The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1779-03-23 00:00:00, page 2

Sieves we £ibu|d then had any more arita+ion of that
question ?I fltill fuppbfe again, that Admiral Byron's
squadron had net met with a storm, and had arrived
at America within the ordinary time, to have joined
Lord Howe, Can any one doubt, that his Lordship
would have given a better account of Mdrif. D'Ef
taing then.is now published ? and yet this foccefs,
and several other matters, were quite within the pro
bability of ordinary events ; and if any of them had
happened, I believe this favorite topic of American
Independence would have been dormant in out days.
Why then should we immediately difpond, give all
up, and throw ourselves out of.the wheel of fortune 1
Let us profit from the example of lie Americans, in
the low slate of their affairs, before their success at
Trenton. lam far from thinking the matter desperate,
notwithstanding I admit that our mismanagements
will render great exertions necessary. But you must
resolve, you raufl r fk all, and determine to perfev^re,
before the inhabitants of America will have reliance
on you. It is not faying I will try this campaign,
and recede the next. It must be known for the en
couragement of friends, and the terror of foes, that
you will die in the last ditch; People who oppose
my opinions alledge, I am sanguine and obftiuate.
I admit 1 am not easily difeourafed ; and if I am sure
of being in the right, I know too I am oftinate, or
firm which ever they please to call it, and I cannot
be easily ffiaken.
The Maxim of dying in the last Ditch, after every
exertion has been made is what I avow to be my
Principle. I do not forefee, if you recede here, at
what Point you will ft^nd. If you give up the 13
Provinces, will you contend for Canada I If it is an
swered yes, why then, I reply, it is better to know
the gracious Revolution of Congress in this Reaped
firft, left ene mav have the Troops to fend back, or
recruit at ten Times the Expence, when they are
dispersed, or when one Half of them are dead. Ifit
is laid, we will yield Canada ton ; then I ask if we
will yield Nova Scotia, and the Fisheries, and Flori
da. and the Weft Indies ? for they all hang together.
Besides that, the Moment you abandon New- York
and Rhode Inland, the American Seas will swarm with
Privateers, and you will not have a Port to take Shel
ter in ; so that New York and Rhode Island seem
absolutely necessary for the Preservation of your own
Commerce, as well as annoying the Enemy. The
present Moment seems the only and just Point, where
the Stand can be made ; every other Situation will
be an Effort with the Lof's of Reputation, and Spirit,
and Power. I fee no Medium between fending a
Carte Blanche to France. & yielding the Indepen
dence of America. To give up a principal Point in
Dispute, to w raken Ourselves and strengthen our Ene
my and leave him more at Liberty to disturb us,
feemes, to me incomprehensible Policy. If it is al
ledged this would not be the Consequence, I alk
what Reason America can have for not explicitly de
claring her Intentions of conditionally renouncing
her Connexions with France upon our declaring her
Independency I or if such a Tranfa&ion cannot be
avowed till they are certain of our Readiness to yield
it, I wonder some Spoafor cannot be found for Ame
rica on this Occasion, I only state this to expose the
Absurdity of the System proposed, not that I con
ceive this Country can, or ought ever to entertain
such an Idea. The Hon. Baronet behind me, (Sir
John Wrotreflay) tells you, that 50 000 Ruffians
would not now do the Bwfihefs, &d yet he complains
of the conciliatory Propositions proposed by the no
ble Lord. Why, finely, if no Force could do the
Business, there could be no Harm, at least, in trying
the Mode of Concession. But lam far from being
Of this Opinion, that Force well applied, cannot ef
fect it. He fays the Army were all disgusted at the
Conciliatory Bills ; at the fame Moment be fays,
their Force was fufficient to conquer the Enemy.
This was a little unreasonable in the Army, tc give
it no hasher Term. I cannot contrad a what the Hon.
