The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1838-05-09
MEMOIR OF RHODE-ISLAND.


T Memorial of the Inhabitants of the tOwn
ofNewport, to the Delegates of the Uni
ted Colonies of America, in Congress at
Philadelphia, in Continued from
the last Republican,.
At "a Town Meeting held by adjournment
Tuesday morning following, a committee
was appointed 10 wait on the present Deputy
Governor and the General at head quar-
,ers, and to lay before them the state OF the
Town, and to hear whether the Town
Council might supply Captain Wallace with
provisions &c. as usual, in case he should
demand the same; and if the committee
could not obtain satisfactory answer, then
TO wait upon the committee Of safety and
to take their advice upon this head; they
waited upon the Deputy Governor and Gen
eral, and were informed the committee Of
safety were then sitting, and that they ex-
pected an express from the Governor on
that pointsin few hours which put stop
to the committees proceeding to Providence.
The next morning a gentleman who had
the preceding day received permit from
the General to 90 on board vessel belong
ing to him, which had lately arrived from
Jamscai, and was stepped by Capt. Wal
lace, appeared in Town meeting and in
formed the meeting, that Captain Wallace
had ordered him on board his ship, and ex-
pressed great surprize that the town had
not applied to him for renewal of the
truce, aud said if they did not apply he
should look upon it they meant to treat him
as an enemy-that he should send a flag TO
know their determination, and that If the
Town did not renew their Truce it would
be attended with fatal consequences-hel1
up to view the destruction Of jamestown
and requested him to lay the matter before
the Town; the meeting appointed COM
mittee to wait upon the Deputy Governor,
and commanding officer, to know whether
they had received orders from the commit
tee Of safety, and to acquaint them with the
message Captain Wallace had sent to the
Town, and the said officer informed them
that he had not received any orders. and
they consented that the Town of Newport
might renew their former truce with Capt.
Wallace, and do every thing for the safety
of said Town that should not be repugnant
to the acts of the General Assembly, and
the resolves of the honorable Continental
Congress; and the commanding officer
added that he should be glad to be made
acquainted with what should be done by
the Town and Capt. Wallace upon this
the Truce was, the fourteenth Of December
current, in form, renewed, and a committee
appointed to lay their proceedings before
the commanding officer, who upon being
acquainted Herewith, from the committee,
told them he had positive orders, from the
committee of safety, prohibiting all supplies
to the Ships of War in this hafbor. The
establishment that seized the inhabitants on
this occasion cannot be expressed. To the
pleasing idea of living a little longer in some
degree of peace, succeeded ideas shocking
to humanity-of a large town in flames and
FIVE thousand men. women and children
forced out of their habitations into the open
fields to perish = numbers Of them through
the inclemency Of the season. A Town
meeting was thereupon Immediately called,
the assembly was full, and all were unani-
nous that numerous committee should be
appointed to wait upon his honor the Gov
ernor, TO request that the committee Of safe
ty might be recalled TO reconsider their res
olutions, and to permit the Town to renew
their Truce, in order to prevent that de-
struction in which the town would other
ways be involved it was done, the com.
mi,,ee met, and it was voted that the said
resolution should he revoked, and that the
Town Council might be permitted 10 sup
ply Capt. waIlace's ships until the next
session OF the General Assenbly--,he Sec
ond Monday in January next-and the
Truce was renewed with Capt. Wallace on
the twentieth instant; on the same day adj
vice came TO town that the Governor had
received letter from his Excellency Gen.
eral Washington, informing him tina, num-
Der Of ships with several regiments had SAIL
'By this statement IT appears that about one hal
~ n f0-1a. haI - 4. Ia.