The New-Hampshire gazette and general advertiser. [volume], May 03, 1783, Image 1

About The New-Hampshire gazette and general advertiser. [volume] (Portsmouth [N.H.]) 1781-1784

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NEW-HAMPSHIRE GAZETTE,
AN D
GENERAL ADVERTISER, |
¥el, XXVIL]
T hyra:eedinp of the Federal Army near New
indfor, to obtain the Redreft of their Grie
vances. [Publifbed by particular Request. ]
®ME time in December las, the army
, came to & serious determination to ad
drsfs Corigrefs upon the fubjed of thelr
grievances which -had become 2lraoft intol
ferable. A ‘memorisi was drawn up and
agreed to by a committee of the army—in
which their wishes are thus stated :
SN TaehEDey. . T
2. A settlement of accounts of arrear
ages of the pay and security for what is due,
¢ 3. A commutation of the halfpay allow
ed by different resolutions of Congress for an
equivalentin gross, . -~ ol
e 4, A fettlemient of the accounts of de
ficiencies of rations and compensation,
s 5. A settlement of the actounts of de
ficiencles of cloathinlg) and compensation.
Major General M'Dougal and two field of -
ficers were appointed to lay this memorial
befere Congress and mak« report to the army
of their proceedings as soon, as possible,
After nearly two months ittendance 2 letter
was received from the commiffioners,inform
ing the army that ¢ nothing of moment had
yet been decided for them.” =~ ..
" Upon this came forth the summons, No. 1.
sccompanied by the i address, No. 2. Af
ter this sketch the papers which follow will
explain themselves. :
el S e R R T o
. A mesting of the general and field officers
Is requested on Tuesday. nekt, 10 o’clock at
the PUBLIC BUILDING. A commission
ed officer from each tompany, and proper
representation from the Staff is expeéted, It
Is the obje& of this Conventien to confider
the late letters froth our comniiffioners now
inPhiladelphia,and what furthér measures (if
any)fhould Be adopted to obtain that redress
which they seem to have solicited in vain,
New-Windsor Cinéonm;l)it,March 7,1783,
Wl W
o Offi(cc'rs of the Army,
: Gentlem'ep,‘ GordiT B B e T e L Y
A fellow soldier whose interests and affec
tions bind Rim firongly to you, whose past
fufferings have been as great, and whose fu
ture fortunes mdy be as desperate ds yours—
would beg leave to address you, .
Age has its claimms; and rank is not with
ot its pretensions to advise ; but though un
supported by both; he flatters himfelf, that
the plain language of sincerity and experi
ence will neither bé unheard nor unre-
BRI - il ot s n s g
Like many of you he loved privite life
and left It with regret. He leftit determin
ed to tetire from the field with the necessity
that éillcd‘ him to it, and not till then ; not
till the enerhies of his country; the slaves of
power, and the ,hite‘l‘ingq of injustice, were
compelled to abandon their féhemes and ac
knowledge Americd as terrible in arms 1s
the l’mf been humble in remonstrance.
With this objeét in view he bas long shared
in your tofls, and mingled in your dangers.
He has felt the cold kand of poverty wit%ou't
2 murmur and has seen the ,gg’o‘wi_fi%. inso
lence of wealth without a,?’figl{. But too
much andeér the direction of his withes, and
sometimes weak enough to miflake desire
for opinfon, he has 'til] lately—very lately
belisved in the j’ufilcc-' of his country. He
SATURDAY, Mav 3, 1783,
¥ Saany vorroan AECptoavis. tRy S Dty Aparien
hoped, that 23 the clouds of adversity {catter
ed, and as the sunshine of peace and better
fortune broke in ypon us, the coldness and
jeverity. of . government ;,SWO'\.JH;rghx,, ‘and
that more than justice, that gratitude would
blaze forth upon these hands which had. up
held her in. the darkest fisfe of her paflage
from impending . servitude to acknowledge
independence. But faith has its lmits,
as well a 5 temper ; and there are points be
yond which, nelther can be firetched, with
out finking into cowardice or plunging into
credulity, This my friends, I conceive to
be your situation.—Hurried 1o the very
verge of both, another step would ruin you
forever. ‘To be tame and unprovoked when
injurfes press hard upon you is more than
weakness ; but to ]noi up for kinder usage,
without one manly effort of your own, would
fi your charaéter, and thew the world how
richly you deserve those chains you broke,
To guard against this evil, let us take a view
of the ground upon which we now Rand, and
thence carry our thovghts forward for 3 mo
ment, inty the unexplored field of expedient,
_After a purfnit of seven yesrs, the obje_é}
for which you et out iss. length broughe
within your reach.—Yes miy friends, that
fuffering courage of yours was aftive once
~——jt has ’ccm’dué}gd the United Staiss 7
America thro’ a dcubiful and a bloody wit
It has placed her in the chair of independen;
cy, and peace returns again to blefs~-whom ?
