The New York packet, and the American advertiser — New York [N.Y.], 1776-04-18 00:00:00, page 1

The fotevirig are REMARKS occafaned by
readiag Objections, to the late Pamphlet entitled
Common Sense, publifted in ,our Packet,
No. 10. ^^//foer/ Rationalis. " d
s^*^i§ HIS Writer centres Com
mon Sense as unjust in rc-
Z§ s^s § presenting monarchical go-
T § vernment as disapproved bv
1^ ecoo^ I Heaven, and.endeavours to
Shew, on the contrary, that
*'7^9^'^^'* it is e q ua lly approved with
any other form that men may devise. A little
attention to the Tcriptures will clear this matter.
God forefaw that his nation would in time in
sist upon having a king, like the other nations;
and therefore in his laws gave rules for him to
govern himfelf by. Dent. xvii. 14-—2 O. " I r e
(hall not multiply horses to himfelf, neither fliall
he multiply wives to himfelf, that his heart turn
not away ; neither Shall he greatly multiply to
himfelf filvfr and gold.---He Shall write himfelf
a copy of the law; and he Shall read therein
all the days of his life, that he may learn to
fear the Lord his God- -to keep all rhe words
of this law, and these Statutes, to do them ; that
his heart may not be lifted up above his bre
thren, and that he turn not aside from the com
mandment to the right hand or to the left."
Kin&s thus governing themselves and their peo
ple, in the fear of the Lord, are accepted with:
him, and loved and honoured by their fubjeds.
Had Britain's King done so, America would have
been in peace this day. Where will you find
such a King? They are all turned aside and a
postatized. How are they lifted above their
brethren! When Israel, weary of the moderate
and gracious government-God had hitherto ex
ercised over them by their Judges and Elders,
and Simulated by worldly ambition, infixed on
having Kings over them, like the rest of the
nations ; God (forefeeing that so great, perpetu
ated power, in .the hands of one man and .one
family, would prove very intoxicating, and cor
rupting, too heavy for the weakness of the hu
m,n mind to support with honour; and that go
vernment, thrown into this form, would in fa&
soon degenerate into an oppressing tyranny, and
13 prove a curse inflead of a bleifing) directed
Samuel to lay this before the people as an ar?
gurnent to dissuade them from infilling upon
'having their demand of -a, kingly government
granted. He did so, and has painted a covetous,
greedy, proud, oppreflive tyrant, lifting himfelf
up above his brethreh, to the life. See f Sam.
tiii. 10— 4 tß. The people still persisting in their
demand, God condefeended to it,, and in grant
'irig their request, they found their punithmeht.
" I gave them a king in mine anger." Hosea
xiii. 11.
Thus, as a fool, they prepared a rod for their
own backs. This then is the reftilt; if a peo
ple in forming a plan of government, will con
sult the Supreme Ruler of the nations, his' ad
vice to them is, q®t to establish monarchical go
vernment, because it easily and naturally dege
nerates into tyranny ; but if they choofc it, he
fuffers it to be so, and uses their kings as an iron
rod in chastening the apostate rebel nations, and
by the heavy Strokes of these iron rods, he dashes
the earthen vessels, one after another. The
kingdoms both of Israel andjudah were ruined
by their kings: so have numberless nations
been: so will Britain probably be :, so will A
merica soon be, unless God in great mercy now
saves her, as he did Bavid from the paw of the
bear, and the mouth of the lion. The plain
truth is, the nations by presumptuously trusting
too great power in the hands of one man and
one family, have caught a Tartar. All history
confirms this. Considering the weak and disor
dered state of human nature, no other can be ex
peAed.
Common Sense objects against hereditary
kings; that this is a frequent occasion of great
and deftruffive contentions. To this Rationa
les opposes the Strifes and contentions that arise
about the choice of kings in elective monarchies,
and instances Poland, The Polish Kings are e
ledive, but by whom? Not by the 'body of the
people, nor by men deputed by the people, to
ch%fe a king for them, but by a set of great
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Published MzrcJ 18, 1776. . , ^
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THE,.
a^tete^^ ^^pi r^^^re^
A M E R I C A NA D VE R T I S F. R.
