The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg [Va.], 1777-04-11 00:00:00, page 2

one inhnee the dintnt rubies: of that proud. wethenring miflnse ofcke
'lsi'ls'. [, the injutticeu'td seveiity of her government, foieed her
Me:- to tefin bet lawlen, power; so. "in the other, this country bed
diemud the obedience nd Mould herAmr'leanjsiubje-ctd. which
would bringen xdisnemhu-emf the empi-e, .nd would probably
Ummm in :- toni dissoludolt of thil government. _
l'lie Grnce nmu-ked on thlt fl'asie tn thsi-Jp'Peech (the whole of which
he ilpuul to" the Mihister) re ning to the * urah'eesi'os mity. said to
be meitedftom the sevenl Court- ot'Eetope. in 1 very pointed [!]!an
He hid it contained the molt improblbie informau'o'n that could be well
conceived; unless we supposed, that the funer- ojthsie speech, end those
who advised dle'present n-val armlments, thou ! rentlylon the fame
thy; otj wel'epot the same person; for if unneee were given, time
it] 'elje he be dePended on, Why hue recourfe do that mode often
in our na , , aprest; ,which we: known to be fewe: with so may
_ ipc on incottvenienciet, end which should never rescued to in!
a season: of difficulty and danger! lf. on the other hond, those affir
nncee of :mity were not to be reli'ed on, Why deceive the public and
Parliament in so : and fl- ent : manner! Why delude then ipto
: dangerout re et Why te ] them, on the me! : myture. that we
are in :- since o perfect mnquility? But hie thee inmted, that we
"81" "of- in dle ptesent suuztion of affain, tom! to dunncet, how
ever tttong. or reasons, however yleusible, when sie- were ('a-evidently
agamti them. He hid, he seid, the 'most undoubted information. that
whatever those alfunnces might be, they ought not to be relied on; A
matter having ebine to his own knowledge, or at least it came so well
authenticated, thathe wn'persectly satisfied of it: being indisputnbly
true. He should just mention it for the present. presuming if it were
selfe it would be contrndicted, in which case he should quote hie autho
rity; if it were not,'ihen it would remnin at least a strong 'eircumitantizl
conttadiction to the! part of the address. The fact wan, that : Gentle
man. onwhose verzcity he could de nd, assured him, that he had been
lt Havrede Grace, some short time ince, where he saw a vessel publicly
leading with fire arm: and other military store:, for the use of the provinsi.
eiale. Is, in—the language of the speech, the Amerieans were to be
esteemed rebeltz end if rebels in arms were to he looked upon :: open
enemies, the fact now alluded to was an irrefragabie proof, that France,
at leait at present, was in the first he e of open enmity with Great Britain
lsilis Grace then contradiaed the su (tential information of the speech on
another ground. He said that it was now no secret, that : fleet had lnely
sailed from Cadiz, with : considerable body of land forces on boil'd.—
Thi: armament must be deflined to cany on hostiiitiet against us in sql'le
part of the wefl'ern world; or for South America. to be employed against
the Portuguese. Supposing the former to be the ease; no dopbt could be
, _._-, Lsiss, p.
entertained of the latter, which came exactly to the same point; because
tf Portugal were attacked, Britain must consequently be involved in :
war, unless we broke our engagemenn to Portugal and sacriswed our
dearest interests to the blind ra e of making a conquesi of our fellow
subjects in America. We were {cond by treaty, he msisted, to support
and defend Portugal; our interests, as well as solemn engagementa,
eompelled us to it. The difference was therefore very little, whether
France or Spain broke with us o nl , or in this round-about, indirect
manner, the consequence would Eve: the same; we would in the end find
oursel'vee engaged in a v'ar with the united force ofthe House of Bourbon.
Ponugal had already given no the highest instance in their power oftheir
friendship; they had forbid the provincials from entering their ports.
Haa France or Spain done so? The contrary was notorious. is, then,
taking the quesiim in either light, as an attack of Spain on our ally, or
the open encourzgement given to uursubjectt now in arms a ainst us, he
wished to know from Administration what rcquifitions has been made
'on our part, to bring the Courts of Versailles and Madrid to an expla
nation on those very im tor'mnf points; what woe the effect of those re
quisitions, and what it ad we now finally, at so ctitical a period, to depend
on? His Graee concluded hy observing, that no reliance was to be had
at any time on the pacific assurances of those Courts, much less when
their conduct directly contradictcd them; that therefore a tame acqui
escence in whatever measures they may think proper to adopt, or an um
mediate was with those owers, wan inevitable- which, considering the
present. distracttd and a most exhausted (tate of) thin country, threatened
no less than in total ruin. He had foreseen this flom the beginning;
he had often soretold it. He was in future determined to lament it in
silence, at all future efforts, he perceived, would be in vain; however,
at the last attem !, he very feadily joined in the amendment. moved by
" his noble frien Lord Rockingham. The speech wan no more than a
recommendation of the same ruinoue system of measure! which had brought
ua intG our present perilous and tremendoue situation; if the amendment
was agreed tb, it would give the House time to consider and devise some
ctnauna of averting the innumerable danger: with which we were now
surroundedi the fist! salutary and effectual step to which would, in his
opinion, he the appointing : commune to enquire idto th: flute of th.
nation, in order to disuur thej'ource of our present. czlnmitch, lad to
devise fernerh'n the bet} suited tetheircure and removal - " ss" "
shew: AD DRE 5 5 qstbl HouscqsCom um KIN G.
