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fulfil the public contracts which Congrefs had undoubtedly a right to make for the purpose of carrying on the war, with the fame good faith as we fuppole ourfelves bound to perform our private engagements. In the mean time let an attention to the chearful performance of their proper bufinefs, as individuals, and as members of fociety, be carnestly inculcated on the citizens of America: then will they ftrengthen the hands of government, and be happy under it's protection. Every one will reap the fruit of his labours; every one will enjoy his own acquifitions, without molestation, and without danger.

In this ftate of abfolute freedom and perfect fecurity, who will grudge to yield a very little of his property to fupport the common intereft of fociety, and enfure the protection of government? Who does not remember the frequent declaration:, at the commencement of the war, that we should be compleatly fa:isfied, if at the expence of one half, we could defend the remainder of our poffeffions? Where is the man to be found, who wishes to remain indebted, for the defence of his own perfon and property, to the exertions, the bravery, and the blood of others, without making one generous effort to repay the debt of honour and of gratitude? In what part of the Continent shall we find any man, or body of men, who would not bluth to ftand up, and propofe mea. fures purpofely calculated to rob the foldier of his ftipend, and the public creditor of his due? And were it poffible that such a flagrant inftance of injustice could ever happen, would it not excite the general indignation, and tend to bring down, upon the authors of fuch measures, the aggravated vengeance of Heaven? If, after all, a fpirit of difunion, or a temper of obftinacy and verfenefs, should manifeft itfe:f in any of the States; if fuch an ungracicus difpofition fhould attempt to fruftrate all the happy effects that might be expected to flow from the union; if there should be a refusal to comply with requifitions for funds to difcharge the annual intereft of the public debts, and if that refusal should revive all those jealoufies, and produce all thofe evils, which are now happily removed; Congrefs, who have in all their tranfactions fhewn a great degree of magnanimity and justice, will stand justified in the fight of God and man; and that State alone, which puts itself in oppofition to the aggregate wifdom of the Continent, and follows fuch miftaken and pernicious councils, will be refponfible for all the confequences.

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For my own part, conscious of having acted, while a fervant of the public, in the manner I conceived best suited to promote the real interefts of my country; having, in confequence of my fixed belief, in fome measure, pledged myself to the army, that their country would finally do them compleat and ample justice, and not withing to conceal any inftance of my official conduct from the eyes of the world, I have thought proper to tranfmit to your excellency the inclofed collection of papers, relative to the half-pay and commutation granted by Congrefs, to the officers of the army: from thefe communications, my decided fentiment will be clearly comprehended,

together with the conclufive reasons which in duced me, at an early period, to recommend the adoption of this mealure in the most earnest and ferious manner. As the proceedings of Congress, the army, and myself, are open to all, and con tain, in my opinion, fufficient information to remove the prejudice and errors which may have been entertained by any, I think it unneceffary to fay any thing more, than just to observe, that the refolutions of Congrefs, now alluded to, are as undoubtedly and ablolutely binding upon the United States, as the moft folemn acts of con federation or legislation.

As to the idea which, I am informed, has in fome inftances prevailed, that the half-pay and commutation are to be regarded merely in the odious light of a penfion, it ought to be exploded for ever. That provifion should be viewed, as it really was, a reasonable compenfation offered by Congrets, at a time when they had nothing else to give, to officers of the army, for fervices then to be performed; it was the only means to prevent a total dereliction of the fervice: it was a part of their hire; I may be allowed to fay, it was the price of their blood, and of your inde pendency. It is, therefore, more than a common debt; it is a debt of honour: it can never be confidered as a penfion or gratuity, nor cancelled until it is fairly discharged,

