposition they make, but
not from their numbers: For if we count the
yeas and nays upon the question, we shall find
the hitter dwindle into a contemptible mino
rity, while every man of a clear head and good
heart urges the repeal of a law which difho
nours our country and llabs justice at the foot
Of her own altar.
I h'ave seen a piece, Mr. Printer, in your pa
per cf Tuesday last, signed " A Whig," which
seems to oppose the current of general opinion.
The writer, indeed, is half ashamed openly to
advocate the Tender Law; but masking his
motives under the convenient veil of Whig
gifm, he suggests the impropriety of a repeal
by insinuating, that the Tories alone would be
benefited by it. It is nit true —Thousands of
the belt Whigs in the State will find relief--
Every honest man who scorns to avail himfelf
of the iniquitous advantages which the law
gives the debtor, will find relief by its repeal :
Nay, thousands who are yet too young to know
what Whig or Tory means, will be saved from
the miseries of d~pend^nce and want, which
this Act threatens them with
But fuppbfe for a moment, that the Tories
will be greatly benefited by a repeal: Shall
we therefore refufe to benefit ourfebes ? They
are treasures that do not deserve so much con
sideration ; and if an aft is unwise and unjust,
though the advantages they may derive from
its repeal, may be numerous, yet ought we
From '?? Vereffi,varna ticket cf
February 19.
WE have now exited as a free independent Sta'e almost
four years, have fought Britains, Canadians, Hessians,
Waldeckers, Dutchmen, Indians, Tories and all, and
have waded in blood to maintain and Support our inde
pendence. We beg leave to appeal to your own memo
ries, with wh^t resolution we have fought by your sides,
and what wounds we have received fighting in the grand
American cause ; and let your own recolieaion, tell
what Vermont has done and (offered in the cause of civil
liberty and the rights of mankind, and rauft we now
tamely give up all worth fighting for ? No, firs, while
we wear the names of Americans! we never will surren
der those glorious privileges for which so many have
fought bled and died; we appeal to your own feelings
as men of like fuffarings, whether you would submit
your freedom and independence, to the arbitrament of
any court or referees under heaven ? If you would after
wafting so much blood and treasure, you are unworthy
the name of ^meritan, ; if you would not, condemn not
W^ n^el hot inform you, that all those defpotlc clais
of juril'diaion, over this Start, made by any powers of
the neighbouring States, originate from the fame feeds of
corruption and tyranny, tbot railed the war between
Britain and America, to wit thepower of taking from us
our property without our consent ; or in other words, to
reduce us td a date of abjeft tenantcy, binding us down
as tenants, and then domineering over us as Lords.
WE need not warn you of the dangers that threaten
you in our deftru&ion, those who have once feafted on
the spoils of their countrymen and tasted the Tweet of
living upon the labour and sweat of tenants, like the
voracious wolf, will never leave till they have devoured
the whole flock of American yeomanry. We have seen
the liberties of Poland, and Sweden, swept away in the
course of one year, by treachery and usurpation; the
free towns in Germany, like dying sparks are quenched
one after another in the deftruaivc greatness of their
neighbours.
At the elofeof the war, Canada being ceded to the
Biitifh crown, and a general peace prevailing in North-
America, gave usan opportunity to begin settlements on
the Green Mountains, then a wildernef#, filled with
fivages, fcoi pions and be 41s of prey ; a&d notv.ithftaod
ing all our fatigue in affixing to conquer Lid territory,
that we might not give offunee, we applied to the gover
nor of New-Hamp,ire, at that time an agent or fatiot, to
fell cr.r' provincial or crovra lands in America, for the
ka^el Great-Britain ; and purcbafed all the territory of
Vermont Ft a very high price, excepting a fir,all tra& in
the northern part of this state, and continued making
fettlemmts in the wilderness, by an invincible fortitude,
fu intuited every obstacle. In this filiation, in the
midst or a howling wilderness, we had very little to do
with any otarr colony, or province, never fending abroad
to obtain legislation, but kept a very good regulation
among ourselves ; acknowledging New-Ham,fire to ba
our parent State, becaue we had p?~ :afcd our land
there, and -x filed so have it warranted and defended by
them, bin never affoci^ed with them as a people in a
state of society; for we oeverjaad a tingle voice in their
hcufeof reprefent.<bvrs, and consequently were not con
tained within the ju'friction of their laws. In this filo
ation the !:*ng of Great-Britain, Parting the idea of ra
fing a revenue' from the American colonies, and consi
dering \.\:cNew -England colonies as too popular to begin
with, and ^nurt/iA any profpea of fucctfs, he therefore
adds ail the territory of land north of Maffachufetti line,
and wed of Conneaut river.( which wb had before pur-
T.<ed| ^vi arbitrary cammru J , to rhejurifaction of
N^w-Yrk j thinking as part of tb^ ett/vf ice was held
by tenure, he could carry on his ohns with greater case,
by adding grater por - ^ the ifo^# of the crown,
declaring the nuNttol fre.m r# s and cohfequently in.
