The Pennsylvania journal, or, Weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-02-14 00:00:00, page 1

'R the FREEMEN of the Province of Pennsylvania.
SOME men talk of peace 2nd reconciliation in a way that
docs little creditto their understandings, and less to their
political principles. If honest, they are cowards; it knaves,
they are fools. The excellence of the English constitution,
and the happiness we enjoyed in a State of dependance on
Great-Britam are spoken of with fuck warmth, eagcraefs and
Deeming devotion, that lam turned out ot the path I had
prescribed to myfelf, to set the matter in its true light.
My Signature is Salus Populi, aud my profeffed design is to
throw out such hints to your consideration as may tend to the
advantage of the great North-American community without
regard to fc<ft or party, or to this or that man's sentiments or
iutcreft, wucrc the welfare of the whole could be injured
thereby. Het he:-lore .vhGUouiu ^cunce cue public to pri
vate interest, and whole views extend not to the general good
of his country, will find little to plcafe him in what I advance.
I give this cautionary admonition however to every one, that
as he rega ds his future welfare and happiness, and withes to
merit the divine tavour, let him now conduct himfelf. We
are not brought into our prefect critical circumstances for no
thing : And if we negtea to make the belt of them we will
lea cely obtain the approbation of the Almighty.
Though much migut be said not very advantageous to the
Britilh cooditu: <>n, yet 1 will wave it for the prefect. She
most alTuredly has not yet round out any effectual method of
lecuuug the rights of the people from the encroachments of
the Crown, i. e. irom tyranny. But be her constitution ever
so good, it is little to us. That constitution is certainly not
very extraordinary, which has not vigour Sufficient to lupport
inert against the slightest attack; and this is the constitution
or the Colonies. In all your endeavours to preserve your
privileges, did it ever enter into your heads to apply to the
p.wus O f your constitution for protection, No! Aud if it
had, what would it have done for you? Nothing. Mercan
tile combinations have done more in a few months tor the
preservation of the liberties of America than all your coafti
tutlonal powers would have effected in ten thousand years.
It is for this reason, that the tones and an admmiftrauon
which is firing ail in its power to enslave you wish to fee
every thing pals thro', what they asst& u> call a conlliiutwoal
channel. 1 fay, mercantile combinations have done snore in
a lew months than all our constitutional powers cou c ihave
clh&d in ten thousand years, and yet every one who red &s
hd& reu&antly that mcafuie was lately complied with, will
leave litic to the hazard of Such future combinations. On
this precarious tenure have we held every priviiedge which
shew d be dear to man for these twelve years palt: Aud on
this tenure we mult yet hold them, if some people can have
thtirway.
/he happiness we enjoyed in a Bate of dependency on
6 eat Britain before the year 1763, is the cry with which they
hi c to lull us to red on the lap of an abandoned govern
ment, which knowA no right but the plcafurc of an obstinate
and blood thirty Prince, aid his courtly Sycophants That
w occaiioiliy enjoyed a State or much happiness both before
dudta.ee the year 1763 cannot be denied, but the portion of
that happiness which arose from our dependance on Great-
Britain is not quite lo evident as Some people may imagine.
Let us examine this matter with candour and houclly: And
here it mull Strike us at fixit view, that we enjoyed more hap
piuefs when they let us alone, than when they exercised any
degree of that authority over us, which as long as we are de
pendant wemuft acknowledge they possess. This, I appre
hend, is not laying much for the happiness of a State ot de
pc daucy on Grea. Britain. Whence sprung our happiness
th i, will feme people enquire? I will untold to you the
fouice of that happiness you so pant after, and which, if you
puaue the path pointed out to you by providence will ihort
h return and remain with you for ages, in all probability,
until the curtain which divides time from eternity is with
drawn, and the Scenery of this world brought to a period.
It Sprung from he fertility of the foil, and the sobriety,
i duftrv and equality of the inhabitants alone: sources from
whence happineb always has, and ever will Spring to the peo
ple who are so favouredof Heaven as to be poffeifed of them.
