The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-02-23 00:00:00, page 1

EBRUARY :5, 1776. T H E NUMBER 56.
VIRGINIAssct_ ZctGAZETTE.
.v ..4m
ALWAY: ron LIBERTY. ; 'ct si si'si 'sssiSsi'ss _ 'AND an. PUBLlCK GOO .
>_ ,-'_-.si'-_'_ .: .=_ ? " V'GMF qir D
KQCJHW M'si' sssi
A L E'x A N D E 1\ l' [] n 1) I E, PRINTFctk.
M . PUlDlE,
w 0 parctgraphs sromlorcl Dunmorc's
Virginia (isslzctte (as he calls it)
printed on board his. own ship, l'clwnary
3, 1776, may serve to show us what is the
uislnct, and, we should prcsumc, the inten
tion of the minish'y .
" ! hope" that the British spirit is not so
debased, that, for a little temporary in
terest, and prccurious tranquillity, you
will give up your dignity and honour, and
rcndtr your nation contcmplible in the
cves of all Europe. No, let them feel
What it is to provoke and insult ;: great
and powerful people, who have so lately
astonishcd the world by their alchicv
ments. When they return to their duty,
and sue for pardon, let the conditions be,
ct Lay down your arm: ; deliver upyour leader:
to j/g/i punishment; retire quietly to your
home;, and filbmit to the legL/Zature ojyour
psitrcntflsitte."
** Do uutlink, my lord, underthe glori
ouss struggle; let not an ignom'tuious ac
co-nmo-Ictti-sim with our rebellious and un
grsittet'ul colon'les, fadc aud tarnish your
cauntry's glory, and efface the remem
br mce of your former great conduct. Let
d'n'ticuhies animate you to the utmost ex
ertion of your powers. You have the
considence of your sovereign, the support
of the most independent parliament that
ever sat Within those walls; you have the
Warmest approbation of every wise and
g zod man; the body of the nation is with
' on, and you may command theirnatural
Zorce." -
lcis true these are only cxtracts from the
Publickct-decrtiscr, but they Were addressed
to lord North, and have a strong resem
bl-simce to his and the king's speech; and
I will remark' here, hy the hye, that these
extracts were published and circulated by
lord Dunmore seven days after the date
of his friendly letter. A writer who signs
himself Uandidus, supposed to be onc } m
lnyson, a Young Scotchmzm, formerly ;\
shop-keeperin this city, who was gcntccliy
eaned by.:i certain captaili some time before
Cript. Foy left the country, introduces the
letter from which the above extracts are
made in an elaborate piece, in which he
Complains of the publicatiun ossalsssehoods,
andconceulment oksstruth, in all the news
pipssrrs, except the one his lordship ilLlS
resscd into his service (and a few others)
and which Candidus is supposed to super
intend.
" lmustdo you,sir, thejuskicc (says he to
his printer) to say, that ! ou ]! ? a ass does
nor, C'Hllt! within the description above
'ivcn, being unctiouhtcdlv, as far as you
'fiwe yet gone., auscsu], free, and impur
ticti press; and isyou do not puhlish much
in savour of American meusurcs, it is the
more necessary at this time, in order to
gi f' room surfizch truth:, and whol-sij/bmc
a-svicc, us ccmnot otherwise bc conveyed
to the ears ofthc- iwsplc, or is not, thrmssipss'h
the jqu/fitusi'e prqsflsis ;it present (in the cun—
t}.'.<.—nt. I am inscnlihiy drawn inn.) thcsc
reflections, while: l meant only to convey
to you the tulltmiug paper, to be pub—
lilhcd, from the Pub-ick Advcrtiscr."
But to return to the subchss't osa recon
ciliutiam. Amcrlca, finding that the Bri
tish parliament, not content with restrain
ing her trnde within the must narrow
bounds, had proceeded to dra'm her, by
internal taxes, of the little clrculuting call!