creating the cua c ' fl ^: W, think the greatest
reafo , w ':j '"r this,a r ^don, for no feoner had the
g vdrhrr r N^w-Ytrk ob ained juofitlon. but be pa
tented out ail tw^uofo, we were in poiLffin of, to a
few of his nihility a< lorrs, who were favorites of ad
miaiftration, and ordered us to pay the annual rents
usual for lav le tenants or quit our possessions immedi
ately ; and that " wtihoud not tarry to reap the crops
thqn grOTuag?' We replied in the most humble, but
positive terms, " That we had purchased our lauds of the
" crown at a dear rate, and had fuffcred infinite hard
" ships in gaining fetdements, and now to give them up,
“ or acknowledge ourfrtvs tenants to any lord was what
" we would not at the rifle our lives." And from thence
sprung the long dilute ; we, on our part, refufing to fub
m? to their government, and they striving to difpoflefs
us of our lands and tenements ; in the course of which
time, we frequently petit^ned New-Ham,(Lire most
earnestly, that they would t%e us under their protection,
and prevent our being devoured by those who fought our
ruin; and had as often the misfortune to find them deaf
to all our intreaties, and at the last had the bitter morti
fication to fee a proclamation, issued by the Governor and
Council of New-Hampshire, wherein they relinquished
all right to the jurifdiaion of said territory ; put us out
from under their protection, and direAed us to govern
ourselves accordingly. We then found ourselves reduced,
to the melancholy necessity of quitting all, and from a
state of affluence to commence beggars; to submit as ser
vile tenants to haughty lords; or as freemen, to Lee
death and danger and support our rights; we determined
upon the latter, and cheofe rather to die with honour
than live with shame. In this condition, detachments
of their militia were frequently sent to dispossess us,
whom we opposed even to blood. It ought to be observed,
that as soon as New-Hamplhire refused us any relief,
and relinquished their claim, we sent immediately
agents after agents to Great-Britain, with petitions in
their hands, to lay at he foot of the throne, praying
for relief, who at firft were received very cooly, but af
ter the plan of the stamp-a& failed in America, the
c?own fiftened to our cries, and gave a decree, in pare
suspending that jurifdi&ional power in New-York, until
bit Majeftfsfurther vbill and pleasure fljould be known ;
.afterwards we obtained one or two reports of the Eo^rd
of Trade in our favour, but remained very much in that
situation, until the eve of the piefent war, when we
understood that king George, to anfwet feme other tyran
nic views, had given Governor Skeen a commiflion to
preside as governor over most of this territory, who came
once to visit us, but finding the inhabitants no better
disposed towards him, than toward New-York, soon
made his exit and left us to govern ourselves.
We beg leave to recal your attention, to the present
most critical filiation of the inhabitants of the State of
ferment ; many of us were soldiers in the provincial army
during the last war, between France and Great-Britain,
and [offered inconceivable hardships, in successive cam
paigns, in striving to fuppert the honour of the British
nation, and to conquer and defend this territory of Jand
from Indians, Canadians and French, at which time
't*as we discovered the excellency of the country, and
determined, if ever circumstances would permit to fettle
the fame.
