The New-Jersey journal — Chatham, N.J., 1782-04-10 00:00:00, page 1

The public will probably recoiled, that some time
last year the British mihiftry commenced a profe
cutiun againtt some of the London printers, for a
paragraph in their fevetal papers, refpeding the
Ruffian ambaifador, which paragraph, the me e
report of the day, proved not to be true. The
ministry were eagerly glad of the opportunity, in
Order to curry favour with the Empress, who by
the bye, is a woman of too great and discerning a
mind to be hummed by such trifling litrlenefs ;
however the minillry went cn wi h the prosecuti
on, and the following, taken from the London
Courant of November 29th, will (hew the Servile
^.nd perfecting fptrit of the British ministry, and
that John Miller the printer, hath more sense,
more honesty, candour, and fortitude, than the
King of England and all his ministry with Lord
Mansfield at the head of them, put together.
John Miller will rife when they will fall; and
mod probably, when he is out of prison they will
be in.
IL ONDO N, Nov. 29.
Yesterday at a little after eleven o'clock, Mr. Mil
ler, printer of this paper, was carried up from Mr.
Armstrong's in Carey-llreet, to the court of King's
Bench, by habeas corpus, in order to receive the
judgment of that court for copying a paragraph re
fpetting th^Ruffian ambafiador, from a morning pa
per into the London Evening Poll, of which he was
then the printer. After attending about an hour,
Mr. Miller was brought into court, when the At
torney General moved the judgment against him.
Being then called upon to fignify, whether he had
any affidavit to offer, Mr. Miller adareffed their
lordlhips in the following words:
My Lords!
YOU have before you one of the most honell
and boldest printers that ever lived! A pro
feffed enemy to all the enemies of Old England, and
to all Scotch enemies in particular. Ido not come
here to increar n^^^r I cannot he f —- 1 . ./-
than my brother printers have been; unless juftite
chufes to make an example of irfelf as well as me,
for it will then become a capricious, arbitrary tyrant,
instead of a dispenser of justice, if i should be punch
ed worse than others fimila ly circumflancech
Hence, then I am to go the King's Bench prison
for a year, and to increase the punishment, I am to
be debarred the Society of my wife and children ; a
newfpecies of oppreflion, not known in any other
country in the world !
I know the worst! Neither exhortation nor pu
nilhment will produce any alteration in me; for I
promise to go on whilst 1 have hands, without any at
tention to my ears, in the great line of duty as an
Engtifh printer, a charader the molt refpeaable b I
shall kill keep a faithful watch over the conduct of
public men, where I conceive their measures may
affed the pubic in ereft or public liberty f The Ro
man goose was not more watchful over the capital,
nor the cock over Peter ! I shall both crow and cackle
when I think it right, without aiking any leave, or
waiting tor any other approbation, than that of the
public! In this condudl, I own, 1 may femetimes
give a falfe alarm but it shall be through error only,
and not though design. In the present instance, all
that can be laid to my charge, is the bafty adoption
of a current report. Were the report true, I could
hot answer to confidence not to publish it. Were it
ill founded, it would do no harm. Men of good cha
rafler are little hurt by bad reports.
As to the idea of embroiling the nation, it is too
ridiculous to call for a serious refutation. What !
The Empress of all the Ruffias go to war with the
King of Great Britain, because John Miller told a
lie about her ambassador | Her Imperial Majesty
would ceita nly have been Satisfied with an apology
for thefurmiie ; and so should her ambassador be, so
he has been, and which I am now, and at all times
ready further to make.
But if I am proceeded against juridically, I claim
at lead judicial forms to be attended to. 1 am not
to be called upon to confefs guilt, unless the confef
fion will produce me some favour.
I kill fay, I am not guilty ! I call for proof, and
demand a trial,
Vol. IV.]
TH: ,
NEW-JERSEY JOURNAL.
WEDNESDAY, April ro, 1782.
What is it to me that a piececf paper was left at
my house?
This is a criminal proceeding.
In civil process, it may be fuficient to give a man
notice, and if he does not appear, to take the charge
pro confeffb. In such cases thee is no presumption
in his favour. But, by the law of England, all men
ae in criminal matters presumed innocent, till they
are found guilty. The e are bat two ways of find
ing a man guilty ; one is by his own confeffion on
record ; the other is by a verdit; of twelve men. But
in both cases he must appear and plead. Now, I have
never appeared, nor ever pleaded ! I may be guilty
of a contempt; punish me for that, if you please.
You might indeed have proceeded to outlawry against
me, but you have not done so ; yet you fay I am at
tainted of high crimes and misdemeanours. The at
taint, I again infill, must come only from my plead
i°g guilty, or being found so by a jury if I pleaded
not guilty.
Your takingjudgment by default, is by assimilating
informations with civil adions ; .eTycurnra^c ^^
have the effect of indittmepfs. 1 cannot hand be
fore this court more as a culprit, by being informed
against by One man without oath, than by twelve up
on oath.
I demand the privilege of an Englishman ; that
I may be admitted to plead ; I do not plead guilty.
Thereupon try me; and if I am convifted upon
proof by a jury, do your worst ? Till then, I am
an unheard and therefore should be considered an ho
nest man.
My Lord!
I have served the public fourteen years faithfully
and disinterestedly. Seven years o f which I laboured
in defending and asserting the rights of my country
men and fellow citizens! And the last seven years in
decrying and expofiog the wickedness and folly of
the ACCURSED AMERICAN WAR!
I now set down an opprefled and distressed man!
