The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-05-03 00:00:00, page 2

" extend itself to a degree that interfered
" with the 'Wsict Britain to the colo
" nice, the sinne His: of an ekeisise which
" lie on the manusactures of Great Bri
" tain, levied on those of the colonies,
" would soon restore the balance. This
"' cbnsideration, one might imagine,
"ss would- induce those who are prudent
" in America 'to advise the rest to mode—
" ration in their opposition." There is
shmething killingiy contemptuous in
phat e effion the rest, especially as it
is pa'rt o : thteat. This sentimen't of one
of Our Briti father: resembles, methinks,
-thatbs_ the msulting Pescennius to the sup
plied: people of Judea: You pray that l
would nottax your lands so high, and !
would tax the very air you breathc !
_. Th' ct ' g ruinous 'mnovations of
sipffliauiensit commenced at a time when we
zysiefect not able to resist them, and, by a
habit of sdbhtifflun, became familiar; nay,
tosome, it wssoold seem pleasing, so that
nothing but the bane of corruption seem
essd wanting to have sunk us into irrecove
fable sei-viljty. Fortunately, however,
the British Lion has mused 'us, before we
'w'erectprepared for his sange, by that dan
gerous purveyor. "
la contemplating the consequences of
such an unimportant, debasing state of
filbjsiection, a philusopher might venture
"to pronounce, that the national character
would be fixed at a very low standard;
nor'would he be mistaken: Nothin . cau
h—ssfll'bre insipid than a review of the history
Ofsisithese tolonies for 'a century past.
mongst the first sesittlers, indeed, some
arlu of enterprise and vigour appeared,
which still engage our feelings; but these
have beel'i extmguished, ever since we
'fiioved in "plrliamenta trammels. An
intelligent inquirer won] search our history
in Vein sisdr those interestin scene: (wherein
thevirtne and capacity of 1 ehero and the
flmsinax) are di played ;. he would find no
traces of the philosopher, the poet, or the
artik, ' The fear of the empike of w'ealth,
& lit'e'titure,1 and art:, —was in Britain *.
She stood an insuperable - barrier between
ni and the polished world, who, denied
with the view of the prim'ar planet, either
knew not, _or disregarde , the humble
,(atellitea- Which served to increase her,
fnlnndin'ic. 3 " 4
.5 If this be our boasted connexion and de
pt'lidence on Britain, I cannot think it an
coviable Rate. So long as ! continue to.
refer nationh] eminence and virtue to in
! ' cancy, 'insipid'uy, and ignorance, so
..long as ! continue to preser-ssa freeand ge—ct
mouscommerce with all nations to a come
werce minoufly circumscribed , for the sole
emssolumenr of one, so long shall I esteem
e amisfortuue, and its converse,
.ifsiftmt the certain source of a very great
benefit, at least a rescue from a. very
great evil.
'5 'The-pencil of West, and the elegant
_' My ofWright, find London, and not
Zerica, the proper theatre fizr their exer—
esse. The work: of dr. Frctanklin were pub
M la London, and it is among a ver}- few
d' the learned unb- that he is called the
American philosopher. May one be hardy
enough to-siafim, 'that knowledge and inge
nuity have been more advanced in America,
evemmder the lowering aspect of war; since
the Iafl revival of the political contest, than
ifc—ld theformer part of the centmy ?
( LONDONz ("un"- 93. .'
'_ 1'COMMODORE, wich7six linct: ofbattle
_ . shsss and eight srigates, will sail, we
are to , 'to America,, the beginning of
Mffl'ch next; the above ships are to take
on b 'ard their full complcment of madness;
aiffl are io be laden as deep as posiible,
with pxct'ovss'lsions, &c. - .
sPrcl; warrants' arc sent out to admiral
Grctgflj 'to prcsiz al] siAmerican seamen.
A cbmpactis lately signed between our
cssomsit mid .tcthat of three Northernpowers,
by which they have stipulatcd to furnish
Great Britain, between them, with 60,ooo
trOUpS. the better to enable the latter to
carry on the continental war.
_'I'he council, it is said, is much agitated
with contrary opiniom since general Bur
'goyne'a arrival from Boston; some, we
are told, are for conciliatory measures.
By a letter from Ruchsort, we are as—
sured 13 srigatee are fitting out at that
port. only for their Anterican settlcments,
each of which is to carry over land forces.
Press warrauts are expected to be issued
out soon, althe captains ofall the outward
bound ships have been very solicitous to
procure protections .
Orders have been sent to Plymouth, for
all the guardships there to take on board
their Full complement of men, as in time
of war.
Orders have been sent to all the out
ports, to be very cautious and strict in
examining all pcrsons and vessels, &c..
that may be judged the least suspicious.
Orders are oriven for a quantity of becf
and park, sit icient for ten ships of the
line, for six months, to be got ready as
soon as possible.
Several transports are brought up to the
Tower in order to take in cannon, halls,
and other warlike stores, for 'Bosion;
which transports are to be convoyed by
six men of war, to prevent their being
taken by the provincials.
A small vessel will be despatched to Ame
'riea this week, with orders for all the
transports that have delivered their car
goes at Boston, &c. to leave that place
immediately, and retprn to England with
all expedition.