With regard to the distinction between officers and foldiers, it is fufficient that the uniform experience of every nation of the world, combined with our own, proves the utility and propriety of the difcrimination. Rewards, in proportion to the aids the public draws from them, are unquestion ably due to all it's fervants. In fome lines, the foldiers have perhaps generally had as ample compenfation for their fervices, by the large bounties which have been paid them, as their of ficers will receive in the propofed commutation; in others, if, befides the donation of land, the payment of arrearages of cloathing and wages, (ių which articles all the component parts of the ar my must be put upon the fame footing) we take into the estimate the bounties many of the foldiers have received, and the gratuity of one year's full pay, which is promifed to all, poffibly their fituation (every circumftance being duly confi dered) will not be deemed less eligible than that of the officers. Should a farther reward, how ever, be judged equitable, I will venture to affert, no man will enjoy greater fatisfaction than myfelf, an exemption from taxes for a limited time, (which has been petitioned for in fome inftances) or any other adequate immunity or compenfation granted to the brave defenders of their country's caufe: but neither the adoption or rejection of this propofition will, in any manner effect, much lefs militate against, the act of Congrefs, by which they have offered five years full pay, in lieu of the half pay for life, which had been before promifed to the officers of the army.

Before I conclude the fubject of public juftice, I cannot omit to mention the obligations this country is under to that meritorious class of veterans, the non-commiffioned officers and privates, who have been discharged for inability, in con

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fequence of the refolution of Congrefs, of the 23d of April 1782, on an annual pension for life; their peculiar fufferings, their fingular merits, and laims to that provifion, need only to be known, to intereft the feelings of humanity in their behalf: nothing but a punctual payment of their annual allowance can rescue them from the most complicated mifery; and nothing could be a more melancholy and diftreffing fight, than to behold thofe who have shed their blood, or loft their limbs, in the service of their country, without a fhelter, without a friend, and without the means of obtaining any of the comforts or neceffaries of life, compelled to beg ther daily bread from door to door. Suffer me to recommend thofe of this defcription, belonging to your State, to the warmest patronage of your excellency and your legislature.

It is neceffary to fay but a few words on the third topic which was propofed, and which regards particularly the defence of the Republic. As there can be little doubt but Congress will recommend a proper peace-establishment, for the United States, in which a due attention will be paid to the importance of placing the militia of the union upon a regular and refpectable footing; if this should be the cafe, I fhould beg leave to urge the great advantage of it in the strongest terms.

The militia of this country must be confidered as the palladium of our fecurity, and the firft effectual refort in cafe of hoftility: it is effential, therefore, that the fame fyftem should pervade the whole; that the formation and difcipline of the militia of the Continent should be abfolutely uniform; and that the fame fpecies of arms, accoutrements, and military apparatus, shou:d be introduced in every part of the United States. No one, who has not learned it from experience, can conceive the difficulty, expence, and confufion, which result from a contrary fyftem, or the vague arrangements which have hitherto pre

vailed.

If, in treating of political points, a greater latitude than ufual has been taken in the course of this addrefs, the importance of the critis, and the magnitude of the objects in difcuffion, must be my apology: it is, however, neither my wifh nor expectation, that the preceding obfervations fhould claim any regard, except fo far as they fhall appear to be dictated by a good intention; confonant to the immutable rules of justice, calcuJated to produce a liberal fyftem of policy, and founded on whatever experience may have been acquired by a long and clofe attention to public bufinefs. Here I might speak with more confidence, from my actual obfervations; and, if it would not well this letter, already too prolix, beyond the bounds I had prefcribed myself, I could demonftrate to every mind open to conviction, that in lefs time, and with much lefs expence than has been incurred, the war might have been brought to the fame happy conclufion, If the refources of the Continent could have been properly called forth; that the diftreffes and difappointments which have very often occurred, have, in too many inftances, refulted more from a want of energy in the Continental government,

than a deficiency of means in the particular States: that the inefficacy of measures, arifing from the want of an adequate authority in the fupreme power, from a partial compliance with the requifitions of Congrefs in fome of the States, and from a failure of punctuality in others, while they tended to damp the zeal of those who were more willing to exert themfelves, ferved alfo to accumulate the expences of the war, and to fruftrate the best-concerted plans; and that the difcouragement occafioned by the complicated difficulties and embarraffments, in which our affairs were by this means involved, would have long ago produced the diffolution of any army, lefs patient, less virtuous, and lefs perfevering, than that which I have had the honour to command. But while I mention thofe things which are notorious facts, as the defects of our fœderal conflitution, particularly in the profecution of a war, I beg it may be understood, that as I have ever taken a pleasure in gratefully acknowledging the affiftance and fupport I have derived from every clafs of citizens; fo fhall 1 always be happy to do juftice to the unparalleled exertions of the individual States, on many interefting occafions.

