The Pennsylvania journal, or, Weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-05-15 00:00:00, page 2

will yet interpose for the preservation of millions; of millions
viho hax'c been threatened with deftruaion, and driven to ex
tremities, by sanguinary men, for the mere tuipicion of poli
tical error; and I hat in questions so involved and dubious,
that many of the greatest names, many of the wifeh and bed
.men who have ever adorned these lauds, together with large
and important communities of the people, are fittn in toe
.opinion, that the error is not chargeable on them; with such
we join in humh'y and fervently improrog your Majesty to
Die ith in mercy thelv/ord of civil war; that a foundation .nay
be laid for a Ipredy and happy rtlloraiiou of that old confti
tmional iydem, under which Great-Britain and her Colours,
united in alhaion as in interest, ^rew in strength, (id they
became the admiration and envy of other nations.
Remote as our Gtnatiou is, mconddeiablc a, we may be
themed; we would not preftunc to approach the throne Auth
th@fe our fervent prayers, old not our old and.acknowledged
d^achnunt to ^e free British couftitution, to the Protcitaat
relifnn, to the principles of the revolution, to the iburtrious
House of Matrover, and to your Majesty's mort sacred perlon
and dignity, give us a diftm&ion which we arc proud 6f; and
embolden us, with hearts warmly and zmlcuily devoted to
the conftimtion and to your majesty, to lay ourselves at your
feet ; praying, that you may be prodded at all times, and in
all things ditched, by that Sovereign of the universe, by
whom King's reign, and Princes decree jurtice.
H A M B I R G H, February 6.
CT HEY write from Hanover, chat at the end of last moiyn
1 there passed two choices from Landed to Cartel, with
dispatches for Col. Fauci.t, win the Bririfh Court had ap
peeved to order the cancers or taking into pay a_ body of
troops from German. ^c landgrave ot Heiic Caffel
.ranted, it is said, v^roo men. ami the Duke of Bronin,
good, who are to repair to thr Demhy ot Bremen, to embark
co the Wefer towards the end of this month, or beginning of
March. ,
There is also advice from Minorca, that toe Hanoverian
troops are fate arrived, except one tramp"! 1 flli P w htch had
tun athore near Dunkirk, and which, having afterwards got
off had arrived at port Mahon the xs:h of December tad.
L 0 N D °
Among all the circumftaoces by which die public esteem was
(hewn to the memory of Sir Charles Saunters, none
was so (hiking or so truly honourable, as ths panegertcup
on him delivered on a sudden by Sir George Savil e. I hes
testimony, borne to one of the bed nifn who have ever
died, by one of the heft men who ever lived, was delivered
in so pathetic a manner, that the whole house was mod
fenlibiy affe&ed.
The news of his death came to the house on the day of Mr.
Hartley's motion relative to the colonies.
After a ffiort general exordium, Sir George Sartre proceeded
nearly to the following effe&. e
_ But befdes this, Sir, I rife under another set of duf
culties common to me, and to all who (peak rrom this fine the
house ; but then they are collateral and adventitious dnhcul
ties. If we urge that we have been unju£; we are answered,
that that matter has been long fi,ce decided, we Bate
that nothing is to bt got even by victory ; we have the fame
answer If we argue that our measures are impracticable, and
that Riccefs is beyond our power ; the house will not endure
to hear the cower of this country called in queftton. He is a
friend to rcbeUiea who dates hetitate concerning the compara
tive force of the contending parties. Or if 1 foould touch ba
the topic of lightening the chains of slavery in America, re
commended br my honorable friend, a Yearned gentleman
will perhaps tell me 1 am not a whig; for that whigs are ever
fond of defpatifm. But I spoke guardedly when 1 said that
these v—re cultural and adventitious difficulties only ; for,
on the naked matter itfelf. were a by-stander to judge, it
fhculd feera that the harder talk would be to point out or
create the difficulties. For what is the case? I a.> cthe gentlemen
cm the other ide of the house, what are their wifoes ? I am
ai fevered “ Would to. God we were in the fituauon of the year
aft the colonies ?—I am answered „Would to
God we were in the utuation of the year ,763. I know
well that there are various senses tn which this phrase may be
^.critood-Oh! Sir, there is indeed one feme rn which God
knows, we cannot be restored to the fituauon of 63. Who
will reflate to this country the blood that has been Ihcu.
