The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette. [volume], August 03, 1776, Image 4

About The Freeman's journal, or, New-Hampshire gazette. [volume] (Portsmouth, N.H.) 1776-1778

Image provided by: Dartmouth College

                
PEOET: CORNER -
¢ FAHE birds, upon a time not nam’d,
F‘s‘Againfl the beasts 2 war proclaim’d ;
And threatn’d from their airy station,
Plunder, and blood, and devastation, ;
By fire, and sword, and quick invasion.
The beasts appall’d to Council go,
For ways and means to ward the blow, %
And humble the insulting foe.
At length a brute of penetration,
Rever’d and lov’d by all the nation,
After long harangue made a motion,
For strong alliance with the ocean,
““ Invite (quoth he) the fith to treaty,
Or else the birds will surely beat ye ;
But with the herrings kind assistance,
You'll make no doubt a good resistance:
o such a force the birds must yield,
And we shall drive them from the field.
The motion pleas’d—they give aflent,
The Envoy or the errand went ;
The treaty’s fign’d, the herrings granted,
‘Their triends the succors which they wanted,
For which, in full consideration,
‘They made, without a limitation, }
T'heir terms for coin and navigation.
‘T'he feathered host advances made ;
The beasts call in the fith to aid,
~ The fith reply’d, that they were there,
* But not indeed _prepar’d for war ;
And—that they could not understand,
Who could expe& their aid on land :
They made the league with great good-will,
« With tiue intention to {ulfill ;
But could nnt take a resolution, '
Which must effe& their Constitution g
And therefore beg’d the beasts excule,
If they their fuccours fthould refufe. .
The fable teaches to beware
Of falfe dependencies in war, |
Of faithlefs treaties, treach’rous friends, *
Who seek alone their private ends,
- Who would bettay the common cause,
To gain a tyrant’s vile applause ;
Or, brib’d by fair and sordid gold,
Have liberty and conscience fold.
Quem Deus Vult perdere, primus demeéntat:
Whom God means to destray, be firf} per
mits 12 ali like madmen.
GOD forbid, that the aforegoing proverb
. J should be verified in any colony of the
United States of America,and is here only
quoted to shew the danger those men are
expoled to, who are governed by no princi
ples of reason or equity, and in the condut
of their affairs act so much like madmen, as
g 0 become obnoxious to the Deity,
We are now ftrugling for the preserva
tion of our sacred and inestimable Rights as
FreEeMEN, we are jeoparding our lives in
defence of these rights, and have a power
ful and great nation to oppofe,who are aim
ing at reducing us to servility. The con
telt is sharp, bloody, and diftrefling on both
sides; and the most unnatural that history
can produce, and amidst this din and clash
ing of arms, we yet expenence oppression
among ourselves, and what adds to our dis
tress is, we cannot {top the career of our un
bounded avarice, as we are at a loss to know
who to begin with ¢ the cry {feems to be,
He that is witkout fault, let Lim cast the firfs
Jflone 5 the Oppreflion which 1 would mean
to point out, is the extravagant and unrea
sonable prices of all kinds of merchandize
both ia town and country—Commerce is
now become an a&t of Phrenzy. Sufficient
anto the day is tbe evil thereof, if we are not
supplied to day with what we shall want for
the morrow, tomorrow changes the {cene,
and a different price is put on every {pecies
of merchandize, and this conduét runs thro’
every class of traders, throughout the con
tinent, and the mifchief, or more properly
rl;a(; 5@};3(81 laiti gg[itghgl': P‘gtfi by BEN ]J AhMIfI N DEARBORN, near the Parade, where this Paper
e had : | ings L. M, per year, one half at entrance. The Printing-Bufi L3OO . ity
carvied on with care and fidelity, Py 4 rinting-Bufinefs, in it's different branches
the disease seems incutable, and we are told,
it mult be borne with: Absurd and pre
posterous is such reasoning, and argues in
fatuation more than any thing [ ever heard
of, to fay these matters cannot be helped, is
in my opinion as much as to fay,that, virtue
honesty and integrity must yicld to baseness,
avarice and extortion, | could paint in lively
colours the consequences of this conduét,
but I shall forbear least I thould rouse the
indignation and resentment of the people
who being thus iritated thould proceed to
als of violence and riot, which never an
{wers any good purposes but diftra&ion, dis:
cord and subversion of government,
Extremes are said to require extremes,
which if true in refpet to the natura!, why
will not the fame reason hold good in the
political body—/hat is the cause of our ¢x
treme opposition to the minilfiry of Great Bri
tain, but their exireme oppreffiou of us ? and
wherever oppreflion appears, it {hould be
dilcouraged in it’s beginning.—obfla prin.
cipiis 15 an excellent maxim in all matters
of grievances. As a remedy for the ills of
which we now complain, I would purpose
that government should stipulate the prices
of all the necessaries of lite pro rata to the
plentiful seasons in the country, and all
Weft India goods pro rata to the rifque ad
ded to the former prices, before the pro
hibitory act of the Britith Parliament took
place 3 and Englith goods at an advance
within reason, and all persons not conform
ing to the orders of Government to have
their thops thut up. There is no doubt but
we' {hall have a plentiful supply of Well-
