The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1778-07-14 00:00:00, page 2

&nnm€nf, these are tie work of tie day, for which
the several legislatures are fully competent. I have
also the pleasure to congratulate your Excellencies,
that the country, for the settlement of whole go
vernment, revenue administration, and the like,
you have exposed yourselves to the fatigued and ha
zards of a disagreeable voyage, and more drfagree
ablenegociation, hath abundant resources wherewith
to defend her liberties now, and pour forth the rich
flream of revenue hereafter. As the States 6f North-
America mean to possess the irrevokable enjoy
ment of their privileges ft is absolutely necessary
for them to decline all connexion with a parliament,
who, even in the laws under which you a&, reserve
in express terms the ' power of revoking every pro
position which you may agree to. We have a sense
cf the kind offer you make, to grant us a ihare in
your Sovereign, but really, gentlemen, we have not
the least inclination to accept of it. He may fait
you extremely well, but he is not to our taste. You
are felicitous to prevent a total separation of interests,
and this, after all, seems to be the gift of the bufiaefs:
To make you as easy as possible on this fu@R I
have to observe, that it may and probably will, in
some instances. be our interest to assist you, and then
we certainly shall. Where this is not the case
your excellencies have doubtless too much good
sense as well as good nature to require it. We can
not perceive that our liberty does in the least depend
upon any union of force with you ; for we findthat,
after you have exerted your force against us for up
wards of three years, we are now upon the point
ofeftablifhing our liberties in direct oppefition to it.
Neither can we conecivethat after the experiment
you have made any nation in Europe will embark
in so unpromising a scheme as the fubjugati®n of
America. It is not necessary that every body
should play the Quixotte. One is enough to enter
tain a generation at least. Your Excellencies will,
I hope excuse me when I differ from you, as to our
having a religion in common with you : The religion
of America is the religion of all mankind. Any
person may worfh p in the manner he thinks mofta
greeable to the deity; and if he behaves as a good ci
tizen, no one concerns himfelf as to his faith or ado
rations, neither have we the least solicitude to exalt
any one fe& or profeffion above another.
lam extremely sorry to find in your letter some
sentences which refled upon the character of his
Most Christian Majesty. It certainly is not kimd,
or confident with the principles cf philanthropy you
profefs, to traduce a gentleman's character without
affording him an opportunity of defending himfelf:
and that too a near neighbour, and not long since
an intimate brother, who besides hath given you the
most solid additional proofs ofhis pacific disposition,
and with an unparaleUed sincerity, which would
„do honour to other Princes, declared to your court,
unasked, the nature and effed of a treaty he had just
entered into with these States. Neither is itquite ac
cording to the rules of politeness to use such terms in
addressing yourselves to Congress when you well
knew that he was their good and faithful ally. It
is indeed true, as you justly observe, gat he hath at
times been at enmity with his Britannic M^jefty,
by which we buffered some inconveniences : But
these flowed rather from our connexion with you
than any ill will towards us : At the fame time it is
a solemn truth, worthy of your serious attention,
that you did not commence the present war, a war
in which we have buffered infini ely more than by
any former contest a fierce, a bloody, I am sorry to
add, an unprovoked and cruel war. That you did
not commence this I fay because of any connexion
between us and our present ally ; but. on the con
trary as boon as you perceived that the treaty was
in agitation, proposed terms of peace to us inconse
quence of what you have been pleased to denomi
nate an insidious interposition. How then does the
account stand between us. America, being at peace
with all the world, was formerly drawn into a war
with France, in consequence of her union with
Great Britain. At present America, being engaged
in a war with Great Britain will probably obtain
the most honourable terms of peace in consequence
of her friendly connection with France. For the
truth of these positions I appeal, gentlemen, to your
own knowledge. I know it is very hard for you
to part with what you have accustomed yourselves,
from your earliest infancy to call your colonies. I
pity your situation, and therefore I excuse the little
abberations from truth which your letter contains.
At the fame time it is possible that you may have
been mifinformed. For I will not suppose that your
letter was intended to delude the people of these
States. Such unmanly defingenuous artifices have
of late been exerted with so little effed* that pru
dence if not probity, would prevent a repetition.
