The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1783-07-22 00:00:00, page 2

Who is to judge of the quality and legality of
pretended appropriators ? And will this vague
resolution be a fufficient bar to Congress against
confirming the claims under Indian purchasers,
or pretended grants from the crown ofGreat-Bri
tain, in which many of their members are inte
rested as partners, and by which great part of
the ceded lands may be converted to private, in
stead of public purposes ? The intrigues of the
great land companies, and the methods by which
they have strengthened their interest, are no se
cret to the public. We are also ata loss to know
whence Congress derives the powers of demand
ing feflions of lands and of erecting new Rates,
before such powers have been granted them by
their conltituents.
And finally we recommend it to you (for in this
we will not presume to give positive instructions)
to endeavour to obtain an instruction, from the
General Assembly, to the Virginia Delegates in
Congress, against fending ambassadors to the
courts of Europe ; it being an expence, which
(in our present circumftnnces) these united Rates
are unable to support. Such armointments can
hardly fail of producing danger s combinations,
factions, and cabals, in the g^cat council of A
merica. And from the great distance, and the
difficulty of knowing and examining their con
du&, there is danger too, that some of the per
sons lb sent, may be corrupted and pensioned by
the courts where they reside. We art of opinion
that Consuls to superintend our trade (at less
than a tenth part of the charge of ambassadors)
will be fufficient to answer every good purpose.
Andmature having separated us, by an immense
ocean, from the European nations, the less we
have to do with their quarrels, or politics, the
better.
Having thus, Gentlemen, given you our
opinions and inßruftions, upon such fubje&s as
we deem, at this time, moR important, we re
main, with great refpe€tand esteem, your friends
and fellow citizens.
ic revenue officers flrallbe amenable toCongrefs."
the very Rile is alarming. Thepropofed duties
maybe proper,but these perate ftatesonlycau with
fafety have power of levying taxes. Congress
fhbuld not even have the appearance of such a
power. Forms generally imply substance, and
such a precedent may be applied to dangerous
purposes hereafter. When the fame man, or
fetofmen, holds both the sword and the purse,
there is an end of liberty. As little are we fatis
fied with the resolution of Congress of the soth
of Oftober 1780, lately renewed, engaging that
the unappropriated lands,"that may be ceeded or
relinquilhed to the united states, (hall be disposed
of for the common benefit of the united Rates."
PHILADELPHIA, July 9.
A fpe&ator of the late confufion in the city of
Philadelphia, who wishes to blame neither Con
gress nor the Council of the state, begs leave to
congratulate every friend to humanity upon the
peaceable mode of fettling the late dispute be
tween the Council and the soldiers. It has been
remarked, that during the republican ages of
Rome, which lifted federal hundred years, there
never was a single life loft in all the riots, mobs,
revolts and mutinies, that were so frequent in
that country. Too much tenderness cannot be
(hewn to the life of man. Count Saxe used to
fay, he had rather be ten days longer in taking a
city by siege, than lose the life ofa single grena
dier by taking it by storm. Mr. Payne in his
Common Sense, tells us, that republics, “ by
negociating mistakes," prevent wars with each
other. Why should not the rulers of republics,
by negociating revolts prevent unnecessary blood
shed among the citizens. They are the fathers
of the people, and should be as tender of their
lives, as of the lives of their children.
Friday last, being the anniversary of the decla
ration of the Independence of America, the
morning was ufliered in with the ringing ofbells,
and the colours of the United States, with all
those of the different nations, belonging to Ships
in port (except those of Great-Britain) were dis
played in our harbour on the joyful occasion ; at
noon there was a difeharge of cannon, and his
Excellency the President and the Supreme Exe
cutive Council received at the President's house,
the compliments of the Magistracy, the officers
of the army, a very large number of the officers
of the militia, and other citizens. The con
course of gentlemen of the several orders before
mentioned, on this occasion, was exceedingly
great, and what must give fatisfa&ion to all true
of their country, 411 parties concurred,
The reason given for not calling the militia,
namely, that it requires three days notice, may
be a justifiable reason to the Executive Council
for not calling them, but it is equally as good a
reason for the adjournment of Congress, because
it is a plain declaration that the laws of the Rate
do not provide fufficient security against sudden
riots; and certainly it would have been highly
injudicious in Congress to have exposed all the
business and records of the continent, Rate pa
pers, trarfa&ions' with foreign nations, &c. to
the hazard of three days, in the unsettled man
ner things then appeared.
