THE
JtftfMBER 418.
IJORTH-CAROLINA GAZETTE.
March '6, 1778.
With the Jateft ADVICjES, Foreign and Domestic,
r - I i'i
' . ' .
SEMPEk PRO LI3ERTATE, ET BONO PUBLICO.
P i v ; l ' J ' 1 'r E i C'
LONDON EVENING POST. merica fbooM be enflaved ; though, I fay, thefe bafc minded
TH E fitaation of this country becomes more and men, who are actuated by fuch grovelling and narrow prioci-
more critical, and calls loudly for our moil ferious pies, will lurfer adminiitration to do as they pleafe, let their
attention. Dangers multiply upon us, difficulties meafures be ewer fo deteftaWe ; yet, the bulk of the nation ought
in -reaio. and me America war, in Head of open- to be, and I acn fully perfuade'd, if the fenfe of the people
ing to ns in it progrefs, any piofpect of fuccefs, could be fairly collected, the bulk of the nation are again it :hefe
oely difcovers in the den reft point of view the impolicy and in- abfurd and iniquitous meafures.
expediency of our endeavours, as well as the imminent perils Now, although unfortunately we cannot at this moment re
ce which e arc txpefti, by ma;ily perfevcring in this abfurd medy the mifchiefs that have been committed in America, or
and chimerical project. recover any dominion over that extenfive continent, we may
Tod general acqutefcence and placid langour which now pre- prevent the further mcreafe of the evil, by initantly terminating
vails under our accumulated evils, li to me of all things the moft
attoniuSing. The handicraftfman or manufacturer, Who is put
out of employ ; the merchant that lofes his confignments, and
tie man of landed property, who is loaded with an additional
burthen on his eftat-, to fuppoit thefe meafures of blocdihcd
aad ipprefii-'n, muft, I fhoeld imagine, feel the loads with
which they are fepara'h encumbered; and unlefs the nature and
diipofi on of man is :oal y reverfed, ought, as they have evi
dent rcafon, ;o complain Alinll ti.cir opprt-ribrs.
The dilintereitei patriot, wno cannot but forefee the certain
ruiaofhis coui-tiy appro hiogi p.-rhaps the very exiftence of
Britain, as a ration, Itaked on tne event of this campaign,
ihould be order app.-ch nfistis greatci thai) thofe which ciitjrb
any of the lorcg ing orders of awn, as his fears a.e excited by
rn re generous and benevolent motives, the love cf ins country
and the prefervation of the lives of irmkinJ ; ye:, how c.mes
i; that we are a:l 10 tranquil, and furTcr ?d mi n Juration, almoft
without a murmur, to carry on a war, not only unju.'t in its
commencement, dangerous and prri 'dicial in its con:, quenccs,
bat which threatens ruin, a d oral Jeii. . itiOi. in the cid? For,
excepting the motion made ionic Dsn iince by that frowned
patriot and ftatefman, the liarl of Cha.h-in, wlio.e m tguani
Tiiity and zeal cannot be fumcKntly admiicd by his couhti yirien,
we have of late fcarce made any oppotjiiun to theft iufar;ous
me Pure?.
V-e ought to complain, if i was ohlv to keep alive, and i'p
on record, the many injuries we have fullained ; tor my part I
expect fame good to ariie frm our complaints, as I hope we
fhall obtain redrefs in the end. This country has ever found
means of avenging its wrong. The many revolutions we have
experienced, not only atfbrd us fufficient testimonials of the fpi
rit of our anceitors, in m which we ouht never to degenerate,
but point out to us, in the ltrongelt manner, that line of con
duct we ought ourielves molt iteauily to purfue. Let hot mini
rters in a future day, .when misfortune, heaped upon misfor
tune, mall have brought this country to the utmoft pitch of de
ftrccti n, have any fubrerfuge by which they may efcape that
punimmertt they have f ju;tly merited. Le: them not make
prV tehee, that they acted with the concurrence, and for the be
nefit of the people. No hin can be further from the truth.
