The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1780-10-31 00:00:00, page 2

raid's ffiuatlcn, Crenel! would hove a&ed as Ar
nold. And could Chve have charged places with
Arnold, Clive would have fold America, and Ar
nold would have exhauiied 'he Ed Indies of it/
wealth, and bribed the British Parinmint to fuffer
him to fyend a few years in wretched efe and infi
ray. In these wt fee the competition cf certain
fpirtie, which at conjuuaures point, we confides
as the ornament or the difgrac; the pridj or the
pestilence of mankind.
By the deletion of Arnold America has one
enemy left; and you are not fare of a new friend.
He that submits to one sale may be tempted to
another.- If year nation can be pkafed wi:h their
purchase it mull lately hive experienced a con
version in favour of traitors. And ffioald your ar
my submit to his company, it is no longer at en
mity with dilnonour. Perfidioufntfj is become fa
cred, and you muO fear for your own Gfety. Such
is the man you have bought, aid it were wreng
did America envy you hi# poffeffioa. But the ex
ultation you enjoyed on t! is occasion was net that
cf a moment. It was difultory and fugitive at
the faint hopes of a dying finner ; whiia°the cap
ture of Major 3 <?,, your Adjutant General, on
der the circumuances of a spy, and the failure cf
your Scheme, barft upon your own bead, like the
discovery cfa plot on that of a traitor's. It ware
differ ready to be plunged into the heart of your
enemy planted in your own. Were the succeed
ing hours of your Excellency's life io be burnish
ed with the trailer of your Severfyn, tie, could
net :epry the diftradion# that followed. But they
were dirtta&ioni for yoarfeif, in which Andre had
no Share. But for this ; and had you felt but onk
pang; for his fate, there might have bten those
who weald even have pitied year horrors. It is
not easy, Str Harry, to estimate the loss you have
Suffered in Major And??. Your enemies were not
insensible to his worth. Men of genius Sympathized
with him, and lamented that mifgu dad zeal in the
Service of his Prince, which led to this punishment.
These who have toiled heretofore to betray the li
b-r/tita cf Amer ca could lie, --but he could deceive.
Others might display cunning,-but he discovered
wrfdem. The utmofi of your efforts was a bribe. —
but he possessed a power that was Superior, that of
feduAioD. His talents were beyond most people's
virtue, and he had no enemy but in the field of ac
tion. But great abilities have their floatations and
limits, nor are they at all times of the fame tea per ;
his failed him at that point which would have com
pleated his fortune, and c cited you a fame to which
yen had no tille.--.lt is curious by what little in
c.dents, and unforeseen combinations, great events
are decided. But for three armed pesfants of the
slate of New York, Weft Point and its dependen
cies would have been at this hourin ycur peffeffion.
For it is not probable with an enemy within, and
your army without, that it could have been saved...-
Let this inflance of honefly refeue human nature
from infamy, and Serve as a lesson to mankind.
And let the names of Paulding, Van Vert, and
WILLIAMS, who rejeard an imraenfe bribe, with
a grandeur of foul infinitely Superior to the bafenef#
with which Arnold received one, be remembered
trephes of pride, and the monuments cf
fa glory are trampled on or neglefled.
Mr. Andre's rank and talent,, made his case
" . ""Y' I * m tcl ^ loved ^i m : Ge
neral Washington's admired him. The hue, shed
„ &h ' whil2 y° u > Sir Harry, Scarce con
defeended to Shew the cold formality cf an affeAed
condolence. There remained but this to complut
your chamber ; the torpor m which you heard the
c'tctmtances of his capture, and year animated
efforts to save him. His faithful Services, certainly
claimed your utmost interposition ; your own fame
required it; and your fappofed friendship, demand-
y L '" "'^ B ^ a vain fell importance
filled your tart, and you remained during the sus
pension of his fate, in all the imagined majefly of
CT^! fo!!enr ^. If y^ were withheld by a
pur.aiho from being more forward, I would not
have possessed yer place for a kingdem. But po
"y '°l" b ° w '" '"" y° u in fu ^^) what you
^ ?'^ (f " hisabilitiu frred your
~%) and the general expedition of your army
delated every possible expedient in bi, favour. The
very army cf ycur enemy wondered at you, &
privation of sensibility; and while they ccrcpl cd
with the law and usages of nations, ddjufiice to
his magnanimity, •< Be my wtneft," Said to
them, ” while I ackaowhdge the propriety cf J
fentance, that I die like a brave man ' y
Had you ought of fentintSir" Harry, there
would be noend to you, iffliaiou; Had yen a
magnanimity Lke Andre's, yea would, at fan
have Sacrificed your commrflicn, corl^that havacre:
Served hi# life.flf to be great is to be unfeeling, 1
rik not for grWteis.-.-If to fee cur bel friend Suffer
without a tear, is charseti^ic,f dignity, give me
lowlinefr. --Ifhigh Actions teach men to believe,
that the abilities of others, were only formed to for
ward their defi^ns, and that friend, Should he no
longer prote&ed than tl ey ere thought to be ufefid,
place me in a cotiageand obfeprity, and let ire fur
ever be Secluded from fach men. Eat ala ! it is
the nature of power to attad and deceive, and ptr
haps there is no country without it: Clinton.
