The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1778-10-20 00:00:00, page 2

tnption of American trade. Here an excess of de
mand above what could be ftpplied after such a di
mention of the quantity, occasioned an augmenta
tion 'in the price of that article.
I shall produce one more fad, which is derived
from 'what I call undoubted authority, though it is
not impossible but fume from principle, or interest,
or some other motive, may scruple its authority.
When Samaria was besieged by the Syrian army,
the famine raged to such a degree in that city that
an affes's head was fold for eighty pieces of silver,
and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five
pieces of silver. In less than one day, by the sudden
flight of the Syrians a measure of fine flour was fold
for a shekel, and two measures of ba.ley for a shekel,
in the fame city. Though it be impossible, at this
diflance of time to determine with precision, what
those measures and weights were ; yet it is certain,
that the price of provisions fell several hundred per
cent, in the space of one day, merely by the intro
du&ion of plenty in the room of scarcity.
I want no other arguments, than the fa& now
adduced, to convince me, that the quantity of mo
ney ira circulation, and the demand for articles solely
regulate their price; and that these causes, inde
pendent of others, have occafiened the present high
price of all our commodities, - both foreign and the
productions of our own foil.
(The Remainder will be in our next.)
HARTFOR D, October 10.
Sunday fe'naight his Excellency the Governor re
ceived a Packet from the British Commissioners
at New-York, in which was enclosed several co
pies of he following
M AN I FE S T O
AND
PROCLAMATION.
TO the Members of the Congress, the Members of
the General Assemblies or Conventions of the se
veral Colonies, Plantations and Provinces ofNeW-
Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island;
Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsyl
vania the three lower Counties on Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, South Ca
rolina, and Georgia, and all others, free Inhabi
tants of said Colonies, of every Rank and Deno
mination.
BY the Earlof CARLISLE, Sir HENRY CLIN
TON, and WILLIAM EDEN, Esq; Commis
sioners appointed by his Majefly. in Pursuance of
an A& of Parliament, made and passed in the 18th
Year of his Majefly's Reign, to enable his Ma
jesty to appoint Commissioners to treat, consult,
and agree upon the Means of quieting the Disor
ders now subsisting in certain of the Colonies,
Plantations, and Provinces in North America.
HAVING amply and repeatedly made known
to the Congress. and having also proclaimed
to the inhabitants cf North America in general, the
benevolent overtures of Great Britain towards a re
union avd coalition with her Colonies, we do not
think it eonfiftent either with the duty we owe to
our country, or a just regard to the characters we
bear, to persist in holding out offers which in our
estimation required only to be known to be most
gratefully accepted : And we have accordingly, ex
cepting only the Commander in Chief, who will
be detained by military duties, resolved to return to
England a few weeks after the date of this Manifefto
and Proclamation.
Previous however to this decisive flep, we are led
by a just anxiety for the great object of our Mission
to enlarge on some points which may not have been
fufficiemly understood, to recapitulate to our fellow
fubje&s the blessings which we are empowered to
confer, and to warn them of the continued train of
evils to which they are at present blindly and obsti
nately exposing themfelves.'
To the members of the Congress then, we again
declare that we are ready to concur in all fatisfactory
and just arrangements for securing to them and their
refpe&ive constituents, the re eflablifhment of peace,
with the exemption from any imposition of taxes by
the Parliament of Great Britain, and the irrevocable
enjoyment of every privilege confident with that
union of interests and force on which our mutual
prosperity and the fafety of our common religion and
liberties depend. Weagain assert that the members
of the Congress were not authorizedby their consti
tution, either to reject our offers without the pre
vious conEderation and consent of the several As
femblies and Conventions of their constituents er to
refer us to pretended foreign treaties which they
knew were delusively framed in the firft instance,
a d'which have never yet been ratified by the peo
ple of this continent. And we once more remind the
members cf the Congress that they are refyonfibb to
^eir country, to the world, and to God, for the
Continuance of this wat, and for all the miseries with
which it must be attended.
