The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1776-06-01 00:00:00, page 1

o TH E Printers bumbly hope that the present Scarcity of Paper awill
Sufficiently apologize for the Size of this Gazette; . awbich, though
small, contains all the material Intelligence that came to Hand this
Week.—A considerable Supply of Paper is daily expelied from NEw YORK
and PHILADELPHIA. When it arrives, our Cufiomers fball be ferved.as
Jormerly.
The SPEE CH of Governor JOHNSTONE, in the House of Com-
MoNs, on Thursday the 26th of Offober 1775, continued from our
gazette of the 18th ult: /
AW A 3HE danger of puthing things to extreme makes the
F* _*\#\ good sense of mgn pre%ail, v§hile the power of resisting
§oy in every individual juryman prevents prejudice and in
§TS§ justice from trying their strength on matters that are
§ § not tenable. . The springs of a free government are
5 "o“"'_* not obvious to every understanding, while the mean-
YAR est foot soldier knows all the powers of delpotifm.
: Here the supremacy of the magistrate {olves every quel
tion. Inthe fame manner the advantages derived from America, in the
circle of commerce, are not so evident to a vulgar understanding as so
much palpable cath paid into the Exchequer. For this reason lam ready
to forgive those who differ with me in opinion concerning this American
contest. It demands a process of reasoning to which comimon under
standings are not generally accustomed. I should not be surprised if half
the people of England should at firft join against the Americans: Na
tional prejudice, pride, falfe glory, and falfe arithmetic, all contribute
to deceive them; but that any man, assuming the charater of a ftatef
_rgan, fhoutd proceed in this mad career, to destroy in a few years that
“beautiful system of empire our ancestors have been raising with so much
paing and glory, firft under the falfe pretence of raising a revenue, and
next under a more falfe pretence that America wishes to throw off her
just dependence on Great Britain; this, I confefs, does surprise me.
i’or this reason my indignation chiefly rises against the noble Lord on the
floor; lam willing to acquit all his colleagues, and most of his follow=
ers, even if they had not the interested motives of places and pensions to
bias their judgment; but that the noble Lord who yearly confiders the
riches that come into the public treasury, who knows and can trace all
the circuitous channels by which riches flow into this country, that he
faould place no more to the credit of America than the paltry sum col
leéted by his infignificant commissioners, and endeavour to mislead others
by such assertions. This indeed is beyond belief. When the noble
Lord is pleased to take the other fide of the argument, what abundance
of wealth does he sometimes pour forth in the most copious flow of elo
quence. When he supports this rugged coercive system, how he labours
and flags, nothing but founding words and unmeaning phrases. The
pIGNITY OF PARLIAMENT! Now I fay this is best supported by hu
manity and justice, and maintaining the freedom of the fubje&t. The
sUPREMACY of the legislative authority of Great Britain! This I call
unintelligible jargon: Instead of running the different privileges belong
ing to the various parts of the empire into one common mass of power,
Gentlemen should confider that the very firft principles of good govern
‘ment, in this wide extended dominion, consist in subdividing the empire
into many parts, and giving to each individual an immediate interest in
the community to which he belongs, should be well regulated. This is
the principle upon which our ancestors established those different colonies
or communities. This is the principle on which they have flourithed so
long and so prosperously. This is the principle on which alone they can
be well governediat such a distance from the feat of empire.
Yet we are breaking through all those sacred maxims og our forefathers,
and giving the alarm to eyery wife man on the continent of America,
%ﬁ ﬂ@%&ﬁ#ﬁ‘&&m ill ‘of «men-whose corruption is notori
‘ousy wk re‘gard him as an enemy, and who havene interest in his pros
perity, and feel no controul from him as a constituent. The most learned
writer on government has defined civil and political liberty to consist in a
perfet security as to a man’s rights. ~After the aéts of Parliament last
year, can any man on the great continent of America fay that he feels
that security? Could any thing less than dread of losing every eflential
privilege have united a people so divided ig customs, manners, climate,
(June 1, 1776.]
Williamsburg: Printed by Dixon & Hunter.