"We shall decline the ungrateful talk, of describing
the jrkfome variety of artifices, the ads of oppreffun,
the fruitlefs terrors, and unavailing feverittes," that for
the course of twelve years wete dealt out by the le^fla
turc of Neou-York, in their endeavours to execute their
unreasonable and cruel measures. And not to wound
humanity, leave untold those black aAs of outlawry and
death, passed against Englishmen, and freemen, and that
too by a legislature, wherein they could havd no represen
tation, placing them as common marks for the arrow,
wherein they not only proffered absolution to any person
that fficuld kill them, but even offered rewards, to those
who would imbrue their hands in/ their blocd, for no
other crime but defending their just rights and privileges.
Driven as we were by fatal necessity, while we remained
in that condition, to submit either to iuin, flaveiy and
death; or declare ourselves a free and independent
State; we determined upon the latter, being affined,
that our struggle would be glorious, finec in death we
could obtain that freedom, which in life we were forbid
to enjoy.
Madrid, Nov. 2. A Venetian ship with pro
visions, and an English frigate with amuni
tion and stores, have found means to get into
Gibraltar. Don Antonio d'Ulloa is said to
be arrived at Cadiz, where, by order of the
King, he was immediately dismissed from the
command of our fleet, and replaced by Den
Juan de Langara.
Our last advices from the camp cf St. Roch
fay, that the garrison of Gibraltar keep up a
warm fire, which though it does not much da.
mage, yet hinders the Works very much. The
number of troops which arrive continually at
the camp renders the work easy. It has how
ever been observed, that the enemy have raf
fed new works cn all sides, and that their lire
is better directed than it was, which has dri
ven back our advanced guards. It is feared,
if the place is not taken before winter, the
siege will be very long, as that season will o
blige Don Barcelo to quit his station, when
Gibraltar may be supplied with provisions and
every thing else they want.
Paris, Nov- 22. We have accounts from
Brest, dated the loth of this month, which
fay, that the Spanish squadron, under M. de
Cordova, is failed.
BreJcia, Nov 8. On the goth of last month
a dreadful fire broke out at Bagolino, a village
in the valley of Sobbia, containing 3000 in
habitants, and famous for the iron manufac
ture, which began at a Soapboiler's, and
burnt with such violence, and call out so fuffo
cating a smoke, that the whole village was
confirmed, and near 500 people were either
burnt or fuffocated. The whole place is now
only a heap of allies, and bodics are daily dig
ging outof the ruins. The whole family of
the Dulamis and that of Cartelli perished. The
Nuns of a Conventin the village endeavoured
to save themselves by flight, but as they have
not been heard of, it is imagined they are faf
focated. The Parilh Church and 200 barns
are also burnt; and, in short, there is scarcely
the remains of a street to be seen in the place.
Copenhagen, Nov. 16. The English fleet,
confining of 123 fail, failed yesterday from
Elfineur with a fair wind, under convoy of 4
English frigates. Several of the merchant ships
have from 12 to 16 guns, and from 50 to 60
hands on board, and are prepared for a vigo
rous defence in case of an attack from any of
the French privateers.
^thm in tyharyno a)w» yv"'^*'" °' o Y U we appeal
as the dernier refo+t under God; voir PorobH^n, or
disapprobation most determine the fafe of thousands. It
is not the intriguing courtier, the eloquent lawyer, or
the learned judge that we fr%t; we treble left poftc-ity
ihouid read, that the arms of the glorious Americans,
after working wonders in the &ufc of liberty, were taf
hifhed and disgraced, and vilely used as instruments to
deprive their brethren, of their ineftircsble rights and
previleges.