It is now very well known that neither Con
gress i.c: the Executive Council were the objects
which those who set the men on had in view, but
who can tell whkrf riot begins where it isto end.
The soldiers, it is true, thought of nothing but
obtaining their pay, but this was not the object
with their prompters, or why, as is before said,
did they so hastily abfeond on being discovered.
It has been said, inorder to prove the adjourn
ment precipitate, that at the time Congress ap
pointed a committee to confer with the Council,
there was only an " appearance" of disorder, and
that " no one violent act had been committed,"
on which it may be remarked—
That the molt dangerous and fatal of all riots,
are those which have in the beginning, a peace
able appearance, and can be Supported at firft
by a fair pretence. Was not the city of London
about three years ago, thrown into the utmost
consternation and confufion, hundreds of lives
loft, all the (hops and courts of justice Shut up
for seven or eight days, both Houses of Parlia
ment obliged to adjourn, and their King to
with draw himfelf to Windsor Castle, and all
this occasioned by a meeting in St George's
Fields, under the peaceable name of religion.
There always are in every populous city and
country a number of loose disorderly characters
ready to join any tumult, or to make one, where
they may have an opportunity of laying their
hands on what is not their own; and had any
thing of an actual riot began here, numbers of
such characters would have joined it, under the
pretence of being soldiers, who never were, ih
the least, connected with any part of the army;
and thus, not only the city might have been ex
posed to plunder, but,he real and deserving sol
dier to unmerited censure ; and therefore the
communication of Congress to the Executive
Council, so far as it went to prevent both these
effects, was a judicious proceeding; and if, on
a conference, it appeared, that Council were not
legally impowered to use the means necessary to
prevent any mifchief or insult that might happen
within the space of three days, the very reason,
I fay, must dictate to Congress, who as a body
were charged with the affairs of the continent,
the propriety of adjourning.
If any part of the business was unnecessary, it
was the proclamation, and it is rather to be wilh
ed that Congress had adjourned without any
other proclamation than a general one, to con
vene the next meeting at Princeton. Reasons,
if any were necessary, might have been given
hereafter, and as the whole matter, at firft, was
involved to obfcuiity and attended with d&uL
without diminution, in the most friendly man
ner, to teftify their common joy on the auspici
ous day, In the afternoon the President gave
an elegant entertainment to the Honorable the
Council, all the field officers of the city and
neighbourhood, and several officers of the ar
my.
It is, fays one of our correspondents, exceed
ing easy to fay, after an affair is over, how it
might have been prevented or ordered otherwise.
The adjournment of Congress to Princeton may
be now called precipitate, because no mifchief
has happened from the disorders that were then
beginning to prevail. But information Since
and subsequent circumstances have proved that
mifchief was intended, or why did the two offi
cers abfeond as food as they found that their se
cret designs were discovered.
Suppose, on the contrary, that mifchief had
happened, and a feene of tumult had ensued,
which it was in the power of the city to have
prevented had measures been concerted in time.
In this case the communication of Congress to
the Executive Council for the purposes of con
certing those measures, and preventing mifchief
would have been highly applauded, and their
adjournment, under the circumstances in which
they did adjourn, would have been considered
by every body as an a6l of wisdom. Is it, then
the less so now?
