The Connecticut courant, and the weekly intelligencer — Hartford [Conn.], 1781-08-28 00:00:00, page 1

Continuation of Letters found on board the Bri"
tifh Packet, bound to New-York, but taken on
her parage and Carried into France.
Admiralty- Office, March 8, 1781.
SIR,
I RECEIVED, on the 20th ultimo, and imme
diately communicated to my Lords commis
sioners of the admiralty, your two letters of the
20th and 23d January laR, inclofinga copy of one
from rear Admiral Graves, with the Irate and
condition of the squadron under his orders in
Gardner's Bay: as also an accountof the remains
of provisions at New-York; and informing them,
of a revolt having happened in Mr. Washington's
camp, and of the death of Mr. de Ternay.
Their Lordships have ordered some victuallers,'
to proceed under convoy of the Warwick, and
will fend very soon a large supply of provisions
for the use of the fquadronunder your command;
and, with—reipeß to fending out copper to
sheath the flodps, I am to inform you, that the
navy bourd will be acquainted with your propo
sal, and that if it should not be tho't advi fable to
adopt it, their Lordships will fend out coppered
sloops to relieve those which are not so, as you
desire. lam, fir.
Your mod obedient,
humble servant,
(Signed) PH. STEPHENS.
Vice Admiral Arbuthnot.
Alanw'^h, February 23, 1781.
My dear Sir Henry,
MY late Ray at this place has hindered me
from personally converting with those,
from whom I ihould have liked to have been in
formed of the particulars of what is going on in
your part of the world. I can however collect,
from the letters you have been so kind as to fend
me, that things wear a more favourable appear
ance at prelent than they have done almost at
any time since the commencement of these trou
bles, and that if you were only properly backed
at home, and had troops fufficient to attempt
something, things might do very well; I fear
however that there is very little hopes of receiv
ing from hence such reinforcements as are ne
cessary, to enable you to aft offenfively ; and if
the French are not otherwise occupied in Furope,
I have no doubt of their fending powerful fuc
cours to Rochambeau this spring. I confefs I
cannot conceive what we are about, not to have
formed, longbefore this, proper alliances, in-or
der, at lead, to take off part of their force from
annoying us. But, entrenous, I fear our cabinet
either are not unanimous or not Ready. One day
it is fettled that Rodney is to be sent for home,
to com nind our channel fleet: Then all this is
countermanded again. Our affairs with the
Dutch are still in statu quo, and as we con
trived at firß setting out to pubfiih a manifefto,
and then do nothing, so we seem Rill to be conti
nuing to go on. Meadows and Commodore
Tohnßonc were to lie sent out directly to the
cad-Indies, but some how or another we have
contrived to delay this business so long, that they,
are evidently too late for one part of the plan,
and I wiR it don't prove they are too late for the
whole of it. Our fleet too, which is to fail for
the relief of Gibraltar, has been so long preparing
that I underßand the French and Spaniards are
fully prepared for it, having cohered a great
force to oppose it. Thus we seem, by some fa
tality or other, always to mis-time every opera
tion. Indeed, notwithstanding, our situation is
WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER;
HARTFORD : Printed by H UDSON and GOODWIN, near. the Great Bridge.
TUESDA Y, August 28, 1781.
LONDO N, May 15.
HOUSE of COMMONS.
Mmdg, May 14.
St. Eustatius Business.
fyffß. BURKE opened the debate, agreeable to
his notice, by Rating that this was a questi
on of the mold peculiar importance; for this
country was, in every degree, so Angularly cir
ciimftanced, he would venture to assert, that no
hißory could point out a period when this nation
was at war with all the world, without any one
ally or friends At such a time it would be just,
it wouldbe prudent, to endeavour by every con
ciliatory, every humane means to fatisfy the
world, that the conduct of this country was libe
ral, and open,
He said, that the firß- Manifefto of December
21, whereby the seemingly mild mode of reprifajs
was adopted, and he thought the moR proper
mode, of the war was just. He then proceeded
to Rate thtfeveral papers which had been publish
ed relativ#to the Dutch war. He said, that,
with regard to the drips belonging to Holland
here, there had been a refpeH paid by proclama
tion, which said, that all veflels having cargoes
ffiould have a reasonable time to depart ; but a
provision was male, that we should wait until
we knew that the States would act with equal
generality with regard to us.- But what was our
conduct with regard to the iftand of St. Eufta
tins ? An island which might be looked on as a
Lusts Nature, something accidentally formed
after the reR of the creation, barren, and with
out any resource from nature, and which depend-
so critical a one, we seem to interest ourselves
much more about the fate of a French dancer,
than the fate of this country. =
So little encouragement is given' to those who
ere able either to form or executeany plan for the
good of the country, that unless some few, whose
ambition makes them submit to every thing in
order at all events to succeed to employments,
others finding they can do no good, and only
meet with indifference and neglect,give the point
totally up. lam sorry I cannot enliven the re
mainder of my letter by fending you the enter
taining adventures of London, but being here, I
muR leave that to Bill, and your other cprref
pondents, who are nearer the metropolis. I long
to fee you amongst us here, and of presenting to
you afine rosy cheeked country girl. But it mull
beupon condition thatyou don't fpoilher. Adieu,
my dear fir Henry; accept lady Percy's best com
pliments and mine, and be assured I am ever,
with most unfeigned regard, -
Your sincere friend and humble servant,
, (Signed), - PERCY.