Our enemies gives us Spptobrious names, they call
us insurgents and rebels, we have stated the matter
clearly before you in the course of thh^amphlet ; you fee
wherein our rebellion consists, and it that can be called
rebellion ; Lew uqa period in the hifory of the pfefent
war, in which you have not been equally rebellious;
we conjure you by that friendship which has so long fub
lifted between we, by the blood and fuftferingb we have
exhibited in yopr cause, by your own honour, and liber
ties which arc at dyke ; to rife and cruih the spirit of
oppression, now exercised in seeking our deftruaion, be
assured (bat if you fuffer us tamely to be devoured by those
greedy powers who Rave laid plans for our run, (hat spi
rit will not sleep long, before you mod f-rt the fame
fate ; for we conceive the lib itiet of th, whole, to be
absolutely connected with every part of an empire,
founded on the common rights of mankind. We have
coveted no man's estate, we have at all times been ready
to submit all dirterem.es relative to the fee of lands in
dispute to impartial judges, and now foiemoly declare to
all the world that we are contending only fat liberty the
gift of the Creator to ali bis foyers :be right of making
our own laws, and choosing our own forn of govern
ment, and will God be pleased to diftufe the hearts cf our
countrymen to save the inhabitants of the sta: of Ver
mont from tyranny and oppression, to gr ? nt them their
liberties in peace, and to fee the things which belong to
their political salvation, before they arc hidden from
their eyes.'
To the Commonalty of New,Hamp,ire, IMsflacbufm-
Bay, and New-Ferk.
We conclude this address to you, in Ihort, to remind
you that your liberties arc challenged as Well as ours;
you are now engaged in a bloody war in defence of the
fame, remember, the measure you mete out to others,
leaven will mcafure back to you again. Can you stand
before the threoeof God and feck to be protected and de
fended in your cause, while <ou are striving to overthrow
and destroy rhe liberties cf the State of Vermont, which
Hands on as large a scale of reason for independence as
any other State on the Continent.
Again we request you seriously to confider, whether
the objett is worth the pursuit before you rulh head-long
like the hurfe into the battle. Force is seldom employed
with success to change the opinions, or convince the
mindsuf freemen, But admiting that you Should con
quer us and affix u#to any of your governments. Will
that enrich you ? Certainly not: Will it make us
better neighbours ? itcannot : Will our deftruftion fc
cure your liberties ?By no means. What then will you
obtain finally, for all your trouble and eXpenfe, not to
fay bloodshed. Nothing but a conquered depopulated
territory, where every single inhabitant, will he so im
bittered against you, that you will be necessitated to keep
a Handing army perpetually, to keep them io (objection,
and support government. And that very army in time,
being accuftemed to trample upon the liberties of man
kind, will, with the ailiftance of the difalhaed, like
the worm at the root of Jonah's gourd ; eat up and de
vour the whole of your liberties, and thus the righteous
Judge of the universe will give that people that deprive
Vermont of her rights, Slavery to drink, for they will be
worthy.
*****************************
El,near, November 15.
THE Jasen, an English frigate of 30 guns,
is arrived in the Sound, where there
are at present 120 Englifn weffels waiting a
fair wind to fail; and there are in all up
wards of 150 vessels of that nation in the diffe
rent ports near Nandahl waiting for a con
voy. '
Madrid, 0&, 24. Orders have been sent to
the Marquis d'Aimadovar, late Ambassador to
Great Britain, and now at Paris, to come
home diredly, as his Majesty has promoted
him to the dignity of grandee ofSpaim
Hague, Nov. 23. The Prussian Ambassa
dor, Baron de Thulemyer, has presented a
CHARLES-TOWN, (S. Carolina) Dec. 8.
A detachment of Virginia continental in
fantry, comm anded by Col. Heth, and some
of Col. Baylor's horse, arrived here Jaft Thurs
day. A body of troops have also arrived at
the boundary line.
Feb. 4.. The fleet which we have had fre
quent intellgence of collecting at Sandy-Hook,
failed from thence on the 24th of December
last. It is said to have confined of more than
*l4O fail, about 50 of which were empty vic
tuallers and merchantmen bound to Europe.
By what we can learn, the Russel anußobufte,
of 74 g uns , the Europe, Defiance and Rai
fonable, of 64, the Renown of 50, the Roe
buck and Romulus, of 44, and two frigates,
failed with the fleet. Of the transports, three,
viz. the brig Lady Crosby, and the floppy
Swift and Henry, have been brought in here.
Naples, Oa. 26. We are witnesses to a very
extraordinary phenomenon. Ail the land
that was covered with the inflamed cinders of
Mount Vesuvius at the last irruption on the
9th of August, are become so fruitful, that the
fruit trees growing upon them are in blossom,
and even setting forth new fruit.
