Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-04-27
A Venerable Newspaper.

a
We have before US copy of the par
oSni0 Gazette of the date of Friday
August Z, 177S. 1t is yellow with age
tarnished from having been worn ir
some old Continenentaps flap coat pock
ct, but full of quaint and curious items
that are redolent of the ancient past
At the time when it was printed tht
colonies were in the agony of the revo
lutionary war. The march through
the Jerseys, ending with the battle O
Monmouth, had been made recently
and Washington was at Kingsbrldge
with French fleet off Sandy HOOK
blockading the British in New York
The allied expedition against Rhode
Island under Sullivan and D'Estaing
was talked about. The paper contains
the news of the death of the Earl Of
Chatham, and is filled with the cores
popdence of the British peace commits
sioners, Lord Carlisle, Sir Henry Clin-
ton, William Eden Qate Colonial Gov
ernor of MarylandD and George John
stone, with Congress and with its lead
ing members, such as Joseph Reed,
Francis Dana and Robert Morris. The
news from Baltimore, Philadelphia and
the East shows that privateers were
very active and successful about this
time. Paul Jones had just made his
adventurous descent upon Whitehaven
and the Scotch coast, and this and the
mischief done by Count D'Estaing and
the French fleet were made the pretext
in Parliament by Fox and Townsend
for opposing vote of million sterling
for the continuance of the war. At
this time Patrick Henry was Governor
of Virginia and was active in recruiting
for the Continental army. There was
talk of the British army in New York
suffering from famine by the closeness
of the blockade. Nothing but rice,
instead of bread or -four" says an Eliz-
abethtown letter under date of July 18.
"has been dealt out to the soldiery since
their arrival in New York. A loaf of
bread that used to cost four pence now
sells in the city for dollar. Yet the
columns of the Gazette shows that there
was plenty to eat in the country, plenty
even of imported commodities and lux
uries, and the character of the adver-
tisements proves that the ordinary
transactions of business were not inter-
fered with to any great degree, at least
in Virginia, by the war. There is a
sale of commissary stores by order of
the Governor and council these include
baize, fannels, poplin, serge-denim,
fine and coarse cloths, coarse yarn stock
ings, shoes, teas, cordials, and claret by
the hogshead, William Porter, of Fred
ericksburg, advertises large lot of
goods just imported from France, and q
public vendue at Edenton, N. c., is no
ticed, at WHICH, among other imported
goods offered, are all sorts Of fine and
h rfi of l.
mems ware, hardware, gilt and gold
ornaments, tea canisters, black pepper,
French brandy, clsret end museadel
wines, 4iAuenrs, orgeat, scented waters,
essences, raisins, hair powder, Florence
oil in TASKS, anchovies, olives. capers,
truffies. branded fruits, and other
things to make French restaurateur's
mouth water. The usual advertise
ments are to be noted of gun away ne
groes and bound lpep and strayed or
stolen stock. The churchwardens of
st. Pauls parish, Hanover, advertise
for a clergyman of good morals, who
knows how to preach. Such one twill
be courtaously received, and we have
reason to believe will have very hand
some salary Immediately subscribed to
him." Large tracts of land are offered
lOl Sale Wy IetCudIu SOChc, vi I1dlIIdA,
N. c.; by Richard Foster, by John
Park Gusts, Burrell Thweatt, William
Walton and John Randolph. The
Admiralty Court at Williamsburg brings
up case in which Baltimore parties
were interested. phis was an order
calling upon any person interested in
the schooner Hugh Dalrymple and car
go, libeled in that court by Samuel and
Robert Pasrvidnce, to come into court
The Pur1 iances, an honored old Balti-
more name, had been forged by the war
to abandon their West Indian trade !;
they had turned their vessels into priv
ateers, and were very active and 7sup-
cessful In capturing the enemy's vessels
on the high seas, obstructing and ha-
RAISING British commerce, and incl
dentaliy enriching themselves Such
features as these comprise the sources of
interest in an old Virginia newspaper.
This Virginia Gazette, by the way, was
the earliest newspaper published in Vir-
ginia. It was issued at the seat of GOV
ernment, at Williamsburg, and was
founded by William Parks, the old An
napolis printer, who published the laws
of Maryland, and afterwards established
the earliest post routes.-Bdlt. Ssa..