The Gazette of the state of South-Carolina — Charles-town [S.C.], 1784-09-09 00:00:00, page 3

ternary nil over Q? wand to give an importunate
_±e^^J^ order to get rid of h;m ;—for
this yur prayer was granted. ^
How teaming, ahoy lore,yon not been with the
lite committee on the infefon of tobacco, to have
theinfpe&ing n^re-houfes of that article ellablifhed
a'your 'wharf to the great prejudice of trade in
general, Get .general fofs was no bar, for your
frriifinteref mud be Gtisficd. Is this your vaunt
ing dinntereiUdneis? is this going to the H. of R.
to a 9 for the^gohd of thefate at Large; or is it not
attending th your own .peculiar andfelf emolument ?
Every one knows that tobacco is an article much
more divided among a number of owners than any
colei of, out pioduce; wherefore, every owner
can norget the vessel he means to ship it in to go to
your wharf for a few hogsheads of tobacco; thus,
it must be drayed to town, for the length of a
whole mile, at the cod. of (in winter time) from
2s. 6d. toqs. Bd. each hogshead; for which every'
merchant is much indebted to you, Now, fir, if
you wilh to proud yohr difatcreflednefs, and yo?r
wadinfs to encourage trade, get some friend at the
next greeting of the Legislature, to propose a repeal
of that part of the ad, and let us have our tobacco
infpeding ware-houses (wherc they might to be) at
"° water fide, in the centre of our commercial
buhnefs. But then, (fay you) I Rail not be able to
accompli;n my secret plan, of baying up, or engrof
,M the tobacco of the'flatej and paying for it in
fof^ iron,, liquors, &c. at my own prices, and
enhancing its value on the exporters; for, as I
forelee I shall have mv frores very often empty, I
will buy up cargoes of felt, and cngrofi that art.clc
also. , °
Did not the resignation of your commission (as
.Brigadier General) likewifb proceed from interred
.motives, as well as from a view to put; matters into
cons fun, that you might be at fall liberty to
follow your private interest? For, inasmuch as you
never h^dan opportunity of gaining any experience
ns an efar. you should have therefore held, that
pou. to me out. But no, you seemed to have taken
it iroc fol toe beauties or the dangling ribbon of
dntmhion, than in the view of qualifying yourfelf
to render your country, durjngthe war, the ferviecs
waitji otuer officeis had done, who yenozply fought
arm held put to the last: but, perhaps, as you nevet
had hero in much danger of having your Gains
broken, you was determined (so soon as you saw
matters grs^n/zg f'rious^ to avoid every fpecics of
cifficulty, by reiigmng at a time, when officers of
your iaiik, utougn not, perhaps, of your abilities,
were much wa^ 'B. But very probably, fir, you
had difeowrcd tee f^fecret, that it was infinitely
morejefe and scare for your little Majeffs health,
to oversee his & in the delving and ditching of
his marfo wharfs with now and then the laying
hold pl a harmlets gun, or the hawling of a rope,
or in brawling out the mod nose, where there was
the leaf execution or danger, than to continue
longer in a military command, which may endanger
keaam, ami procure no pcruoiarv emolument. And
lieie let me ^k. you, fir, what services have you
ever rendered to your country, either as a Legislator,
''''''''• a realtor, er a Bridge-Builder? None
tb? lat leap leave ever known or heard of. As
a ?-pf),tor w you have certainly (since the late eva
cuatiun,/ .none 10,^^ injury; and every day's
expellee 13 a melancholy proof of the affection.