Baronet asserts ; but my Observations on the Army
were very different. The Army was indeed difeufted,
but it was because they were not led against the Ene
my, then lying within twenty Miles, whom they
^ere confident they could Conquer. “ Lead us a
gainflthe Enemy" was the general Wish of Soldier
and Officer ; and, indeed, Sir, to the Honor of the
Commander in Chief, who left them at Philadelphia,
I am proud to declare, there never was so excellent,
so beautiful, or so well appointed an Army. The
picked men from the French Theatre were not equal,
in Grace and Comeliness to the Wcr£of the Light
Infantry ; such a Body of chosen Troops, I believe
never were collected together; and yet we have seen,
from various Causes, what little Benefit, the Nation
has derived from them ; at the Moment they were
confident of Victory, they weft ordered to retreat,
and during all this Summer, and Half the Autumn,
iifurring the fame Expence as in the Field, they
ft vs literally, been doing nothing, when every
Min must remark, that the T m: w; Ihouid have
a^ed with the utmoG Vigour was at this very period
when we have been idle. To determine what now
ihould be done requires a greater Compass oflnfor
mation then I can boast. To judge of the Queflion,
one should know theState and Disposition ofHolland,
of the Northern Powers, of Portugal, the Resources
of France the Difp fition and Force of Spain, the
various Resources of this Country, as well as the
Pifficulties to encounter in America ; with the firft
I am not fu fficiently acquainted to pronounce pofi
tiv:ly; but this I do know for certain, that the
greater the Exertions we make ourselves, the more
we shall be refpeded by others ; and™ the more we
assist 0 irfelves, the more ready others will be to ^ive
us their Assistance.
The Nation is far richer at this Period than at the
Beginning of the last War, and our warlike Operati
ons were then much more extensive in Germany, the
Bast-Indies, Portugal, North-America, and the
Weft Indies. I admit that our public Funds are
more embarrassed; but the Means of Taxation are
also more ample from the encreafed Wealth of the
Country. But I despair of the present Miniiers be
ing able to draw forth those Resources: On the 0
tier Hand, as I said before, those Men who may fuc
ceed them, accord ng to my Conception of Things,
are desirous to yeild up all that is worth contending
for. without any Struggle worthy of our antient
Fame. In such a Situation, it is difficult how to ad,
or what to with. lam clear if we do not mean to
pursue the Object with determined Firmnefi, and
faitable Exertions, we had better abandon it at once,
and make the best Terms we can for the miserable In
habitants who have adhered to our Cause. Nothing
less than 25 000 Troops exclusive of those in Ca
nada and Halifax, will prove fu fficient; with that
Number we may expt& Success; a left Number
will render the Decision tedious, doubtful, and ha
zardous. The People of the Country, after what
has happened, will hardly derive Confidence from a
smaller Army to induce them to join us. Those who
possess the present Returns of the Army, and know
what Numbers may have been ordered away to other
Services will know the Number wanted; I guess a
bout 9,000 Men.-- To keep New Y rk and Rhode-
Island, as the Hon. Baronet proposes, on a defenfive
Plan, does not appear eligible to me. If we cannot
meet the Army of the Enemy in the Field, it will
require many Troops, a considerable marine Force,
and very extensive Fortifications, to hold New York;
I believe by fortifying the Gorge at Fort Knyphau
fen; by fortifying the Heights of Brooklyn; by for
tifying Paulus Hook, and the Heights on the Nar
rows upon Staten Island, it might be defended by
8000 Men, together with the Inhabitants, always
retaining in the Harbour five Frigates and three arm
ed Vessels, and three Galleys; these Fortifications
would cost at least Five hundred thousand Pounds,
and the Object would still be precarious.-- Why the
honorable Gentleman should recommend an offenfive
War in Europe, and a defensive War in America, I
cannot conceive; It seems to me more necessary in
the last Place than in the ether. At all Events, I
^ould form some certain, fieady Plan, such as the*
Inhabitants might rely upon; if they fee they can
depend upon you, they will soon return to their Al
legiance, and their old Government. If they fee
you weak and wavering, (they are a shrewd, cun
ning, sensible People) they will avoid you like Pesti
lence. \
Upon the whole, I acknowledge our Situation ex
tremely perilous; the Difficulties we have to con
tend with are great; but it is on such Occasions that
the noble Qualities of Man, Perseverance, Fortitude,
and love of our Country, ffiine in the greatest Luftre.
Let us not imagine, that those who oppose us are
without difficulties; the Contentions, Divisions, and
Offerings, among the Americans, are greater than
our Imagination can reach, in the State of Affluence
In which we live. -They would have been greater
still, if they had not been checked by our bad Con
duct and Timidity.- # -Their Divisions, Sir I assure
you, are as great as those of the House of Commons
of England; and what, Wronger Picture can I draw
of Disunion ? Those who are so uneasy at the Recep
tion which the Cemmiffioners received, should re
colleCt the Reception Mons. the Count D'Efaing and
his Sailers met with at Boston. The firft was the
political Answer of a Body whose Interests and Am
bition are undoubtedly opposed to that of the People
they govern; the other was the indignant, fponta
neons Paffioni of the People themselves; the House
will judge to which of the two most Weight should
begiven. Before I fit down I must repeat again, that
in what I have said about the Operations of our
Fleets, I d:d not mean, by my Argument, to throw
any Blame upon any military Officer whatever; but
I do blame Administration for not fending cut Ad
miral Byron footer: they had intelligence in April,
he did not fail till Jane; it was clear from Mr Ge
rard, Jhc Amb^gafatp $c States, being on board.