But I leave yen, S Harry, to fuller nfte&ion.
---Your fame is finished, and I wish not to renew
my address.
Ofldber 4, 1780. Z.
We have jq^ received the following Address,
published in New York by the iLf^raoMs Tiaror
Arnold, in which he has the effrontery to avow,
and attempt by flimfy arguments to jub.fy, his per.
fidloua treachery.
To the INHABITANTS of AMERICA.
Should forfeit even in my own option, the phet
& I have so long held in youra, rs I could be in
d'ffi:rent toyoarapprcb<iticn, and fi^at on th*m t vei
Which have induced me to join the Kn='r arms.
A very few words however Shril Suffice tpon a
fubjffl So perfon&l, far to the thousands who Suffer
under the Tyranny of the Ufurpm in the revolted
provinces as well as the great multitude, who have
long wished for its fobverfion, thia infiAnce cf my
condua can want no vind cation, and as to that elafs
of men who are criminally protrza : ng the war frem
finifler view^ at the cxpeucecf the pubbe int^red, I
prefer their enmity to their apphufe. I am there
fore only concerned In this addrefa to explain myfelf
to such of my countrymen, as want abilities or op
portunities to detca the artificer by which thy are
duped.
Having fought by your fide when the love of cur
country animated our arms, I Shall expe& from your
jaftice and canker, wha your deceivers with fore
art and left hone^y. will fi^d it inconfiCert with
their cwn views to admit.
When I quitted domestic happiness for the peril,
cf the field, I conceived the tights ofmy country in
danger, and that duty and honor called Me to her
defence. A redrefsof grievances war my only ob
je& and aim, however I acquiesced in a Sep which
I thought precipitate, the declaration of indepen
dence : to jufiify this measure many plarfbl^ ?<a
font were urged, which could no longer cxift, when
Great- Britain with the open arm^ of a parent, offer
ed to embrace ua a, children, and g^n' t e w Slud.Or
redress.
And new that her worst tnemje: are inker own bo
fem I Should change rey principles, if I corfobed
with tneir defigna: youtfelver bemgjudges, w*s;he
war left jaft, becaafe fallow fubfaas were cenfidcr
ed as our fees I You have felt the torture in which
we railed our arms ageing a brother, God incline the
guilty prottaacre of these unnatural d ffentiona, to
t«fign their ambition, and cease fora their delufiona,
in cemprffton to kindred blood,
I anticipate your qurilbon, was not the war ade
fenfiveone until the French joined in their combi
nation? I answer, that I thought so. You will add
war it not afterwards necessary, till the federation of
the British empire was ccmplezt ? By no mesnr. in
contending for m welfare of my country, I am free
to declare m y opinion, that this end au&ntd, tl
flrife Should have ceased,
I lamented therefore the impolicy, tyranny and
injustice which with a fovereiga contempt cf the
people cf America, fludioufly uegkaed to take their
col^Aive sentiments cf the British proposals cf peso,
and to negociate under a fafpenfion of^rm, for an
adj^mant of d;ff rencee, as a dangerous Sacrifice cf
the great interefti of thia country to the partial v tws
of a pro^d, antieut and crafty foe, I had my f^f
picions of feme imperftAion ia our councils, on pre
pofah prior to the Parliamentary Ccmm : ffion of
1778; but havirg then left todbin the cabinet than
the field, (I will not pronounce peremptorily as some
^ay, and perhaps juffy, that Congress have veiled
them from the publ.c eye ;) I cenrinued to be : uid
ed in the negligent confidence of a fold er. Bu. the
whcle wale few, and all America ccofiffrd that Ue
overture, cf the fenced cemm ffion exceeded our
wishes andexpeaatiem, and fthere was any fi fyi
c>on cf the national liberally, rtarefe frem vsmt.tft
bel-eve we were at that time really emar,
led ty an all ance wih F/a< ce, unfortunate dteen
tiou! and thu ? they have b,ea duped, by a v Q.
ous credulity in the incautious moments cf in era
perate piffion to give up their felicity to tevt a na
tion mating both the trill and the p-wer to prot € &
us, and aiming at the d^ruaion both of the mother
country and the provinces. In the planner# cf
cowmen feufe, fe r I pretend to no Cufaiftry e
pretended treaty with theCoun ^write,^^
to more rhen a cvertfa to America ? Certainly o%
because no authority bad been given by the pewit
to conclude it, no, to this very hour have they aa
thoezed its ta?figrticn. The Articles cf Confede
ration remain fill u§ fined.
