The Newport gazette. [volume] (Newport [R.I.]) 1777-1779, 1777-09-04

>fxtraAs from Rebel Papers.
From the PsNx,YLvANIA Evening Pom,
Of Auguh 5.
A Letter from Benjamin Franklin snd Silss
Deave, Elqu. TO Lord Stormont, the Ia
gl,h AnbaGador st Parii.
Nix LORD, Paris, April Z. I777.
WE did ourfelvss the Honour Of
w wiring fsms time sgo, to yosr
Lcrdihip. on the fsbje6 Of exchanging
prifore, You did net ecndsftesd to givs
ns any snf~sr. aad therefore W sxpsa
ne.e 10 this. We however take the liberty
OF Tending you copies OF certain dePof'
,ioas, which we fhali traAimit to Cosgrsfs,
whereby it will be kaown 20 ysur Court,
,ha: the Unitsd S:s.es are not Iaaequaintsd
with the barbarous treatment their pssp.s
receive when they have the ni'for,uas Of
b.:rr ysur prifons, here in Europe; and
th., Il y,ur conduit towards Us 10 not alter
ed, i, 10 not unlikely thst levers repriials
nay ;. thosght jsaiiabls, frsm the aeeef-
fly sf putting icms check TO iueh sbosina-
be practices.
For the fake of hsmapity. it is to be
wihsl that mea would sndsavour to ale.
vi,,s. a. much as pofhble, the unavoidable
rnifs,ie, attsnding fats Of war. 1t has
been fad, thGt among the civilized Aatisss
OF Eu; ops, III: aacisnt horrors es that fate
are much dininihed; but the compelling
mea By chaiss, Rripes aad famine, to fight
againR their frissds aad relations, 10 .
new mode Of barbariiy,. which ysur nation
sions had the honour Of inveating aAd
the Tending American prifonsrs Of war to
Africa and Ais, renots fren oil probability
Of exchange, aad where they esn lea,ce
hope ever - hear from thsir families, svea
ifths unwhoisfomensf, Of the climate does
not put fpsedy sad to their lives, i, .
manner Of treating prifsnsrs that you eaa
juttfy BY ne other precedent or euaon, sx-
cePt the black favsIes Of Guinea.
We srs, ycar Lsrdlhip's mon ebedisat.
Humb!s Servants,
R. FRANKLIN. S. DEANK.
Lord Vifeouat STORMONT.
To the above ls,,ss the following info
lsat reply was made:
" The Kings Anbaaador reesive. no
'' lstssrs hsm Rebels. except when they
81 eeas to ak Mercy"
The Deposition Of B,IpHAL.r Dswxr.,
Surgeon in the Yankee Psivssesr, il a.
follsws:
That after hs w.s .sds p,ifonsr by
CsPtsias Ref and Hedge. who took ad.
vantage Of the generous eoadsa Of Cspsaia
Johafos Of the Yankee, to them his prifon.
en, aad Of the confidence he placed in
thsm, il eoafeqneaes Of tha. conduct sad
their aAsraaees, As and his eountrynel
were clofely confined, yst aHarsd that on
ehsir arrival At port they hsuld BE- fet ., H.
bsTty aad thofe sGuraness we're repeated
In the moa iolemA manner infead Of
which, on their apProseh to land, they were
In the hot weather Of AsgsA. 1hu, up in Q
fmall cabbis, the wiadews Of which we're
(Piked dowa and no cir admitted, infeaueh
that tAsy wsss oil 10 danger Of faGbesisa
from the exesiavs heat. Three o. four days
after their arrival in the river Thsne,, they
were relieved frsn this Gtss,ioa in the mid.
die Of the sisAs. hsrrisd % bssrd nsder.
asd feat down to Shssrnefi, where the Do.
ponsns wss pss % board the Ardent sad
sAsrs falling 6ek Of violent Aver in Goa
Isqssaee of fseA usstmsas, sad lsAsuiihiae
in that A,sstioa for foms time. hs wss
moved, aili 6ek, 70 the Mars, aad ast-
wishhaading ,epeassd pstide.s 70 Be feat
a