„~ '~. —- ;— ;-r— ~ . ~=^
and Mr. Dean, a member of Confrefs; and hiving
also larg. Quantities of Goods for America, that the
Toulon Fleet was bound to feme Port in that Conti
nent. If therefoie five or fix Ships had been imme
diately sent off (as the Admiralty mutt have known
Lord Howe's Fleet was colle&ed, from the Orders
about La Motte Piquet, and the secret Expedition)
upon such a Juß&i®n, his Lordfh ; p would then have
certainly been Superior to D'Etiaing. But I am
told, that the reason of this delay arose from want of
Stores, and that we were obliged to unreeve therun
ning rigging of the Ships at Spithead, to fit out Ad
miral Byren's Squadron. If this be true, it ibi me
lancholy Tale indeed, after all our boafled P epara
tiens in the beginning of the Year and the immense
Sums voted by Parliament, and demands an Enqui
ry more than any ori© Siibje&.
I ask the Pardon of the House for detaining them
so long ; and sow mott humbly Thank them for the
Indulgence they have shewn me.
PROCL As M'A- T l'oil
By his Exc* lency GEORGE WASHINGTON^
Esq; General and Commander in Chief of the
Forces of the United States of America.
WHEREAS it hath been represented, that ma
ny of those Soldiers, who have been induced
from divers motives to desert their corps, and are
now dispersed in different parts of these States, hav
ing seen their error, would be glad to return to their
duty, but are reftiained by the fear cf punishment.
In order to quiet fugh apprehensions, and give them
an opportunity to put in practice these pood disposi
tions, I DO HEREBY PROCLAIM FULL PAR,
DON to all those who shall rejoin then iefpeaive
corps by the firft of May next At the fame time
declaring to all such, who shall negle& to avail
themselves of the present offer of mercy, and who
shall persist in their delinquency beyond the period
herein appointed for their return, that the raoft est
fe&ual meafores shall be pursued to dete& them
wheresoever conceal'd, and to bring them to the
most rigorous and exemplary puniffimeht.
Given at Head-Quarters Middle Brook, March
10, 1779.
G. WASHTNGTO N.
All Printers are desired to pubhfh this in their
refpe&ive papers.
Head Quarters, Middle Brook. March 9 <779.
ALL Officers and Soldiers absent on furloughs,
from any part of the Army, either immediately
under the Commander in Chief or elfewoere, are re
queued without fail, to join their corps before the
firft of May next.
This order is not to affe& those whose leave of ah,
fence will expire before hat period; who will be
expe&ed to return pun&ually at the expiration of
their refpe&ive furloughs
Extract from General Orders,
ALE X. SCAMMELL, Adjt. Gen.
All Printers arc defined to publifh^his in their ret,
pefrive papers
TH E Committee appointed to solicit and re
ceive donations for their fuffering brethren
from Newport ; do in their names and behalf, with
every sentiment of regard and esteem for the good
people of this State, return our most hearty thanks
for the charitable and very liberal donations already
received ; aad most earnestly request the gentiemen
who are focietfes committees, and all other the hu
mane, benevolent and charitably disposed, for a more
speedy collection of the donations made and making;
to forward the fame to the care of the following
gentlemen, or their orders, taking their receipts for
the fame, where all charges for collecting, carting,
calk, &c. &c. will be fully paid, viz. At Hartford
and towns adjacent, to be delivered to Mr. Caleb
Bull, jun. At Waterbury and neighbouring towns,
to Joseph Hopkins Esq; At Litchfield to Reuben
Smith, Esq; for all the towns in Litchfield county,
north of Woodbury and New Milford, At Pomfiet
and towns adjoining, to Mr. Pete* Mumford.
At Mansfield and towns near, to Deacon Edmond
Freeman. At Norwich, toCapt. Evan Malbone,
jun. At Middletown and towns adjacent, te Mr.
Thomas Danforth, appointed by authority to
receive the grain.
JONATHAN OTIS,
OLIVER R. WARNER. |
State of Connecticut, Middletown, Feb. 25; 1779.
TO be Sold at Public Vendue, on Monday
the sth of April next, at one o'clock after
noon, the HULL of a SLOO P, now on the
flocks, near the ferry place in Hartford, by
JOHN SKINNER
S N U F F.
Good PHILADELPHIA SNUFF,
To be Sold, Wholesale or Retail, at
JO HN SKIN NER'x.
Hartford; March 23, 1779.