Take away any one of these sources and you take away a pro
portionai part of the bappinels you enjoyed: Take them all
away, and were your dependance on Great-Britain ten times
what it is at present, you will not be happy. Our deperdauce
on Grcat-Britain never did, nor never i.ould add the ten
thousandth part of a grain to that happiness which flowed so
abundantly to us fromthe forementioned sources. It is not
in rhe nature of dependance to confer happiness but ths re
v rt. Every dependency presupposes a kind of mallcry, and
Cure is but one only cam bellow happiness, viz. A dependance
1 ^l. G d. We enjoyed happiness in a flare o + dependance,
1 . 0 >l from that bate. He who is a dependant has a mailer,
and be who has a mailer is a servant, it not a Have.
n^ Bate of equality which as yet fubnfts among us, aud
:rd ought for ever to be preferred, is a principal louice both
iton happiness and of the preservation of our liberties, ^y
or who will read the minriterial pamphlet enritukd, A Let
:,r frem the People of Greut-Briiain to the People of America,
W :| .hue find how eagerly they with to form uiftin&ons
aI ^A us, that they may create a few more tools ot oppres
s. m They with to fee us aspire to nobility, and arc ready to
^a^v us whenever we do. They can now depend only on
the crown officers and their dependants, with a few of the
I car', of forne feels in religion, who prefer balking in the
lurolrine of British royalty and court favour, to the simple
practice of the pure religion of their forifathers. Only be re
cone rd for a few years longer, until they railed a number of
ouib d men to the different ranks of nobility, and then pre-
L. c .gw liberties if you cam
THE
February i + , 1776. ¥ # Numb. 173 a.
PENNSYLVANL.
an ° . THE
WEEKLY ADVERTISER.
S^G^GSSSS^^^^ §& o^^^^fy^ I& NU GSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSfI
WEDNESDAY, £& ^ February 1% , 77 6.
Some think they fay every thing against a state of independ
ance by crying out, tbit in a state ®f dependance we enjoyed
the proteaion of Great-Britain: Ay, and we enjoyed feme
thing else, which founds not so agreeable ; we enjoyed a arge
share in her wars, with these favourable circumstances, that
every war between Great-Britain and Fiance is principally
carried 011 in America, and that we assist her through these
wars only to give her an opportunity of quarrelling with us
afterward.
But do not we pay dearly for this proteaion ? The restric
tion of out trade alone is worth ten times the protection, be
tides the funis we pay in customs and other duties to the
amount ot more than a million annually, The cuftums
of the port of London alone arc worth two millions her
libk per ??• \ "v ^ f G ' :.. La may cum
lain a century hence if the now becomes independent, God
only knows. Our present dependancy colls us as much in
twenty years now, as would enable us with the Divine assist
ance to finish the present war with success, aud protest eur
trade in a Hate of independency lor five hundred years to
Gome.
Let us for once suppose an independency, that we may
observe the consequence. We should then trade with every
nation that would trade with us, i. e. with every nation in
Europe at lead. Suppole we were attacked by feme foreign
power in this state of iadependaacy, for this is the bugbear ;
what then? The nation that would be fool enough to do it
would reife a hornet's nett about its ears; for what nation
would hand by and without a murmur fee itfelf cut off from
the source of trade it enjoys with America, which would be
the calc were we onee subdued. No: Every nation which en
joyed a share of oui trade would be guarantee for the peacea-,
bie behaviour and good conduct of its neighbours; and Great-
Britain herfclf wouid twenty years hence become a firm triend
and ally, it her friendship could then be worth the accept
ance, tor the twentieth part of that trade the now affe&s to
Ucfpife. But it could never be the interest of any other nation
to make war upon us after we had obliged Great- Britain to
let us alone. Can it ever be the inteteft of America to make
war upon Europe? N^ more can it I du interefi ot any power
iu Europe to make war upon America after the has fought
hcrfelf into a state ot independancy. To alk what should we
do tor fleets to protest our trade, is as absurd, as to alk if tim
ber grows in America. During the prefect war we need fleets,
and it may be owing to the wcaknefs of human counsels that
we entered to late into any measure for that purpofc Had
we fitted out 60 or 70 of out belt failing veffeis, and the mo
ment toe King's Ships Seized the firft of our vcrfels legally
cleared out, lent thcin off to the Weft-Indies with orders to
seize every Engtifli velTei that came in their way, we wouid
not now be intuited by fleets on our coasts nor our towns be
daily in danger of being reduced to allies. They would
have had something cite to busy themfelvcs with. But the
war once over, fleets to protect our trade will be nearly un
necchary. Our trade will protea itfelf. It never will be the
interest of any nation to disturb our trade, while we trade
freely wish it, and it will ever be our interest to trade freely
with all nations. As long as the wide Atlantic ocean roils
between us and Europe, so long will we be free from foreign
fubjeaion were we once clear of Great-Britain: Aud as long
as we remain free from foreign fubjeaion, so long will our
trade protein itfelf.
