The New-York gazette, and the weekly Mercury — New-York [N.Y.], 1777-03-24 00:00:00, page 2

'' of their Diflrefs, and take cruel Advantage of
“ their Necessities." This is at once an Ac
knowledgement of very foameful Guilt indeed,
and aninumation ofDuty.The one includes our
pafl Conduct; the other relates to dur future.
I hope we shall receive Profit and Instruction
from both. No People want a general Refor
mation more than ourselves. This was so ob
vious, that our very Convention could not
help pointing it out to us : We all know that
the Congress ahd its Adherents, our Conven
tion, &c. have compelled Widows and Orphans,
as well as whole Families together, to fly from
their peaceful Abodes ; and it is a fngular In
stance of their Truth, that they fhculd so
roundly confefs it. We are perfealy sensible,
what Market is made of their Difrefs, and what
cruel Advantage is taken of their Necessities. The
Groans, the Tears, the piteous Complaints,
of numberless Widows and Orphans, all con
firm the melancholy Fad ; all acknowledge
the Origin of their Miseries to have been in
our Leaders ; all confefs, as with one Voice,
that those Leaders have created, as well as
drawn, these Scenes of Woe, and implore
/ "a Reformation of their Manners," that they
may at lead perceive a Hope for an End es
their Sorrows. But I will paraphrase no far
ther here upon this most just Acknowledge
ment of Infamy, left, if we run on expatiating
upon our own Guilt, the whole World may
take us ex confrffi for Devils incarnate. This
is a Point we none of us desire; for, though
Paradox it may seem to ordinary Understand
ings, we only confefs all these Sins, on pur
pose that we may be thought holy. And if
we are not an extraordinary Sort of People
with all these Perfeaions about us, who, in
the Name of Wonder, can be ?
We are next admonished to court the Favor
of Heaven ; and, in order to induce us more
fervently " to rely upon God," those good
Christians the Romans under Fabius (long be
fore the Time of Christ) are proposed by our
Convention for an Example. Indeed, it must
be owned, we are very much like them. The
only Difference is, that as they were " confi
" dent in their own Virtue, and in the Pro
" teclion of Heaven ;" we are “ conscious of
" many fhameful Vices prevailing among us,"
and that " our Maker is displeased with us."
Of course, the Reader may judge, which can
better claim the Title of Christians, they or
cue. This is the mod profitable Inference,
which I know how to draw from the Compa
rison.
From the above " Mysteries of Godliness,"
our amiable Convention defeend to plain Mat
ters of Fact. They tell us, in so many Words,
that " a powerful and well-disciplined Army,
" supported by a refpe&able Fleet, invade this
" Country: They are oppefed by an Army,
" which though numerous and brave [brave
" as Romans, if not quite so pious) is quite
" undisciplined. Notwithstanding this mani
" feft Disparity, they have never thought it
“ prudent to give us Battle, though they have
" often .had the fairef Opportunities."
This Text, Reader, is embarrassed with many
Difficulties, which People cf mere common
Sense, who have not been behind the Curtain,
could not easily solve ; and, therefore, I, who
know all the Motives and Meanings of our
deeply intelligent Convention, shall endea
vour to explain them. In the firft Place, we
are invaded by the British Forces. Now, to
invade is to make a Descent upon and attack
a Country or Place in Possession of another
Army or People, uhofe Business it is, if the
Invasion be unjust, to repel them. Accord
ingly we opposed these British Forces by an Army
quite undisciplined; but kill notwithstanding all
this Opposition, there was no Battle. And our
Convention presently give us, in a Sentence
or two after the above Quotation, the true
Reafm. " Would it not be highly imprudent
“ (they ask) to rifaue such important Events
" [i. e. " the Freedom and Happiness of Mil
" lions yet unborn"] upon the Issue of a ge
" neral Battle ?" It appears then, that the
Cause of all this Backwardness was from our
selves, because we would not run the Rifque of
a Battle: We thought it imprudent, whatever
Thoughts might poflefs the Britons. We had
too much at Stake to run such a Hazard. We
loved cur Homes, we loved our Lives. We
remembered the Observation of one cf our
famous Ancestors of blessed Memory :
The Man that fights and runs away,
May line to fight another Day ;
Rut he, that is in Battle fain,
Shall never rife to fight again.
