The Virginia gazette — Williamsburg, Va., 1776-08-16 00:00:00, page 1

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:ssAUGUST 16, 1776. T H E N-UMBER 81.'
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High HEAVEN ,to GRssACIov .si __ _zsisi- sTct-RM!
PHIL ADE LPHIA, july 27.
The flsillowing' is an exact state of what
.ss. passed at the interview between his Excel
. Ieucy General WA S H ( N G 'l'O N and
- Colauel PATTEksoN, Adjutant-Generul
qs the army under, General H 0 W E,
, Yuly 20. 1776. '
FTER usualss compiimcnts, in which, '
_ as We" as through the whole conver
sation, sicol. Psiutcrson addressed general
-Washington by the title of Excdlen'cy,
hol- Putterson entered upon the busi
ness by saying, that general Howe much
regretted the difficulties which had arisen '
respecting' the address of the letters to
general Washington ; that it was deemed
consistent with pctroprietv, and sounded ,
npon precedents of'the likcssnature by am
bnssaduurs am! plenipotentiaries where dis
'putes or difficulties os rank had arisen;
that general flsashingtonimight reco'llect
he had, last summer, addressed a letter '
w general quc, To the lion. William
flowe, q/Zpgsi'ct-si that lord Howe and general
Howe did hot mean to derogate from the
respect or rank of general Washington;
that they held his person and character in
Lm highest esteem; Thin. q direction,
si ith the additionok'cgcd. &c. 'c. implied
sicvcry thing that ought to follow. He
ss hen rodctuced a letter which he *did not
'rect y offer to general Washing'tou, but
served that it was the same letter which
ad been sent, and laid it on the table,
Eiwith a superscription tsio George Washingsi
;ton, &c. &c. &c. The general declined
the letter, and said that a letter directed
to a person in & publick character should
have some description or indication ps it,
otherwise it would appear & mere private
letter; that it was true the &c. &c. &c.
implied-cvery thing, and they also implicd
any thing; that the lette} to general Howe
allucsed tu-wus an answer to one received
under a like addresi from him, \\ hich [he
jofficer on duty having taken, he did not
think proper to return, but answered it in
the same mode of address; that he should
'siabsoiuteiy decline any letter directed to
simm as a prlvate permn, when lt related
to his publick station. Col. Patterson then
said, that general Howe would not urge
his delicacy farther, an repeated his as
sertions, that no failure of respect was in
tended. He then said, that he would en
deavour, as well as he could, to recollee't
general Howe's sentiments on the letter
and resolvcs of Congress, sent him a few
days before, r-ss-specting the treatment of
Our prisoners in Csimada. " That the
ushirs os C-mada were in another depart
_menc, not subject ire (he controul ofgene
ral Howe, but that he and lord Howc
utterly disapproved of every infringemcnc
OF the rights oshumanicy." Cul. Patter
son then took & paper out of his pocket,
and after looking it over said he had ex
pressed nearly the words. General Wash
imssrcon then said, that he had also for
Wnrdcd a copy us the resochs to general
Burgovne; to which col. Pattersonrephed,
he (ctl'ulsinot doubt ;: proper attention would
he paid to them, and that he (general
Washington) wae hatcrnelty was
not the churacterisi Brizish nati—
on. Col. Parter proceeded to
say, sihe'ha'd it in charge to mention the
case of general Present, who they were
informed was treated with such rigour,
that, ctundet' his age and infirmities, fatal
confctlnenccs might be apprehendtd.
Gen'Eral Washington replied, thdt ge
neral Presioffssisssitreatment had not ssidltn
under his notide; that allct person: under
his particsi i'direction Ihe had treated with
kindness, - nd made their situation as easy
and comsoicttable as possible; that he did
not know where general Prescot was, but
believed his treatment very different from
their information. General Washington
then mentioned the case of on]. Allen, and
the officers who had been confined in Boflon
jail'. As to the first, col. Patterson an—
swered, that general Howe had no know
ledge of it but by information from gene
ral Washington, and that the Canada de
partment was not under his direction or
controul ; 'that as to the other prisoners at
Boston, whenever the state of the army
afBoston admitted it, they were treated
with humanity, and even indulgencc;
that he asserted this upon his honour, and
should be happy in an opportunity to prove
II.