To undeceive you, therefore, I take th€ liberty of
of assuring four Excellencies . from the very Left in
telligence that what you call ' the present form vs
the French offers to North-America " in other.
Words the treaties of alliance and commerce between
his Most Chriflain Maefty and these States, were
not made in consequence of any plans of accommo
dation concerted in Great Britain, nor with a view
to prolong this ^eftrffiive - war, If you confider
that these treaties were actually concluded before
the draught of the bills under which you ad Was
bent for America, and that much time must necessa
rily have been confirmed in ad lifting compacts of
such intricacy and importance; and further, if you
confider the@arly notification of this treaty by the
Courtof France, and the aflurance given that Ame
rica had reserved a right of admitting even you to
a similar treaty you must be convinced of the truth
of my assertions The sass is, that when the British
Minister perceived that we were in treaty with the
greatest Prince in Europe, he applied himfelf imme
diately, to counteract the effect of these negociati
ens. And this leads me with infinite re ,ret to make
some observations, Which may poflibly be by you
considered in an offensive point of view.
It seems to me. gentlemen there is something
(excuse the word) disingenuous in your proce
dure. I put the supposition that Congress had acce
ded to your propofinons and then I ask two ques
tions, Had you full power from your commission
to make these Propositions ? Possibly you did not
think it worth while to confider your commission,
but we Americans are apt to compare things toge
ther and to reason. The second question I ask is,
What security could you give that the 'British Par
liament would ratify yourcompa&s ? You can give
no such security and therefore we should, after
forfeiting our reputation as a people, after you had
filched from us our good name, and persuaded us
to give to the common enemy of man the precious
jewel of our liberties ; after all this I fay. we should
have been at the mercy of a Parliament which to
fay no more of it has not treated us with too great
tenderness. It is qiaite needless to add that even
if that Parliament had ratified the conditions you
proposed, still poor America was to lie at the mercy
of any future parliament, or appeal to the sword,
which certainly is not the molt pleasant business men
can be engaged in.
For your use I sub o ; n the following creed of eve
ry good American. I believe that in every king
dom state orempre there must be, from the neces
sity of the thing, one supreme leg flative power,
with authority to bind every par in all cases the
proper objects of human laws. I believe that to be
bound by laws, to which he does not consent by
himfelf Or his representative, is the dire& definition
of a slave. Ido therefore believe that a dependence
on Great Brita n, howsoever the fame may be limit
ed or qualified, is utterly inconsistent with every
idea of liberty, for the defence of which I have so
lemnly pledged my life and fortune to my country
men ; and this engagement I will sacredly adhere to
so long as I shall live. Amen
Now if you will take the poor advice of one who
is really a friend to England and Englishmen, and
who hath even some Scotch blood in his veins away
with your fleets and your armies acknowledge the
independence of America, and as Ambassadors, and
not Commissioners, solicit a treaty of peace, amity,
commerce and alliance with the riling Stars of this
weflern world. Your nation totters on the brink of a
stupendous precipice, and even delay will ruin her.
You have told the Congress ^" If, after the time
that may be necessary to confider this communicati
on and transmit your answer, the horrors and de
vacations of war should continue, we call God and
the world to witness that the evils which must fol
low are not to be imputed to Great Britain." I
wish you had spared your proteflation. Matters of
this kind may appear to you in a trivial light as
nieer ornamental flowers of rhetoric, but they are se
rious things regiftefed in the high chancery of Hea
ven. Remember the awful abuse of words like these
by General Burgoyne, and remember his fate. There
is one above us who will take exemplary vengeance
for every insult upon his Majesty. You know that
she contends for that freedom, to which all men are
entitled. That she contends against oppression ra
pine, and more than savage barbarity. The blood
of the innocent is upon your hands, and all the wa
ters of the ®cean will not wash it away. We again
make our solemn appeal to the God of Heaven to de
cide between you and us. And we pray that in the
doubtful scale of battle we may be fuccefsful, as we
have justice on our fide, and that the merciful Savi
our of the world may forgive our oppressors. Jam,
my Lords and Gentlemen, the friend of human
nature, and one who glories in the title of
An AMERICAN.
