The Pennsylvania Gazette from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Page 1

' ' r f . PHILADELPHIA r PRINTED AND PUBLISHED (WEEKLY) BY HALL & PIERIE, No. 51 j MARKET - STREET,' DOLLABf ANNUM. ; t , v - . - ' ; ; ! "' a tl niMf Hi' ir tugniiriniww WEDNESDAY, Convention of New - J trsetj PROCEEDINGS i Convention of Delegates of; the People of correfpondencebe appointed, to communicate with' like committees who may be appointed, in other flates, for the purpofe of agreeing on candidates for the offices of prefident and vice - prefident, and all other matters which may be ot importance JULY 29, 1 81 2. No. 4258. ; VUII - V" . O - f . : w - Terfcyj chofen in the feveral counties oi, to the peace, union and liberties of the United In regard even to trade and navigation on the and' untimely war a war 'declared againft En - ocean, an immenfc and fufScient fcope remained gland too in the midft of negociations, and whilk foraUour fliips, feamen and capital, free from her miniilry and parUament were a&uallr dclibe - - belligerent and temporary reftramts. The Dritifli rating on the very point of repea W h & orders ! orders m council (made the principal ejoundof the It is then, countrymen nd friends, to this ereat, ' war) only put France, Holland and a part of Italy unlocked for, and portentous queftion we claim 1 d State, anu nrw uj - rr - - - oiaic wiutu vumumwe was h,vui uiuij . n.v ui uiuftuc, iccuiu our mercnanc your joiemn and candid attention We Kjum. citY ot irenton, on ic j poinieu. - . .n.njjuuiug mwc. 1 11c wnoic woria Deiiae. was, ' lleitc " - - r - i . - 1 ir" r a . ' ' i. ... 1 . - 1 . : ... n. r - . . - n - lledled uuon.it - Our, imavinntinn. :a 'U. . . . , - iiicduuitnu. uujvuH.tnuuii, uvt giwu, vjj ' wiiuun me xi 39 ircc io us us over its lonaad dclolatini? track defolate j nnmiintmn and choice of a chair - :e o (. flf 11 III mu.. ' - - .a wo .v..v . t" - - .... . . I . frctarv. and did unanimoufly appoint 4than Elmer, of Cumberland, Chairman, fouN Ootwater, of Bergen, Secretary. motion, Ordered that the names of. the dees prcfent be inferted on the minutes as fol - " rgen county John Outwater, Jacob Ter - "cx Aaron Ogden, Jeremiah Ballard, Elias ivton. ' ddlefex James Schureman, Ercurics Bcatty , ias MDowell, John Poole. ncrfet Richard Stockton, jonn u. . 1 en - ADDRESS. as fcetore. China, the halt and Well Indies, South and long, even beyond imagination, will it prove America, Great Britain and her dependencies, and if we no not cut it (hort, before its corruptions! all the flates and kingdoms in Europe, none of all tin's vaft portion' of the world was affected or FELLOW - CITIZENS, - ' A. CRISIS has at length arrived ia the admmi - (Iration - of the public affairs of this country, in which every one of us has a. deep and folemn con cern. It is not our purpofe to review the various , blockade of their ports cxifted, c ads and proceedings of thofe to whom the people . worth very little, as it was fubie lor twelve years palt have entriuted the management, of thefe affairs. Unhappily they feem to have left us to reflect upon our divifions and mif - fortunes. . Moft unequivocally, however, do we its palCons, and violence, Ihall have fired it uDon. it i ...... uur ianu oeyona remedy or controul. , It is in its fluitagamll us by the Bntifii orders in council ;a beginnings we mull make oiTr lawfufftand : bc - nuie tenths, at leaft, of all our trade was free. foie it fpreads and llrikes deep its roots. If lonir France only, and her dependencies of Holland and permitted to flourHh ovei peace and focial habit? ' Dart of Italv. were blockaded, with i1inm. if nn - ill KiA.v ..,. i .. . v j j'lUYts uui war Dccomes the prcdomi - our trade could be rre nant paiuon. and civil hberrv too nfr, - j - 1;,Ma ..t, very little, as it was lubiect to every loecies its blt - flino - s to th u,a f .u:' A f - - .... ' ' . e v j "uiuiuuu, yi iuc vcxauon, lofs, plunder and prohibitory duties, and opprelfion. j Our own reading trade of 1500 miles in extent, We perceive this meafure of the adminiftration M..V"B uuu io iupFun j. many 01 our . Dig.wiih Unutterable milchiefs. lit Derfifted in. declare our confidence in the great body of citi - Elbert StootofT, Gilbert B. Taylor, John zens, whatever may have been our diftruft or dif - ' ' lktisfacl ion in regard to many men in office, and the meafures they havepurfued. We believe the people to whatever ..fet of men belligerent edidK. nff. rr - l9 John Kinney, John G. TJoopcr. rtthJ - Elias Conover, Thomas Hender - lines H.Imlay, David Craig, John atuweii, anu meaiures tney nave attacnea tneir conuaence LloyJ Wm. Lawric, James Lloyd. and fupport, could only mean ."and did mean, the iterdon Aaron D. Woodruff, Wm. Potts, good, the peace, and profperity of a country rcn - sEwing, John Scudder, John Coryell, Wm. dereddcar to them by fo many privileges and bltfT - ore Toferh Phillips, John Stevens, James ings. It is to this people, fa enlightened, fo in - fon Wm. Maxwell, John E. Forman, John dependent and patriotic, (a;id may we truft,fo can - iter Ira Jewell, James White. ' did asto confide in our fincerity), that yvc now ad - inVton John Black, Wm. Griffith, Wm. drefs ourfclves. .. . . . rtorp - e Anderfon, Wm.Irick, Charles Ellii, On the iSth of June, a fmall majority in con - A Cor Samuel I. Keau, iawara rrcutu, um uy a. mw,ucuiic war mi mc pan vi unitea states, - agamic tne unitca Kir.gcicm ot ir. Britain and Ireland, and its dependenctis. , This a5l, fo unexpected, fo oppoled to the pe tition? and remonftranccs of every claf and part fellow citizens, and to tranfport with eafe and eco nomy the furplus productions of labour from one flare to the other by fea, affording a real profit to the community equal to thei whole of our foreign trade all this too remained to us unaffected bv Varfon. Tofeph Bolton cc(ler Franklin Davenport, Jofhua L. i Charles French, Samuel W. Harrifon, HnwelL Samuel P. Paul, lofeph V. w - 0 if from the grievances of waw rreupon, after full debate on the principles :afures proper to be adopted at this time, for egoing purpofes, it wa3, on motion, ordcr - :t a Committee oc appuiuicuui cicvca inciu Our revenue from commerce alfo was very great equal, annually, to the payment of every ex - pence of the navy, army, civil lift, and other demands of government, befide difcharging, each year, a portion of the old debt of the revolution. The average of this revenue, not lefs than twelve millions of dollars, annually, relieving the people from any direct taxes payable to the U. States. jln thefe favoured circumflances of j agriculture, .foreign navigation, coafliug trade and revenue, was. war declared, and it necefTarily fhakes them to the foundation. In regard to our political, moral, civil and religious bleffings and advantages, they were furely ly great and many. Peace itfelf, and neutrality, at a time when all the European world is convulf ed and tending by wars and famine to diflblution, and the tyranny of one man, were to us, who almofl tfdlely enjoyed them, ineftimable bleflings. How innumerable and vaft they were, your own feelings, enjoyments, and rciledions, fellow - citizens, can better determine than we defcribe. In great mercy, alio, we were removed .cooinilcs from thofe lcenes of violence and do vacation we had talen no part in them. Our pure and free and progrcfiing country had kept itfelf from the dangerous and deadly grafp of French connection. 1 his was our frar and our danger, This war, if it is to be conrinued, deprives us of neutrality and peace. It makes this wide ocean no longer a barrier between America and the ambition anri ruthlcfs vengeance, which are fcourging Eu - rone deilmv'imr rei.illif ir llhrrt v ami ' tinman r...t vi r . ' i xorcc; io uc wpuoic.ui omiuuu or aiiv.ic, iciiuuig happinefs. We are brought by it to touch the con - John Piffant, James Batten, Daniel Car - of; the community io iteadfailly and honourably iwiuuu u j n Avt iujv sit via t - isv. uvuabv. aL.Tbomas Sinnickfon, Robert G.John - congrefs from this flat e, and by thofe of many other flates, could not be prevented. It was, al - berland Jonathan Elmer, James Giles, ter many days ftruggle, in feciec fitting, carried ih Buck, Joel Fithian, Samuel M. Shute, . through, and became a law. ). Ewing, Jonathan Dollas. . This convention is conipofed of men who would notion, it was refolvcd, that this convention ill defervc the confidence of their felkw - citi2ens, ' oceed to confider the alarming ftate of pub - and difhonour their own principles were they to irs; and particularly on the means to be attempt to obflruA or defeat this law by ny ir - ;r Conitltuiioiiaiijr iiv ijjctuujr i tut i .v.. - . j , illegal combinations. It mult be lor thoic who want, a gool caufei and diftruft thft force of rea - fon to lupport it, to adopt means to unworthy of' freemen ami good citizens. Some of ds have contributed early