Andwe afted accordingly. There was,there
fore, no Rattle at all : Our brave Soldiers, were
wife Soldiers,'and, notwithstanding their Num
bers and Bravery, would not venture to stand any
ugly Chances; Th^ Britons too " nev r r thought
it prudent (for even those Fools are wife feme
times) to give us Rattle." They did not invade
and attack us upon Long Ifand. Poor Wretches !
They had come from a far Country, and of
course wanted a few Vegetables for the Scur
vy; and so, out of mere Companion and
Complaisance, we left them all the Works and
Cann:n, with which we had engaged ourselves
duri; g the Summer, for their Exercise and
Amusement. This was only Civility . • There
was no 81-natur'd Fighting in the Case.—
Arid when those " poor cowardly Souls,,
longing for feme Homes to cover them during
the Winter, had the fairef Opportunity of giving
*; Retie ex York Island, if they bad chosen
it, 6' did but politely withdraw, from Tea
derncis to their Wants. When they invaded
the County cf Weft Cheder, and had the Fa
tigue cf travelling Miles after Miles up to
the White Plains; we gave them the fairef
OpMr+uniy of fighting us, by getting thither
before them and keeping entirely cut of their
Way. We kept the Field as long as we
" The wife and virtuous (fay our Cor.ven
" tion) of all Nations have pronounced @ur
" Cause to be just, and approved the Manner
" in which our Refinance hath been con
" duded.”—Upon my Word, our Patriots
have a much wider Correspondence than I
could have believed, but for this Authority.
All the wife and virtuous People of all Kin
dreds aid Nations, and Tongues, have sent
our Congress, or our Convention, congratu
latory Letters upon their manifold Glories
and Triumphs. I should lik, to know, whom
they employed to read these Letters, how they
were conveyed hither, and where they are de
posited, It would amuse me much to fee
such a Polyglot of Compliments bound up in
Calf together. But there is one Thing in
Qur Text which embarrasses me. Our picus
Convention, in a few Pages above, have been
confeffing their Sins before God and the World,
and perhaps all the World, and have ownc,d
that " cur Country is contaminated by many
Jbamful Kice:." Now, I wLh to know, for
which of these Vices, the wife and virtuous
of all Nations have sent us their Approbations;
—There is also another Difficulty. Most of
the States of this World are Monarchies. I
cannot learn, which of those Monarchies, or
what People under them, have ventured to
fend us an Opinion in Favor of Republicanism,
er how they should be so much out of Humor
on a sudden with their own Form of Govern
ment, as to approve nr's.—There yet remains
another Embarrag&nt, and that is the Post,
chose it; and what proud Victor could do
more ? When they " cruelly invaded" Fort
Walhington, in Patience we pofeffed our Souls #
like good Christians, and meekly Surrendered
up the Fort and ourselves to their Desire. Of
course, here Was no Battle, though a very
fair Opportunity of giving one. And such
Opportunities have often occurred. No, Rea
der, in all these Situations we have been some
thing more than Conquerors: We made the
Britons run, —though indeed it was after us ;
and we out run them too, and consequently
we out did them ; and if we out did them, we
beat them, by the faireft Deduction that Logic
affords us.
A Victory, without a Triumph, was thought
of but little Consequence by the Romans,
those good Christians whom our Convention
propose for our Example. In Imitation there
fore of so rcfpeßable a Nation, it is proper,
that we Ihould triumph too. But, as all Things
are capable of Improvement, we are to mend
the Matter by triumphing before the Vi&ory,
and not merely after it, as they did. The
Thing itfelf is one and the fame ; the Differ
ence is only in the Time. "We have more
" fighting Men in America than Britain can
" possibly fend, Our Trade is free, and every
" Port of France and Spain affords Protection
" to our Ships. Other Nations, invited by the
" Advantages of our Commerce, will doubt
" less soon follow their Example; and Expe
" rience must convince the most incredulous,
" that the British Navy cannotexc^/e us from
" the Sea." To underhand this triumphantly
difficult Text aright, candid Reader, you mud
confider that all the Men in America are
fighting Men, that they have nothing else to do
but to fight, and that they had rather fight
than eat their Breakfafts. In the next Place,
you are to know, that all these fighting Men
are unanimous and can be gathered into one
Place in a very few Days, that every Soul of
them is willing to leave his Farm arid his Fa
mily for that Purpose, and that their Negroes
will be just as obedient and industrious without
them as with them. The State of Affairs in
the last Summer proves all this; for we had
not an Englishman cr an Irishman in our
whole Army—they were all our own People.
