The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-12-31 00:00:00, page 2

I Shall conclude this paper with forae miscellaneous remarks
on the state of our affairs, and fell begin with asking the
following question, Why is it that the enemy hath left' the
New-England provinces, and made these middle ones the
feat of war ? The aniwer is easy : New-England is nothin
felted with Tories, and we are. 1 have been tender in railing
the cry against these men, and used numberfefs arguments to
ffiew them their danger, but it will not do to facrifice a world
to either their folly or their baseness. The period is now ar
rived in which either they or wemult change our sentiments, or
one or both muftfall. And what is a Tory ? Good God ! What
is he ? I Should not be afraid to go with an hundred Whigs
zgainft a thousand Tories, were they to attempt to get into
arms. Every Tory is a coward, for a servile, slavish, felf-inte
refted fear is the foundation of Toryifm ; and a man under
such influence, though he may be creel, never can be brave.
But before the line of irrecoverable reparation be drawn
between us, let us reason the matter together : Your conduct
is an invitation to the enemy, yet not one in a thousand of
you has heart enough to join him. Howe is as much de
ceived by you as the American cause is injured by you. He
experts you will all take up arms and flock to his Standard
with muSkets on your shoulders. Your opinions are of no use
to him uniefs yea support him personally, for it is soldiers
and not Tories that he wants.
Newark, coMeßed in our out-posts, with feme of the Jersey
militia, and marched out twice to meet the enemy on infor
mation of their being advancing, though our numbers were
greatly inferior to theirs. Howe, in my little opinion, com
mitted a great error in generailhip, in not throwing a body
of forces off from Stauen-ifland through Amboy, by which
means he might have seized all our gores atßruntw^k, and
intercepted our march into Pennsylvania. But if we oelii+e
the power of hell to be limited, we mull iik< wife believe
that their agents are under some providential controul.
I Shall not now attempt to give all the particulars of our re
treat to the Delaware; fuffice it for the present to fay, that both
oftcers and men, though greatly harassed and fatigued, fre
quently without rest, covering, or provision, the inevitable
confluences of a long retreat, bore it with a manly and a
martial spirit. All their withes were one, which was that
the country would turn out and help them to drive the enemy
back. Voltaire has remarked that King William never ap
peared to full advantage but in difficulties and in action ; the
fame remark may be made on General Washington, for the
character fits him. There is a natural firmnefs in some minds
which cannot be unlocked by trifles, but which, when un
locked, difeovers a cabinet of fortitude; and I reckon it
among thufe kind of public blessings which we do not im
mediately fee, that God hath blelt him with uninterrupted
health, and given him a mind that can even flourish upon
care.
l once felt all that kind of anger, which a man ought to
feel, against the mean principles that are held by the Tories.
A noted one, who kept a tavern at Amboy, was handing at
his door, with as pretty a child in his hand, about eight or
nine years old, as most I ever favr, and after fpeakin^ his.
mind as freely as he thought was prudent, finished with this
unfatherly expression, " Well! gi^e me peace in my day."
Not a ,an lives on the Continent but fully believes that a
separation gnuft some time or other finally take place, and a
generous parent would have said, “If there mtfbe trouble,
ft it be in my day, that my child may have peace ;" and this iin
gle reflexion, well applied, is Sufficient to awaken every man
ip duty. Not a place upon earth might be so happy as Ame
616
rica. Her fruition is remote from'all the wrangling world,
Ihi tas nota^g to do but to trade with them. Aman
IL, th v .uihin&u- th. in himself between temper and-princrple,
ana law as confident, as I am that God governs the world,
urn America will never be happy till ihe gets clear of foreign
dominion. Wars- ,without cealing, will break out till taat
period arrive, and the Continent must in the end be conque
ror ; for, though the flame of liberty may Sometimes cease t&
Shine, the coal never can expire.
umerica did not, nor does not, want force; but die wanted
a ,P r °P' r application of that force. Wifdem is not the pur
chase of a cay, and it is ho wonder that we should err at firft
Setting off. From an excess of tenderness, we were Unwilling
to raise an army, aid trailed cur cause to the temporary de
fence of a well meaning militia. A summer's experience has
now taught us better ; yet with those troops, while they wera
collected, we were able to set bounds to the progress of the
enemy ; and, thank God ! they are again assembling. I al
ways considered a militia as the belt troops in the world for a
sudden exertion, but they will not do for a long campaign.
Howe, it is probable, will make an attempt on this city ;
Should he fail on this fide the Delaware, he is ruined ; if
he lucceeds, our cause is not ruined. He flakes all oil
his fide against a part on ours ; admitting he Succeeds,
" e c ° n ' e quence ^ill be, that armies from both ends
of ,he continent will march to assist their (offering friends in
the middle States ; for he cannot go every where, it is irnpof,
collider Howe as the greatest enemy the Tories have•
he is bringing a war into their country, which, had it not
been tor him and partly for themlelves, they had been clear
°*; S.h^ld he now be expelled, I with with all the devotion of
a Christian, that the names of Whig and Tory may never more
be mentioned; but Should the Tories give hi^ encourage
ment to come, or abidance if he come, las Sincerely with that
° u ' " ext y""' s arms may expel them from the Continents
a °° 'he Congress appropriate their poSßffions to the relief of
thole who have fuffered in well doing. A tingle fuccefiful,
attle next year will fettle the whole. America could carry
°° years war by ^ confiscation of the property of dif
affeaed perlons, and be made happy by their expulsion. Say
this is revenge, c^l i rather,the loft ref, ntmtfut ofa
uttering people, who, having no object in .view but me
f °°° °' ALL , havefaked & their own all upon a Seemingly
cubtfal event. Yet.it is folly to argue against determined
fa eI , M , ce may strike the ear, and the laqg^ge.of
"° w draw forth the tear of companion, but iwth& <@
r^ch the heart that is ftceied with prejudice.
Quitting thi^clais of men, I turn, with the warm ardour of
a friend, to those who have nobly Rood, and a ft yet determined
to hand the matter oh, I call not upon a few, but upon all ;
not on this state or that state, .but on every ft^ ; up &
; %y°" r shoulders to the wheel {better have
h° r " "° r ^^ Wh °" f ° ^ cat ^ n ^^ k ^ fluke.
Let it be toid-to the future world, that in the depth if wi adv
noting but hope and virtue could furtive, that
dn the country, alarmed at one common danger, cam firth:
. omeet and to repulse it. Say not that thoufiwds aiego: e, turn
out your tens of thofods ; throw not the burthen of 6 c day
fte.ee, but ^foy^ fab by
r G °CT>, D I 0: If Matters not whexe you live, or w ^
%, y ° u T^' the e#vll ° r the bailing will Keach
tf nd the " ear> the h ° me eunties and the back,
? nd the P ° % ^ l f ^ er or ^ ^ alike. The heart
"" T' " l" d# The bbod of his children foall
', rd , e ' who Brinks back at a time when a little
Wight have saved the whole, and made them happy. J 1 9¥ §