And though without a Hulling in my pocket, with a
„if w duu teven cuouren, I goto prison, in meutmoA
confidence of my foul, calling them upon the public
for protection and support.
From ^LONDON COURANT.
To the INHABITANTS of WESTMINSTER.
Fellow citizens, and Fellow (offerers !
CT 4 H E present alarming crisis of affairs, de
j demands both your attention and assistance.
The multiplied expenditures in fruitlefs attempts, and
these terminating in national disgrace, call aloud for
remedy. Review with attention what we were at the
acceflion of his present Majesty, and with grief survey
what we are in 1781 ! ! !
Confider only the accumulated national debt, and
ye must be convinced, that its increase must either
rivet your chains or produce a national bankruptcy.
The wanton misapplication of the monies appro
priated to your defence, as profufely granted as pro
fufely walled on a set of harpies, who, watching sea
sons and opportunities, like veimin have been engen
dered by corruption.
R:fle& on the fatal mifearriages in America, and
resolve as free men.
Aid the wisdom of the few, by the accession of the
many, andthusadd weight to measures—That can on
ly relieve yefrrn present calamity and future dangers,
The war in America is immediately unfortunate,
and in its consequences ruinous—it has cost us alrea
dy above forty thousand men, and forty millions of
money.
Two armies entire, have been taken prisoners;
and our navy has dwindled, so that our natural foes
have not only disputed the empire of the sea, but ac
quired it also.
And this mighty evil has been counterbalanced
by no visible advantage either in Europe or America.
In Europe, the nation, formerly so refpedable, is
become the scorn of the continent,
In America, we have acquired nothing lading, arid
the presence of our armies only fecuied the spot en
camped on.
Our administration has thought it fufficient, to or
der deduction, that would have disgraced a partizan,
and which only tended to widen the breach between
this country and America,
Revenge has been their wisdom, and devastation
their sport.
Their fyflem was seen through, and vigorously op^
poled by men untainted by luxury, and who had
conquered themselves—A vidory tending to pre
eminence and which alone has impeded discipline
from triumphing over the untrained bufbandman.
An example worthy of imitation, as without such
a conquest, it is impossible to do aught, either bene
ficial to ourselves, or to our posterity.
We have been, hitherto, more regardful of private
benefit, than the public welfare. The present questi
on is individually, every man's concern, viz. Shall
we exist as a free people, or as 2 nation of consequence
in the eftifnation of our neighbours ?
The firft part of the question has been attempted
against by the nefarious practices at the extremities of
the empire. The other almost completed by the wick
edness and obstinacy of administration, and our own
supineness.
American virtue has prevented the firft part, and it
^ ^uh-^&> prevent the latter.
The call lately made, should be religiously attend
ed to, and in unanimity persevered in, until Majesty
awakened, by the cries of an aggrieved people, from
the lethargy of predilection, shall drive from its pre
sence, and the public management ofafFairs, the men,
who have by their wickedness and ignorance debased
the national consequence.
The unfortunate Generals at Saratoga, and York,
have been the martyrs of the ministry 'signorance ob
stinacy arid folly.
Our present situation never had a parallel, for
without external losses, the immehfe load of national
debt is such, that an immediate peace would only
prevent our burden from becoming more weighty,
without leflening the present severity of the taxes,
which must be continued to pay the interest of the
loans, maintain a peace eftablilhtrient, and the char
ges of collecting, will be little short of thirteen milli
ons - This must be raised at a time when our com
merce is in proportion lefiened to yOWT^nabnity us
protecting it, and the enemy's naval superiority.
Join, therefore, with heart in hand in every duti
ful exertion—Make the found of your complaints
reach the interior recedes of the palace—Convince
M^jeffy of your fufferings, and with a bold refpeft
demand redress. Be not abashed by denials repeat
ed—Prosecute your just claims, with unabating flea
dinefs, and perseverance, until conviction shall have
taken place of credulity, and the nation shall be re
lieved from the fuperincumbent mifehief that depress
es it, which, if continued, will leave us nothing, wor
thy of either entreaty or contention.
Let not the surrounding rations, who have in envy
beheld the constitution of this country, fee us fall;
without exertions worthy the enjoyment; nor here
after upbraid our children, with the degeneracy of
their fathers. You owe your endeavours to your
selves, and to your posterity !— And if your fame is
in any degree dear to ye, you owe to that also, every
thing spirited just and manly. Yours,
An INHABITANT of WESTMINSTER.
PETERSBURGH, Nov. 16.
The Empress means to add 20 fail of the line to
her navy, which will then consist of 54 fail of the
line, besides frigates, &t.
Mahir, Nov. 20. Duke de Crillon having ben
informed, that the English had five vcffels lyin.n in
the little road of Calesfont, within gun (hot 6t fort
St. Philip, resolved to have them taken. This was
accordingly executed by four armed Cha^pes, Sup
ported by an armed xebeck, riotwithflarJirg the dis.
ficuky of the enterprise. One of these ihips was
richly laden with brass, copper, wrought iron, &c.
she was valued at 500,000 livres.
London, Dec. 6. Accounts are received, that the
troops of the nabob of Arcot, who was in alliance
with the Englilh Bast-India company, had revolted
for want of pay, and gone oft to H/der Alli and
th^t the consequences were expe&ed to be so unfa
vourable to our affairs in that quarter, as to oblige
Sir Eyre Coote to abandon all thoughts of an attack
upon that Asiatic invader, and to retreat w th the rest
of the army.
Adygea fiom thp coasts of Italy mention, that th®
[Numb. CLXV.]