The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1779-08-16 00:00:00, page 2

F^ tb e Pennsy A OU, PACKET .Qu,. 7.
To the ' CNGRESS.
ONE of the most important objects
which can possibly demand y< ur
attention, is the encouragement of
the American cruizers and priva
teers. Those have rendered us
the mod essential services under a thousand
difeouragements. In the infancy ofour riaval
armaments in the year 1776, when our amirs
wore a gloomy afpeflon the land, those in
great numbers preyed upon the British trade
and brought us many articles for public . • 3
private use, -without which the war could
hardly have been fupporte^, Since that period
they have rather leflened man increased. It is
the business of Congress to enquire into the
causes of this decrease, and if possible to re
move them.
A prodigious difeouragement arises to that
ufeful body of men, who are concerned in this
business, from the difficulty of knowing what
vessels are lawful prize, and what not. A
practice has crept in among the merchants of
using double sets of papers. The British pa
pers are generally the ostensible ones before
they are taken; the others are not to be pro
duced till they are captured by an American;
in some infiances not till the, aie brought into
port and libelled in a Court of Admiralty.
The Captain of an American frigate or priva
teer meets one of their vessels, difeovers her
Engl;fh papers and believes he has taken a
valuable prize;—but alas! when he comes to
port, he finds that he has brought upon his
hands an expensive lawsuit. In the Court of
'Admiralty a defence is set up, ohch perhaps
he never dreamt of, and here, perhaps for the
firrt time, are produced another set of papers
from a Danish General, or the Dutch Hogan
Megan ; one of our merchants claims her
ei.hcr for himfelf, or for somebody or other
in some neutral island ; the Captain and Mate
swears a long story, about secret instructions
and their intention of deceiving the enemy,
and the vessel is either acquitted, or else they
nave to run a long course through the Court
of appeals, and perhaps lose their prize at lad.
In the mean time the hands had reckoned upon
their prize money and perhaps fpent.it before
hand :—they are disappointed, cu.fe the coun
try and quit it. The Captain is threatened
with a prosecution for damages and forfivears
privateering or resigns. Thus the privateers
arelaid up, or fitted out as merchantmen with
a few hoglheads of tobacco, and Continental
Ships lie in port for want of hands.
Some remedy ought to be applyed to this
evil. The law should be fettled on fucha foot
ing that the Captain of a cruizer, if possessed
of common sense, may be able to know and
diflinguifh what vessels are lawful prize ; and
when he has taken a prize he ffiould be able to
get her condemned with as little dispute as
possible. To accomplish this the way is plain
and easy. Our enemies condemn every vessel
thathas American papers Our allies, by an
edict of their King, have very wifely cftablifh
ed the fame law. Double papers, falfe papers
or the want cf papers are, by this edid, made
fufficient grounds for condemnation. We
alone leave the question, of prize or no prize,
to be determined by the confciti.ee of a Smug
gling Captain or Mate. If Congress would
auopt the fame rule with that of the King of
Fiance, encouragement would be given fuffi
cient to engage many in this important bufe
nefs, who now decline it; and this depart-,
ment of the war would revive and flouriih.
An objection is sometimes made, that this
would eeltroy a branch of trade, from which
we derive considerable supplies; but the fa&
G, that the fuplies derived to us in this way are
ineonfiderable. The fair traders import fifty
times as much ; and there is good reason to
believe, that the course of these voyages is
fuch,as to make the ports of Newport or New-
York if they can. They only reach us in caf of
capture by the Americans ; and in that case,
thev are provided with the me ns of eluding
their captors. They may possibly enrich rhe
merchants who haro double conneflioos--
at the fame time with us and with th enemy ;
but it deilroy, the cruizing business : A .d be
fdes, as I suppose these vessel arc consigned
to our ports only in case of capture, we should
have more of them arrive by making them
legal prize, than in any ot. er way. Tothis may
be added, that in effeft we prevent the Fre ch
from ever fending any prizes into our ports
for condemnation. They will certainly never
ft nd prizes to us if our Courts of Admiralty
are directed by laws, fj much more unfavour
able than their own.
This lea ? , „ n e to fay 2 word or two on the
fobjea of exempting the Bermudians from
capture. These people, from whatever cause,
nave very little answered our expectations of
deriving supplies thru' them; and, whatever
their inclinati ns may be, their p< rt has be
come a better afvlum for 'he British privateers.