Who will restore those gallant men, to their country, wh o se
Ifo have been lavished, and spent, and mrf-tpent inthe fata!
. concert i Who,wid make good to me my (hare in a Howe, a
©inton, a Burgovne, whole fate is now ftaudtag on, die .
These sentiments, Sir, have long pressed upon my mind, hut
I did not feel the weight of then? till this day. Four
hours ago I felt not half their force.— Men s value is not
wowntill they are loft. Four neuas ago th^s country had
a min. His country^ him no more. Oue of your mem
bers Sir A member is perhaps soon replaced-But where
&II we find bis fellow, who, having in his vigour carried your
arms in glory to the extent of your empire (that empire the
ocean) when called upon by his country in the dregs of life,
(with a cmdh^iicm worn down in your feryice) urged on and
goaded his tottering hmbs, with hobbling haste and teeb.e
alacrity, to ehmb the well known steps or the (hips fide to
meet your enemv. , c
I fr, the home w. 1 not think me guilty of an
comely tautology if 1 have said a word or two on a fubje&
already touched by my honourable friend. No, fir, letit
rather be an order of your boufe that for one day at least,
while*the memory and the GRATITUDE yet remain, none
ihall speak without paying his ju& tribute, to that respec
table, that gallant, that honest, public ,an
But fir, I begyour pardon, and I return to gate that lam
conftvained to allow, that the repealing of bills, recalling
troops, undoing every a&, is not virtually and eJeClually
bringing things back into the fame rttuatian as if they had
never been do^e; and I acknowledge too that fo,e tert may
now be wanted on the part of the colonies to balance our
of generous conciliation. Shall this tert be in -words.
Their words yen will not take. You are sure they aim at u^e
fofoh^fe they dtfav ra it. You are fare they will
not vive on r,quifition—for they fay they ^ Oh but you
have better proofs. You have a certainty they^ ^ ^--^
ther G^avs have. They have always done it, they have
} e ^ And in truth this is the kind of proof we have
been used to; we are well broke in, and we bear it. The
fitisfa&xy earned this house accepted, of our future iuccefs,
was, that we had hitherto mifearried. The proof that we are
now sure to direct our force wifely, was that we have hitherto
Wundered nwft egregiously. The house has paid due regard
to these arguments, and we have voted as we were denied.
We have adopted the logic, and the precedent applies to the
;afe before us, . , c ,
Well then —It is allowed, their words are not to be taken.
Their firmer loyalty to this country (hall not pass for any thing
but proof of their future ^obedience. Allowed,—my friend s
proportion meets you then on that ground. He looks for
an a&ual, froth tert of living obedience; an enrolling a
British add of parliament; to which I hope it will not be a
capital objection that it u not o?pxe§sivc, that K is not
unreasonable; and has morality, humanity, and
the rights of a part of mankind, for its object and
foundation. I second the motion of my honorable
friend.
Feb 6. The House of Lords were altogether engaged in
extraordinary affairs the second and fifth of this month. Ihe
House of Commons, 011 the firft did not fit but about three
quarters of an hour. It is ordered, on the motion of Mr.
Grey Cooper, that there (hall be brought before the House
the date of the balance found in the Exchequer on the fifth of
January; after which they adjourned to yesterday, and were
then engaged tw* hours on Rate affairs. Ihe Committee of
ways and means have been fuccefhveLy adjourned to the se
cond, fifth, and seventh of this month; and will be farther,
according to all appearance, until the Minister is able to de
termine on the demands and piopolnious which are to be
their object „,
In the mem time they continue their warlike preparations.
The fleet defiirnd to a& in America, will confix of fixy-feven
veflels, viz. seven of 50 guns, two of 44, seven of §a,
twelve of 28., five of 24, five of 20, two of 18, fix ott6, -'''°
of i + , four of io, three of 8, and twelve other aimed veiWs.