But to your wharf./
lourwharf, fir, (so long as you could keep at
it) was the held, —the only field you had, so far as
I can learn, ever seriously disputed in,—and in the
pursuit of its edabhflirnent, you had displayed a
fortitude, running, femfeverance,. and. Spirit, not
unbecoming a Genera',—L mean a General Wharfin
ger. hour wharf, fir, so long as you live, will
likewise be vourfe/d of difamet. From the very
firft construction of it, you fought to create dif
tinftions between the merchants; molt of whom
were, with truth, convinced that it was not so
convenient for them to do their flipping business a
mile out of town, from their counting houfos,
when they could better do it within a five minutes
walk from their dwellings. It is true, that a few.
cf us, woo, before the war, had much to do in
f hi „ in g bufnefa gave your wharf a preference to
encourage a new Wharfinger; but the difficulties
they met with there, and the return they received
from,ou, will hardly lead them a second time, to
resort tb it so fighally at their own expence. Ex
pence it is; for cargoes formerly fluoped there cost
inore than those flipped at any wharf within this
c' rt y. ,"' ("y y ou ) '' one tet of men, who know
me, will not deal, others who. do not. will. We
know you or old to be a good laand at veering and
I handing, but all that will not do this trip.°You
bellowed out general amnesty, to answer two pur
poles. firft, Ip save your relatives and friends,
find in return to get their custom to your' wharf.
Then, with your usual adroitness, yo.'tfought that
class of merchants, who, (as you then supposed)
would have molt buTnefs, that they might tranfaß
it at your wharf. But although they were Birds of
p ff^ (as you contemptuously call all those who
have not been born in this commonwealth.) yet,
fir, they too well knew vou, and the inconvenien
cies of vour wharf, to bite at, our Bait. What then
was to be done? About vou went on the other
tick, and made your advances to the Dutch and
french merchants as fall as they arrived, in hopes
tjat you would iceure them. But on your per
ceiving that, they knew they could tranGH their
bufmefs with much more convenience, and with
fofye^^jence, tn -nectytuan at your wharf, you
i"' “f°.’ and cnwri^i(&{y our ;now
stand longed, is difficult to afeerwin. Perhaps,
those who have tue Iwigeft furfe, and will open it
the most to you, will be the men you will now
caress: lor my countrymen / dr Dutch) can never
expert to be in your good graces; having dared to
fj uJe the loan of a cool thousand to Chnfopher Gad
^^ they cheafulf offer it to others of
injcnorfortune.^ But do not, my very, worthy fir,
(should you ever be enabled to put the Rate to a
second expenditure of nine the,fane dollars a year,
by again having a feat in.the H. of. R.) do not, I
^t?™' b °'" inex ° rable anger -fond. poor
Duuhmen, as you once have done, ^ ^ very
probably doagainff a/l IriJhmen, onr .>uuc v b
^V^"^ ° f °" e orafcof either entry to your
little Majeily. The public muff ret mfl the event
Of your quarrel with a certain pc&able Irilh
.- ^^h whlC h led you, ( on h account) so to
threaten your revenge against . ferfons not born
A""', ( wh ° m Y ou ha ^ ever indignantly
" °' '"^^ that you- you—you—
would do your utmod to effed, that no Bird of
Passage whafever JhalDver hold any p o fl o f profit
or honor within this commonwealth. In this fir. 1
thank you, in behalf of more than mvfelf for
your generous feptiment towards us Birds of Palfagc.
Lut ct me advise you, in your controversy, notto
'?° n °^ ° n "^ '^ ; f °b depend on it, we
pirds of Passage, with propriety, claim .to have
iomewhat more to fay on that topic, than you seem
Imagine. But pray, whilst on this f u bie& do
in your next launch out a little on this favourite
° Y°™T Birds of Pafar; that thofewho
,ave been here upwards of twenty years, as well as
pole who are cuizenifed, mid such ?sTave arrived
in this Rate since May 178% nlay know the differ
ence between them and,our little honor, and what
in your opinion, we must do, and how long we
^uft be here, ^before we fifo of p a fy may
be enabled to salute you as afellow citizen,' as your
equal so every thing, but in the grandeur of your
Pf^G ?nd in the,e^ e ^, refftbilto,. and fre
f/hble influence of your mimberlffi connections within
this commonwealth. Methinks th?t worthy gen
(° n whose account you wifned for'fuch a
re Native a&) as well as,our most obedient, have
been, here, very near twenty years, and in every
mans idea, but your own, were," perhaps, your
equals in a.l refpehts, on the very moment we had
P ra D ^B what have you to accuse us
(Birascj Pafege) of ? Have not many of us done
at leaf, what natives have done for the redemption
of this country? If you want information, investi
gate the history of the War, infpe& tire military
confer with such of year brother Generals
° r '?° united States as havefrioujl, fought, and by
a jies of eight years sanguinary Traces in the
field, have acquired more know! E;e of military
f^TOthan you can pretend to ;—do ^and '
wnl find that there always have been a % lar^
proportion of Birds of Pafy. (of the Dip in par
ticular, as also of the Germans and Dutch) in the
Continental add Militia armies of the Union, during
the troubles., Is it therefore^, ^ difinfo, and
low dfcra, tuatyou continually vilify all flranrers?