To the General Assemblies and Conventions of
the different Colonies, Plantations, and Provinces,
abovementioned, we now separately make the offers
which we originally transmitted to the Congress; and
we hereby call upon and ur,e them to meet exprefly
forthe purpose of considering whetherevery motive,
political as well as moral, Should not decide their
resolution to embrace the occasion of cementing a
free and firm coalition with Great Britain. It has
not been, nor is it, our wish, to seek the obje&s
which we are commissioned to pursue by fomenting
popular divisions and partial cabals ; we think such
eondu& would be ill suited to the generous nature
of the effers made, and unbecoming the dignity of
the King and the State which maks them. But it
is both o^r wish and our duty to encourage and Sup
port any men or bodies of men in their return of
loyalty to our Sovereign and of affection to our fel
low fubje&s.
To all others, free inhabitants cf this once happy
Empire, we also address ourselves. Such of them
as are actually in arms, of whatsoever rank or descrip
tion, will do well to recolle& that the grievances,
whether real or supposed, which led , them into this
rebellion, have been forever removed, and that the
just occasion is arrived for their returning to the class
of peaceful citizens. But if the honours of a milita
ry life are become their object, let them Seek those ho
nours under the banners of their rightful Sovereign,
and in fighting the battles of the United British Em
pft against our late mutual and natural enemy.
To thofewhofe profeffion it is to exercise the func
tions of religion on this continent, it cannot sure
ly be unknown, that the Foreign Power with which
the Congress is endeavouring to conned them, has e
ver been averse to toleration and inveterately opp Zed
to the interests and freedom of the places of worfhp
which they serve; and that Great-Britain from whom
they are for the present separated muff both from the
principles of her constitution and of protestantism be
at all times the best guardian of religious liberty, and
most disposed to promote and extend it^
To all those who can estimate the blessings of
peace and its influence over agriculture arts and com
merce, who can feel a due anxiety for the education
and eflablifhmeat of their children, or who can place
a just value on domestic Security, we think it fu ffici
ent to observe, that they are made by their leaders
to continue involved in all the calamities of war
without having either a just objed to pursue, or a
subsisting grievance which may not instantly be re
dressed.
But if there be any persons who, divested of mis
taken resentments, and uninfluenced by felfifh in
tereftsj really think that it is for the benefit of the
colonies to separate themselves from Great Britain,
and that so separated they will find a constitution
more mild more free, and better calculated for their
prosperity than that which they heretofore enjoyed
and which we are empowered and disposed to renew
and improve; with such persons we will not dispute
a position which seems to be fufficienily contradicted
by the experience they have had. But we think it
right to leave them fully aware of the change which
the maintaining of such a position must make in the
whole nature and future conduct of this war; more
especially when to this position is added the pretend
ed alliance with the Court of France.---The policy
as well as the benevolence cf Great Britain have thus
far checked the extremes of war when they tended to
distress a people still considered as ourfellow fubjeAs,
and to desolate a country Shortly to become again a
feurce of. mutual advantage : But when that coun
try profeffes the unnatural design not o "y of estrang
ing herfelf from us but of mortgaging herfelf and her
resources to our enemies, the whole contest is changed;
and the question is, How far Great-Britain may by
every means in her power deftory or render useless a
connexion contrived for her ruin, and for the ag
grandizement of France. Under such circumstances
the laws of felf-prefervation must dire& the conduct
of Great-Britain,and if the Britiffi Colonies are to be
come an accession to France, will direct her to ren
der that accession of as little avail as poffble to. her
enemy.
If however there are any who think that notwith
standing these reasonings the Independence of the
Colonies will in the result be acknowledged by
Great Britain, to them we answer without reserve
that we neither possess nor expert powers for that
purpose ; and that if Gieat-Britain could ever have
funk so low as to adopt such a measure, we Should
not have thought ourselves compellable to fee the in
ftrumen^ in making a conceffiou which would in
ear opinion be calamitous to the Colonies f, whuw
it is, made and dis raceful as well as calamitous ro
.the country from which it is required. And w^
think proper to declare that in this spirit and fent
ment we have regularly written from this Continent
to Great-Britain.