But if they did give attention, that they have more ib.au
twenty degrees (three hundred common leagues) of coart to
watch, they might eafdy judge that their talk will not be
very eaiy, Viteount Howe, Vice Admiral, is to command
the sea forces; the Vice Aomiral Shuldham, who fucceey.ed
Admiral Greaves, being recalled. I bis Viscount, and the
General Howe, his only brother, who replaced General
Gage at Borton, are brethren to Vifeoum Howe, who w,s
(lain at the attack of Ticonderoga, fifth of July, r 756, and to
whose memory the America,is have erected a fuprrb mqou
menr. The land forces, it is said, are to be divided imo
three bodies, one of twelve thouLud men, pudei General
Carleton, on the River St. Lawrence; the second, also of
twelve tboufand, under General Howe, at NewAor^; and
rhe third in Virginiaaud Carolina, will be of eleven tnouiand,
and commanded by Generals Clinton and Cornwallis, fyefe
bodies t. be supported and reinforced as needful by a reserv
ed body, whibfe Ration is Rot yet fixed. This armament,
however, meets with many obstacles, from a disinclination
to the service in America. Many Captains, Lieutenants and
Enhens, on half pay, who were appointed the fourtw.ntli of
Auguft/fo serve in the new companies added to the old regi
ments, not having yet preferred themfclvcs to the war oLne,
have been summoned anew, on penalty of being erased from
the lift. Thev are not a little embarrassed to equip the trans
ports defined "for America. Even the guardships are obliged
to lend their hands to do the work on board these vessels.
The Count de Guignes;Ambaffador from France, has taken
leave of the King to return to Paris. The Prince de Maffer
ano, Ambaffado°r from Spain, has been very ill for some days
past of an apoplexy, but he begins to grow better, and is
thought to be out of danger.
WILLIAMSBURG, (Virginia) Ma, 3.
Last Sunday fe'enight a tender came up Rappahannock,
and chafed a New England schooner, outward bound, into
Hubb's Hole, from whence file carried her off as low down
the river as Bowler's warehouse, where (he got aground on
an oyster bank, and stuck there till the Tuesday follow
ing; by which time feme spirited gentlemen 111 the neigh
bourhood got together four failing boats, and manned
them, with a view to retake the prize, and, if possible, to
board the tender, which was Commanded by one of old
Goodrich's forts, and had on board a large quantity of fart
canvass, &c. &c. As soon as thejende/s people saw our
vessels bearing down upon them, they set fire to the prize,
and quitted her; upon which some small boats from the
more put off, and arrived time enough to extinguish the
fire without its materially damaging the vessel, having only
one or. two of her fails burned. Mr. Hugh Walker, and
Mr. Richard Banks, who commanded two of the vessels,
got quickly up with the tender, and engaged her at elofe
-quarters for at lead rs or 10 minutes, with fmail arms,
during which a valuable negro man, a pilot on board Mr.
Walker's vessel, was ffiot through the bead, attempting to
board, and three or four of the tender's people were fecu
to fall; when, a breeze Bringing up, Mr. Goodrich took
the advantage of it, and ran off, leaving his prize behind,
which is now fafety secured. During the a^ion, Me. Charles
M'Carty, of Richmond, Mr. John Edmundfon, and Mr.
Nathaniel Crow, of Bffex, Mr. James Montague, of Mid
diefex, with Mr. Walker a^d Mr. Banks, greatly diftrnguilhed
themselves, by their intrepid and gallant behaviour; and
Capt. Thomas Strafliley, and Mr. Thomas Bowler, of
Essex, who commanded the two other vessels, although
they did not get up in time to engage, yet (hewed much
zeal and alacrity, and no doubt, had they been present,
would have fignalizcd themselves. , ,
Yesterday evening, his Excellency the General, attended
by his aids-de-camp and secretary, with adjutant general
Bullitt, arrived at head-quarters in this city, from Suffolk,
having' visited Portsmouth, the Great Bridge, and Kemp's
Landing; and we hear, that several effective regulations
for crushing the Tory interest in that quarter having taken
place. The town of' Portfmouch has fullered in no other
refpea than that of rirmaiifang the lodgings, gntireh, of three
noted and difaffcaed persons, and seizing a quantity of
ftorcs, rhe property of Tories. Old Capt. Goodrich, and
Mr George Blair, late of Smithfield, are now in Suffolk
jail'; sent by the Council of Safety in North Carolina tor
trial, having been taken on that coaftin a piratical vessel.