—is this arpriefing in the lawsef the land, a'land
that has hitherto indifci iminately fought and re
warded merit, not less in birds offeafae, than in
ethers? Do your actions keep n. c/with what you
recommend on other points? They do not,— they
never did. But pray,, fir, if you be not a bird of
PfCMCG what are youthen ? I will tell you. Placed
iiere by.an accident, in which you have no merit,
but for which you claim so much honor—Placed
here by those profpeQs which led the bird ofbaf
J%\{°% fat M to explore a land, wherein he
undoubtedly hoped (like all other adventurous bas
fage^ birds).to better his fortune : —the credit (if
any) is therefore neither yours nor his, —it is the
remit of cafnahy and chance. # .
It was, fir, chance and not choice, a blindchance,
and not, a voluntary, clear-Jighted, or meritorious
choice that placed you here.—And is it on this acci
aerftiZ event tnaLyou ground .your fuperiority.ovci
cut not born here, —over industrious I uropeans, anc
even over the, very natives of a filler 'fate, whe
came here from choice, from a will, a judgment 0)
their own ?— flow artfully do Vou not attempt tc
inducetome to fupppfe, that, the kte dfurbances may
irqdie trade, so that a few men may bp Benefited
°Y it—" yoLfmean mg as one,' you certainly LIE
under, another mißake- for beTicye me, fir., I an
as, indifferent about, much trade, as I am abou:
vpat you assert on that Tore, and am happy tha
it is in my power to purfee it, more for an amuse.
merit to jelf aiad a benefit to others, than to add tc
my independency. Could you bring yourfelf
retire fromfafhej, as I am bringing myfelfto fetire
from trade, your country would indeed be indebted
to you; and you would have more leisure to con.
template on the consequences of that azful change.
to which you are rapidly appioaching. Do yot
really think, or father would you have°it believed,
that the tearing of a few political defaulters, whe
ictuincd too ear,, and that a few duels fought ir
this city will induce Grangers to surmise, th°at the
whole Rate is in an anarchy; and that therefore,
goods will not come out ? Real merchants know
the reverse : —look only to the imports and you
will fee what efled they have had. Goods are a<
cheapnow (for cash), as they have been since the
peace, and produce is higher. But suppose even
they would have checked the coming out of a few
cargoes; as a merchant, I, avow that it would be
foi the benefit of the Rate. Your markets will
net then beYwerflockcd, as they are aCuallv —
ftecie will be lent to pmchafe your produce, '(at
lead by Germans and Dutch) as has been much
pra&ifed since the peace; and if a credit should
in Europe be refufed, I conceive it would be of in
finite advantage to the community at large: for then
your merchants would, as in other countries, be
confined to their capitals,—would have their 'own
pfels, would purchase the produce of the planter
for cash, would buy their goods for cash, and on
their leturn here, woula fell,them twenty or thirty
pci cent cheaper than thofewho procured them on
tiedit,—a credit which often is paid pretty smartly
for, by Deconfumer. It is a credit that induces many
import more than they can annually fell, and
~~n • ,luxuhes—it is a credit that leads
many to purchase these luxuries. ,By these reasons
only, the balance of traders againfe vs; for let us
import no more than is annually required, and no
t ling but what is aufolutfy necessary for improving
°:°". r ' an ds, and that which yields us tire comforts
of life; the balance of trade must then be in our fa
vor-gold and silver will then be sent to purchase
the surplus, which gold and. silver will remain
amongst us; all will be cash tranfa&ions between
the planter and the merchant: thus the approach
ing rilques avoided, the only credit .wanted will
be for negroes, and that never can injure us, because
the planter who has good lands, freed from every
incumbrance, may with fafety purchase negroes
'°. ' be amoun t of one tlrird,.nay, even to one half
of the value ofhis lands. Besides, by tire merchants
being ship owners, it would encourage ship build
ing in. the Rate; which would eventually raise sea
men so much, needed.' Every mercantile charac
ter of experience must know, that it is impossible
for any eight or ten merchants, in aport like this,
to cramp or narrow the trade, much less to engross
it. Hade will have its irresistible course; nothing
but a wai can check it. You surely cannot be in
earnest, when you assert to the contrary: but I
conceive that your remarks on that head were like
many others, more calculated to deceive than to en
lighten the reader. ; .