and ardently,' in contending for nd jach county delegation naming one) to draft laying the foundations of civil liberty, and all of Jr.f to the People of New.Jerfcy, in con - us are too deeply impreficd with the duties of fub - - . . T t . - 11 !!! v to the inflrudtions of this convention, and , million to conuitutionai laws wnue uiry are m :ey report thereon at five o'clock in the af - n. 1 1 :rcupon the following delegates were chefen i committee : - Bergen John Outwater. x Aaron Ogdcn. Idlefcx James Schureman. . erfet Richard Stockton. imouth Thomas Henderfon. :tcrdon Aaron D. Woodruff, rris John G. Cooper, iiugton William Griffith. . ucefter Samuel W. Harrifon. m Thomas Sinnickfon. lbcrland William B. Ewing. , convention adjourned, to meet aain at five : in the afternoon : and bcin: aill - mbled at to prevent their execution by the agency of popu lir pa fiions however fuch laws may,iuiing their continuance, dillrcls the people, or counteract their bell and moll important intcrelt. - But while we feel the obligation of our duties under a law which is deemed moll impolitic and oppref - five, we alio know the extent of our right and thole of the people, enabling us and thein to bring about its repeal, by our elections. ' - We addrefs you then, fellow .citizens, at this awful crifis, produced by the war hw, in the language of freemen and free agentsin the confei - oufuefs of pure motives, and penetrated by the profoundeft feelings of patriotic regard for our dear countryc Our hearts and mind are filled .with this one .fubject, and the profpect it cpeiis jur, prefent as before, the committee, by (if the voice of the people doe not fave us) of as Henderfon, their chairman, made report lengthened public miferics. We will not mingle in convention of the draft of an Addrtls to its coniideration oiner grievances, or any matter ople of Ncw - Jerfey, as had been ordered, calculated to embitter or revive party diiFercnccs, i being read, debated, and amended, on the on whether this convention doth agree to; - Tie, it was unanimoufly determined in the ative ; and it was further refolvcd, that the be figned by the chairman and fecretary, on f of this convention, that it be published in pers of this ftate, and in one of the pipers cities of Philadelphia and New - York, and on other quellions - all arc loft, conlumnuted, united, in the lall great grievance of war. Little did we, individually, or thofe who have confided this high truft to us, in our character of delegates of the people, imagine, that a majotity, however fmall, of the perfous in office, ToutiTbe brought to plunge this country into a war; and to a probably it mult, our aciumes, and cer unite, oco copies thereof be printed in a pamphlet tainly our efforts, in a common cauie with the and diftributcd among the fevtral counties tyrant ot France. . , , , . . ) ftate, in fuch manner as may be deemed ex - By fome fatality incomprehcnfible to us, on t by Meflrs." Charles Ewing, Garret D. any principles of prudence, and much lefs cf nc - and William Potts, who are appointed a ceffity, has this happened: A law, - debatM and Ittee for that purpofe. ' ' paffed in ecret, has placed this cxttnlivt country fines of a l.;nd fteeped with blood, opprelfion and crimes. . In a word, it brings to the people of thefe ilates, with all the reft of its adual and progrellivc evils, a co - operation in the war, if not a general alliance with France againft England. With what anxious forebodings mull every heart be torn, that thinkiupon a war, which not only cuts us off from fo many pofitive blefiiugs, but launches this fafe and happy people into the vortex of European broils . into wars, which twenty years of blood and devaftation have but ftrvccl to infuiiate, extend ami perpctujte. , ' That our country had received wrongs, both in its honour' and rights, from England, during her long cotiteft with France, need not be difpu - tcd. What peaceable and neutral power has not, and which of thofe injured powers, embarkimg in a war, or alliance, with Fiance, or alone, to i vindicate thofe rights, that has not fufFered injuries tenfold greater ? Moll of them indeed lofing their very - liberties and independence in. attempting to eilablilh minor pretentions, and vindicate what was called their honour. That G. Britain is wrong in preventing our trade with France, be - caufc France interdicted our trade with England, or that her crullers on the ocean frequently