And with refped to our Numbers, I need only
fay, that'if we could afford to put Thirty
Thousand Men and more under the Turf in the
last Year, we shall be able to put Fifty Thousand
under it in the present ; because we find Men
much more hearty for the Service, and better
fed and eloathed than they have been. Besides,
all these Men when they are at the Camp have
nothing else to do, at Times, but to increase and
multiply, from whence we may conclude that
our Population goes on iqoft amazingly. Our
Trade likewise is perfectly free ; for it is out
of all Duty on the one Hand, and on the
other, there are no Ships of War from the
Enemy able or ready to molest it. We never
had such a thriving Commerce as we have at
present, nor such profitable Returns made us.
We fendout our Produce, and we get in Re
turn Powder and Shot, which we bounce upon
the British Soldiers quite delightfully. We are
grown so rich by this lucrative Trade, that
our Congress has been obliged, for Want of
Room in this Country, to lay up a Magazine
of Treasure in France/ where they intend
hereafter to visit it, and all for cur Sakes, most
assuredly. There can be no Doubt, because
our Convention fays it is dowbtlefs, that all the
World will court our free Trade, without any
Regard to trie Interference or Resistance of
Britain. We are such excellent Paymasters,
and foreign Laws have so strong an Operation
among us for the Recovery of Debts, that to
be sure, they will spend their last Dollar in or
der to obtain our Friendship, and especially as
we mean that our Friendship shall be entirely
profitable to them, without the least Considera
tion of ourselves. And as to excluding us from
the Sea, how ridiculous is the Idea; when every
Body knows, that our Land touches it for above
1600 Miles together; and that all the Force
in the World cannot carry that Land away
from it ?—This, Reader, I take to be the true
Interpretation of this most extraordinary Pas
sage, which, for the Truths therein contained,
as well as for the Manner of relating them, is
worthy the Observation and the Admiration of
all Men,
or Packet, of Conveyance. We have decla
red for Independence but very little more than
half a Year ago, and a Passage alone to the
“ wife and virtuous of all Nations," both by
Land and Water, would require twice that
Time. Of course then, lam aftonifped, how
we have come at the Intelligence, that all
these wife and virtuous Folks have pronounced
" our Cause to be just," or by what Vehicle,
by what Pacolet of a Messenger, they have
Signified this wonderful Approbation to us.—
But perhaps Miracles have not ceased: And
I have no other Refuge in this Matter, but
either to call it a Miracle, which you know is
not to be accounted for, or to term it a Mys
tery, and so consign it over to the Profeffors
of occult Philosophy. This Ido very willing
ly, and am not albamed to confefs my Inca
pacity to fettle this Lemma.
'Tis high Time to conclude this Letter ;
and therefore I will only observe for the pre
sent, that, such is the comfortable Ingenuity
of our Convention, Defeat, Famine, and all
other Misfortunes, are only " Blessings in
Disguise" (as the Author of Common Sense
fays) and every Loss amounts to a Gain.. The
Blessings indeed are so disguised on our Part,
that my poor weak Eyes cannot possibly lee
them. I muff borrow the Microscope of the
Congress ; for I take them to be rather small,
and as capable of being brought into C^m
pafs, as the innumerable Multitude of Beings,
which Lewenhoeek dilcovered in a single Drop
of Water. However (at the said encouraging
Author assures us) “ if we get but Bread to
" eat, and any kind of Raiment to puton, we
" ought, not only to be contented, but thank
" ful. More than that, we ought not to look
" for." But he and I know better how to
cater for ourselves. Man cannot live by Bread
alone (fays the Scripture) ; and I am so fatisfied
with that Truth, that I never mean to try it.
And as to the any kind of Raiment, I don't
know what to fay to wearing nothing but
Blankets and Bear's Skins, not I. lam afraid,
I fhotild be tempted to commence Rifle-man
indeed, and, like a Member of that respec
table Body, rob and ritlenhe Country, which,
as yet, I don't feel bold enough or wicked
enough to do. At least, Ibeg Time to con
fider of it ; and so, Mr. Printer, for the pre
sent, Adieu.
INTEGER.
LONDON, Novem. 4.
