in vigour each new attempt conftantly evincing to use what we ought at firft to have received as a fixed princi ple, "That the value of money, whether real or artificial will forever be determined by the proportion of its own) quantity, to the quantity of all the objects of trade in the country where it is current." Taxes, therefore, are now adopted, and the evil feems at a ftand. The continuation of this fyftem, and ftopping the emiffion of additional fums, we now begin univerfally to acknowledge, as the only effectual remedy; and the increafing union of fentiment, which pervades all claffes of men, will foon produce the defired effect. The danger of extravagant taxes, in deed, is much more imaginary than real. We have to defray the expenfes of an army of twenty thoufand men for four are almoft entirely within years. Thefe expenfes ourfelves; and one hundred bushels of wheat will at this day discharge the pay of a man as readily as at the com mencement of the war. What matters it then, (fo long as our country continues to produce an equal quantity of effential wealth), whether that wheat is nominally called one hundred pounds, or an hundred fhillings? The real value (that is, in any foreign market, or in folid coin) is ftill the fame, however we may vary the denomination of our internal currency. You find I am not an advocate for internal or foreign loans; in my opinion, they are like cold water in a fever, which allays the disease for a moment, but foon caufes it to rage with a redoubled violence; temporary alleviations, but, ultimately, real additions to the burden. The debts which we have already contracted, or may hereafter be neceffitated to contract abroad, I have not a doubt but will be paid with the utmoft punctuality and honour; and there can be no furer foundation of credit, than we pof fefs in the rapidly increafing value and importance of our country. onth or omit Indeed it is not fo much my wifh, that the United States fhould gain credit, among foreign nations, for the loan of money, as that all nations, and efpecially your countrymen in Holland, fhould be made acquainted with the real state of the American war. The importance and greatnefs of this rifing empire, the future extenfive value lue of our commerce, and the advantage of colonizaon, are objects which need only to be known, to comand your attention, protection and fupport. Your "Tertia," with its inclofures, will (together with is) be immediately forwarded to Congrefs, where, I oubt not, the fervices you have already rendered this ountry, and the affectionate attachment you are pleafed teftify to our interefts, will meet that acknowledgment f gratitude, which pity and relief demand in return from he unfortunate. Give me leave, moft fincerely, to exprefs my grief, that he efforts you have made for the removal of oppreffion your own country, and for extending the bleffings of berty and plenty to the poor, fhould have met with fo ingrateful a return of perfecution and infult. Unhappy ate of man! where opulence and power confpire to bad the poor, the defencelefs, and the innocent, with acumulated mifery! where an unworthy few join to emitter the life of half their fellow-men, that they may may walow in the excefs of luxurious debauch, or fhine in the plendid trappings of folly!! rown Go on however, my dear Sir; continue to affert the berties of mankind, and fupport the cause of this injured and unfortunate country. And may heaven, in return for your generous, benevolent, and virtuous exertions, your life with the enjoyment of every public and domeftic bleffing. And if future events fhould render it onvenient, or agreeable to you, to vifit this new world, nd fhare with us the enjoyment of universal freedom, nay you be happy. For myfelf, fixty-nine years, which I have already lived, llow me but a few days, at beft, of which I can even hope the enjoyment. But I have children, in whom I am appy to anticipate an elongation of life; and in whom, you may be affured, you will meet with faithful friends, hough you fhould not chance to fee, My dear Sir, your moft obliged, moft obedient, JONATHAN TRUMBULL. POSTSCRIPT. POSTSCRIPT. March, 1780. Soon after clofing my fecond, we received the plea ing intelligence, that the fleet of France, under the count D'Eftaing, after having defeated admiral Byron in the Weft-Indies, was again arrived upon our coafts; and preparations were immediately made, for co-operating with him against the city of New-York. The enemy likewife, in their alarm, withdrew the garrifon of Rhode Ifland, called in their out-pofts and fhips, prepared hulk for obftructing the entrance of the harbour, and mad every exertion to put the city of New-York into the bef poffible ftate of defence, as their dernier refort. In September, the count anchored at Georgia, landed his troops, was joined by general Lincoln, with fuch troops as he had been able to collect, and formed the fiege of Savannah; to which town, the capital of the ftate, the British had collected all their force, and prepared for an obftinate defence. Artillery was landed from the fleet, batteries opened, and an inceffant cannonade kept up for feveral days. The town, indeed, was ruined, but ftill no propofals of furrendering the place were attended to by the enemy. The