I have thus freely difclofed what I wished to make known before I furrendered up my public truft to those who committed it to me: the task is now accomplished. I now bid adieu to your excellency, as the chief magiftrate of your State; at the fame time I bid a last farewel to the cares of office, and all the employments of public life.

It remains, then, to be my final and only requeft, your excellency will communicate these fentiments to your legislature, at their next meeting; and that they may be confidered as the legacy of one who has ardently wished, on all occations, to be useful to his country; and who, even in the fhade of retirement, will not fail to implore the divine benediction upon it.

I now make it my earnest prayer, that God would have you, and the State over which you prefide, in his holy protection; that he would incline the hearts of the citizens to cultivate a fpirit of fubordination and obedience to Government; to entertain a brotherly affection and love for one another, for their fellow-citizens of the United States at large, and particularly for their brethren who have ferved in the field; and finally, that he would moft graciously be pleased to difpofe us all to do juftice, to love mercy, and to demean ourfelves with that charity, humility, and pacific temper of mind, which were the characteristics of the Divine Author of our bleffed religion! without an humble imitation of whose example, in these things, we can never hope to be a happy nation.

I have the honour to be, with must esteem and refpect, Sir, your Excellency's most obedient, and most humble servant, G. WASHINGTON. His Excellency William Greene, Efq.

Governor of the State of Rhode Island.

Toledo, July 15. Don Thomas Sanz de Velafco, who had been appointed by the king's coun

cil to fuperintend the attempts made for the de-
ftruction of the locufts, the incredible number of
which had laid waste the best part of the country,
within this province, has fent his report to court,
which has been fince printed. By this it appears
that 97,743 fanegues of thofe voracious infects
had been collected in and about fixty-one villages;
by causing several acres of stubbles to be burnt,
it is computed, from the eggs or spawn they con-
tained, that 1,656,465 fanegues have also been
deftroyed, and, as it were, crufhed in the bud. This
ufeful operation has coft government 830,379
reals of Vellon; a trifling expence, however, when
compared to the inestimable advantage the in-
habitants of this province are likely to derive
from it.

Conftantinople, July 19. For fome days paft there feems to have been more than ufual alacrity in every warlike preparation; upwards of twenty foreign officers have arrived here within these few days, and the Grand Seignior has given them genteel appointments in his fervice. The fleet is fitting out with the utmost expedition; and, in short, every thing feems now to wear the appearance of an approaching war, particularly fince the Porte has been made acquainted with what has passed in the Crimea, on which fubject extraordinary and very long conferences have been held, and fecret orders have been fent to the

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different provinces: the Captain Pacha only waits for orders to fail to the Black Sea.

Naples, July 23. The king has permitted the inhabitants of Caftle Monardo, which place was entirely destroyed by the earthquake on the 28th of March, to build a new town in a fertile healthy vale near the fea, and they are to call it Philadelphia.

Hanover, Aug. 8. His Royal Highness Prince William Henry, third fon of the king of England, arrived here from London on Sunday last. The Prince Bishop of Ofnaburgh, having gone to meet him, on entering the city their royal highneffes were faluted by three difcharges of the artillery, and at night there was a grand gala at court. We are affured, that after the inftallation of the prince-bishop, Prince William Henry will fet out for Vienna, and from thence to the camp of Minkendorf, where he will continue fome time.

Paris, Aug.22. Though it is not yet known for certain how many perfons have perifhed by the earthquake and inundation, which covered the Ifland of Formofa, and part of the fea-coafts of China, the laft advices from thofe parts fay, that feveral millions of inhabitants fell victims to that dreadful calamity; which, from the populoufnefs of those countries, feems not improbable.

GAZETTE.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 2.

Aranjuez, June 14.

N the 11th inftant died here the infant Don Carlos, only fon of his Royal Highness the Prince of Afturias, in the fourth year of his age. Mittau, June 25. Yesterday her Serene Highnefs the Dutchefs of Courland was fafely delivered of a princess.