In thefi m periurfion therefore, that the private
judgment of a^y indiv deal citi?in cf this county
is as ftee stem all co, ventional refraints. since as be
foe theii fidioci offers of France, I prefe red theft
f^m G,eat Britain, thinking it infinitely wiser and
fifer, to tad my confidence upon her j^fiice and ge-'
nerr fity, than 10 trufi a monarchy (00 feeble to eft
blifh your iidtpendency, so perilous to her diSant
dominons ; the ruemy effhe Protefant Faith, atad
frauds kntly avowing an &ff Aion for the liberties of
mankind; wUli She hold# her native fans ii vaffal
zfl and chains
I ass aad difrufe, and therefore frankly d^e'ere
that in these print phi, I had determined to teuim
my arms me mmand for an opportunity to farren
der them to Grea-Bri'ein, aid in concerting the
mtafures for a purpose in my opinion, as grateful aa
it would tav2 been beneficial to my country: I was
only fcl cstoosfo accompli sh an event of decifivz im
portance tad to prevent as r.uch as pz&^te in^he
ex^cnroi rs it, th effefion --( blood.
With the higher fatnfa& on I bear tefltoeny to
ray old fellow fold ers, and citizens, that I find so
lid ground to rely upon the clemency of out sove
reign. and abundant conv'a on that it s the gene;
rons intention of G eat Brian, not only to leave
the rights end privi.ege, of the colonies unimpaired,
together with their perpetual exemption from taxa
tion, but to fap&raad ftch further benefits as may
co? fift wi^h the common profecrity cf the empire.
In Short. I fought for ranch Jefe than the parent coua
t?y is as willing to grant to her colonic as they can
be to recri ve or er-jor.
S.:me may think I continued in the flru,gle of
these urih-fp, d.m tro long, andotl ere thatiq^it
(edit too soon. To the fi^ I ;,ply. that I did not
fee with their eyes, ror pehs had fa favour
able a fitvarido to lock from, and that to our common
matter lam „llirpto find or fail. In behalf of the
candid mon% the latter feme of wh?m I believe feve
blindly bthr^cHly -in the beads I have left, I
pray G d ogive them all the lights requisite to their
own Safety before it is too Im,"ana with rrfpril to
that herd cf c^nfr~e,s, wbofe enmity to me origi
nates n their hatred to the principles, by which I
am nr w led to devo,e ray i fe t o the re-un on of the
Br't sh empire ai the best, and only meanr to dry up
the &eamt of m< cry Or I &ve deluged this country,
they may be aT.^d th,.: confcipus of the rrahude
rs roy Wentiong 1 ffi:!] ^at 'heir malic? and calem
nta with con -inp. and negiea.
B. A R MOLD.
New-Yoik October 7 1,80
A correfponde.it obfeves. That, confident with
truth, the Address ought to have been in the weeds
fcl)owln,p:
J° INHABITANTS cf AMERICA.
J SHOULD forfeit even in my own epirian, the
JL pltce I have so in, held in your's, if I cevrid be
then on the mot viswhch have induced me to jein
the Kn 't,rmr. A v ^y few w rdff, however#
Shall fcffice upro tbi* subj-a ; f^ to those who era
acquaint veith my ,aft He this inf^nce cf my
condua reeds no exphrarion. lam t'<trefc"r, only
cor cerned, in this addraft, to explain myfelf to such
of my countrymen as w^t a i ilit : ei or oppertunWes
todettA the governing prnc ple of my condua in
thk as well xs in every other put cf my life.
It was my m'sforure not to he born in i ffla&ntclr
curohnte. My ruling prffien is, ,rd ever so
b^n vanity avd a leva of r ^cy. This I evinced
at my fifft out set in 1 ft. For having obtained cre
dit foraqi^ti y of drugs, which I fold to good
advantage, I p etend^d to be bankrupt and evriling
myfrifef the eafineG and credulity cf my ceditors
obliged hum to ron pound with me for half the debt.
Bythi# meant I pined a ccnSdrable fora, part cf
wirch I laid out in building rcyfelf a fp^cious houfr,
aid with ib: remainder pichafed a vessel, and cora
raaaced trader. Thufe with whom I had & y d^l
inp w I, citify, that I n?ver deviated from my
pri cip'e cf trucking and cheating wherever I Lad
an opportunity.
When I quitted demesne tappingfe so, the perils
of d.e fcld„ I cone, ved I had a betfer profpe& of
f^cc^dine in my m/he^. The expedition again!!
Quebec war too flatterin, net to be embraced. I ar
tiep^c your Qiuftion. Wa,rrt rite -'tempi dange
rous ? lanfw/r t|q\ with eagernefe I thought so :
But I knew ^-W the opportunity i. would give m,,
if I fcccefded cf ,maffin, veal h by the plunder cf
the inhabitants; and think I can'boaffyith any high
way man, t^t I date ercctrtuer danger fc, tie fake
pf mocey. The citizens of Quebec, feme of when