If the exemption from captures Should be con
tinued to them, after the double paper trade
Is forbidden, there is danger that our fmug
giers will take our Bermudian papers or em
ploy Bermudian vessels H-re too the question
meets us ag in; as matters now stand what
would become of a Bermudian vessel that
T old be captured by a Frenchman and sent
to us for condemnation ? I heir law makes
them prizes; cars acquits them If it be laid
that, in case of a capture of a Bermudian or
double paper vessel by a Frenchman, our Court
of Admiralty would condemn her; I answer
that, in the firft p'ace, I doubt the law, and
ir the next plac', if this point were once
cflablifhed, every man, who is concerned in
privateering, would find it fur his interest to
apply ira French commission. W n uld you
be picryl /•- this r—Would it be for cur
Majority 1854
B OST O N, Jub 29 .
B^r^ so left,,f,c„ 7^%./, )ub 21.
Vv e this afternoon arrive fafe in Towns
end harbiur, in company with 30 lail of arm
ed Trips,Slides b igs,&c.and we saw at anchor
ir the harbur 10 il^ps, transports, provisi
ons men, &c. and exoett we shall fi.il for
Ponobfeot, by n x r d y afor to-morrow,
where the en<my hav- 700 men, who have
hove up a batteryo Bre aduce-point. Their
naval force confits f souffl? 3n ?3 f . va r and
we Schooner, betides tm/ports. They have
sent to NewAork ^ad'Halifax for a rein
forcement of 11, pg and land forces This is
tu? lum or th : intelligence we get here."
Ihe Captain of the brg Sallv bound 'r<m
Topfham, in England, tTN^-Yrk which
was captured oft Cape Race by an American
Privateer, appeared before the hon. Council
of this Rate on Thurfdar rail and testified as
f llows :— That he faded f om Twbiy ^e23d
day of May. with a fleer under be command t,f
Admiral Arbuthnot, eoßficingotnx fail oftie
line, viz. three 0f74, two of 64, and one of
;o guns, and two frigates, one <f whig" was
b< ond to Newft nnclaud, the ther with a ;hip
of 6 + guns, bound to Quebec. T°e Admiral
wi, bound to New-Yoik, and the.eft todif
'er-nt part- of America. That he left th-m
about a month or fve weeks ago, in 1 oi t .z
eaftv ard of chewritv ard illands.---That i° was
reported they had 7000 land fi rcer wi h th, n,
bound to adrift heb nr Hessian
British. Thc hxpcrimc.il was bound to Geor
g^.
On Monday last was sent in here by rhe
frigates" Bolton and Dean, the privateer
khooner Tryall, of to guns, of New-York,
by whom we learn that the privateer Flying
fifh, is also taken by the frigates, and may
be hourly expected.
Last Monday the Election of a Committee
for the City and Liberties came on, at which
were the greatest number of votes ever known
on such an occasion, and the election was car
ried by the molt rest enable maj rity that this
city ever was witness of. The following gen
tlemen we e returned as duly deleted.
Blair M'Clenaghan, Jonathan B. Smith,
William Moore, Northern Liberties, James
Budden, William Hollingshead, Dr. James
Hutchinson, Andrew Doz, Samuel Wctherill,
jun. Capt. Joseph Stiles, William Moulder,
William Will, W:lli m Colliday, Jacob
Shriner, Timothy Matlack, James Wharton,
J'hn Shee, Thomas Cuthburt, fen. Emanuel
Eyre, Alexander Boyd, Major John Smith,
Southwark, Paul Coxe, John M'Culloch,
Carpenter, Benjamin Pafcha I, Peelly Black
onile, Cad^alladar Dickenfon, Andrew
Caldwell, e William Thorne, fames Milligan,
George Pickering, Michael Shubart, Fred
eric Hagner, Ephraim Falconer, David Rit
tinhoufe, T homas Paine, Thomas Fitzfiny.
mons, Thomas Cafdrop, Owen Biddle, Col.
William Bradford, Col. Jobn Rice, Thomas
Shields, Capt. George Reinhant, Matthew
Irwin, Capt. George Ord, Thomas Leiner,
James Skinner, George Schloffcr, Jacob
Graff, fen. Charles W. P ale, Col. Robert
Alifoa, Bob rt Smith, Ilatter, John Kling,
Peter vVikoff, William Robinson, Southwark,
Capt. Warwick Coats, jun. Capt. Richard
Safter. William Jackson, Wallnut street,
George Henry, jofeph Marffi, David Pancoft,
Joseph Carson, Merchant, Andrew Burkhart,
Major Joseph Kerr, Philip Brchm, Samuel
M'Lean, Jared Ingersoll, Benjamin Eyre,
Captain James Lag, Hugh Hodge, jun.