Lord Weymouth lately laid the following
Account of the Expenditure ofthe French Re
venue before the King, as from undoubted Au
thority.
Royal Houfhold, £. 400,000
Privy Purse, 240,000
-Stables, - 2oc,cco
Queen and Princes of the Blood, 540,000
Appointments, — 1,360,000
Academies, 24,000
Library, — 63,000
Bridges, Pavements, &c. 200,000
Royal Buildings. • 160,000
Army, 2,000,000
Navy, — 1,200,000
Fortifications, — 170,000
Artillery, . 240,002
Police, — 140.000
Interest of Debts, 2,160,000
Issued in Payment cf the King's 7
Warrants,f 1,40,000
Extra for the Navy, 150,00®
£• ii,3^7> oo °
Payment cf Debt, 2,600,000
Total, £. 13,987,000
Mr. Amelot, Minister of the Department of
Paris, has sent Orders to the Opera not to fuffer
any Women, of whatever Diftin&ien soever to
enter that Theatre with Feathers or Caps that
are tee high ; what occasioned this Order was,
a Duke being at the Opera some Time ago, was
entirely blinded from the Sight of that Perfor
mance by the Feathers of a Lady fitting before
him, the Duke upon making a Complaint, ob
tained the abovemeniioned Order; several La
dies have since been refufed Admittance.
“ Captain Cornwallis is appointed to the
Command of the Isis cf 50 Guns, in the room
of Capt. Douglas; and Capt. Marshall to the
Arethufa Frigate, in the room of Capt. Dent,
who is appointed to the Command of the Prin
cess Amelia, of 80 Guns, now fitting out at
this Port, as is Capt. Rowland Cotton to the
Command cf the Pallas, in the room of Capt.
Cornwallis."
Admiral Keppel is absolutely fixed on to
command the Fleet cf Observation, which is
to assemble in the Spring at SpitheadY
The Manufacturers in the Blanket Way were
never fuller of Business than at present, and
the great Demand for Woolen Goods has raised
the Price ofWool upwards es Ten per Cent,
above the usual Price.
One Contractor alone has had an Order for
Caps, Gloves, and Stockings for the Armyat
New-York, to the Amount of Five thoufind
Pounds.
Janu. 7. Lord Sandwich is so confident of the
Force he has, and will be able to colled, that he
irf/L publickly in indiferiminate Company, that it
is imptfhle for the House of Bourbon to think of
attacking us, as he can provide for every diflant
Service, and keep 15 Sail of Line of Battle Ships
for the Channel, which will keep every Quarter
in perfe& Security. The French are certainly very
backward in their Preparations.
Lsf Week Miss Nicholson, a Maiden Lady at
Berwick, near 60 Tears old, went off to Scotland
with a military Gentleman (near her own Tre)
os a matrimonial faunt, to the Bis appointment of
all her Friends and Relations. l
^wo J^F American Vessels laden ^ith Flour,
a^d Tokico . i ^rd, are t^ken on the Ranks of
The following Prayer, among others, was used
in England antbe l'ate General Fast Day, Dec.
13th, 1776. _
A PRAT ER for our Enemies.
OBLESSED0 BLESSED Lord, who haft commanded us
by thy beloved Son te love our Enemies,
and t® extend our charity in praying even for
those who def,it,efully uie ws, give grace, we
beseech thee, to our unhappy fellow-fubjeds
in.4meric«, that feeing and confeffing the error
of their way#, and having a due sense of their
ingratitude for the many blessings of thy pro
vidence, preserved to them by the indulgent
care and protection cf these kingdoms, they
may again return to their duty, and make
themselves worthy of thy pardon and forgive
nefs: Grant us in the mean time not only
strength and courage to withstand them, but
charity to forgive and pity them, to shew a
willingness to receive them again as friends
and brethren, upen just and reasonable terms,
and to treat them with mercy and kindness, for
the fake of thy Son Jcius Christ our Lord,
Ilmen.
ftewfeuoafra..d, e, ci.t cj our Fosgates, ana fnt
to the Weft Indies to be Jell.
Extras of a Letter from Capt. Murdoch Mac Lean,,
of the Royal Highland Emigrants, commanded I.;
Lieutenant Colonel Mac Lean, to a Gentleman in
Edinburgh, dated Jlabifax, i^th Nov. 1776.