HEY began to fortify Noddle’s island last week, since which they
T have been joined by several of the neighbouring towns, and it is
not doubted but others will follow the Jaudable example.
v Extraét of a letter from a Gentleman at BILBOA, March 28. :
« Letters from London mention, that the Duke of Richmond had
proposed to make an humble address to his Majesty to hasten a reconcili
ation’; to which the Duke of Cumberland joined, and censured much the
ministerial measures; but it was rejeted, and the plan was determined
by his Majesty, with Lords Sandwich, Germain, Howe, a.nd Adg’mml
Montague, so at again{t America; and the Admiral set out immediately
for Portsmouth, in order to fail with his fleet. Admiral Howe was to
follow as soon as the veflel was ready to receive him.” /
Last Tuesday Capt. Tucker, in the privateer lately commanded by
Capt. Manly, took two brigs near the ligﬂthoufe, in fight of two or three
Britith ships of war lying in King road, and carried them the fame day
fafd into Lyon. - The largest is from Corke, and has on board so tons
of coal, 256 whole barrels, and 130 half barrels, of beef, 300 firkins
of butter, zoo boxes of candles, 40 barrels of flour, 49 barrels of bar
lev, “a quantity of hams, 300 boxes of soap, &c. The other is from
St. Michael’s, about go tons burthen, loaded with wines and fruit. The
masters of these vessels, not knowing that the British army had been
obliged to evacuate this place, were bound hither, in order to dispose of
their cargoes for the benefit of our unnatural and cruel enemies.----The
malfter of the vessel from Corke failed from thence the Ift of April, and
fays, that five regiments were at Corke when he failed, ready to embark
for America;- but that he had heard nothing of any foreign troops hav
mg failed for the continent. ;
WATERTOWN, May 6. A sloop belonging to Providence, laden
with sugar, molafles, cocoa, &c. was re-taken by a number of boats in
Frenchman’s bay on the 15th ult. She had been at New London, and
was taken going to Providence, by the Rose’s tender, who sent her to
Halifax, butwas drove into the bay by contrary winds. A midshipman,
as prize master, 4 sailors, and 2 marines, are made prisoners.
NEW LONDON, Map 6. The ships Alfred and Columbus, and
the brig Cabot, are arrived at Providence, from this port.
NEW YORK, May 15. An express arrived here on Monday even
ing, from the northern army, who brought letters from Generals Sulli
van and Schuyler, which mention, that our people had poffefled and de
stroyed part of the lower town of Quebec, and made a breach in the walls
of the upper town. '
Extrall of a letter from Coracao, April 13, 1776.
¢¢ By the accounts we have here, the French are determined to strike
a blow, but it is not yet known where. I was at Port au Prince about
five wegks ago; they had upwards of 3000 soldiers there, and as many
and communications? Could any thing less than an entire want of poli
cy, afpecies of political phrenzy here, have produced this wonderful effeét ?
You assert they aim atindependency! 1 ag'ert they with for nothing more
than a constitutional dependence on Great Britain, according as they
have fublifted from their firft establishments, and according as Ireland
dépends on the British legislature at this moment. Can any man who
khows the power of the Crown in the legislative and executive parts of
our colony government, who understands the force of the several aéls of
navigation, who knows the incitements and attachments by the education
oi youth in this country, who knows what would be the cffeéls of mixing
the colonists in our flects and armies, and every other office in our go
vernment; who confiders the effefts of appeals in the last resort to his
Majesty in council ; who knows the power of his Majesty in annulling
laws made in the colonies within three years; who perceives the advan
tages that every part of the empire derives from the prosperity of the
other; who is there, I fay, capableof digesting those thoughts, and can
entertain the ignoble jealousies daily expressed against the Americans,
or show any motive why the people in America should break the bond of
union with this country for ages yet to come, unless driven to that ex
tremity by following Mr. Hutchinson’s advice in ABRIDGING THEIR
LIBERTIES, which is as much a part of their birth-right as of any man
living and born in England. [To be continued.]
WO S P ogr NG iy 8l
[No. 1295.]