WH^A^ ^^3^% >»&
° have received orders from Edas
Boudinot Esq; Commifftry General of Pri
foner^ &c. tofend into New-York the Prisoners of
War in this State, It is defied that those persons
in the several towns there n who have uhder their
care any of the British or German prisoners would
fee to it that they are sent in, so as to be in Hartford
on ihurfday the 1 6th of July instant, when veflels
will be ready to receive them, and not before.
Ez 1. Williams D. Com. of Prifrs.
£ agrey horse, anout 15 & half hands high thick
Lt trots chiefly ; also a bay Mare with a white face,
very lofty carriag'd paces and trots three white
vet, neither brandnOr mark : The owner, or ow
ners may have them by applying to me paving
charges, &c. ISAAC DOOLITTLE.
STRAYED from me the fubfetiber in Milford,
on the eighth instant a black Mare fix years
old, ve <y slender built, a natural pacer; she has a
felm onher right eye. and very hard to be looked id
she mouth. Whoever will take up Did Mare, so
that the owner may have her again, shall have five
ollars reward, arid all reasonable charges paid, by
, WILLIAM NOTT.
Milford July 10 1778.
L°°' °, ''" 2 4th of June last, hetwen Captain
Smith scf New Hartford, and Captain Eze
kiel humphrys ofSimfeury a Leather Pocket Book:
containing 180 dollars, Continental Currency, a-.
m®ng which was one bill of Thirty Dollars a letter
directed to Captain Bidwell of Farmington not
feald and several receipts. Whoever has found
said Pocket Book and will return it to the fubferi
ber orleave it at Captain Humphry^ Simfbury,
shall have twenty dollars Reward by
amos Callender.
July 14, 1778,*
tram IT MBIT j io.il >««*» M ».«-^.»^.<-.wnwiw, ^CTMQh,
Hartford July 13, 1778.
WANTED a Journeyman Clothier that is a
good Workman, such a one will find encou
ragement by applying to Ebenezer Kneeland,
near the great bridge Hartford;
N. B. All perlons indebted to said Kneeland,
by book or note, are desired to fettle the fameimme
diatdy, or expert trouble. 3
IfOUNDthe 17th ofMay a Parchment Case ;
' containing jn it some Continental money-
I. ne owner may have it by proving bis property,
and paying charges, by applying to James Holcomb
at Weft Simfbury.
DESERTED from William Retter, conduAor
of a party of men engaged in the nine month
service, belonging to the Continental army in thei<
march from the county of Worcefler to Fish kill,
at landlord Scotts in Rdroer, on the evening of the
sth instant, a negro man belonging to said party,
from the town of Lice^er, known by the name of
Sambo, about five feet five inches hi hj well set, be
tween 20 and 30 years cf age, talks very broken
English ; had on an old Straw Hat, a d.tk coloured
old S,urtout, and Leather Breches, has lob tie joint
of one Thumb., Whoever will takeup said pegro,
and fend him to Gen. Warner, at Fish kill, or con
fine him in any public goal, and give info* mation of
the fame, shall have a handsome reward, and necessa
ry charges, paid by me William Ritter.
Palmer July 14, 1778,
STRAYED or stolen from me the fubferiber a*
bout the i 7th instant a yoke of Oxen, four year^
old both red and white spots one hatha large white
spot a little behind the shoulders, large bowing horns,
the other large strait horns and not so much white
as the other, had om some ffioes, they were ear mark
ed, but Jeannot tell what, because I have owned
them buta little while. Whoever will take upfaid
oxen, and fend me word shall have a' handfomo re
ward and if stolen shall have five dollars reward,
and if the thief be secured. so that he may be brought
to uftice. shall have ten dollars- and necessary char
ges paid by me / John Westover.
Shefield June 25 1778.
BROKE into the inclofure of the fubferiber, the
last day of April last a dark brown raare, three
years old thirteen and half hands high, paces @ll,
not shed no brand ; a small flar in her foiehead,
right hind foot white. 'The owner is desired to pay
cost and take her away.
ELIJAH BACKUS.
Sheffield. June 17, W?'-
CAMPHiRE Oar to be fold by David Buell
ofLitchfield by the cake,lb. or smaller quan
pty. J^y % i 77 B «^