It will now become the colonies in general to call
to mind their own solemn appeals to Heaven in the
beginning of this contest, that they took arras only
for the redress of grievances, and that it would be
their wiffi as well as their interett to remain for ever
connected with Great-Britain. We again ask them
whether all their grievances, real or supposed, have
net been amply and fully redteffed; arid we insist that
the offers we have made leave nothing to be wiffied in
point either of immediate liberty Or permanent se
curity : if those offers are now rejected, we withdraw
from the exercise of a Commission with which we
have in vain been honoured; the fame liberality
Will no longer be due from Great Britain, nor can it
either injustice o'r policy be expected frem her. •
In fine, and for the fuller manifeflation as well of
the disposition we bear, as of the gracious and gene
rous purposes of the commission under which we
a€l, we hereby declare, that, Whereas his Majesty;
in pursuance of an act, made and passed in the eigh
teenth feffiun of Parliament, entitled. " An a& to
enable his Majesty to appoint Commissioners with
Efficient powers to treat, consult aad agree upon
the means of quieting the disorders now subsisting
in certain of the Colonies. Plantations, and Pro
vinces of North-America," having been pleased to
authorife and empower us to grant a pardon or par
dons to any number or description of persons within
the Colonies, Plantations, and Provinces of New-
Hampshire, Massachusetts Bay, Rhode Island, Con
nedicut, New York, New Jersey, Pennfylvaaia,
th? Three Lower Counties on Delaware, Maryland,
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Geor
gia : And whereas the good effects of the said au
thorities and powers towards the people at large,
would have long since taken place, ifa due use had
been made of our firft communications and over
tures and have thus far been fruftrated only by the
precipitate resolution of the Members of the Con
gress not to treat with us, and by their declining to
consult with their constituents : We now in making
our appeal to those constituents and to the free in
habitants of this continent in general, have deter
mined to Five to them, what in our opinion should
have been the firft object cf thole who appeared to
have taken the management ®f their interests; and
adopt this mode of carrying the said authorities and
powers into execution. We accordingly hereby
grant and proclaim a pardon or pardons of all, and all
manner of ireafens or mifprifons of treasons, by any
person or persons, or by any number or defcriptiou
of persons within the said Colonies, Plantations, or
Provinces, counfelled, commanded a&ed, or done,
en or before the date of this Manifefto and Pracla^
mation.
And we farther declare and proclaim, that if any
person or persons, or any number or description of
peifons within the said Colonies, Plantations and
Provinces, now a&ully serving either in a civil or
military capacity in this rebellion, shall, at any
time during the continuance of this Manifefto and
Proclamation, withdraw him or themselves from
such civil or military service, and foall centinue
thenceforth peaceably as a good and faithful subject
or fukje&s to his Majesty to demean him or them
selves, such person or persons, er such number and
description of persons, ffiall become, and be, fully
entitled to, and hereby obtain all the benefits of the
pardon or pardons hereby granted; excepting only
from the said pardon or pardons every person, and
every number @r description of persons, who, after
the date of this Manifefto and Proclamation, shall,
under the pretext of authority, as Judges, Jurymen.
Ministers or Officers of Civil Justice, be instrumental
in executing and putting to death any of his Majes
ty's fnb;eas within the said Colonies, Plantations
and Provinces.
And we think proper farther to declare, that no
thing herein contained is meant or shall be conftra
ed to set at liberty any person or persons, new being
a prisoner or prisoners, or who during the continu
ance cfthis rebellionfhall become a prisoner or prisoners
And we offer to the colonies at large, or sepa
rately, a general or separate peace, with the revival
of their antient governments, secured against any
future infringements, and protested for ever from
taxation by Great Britain. And with refpe& to such
farther regulations, whether civil, military, or com
„mercial, as they may with 10 be framed and esta
blished, we promise all the concurrence and afiift
ance that his Majfty's Commission authorizes s^d
enables us to give.