count, therefore, having already re mained on this fervice fome days longer than the time limited by his orders, and being now reduced to an ab folute neceffity of returning to his ftation in the Weft Indies, it was determined to attempt the town by ftorm and the refolution was carried into execution on the morn ing of the 9th of October. Both the French and Amer ican troops, however, were repulfed with fome lofs, and of confequence the fiege was immediately raised; count re-embarking his troops, artillery, baggage, &c. few miles below the town, and general Lincoln retiring into Carolina, equally without moleftation. An accu rate account of this affair I have never feen; but it is b no means improbable, that the American troops, who wer wholly raw, may have been equally deficient in the com duct of the day, as they were in difcipline, fince we know how difficult it is to lead unexperienced men to face th dangers of an affault. This is certain, that the veterans under the count's immediate command, did honour t themselves and to their country. The count himfelf wa flightl the co ightly wounded; and brigadier-general Pulafki, a native f Poland, in the American fervice, was killed. This expedition, however, although unfuccefsful in its lain object, was not unattended with important good fects; all the British fhips of force, in the harbour of avannah, with a number of transports, and a confiderale fum of money for the military cheft, being taken by he count on his first arrival; befides, that the offenfive perations of general Clinton, in the quarter of NewYork, were entirely checked, and the ifland of Rhode Island bandoned to us, after a poffeffion of almost three years. * THE The baron Van der Capellan, in his letter dated Zwol, the 7th of December, 1778, to governor Trumbull, to which the above is an anfwer, thus expreffes himself on the fubject of their correfpondence.→→ "Another caufe of diftruft, in relation to the credit of America, is the falfe intelligence which the English inceffantly circulate, and the effect of which the friends of the Americans cannot destroy from the want of information. It would be of the last importance to enable them, by authentic relations, which fhould contain nothing but what was precifely true, and in which even the difadvantages, infeparable from the chance of war, fhould not be concealed; in order, I fay, to enable them, from time to time, to give an idea of the actual state of things, and of what is really paffing on the other fide of the ocean. If you choose, fir, to honour me with fuch a correfpondence, be affured, that I fhall make a proper ufe of it. Communications, apparently in confidence, have much ftronger influence than those which appear in public. Your letter, which I have communicated, among others, in Amfterdam (with difcretion, however, and hitherto without giving any copies) has made a ftrong impreffion upon all who have read it. All regret that fo handfome, fo energetic a defence of the American caufe, fhould be fhut up in the port-folio of an individual. A defcription of the prefent ftate and advantages of United America; of the forms of government in its different republics; of the facility with which frangers can there eftablish themselves, and find fubfiftence; of the price of fands, both cultivated and unimproved; of cattle, provifions, &c. with a fuccin& hiftory of the prefent war, and the cruelties committed by the English, would excite aftonishment in a country where America is known but through the medium of the gazettes." THE PETITION OF THE EARL OF STIRLING, WILLIA To the king's most excellent majesty in council. HE humble petition of William earl of Stirling, wh ling, and alfo to Henry the laft earl of Stirling, who died in the year 1739; and of William Phillips Lee, of the city of York, Efquire, and Mary Trumbull, of Eafthampftead park, in the county of Berks, fpinfter; which faid Wil liam Phillips Lee and Mary Trumbull are heirs at law of the faid Henry the laft earl of Stirling;!! Sheweth, That his late majefty king James the firft, by letters patent, bearing date the 3d day of November, which was in the year of our Lord 1621, did grant to the council for the affairs of New-England, their fucceffors and affigns, all the land in New-England, in America, lying and being in breadth from forty to forty-eight degrees of northern latitude, in length of and within all the breadth, throughout the main land, from fea to fea. That the faid council did, in the year 1635 (inter alia) grant to William Alexander earl of Stirling, his heirs and affigns, all that part of the main land of New-England aforefaid, beginning from a certain place called or known by the name of St. Croix, next adjoining to New-Scotland in America aforefaid, and from thence extending along the fea coaft unto a certain place called Pemoquie, and fo up the river thereof to the fartheft head of the fame, as it tendeth northward, and extending from thence, at the nearest, into the river Kineboqui, and fo upwards along, by the fhorteft courfe, which tendeth unto the river of Canada, from thenceforth to be called and known by the name of the County of Canada. That the faid tract of land was foon afterwards taken poffeffion of by the faid earl of Stirling, and remained many |