T H U R S D A AP RI L 18th, 17764
Printed by SAMUEL LOUDON, in Water-Street, between the Coffee-House and the Old Slip.
Thursday, 20 Min. after 9
Friday, 12 Alin, after 10,
Saturday, 2 Min. after 11 I
Sunday, go Min. after 11/
The bill of rights his limited the crown a
little, but not enough to secure the interest and
liberty of the fubjefts. Had the limitations pro
posed by the long parliament to Charles I. taken
place, it would have been happy for the nation.
That is a bad constitution indeed, under which
the rulers, though ever so faithful, can't Serve
the interest of t%e nation. That is a good and
wifely conftruaedconftitution,by virtue of which
the governing powers have full liberty and au
thority to do all the good to the people they
wish them to do, and at the fame time are made
liable to be retrained and controuled by them,
whenever they attempt, to Sacrifice the public
interest to their private palfons, and where by
t\: fubjecls have referred in their own hands
full power to remove corrupt and dangerous
rulers, from year to year, and put worthier in
their places. Such is the constitution proposed
to America. The Britifn constitution furnishes
no Such etfeaual Security against a corrupt par
liament and administration. The liberty of
making a new choice of members for a house of
commons once in seven years, as things are ma
naged, is ot no advantage, is no real security to
the people.. The nation might as well leave
the nomination of their reprefentativesin par
liament to the King, as they do the nomination
of their bilboes; tor he. does in effect nominate
and secure a large majority as his. creatures.
But R^tionalis endeavours to. frighten the
people and prejudice them against the proposed
plan of American government, by telling many
frightful ftorics ot the violent factions, confufo
ons and tyranny of commonwealths, arid in
ftanc.es Athens, Rome and Carthage. These
cities were once commonwealths in. an imper
fea, defective form. But many other cities,
provinces and people were conquered by them,
especially the two last, Stripped of their liber
ties and subdued under their government.
These were not generally incorporated as mem
bers of the commonwealth, invested with equal
rights and liberties ; but the ruling cities ex
ercised an arbitrary government over them, like
what Britain is now attempting over America ;
reserving to themselves the power of the purse
and the sword, and the disposal of the great of
fices. No wonder then these ruling cities were
rent with factious Strifes among their members,
and tyrants to their conquered fubje^ Ifthe
city of Philadelphia or New-York Should fibrin
irfelf into a commonwealth, and then conquer
the whole province, and bow it under her go
vernment, doubtless She would rule as a tyrant,
and be agitated and torn by great ftrites among
her own members, contending among them
selves tor offices and the spoils of a province.
.Rationalis also mentions the commonwealth
formed.in England alter Charles I. was cut off,
as another instance to his purpose. He might
as well have mentioned the conquest agd tyran-
" men in iffe nation, who are independent on the
;people, 4inre qfurped a tyranny over them, and
are generally pehfoners to neighbouring kings;
who interfere by these their creatures, and fre
quently by their armies too, in the choice of a
new King fur Poland. No wonder then that king
dom is thrown into great commotions on these
occafurns. The manifeft truth is, that when the
crowns of kingdoms are in vefed with exorbi
tant powers, and decorated with great riches, and
high prerogatives, dangerous to the rights and
liberties of the fubje^s, the\ become objefts of
greedy, coveting desire, and a bone of frequent
furious contention amongst great ones, whether
they are hereditary or elective ; and the people
are lure to fuffer and bleed whoever bears away
the prize.
Rationalis complains that Common Sense ar
gues from the abuse of the Britilh conditution
to its infufficiency to secure its grand aim, the
liberty and happiness of the people; and fays,
if the several branches of the legislature would
be faithful, the Britifn constitution would be the
best in the world. In this he does not do Com
mon Sente common justice. He points out the
errors *nd defeats inherent in the constitution
irfelf, (some of them, but not all) the chief of
which is, the exorbitant power and dangerous
prerogative given to the crown; and shews that
the great abuses of the government naturally
ar:ft out of the errors and defects in the con
flitufron itfelf.