Me] (ration: Snm'cigu, _ , _
E, your Mz'csty's most duutul and loynl subjects. the Common.
" of Great ritainin Pirliament assembled. heg leave twrctursin
WkMajefly the humble thanks of this House foi- your mak gracious
peech srdm the thronc. _
While we. mncnt (ne continuance of the trouble: which have so lon
diflrafied your szcfly's coloniel in North Americl, end ofdoe coin.
ue: and cypresszom whidt our unhappy fellow subjectsm Rill fifth
untler the arbitrary tyranny of their leaden; we cannot forbear to ?preu
our detesiztion and ahhmrcnce of the audacious and lesperate ffisit of
lmbition, which but at lafl emied tlmse lezdcrs so far as to man them
openly renounce allegiance to the Crown. and un Polidcnl connexion
with thin country, and in direct terms to presume to set Up theistebellious
eonfederaciu for independent Smes. . - ss. '
We consider their reiectian of the graciou- nd condescendin means
of reconcilia ion, held out to them under the authority of your ljefly'.
commissrmr, as : fresh and convincing proof that the object of (hete men
hao always been power and dominion; but we cnn impute the circum
stancen of indigmty and insult accompmyin this proceeding to neather
motive than : msentment of your Majelty'e rm had constant adherencc
to the maintenance of the connitutional ri hu of Parlilmcut, divesled of
every poflible view of any sepzrate intere s of the Crown; and we
lnve to assure your Majesty, that the same attzchutensit of your Maiefl
to the Parliamentary authority of Great Britain, which hath provoked the
insolence of the chief: o'f thin rebillion, cznnot but operate, al it ought
to do, in sixin your Majesty flill deeper, ifpoflibk, m the gflectione of
a British Hou : of Commons.
With reverence and graticude to Divine Providence. permit 11: to
express our unsei ned joy, and to offer our sincere cctongratulationt to your
Majesty, on the ucc s: which hat attended the good conduct and valour
of our Majen '3 0 cert and force; both by sea and land, and the zeal
an bravery o the auxiliary troops in your service, in the recovery of
Canada, and in the important o erationl in the provinee' of New York.
which give the strongest hopes o the molt decisive good consequencel.
Xt is with much satisfaction we learn, that your Ma'efly continues to
receive assurance: of amity from the seven] Court: of uropez and we
thankfully acknowledge your Majesiy'n goodnese and plterna] concern
for the ha pinest of your people, in your eonflant attention to reserve
the generaf tranquility; and it is our mon eamen wish that, your
Majesiy's interposition, all misundershndinp and difference between
two neighbouring powere, may be happily reconcrled, and Europe-fliu
enjo the bleffingt of peace.
YZmr Faithsul Common; consider it as a duty which they owe to your
Majefly, and to these they represent. to grant our Majesty such so;?)siee, '
as the wei ht consideratiom which your ajelty has been ple: ed to
state to us sixa ] be found to require; and we have : Well grounded confi
dence. that, at thin time, when the object of the rebele it openly avowed
and clearly understood, the general conviflion of the justice am! necessity
of your Majefly's measures must unite all ranksisiof your hitbsul subject
in supporting our Majesty, with one mind and heart, in the great netionnl
cause in which you are engaged.
Hi: Majg/h': A N 6 W E R.
" Gentlemen, _
H ] S very lo al address deserves my particular thanke. I receive
with the highest satisfaction your affectmnate aeknowledgment of
my constant regard to the conflitutional rights of Parliament, and our
zealous assurancet of confidencc and sup an in this great comen, in w ich
the interests of all my subjects are so : 'entially concerned."
L O N D 0 N, No-vember 14.
N : Lower Assemblyyesterday it was observed, that, probably, future
I eflimates might be somewhat increased, as it was proposed to allow
the widow of each soldier who might be killed in Amefic: : year's y
to bring her home, and provide, in some respect, for perhaps : fluvmg
family; and that a small increase might be likewise incurred from an
allownnce intended to be given to every soldier who might lose I limb,
or an eye, upoq this service, in defence of hil country.
ln one of the letters received from Long [Hand in the following post.
script: " We are all impatient to attack New York. The rebell ere
" incredibly strong; but we don't mind that, The first &: men thu
' enter the post called Hell Gatc are to be rewluled by our Genenl;
" so that many look with : jealous eye towards Hell, and it in expected
" there will be a great struggle to get into it. 'f