The Pennsylvania journal, or, Weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-10-23 00:00:00, page 1

On the Present STATES of AMERICA;
" Decipimdr Specie reldi"
UNDER the direction of the Honorable American Covgrefs,
conduced by a chain of wonderful and uneipe&ed
events, by a mod gracious all-ruling Providence, the Several
Colonies before uiconne&d, in spite of tfeir different prin
ciples, interest and prejudices, arose to such a degree of uni
on, strength, credit and importance, as to excite the wonder
and applause of all the nations in Europe.
When, from the echo of public affairs (with which I am
only concerned as an individual) I saw that Independence was
unavoidable, fafe and honourable to the colonies: I reafou<d
in my mind, and said to my friends, " There can be no dif
ficulty about Nezu Forms of Government, the experience,
wisdom and circumstances of these states, plainly point out
the Congress to be the p Imam while and fbpreme direarefs of
all momentous affairs in peace, as well as war, and the last
resort, unto which appeals must lie to all who think themf ves
injured by any Courts, or Affembbes below; which Affem
biies therefore may remain as heretofore, with only some
change of names and forms, unless the necessity or jufticc of
things, require feme fm.ill alterations, as the wisdom of,Con
frefs, that is, of all the States by their annually chosen Repre
feotatives, may judge necessary. Thus it then appeared to
me and others; but when I saw different forms of Govern
ment, without so much as taking notice of the C mgrefs, and
others only naming it fuperficially, and none leaving an, appeal
to it, and some of them even affirming to themfeives muchof
the war-department, as appointing all military officers, &c.
I concluded my fi;ft thoughts must be wrong, and the wisdom
of the colonies must be right, and it was needless to mention
ray opinion,—but last night an occurrence determined me
otherwise. A dream, or vision (do'ntrathly pronounce me fu
perflitious, for it was not a dream from, any disorder of body
or mind, as both were healthy and clear; and the fame dream
was presented to me twice in the fame night, tho' I have not
had a dream, to be before regarded these twenty years) re
presented to me a ver, great laminar,, (call it the fun) in the
weft, under a great, but not total cclipfe; there being one
straight line or Gripe across the centre perpendicularly, that
was luminous, the upper end giving most light. At the fame
time and of the fame heighth (about 40 degrees above the
Horizon) I saw several moons, about fowh- aft, of different
magnitudes, (perhaps 13, tho' I did not count them) these
having ail derived their light from the great luminaiy before,
were now alftyeclipfed, their Bilks however, by means of the
luminous diameter of the fun were visible, and appeared like
a polished white metal, but giving no light; and in each of
them INeheid a very deformed black (pet, tho' in fame much
larger than others, seeming to corrode and -waste the bad, &c.
Every one mod interpret this as I do, viz. The Corigr e f s j s
that great laminar, that gave light, beauty, warmth and ufe
fuloefs to all the cohnies, which were also represented by the
aforefaid moons or placets; tor in my dream I called one Sa
turn, another Jupiter, &c. The black fpo sin some large,
and the lead three times as large as Venus Transit over the
fan; must represent the American Tories, or friends of the
English tyranny, and enemies of the Congress and libertv ;
traitors in each colony compleating every li tie State into a se
parate policy. These have secretly, and by base intrigues
'eclipfed the fun; and under a pretence of greater liberty in
their particular States, prevented the influence es the Con
gress, in order to produce genera! darkness and confufion,
and to R- to the midnight of eastern davery.
How far this may be the present situation of affairs, others
may be better informed than I. But I have since seen a pa
per in the Journal figted Brutus, that speaks the author rather
willing to return to the tyranny of Britain than the new free
cenffturion of Pentfivania, though it breathes mere political
liberty than any of the Hates, and in which whatever errata
may have happened are propbftd for amendment, and the
whole to be revised after some trial; though perhaps three
might have been better than seven years.