HIGH WATER at NEW-YORK.
I Monday, 46 Min. after 12
/Tuesday, 8 Min. after 1
IWedheftlay, 28 Min, aft# 2
New Moon t&lu
ny of William |I. over England. 'They that
had the government after Charles's death,
proudly filed themselves the commonwealth of
England, but were not so ; but only a party of
mad enrhufiafts and violent independents, with
a few Deifls, formed in the Long Parliament,
who having artfully got the army into their
power, usurped the government of the nation,
and ruled by the sword and arbitrary power.
Their government was a real tyranny. And
when Cromwell usurped it from therri, it was
only an exchange of many joint tyrants for
one..
Suppose, as the iffue.of the present war, the
British government, in America is overthrown,
and some little party among us, as for inßance
the Baptists, aided by the army, should form
themselves as a kind of commonwealth, and vi
olently assume and exercise sovereign dominion
over all America, and arrogantly stile them
selves the commonwealth of America, would
this make them really so ? Would not Ameri
ca, in this case, be really a conquered people,
under the tyrant rule of the Baptists ? To What
purpofc are such inßances of the few, formed
among themselves as a kind sf commonwealths
and exercising tyrant rule over the many, intro
duced to discredit such & genuine common
wealth as is recommended to America; where
in all who are fubjeft to its government, are
constituent members of it, and have all equal
rights, liberties and privileges, and equal inte
rest in its government ? They have no analogy
or likeness to this plan.
Rationales thinks the right time to declare for
an independent government is not yet come;
that we ought yet to feck reconciliation ; that
it we can't obtain fate terms, we ffiould still tight
on tor them; till every brave man in America
is llain. We shall do so before Britain will grant
such terms; then after that, if we can't obtain
them, and the aggressors call in foreign,aid, in
this last extremity we may do so too, and then de
clare. This brings to mind the old proverb,
“ After death call the doctor." Fight for an
accommodation till all yourbravemen, who have
courage to fight, 'are Main, then set up indepen
dency. He knows it will then be too late. Yes,
yes, light down and llaughter all the Sons of
Liberty ; then the tons of slavery will have
free liberty to fubjeft their country to the con
querors iron yoke, and may, p rhaps, ffiare a*
very final! part of her spoils, as the reward of
their villainy. Will not America ere& a su
perb monument in honour of this great matter
ot reason, this wife Counfellor ?
When the people firft came to Samuel de
manding a King, God said to him, hearken to
their voice, yet protest folcmnly onto them, (that
in this they fin againt the Lord to their own
hurt) and Ihew them the manner es the King
•that fell reign over them ; that is, what will
in tad be the spirit and oppressive harden of
kingly government. This is called the manner
of the kingdom, 2 Sam. x. 2g. As Samuel had
before told them how it would be if they put
• Themselves under kingly government; so now,
• they perlifting in their demand, and in a spirit
of unbelief, presumptuously defpiling all the
consequences God had forwarned them of, and
laving received the kingly government which
God gave them in his anger, as an infirument
ot chaltifing, with presumptuous Shouting, Sa
muel repeats to them what he had foretold them
before, and wrote it in a book, and laid it up be
fore the Lord, that it might remain a witness
for God, that he had faithfully forwarned them
of the oppressions and miseries they were bring
ing on themselves and their posterity, and a
witness against them in the day when they
Should find this prediction verified upon them,
and ciy unto the Lord by reason of their griev
ous oppressions by the han<, of their king, and
riot be heard.