I homas Wilfs, William Semple, William
Bonham, lfaac Cooper, James Hood, Antho
ny Cuthburt, Anthony Lackner, Thomas
Learning. Lewis Farmer, Derrick Peterson,
Thomas Irwin, William Tharp, Nathaniel
Donnell, Capt. William Brown, Francis Fer
ris, (George Woelp^r, Junes Rowan, James
Dunda , Joseph Falconer, Bahzar Steinfoid,
Robert Aitken, Charles Syng, Alexander
Carrier, Lambert Wilmer, William Smith,
P'"ggi-^ "i bam Heyfham, Capt. Wilriam
trice, F;a>cis Hopkinton, Lazarus Stow,
Je jiah Showden, James Hunter, Tallow
Chandler, Adam Foulke, James Pickering,
Howard Pole, David MGlHagh. Robert
Knox, Andrew K nnedy, Jeremiah Fiffier,
Th mas Britton, Frederick Phyle, William
Pebz, Samuel Young, William Van Ful,
John Barker, Robert Barnhill, Nicholas
Weaves, La>€ fvwh, Ih. mas jlumpheys,
Phili Hall, Frederick Shinkle, Peter Brown,
William Richards, Skinner.
On casing up the votes the number
For the above Gen lernen, - - 2!fc
Fora contrary Ticket, - - - - : ?h
hoi cur that a commission even from our allies
fliould by Americans be preferred to our own ?
—lt will be found every way expedient that
our allies and curfelves Ihould have the fame
enemies and the fame rules refpeding prizes.
I have thrown out these thoughts freely and
I hope decently, in full confidence that no
apology is necessary for the meanest of your
constituents in fuggelling his opinions upon
public measures—What regard ought to be
paid to them it is with you to determine.
DUILIUS.
PHILADELPHIA, August 5<
The Inhabitants of Williamsburg, (Virgi
nia) have formed a Committee for the rcgula
tionsof Prices, and which is not doubted will
be followed by every County in the State.
The English accounts tell us, that the
Marquis de la Fayatte, is on board the Squa
dron under Mons. la Mothe Picquet, but they
are mistaken, it is a cousin of the Marquis who
had the command of the troops on board that
fleet; and is fafe arrived at Martinico.
this is an incident related by Jefahus, when
Tirus besieged Jerusalem. The Roman ge
neral c nllru&d works, and planted engines
on them to batter the walls. The jews made
a tally, destroyed the works, and burnt the en
gines. They exulted molt extravagantly on
this little success, which only served to confirm
their obstinacy, hasten their ruin, and Simulate
them to greater cruelties againit their wretch
ed brethren, who groaned under all the horrors
of foreign and domestic war.
This writer is so hugely elated with the af
fair at Storey- Point that he thinks .Britain
Should no" " cool in the independency of
America p b tlv!" Can anv one be so kupid
as to imagine b hat such a trading affair could
be ant way deceive at ptfent, or influence the
coniua (f Brian): O re iniide.;.s of this
kind tinuluai in the c<wf <,f war? I could
mention Itreial iriti^ces where oyt-poil, be
longing to he Treated Generals that ever led
a no.es into the field, have been at ack d and
<;arri # d—and in wars too where tnole Generals
hve been molt feccehloi. People who are so
canly elated, betr.v Toil on weaknes bh
in foe.; incut and relotes; and general:, are
as rTly d preffid—— eirnmds 'ike a pen
dalton v 1! vibrate - either tx.erw q ally,
as ciicumitancer occ r-,^nd i+ ; an indu>ita
b'e pro 1 how low :h & affairs >f the rebels are
forb, wh< n h; < iv , an advantage is h off
off w;h Io m&fh prrace it evidently thews
Out they ac, ^CTJ to feiz, eer, lit.le inc
Ctio wdick cait ,ve. bv.exaggeration, to fin
prt the H ... ag.!: rrns ^ th, nart?z
Let m^ add, ...at the ^x^ls, about the fame
Our writer reminds me of a passage in De
Solij\ hrilory of the conquert of Mexico.—
While Certez was subduing that empire, a
Spaniard was killed in a fray with the natives
The Mexicans got possession of the corpse, arid
viewed it with a mixture of admirati o and
j >y —admiration at their own prowess in kill
ing a Spaniard, and joy to find that the Span
iards were vulnerable and mortal ! Similar to
Yellcrday a vessel arrived at Salem in 17
day from Dominico ; in her passage flic law a
large fleet not far to the leeward of St. Chris
t) phers, bearing up to that Island, which
was judged to be the Iquadronof the Count
d’EUaing.