In all the forms I have yet fen thee anp-ars to me one
dark and dangerous spot, they are too felf fufficicat and diftonne^cd
from the gre t whol, while they are generally too complex, and
halve too many jarring wheels in themselves. No machine com
posed of many wheels all depending on each other and total
ly interrupted if one is only warped a little, can be of long
duration ; thus watches that shew the phases of the moon, the
days of he mon'h, &c. are not so durable as the plainer,
which only point out hours and minutes.—And the smaller
the works s he weaker,—This is easily applied to some states,
as, that on Delaware^ which contains only three counties and
yet has no less than four diffina legislative bodies ; an affem
fry, Legislative Council. President, and his privy council. —All
these opposite and incoherent powers, (in hat small and
greatly divided handful) must produce endleft jars and confu
fions ; till one of these powers becomes an arifocracy, and
'like Aaron's serpent swallows up the rest ; or betrays the
whole to some foreign power, which we know the present Re
preferitatives of two of these counties, who have been ac
counted all along enemies to the case of America, would, if
they durst, presently do. However they have the nominati
on of Members of Congress, and may thereby effect: it, if such
decoloured parts of other fates prevail. They have also made
their form of government, without any appeal to the people,
§ There are some good things in the Delaware couftitution,
which are evidently borrowed fr:m the Pennsylvanian, but
wangled like a fchool-bojs abridgement cf a Spectator's paper. Some
of these bill of rights, explained by torics, might prevent all Ame
rican defence. Justices of the peace may alf? he affcmbly-men, i. e.
" ma N e and execute laws, which defrays all liberty.—"
Montesquieu.
, . - THE
October 23, 17^6. ^^s3 Numb. 1768.
ifi^^^
PENNSYLVANIA JOURNAL;
AND THE
WEEKLY t^B^B^W W ADVERTISER.
or hearing any objections, or giving any appeal to Congress,
though one whole county was not represented in Convention,
except only the tories in it.
But the other faulty part of most new conftitbtions, appears
- to me yet more dangerous, viz. their too, great felf (efficiency,.
and want of connefli n with the great whole. These dates mud
be one government, or we are undone. There can be but one
fupremc bead. Monsters of many heads n the natural world can
lire but a very short tim;: —lt would be very easy to trace
this fame truth in the civil policies of all nations. This was the
true cause of the diffolut^. )of all the ancient free republics.
Before ou^ little dates became independent of each uher and
and on>v, looked to he Ongrfs as the animating foul of one
great American Republic how great the union, hoy hoppy the
wtole ! — But now bow changed! The Congress eclipsed, every
little date almost separate from the rest, .and every bird of the
night ut eis its ill boding found ; tories triumph, and those
who were in arms againfttheir country lad June, are now
again openlv reading letters to the people, which they fay are
from Lo-d Howe, full of encouragement to the d'faff.Qed,
and desiring them to fend only the King's friends to Assem
bly, and he will make peace with them, &c. &c.
“ Turpi.fraude Sohs hofli q,<fita [Terao]
= »“ Ei clandefinis fargeafa jrau&bns Arma."
The people here accordingly will fend only T^ies, and I
am farisfied, unless some great change of affairs (which can
be effected only by Congef) they will never ele<ft any other
membus to any 0 the four or five Delaware branches of
Government, for many years to come, except men who wick
edly p ctend 'hr church is in danger, and who bribe their votes;
but no men offeree, patri- ism, er virtue, at lead in this gene
rat'on. —Pert^p fometbing like this may happen in other
counties of ot^er Governments.—By such constitutions what
can be expected ?—Mud not one State fall into coneition
wuha:o.het S ate, and every degree of anarch, and confafan
arise; and the Sates thus weakened become an easy prey to
some foreign kingdom, or some fortunate ruffian at home ?
lifted Tuefore of leaving ignorant men to contend about
forms of Government endangering our all at flake, by dif
uiriun along ourselves, why do we not remove the cclipfe,
and refton the Co igrefs to the fapreme power of all affairs at
once? This is a.fmple Government — The mod fimpla is the
bed.—We cannot be afraid of out liberty io such hands, they
are rep r esentatives of all America, (themselves being bound by
every law they make is fufficient security) removed from eve
ry Utile I cal , ? efidice, under no temptation to be partial,—let
them be ch fen evey year, and changed every three years, but
gradually ad not all at once.—Then what need for aI this
cf, parade of Governors, Counsels, and Privy Counsels ? can
no. every Assembly do all the little common affairs within itfelf,
andva ab greater matters receive orders from th re . grand Courfel
or Congress, which should also be the dernier resort to fettle all
greater difficulties of an internal nature ? But it will be said
this would give endless trouble and make too much bufaefs for
that venerable B dy. —l answer, they will be chose of men of
ability and leifurc ; and let their support be decent and ho
nourable; then what though they fit half the year or more ?