As all scripture is given for our inftrufflon
and warning, so this in particular is a fpeakirig
admonixion'to America now, when heaven is 0-
pening a door of deliverance from such fore
oppression,. and the British government, by their
cruel and brutish treatment of her, has released
her from ill obligations oftonfcience, gratitude
or intereft,to remain any longer Subject to it,mt
dependent on it; and if now, after all. the cruel
injuries we have fuffered, and the greyer we
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Mr. Printer,
A Gentleman, who Giles himfelf an English
A American, in his plan of Compact, pro
poles, 3. " The Crown Shall appoint the officers
of government, during good behaviour , &C
But whence have all our troubles sprung? Have
not our Governors appointed by the Crown beea
the principal Source of all our calamities, b,
their ambition and covetousness, their mist„
presentation and calumny I They want larger
salaries, and regulars to keep the people in awe,
and instead of being the fathers of their people,
have been their betrayers, oppredors and mute
dcrers. The continent would have ten m
peace hadit not been for these appointed Gover
nors. It rtever was worth while to take up arm
at all, unless these can be excelled. They are
like the roots of a cancer, which if not entirely
eradicated, soon fpreids as bad as ever. These
men, if reconciliation was immediately to take
place, would never rest until they lid embroil
ed us again. They have had their reign alrea
dy, and have been banished for their oppreffioa
and tyranny. Let .us never receive them, per
any of their order again, who have proved such
vipers. We Should be fools, indeed, if after all
their schemes to subdue the Several colonies to
arbitrary power, and even to spirit up the Indi
ans and negroes to murder us in our peaceable:
habitations, we Should ever fuffer them to re
main among us.
But they Shall continue only during good be
haviour. But who is to judge of their good
behaviour? The good people of the Mrffa
chufetts Bay judged that Bernard and Hucchin
fon did not behave well, and preferred a com
plaint against them to his Majesty. But wh^c
did it avail r The Governors were acquitted, anU
the complaint difiniffed as a falfc and Scandalous
libel. If Governors are diligent and reßßote
in enlarging the power of the Crown, and les
sening the liberties of the fubjefl it is to no
purpose at all to complain against them. Sun
dry Noblemen, in Scotland, in the reign of
Sharks 11. accused Lauderdale of many hor
rid oppressions and unheard of cruelties; but
the King, after hearing the case, acquitted him,
faying, though they had proved many damn'd
things againfthim, yet they had not proved
that be had intended to lessen his prerogative.
Nay, the bloody Marquis of Antrim, who en
couraged and headed the Irish Papists in the
massacre, when they murdered ahnoft all the
Protclhnts in Ireland, was acquitted by the ex
press order of his Majesty. Now, there cannot
foe worse men in this world, than the Marquis
of Antrim, Lauderdale, Hutchinfop and &r
---nardL:
cannot but forefee, we fay nay, we will not b,
made free, but we will have a King, even 2d.
tain's King, to reign over as, and over our chib
dren; we Shall soon cry out by reason of infinite
oppressions, with a great and a bitter CTy,r.td
#e Lord will not hear us in that day. Hour
justly might he anfw.er us, faying, I would have
set you free, but you would not accepts, go
cry to your King and tyrant ruler; nara yc^
have chosen, let them deliver you. <
„In article 6, lie thinks it would be ufefal
for us, that the King Should have a right to
keep ten or twelve thousand troops to repel any
Sudden invasion, &c. But a Standing army 3
one of the greatest grievances. The Pretoria!)
guards at Rome, were, I believe, not a larger
body, it so large ; yet they kept the wbole world
in Slavery for many ages, railed any one to be
Emperor whom they plcafed, and cut him off if
he happened to disoblige them, and set up ano<
ther in his room. Yet there were ten times as
many fokiiers in the empire as are now in A
merica and Great-Britain together, whom this
handtul of Praetorian guards thus insulted and
abused for Sundry centuries. A Standing army
have great power to doYnifehief; and endive
countries, because they are already railed, and
dilpofed to follow an ambitious leader, where
there is noxlunger. They are greedy of large
fees and plunder.
As to their repelling a sudden invasion, the,
have no great inclination for that bnSnels, Liv
ing in idlenefs,they become effeminate and cow
ardly, and ready to' tiee at the approach of a
brave enemy. Theit&ifbulincfs k&ms to be
Fine Salt, - - - None,
Coarse Salt, - - ~pd
Indian Corn, per Bush. 3s. 6d.