Some distinguishedsi'memben of the mi—
nority have, it is confidently said, been
offered to have their names inserted in the
commisiion apyointing dele ates to pardon
the Americasin ddiosinsiies, w 'ch several of
them have accepted; .ss
-' Act'eorrespondent says, that si eminnu of
en'f'nfzijflee on shipping', especially to the"
'westffliffl', are an hi it now a: at any time
.in a French or Spanish war.
WORCESTER, sz._
ctN 'f'hnrsda tpsic'4th instanl. lhchdy
ofssmajor-general Warren was s—sizd
about three fee; under ground, on Bun
ker's hill. ]t was afterwards carried to
Boston, and on Monday last interred with
the honour: and respect due to so illustrious
a'hcro. _ si "
lc'is reported, from diffci'ent quarters,
that Quebeck was taken by storm last
mouth, and that our loss is computed to
be Goo'men kilicd and wounded. How
ever, it does not amount to a certainty.
NE w- YO R K, April 15;
ATURDAY last his excellency general
' Washington arrived here from Cam
bridze, attended by mr, Paisrey and mr.
Moy and, his aids-de—camp, Horatio Gates,
esq;-adjutant-general, and several other
gentlemen of distinction.
Admiral Hopkins, with the continenta]
fleet under his command, arrived at New
London last Saturday morning from a
cruise, and brought in with him a large
quantit of cannon, mortars, &c. which
he too at New Providence, as also the
governour of that ifland. He also carri
ed in with him a bomb brigsiand three
tenders belongin to capt.Wa]lace's fleet, '
which he took 05 Block ifland; and we
hear the admiral, and some part of" the
fleet, fell in with his majesty's ship the
Glasgow of zo'guns, the morning before
he arrived, with whom he had a very hot
engagement. '
April 18. Since our last : considerab'ie
number of troops have arrived here from
New England. As great number: of the
inhabitants have moved into the country,
many of their house: are taken up for the
soldiers. The behaviour of the New Eng
land soidiers is decent, and their civiiity to
the inhabitants very commendable; they
attend prayers, with their chaplain, even
ing and morning regularly, in which their
officers set the example. On Lm'd's du)
they attend publick worship twice, and
their deportment in the house otsiCOd is
such as becomes the place. .
Though the season is so far advanced,
yet the great number of troops-that-has
late] arrived, and the uncommon severity
of t e weather, have crcasiuned such a
demand sor sue], that oak wood sells for
303. per cord, and not for 405.
The first division of the ministeria] fleet,
coniiliing osthe Fowey and Nautilus, with
68 transports, from Boston,ss sailed for
Halisux on the Monday preceding the llt
of April. The second divilic'm, confining
of admiral Shuldham in the Chatham,
the Centurion, and the Li'vely, with 62
transports, sailed the Thursday after, for
the southward, not half manncd, and had
but short ahowauce for 14 days. The.
Renown, of 50 gnns, the Senega], Office,
and the Hope, of 16, remain below; but.
have moved from their station in King
road, off the light-house, for fear ofctour
fire rasts. "l'he Niger man of war is also
gone to Halit'ax; and it is said, by a .ves
sel from London to the fleet, thatj 50
msierchantmen, loaded, Were bound to
Bostorcti. ' '
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in
Philadelphia, to his friend in Virgiuia,
ct dated April 22, 1776.
15 have all the debates in parliament,
by which it appears that the deter
mination of Court is, first to conquer,
and then to grant pardons to those they
choose; and for this purpose, only,, are
the commiffioners declared to he sent.
This is the ostensible plan, but we are in—
formed they are to hfibe through thickand
thin to procure the betraying ofAmeriqa ; so
that it behoves alL men to watch with most
attentive consideration the conduct; of
those intrusted with the publick concerns,
whether colonial or continental. Their
last act of parliament is a curious piece of
retrospective injustice. After. declaring
the 13 csslilo'ni" lilion,d and without
hil 'e 1 rot 'n,un our o rt
mad'ZUse'Jablg wherever sound meyfch
water, it goes on to givelegal sanction to
all the vnolencex, robberies, &c. "&c.
that their people had committed revioul
to the passing that act. The ongresl
have, in consequence of this., recommend—
ed the fitting out rivateet's to .cruise on
British property. t may be depended on,
as fact, that the owners of the Scotch
factors have been desired by adminisiratiou
to make no noise about their debte in Ame
rica, for that they (theministry) would see
theirdebtspaidbyfbrfiitingAmericanq/latu.
Thus we may account for the meanin' of
the intercepted letter lately publishe in
the Virginia Gazctte, wherein the sa'ctor
is desired to make out a list of debt: and
send them to Scotland; and thus these
harpies, after: having alreadx piilatged a
grcal parl Os lnc property of 7 u'glmasi, Ire
now making autuccounts, underCourt au'spi
ces, by which all the remaining property
of the country is to become theirs._
Last Sunday se'nnight a tender came up
Rappahanuock, and chased a New England
shhooner, outward bound, into Hobb'l
Hole, from whence she carried her of,
a: low down the river as Bowler's ware
house, where she got aground on an oyster
bank, and stuck there till the Tuesday
fullowing; by which time some spirited
gentlemen in the neighbourhood got to
aether four sailing boata, and manned
t em, with a view to retake the prize,
and, iF posiible, to hoard the tender, which
was commanded by one of old Goodrich's
sons, and had on board a large quantity of
sail canv'asix, &c. &c. As soon as the u n
der's people saw nur vessels bearing down
upon them, they set fire to the prize, :mrl
quitted her; upon which some inn.}! Loats