May 4 We have advice from Foitfinouth, that our troops
entered that town without opposition, and have taken a num
ber of waggon loads of cff.&s, viz rum, sugar, molasses, and
a variety of dry goods, belonging to perlons who are enemies
to the American cause; they have also destroyed two or three
houses which were the property of John Goodrich, and brought
off some prisoners. Lord Dunmore is very strongly entrench
ed at Tucker's mills, and has a great quantity of cannon
mounted, defended by ab+utseo men. His Excellency Gen.
LEE returned here from Portfinoiuh Est Thursday evening.
BOSTO N, May z.
Extras of a letter dated April 22, 1776, from a -after of a vffil
-who lately arrived upm ibis anting from Frame, ^ieb te
left about the xß!b of March.
" Upon my arrival here f was extremely happy to hear of
the good success of this country against her unnatural enemies,
who are coUcaing all the force possible to make head against
us. The account in Bhurdeaax is, that 20,000 Hessians and
Hanoverians are at Embden, ready to citibank cu board he
English fliips, to join 12,000 English, and fail immediately
for America. This, however, you may depend upon, that
about 40 fail of traafports failed from Plymouth abourthe
lathofMarch for America, with abnu. 5000 so diers on board;
they had been, some months before, as far 10 the westward
as Cape Finifterre, and all put back by stress of weather, and
dispersed in different ports; one run on fliorein Ireland, and
the Captain and almost all on board perilled. I fuppofc by
this time they are very near this coast."
Two regiments are now taifing in this Colony for it's im
mediate defence©
We are informed that an additional fwpply of ten tons
of powder was received, a few days fiuce, in this colony
from Europe..-
W A TERTO W N, May 6. ,
On the 15th ult. a (loop of about 53 tuns burthen, laden
with sugar, molasses, cocoa, &c. Was retaken by,a number of
boats in Frenchman's bay, and fafely taken care of. She be
longed to Mr. John Brown, of Providence, and was com
manded by Capt. Treadwell, who had been at New-Lon
don, and unladed her dry goods, but iri going to Providence
was taken by th- Rofc'stender, who sent her for Halifax;
but meeting with contrary winds put into Frenchman's-hay,
where (he was taken. One Fisher, a midshipman of the Rose
as prize-mafler, with 3 or 4 sailors and 2 marines, were
brought prisoners to this town on Saturday Lift
On Wedbefday last arrived at Newbury, Captain John
Lee, trom Bbboi in 29 davs, and informs, that on rhe 14th
of lafr month, in longitude 45, from Louden, he fpoks a
vessel from Plymouth in England, who informed him, thro#
days before be parted with a fleet of 60 fail of tranfpet^
bound for Boston, under the command of Admiral Lou!
Howe, having on boarg 12000 Hessian troops; —he few Mid
re^d the London papers down to the lath of March, fr ^
which, and by the Captain of the vessel, he learnt that 45
Commissioners were on board this fleet, and that they were
d.rea<d, if poflible, to adjust matters, if not they were or
dered, to rifane every thing to penetrate ikto the cannery ;
if not able to effect this, then to burn and destroy art in that
power. Burgoyne was near failing with 400.0 Hanoverians
for Quebec, and a number of regiments are gone to the
fouthem colonies. The minirtry had emitted the Pridian
Monarch, by paying him ail his demands France and Spaia
had objected agaimft anv Ruffians coming this wav.
HART F () R D, (^ CorneßF^) May 6.
Henry Edwin Stanhope, and George Gregory, the pt if r.
ers advertised in our last, to have defected from Northam,o u
have knee been taken at Middletown, where they had taken
passage on board a vessel bound to the Miffifippi— They are
mow (we hear) obliged to take up with elofe quarters iu Nor
thampton goal.
The above persons had concealed the^felves in a cave,
near the river in Middletown, where they were fed by one
Wetmore of that place, and were to wait there till the vrlL.i
was ready to fail. Wetmore is in elofe confinement in the
goal io this place, ^yery. Which of the three is the greatef
criminal ?
N E W-P O R T, (Rhode-Hland) May 6.
Extract of a letter fom a gentleman in Providence, May 4
" A courier arrived this day from Buffon, gri^g the
lowing intelligence, by a letter from Thomas Cufhing, by
order of the General Court of the M.ifL.bof # t§..a,.
f To the Hon. the General Court of the Mafaenuftts Ry,
Salem, May 2, 1776.
