The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1776-12-27 00:00:00, page 1

THE VIRGINI-A GAZETTE.
The Freedom of the Press is one of the great Bul-wark: of Libcrty, and can never be restraincd but by de/potic Go-uemmerm.
[DECEMBER 27, 1776.) WILLIActMSBURGZsi Printed byssDlon &? HUNTER. (No. 1325.]
The REPRESENTATIVES oflbe Um'ud Stam of AM ERlCA, in Cow
grlsi/Fs affimbled, to the PEOPLE in general, and particularlyssto the in—
babtlant: qs P a N N s Y ]. v A N ] A and the acijamit State;. '
FRlENDS AND BRETHREN,
E think it out duty to addresl a few words of ex- -
hortation to you in this important crisn. You
are not unacquainted with the history of the rise
and pro rest of this war. A plan was carried on
by the ritilh ministry for several years inn sys.
tematic manner to enflave you to [fill kin dom.
' After various attempt: in an ansul and in idious
manner to bring into practice the laying yon under tribute, they at last
:zenly and dectsivelss asserted their right of making lawe to bind you in
ease: ewbagsmer. _ -
0 position was made to these encronchments by men and humble
" petitmns from eve legiflature on the eontinent, and man than one b
the Congress repre nting the whole. Thesewere tremd with the one ,
contemyt. Me of the nest unjust and oxsseshve uttntempaled lndsi
carried into execution, such as exempti'nf _ e soldien cha'i'g'ed "with mur
der in America, fmm : legal triol, an ovdeting them to he carfied to
Brinin for certain ibsolution, a: also direfling prisoner! taken at sea to
be entered on board their (dipt, and at ' ' eitlm to kill their own
friends, or fall themselves by their hande. eohly mention theft from
among the many op reffive aft- ot' Parliament as proof: to what horrid
injusiice the love o dominion will sometimee entry societiee a- yen :.
men. At the same time to shew how insensible they will be to the (us.
feringo of othen, you may see by the preamblee to the acts and lddreshe
to the King, that they conshmtl exto] theil' own lenity in these veryj
proceeding: which filled this uh e continent with [What! bones. '
To crown the whole they have wnged war with !g'in-MM cruel
and unrelentinz manm-si. ' ' siwtoflfy ch of the British na.
tion, but hinng foreign mercenmek, who, !ithont feelin , indulge
'Themselves in npine and bloodshed. The spmt indeed of t um
eneral io but too well determined, by their inhuman treatment of
who have unhappily fallen into their hande. ' ?
It in well known to you, that at the univeiss-sd desire of the e, and
with the heartsiaepprobation of every pr'ovinee, the Concresi (! tile
United State: and independentsi : measure not Myjust. but which
had become absolutely necofl'z . It Would have been impolsible to hiv—
resisted the formidable force de ined against un lafl: spring, while we con
feffed ourselves the subjectc of that State againfl M we had taken
armn. Besidee, after re ted triale, _ no terms could he obtained but
pardon, upon absoiute _su mission, which every public body in Ambrica
had rejeaed with disdain. '_ . ,
Resiltance has now been made with a (him and resolution becoming 'a
free people, and with a degree of success them) wpiFh-could scarce have
been expected. The enemy have been expelled fron the'northem e
vinceo, where they at first had possefiion, and have been repulsed in eir
attem t upon the southern by the nndauntedssvalom' of the inhabitants.
Our Lest at sea, in the capture of the enem ?: ships, lus been astonish
ing. .' hewe been compelled to retreat on the northern army.
Notwithshnding the difficulty and uncertainty at'first of our being sup.
slied with ammunition and military flom, those we have now in abun
ance, and Eggsome late arrivala and capture- there it an immedilte
spect of sin 'ent clothin for the army. '
What we have particular y in view, in this address, is not only to pro
mote unanimity and vigour through the whole Stam, but to excite the
inhabitants of Pennsylvania, New ]erse , and the adjacent States, to an
immediate and s irited exertion in oppo tion to the army that now thxeat
ent !" take ye top of this city. You know that during the whole
ampaign they have been checked in their progress, and have not, till
within these two weeks, ventured above ten mile. from their shipping.