Paris, Oa. 12. The molt general opinion
relative to the fleet under Count d'Estaing is,
that it touched at Long-iiland about the 24th
or 25th of September, and after concerting
with General Washington, went to Rhode-
Island to take it. If Count d'Estaing facceeds
in beating Admiral Arbuthnot, who is said to
be in Newport, and in taking that place and
the whole liland, he means to fend 14 ships to
Martinico, under M. de la Mothe Piquet, and
to go with the remaining seven ships and burn
Halifax; after which he is to return to Brelf,
where he is expended during the next month.
From Upper Laufnira, in German,, Nov. 9.
We have accounts from the frontiers of Bo
hemia, that they begin to be very disquiet, and
even seem to be making warlike preparations,
as we are told that a line of Imperial troops is
formed all along the frontiers next to Silesia
and Saxony ; and to cover the Silefian fron
tiers, some Prussian troops are marched that
way. The Saxon troops remain quiet spec
tators of these extraordinary proceedings.
Madrid, Qa. 19. The winds we have had
lately in the Streights, have not permitted
Don Barcelo to keep his station, and one of
his chebecs has fallen into the hands of an
English frigate, and is carried into Gibraltar.
This chebec is said to have had on board the
crew of a man of war of the division of Don
Langara, which funk by springing a leak.
Cartbagena, 03. 16. On the 13th of this
month, the following accident happened, viz.
One half of the roof of the building where
the offices of war and of the finnances ate kept,
fell in, and breaking through from floor to
floor, killed the chief clerk, and one of his
secondaries, and buried the chief clerk of the
department of war, with his son and three
other persons, in the ruins, out of which they
were dug much wounded, but it is hoped they
will recover.
tied er memorial to thtfr Big, M'ght'iieffcs,
infilling in the name cf hisMafter, that the
Prussian fubr&s should be exempted from the
duty of La, and vyl gelt, which waspart ofthe
duties laid on to taife money for the late na
val equipment. The States General answered
the said Ambaffaddr's former memorials by
setting forth,that they could by do means grant
the request contained, that as other nations
would also, and with the fame reason require
the fame exemption, and thus the duty be ren
dered ineffectual. The present Memorial is
in much Wronger terms, and even declares,
that ifthe States make any difficulty of com
ply n g with the demand, that his Prussian Ma
jesty will use reprisals. by railing the duties
which the Dutch ships have hitherto paid in
his ports. It is not yet known whether the
States have answered this memorial or not. In
the mean time it cannot fail to embarrass their
High Mightinesses very much at this time.
Warfava, Ofl. 27. THE harvest has been
so universally abundant that there are not
magazines to hold the corn. The' Court of
Russia has brought up a large quantity of grain
to Podolia and Volhynia, to fend by water to
Constantinople, and from thence further, be
cause corn is very scarce in many provinces
near the capital of the Ottoman Empire. This
trade may be very lucrative to the Ruffians,
who have laid up a itore of corn for many
years,
Infpruck, Nov. 2. After 6 weeks of very fine
weather, we had a very violent florin on the
gift of October, with a rain which lifted 36
hours. The Inn suddenly overflowed its banks,
and inundated one of our suburbs, but did
most damage to Hotting and St. Nicholas, by
fuelling two streams which fail from the moun
tains in such a manner that they not only de
stroyed a large extent of country, but carried
away many houses and other buildings: but
happily by the blessing of the Almighty, and
the care of the Count de Heister, together with
the indefatigable labour of the people in turn
ing the course of the water, this place was
saved from danger.
Munich, Nov. 3. In the night of the 30th of
October, there was a general alarm, occasion
ed by the overflowing of the Ifer, which was
fb sudden, that in two hours the water was
near nine feet high in the market-place, and
the whole was a very Shocking fight. The
people ran up to the highest parts of their
houses for fafety, and the waters were covered
with parts of houses, furniture, bodies of peo
ple, and drowned animals. The water has
fallen within a few days, and it is feared when
they entirely subside that the damp may occa
sion some sickness.