" The Committee of Salem have bis moment u.c<.id
the following intelligence by Richard Darby, Efn; t\:
Newbury-Port, who fays, that he this day, about one o'ch>f\Q
talked with Cent, (ohn Lee' ,then just arrived in 29 dxy#
from Bilboa, who fays, that on the 15th of April, he feb
in with, and was on board,' a brig from Piymnu h, m €•-,.,
land, bound to Newfoundland; th/ n f l r <'' which in
formed him, that 3 days before, he parted wi'h a fleet or
60 fail of transports, under the command of Lord Horn
having on board Ixooo H ffians, bound to Burton, toy,<
ther with 2, Commissioners : That General Burgoyne, nA
4000 Hanoveri ns, failed or was to fail about the fame rp..
with the fleet above-mentioned, to go to Quebec : Tha.
said Lee read the English papers on board the brig, by wtrit
it appeared, that the parliament had voted pay for th
foreign troops : That the King of Prussia's demand on Great
Britain had been paid: That the people in England wee
greatly defircus of a reftnration of harmony; and that di
comm ffioners were to uic their utmost . ffi res to that cite
which failing, the troops were to lay waste the country,
in their power.
“ Isaac Smith, Esq; (hews us a letter from Mr. Guard,
que, brought by Captain Lee, dated Bilboa, March 27, 1
which is the following paragraph.
“ No news from England, except that 17,300 Germa
troops were going to Borton and Canada, some or which wet
embarking about three weeks ago. May God preserve y^
is my hearty wish."
N E W-L O N D O N, May, 6.
The Ships Alfred and Columbus, and the Brig Cabot, (par
of the Continental Fleet; ate arrived at Providence from tin
port.
N E W-Y O R K, Ma, 6.
By a gentleman from Cooneaicut we are informed th a
, lift week a certain Me. Cable, in Fairfield, had fem a io?
of provisions to the mioifterial plunderers, and was loader,
a second time for the fame purpose, hut was difetvetted by .
torv who was concerned in the affair, and who made o&L
before a magistrate of the fchemc in agitation. The said Ca
ble was observed to be founding for deep water about its
channel, which he found at a place called the Black Retk,a:C
through which place he was to pilot a gang of cruel miu<hfr.
about one thoufaad in number, whole orders were to massacre
men, women and children. The signal ol their landing wa.
to be three cannon fired in the night.
This gang chiefly inhabited about Newtown, in CemoedV
cut, and from that place ill along to Dob's Ferry on ct
North River. Cable was on this difco^ery apprehended 3m
committed to Fairfield jail, and qtfo another villain., name
Paicleiow, at Greenwich, who was dertcHd in enhfling met
for the miolftevial service, was examined before the Conmiao
of Safety for Greenwich and committed to jail; two ^or
were apprehended, but difeharged for wantof follicle : @:roof
A lift ofthe numes of a number of them that had enidted, ha
been obtained, and a party of men are gone in pursuit t.
them.
P HILADEL P II 1 A.
In our last we mentioned the arrival of the meu of -.=?
off the mouth of Christiana creek, an^ut re leagues ft or
this city, which proved to be the Roctuea, <amain Her
mond, of 44 guns, and the Liverpool, Capt. Bedew, ci ab
On receipt of the news of their being so far up the it^
the x; provincial armed boars were oidetfd from ihe.it -
tion at Fort Island, to attack thun.—On AV e dufd?.y, ?bo\
a o'clock in the afternoon the gallies hove in fight of U
men cf war, and about 3 began the atraca, wh-cn erm-gr
on a very heavy cannonading on both sides, that fatted 3
4. hours; when' the Roebuck Van aground, and the Livt
pool came to arxhor to cover her. It being :l co dark ra
firing ceased on both sides, and in the course of the niC
the Rueb^cte got off—During -he engagement, the V/M
fchoo er of fix' guns, cornmartded by Cnanes A.lcxan<ier, I^-^
out of Chtiftiana .creek, into which the had been &Aj D
day before, and took a brigin the employ of rim p-..
having on board a great number of verier cafics.bdong^g
the Rm° /hher, to (HI. On 7 1 riday aftanounar ; AN..
the atraed boar renewed the attack on th 0, with !
guch fruit and Aril, that they obliged the ships to mak
"be k?l Q^: S4W j:)^<! the EIVCF, irhcn c^c h.)m> p^.