Their supreme power, which may be able to call forth the
army in times of war, and the militia in times of peace,
would easily fettle all affairs, give general fatisfadion, and
unite all the most distant American States in one strong, ho
norable, and lading Chain.
It is true th,re are mtny united States and Republics in the
w^rld, on the fa^e plan which these States are adopting; but
is it not certain to, these have not every liberty ? Is there not
mich tyranny in such particular States, for want of a supreme
and impart al tribunal? Monarchies are often lading because
simple and expedii^ in bnfn est, and thereby have many ad
vantages over rhe common Republics; and might not such a
Republic a< I plead for, having th ir grand Council always fit
ting, wi h fop eme p:wer, ready to determxe on ever, emergence
over a while Continent, have all the expedition of a Monarchy,
and the defbe? ate Council of a Republic ?
On the prefect plan of these States, there is no one su
preme power to connect the divided States, which bv means
of new plans will be internally unhappy, as well as jealous of
each other; their uni?o, strength, and happiness loft; they
are only connected as a rope of sand crumbling to nieces.
Is t true that an old Assembly, or fume tor, members of it,
have met and passed a&s in opposition to a new Convention in
one of these States already ? does the fame apportion to Ameri
can meaf^rs openly declare their expectation of Gen. Howe's
paying Pbihdrip ia a v fit before winter ? Do not all these
thing, flu w the imbecillit\ n f Go ernment I—Where is the fa
-prem. a'sivepower of America, when leading men, boldly es
pouse thecaufe of our m>ft invete ate enemies, who have de
luged our (before peaceful) country in blood?
Our cruel enemies boalted an easy conquest of America,
because they abedged we were cowards; they are convinced
to their cost cf their mistake in this. But when they ihall
find the black fpo's in our Confitutior.s, and the wretched num
bers of American traitors, who fell their country for a m fs of
ferriage, they may be more encouraged. These wretches are
in a noft cve-y date, driving by the little arts of pricy to de
lude divide, weaken and subvert every rational and manly mea
sure, to alarm and terrify us into a tame fubm ffi m to tyrani
ny. But lam confident there is still so much virtue in Ame
rica, that these cringing candidates for court favour, these fyeo
phants, dissemblers, and fafe friends, will be detected dis
placed and for ever despised.
But it will be objeftedthat I would make the Congress abjolwe;
whicli might be dangerous as well as a monarch,, uulefs re
flrided by a code of laws, &c. I answer, I cannot perceive any
danger from rendering them absolute, or restrained by few laws.
I would have them be a.g.reat court of Chancery, governed ou-
ly by the * e'erral laws of equity, patriotism and reason, in or*
dcr more effectually to promote she ffety, equality', irduftry,
union, virtue, and happiness of America. And as to codes of
laws, they, have had th; fame efFedt in all the nations, as
creeds and confeffioras and forms of religion, they have literal
ly and figuratively damned the world. I ,
How happy the Greeks with a few laws and the Romans,
when they had only the twelve Tables. Tn the lat r^gs
equi(, and juflice have been nearly ban/fhed from the worlds
by laws complicated to an unwieldy size. The whole world
needs but a few laws, and these simple, clear, sensible, and
eafiy in their application to the actions of men.
Agand Congress, chfe annually oy the People, (not by their
representatives) would contain the united abili ties and virtues of
all these colonies, in one great republic, the, diputtd.guardians;
of our civil rights, this would excite the prompt obedience, ne
fidelity and pub ic Jpirit of, a willi g people, no longer bent un
der the yoke of eppreffion, by 1 t' etyrants in their own little
and wrang ixg Slaves .The American n lion wou'd then wife
its head, and universal batmen' ' and joy prevail among all Gaf
fes and orders of men. This Congress of men of the great
est and most eminent charade's would be a femin ry of riatef
men and heroes, a nursery of truth, knowle ^e and virtue, to
prepare men of ablities for Generals, Amkaffad^s, and 'he
bight ft offices of Sate
This simple and plan /,?em, contains no feeds of di,be fe or
decay; would connect all America m every Lib^ , oat
Eremen with for, and wou'd probably last as long ? time
ifelf PHILO- LETHIAS.