Our fituaticn iu this refpea is peculiar to ourselves, we
have n@ haughty neighbouring tyrant to disturb our internal
icpofe, and the fleets of no nation will disturb us on the high
seas, while a commercial intercourse subsists between us. The
consequence of independancy to America, is flic make a right
use of the present ogcafion, will be a perfea date ot political
liberty, a good found wholcfome couftirution, a free ad en
larged trade, and peace to the end of time, un els our tins
should bring down the Divine vengeance upon us. That of
a connection with Great-Britain on the principles of our for
mer dependancy is a weak, feeble, unwholcfome conftiturin,
unable to hand against the Ihgbteft Shock, a very restricted
losing trade, and the protpc& of being made the feat of every
war between Great- Britain and France as long as that connec
tion Shall hit.
Every profpea; of the future Rrongly invites us to embrace
independaucy, and what is of the greatest weight with me,
every providential occurrence for more than twenty years
past feem* preparatory to it. The last war trained many of
us to the use of arms, and taught us to look ftedfaftly into
the face of an enemy, the conqueror of Canada, wirh the Ca
nada bill, a twelve years Struggle against oppreflion to wean
our affections, ou> present happy and unexampled union, and
a fucccisful end of the firft campaign of a moil righteous war
against he oppieflions of the state we depended on, have fixed
the time for that indrpendancy, which even the present admi
nitbation acknowledges mult one day take place. The voice
of God therefore to America appears at picfeut to be, "If
you will remain frge and happy, if you wilh not to entail a
civil war or slavery on your offspring, if you spill not your
blood at present iu vain, and defpile not what I have been
doing for you these twenty years pad, tho' you know it not;
fix a constitution which win give perfect Liberty to all my
people now in, or that hereafter Shall fly to America for
Shelter from tyranny and oppression, and declare for inde
pendancy immediately, and put your trust in me alone for
success."
s
P. S In another irregular ^frraber, I propose to show you
that the notion of the colonies quarrelling among themfelvcs
is absurd, and that this can never take place, except in one
calc, which it is our present duty aud buhuefs effectually to
guard agaiuft.
JUST PUBLISHED, and to be SOLD, by W. and T.
BRADFORD, at the London Coffee-houfe.
M'F I N G A L:
A MODERN
EPIC PO E M.
CANTO FIRST, or the TOWN-MEETING.
PETER STRETC H,
Hath on hand at his ftorc, the North tide of Walnut-fircct,
a few doors below Seeond-dreet, and directly opposite to
the Prothonotary's office,
SCARLET, brown, diab and mixed foperfine broad
cloths and trimmings; double milled drabs for great
coats, from aef to 40/ per yard ; claret, brown, drab, blue,
fcarlct, and mixed Superfine Bath coatings, as fine as were
ever imported into this place ; brown and drab coloured fu
perfine 7-4 naps; 6-4 and 7-4 fine blue cloths, from „f. to
3%f. per yard ; j ell aJ cotton corderoys; spotted velvets and
thickfetts; blaek and drab coloured, best fuperfine four
thread breeches pieces ; two pieces of garnet caffimir dyed io
grain; rattinets; death-head and balket buttons ; knee gar
ters; and a few pounds of nankeen all cotton twist; a few
pieces of spotted jeans; nankeen waistcoat Shapes, elegantly
worked in tambour, and buttons worked with pearl and
spangle, on the most fashionable colours ; best black Padua,
toy and white fattin, &c. &c.