[Lord Percy's remarks in this letter cannot fail
to open the eyes of every tory in America, unless
he is determined to flint them against the clear
est conviction. The pi-flare he has drawn ap
pears to be a goodone, and when his character is
considered, and the high eßimation in which this
class of people held him while in America, it is
unnecessary to comment on the other parts of his
letter. We would only notice by-tbe-bye, that
the fine rosy cheeked country girl, mentioned in
the latter part, ik the firft connubial pledge of the
noble writer's second marriage, on whose birth
we the more sincerely give him joy, as he appears
to be entitled, from his candour and liberality of
fentiraent, to a regard which few of his country
men can justly claim.]
ed on extrinsic amßaneb. It had been.wifely,
by that politic nation, the Dutch, made an em-'
perium of trade, a free port, an open mart for
Lie and purchase to all nations; nay, even legal
ly recognized by the legislature of this country,/
in the adds which gave us the power of trading
there.—What did we do with regard to that
island ? Why an Admiral, who had attained the
most fair, the most iinfullied laurels, in the most
honorable and essential services to his country/
had exerted a diligence so peculiarly extraordina
ry, so wonderful in its celerity in the tarnishing
of those laurels, and blasting thdt fame which he
had acquired, by ads so barbarous as were per
petrated in the captureof St. Euftatius. He faidy
that the island had fortifications, indeed,as it was
supposed, in the universality of their commerce,
a nd the general utillity of their trade to the whole
world, the States General had, to be sure, fixed
a kind of armament there, confining of 5.3 men
of whom only twelve were men ofcolcur, the*
rest were Mulattoes. He said, that it was not to
be wondered, if a surrender were made, immedi-.
ately upon a summons from a Britifb Admiral,
supported by a British fleet, even by a force so ve
ry formidable, as the force of St. Euftatius. He
ftated the humanity of Sir George Rodney's in
tended attack upon St. Vincent, immediately af
ter the war which the Almighty had levied against
men, which fhgwed them their dust and littlc
nefs ; and compared with it the conduct of Dr.
Franklin, who had, commifferating the misfor
tunes of humanity, done every thingto foften the
rigours of war, by obtaining orders to be given to
all the American privateers, not at all to moleß
any vessels which were employed in the carriage
of provisions, which orders, were not complied
with attentively as Americans, but as affectionate
well-wishers of the cause of humanity.
He said, that the humanity of the design was
equal to she success of the attempt. For after
our forces had made a landing at St. Vincent,
they found the island in so much a better fituati?
on than they hoped for, and the natives so muc'll
better prepared for them than they expected, that
they, after looking at, and, as it were, viewing
the force of the country, retreated, as they fay°
in good order, and without flying. What was
the consequence of all this? The Charibbs,
whom a legislative a& had already exasperated,
and whom a new intended a& of violence had
again exasperated, endeavoured to deßroy every
Englishman on the inland, had not the burn nuy
of the Governor interposed bis mercy to their
barbarity. How did we avail ourselves of this
example of tehdernefs? When We had frized on
the Government of the island of S'. Euftatius,
obtained the Governor's sword, and had made it
entirely fubjeft to- us, our next conduct Was rto
confifeate all property there, -in contradiction to
the law of nations, aild to three express laws of
the land-—he' meant the Grenada bill, the To
bacco bill and the Cotton bilk Their next pfo
cefs was an attack on the Jev§ the most barbar
ous poßible, because, being a defenceless nation,
they have no place, or set of men,, to vindicate
their cause. If we attack -the Dutch, Holland:
can support them ; if the French, they have the
fame advantage; while those poor .men, exiles
from every country, were the great link of com
merce from the East to the Weft Indies. In eve
ry language, and in every colour, you find them;
and though there may be some criminals amon^i
them, from such an abandoned situation, yet
there were among them likewise some worthy
(No. 866.)