Delaware, Oflober rd. 1776.
* A m<gi,rate of gofprincipris, needs no other law; atd ^
of bad principles will violate or evade ever, law oj God and .aa.
******************
B, cite of the prizes Intel, taken and co ried Into Boston, we have
received the following adiiies.
M A DR I D, June 30.
TH E Court received last week two counters at Aranjuez,
one trom Lisbon and the other from Corunna. Ai hough
nothing has been pubiilhed of the contents of their dif
patehes, yet we are allured, tha % they bring a relation of the
hoftilitics commuted by the Porrpgucfe in the river P a a,
where they have beftged, and taken three diff rent f^s,
and made the garufun pufoners of war, It is very certain,
that the Court feat, immediately after the arrival of the Gid
courtiers, two exprefies, one to France, the oth r r to Eng
land, and that several regiments have received order, to
march without delay towards the frontiers of the kingdom of
Portugal.
LONDON.
Jul, ,3- The last dispatches trom General' Howe contain
ed pressing demands for regular fuppiies of provisions front
England or lieland.
By private letters from America we learn that three mer
chants of eminence, deputed by the Corg^fs at Philadel
phia have been feat to the Sardinian court and have had
several conferences with the King's mibifttrs relative to fett
ling conditions for a treaty ot comm rce to that country
from the colonies, and for exempting any English ships la
den with American produce from all duties I vied tn goods
brought into the ports of his Sardininian Majesty.
I he troops that will serve in America thi, campaign will
be divided as follows: Under General Howe, 34,6:4 Gen.
Carlton, 13 377. General Clinton 3 397. Total of the K „
troops to a& in America this campaign, 51,388. Qa y %
I, 3%, 000.)
The Earl of Rochfoid, we are informed is making great
preparations for embarking for Ireland, his appointment as
Viceroy of that Kingdom being de'ermia-d upon in Council.
A letter trom Cadiz, dated July 8 fay,, “ An advice boat
is just arrived here trom Sou h America, widen has brought
some very particular, and, as it is ft ri, very disagreeable
news. An express is gone up with it to Madrid. I have just
now heard that there has been an engagemen , ard Jia; .he
Portuguese have killed and taken above one thousand of our
troops, and destroyed some towns and villages"
Sailing down the Thames (fays a cnrrelpoud nt) which'
used formerly to be a ratiotai amusement, has lately been
very painful to a considerate mind. Inftetd of th irrmenfe
number of merchaum n with fails unfurling for evev quar
ter of the globe, .he fate profpea has co filled chiefly of
transports for America, laden with instruments cvcu ated to
carry death to the bosoms, and defolarioo through the c en
try of our unfortunate fellow-futy a, bitnds ad brothers!
Extract of a setter jr m Hamburgh.
" Letters from Hanover advise. ha 0< Kiig of G eat-
Britain has given orders tore-mobn; th. arolb y mo . u.at
Hanover, but also at Stade, Ham len, Hardeburgh, Nien
burgh, and other strong prices in the ehaorae .0 make
newt baggage waggons, carts, and copper for pontoon ; and
moreover, to take throughout the ekaorate an exa& lift of
all the young men able to bear arms"
Juh„. It is p l fi ively averted that the tranfpm service,
extraordinaries of he army, and contingent exp nee amending
the American campaign, will amount in, th, c urfe ot the
year 1776 to five midions and a ha f, which is moc than
they amounted to in any one of Mr P Ts mo o fuccefsful
campaigns, whentbere were above 3 18 000 eff, < c tiv< English
men in British pay, besides above rro 000 foreigners in
cluding those paid and eloathed bv the Pruffiau fah^dy, and
when we had fleets and armies in every quarter of th. globe
gaining victories and making c. nquetts o @ will f resci im
mortalize the fame and glory of Great Britain.
Through the fame channel we leaa that of 67,000!.
fpeot within the narrow circuit of the town of Boston, nr