“ WeDiled from St. Helen's the 9 h of Sept,
in Company with the Euphrates, Artemifia,
General Howe, and Success Increase, Trans
ports, under Convoy of the Vulture and Hun
ter Sloops of War. By the Attention and Vi
gilance of our Convoy, we kept Company till
the 7th of October, when a violent Storm fc-.
parated the whole Fleet, leaving not two Ships
together. In two Days after we fell in with
the Hunter Sloop, and continued with her till
the 19th, when a most impenetrable Fog which
lifted 48 Hours, again deprived us of her Pro
tection. In this Situation, and finding myfelf
approaching the Enemy's Coast, at theHead of
only 23 Recruits and 4 Volunteers, who had
never teen any Service, and on whose Obedi
ence alone I could depend, I thought also if
'1 ime to take Steps for our Defence in , Cafeof
an Attack. I accordingly communicated my
Intentions to the Maker 6f the Vessel, and his
inferior Officers, who readily said they would
obey my Orders, 2nd give me allthe Assistance
in their Power, but that they coald not answer
for the Sailors. Whereupon I immediately
akembled the Crew, after pointing out to
them what was likely to happen, and faying
every Thing I could to animate them, 1"told
them, that in such an Event I hoped they would
behave like British 'Seamen. Their Answer
was “ They were not engaged on such Condi
tions ; that if they were disabled, they had no
Claim on Government ; and that even if thev
toolc a Prize, the firft Man of War they met
would take it frem them." To obviate these
'Objeßions, I proraifed them a pecuniary Re
ward, and Protection ifthey should receive any
'hurt; upon which, with the help of that per
suasive Liquor called Grog, they gave me three
Cheers, and swore they would not Birch,
whatever should happen. On thezgd, about
40 Leagues off Cape Race, at Four o'Clock in
the Afternoon, we saw a.. Sail to the Windward,
bearing down upon us. We focn difeovered
her to be a Rebel Privateer. I immediately
ordered every Man to his Station, and we flood
our Course. A little after Five o'clock fhs
came within thirty Yards of us, on our Lar
board Quarter, and, after ordering us to strike,
De saluted us with a Broadside, of her Carraige
Guns, Swivels and Small Arms; but being
prepared for her, we returned the Compliment
so briskly, that in less than an Hour she thought
proper to iheer off. In Hopes cf getting clear
of her under Favour of the Night, we crouded
all the Sail we could set; but we soon perceived
that she was much the fafteft Sailer, and only
logged a-stern to keep Sight of us till Morning.
To prepare, therefore, in the best Manner I
could for another Engagement, I ordered up
all the Hammocks to barricade all the Decks,
and after refrefning the Men, I kept them on
their Arms all Night. About four o'clock in
the Morning we saw our Yankee Friend elofe
at our Heels ; and considering that by keeping
to Windward he would attack our Lee, b^
which cur Deck would be exposed, and his
Screened from our Fire, we determined to haul
up our Courfeg, and go before the Wind, to be
on as equal Terms as possible. This being
done, we fired a Gun by way of Signal that we
were ready for the Attack. He seemed so
much difeencerted by this Manoeuvre, that he
laid his Sails to Mast, and took a Half an Hour
to determine. After which lie advanced on our
Larboard Quarter, and raked us aft. He then
came on our Starboard, and the dispute was
maintained with equal Keenefs till eleven
o'clock, when our Antagonist found it neces
sary to sheer quite off, with the Loss of several
Men, and much Damage done to his Vessel.
She appeared to be about 200 Tons Burthen,
mounted 10 Carraige Guns, 12 Swivels, and
carried upwards of eighty Men.
“ Itis very remarkable, that we had not a:
Man killed or wounded, though the Bedding,
of which we made a Breast-Work, was full of
Balls. Several of the soldiers Muskets were
Dot to pieces in their hands and considerable
Damage was done to our Ship and Rigging.
" By this Affair I have had the good Fortune
to save 20,0001. Sterling to Government; and
as the principal part cf our Loading was Sol
diers Cloathing, the Rebels are baulked, of
what would have been a most valuable Booty
for them in their present ragged Condition.
" The Activity and good Behaviour of Capt.
Carey, his Officers, and Crew, cannot be too
highly commended on this Occasion, We had
only fix Three-pounders, a few Swivels, and
eleven Sailors."