The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-06-15 00:00:00, page 3

By the incldfed papers you will perceive the city
and liberties have been convened, and have expressed
their sense on the laid relolve of Congress.
We judge the number of people met on this oc
casion exceeded four thousand, and confided of that
class of men which are moll to be depended on in
times of clanger.
A change of such importance as that now pro
posed, is not brought about without some confeft,
arising from the opposition of interests, and the
force of prejudice in favour of old and ettablifhed
forms. The riffociators will have to contend, in
the present instance against the Proprietaries and
all their dependants, influenced by elf interest, and
holding lucrative offices under them—with all whom
they can influence, joined by all the avowed, as well
as secret enemies of the caule of American freedom.
It will, however, be absolutely necessary for us
to unice with firmnefs, and pursue our measures with
a steady perseverance which will undoubtedly carry
its through every difficulty that may arise.
This Committee have thought the objed before
us of such consequence, to the fafety and happiness
of the province, as to induce us to^fend some of our
Committee and fellow-citizens into each county,
to incite such of the good people as are friends to
liberty, and determined to oppose the cruelty and
injustice of Great-Britain, to a Spirited and manly
exertion of their undoubted rights and privileges,
in the present favourable opportunity of eftabliJhing
them forever.
We have judged this the more necessary, as we
are informed the party, we have already mentioned
as our opponents, will be indefatigable in their en
deavours to fruftrate, by falfehood and every other
means in their power, every attempt which shall be
made to emancipate the people of this province from
the bondage in which they have been long held.
To point out the necessity in our present al arming
Situation with refped to Great-Britain, ot establish
ing a form of government, capable of exerting, in
the mod effectual manner the whole Strength of this
province, in conjunction with the other colonies,
. for the common defence, by cold reasoning on the
fubje&, would be to affront your feelings as men
The insults and barbarity of our enemies are une
qualled, and the supineness of our government, can
only be pardoned in consideration of the fatal obli
gations of allegiance, which they seem to hold them
lelves bound to, by their sacred oaths—a supineness,
which, being continued, will involve us in distresses
too great to be borne, and make our last Struggles
• for liberty but the convulsive efforts of expiring life.
From a free government, established on •'the
authority of the people, and having their interefi alone
in view, we may reasonably expert' ,the manly and
effectual exertion of that Strength which God hath
given us for our defence, and on which, next to the
providence of Almighty God, will depend the future
peace, liberty and fafety of the whole people.
We have seen, and some of us have felt, the me
lancholy effeds arising from the opposing interests
their brains knock'd out, will insist upon Raying
among their own countrymen who have emigrated
there."
At a Commencement held in the College of
this city on Monday last, the following young Gen
tlemen were admitted Batchelors of Arts, viz.
James Abercrombie, John Leeds Bozman, John
Clopton, William Cocke, Thomas Duncan Smith,
William Thomas and Ralph Wiltshire.
Likewise the following were admitted Masters
of Arts, viz. Archibald Gamble, Joseph Harriion
and Brice Innis.
The uiual Commencement Exercises are postpo
ned to the next public occasion, for the convenience
of some of the Graduates, who could not at prelent
give their attendance.
Extract of a letter from Lewifown, June 10.
" The Liverpoole still remains in the road, but
the King-fifher is gone to sea.
“ June 11. I intended to have sent by land but
the Tories have cut off that communication. Lall
evening the King-fifher returned with a brig, Capt.
Walker of Wilmington, but before the pirates board
ed her, our brave Capt. Barry had, in fight of the
King-fifher, taken out tome powder and arms. This
day a brig came into the road, but cannot learn
who she is. You will please to inform the Congress
of the proceedings of the Tories at the head of our
county, as I think there will be occasion for some
troops from upwards to quiet them. They are
breaking out in a surprising manner."
The following is the circular Letter sent to the Com
mittees of the different Counties in this Province,
by the Committee of LnfpcCion and Observation for
this City and Liberties.
Gentlemen. Philadelphia, May 21, 1776.