she had, rcmonllratcd and pc-tsiltioucd, in
vain, against such unjuil and opprclllve
acts, and resolved " to contract herself
within her little sphere, and be contentcd
with her home—spun," to use the words
of the Virglnia petition to the king. This
was all.we did, and all we threatcncd,
and for this the vengeance of an av arsilclous
and tyrannical adminlllration has been
poured out upon us! The nntlondl debt
is so cnormous, the cxpensc os dopendc-nts
and pensioners so heavy, that the minilh'y
could not think us leaving it to Amc'rica
to determine what part osit [he would pzty
off. They thought they should [lick at
nothing to carry into execution the plsim
they had so much ut heart, and which
would make them ahsulutc masters nisi the
property oi'every man in America, to the
lightcning ustheir own lnntlzcns, thc ssittis
living their avarice, and gratilffing their
lull: of power. Hence, they could not
scruplc m encourage Papills, lndizms, and
flzlves, to nslist in tllcirhlootly plan ul'crulh—
ing- and enllaving us. lt is evident, that
adminillration, whatever it may do now,
never wished for an accommudntion. FAct cry
"step that they have taken was evidently
calculated to precludc al] hopes of it; it
was their interest, wish, and intention, on
the supposition that they could conqner
America at a little risk and small expense,
to force us into rebclliun, to have & pre
tence for suhduing and enllnving us, and
glutting their avarice with the sorseited
estates in America. As the m'mish'y could
not vssilh for an accommodation before their
dish]:})0intmcnt, we have some reason to
be on our guard during the negotiatiun,
ci}:ec'1;dly ws they issccm determined to send
out a powerful urmznnexsint with their com
miffloners. They are determined to treat
with us with the sword at our hrcasts; we
should lhcrcsorc he armed with a shield,
and with drawn swords be ready to parry
the thrusts which may be made at us, if
we should resusc to submit to shme insult
ing proposd. Let no one think msie an
enemy to an accommodation ; ] only cau—
tion my cuantrssx'mcn against being- thrown
off their guard, for ] confess ] jig/pect t/ze
sz'nscrizfv of 1220 minf/lrsiv. \\'h;1t occasion
have they to send m'cx' commiflioners,
fleets, and armies, if they intend torcpc'al
thc mits we complain us? Wc ulkcd but
for " ]usizxcc, ]ibcrty, and security," and
promised to (hilmnd our troops, and return
to ;: srceund full tradc with Great Britain,
irsi the.- king wouh] but rcsicn/l'lu': trumps, find
the parliament nsi/u-al t/w u/mnxirvu (n'is.
Vthl rcqncst could me more rx-zzsunuhlc-P
\Vh;1t CLLsiCl' sm' Brildin mdu? if this had
been done, all would he right. 'l'hcre
could be no room ("or (Ears and suspicion!
on our part, and We should have been
bound in honour, and have fulfilled our
promise in the: petition; and, without any
(lclssly, or expcnsc of :: negotiatiun, peace
and happiness would instantly be diffilscd
throughout Amcrica. lscnr thifi fleet and
armumcnt can never be the hmsibingcr: of
peace; therefore, however ardcmly ] wish
sor I'EACE, ] molt earnest] recommed
it to my countrymcn to be KREPARED
FOR \VAR.
A V I R G ] N ! A N.
CAMBRlDGE, jan- 8.
N the 7th instant, the 6th daughter
of capt. Bancrost, of Dnnltable
war bztptised by the name of' M,-\Pt\z
DANDIU DGE, the maiden name of
his excellency general WASHlNGTON'S
lady. 'l'he chiid was dressed in blue and
half, with a sprig of evcrgrecn on its
head, elnblemsittick of his excellency's
glory, and the affection of the provincials.
H'c hc.u* st'om Ncwport, that capt
VV-allace, commander of" the ministen'ul
zimtcs who have long insestcd that har
hour, having received on board his ship a
number of negrocu who had absconded
from the town, the commznulcr of the
CulOtly troops thought osan expt-dient for
giving him a check. Capt Barton, wi:h
11 party of men, was sent to Brenton's
point, from which Wallsitce usually lock
off the (Lives; and, having placed his
men properly, ordered a negro to hail
the pimte's ship, which the icllnw Com
plied with. He was answered from the
ship, and asked what he wanted. He re
plietl, that he was a poor negro belonging
to mr. john Collins, and wastircd oslivihg
with the Yankics, and wanted to go on
hnmsicl the ship. fi'uHace swallowed the
bait immediately ; he ordered ;: boat ashore
with a midlhipmzm and two seamcn, who
were all made prisoners bv capt. Barton.
7isi'll. 25. Since ourlnlt we have had
several deserters from the enemy. One
of them, stationed at Charlestown mills,
pitchcd his compzmion over the dam, and
then run (or Cubble hill.
Last 'shursduy one osour cruisers, com
manded by capt. Mascoll, carried into
Cape Anne : ship ofabont 25: mns. She
was srom Lynnhavm, in England, bourd
to Boston, and had on board, beside;
other vuln-Able :n'licles, 500 blankets,
loo bolts of" oshabmgs, too calks osoat
meal, a large number of shoes, and a
quantity of coal.
We hear that the enemy, the evening
on which our troops burnt the houses at
Charlcstown, WCX': entertainingthemselves
at the cxhihitiun of a plcty, which they
c.]led thc Bloc/mde qs Baston ; in the midst
of which a person appeared hesure [he au
dience, and with great Clfl'flcstnt's! declar
ed, that the Yankies were attacking
Bunkcr's hi'sil. The deludul wretches,
at first, took this to bemerely ]}n'cical,
and intended as part as their d'n'crliun;
but, soon convinced that the actor meant
to represent a solemn reality, the whole