have iroprcfied American feamen, pretendiug they were Britilh iubjects, or under real miftakes of the fact, are undoubted wrongs ; that of impreffmetit, a muft injurious pradice, and juftly calculated to kindle our rtfeutments, and tu, claim from our go - vernmeiu piudent and perfevenng means to prevent or mitigate its fevcrity, cither by arming merchant fhip for defence, or agreeing with En to the following further refolves : I As the attainment of peace, by a change 1 now in the admlnillration,, or fome of is of fuch vaft moment to the people cf rerfcy, this convention, on that account, commend to the friends of peace in each ; convention, after full confider ation, did and all its great interells of peace commerce eland on fome tdan of avoiding the miflakes or agriculture union aim. iuiuic proiperny, on the fate of war. , , t Defence, within our. own borders, and even arming our own vcficls for defence on the feat,' againll both, French and Englifli aggreflionj was , a practicable and not a hazardous expedient. to convene at fome fuitablc time and place, But without preparation, and without trial of the point two delegates to meet other delegates, means cf defence, difTention in our country, andv :fday, the nth day of Auguft next, at two general oppofition to war, to become the. attack - , tin the afternoon, at Trenton, for the pur - sing power, and to declare open, general, atul of - t agreeing on fit perfons to be nominated feufive war, againll one of the grcatoutending lors of prefident and vice - prefidenti and as ftates of Europe we repeat it fellow' citizens, is :rs of congrtfs for this ftate, to be chofen at an event in the hiftory, cvtn of thefe times, which fuing fall election : And it is further re. fill us,, arid we belivve the great body of the pco - ndedto the feveral counties, as well in the pie, with grief and amazement. - , .' . , , ment of the above delegates, an in the no - We were not invaded - no power even threat - n of members of council and afTembly for cned jt : we ftill enjoyed a tenfold greater voftion : legiflature, that they endeavour to lelecV . of internal and even external happmefs and pn - who will ufe alf conftitutional means to . penty than any nation, - in the wortd uur agri - x repeal of the War BilL - pafled in Congrefs culture,' commerce and - manufactures, the gieat icth of June, aid who will promote the products ot our fields, loreits and mheries, grow - ntof any differences with Great - Britain, ing out of the induftry and entcrprife of feveu urable terms, by negociation and oppofe millions of free and virtuous citizens, - were yet to almoft defv belief. The peonle reflect insr ci ice with France. ; . but little impaired, except by our own internal re - ' tizens, are ftruck with amazement and difappro dly And it is further agreed upon aud ftriAions, which could at any time be fufpended bation, looking round for means of relief from 1 by this convention, that a committee of or removed, ; f j " the ! threatened evils of a protracted, hazardous, .violence ot. her fea olhccrs ouch a plan was in fail agreed to.'y England, and approved of by our ambafladors Pinkuey and Monroe, but rejected by ti e American cabinet. ' : Fellow - citizens, wrongs to our country will never be vindicated by usand even thele,Yomuch infilled upon, cannot be reviewed by us with feel' ings. lefs arcure to their real importance, thui by others. . WaftHintoti, JciFerfon, and Adams, du - , ring twenty .years of adminill ration, never cuu - fidered the pretention or pract.ee of imprelfinent, though,, more rigoroufly enforced then, as fuffici - ently jullifying them to go to war. And' now that our adminiftration in the prefent ftate of ihc world, and circumftanced as it is, unprepared, and with divided councils, lhouldby a bare majority declare general and offenfive, war, by, hud and fea, on fuch points not vitally affecting us in . our national prosperity, inftead of waiting for time, mutual intercfts, and negociation, to fettle them, (many of which muft end of , themfclves with the war in Europe,) isaq event whi h fcems when will it end? What is it to train for . us? Arc we furc, or is there even the fhadow of probability, that we ihall conquer England compelling her, by force of arms, to yield what fhe maintains to be her right, and refufts ablolutely to rc - ' linquifh ic any other way than by agreement and " mutual coiiccffions? If war is rtlotted to, and while the