WE have, in a former letter to you, referred
to the Irftrudions given by the Assembly of
this province to their Delegates, and they are pub
lished in the Votes of the Houfe'; you will, there
fore not be surprised to hear that the Delegates of
Pennsylvania did not give their voice in Congress on
the quettion 'for establishing governments through
out the Continent on the authority of the people;"
but, by declining to vote on this momentous occa
sion, did, as far as was in their power, withdraw
this province from the Union of the Colonies both
in council and action.
of the Proprietary and the people—Who can re
coiled the horrors of the ife Indian war, and not
Shudder at the idea it brings to his mind? Fire,
sword, desolation, and death in the mos infernal
forms, will be presented to our view—Parents and
children weltering in their blood—lnfants torn witli
savage brutality from their mothers wombs, and
made the food of dogs ! ! ! —Objeds yet more terri
ble than these will press upon our reludant minds ;
objects.which our fond affection for the Softer lex
forbid our recollection ! Little does it avail to
inquire mho mas most to blame, the Proprietary or
the people then in fewer —lt is plain, beyond the
possibility of a doubt, that the horrid ravages of
tha dreadful war were long permitted to Spread
. through this devoted province, by means of the un
just claims of haughty and " absolute Proprietaries."
To rid yourlelves forever of their tyranny is now
in your power.—ls you embrace it, your defeend
ants will glory in their ancestors.—ls you negled it;
you will entail Slavery on your polterity, and they
will jufly execrate your memory as unworthy of a
parent's name Liberty and Slavery is before, you,
take then your choice.—For us, we are determined
to be free, and invite you to partake with us of that
freedom which all are intitled to. If you wish this
province to be restored to their rank in the Conti
nental Union, we recommend to you, to nominate
such a number of your Committee as you may think
proper, to meet throughout the province, Depu
ties from the other Committees, in Philadelphia, on
Tuesday the 18th day of next month, in order to
agree upon, and dired the mode of electing Mem
bers for a Provincial Convention, to be held at such
time and place as the said Conference of Committees
may appoint; for the express purpofe-of forming and
eftablifoing a Nem Government, " on the Autho
rity of the People" only, and for the security
of their peace liberty and fafety, according to the
inclofed recommendation of the Honorable Conti
nental Congress.
We are, Gentlemen, your humble servants.
*, The Committee of the City and Liberties of
Philadelphia are desired to take notice that Tues
day and Friday evenings are the appointed stated
meetings for the future.
From the Revd. Mr. Clarke's letters concerning the
Spanish nation.
IN regard to learning, and the belles lettres,
Spain eviden 1, labours under two material dis
advantages; whicli are the want of a Liberty of the
Press, and the being fubjeded to the censure of the
Inquisition. Lis easy to imagine how many valu
able works of wit, humour, satire, and genius are
intirely rendered abortive for want of this liberty;
and though, it may be attended with some evils and
inconveniences, yet its advantages are evident, from
the many entertaining and ufeful produdions, which,
in our island solely owed their birth to it; for as, one
well said Is it not better for the public, that a mil
lion of monsters Should come into the world, which
are sure to die as soon as they are borne, than that
one Hercules Should be Strangled in his cradle? Let
us bear patiently with the infamous productions of
infidelity and faction, as long as we can receive,
from the fame channel, the admirable difeourfes of
a Sherlock, or a Hare; the political writings of a
Bolingbroke, or a Bath, and the various masterly
and elegant compositions of a Lyttleron. What
would have become of the wit and buffoonery of
Dr. Swift, the elegant observations of Mr. Addis
on, and the genteel humour of Sir Richard Steele,
if their free and unshackled spirits had been chained
down like those of the Spaniards? Where would
have been those many pleasing and inftrudive writ
ings which daily iprung up through this liberty,
at different periods, in the many controversial wars
which we have had upon fubjeds of party, politics,
learning, and even religion? Would not all these
have been destroyed in the bud, if we had seen as
Mr. Pope fays, under the throne of ignorance or
superstition,
Beneath her footftool Science groan in chains,
And Wit dread exile penalties, and pains.
There foam'd rebellious Logic, gagg'd and bound;
There ftript, fair Rhet'ric languish'd on the ground.
It is a matter of much more furprize to me, when
I confider things in this light, to find that the
Spaniards are advanced so far as they are in arts
and science, than to wonder they are got no farther.