A country courting your return to private
life, with tears of gratitude, and {miles of
admiration—longing to divide with you
that independency which your gallaniry has
given, & hose riches which your wouhds have
preserved ? Is this the case ? Or is it rather
a country that tramples upon your rights,
difdalns your cries and insults your difireffes ?
Have you not, more than once, suggested
your withes, and made known your wants to
Congress ? Wants and withes which grati
tude and policy should have anticipated ra
ther than evaded. And have you not lately
in the meek language of intrezting memo
rlals begged from their justice, what youcould
no longer expeét from their favour !} How
have you been answered ¢ Let the letter
which you are called to confider to-motrow
make the reply, =~~~
~ 1f this, then be jour treatment while the
zwqrda yeu wear are neceflary for the de
ence of America, what have you to qxpcé}
frqri) peace when your voice J{a]l fink anc
'{qu strength dissipate by, division ? When
hose véry {words the inftrurhents and com
panions of your glory shall be taken trom
your sides, and np remaining mark of mill
tary diftinétions be left, but your wants, in
firmities, and scars ? Can you then consent
to be the only fufferers by this revolution,
and retiring from the field, grow old in é)g
verty, wretchedness and comtempt ? Can
you.confent to wade through the vile mire
of dependency, and owe the miserable rem
nant of lffe to charity, which bas hitherto
been spent in honor {—lf you can--go--and
carry with you, the jest ot fories, and icorh of
whigs--the ridicule, and what is fill worse
the pity of the world, Go flarvée and be
forgotten | But if your {pirit thould revolt at
this ; if you have fenfé enough to discover;
and {pirit fufficient to oppose :yunn{, what
ever garb It may assume ; whether It be the
plain coat of republicanism, or the splendid
robe of royalty ; if you have learned to dis
criminate between 2 people and, a cause ;
between men and p_rjn‘cii,p‘fes--'c"u:zqu’e:-fitt‘ei}d
to your situation and redress yourselves, llf
the present moment be loft, every future ef
fortis in vain ; dnd your threats then, will
be as empty as your entreaties now, o i
. Twould advise you therefore to cotie to
some final opinion, upon what you can bear
and what yeu will fuffer, If your defermf=
nation be in any proportion to your 'W'ron‘%g,
carry ‘your appeal from the justice to the
fears of government. Change the milk and
water stile of your memerials’; 2ffume a bold=
er tone ; decent but lively, spirited and de
termined, and fufpe& the man who would
advise to more moderation or longer for
bearance. Let two o three men who cin
feel as weil as write be appoinsed to draw
up your last remonfirance, for 1 would ho
longer give it the soothing, foft, unfuccefs
ful epithet of memorial. Let it reprefene
In langusge that will neither dithonor you
By its, rudeness nor betray you by its fears,
what has been promised by Congress, and
what has been performed ; how long and
how patlently you have fuffered 3 How little
you have asked ; and bow much pf that lit
tle has heen denigd, Tell them this though
you were the firlt, and would ~lh tobe the
laf} to encounter danger ; thag though deis
paicitfelf can never drivg you into dithonor,
it may drive you from the ficld § that the
wound often irritated, and never healed, may
at length become incurable ; and that the
slightest mark of indigniry from Congress
now must operate like the grave and 'fizrftyou
forever ; that in any political event the Q;m,
has its alternative. If peace, that nothing
shall separate you from your arras but death ;
If war, that courting the auspices and invie
ting the dpit;gfiian of your illustrious leader,
you wiil retire to some yet unsettled country,,
smile in your turn, and ¢* mock, when thei¢
fear cometh, on.” But let it represent alfa
that thould they comply with the request of
your |ate mci;ixqr!z}s,“‘it,iyq'lfld' ma?ve you
tnore happy, and them more r¢{pe&a‘oleg
That, while the, war should conthnue, you
that, when it came to an end, you would
withdraw into the shade, ‘gtépi:'ivue lif¢ and
give the world anether fubjed of wondct and
applause, an army vigtorions over its exetijes :
viélorious over ilfelf, : ‘.
¥y e ,’(fl&. 3.) ithL3 e
GENERAL ORDERS
.. Head Quarters, Marck 11, 1983,
. THE comimander in chief, haviag heard
that 2 general meeting -of the. officers
of the army, was proposed to be Héld this
day st the New Building on an_andnymous
paper, which was circulated yefteiday bg
some unknown person, conceiyes, although
bt is fully persuaded that the good sense of
the officers ,would induce themn 10 pay very
little attention to such an irreguldr invitati«
on, his g_l.utg as well a 5 the reputation and
true interest of the army, require his disap
probation of such disorderly proceedings.
Atthe fariie time he requests the general and
field efficers;with one officer from each com
.Pffifi‘.)l,?f!d 2 proper reprefentition of the fiaff
of the army, will assemble .2t 12 o’clock on
Saturday next ¢ the New Building, to heat
[V, 1383