The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-12-31 00:00:00, page 1

The AMERICAN CRISIS.
, NUMBER I.
By the Author of COMMON SENSE.
HESE are the times that try men's fouls. The
summer Soldier and the Sunshine patriot will, in
this crisis, Shrink from the Service of his country ;
but he that hands it now, deserves the love and
thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily
conquered ; yet we have this cons Nation with us, that the
harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph, What
we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly :—Tis dearness
only that gives every thing its value. ' Heaven knows how to
set a proper price upon its goods; and it would be Strange
indeed, if so celestial an article as Freedom should not be
highly rated. Britain, with an army to enforce her tyranny,
has declared, that She has a right (not only to tax) but "to
bind us in all cases WHATSOEVER," and if being bound in
that manner is not Slavery, then is there not such a thing as
Slavery upon earth. Even the expreflion is impious, for so
unlimited a power can belong only to God.
Whether the Independance of the Continent was declared
too soon, or delayed too tong, 1 will not now enter into as an
argument ; my own Simple opinion is, that had it been eight
months earlier, it would have been much better. .We did not
make a proper use of last winter, neither could we, while we
were in a dependant state. However, the fault, if it were
one, was all our own ; we have none to blame but ourfelves*.
But no great deal is loft yet ; all that Howe has been doing
for this month past is rather a ravage than a conquest, which
the spirit of the Jerfies a year ago would have quickly repulsed,
and which time and a little resolution will soon recover.
I have as little faperftition in me as any man living, but
my secret opinion has ever been, and still is, that God Al
mighty will not give up a people to military deftrudlion, or
leave them unfupportedly to perish, who had so earnestly and
so repeatedly fought to avoid the calamities of war, by every
decent method which wisdom could invent. Neither have!
so much of the infidel in me, as to suppose, that He has re
linquished the government of the world, and given us up to
the care of devils ; and as I do not, I cannot fee on what
grounds the King of Britain can look up to heaven for help
against us : A common murderer, a highwayman, ora house
breaker, has as good a pretence as he.
'Tis surprising to fee how rapidly a panic will fometiraes
run through a country. All nations and ages have been sub
je& to them. Britain has trembled like an ague at the report
of a French fleet of fiat bottomed boats ; and in the four
teenth century the whole English army, after ravaging the
kingdom of France, was driven back like men petrified with
*"1 be pie,ent winter (meaning the last) is worth an age,
if right', employed, but if loft, or neglected, the whole Con
tinent •will partake of the eiti; and tbere is no punifoment that
man rices net dcjerie, he he who, or achat, or where he avill,
that ma, be the means of Jacrtjicing a Jeafen jo precious and
foul." Common Sense.
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. 11.1
Price Threepence. Published every Puejday, PburJdg, and Saturday Evenings.
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31 1776.
615
fear ; and this brave exploit was performed by a few broken
forces collected and beaded by a woman, Joan of Arc.
Would, chat heaven might inspire feme Jersey maid, to Ip;rit
up her countrymen, and save her fair fellow Sufferers from
ravage and ravishment ! Yet panics, in some cares, nave uieir
uses ; they produce as much good as hurt. Their 'duration
is always Short ; the mind soon grows through them, and ac
quires a firmer habit than before. But their peculiar advan
tage is, that they are the touchttoues of Sincerity and hypo
crisy, and bring things and men to light, which might other
wise have lain for ever undiscovered, in fad, they have the
fame effect on secret traitors, which an imaginary apparition
would upon a private murderer. They £ft out the. hidden
thoughts of man, and held them up in public to the world.
Many a disguised Tory has lately Shewn his head, that shall
peniten ; tially folemaize with curses the day on which Howe
arrived upon the Delaware.
As I was with the troops at fort Lee, and marched with
them to the edge of Pennsylvania, 1 am well acquainted with
many circumstances, which those who lived at a distance
know but little or nothing of. Qur situation there was ex
ceedingly cramped, the place being on a narrow neck of land,
between the North river and the Hackenfack^ Our force was
inconsiderable, being not one fourth so great as Howe could
bring against us. We had no army at hand to have relieved
the garrison, had we shut ourselves up and flood en the de
fence. Our ammunition, light artillery, and the best part of
our Bores, had been removed upon the apprehension that
Howe would endeavor to penetrate the Jerries, in which case
fort Lee could be of no use to us ; for it must occur to every
thinking man, whether in the army or not, that these kind
of field forts are only for temporary purposes, and last in use
no longer than the enemy directs his force against the parti
cular objed which such forts are railed to defend. Such was
our Situation and condition at fort Lee on the morning of the
20th of November, when an officer arrived with information
that the enemy with two hundred boats had landed about
seven or eight miles above. Major General Green, who
commanded the garrison, immediately ordered them under
arms, and sent express to his Excellency General Washington
at the town of Hackenfack, distant by the way of the ferry
fix miles. Our firft object was to secure the bridge over the
Hackenfack, which laid up the river between the enemy and.
us, about fix miles from us and three from them. General
Washington arrived in about three quarters of an hour, and
marched it ih& head of the troops towards the bridge, whi«h
place I expetted we Should have a bruSh for; however they
did not chute to difputc it with us, and the greatest part of
car troops went over the bridge, the rest over the feriy, ex
cept Some which passed at a mill oh^fiQ. creek, between
the bridge and the ferry, and made their way B^Rgh so me
marshy grounds up to the town of Hackenfack, and there
passed the river. We brought off as much baggage as the
waggons could contain, the rest was loft. The Simple obje&
was to bring off the garrison, and to march them on till they
could be Strengthened by the Jersey or Pennsylvania militia,
so as to be enabled lo make a stand. We Bald four days at
[Not 296.