war jaw continues, no further room is left for treaty, we muft toice our demands, and fuc - ceed in them by the tword by bringuig our enemy to fub million. And ihall we, fellow - citizens, at this tune, and in our circumftances, on account of thefe dilputa - bl? points of trade with France, and abuie 01 ini - preliraent, incur fo many immediate loffes, and lubject ourfelves to fo many ccrtaiu future Cvils as this war mull produce. You have feen what thefe immediate and certain lolTes will be in our agriculture, foreign and coafting trade, revenue, and internal bleflings of peace and neutrality ; . loffes, any one of them a hundred fold more to our injury than all that has accrued or Can accrue from the occafional injuries we complain of at fea. If we go to, war for commerce and feamen, is it not evident that we facrificc them both and entirely i But what we muft lofc and fuTcr in the outfet, great as it is, finks into nothing, compared with that which will follow. . Surely thefe dreadful confe - quenccs have cfcaped the notice of the advocates of war iii their full extent, or they have preferred ' to encounter them, rather than forego their refent - mcnts and retreat from imprudent resolutions.' j How unfortunate, when nicii prefer the bonour of perfevcring in error to the honour of retracting; it; and whcn their country too is at llake. Befide the decay of agriculture, commerce and ieveuue, war will vitiate the morals of our people particularly the rifing generation, Is it nothing to bnog ' on a general decline of virtue, order aiid regard for life, property, and private rights ? Will nor war neccifarily produce this, with a decline alfo of induftry and the evils of a wide fpreading iufolvcncy ? Perhaps even all thefe might by Ionic be viewed without alarm; but what will the people fay to, or how endure, for a great length ot time, other neceflary concomitants of a ftate of war i In a con - teft, fuch as we muft go through, with fuch a power, to force it into fubmiflion, Handing armies, the bane and dellroyers of liberty in every country, muft be introduced,' continued, and fwelled to a dangerous magnitude. No matter what wc call them, volunteers felect corps, &c. if they are not militia, under our own iUte officer and government, they are ftanding troops, in the pay and under the direction of military chiefs, who maybe - come ambitious, infolcnt, and over whom we can have little controul." In the train of war alfo follows, wallefulncfs and infatiable demands upon the people's labour and l'ubftance, to fupport its never ceafing and growing cxpences. Great armies muft be railed, cloathed, equipped, and paid ; and thus, year after year, in addition to the ordi - rtarv crnr nces of vovfrnment. and the funoort of ' 7 , . the militia eftablifhment, it is computed the additional annual w ar expencc will not be fhort of zo millions; how many years of war uncertain. The burthens ou every man in the country will increafc four - fold, ui dcr war taxes, levied on his land and occupation, vhilft his capacity to pay is diminifh - ed in the fame .proportion by the privations of war. Thofe, fo ea - er to make Or encourage the war, will fbare feweft of its dangers or burthens; they will fall oii tfyefe aftern ftates. on their capital, induftry, .and citizens. Is it poflible for the reflecting citizciiyto look even on this confequence alone, and its rnnnitude we meaiijtuxes, per - fohal fervices; an lofs.uf bulincfs, and not fhud - ' der with apprchenficn. Public credit, or a capacity to borrow, wll, iti'a'l likelihood, fuffcr, par - ticularly if the war is unluo elful ; and paper money follow : we believe this muft be refortcd to. The old debt will remain unpaid, and a new one of vaft extent be incurred. , And is it nothirg or is it cot the moil awful of all. Ith.it torrents of blood muft flow and private diftrcfl'csof all kinds ' be multiplied in this unnatural and difaftnnis con - teft. Where too are our experienced captains, and what Washington i$ lelt to infpirc and con duct usf . - We enquire, alfo, when z our preparation - lhv - ll be complete, jl ihw eve caa be. what e are to gain by war in an 'degree adequate to. the evils it bri.gs upoa ourfelves f r Where are we to (hike for the rfdief$ wcftek on account of the orders in council tnJ impreflment ? Tne B itilh navy i$ oui;ot our reach, . aio. iupenor to our own. . Her armies do not invade us no triumph over them can (ben probably be