September' 19, 1777
With the lateft ADVICES; Foreign and Dome s t ic.
SEMPER PRO LIBERT ATE, ET BONO
PUBLICO.
F I S H - K I L L, . Aaguft 14. to the refentments and jufticeoF government; your family will
! Haovlr (New jcrj'ey) Auuji 6t 1777. be ruined, and you mult die with ignominy ; or if you fhould
Ml. LOUDON, . be fo happy as to efcape; you will drag along a tedious life of
J received through the handi of his Excellency General Walh- Now, Sullivan, 1. nave a Piethodv to propofe to ypii, if you
ington. The original I. have fent to Congref. , The manner .have refclctionjand courage enough for it, that will fave you;
in which it was detected appears upon the letter. . I beg the fa- and. your family and eftar-i from this imtiiinenr deftrudlion j it
Toar cf you to pablifh it, with this letter. Indeed J could wifli is in plain Englifii to tread back the fteps you have already tai
it to be publimed in all the ftates, that the peoplem2yj fee that ken, and to. do fome real eflential fervice . to your kin? and
everv mcaiure is auoptea oy our enemies to accompmn inpir iy-. .uunry, id auimug 10 re-enaoiiin puojic tranquillity ana law
rinnical purpofes. Nothing is left unattemptcd, which they ful government,! You know ;J will not deceive you ; every one
think may tiromote their hcllifli dciGgns. "They are fo loft to'all who will ckert iimfelf for government will be received ; and I
fer.fv of honoar and honeUy, that by their own feelings, they do allure you, hrmly opon my. ht?n6ur, l am impowered to 'eh-
jadre it a light matter for a perfop to fkcrifice his honour and gage particularly. with youi that it (hall be the cafe withyou; jif
It
is I not
confeience by oetravinff the truft repofed in him,by his country, . you will iiacerejy endeavour to delei-ve your pardon.
and aHining them to eiiablifh defpotifm upon the ruins of free- dlired ofjyoa to declare yourfelf immediately, nor indeed td
com
derog
. , This letter was direttecLto me as commander t.Ticon- declare "jourfclf at all, until you cah difpofe. matters fo as' to
?ai -tner'efcre may fhew the. importance of having, the com- bring the'province witn you,; in order to which yon mould, as
xnand cf our important' pofh fn the hands cf thofe who have the much as poiSble,. noder. different pre tenses i - contrive to fend .
i greatell attachment and the urongeil ties to bind them to the every man out of the province from whom you apprehend diffU
1 caul'e tf their country. culty, and to keep at home all thofe who are friehdlyUo govern
I am, Sir, your melt ham ble lervant, nienr or aeurous or peace ; m me mean urac endeavour to give
JL
me all the materiel intelligence you can colledl land veil can
get the bell) cr if you find it moil . convenient you can convey
it to General Burgoyne ; and by' your ulihg my namei he wilt'
know whom it comes from, without your men tidning your, owri
icon as you. nna you can ao ic wiui laiecy an iuc-
name.
m w w aim. m - v rm . -mm- a
prevented me :. 1 now nna a man is to oe ceis, aeciare youneir, ana you win nna aniitance yon very Jittl
purpofe. to ypui by him I lhall expttt in reitcring the province to lawful government If yoii
to you, apcrlon naving unaertaKen to ao not caooie to unaertaice tnis, anotner wiii; ana 11 yoa con
which was defipned to be carried v to tinue bbitinate on the croend you are now on you may depend
-v TT T TT r T T S .T
I ( J U il ii OUi-XjXVAlN.
