The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-05-11 00:00:00, page 1

ROBERT AITKEN gives THREEPENCE per pound
for any quantity of clean LINEN RAGS.
*#* Fine MACUBA RAPPEE (price ten shillings per bot
tle) to be had at his flore.
From the VIRGINIA GAZETTE of April a&
Mr. Purdie,
The freeholders of James city being defircus of expressing
their sentiments on the important fubjed of independancy,
a majority residing in the county assembled at Allen's or
dinary, the twenty-fourth of this instant, for that purpose,
and agreed to the following inftrudlions, which you are
requested to publish in your next Gazette.
To ROBERT C. NICHOLAS, and WILLIAM NORVELL,
Esquires.
Gentlemen,
IN vain do we congratulate ourfelves* upon the impotency
of the minister to divide us, if our union amounts to
nothing more than an union in one common lethargy.
War hath been brought into our houses, heightened by
terrors and cruelties, which the justest cause wants even pallia
tives for ; but faint advances towards peace, insidiously ur
ged, have caught the ear of the credulous, and groundless
hopes of accommodation deluded the timid, so that the true
military system remains untouched in most essential points.
As if our inexperience, poverty in warlike stores, and the in
fancy of our navy, were of trifling moment, we have ventured
to neglect resources, in such difficulties, which heaven hath
placed within our attainment.
Alliances may be formed, at an easy price, capable of sup
plying these disadvantages, but an independant date disdains
to humble herfelf to an equality in treaty with another who
cannot call her polities her own; or, to be explicit, (he can
not enter into a negotiation with those who denominate them
selves rebels, by refinance, and confeffion of a dependancy.
Reason, drawn from justice, policy and necessity, are every
where at hand for a radical separation from Great. Britain.
From justice ;. for the blood of those who have fallen in our
cause cries aloud, “ It is time to part." From neeeffity;
because she hath, of herfelf, repudiated us, by a rapid suc
cession of insult, injury, robbery, murder, and a formal de
claration of war. These are but few, and some of the weakest
arguments which the great volume of our oppieffion opens to
every spirited American.
It cannot be a violation of our faith, now, tOTeje& the
terms of 1763. They are a qualified slavery at best, and
were acceptable to us, not as the extent of our right, but the
probable cause of peace; but since the day in which they
were most humbly offered, as the end of animosities, an in
terval hath passed, marked with tyranny intolerable.
We, therefore, whose names are hereunto subscribed, do
request and inftrud you, our Delegates (provided no just and
honorable terms are offered by the King) to exert your utmost
abilities, in the next Convention, towards dissolving the con
nexion between America and Great-Britain, totally, finally,
and irrevocably.
*, The above inftru&ions are signed by a majority of the
freeholders living in the county.
The PENNSYLVANIA EVENING POST.
Vol. lI.J
Price only Two Coppers. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Evenings.
SATURDAY, MAY 11, 1776.
237
BO S T O N, May 2.
The following is a translation of,fome advices extra&ed from
a late french paper brought by a vessel in fix weeks from
France, which arrived at , last week.
SUPPLEMENT to extraordinary intelligence, No. 14
LEID E (in France) February 13, 1776.
ACCORDING to a letter from the provincial camp at
Cambridge, over against Bolton, in North-America, 2
detachment of that army, taking advantage of the retreat of
the King's troops, which had (hut themselves in the town of
Boston, except fix hundred men commanded by Colonel Ag
new, to take possession of a height which they occupied cal
led Cobble-Hill, the Provincials having been firft throwing
up an intrenchment; and, notwithstanding the fire upon
them from the troops under Mr. Agnew, and from the vessels
near Lechmore's point, they Succeeded in fortifying that very
important poss, which commanded the point we have just
mentioned, and Boston itfelf, in such a manner that a bomb
battery, placed on Cobble-hill, can reach the centre of tl;e'
town. Notwithstanding, neither by this letter, nor by
any other advices received from America, does it ap
pear, that the Provincials have any design of dislodging the
King's army, or of forcing their retreat on board their ves
sels. On the contrary, according to these advices, the armies
think only of defending themselves, in their refpeftive quar
ters, from the severity of the season, which has been very
rigorous from the beginning of December.
The General Congress, it is said, have appointed Mr. John
Adams, Chief Justice of Massachusetts-Bay ; his brother.
Samuel Adams, proscribed by the proclamation of General
Gage, called the great Adams, Secretary General of the
Confederation ; and Mr. Benjamin Franklin, Diredor Gene
raLof the Posts of the United Colonies.
(Here follows the declaration of the Congress, signed
Charles Thomson.] °
HAMBURGH, Feb. 6. They write from Hanover, that,
at the end of last month, there passed two couriers from Lon
don to Caffel, with defpatches for Col. Faucitt, who the
British court had appointed to order the concerns of taking into
pay a body of troops from Germany. The Landgrave of
Hesse Caffel granted, it is said, twelve thousand men, and
the Duke of Brunswick five thousand, who are to repair to
the Dutchy of Bremen, to embark on the Wefer towards the
end of this month, or beginning of March.
There is also advice from Minorca, that the Hanoverian
troops are fafe arrived, except one transport ship which had
run ashore near Dunkirk, and which, having afterwards got
off, had arrived at Port Mahon the twenty-sixth of Decem-
ber last.
LONDON, Feb. 6. The HouTe of Lords were altogether
engaged in extraordinary affairs the second and fifth of this
month. 'The House of Commons, on the firft, did not fit
but about three quarters of an hour. It is ordered, on the
motion of Mr. Grey Cooper, that there (hall be brought be
fore the House the state of the .balance found in the Exche
quer on the fifth of January"; after which they adjourned to
yesterday, and were then engaged two hours on state affairs.
The Committee of waysand means have been fuccelh+ely ^
[Num. 204.