It is true the cries of poverty are but feldom hca-d, and Icarcely
ever attended to. Every one ltrives. to avoid the unhappy
wretch, who, by exp fin his own indigence,' feerhs to lay
claim to the boanty or his more opulent neighbour. , Thus the
ftarving manufacturer, and di fear ded artifan, though they com
plain, unpitied and unheard, perhaps preiied into the iervice as
foldiers and mariners, their clamours are effectually filenced,
ana a perxoa put to inrir mjironuiics uj a i.-wuv-u ua.u.
Other, raean are made i fe of to filence the clamours of other
ten. The merchant who receives a lucrative contract from go
vernment, by which the public are defrauded, as in the cafe of
.1- tnriA of mor rhn half the monev exoended, will
luc 1 win v. v 1 v " ... w - - y a
make but feeble complaints of the lffc he has iuftained in Other
kr -inches of trade.
In like manner the man of landed property, who, from his
acquiefence with the meafures cf government, expects a bribe
r falary from ih?m In return ; or the landed man, who is fo
abfurd as to imagine, that by taxing America, if ever fuch a
fcheine could be accomplimed, his own burthen would be ligh
tened, is very well faUihed, under thia miilaken idea, that A-
the war.
A firm union and confederacy, founded on commercial views,
may till be formed; and fjch an union, was it to take place,
would perhaps be mere beneficial to this country, than if we
were eltablilhed in ourf Jrther claims of fuperiority and unbound
ed controul. . I
Let us look a little to the prefent ftate cf things' in that coun
try, and cobiider brieily the profpect we have before us.
The Congrefs of America, who, if the fairelt and moft une
quivocal mode of reprefen ration can convey the fenfe of the peo
ple, and in the place of the whole continent, and fpeaking the
lentiments cf the people by whom they were deputed, they
have declared that country free and independent. Theyhave
publifhed to the world, in the nioit folemn manner, this their
determination, with the reafons which induced them to diUblvs
the bands of union with their mother ate.
This was done laft year, at the infant when General Howe,
with an army the mc formidable Anerica ever faw, appeared
before New York. This declaration has been joyfully receit
ed oy the continent at large. Kach pov:nce h in detail giv
en its alien:, and eftablrihed with the u tin oft vifdom and deli
beration, its own internal mode of poverr.rnenr.
Thus thirteen republicks, each differing in form, "but agree
ing in fubUance, being all buiit on the firm bafis of civil liber
ty and equal freedom, are, in an infant, irrevocably eltabliih
ed. Deprived of the benefits o: our law, are they to blame if
they eitablilh laws of their own ? rerfecuted by us, and invad
ed with fire and fword, would not acquiefcence, under fuch ac
cumulated infults and injuries have been criminal? Therighta
of feemeh called them to arrasyjsind to arms they have appeal
ed. Driven to independency'; an we be furprized that they
have received, as a donation from us, that fuperiority which we
were ;oo haugk ty tq, hold any longer upon reafonable conditi
ons ? A federal union of the juf:eft nature connects the whole,
and foitns them into one collective body. Their ftrength and
power in this manner united, feems to be equal to the declara
tion they have made ; and the ridicule mf an immenfe continent
continuing to be governed by an ifland at foer thoufand miles
diltart, is too apparent to efcape the utmott derion and con
tempt. rl he abfolute fuccefs of their arms in the fir ft campaign, and
the delay and diiturbance they gave to our coltefted force in tlrt
fecond, whttn in reality wet4ected nothing, but received con
fiderable loffes, are to me fufficient indications of their abilities
to prelerve their liberties, and maintain independence ? and yet
at this inoment we are entering upon a third campaign, with
fewer advantages than ever! Our troops diminiihed and d:f
heartened, periihing a well by rne feveriry of the climate, as
by the fword of the eremv ; and further, as it is ftrongly ap
prehended, at variance with each other. Fo eigo mercenaries,
and more mercenary EngliQimen, in open difagreement. The
commanders, inltead of appealing thefe tumult, fomenring the
general difcord, and maintaining among themfelves party dU
putes and private cabals.
The Americans, on the contrary, more firmly united than e
ver, more detsrmjned in their views, and better prepared for
their defence, a ftricter difcipline eliabliihcd among the foldie
ry; and in addition to all this, they now receive an open an 1
avowed afiiliance from the court of France. Poverty, ruin and
defeat, fcem to be the natural confluences of our continuing