The above goods are now offered to the public as low as
goods of the fame quality have been fold for in this place for
two years past for cash only, in any quantity from a piece to
a yard.
Thofc persons indebted to me are desired to take notice,
that their accounts will be put into a lawyer's hands, to be
recovered, unlcfs paid before March court.
PETER STRETCH.
ALL persons indebted to the estate of HUGH BOWES,
late of the city of Philadelphia, deceased; are requeued
to make immediate payment: and thofc who have any de
mands against said estate are desired to bring in their accounts
properly proved, that they may be paid by CHARLOTTE
BOWES, Executrix^f__3 ^
TO BE SOL D,
By Robert and CorweliUs Stevenson,
In Spriice-ftrect, between Race and Third-dreets :
MUSCOVADO SUGAR, COFFEE and COCOA.
TOBE- S OL D:'
A HOUSE and LOT of GROUND containing fix acres,
part of it good meadow, and in excellent post and rail
fence, situated in Fleming town, in the towufhip of Amwell
and county of Hunterdon West-Jersey, the h^ufe is new, and
has three rooms on a floor, well finished, with a good cellar
under the whole, and is very convenient. It is well fituned
for a Sadler or Turner and Chaiimaker, or any tradesman
or private family, being upon the Old York road, and very
public to Bru Swick, Trenton and Philadelphia, and in a ve
ry healthy part of the country, is twenty four miles north
west from Brunfwlck, and fifty miles weft from New York,
twenty-four nri es north from Trentown and forty-five miles
from Philadelphia. There is a work shop lately built, is
tight aid good is twelve feet wide, and twenty three feet
long; also a barn and liable entirely new, and very conveni
ent. Any one inclinable to purchaf may depend on having an
indripotab e title, and know the particulars by applying" to
JOSEPH SMIT f living or the premises §
A NEAT and convenient STONE HOUSE elegantly situ
ated in Potts-Grove, with fifteen acres and a half of good
land, all under g od f. nee ; five acres good wood-land, and
two of meadow, the house is well finished with two good
rooms below, and three above flairs, and a celler under the
whole, a pump of excellent water at the door, and a conve
nient liable. For terms apply to the fubferiber on the pre*
mises || FREDERICK CLECKNER.
ALL persons indebted to the estate of DICTRICK REESE,
late Innkeeper of the city of Philadelphia deceased, are
requeued to come and make payment of the fame, aud those
that have any demands against the said estate, to bring in their
demands properly proved, that they may be paid, by
CHRISTIANA REESE. Executrix,
MICHAEL SHUBART7 _
f ANDREW BURKARD f Executors.
Just publiflted, printed and fold by R. AITKIN, Printer and
Bookseller, opposite the London Coffee House, Frogt-ftmt,
Philadelphia. (Price Eighteen-Pense.)
THE modern RIDING-MASTER ; or, A Key to ths
Knowledge of the Horse, and Horsemanship. With se
veral necessary Rules for young Horsemen, By the famous
Philip Aftely, Ridinz-mafter, late of his Majesty's royal Light
Dragoons, Adorned with sixteen neat Engravings, descrip
tive of this Manly-Exereife. The Modern Riding-Muft^r,
may be considered as an vfeful Vade-Mecum, for Gentlemen
of every Rank and Profeffion, whether Civil or Military—-.
It contains, T. Necessary precautions in purchasing a Horse,
IL Of the Bridle and Saddle. 111. The Art of Riding and
Reducing a Horse to proper obedience. IV. To mount the
Horse, with a variety of Direaions'for the training and bet
ter Government of this ufefu lAnimal. V. Necefiry DigCfr
tious on a Journey, &c.