General Washington then observed,
that the conduct of' several of the officers
would well have warranted a different
treatment from what they had received;
some having refused to give any puro!e,
and others having broke it when given,. by
cscaping, or endeavouring so to do. Col .
Psiutersun answered, that as to the first,
they misunderstood the matter very much,
and seemed to have mistook the line of
propriety exceedingly ; and as to the lat
ter, general Howe utterlydisapproved and
condemned their conduct. -
That isa remonstrance was made, such
Violations of good faith would be severely
punished; but that he hoped general
Washington was toojust to draw publsi-ck
inserences from the mishehayiour of some
Pl ].V'dlct: ["Ulvluu'dlss; lllLlL uau lllCll 'V'ulb !v
be Found in every clasi and socicty ; that such
behavidur was considered as :: dishonour to
the British army. Co]. Pattcrson then
proceedte to say, that the goodness and
benekancc ;of the king had induced
him to appoint lord Howc and general
Howc his comfnissioners, to accommodate
this unhappy dispute ; that they had great
puwers, ,and would derive the greatest
pleasure srom effecting an accommudation ;
and that he (go!. Pattcrsou) wished to
have this visit considered as making the
first advances to this desirablc object.
General Washington rcplicd, he was not
vcsted with any powers on this subject,
by those,- from whom- he; derived his autho
rity and power; but, from what had ad
peured or transpircd on this head, lord
[lowe and general Howe were only to
grant pardons; that. those who had com
mitted no fault wanted no pardon; that
we Were only defending what we deem'ed
our indisputablc right. Col. Pnttcriun
s
!
said, that would open a very wide field
ctfar argument; He the" expressed his ap—
prehenlio'hs; that 'a'n adherence m shrine
was likely to osibsh'uct bulinciZ-Of the greatessst
moment and concern. 7 si ' ct
He then obsefvsicd, that a prdposal had
been Formerlv made of exchanging gone
nour Skcnc for mr, Loyell ; that he now
had authority to accede to-thac propofal.
General M'nshington replicd, that the '
propctosition had been made by the directi
on ofctthe Congress ; and having been then"
rejected, he could not now renew (he busi—
ness, or give any answer, till he had. pre
vindsiy communicated it to them.
Col. Pattersun behaved with the great
ss'est attention and pohtcncss during the
whole business, expressed strong acknow
']eclgmems that the usual ceremony of
blindiflg his eyes had been dispensed with.
At the breaking up of the conference,
generalsifissashington strongly invited him
to parcake of a small collsinion provided
for him, which he poiiccly declined, al
ledging his late brcukfust, and an impati
' ence to return to general Ilossvc, though
he had not cxecmed his Cummisiion. so
amply as he wished. Finding he did not si
propose shlssving, he was introduced to the
general officers. after which he took his
law, and was safely condncted to his own
boat, which waited for him, about four
milesdishmt from the city. " -
Made publick by order aslhe Cangre/I',
jonN Isilecocx, president.
In C O N G [& E 5 5, July 19, 1776.
E'iOLVED, that "the PAPER MAK
ERS in Pcnnsylvzmia be detained
frctom proceeding with the asiociators to
New ]ersey.
Extract fi'nm the minutex. .
LHARLES THQMWN, secrctary.
IN C O N G K E & S, jllly 24, l776*
ESOLVED, that all the resolution:
of this Congress passed on She zȝd
day of April last, relating to ships and
other vessels. their tackle, apparel, and
surniturc, and all goods, wares, and
merchandisc, belonging to any inhabitant
or inhabitants of Great Britain, taken on
the high scas, or bctwccn high and low
water mark, be extended to all ships and
other vessels, their tackle, apparel, and
furniturc, and allgoods, wares, and mer
chandise, belonging to any subject or sub- "
jects of she said king, except the inhabi
tants of Bermudas and Providence, or
Babama iflands .
By order of the Congrcfi.
_]OHN HANCOCK, president.
LONDON, qu4.
HOUSE (fCODlD-IONS.
leefilllowiuctq i.: t/zc mcffhsiqe from his zi-shjq/Yy
to the House omenmam, delivered by lord
North on T/zursday.
siGEoRGFctsiK. _
l-S mujsisty, rclying on the experience.
ctzeal, and affection of his faithful
Commons, and considering, that, dming
the present n'oubles in North Americass,
em'ergencigs may arise which may be of