A GOOD Dwclling-Houfe, almost new, to be fold, and
half an acre of choice good Land, well fenced, with a
good Well thereon, fituaced in Glaftcnbury, about half a
mile from Rocky-Hill Landing, a very fine place for 1
blacksmith and this branch of business much wanted there,
the House stands within a very few rods ofa gristmill and
saw mill, and a good school, said Place will be fold for
public Securities, for further particulars enquire of AARON
ROBINSON living on the premises.
N. B. Said Place will well accommodate a sea faring
man.
STRAYED or STOLEN out of the pasture of the Subferiber,
in Suffield, on the 15th of July instant, a black MARE,
about 1; and a half hands high, newly shod before, trots
and canters, part blooded, a star in her forehead about half
as big as a copper, about 5 years old. Whoever will take
up said Mare and thief and secure them so that the owner
may have her again, shall be handsomely rewarded and all
charges paid, by
MARTIN HATHEWAY.
Suffield, July 21, 1783.
BANK w f NORTH-AMERICA, July the 3d,
i7 8 3-
CT"'HE Directors of the Bank having declared
A a Dividend of Six and a Half per Cent.
upon the Capital Stock for the Half Year, end
ing the firft Instant, the said Dividend will be
paid at the Bank, to the Stock Holders or their
Representatives, at any Time after the 10th in-
Rant.
TAKEN up by the Subferiber, in Southington, on Frida,
the 30th day of May last, a dark brown MARE, about
13 and a half hands high, no brand, no shoes, supposed to
be about ten years old, big with foal, paces and trots, a small
star in her forehead. The owher is desired to pay charges
and take her away.
TIMOTHY LIB.
SoWhiogton, Jans a, 178,,
ty, some time was necessary to unravel them.
But there is one reflection arising from this
affair, which is very forcible, and merits the at
tention of the Rates.
,There is no provision made in the Confedera
tion for the residence or convenience of Con
gress. To whom, as a body, are delegated, and
to whom are entrusted the greatest and most im
portant concerns, which America, now sovereign
and independent, has on her hands.
The Rates individually appoint their delegates
and fend them to find a residence per leave and
to depend for the fafety of their persons, and
what is much more, the fafety of their national
concerns, on the will and pleasure of some indi
vidual Rate. A situation which will always be
attended with inconveniences.
Is this confident with the honor or character
of the Rates, either individually or collectively.
Congress, to whom so much is intruded, ought
not to depend on so precarious a tenure. As we
have made way to empire Solely by our union,
and that union is the foundation-done of all we
possess, and on which our independence stands,
ought not, then, the representatives of that uni
on to be so securely and commodiously placed,
that the business of the continent may not, by
any local circumftancc, be interrupted.
Extract of a letter from New-York, June 25.
" No more attention will be paid to the late
orders than to the former—l am pretty confident
the British will not leave this city till late in the
fall, for it is certain no orders have as yet been
received for that purpose. It has been said that
all the foreign troops were to embark but it
now proves to be only three or four particular
regiments."
It is reported that the islands of Cuba, Porto
Rico, Louiffiana, and East and Wed-Florida
will be formed into a Viceroyfhip, and that his
Excellency General Galvez will be appointed
Viceroy of the fame. The regard this gallant
and able commander has shewn for America,
and the many services he has rendered to indivi
duals of the United States, give us reason to
hope for a confirmation of the appointment.
Among the many honors conferred on Gene
ral Galvez for his well digested plans and enter
prizes during the late war, he is dignified by his
Prince with an addition to his coat of arms, a
brig painted— motto yo solo (I alone) —in
grateful memento of his having forced the Port
of Pensacola in a small brig of his own, after
his Admiral had refufed the arduous and glori
ous undertaking.
Yesterday about 1500 continental troops with
a detachment of artillery, under the command'
of General Robert Howe, arrived at Frankford
on their way to this city. They are chiefly three
years men, from Massachusetts, whose terms of
inliftment are not yet expired.
We are wholly at a loss how to account for
so extraordinary a manouvre, as no foreign ene
my is in this part of the country.