The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1780-02-01 00:00:00, page 1

From the London Magazine, for Nov, 1778.
The Political History ofEurope, for 1777,
(continued from No. 782.)
IT has been laid, that in order to recon
cile them to so new and strange an ad
venture, some idea had been held out to
them in Germany, that they should ob
tain large portions of the lands which they
were to conquer in America, and that this
notion, however absurd, made them at firft
consider the antient possessors as their na
tural enemies ; bur that when they found
* their error, they considered the moveable
plunder of the country, not only as a mat
ter of right, but an inadequate recom
pence for undertaking such a voyage, and
engaging in such a war.
Military rapine may be eafi!y accounted
for without any recourfc to such a decep
tion. It had been ooferved from the be
ginning, that the mbit mortal antipathy
lubfihed between the Americans and I Lf
fiaos. The former, contending tfemkwes
for freedom, ard fifed with the highest
notions of the natural rights of mankind,
regarded with equal contempt and abhor
rence, a people, whom they considered as
the most sordid of all mercenary flavts, in
thus rehgjDg all their faculties to the
will of a petty defect, and becoming the
readv infttuments of a cruel tyranny. Th y
reproached" them with the highest pcfiible
d<g r ee cf moral turpitude, in thus eng :g
---ing in a domestic quarrel, in w^ i.ch they
had neither interest or concern, and quit
ting their homes in the old world to but
cher a people in the new, from whom they
never had received the smallest irjury:
but who, on the contrary, had for a cen
tury past afforded an hospitable alylum to
their harraffed and oppressed countrymen,
who had fled in multitudes to escape from
a tyranny, similar to that under which
these were now acting, and to enjoy the
blessings of a liberty most generously held
out to them, of which these mercenaries
would impiously bereave the German as
well as English Americans.
Such sentiments, and such reproaches,
did not fail to increale their natural fero
city and rapaciousness ; and it i^'faid that
they continued in a coude of plunder, un
til they at length became so encumbered
and loaded with fpoi), and so anxious for
its preservation, that it grew to be a great
impediment to their military operations;
However disagreeable this condud was,
and contrary to the nature of the British
commanders, it was an evil not easily to
be remedied. They could not venture to
hazard the success of the war, in so distant
a fitudtion, and such precarious and criti
cal circumfiances, by quarrelling with
auxiliaries, who were nearly a- numerous
and powerful as their own forces. Al
lowances were necessarily to be made for
TUESDAY, February x, 1780. THE NUMBER7B4.
CONNECTICUT COUR A N.T,
AMD THE
WE EK L ¥ I NTELLIGE N CE R.
HAR IFO R D.•. Printed by H UDSON ayd G OODW IN, near the Great-Bridge.
a difference of manners, opinions, and
even ideas of mi ? itary rules and service.
Without opening any general ground of
dislike or quarrel, it required all the con
stancy, and all that admirable equanimity
of temper which diftipguifh Gen. Howe's
character, to rest rain the operation of chose
piques, jealousies, and adimofities, the ef
fedts of national pride. emulation, and a
difference of manners, which no wisdom
could prevent from fpri .ging up in the
two armies.
It was scarcely pofllTe that the deyafla
tion and disorders pradtifed by the Hessi
ans, Abound not operate in some degree in
their example upon tie British troops.
It would have been difficult to have pu
nished enormities on the one fide, which
were pra&Td without reserve or appre
hension on the other. Every luccefsful
deviation from order and ciifcipline in war,
is certainly and fpeeTT followed by o
thers still greater. No relaxation, can take
place in either without the most ruinous
confiquences. The fekkr, who at firth
fhicks at trifling exceffs, will in a little
time, ifrhey pass vithcut queffion, pro
ceed, without hefitaty to the greater
e ormines.
From cnee sprung the clamour raised
in America of the etiolation which was
fprtad through the Jerseys, and which by
taking in fronds and moderate men, as
well as enemies, did great injury to the
royal cause, um^rg the latter more firm
ly, and urgingto adivhy, or detaching,
many of the former. Nor could the ef
fect be confined co the immediate Offer
ers ; the exagerated details which were
publifhtd of these enormities, frying to
imbitter the minds of men exceedingly
through all the colonies. These accounts
being Afo transmitted to Europe, seemed
in some degree to affedt our national cha
rader ; in France particularly, where the
people in general, thro' the whole course
of this contest, have been strongly Ameri
can, they were readily received, and wil
lingly credited. Among other enormities
which received the censure of our neigh
bours in that country, the deftrudion of
the public library at Princetown, together
with a celebrated orrery made by Ritten
hbefr, said to be the best a^d fineft in the
world, were b; ought as charges of a Gothic
barbarity, which wage^ W ^' even with li
terature and the sciences.
In about a month after the taking cf
N~w- York, the inhabitants^ that city and
island, pefented a petition to Lord and
Gene al H>we, the commuTioners for 're
ftnnng prace ?o the colonies, signed by
Darnel H > fmanden, Oliver Delancey, and
946 others, declaring their allegiance, and
their acknowledgment of the Conftituci
onal Supremacy of Great Britain over the
colonies ; and praying, that in pursuance
of the former declarations issued by the
commissioners, that city and county might
be restored to his Majesty's peace and pro
tection.
This petition to the commissioners was
followed by another to the fame purpose;
from the freeholders and inhabitants of
Queen's County in Long-Island. It was
observed of these petitions, that the ac
knowledgment of the Conftitutibnal Su
premacy in one, and of the Constitutional
Authority, of Great- Britain in the other,
were very guardedly expressed, all men
tion of parliament being omitted, and the
great question of unconditional submission
left totally at large. It is also remarka
ble, that tho' the inhabitants of York l
iland and Queen's County, btfides taifing
a considerable body of troops for the
king's service, and eftablilhing a strong
militia for the common defence; had given
every other testimony of their loyalty
which could be expected or wilhed, yet
these petitions were not attended to, nor
were they restored to these rights which
they expected in consequence of the de
clarations, as well as of the lite law for
the appointment of commissioners.
The critical situation of Philadelphia,
which a night or two's ftoft would have
laid open to the British forces, obliged the
Congtefs, abobt the close of the year, to
consult their own fafety by retiring to Bal
timore, in Maryland. In this state of ex
ternal danger, the diffentiors which sprung
up among themselves, were not lefe alarm
ing to the Americans. We have former
ly shewn that the declaration of indepen
dency had met with a strong op pefition in
Philadelphia, not orly from thife who
were called or considered as toriesj but
from many, who in all other matters had
been among the most forward in opposing
the claims of the crown and parliament.
The carrying of the question by a great
majority throughout the province was far
from liffening the bitterness of these who
opposed it, amongst whom were most of
the Quakers, a great ard powerful body
in that colony; so that the difeontented
in this business, forgetting in the present
their ancient animosity, with all its opera
ting causes, coakfeed with the tories or
loyahfts, whom they had formerly perse
cuted, and considered as betrayers, and in
veterate enemies of their country, thus
computing all together a very formidable
party.
In consequence of this diffention, and of
the ill success cf the rebellious arms dur
ing the greater part of the campaign,
which diipefed many to look to their late
ly, a Mr. Galloway, rhe family of Aliens,
with other leading men, either in Pernb "-
vania or the JeJeys,, feme cf whom had