CHATHAM, August 10.
We hear from New- York, that the enemy
have contracted their line>, and are Wrongly
fortifying Haerlem heights, the fort, grand
battery, Bunker's Hill, Governor's-lfland,fcc.
being apprehensive of a visit from our friendly
allies.
Last Friday night a final! party of troops
flationed at Elizab th-Town, made an excur
sion to Stamen bland, and brought off two of
the enemy in arms, without oppofirion. Jacob
Mercercau the younger is one of them.
Mr. Printer,
I Have just met with a rebel newspaper of
the 3d intt. which contains a very curious
article relative to the attack on Stoney-Point.
The article is written in that turgid Rile,
and in that link foirit of triumph, which dif
tinguilh aln >ft all the rebel publications, on
the acquisition of any trilling advantage. It is
at once a just sample of the eloquence and tem
per of the Rebels. The article begins thus--
“ Our gallant light infantry, who, under the
“ brave intrepid general Wayne, have gained
" immortal honour by forming the British
" garrison at Stoney-Point, were composed of
" drafts from each Rate. The firm cooincri
" with which they marched,"&c. It proceeds
in the fame style of bombart and exaggeration
to describe the amazing fortitude, luoudeful
prowess, and aflenifeing humanity which mark
ed the condud of the rebel t >ops from the
beginning to the end of the whole business.
Far be it from me to detrad from any brave
ry or humanity which may have been Ihewn by
the rebels on this occasion. I refped those
qualities even in an enemy ; and so far at the
rebels exhibited either, cr both, at Stoney-
Point, (of which however I am unable tojndge
at present) I give them full credit.
But the writer of the above article was not
aware that by extolling the bravery and hu
manity of General Wayne and his men so ex
travagantly, he induces his readers to conclude
that such inffances are very rare among the re
bels. People who would make a figure, and
have but Tender means, mull make the most of
the little they possess. This writer tells us that
the men declined for the attack of Stoney-Point,
" were composed of drafts from each state ;°
and we are elsewhere assured that they amount
ed to upwards of twelve hundred — some fay to
double that number. Is it so extraordinary a
matter that all the slates, as he calls them,
Biould furnifh twelve hundred men (reckon
ing them at the lowell calculation, and of
whom many were Europeans) who, in the dead
of the night, and after taking every precaution
to conceal their design—even killing all the
dogs in the neighbourhood of Stoney Point to
prevent an alarm—is it extraordinary, I fay,
that such a bdy of men, thus picked, and cul
led, and circumftanccd, would venture to at
tack about four hundred men ? for if my infor
mation be right, the effective men at Stoney-
Point did not exceed that number. Among
troops accustomed to face and meet their ene
mies, I am lu.e this would not be esteemed any
might, affair. When the British troops, not
amounting to izco men, really formed the
rebel forts at the Highlands, in open day,
forts that were defended by a garrison tbr<e
times as numerous as that at Stoney-Point,
there was not half so much said about it, as
there is said here of General Wayne's exploit.
Such things are expected from British troops,
there is nothing unusual in it; and therefore
little is said about it.
In fine. This writer and all others of his
stamp, ffiould remember, that the colonies are
now in a Hate cf revolt and rebeTion against
their rightful Sovereign. The British legisla
ture is ur.aberaby. determined to bring them
back to their allegiance. The molt generous
overtures have been made to them—A re
dress OF GRIEVANCES, AN EXEMPTION
FROM TAXES, AND A FREE TRADE have
been of. red. Ihde liberal tern's would in
dubitably make America the happiest freest
and mod Houriffiing country in the world.
But the American Congress have madly and
insolently rejected theie terms. The Corgrefs
therefore,arm their part:zans,are justly charge
able before God and the world, wih all the
calamities which America now fuffers; and
with all thote other and greater calamities
which it will probably hereafter fufler in the
course of this unnatural conteit
Candidus.