Ihc fame spirit of rnifguidan.ee and deception,—
the fame spirit of calumny and delusion inspire you.
to insinuate, that because I gained not the military
laurels wnich ,ou had acquired, in inoffendingly pa
rading on the unaffaulted parapets of fort Johnston,
in 1776, (while Sir Peter Parker attacked for't
Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island,) in furioufly firing,
fat long ftot,) while the enemy had been far out Ts
your reach,—and in bellowing heroically, for car
nage and desolation, when the foe was too distant
to endanger a fjngle bone in your skin—not even
the skin kfelf; —you insinuate, I fay, that because I
partook not e'thofe, your dangers, I was shunning
what you (in the mode of your retreat) soon after
proved you vifhed to shun— public service. I will
tell you, fir, why I did not partake of your dan-
h cls and why (at that period) I was absent from,
the state.—l was then, fir, conipleating a contrast
that I had.made with Congress in O&ober, 177 c,
—a contract by which they as well as myfelf, were
each to advance about ten thousand founds f erring,
or too puipofe 01 procuring powder, cannon, and
arms for the army and navy ; which contrast, I
have been told, was ended as much to the advan
tage of the United States, : as any that Congress had.
ever entered into of that nature ;—for the three
vessels which I expedited on the business, in the
beginning, of 1776, returned in the course of that
year; two of which arrived in this date, with
eveiy thing I sent them for.—lhis. I presume, was
doing much more than you ever performed with
all your pomposity., For Ido not learn, that, in
the whole course of your life, you advanced a
tingle farthing to ai d your country; and, in my
opinion, he, who had rifaued ten thousand pounds
ferring of his capital, at that early period, proved
his zeal for the United States, as much at least, as
the blufteringman,whofe only aid was noise, frothi'nefs,
anndifafon. But, fir, perhaps you do not know,
that tire instant it was certified to the northward,
that commodore Parker was about to come here^
I went dire&ly (feck as I then was) and offered my
feebie services to. Congress, to come this way with
any fort of vessels of war that were .ready.; in hopes
that (as I was well acquainted on the coasts, and
appearing unexpectedly) many of the.tranfports
might have been picked up, particularly if the
large ships had gone over the bar, and that with
an eaflerly wind we might have iaken all those
that were at anchor: but a want of vessels or other
l employment for them, prevented ' the .acceptance
of iny proportion. . T ever have been averse to
c °P.y after y°A in boafling of any thing I did or
fufcred towards the advancement and fupnort of
-the general cauf, so far as my Render abilities could
enable me; ,Whatever it has been, (be it ever so
much) Was an obligatory discharge of my duty: as
a man, as a citizen, as an officer, as a friend to Ame
rica, and, the rights of mankind; but, fir, I perfe
-1 vered to. the last; and even in faying thus much in
my own behalf, and what fellows, I feel myfelf in
voluntarily constrained to fay it, by the intemperate
unprovoked, and malignant call which you have
made upon me. Aik your friend, (who has more
merit in the orders he' gave, than I had in execut
mg them) if I did not in 1778, projeft and execute
tire plan of bringing in more guns, and more men,
in forty-eight hours time, than we had on board of
the vessels we went to sea with, and that at a
time when our coad was beset with British men of
war and privateers, and when in the very all of
capturing, there was some danger. C^n you fay.