If we add to this the power and uncontrouled li
cence, which the Inquisitors or Dominicans have to
censure all works printed there, and, if they please,
to chastise and puniSh the authors, it would surely
make a full apology for Spain in this article. I
know not well how many licences a book must have
before it can actually pass the press, but I think at
lead three. It is usually read by as many censors,
and is carefully cleansed by the Catholic fpunge,
before it falls under the eye of the public The
Inquisition never grants any licence, reserving to
itfelf the freedom of condemning or absolving af
terwards, as it may judge expedient The art of
this management is apparent. The index of the
Libri Prohibit! publilhed by the holy office is now
increased to two large volumes in folio; and a man
must fairly turn over all that work, before he can
well know what he dare read. The cEffics that I
opened, in the royal library at Madrid, were ana
thematifed in the title with these words, 'Audor
damnatus;' and many whole prefatory difeouries
were era fed and blotted out, because, as the libra
rian told me, 'lls font contre notre religion' I
have been told by a Spaniard, a friend ot mine,
that the Dominican library, confining only of
books which they have seized, and which of course
are forbidden, is one o's the largest and finelt in
Madrid. I have heard many of them own, that:
the prohibited books were generally the mod worth
reading One in particular told me, that, as Fa
ther Paul's history of the council of Trent was for
bidden to be read any where upon earth, he took
it with him, and read it at sea. It is no uncom
mon thing here to fee the works of our Locke,
Newton, and Bacon, those immortal glories of
human nature, flint up in durance. But how
should it be' otherwise, when, as Bayle t^lls us,
in an extrad from John of Salisbury, that Pope
Gregory VI. not only banished mathematics from
the court, but burnt a library of Heathen learning,
in order to give the Scripture more authority.
Erasmus found the weight ot this millstone upon,
the neck of science, almost insupportable, at the
time that he was making luch noble 'efforts for the
revival of letters: And the ignorance and indob nee
of the Monks, which he so much exclaims Against
in those days, is very little altered for the better in
the present. Few of them, even now, either un
derstand or talk the Latin tongue; and fewer hill
ate employed in fludies of real or ufeful learning:
They are chiefly confined to the narrow limits of
the scholastic writers, the polemic divines, and
Thomaftic or Augustine theology. I speak only
in general, for doubtless there are some exceptions,
such as a Flores, a Ponce, a Burriel, or a Feijo;
r but these are rare, and shine, like lamps in fepul
chres, amidh the numerous cells of those useless
ecclesiastics. Great part of this dearth of scholars
is certainly owing to the want of a due encourage
ment a rehriction of the liberty of the press, and
their fubjedion to the yoke of the Inquisition. And
how much they have fuffered from these curbs may
be easily gathered from the fads that have pafT.d
in Spain only. Poor Miguel Cervantes, the inimi
table author of Don Quixote, underwent many se
vere bufferings in combating those triple monsters,
prejudice, ignorance, and superstition.
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Thoughts on different Subjefls.
A Greater judgment cannot befal a country, than
a division that rends its people into parties,
which are greater enemies to one another, than if
they were of different nations: This Spoils good
neighbourhood, makes men hate one another, and
manifeftly tends to the deftrud on of all society.
It is only from the actions of men that the public
can judge of their probity.
In all cabals and factions the ignorant are most
violent; for a bee is not busier than a blockhead.
Thote who are intruded with government, should
be rich in virtue and goodriels; they should nor
be beggars and hungry wretches, who intend to
enrich themselves with the plunder of the public.
It is the practice of cowards to abuse men, and,
to cease when they are anfwer.d.
It is a mean want of fortitude, in a good man,
not to be able to do a virtuous adion with as much
confidence as an impudent man dotli an ill one. It
is very ridiculous to be angry with a man because
he is not of your opinion; the interest, education,
and means by which men attain their knowledge
are so very different, that it is impossible they should
all think alike.
THOMAS LEIPER,
TOBACCONIST,
TAKES this opportunity of informing the
pulic in general, and his friends in parti
cular, that the partnership of Hamilton and Lei
per is dissolved, and that he (in the house occupied
by the company, the corner of Spruce and Water
streets, below the Drawbridge, Philadelphia) ma
nufactures in the best manner Snuff and Tobacco of
the firft quality, equal, it not superior, to any here
tofore imported from Europe, which he will be
enabled to dispose of on as reasonable terms as any
Manufa&urer in America, and execute all orders on
the shortest notice; as the works he has lately form
ed are by far thereof complete, not only for expe
diting the business of manufacturing Snuff and
Tobacco, but also doing it in the greatest perfection
of any works ever yet erected on the continent.
N. B, Two Tobacco Spinners will meet with
encouragement by applying as above.
ISAAC HAZLEHURST
Has for Sale, at his Store in Water-flreet, the fifth
door above Market-street;
COFFEE of the best quality, Muicovado Su
gars in hogsheads, tierces and barrels, Molas
ses, Cinnamon, Powder Blue, and a few hoglheads
of exceeding good Jamaica Spirit, five years old.
SUGARS in barrels, Melafles, French Rum;
Coffee in bags and hogsheads, TO BE SOLD
on boad the Schooner Mary, Capt. Cubulas,
lying in Mr.Chevalierh Dock, near the Oki Ferry,