August 13, 1-79
*&:#***-**%***#*.T^**^***#*
10-morrow, at 11 o'Clock,
At the ( effe-henje, ^^l be SO L D,
A Quantity of Rum, in Hopflheads.
By_ P. M^DAVITT.
JOHN bEGG, and Co.
4t No. 963* "' Boiling's Bib, have for Sale,
NA RROW G^ld and Silver Birdings, rich
E aniets IL,t Binds, black Feathers, with an
'Ji merit of Goods suitable to the Season.
A very good Negro Wenc.Q~
,aPABL E of all fits of country buhnefs,
t / to be fold. Fo particulars apply to
Gilbert Williams, nt Westchester.
To be LETT,
,Large Sot Houj', v;itb a good dj Collar.
J I 4 quire ffri^h Gam.
Tne charge of “ deflowering de'encelefs
wetjen," is one of those deliberate, malicious
falfhoods which are circulated by the Rebels
purely to incense the inhabitants against the
British ooeps. As to" burning unguarded
towns," tn's writer lh< ulo know that the
K tig's troops burn no houses except public
magazines and taole from which they are fi
red at, or otherwise annoyed. This was late
ly the case at Fairfield and Norwalk, the towns
to which, I suppose the author alludes;
and when hmfes are thus converted into
citadels, it is justifiable to burn them by the
rules of war among all civilized nations.
New-Haven was in the possession of the
King's troops ; yet t>ey did not burn it : The
reason w,s, they were not fired at from the
houses during their Approach to, or retreat
from lie town. Some of the inhabtants how
ever did what %ould have j,ftified the British
tioops in consigning it to the flames. Sentries
placed to guard particular houses, have been
fired at fem thole very houses, and killed.
An officer of diftindion tock a prif ner who
was on horseback, and had a gun ; the prison
er apparently fubmitud; but watching for an
opportunity, he discharged his gun at the
officer, and wounded him. The wounded
officer was carried i~.ro an adjoining house to
have his wound dressed: The owner of the
house seemed to be kind and attentive to the
officer; the latter, in gratitude for his atten
tion, ordered the soldiery, cn his departure
to be particularly careful of the house, that
no injury should be offered to it. Yet no sooner
was the oatcer gone, and at the distance of
fifty yards, than this very man difeharged a
loaded musket at him! These are famplcs of
rebel humanity which Jueet/y harmonize with
our writers sentiments.
time, loft more men at Stono Fe^ry, and Mi
nifink, than we loft at Stoney Point.
After all, what great effects have attended
tills affair? Did licit the rebels precipitately
abandon Stoney-Point in 2 few days ? —unable
either to retain it, or irjure the garriforrat
Verplank's Point. However confeious the
the puffeffion if that place would Le of the
greatest ad antage to the King's army, and ?.t
---t nded with numbcrlefs iucoiiveuicncies "<
th mfelves; yet their courage failed when the
poss ffi n fit was to be disputed,in open dty,
with British troops. They prudently declined
that d fpute, and sneaked off before the matter
became too feri^us. Stoney-Point is ours; and
things are in the fame situation, with respect
to the contest, as before: and I have net a
doubt but this flurry will,in the end, be of ser
vice to us.
Our writer goes on to extol the “ humanely"
of the rebt's ; and cor trails it with the " fa
" vage barbaritv of burning unguarded towns,
" deflowering dtfet celeb women,”&c As far
as truth will permit I am willing to believe,
for the Honour of America, that the rebels on
this occasion relaxed in their usual barbarity.
As it is the firft inftance,it should be recorded ;
though it would have lort nothing, had it been
oxpreffed in less exaggerated terms.
The Rebels have hitherto been infamous for
their wanton cruelties. Their brutal treat
ment of Governor Franklin, Col. Camp
bell, Major Hamilton, and many oener
perfmsof distinction whom I could mention—
tori, burbarr.y to Lo,alirts in general, and at
this prefect hour—hanging men for acting
according to the dictates ot .onicience—whip
ping men almost to death, because they will
not take up arms —publ.ckly whipping even
uonten, whose husbands would not join the
militia—theirconfifcatiir $ f .ne?and imprison
ments: These things which they daily and
indubitably pradl fe, very ill agree with tie
character of humanity f, lavishly bellowed on
them by this writer. N thing but a long,
very long series of conduct the reverse of this
can wipe off the infamy which they hereby
incurred.