Their Fesent advancel are owing not to any capital defeat, or a want of
valour in the army that opposed them, but to : sudden diminution as its
number: from the expiranon of those short enlistmenu which, to ease che
peopk, were it first adopted. Many have already 'oined the army to
supyl the deficiency, and we call in the most earne manner on ah the
frien : of liberty to exert themselves without deley in this prefling ema
gency. In every other part your arms have been successf , and in other
' respeae opr sacred cause in in the most romising finmtion. We think it
was: to inform an_d assure you that e ential services have been already
ten ed us by fomgn States, and we have received the most positive ai
fuuneesos swthenssaxd. Let us not then be wanting to ourselves. Even
ss afhon resisiance mll probably be effectual, as General Lee is advancing
With : (irolȝg reinsisorEement, and his troo : in high spiriu.
/ What 5le u :! then that the rich mer populous tity of Philadel hie
shmfld sa_ mto the enemy's hgndsss ol_' thlt we should not lay hold o the
opportumt of deshjoymg _u**"ctr*----- -- —ss-_-_. . ss _._ ss _ . : ..
an I of'w , la wtueh thus greatest ssnngth hu.
t_ it cerninly needless to multiply arguments in such : situation. All
tlut is' vdonble to us n men and freemen is at stake. lt doesssnot admit
osl question, what would be the effect of our finally falling. Even the
boasted eofilmissionen for giving peace to America have not offend, znd
do not now ofier any terms but pardon on absolute submiffion. And
tho'ugh (blessed be God) even the lose of Philadelphia would not be the
(last of the cause; yet, while it can be saved, let us not in the close of the
, 'nmctpaign, afford them such ground of triumph; but give : check to
their progress, end convince our friends, in the distant parts, that on:
ssirtuz' Apmn'u 'ru; wuou.
siConfiding in am; sideliq and zeal in : contest the most illustrious and
imporuntsi god Hy trushpg in.!he good Providence of God, we with
you he _ zed ecese. si
-' 5" ' " well it Philadelphia, December lo, 1776.
" ss'By order of Con else, -
]OHsiss RANCOCK, President.
WILLlAMSBURG, December 27.
ss; denied, in Hampton Road, : l'orge brig from Cape Fran.
ct nie, having on board Boo had of ml. 15 tom of powder, :
_ qi—Itityvfbhulwu; amthnher wov'liem, foe Congreso. Another large
effl, : Entuned, from St. lum, iejne up the bay with : cargo
o : t en goode. ' ,
\ We heir nbove-mtioned hrigsihn : under of Punch Gentle
men on board, pafl'engen, one of them an ofieer of mit, and is bound
'Mmon
..,up .
Since our C . Travit returned into port, after : croise of seven
, A letter by the post tqelilsstlions that Howe'l army in New ]ersey hld se
no :es.
fm'l'renun to Prineetown,_si which is :) mile:, And it is sup
posed the intention of an lttempt to cross the Delnware 'I! dropped on
the Wnfion of danger from our gondoln md armed vesseh, which
lie extended lion the river to annoy them, er with the apparanu
of cut ermy on t opposite shone, which wi] soon be very somidable.
Tgsh'dq bit Exu the Gmr received the followiq hmr, lated
th: 18! issujaut, bssy (West fron Baitimote. *
" ,The movements o the enemy'e army in the ]ers I, by which the
neighbourhood of Phiiadelphia had become the sat wet, determined
Congnso to ndionm froctlctn thence to this town. where public business will
- be meed on'the noth instant, unless : sufficient number of member.
book! he assembled tobegin sooner. At thit piece the lie business
may be conducted with more deliberation, and undiflu attention,
than could be the case in a city subject to mal alntm, and that had
necessarily been made a place of arms. mewopriety of che measure
wan strongly enforced by the Contjnental General: Putnnm and Miflfin,
who commended in Philadelphia, and who give it :; theit opinion, that
althou they did not consider the town ac liable to fall into the enemy".
hands ut by surprise, yet that poffibility rendered it imptoper for Con
gress to continue there. _ ' '
" So long as the Amencan army kept together, the enemy's pragresi
w extremeiy limited, but they knew and seized the opportunity of
comin forward, which was occasioned by the greater part of the army
dis gin consequence of shortenliiiments; nnd thisindeed was : plan
act; founded on hopes of accommodztion, and for the greater ces: of
the people. When a new army il assembled, the enemy must again
narrow their bounds; and this demonflrntes the necessity of cverv sithze
exerting every meane to bring the new levies into the such] with all pssoffihlc
expeditlon. lt is the only sure meam of Placing Amesica on the ground
where every good man would wish to see it.