India goods from the French [flands which
with the captures of Englith {fugar thips,
will reduce the price of things greatly, but
it ils a work of time that a regular channel
should be opened for that purpose ; in the
mean time | would propose thatevery town
that inclines would each one fit out a veflel
for the Weft Indies, and load them with
boards, ftaves, hoops, shingles and horses,
and cherewith supply themiclves with salt,
sugar, cotton and coffee, and let every man
in such townps have only a proportionable
part of the returns ; by this means they ship
off a number ot horses that can be well spa
red, and they may have the property insu
red if they incline, and in three or four
months their immediate wants may be sup
plied till another voyage may ke macde, and
in {ix months, they will have every thingat
their own price. This plan is so obvious
that it requires no great capacity to execute
it. By this means the posr will be assisted,
and the credit of our currency supported,
which is now depreciating beyond all reason,
by the gross impositions of all concerned in
trade. RATIONALIS.
WILLIAMSBURG, (Virginia) June¥2¢.
Thisday PATRICK HENRY, Esq ; was
chosen Governor of this county, and a com
mittee appointed toacquaint him therewith ;
to which he returned the following answer to
the Convention.
To the Honourable President and House of Convin
tion. ;
Gentlemen,
¢« THE vote of this day, appointing me
Governor of this Commonwealth, has been
notified to me in the most polite and obliging
manner, by George Mafon,Henry Lee, Dud
ley Digges, John Blair, and Bartholomew
Dandrige, Esquires. T
- ¢ A sense of the high and unmerited ho
nour conferred upon me by the Conventicn
fills my heart with gratitude, which I trust
my whole life will manifeft. Itake thisear
lieft opportunity to express my thanks,which
T wish to convey to you, Gentlemen, in tha
firongeft terms of acknowledgment, .
““ When I reflect that the tyranny of the,
Britith King and Parliament hath kindled 2
formidable war, now raging throughout this.
wide extended continent, and in the opera
tion of which this commonwealth muft‘bear
so great a part ; and that, from the events
of this war, the lafling happiness, or misery,
of 2 great proportion of the human species
will fimally result ; that, in order to preserve
this commonweaith from anarchy, and its
attendant ruin, and to give vigour to our
councils, and effect to all our measures, go
vernment hath been néceffarily affumed,and
new modelled: that it is exposed to number
less hazards and periis in its infantine slate ;
thatit can never atiain to maturity, or ripen
into firmnefs, unless it is guarded by affecii
onate aifiduity, and managed by great abilis
ties ; I lament my want of talents ; I feel my
mind filled with anxiety and uneasiness to find
myfelf {0 unequal to the duties of that 1M por
tant station to which I am called by tavour
of my fellow citizens, at this truly critical
conjuncture. Theerrors of my conduct thall
be atoned for, {o far as [ am able, by unwea
ried endeavours to {ecure the freedom and
happiness of our common country.
*“ I fhail enter upon the duties of my office
whenever you,Gentlemen,fhall be pleased to
direct ; relying upon the known wisdom and
virtae of your Honourable House to supply
my defefls, and to give permanency and
success to that {yflem of government which
you bave formed, and which is so wifely cal
culated to secure equal iiberty, and advance
buman happiness. ’
I have the honnur to be,
Gentlemen, your most odedient,
And very humble servant,
Wiiliam{fburg, f.OENRY qyum,
Junz 294:1776. |
Colony of NOTICE is hereby gi-
Ma/Jachujetts- Bay. ven to all pertons in
terested in Lot No. 8, in the second division
of the Stated Commons in York 2forefaid,
that Samuel Shaw has petitioned to have his
seven shares in {3id !st that lies in common,
to be divided, and f2t off to him to hold in
severalty.
So likewise notice is given to those inter
ested in lot No. 6, in the fame 2d division,
that Samuel Freethy has petitioned to have
his 13 tharesin the said lot No. 6, which lies
in common to be divided and set offto him,
to hold in feveraity, of both which this no
tice is given to the end that if any person has
cught to {ay why the prayer of the said pe
titioners thould not be granted they may be
heard touching the {ame, at the superior
court to be held in Boston (or Braintree) in
the county of Suffulk, on the last Tuesday of
August next, to which time the consideration
of laid petitions are refer'd, ‘
By order of the Justices of the Superior
Court at York, June 25, 1776. B—ll
BT HE Seleét-men hereby notify the pub
r lic that 2 Smoak-houfe isereéted at the
Great Swamp, where it is expeéted all per
sons coming from places infected with the
Small Pox will stop to be properly {moaked
and cleaned from infeétion, and that no tra
veller coming from any infefted place will
presume to enter this town by any other way,
Portsmouth Fuly 24, 1776. 10—12
e e e e ABB
TOB & LE T
A LLARGE commodious BRICK HOUSE
in York, that has been for many years
improv’d as a Tavern, countenanced and en
couraged by the judges and officers of the
courts, and well situated for the reception of
travellers,——-Any person inclining to hire
said bhoufe may treat with Nathaniel Spar
hawk, Efg; of Kittery, and meet with due
encourag‘%&m. 10=—=12
. .
Clean Lihnen RA G §
- Taken in at the Printing-Office,