s 1! R, .. . -;..- . . ,
H AVE Ion2 defircd to write my mind on a matter of the
. very create importance to you ; but the unhappy fituati
on ot tiime nas renaerca znierccunc vcrir uiuituii,
and has hitherto
fent for a very different
ccfttttve-to-ce t thiS-Jetter
cut it in the nlace of that
you. 'You. know me very well ana arc azquainica wun mnj upua n-you win luuucmy nna ic ran, ana Dum unaer you jiko
circumfttnees bf my life; and. navefeen me in very trying iitu-, the fpringing of a mine. What I recommend to you is not only
atipns, that might perhaps have been fome excufe, yet I am prudent; fafe, and needflaryj it is right; it is honourable;
fure yoa never kaew me guilt- of any. ungentlemanly aftion ; I That you .early; embarked in the rebellion is true; perhaps yo ,
reaind yoa. of this to convince you hat.you may.fafely trull miflook. the popular deluficn for the caufe of your country (as
what I fayi to you as coming froin a perfon who has never trifled many others did, who have returned to their duty) "and you en
with any; man . . . gageil in it warmly 5 but when you found yodr error you earneiU
You know tetter than I do the fituation of your. Goiigrefs; Jy returned, you faved the province you had engaged fori from
and the confufion there is among you, and the ruin that ira- devaflatioti and ruin; and you rendered mrfl efTential fervice to
pends ; you have tch how unequal the forces of yPur own people your king and country 5 for. which "I engage you my word you
are to withftand the powrr of Great' Britain, and for foreign Will areceivfc pardon, you 1 will fecureiyonr eftate and be farther
T a t ,, nr-.-9rinn anA Arreitfn) it mnft .rr,nlv rewarded: Ynur naft conduct, has heen uh worthvi vhiii
be; Francs and Spain know they cannot embark in your cjuar- return will be praife worthy. What is all this expence pf hu-
rel withont the gr ateft danger cf Grcti Britain turning fuddenly man life forj thofe deluges of human blood ? Very probable on
igainll and taking pofleflion of their colonics,, with fb great a ly to let afloat ibmelawlefs defpotic tyrant in the room cfour
force already collsfted and in;America ; befides their fears pf lawful ., king: . L I J 1 J
. x conceive you muix oe lurraunaea who cmoarrauments ; yoa
may perhaps find difficulty in getting a letter to me; poffibly
the. fellow, who carries this to yoa may be hi to be trufled ; he
forVo afflihncc. and that thefe . hones have been thrown out thinks undeed! he carries you 'A letter very different from this
only to keep up thej fpirits of the deluded common people 5 you and I fuppofe will be frightened - a good deal when he finds the ,
therefore will not fufTer yourftlf to be deluded by them; the charge that has been put upon him, .and that I am in pofTeflion,
rooft you can expedt from foreigners is, that they will help, at -of the letter he was intended to carry. Yet I, have undcrftood
the eipcnce of your contrymens blood and happineft, to keep he has a family here, and willi I fuppofe, wifli to return, ani
up a difpate that will ruinyou and diilrefs Great Britain; It knows well enough it is in my power to procure him.pardon and
is not the intereil of France or Spain that Amefida fhould be in- reward; and l imagine he, think (as I trufl moft people ; dp)
dependeat : bu: if it were pofSblc that you could entertain any that I am never forgetful of a man who does any thing to pBliie
111 Cm I OU Will (.UiJUUCf now ii j uu iiay wuu uiuif uun
is prudent to do it; and you can found him j and fee whether "
he wifheS to return; and whether he is likely to,anfwer the puir-
pofe and if you think proper you may engage to him that I wjll
nim; and reward txim, 11 ne onngs me lareiy a ictccr
railing views of independence in their own colonics, to wnicn
ihey are much difpofed;. But why fhould I enlarge oa this fub
left? I am fure vou know the futility of air hopes cf efreftuai
thoughts that the, hopes of effettu'il foreign aflhtance were well
grounded, yoa cannot but. know that fuch afuftance mufl now
arrive too late. The lalt campaign was almolt coniamea. ocrore
the Enfcliih army could be collected, andn a pofition to act in
America: but now the caraoain i lull openinei the vthQlt ar- protett
- - - a o r - 1 7""
M Vii1tK ni4 ririt n!fn r i fnl ! v nmvided With from VPUJ
every thing, moft earneft in the caufe I do aiTure you; well ac
quainted with the country, an.d placed fo as to aft brifcly, with
the greatefl efneacy ; a few moaths will therefore probably de
cide the conteft; you mult either fight or Ry; aiid in cither cafe
ruin feems inevitable. ' You was the firflman in aftive rebellion,,
and drew with, yoa the province you live in. What hope, what
expectation can you have? You will b one -of the firfl facxificei To Johk Splxivan. Efojaire
I could fay a great deal more on this fubjeel, but I mull clpfo
my letter; left it fhould be too late; tie Uncere ana acaay, ana
give me an occafipn to fhew piylelf - r .
I ' Your fiacfire 'friend, ! L"!I; r
-; ' f ; ,; I ' peter Ltvius
Mctttrtal, Jut? 2, -X777