[This Gazette alfo contains two proclamations; one for diffolving the parliament of Ireland; the other for holding a new one on the 6th of September next.]

TUESDAY, AUGUST 5.
This Gazette does not contain any intelligence.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 9. Windfor Caftle, Auguft 7. This morning, at a quarter before one o'clock, the Queen was happily delivered of a princess.

This great event was made known by the firing of the Park and Tower guns.

Her Majefty is, God be praifed, as well as can be expected; and the young princess is in perfect health.

[This Gazette alfo contains his Majesty's order in council, that the quarantine at prefent fubfifting upon all fhips and veffels coming from Dantzick, or any other port or place in Royal and Ducal Pruffia or Pomerania, fo far as refpects fhips laden with corn or grain, be taken off; and that all fhips and veffels already arrived, or that may hereafter arrive from thofe places, laden with corn or grain, be permitted to difcharge VOL. III.

their refpective ladings without unpacking, opening, and airing, and without performing any quarantine; provided the proper officer, on muftering the crew, fhall find them all in health; that none of the crew have died, or been fick of any contagious diftemper during the voyage; that the ship hath not had communication with any fhip or veffel from any infected place; and that there are no enumerated goods on board, other than the bags or facks in which the said corn is contained, or mats made use of solely for the purpose of dunnage.]

TUESDAY, AUGUST 12. This Gazette does not contain any intelligence. SATURDAY, AUGUST 16. This Gazette does not contain any intelligence.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 19.

St James's, August 19. On Sunday last one of the king's meffengers arrived here with the ratification of the provifional articles, figned the 30th of November laft, which was exchanged on the 13th inftant at Paris between his Majefty's plenipotentiary and the plenipotentiaries of the United States of America.

Oftend, August 13. The Baton which his Imperial Majefty has ordered to be conftructed at this port being compleated, this day was appointed for it's being opened for the reception of fhips. The ceremony was performed in prefence of their Royal Highneffes the Governors General, accompanied by Count Belgiofo, and several other perfons of distinction.

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SATURDAY,

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23.

Conftantinople, July 22. The plague rages here with violence, and the mortality is confiderable, the infection having fpread in every quarter of the town, and the adjacent villages. Pera and Galata, the refidence of the Franks, have fuffered gready; and in the new barracks for the gunners, at Topana, from twenty to thirty are buried daily. The raw mifty weather, which promotes the contagion, has continued thefe four weeks paft without interruption; a very unusual cir cumftance in this climate, and at this feafon. Letters from Smyrna of the 17th inftant mention, that the plague has alfo broken out in that city.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 26.

This Gazette does not contain any intelligence.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 30. Peterburgh, Aug. 1. The following is a tranflation of the manifefto published by order of the Empress, upon the occafion of her troops entering the peninfula of the Crimea, the Cuban, and the Island of Taman; which countries are thereby declared to be annexed to her Imperial Majefty's dominions.

WE Catharine the Second, by the Grace of God, Emprefs and Sole Monarch of all the Ruffias, &c. &c. &c.

OUR last war against the Ottoman Empire having been attended with the most fignal fuc ceffes, we had certainly acquired a right of reuniting to the territories of our empire the Crimea, of which we were in poffeffion: We, however, hesitated not to. facrifice that, with many other conquefts, to our ardent defire of re-eftablishing the public tranquillity, and of confirming the good understanding and friendship between our empire and the Ottoman Porte. This motive induced us to ftipulate for the freedom and independence of the Tartars, whom we had reduced by our arms; hoping to remove for ever, by this means, every caufe of diffenfion, and even a coolnefs between Ruffia and the Ottoman Porte, expofed too often to these inconveniences by the form of government which then fubfifted among the Tartars.

Great as were our facrifices and our efforts for realizing thofe hopes, they were foon, to our great regret, confiderably diminished. The restleffness natural to the Tartars, fomented by infinuations, the fource of which is not unknown to us, caufed them eafily to fall into the fnare laid by foreign hands, which had fowed amongst them the feeds of difturbance and confufion, to fuch a degree as to induce them to labour for the weakening, and even the total ruin of an edifice which our beneficent cares had erected for the happiness of that nation, by procuring them liberty and independence, under the authority of a chief elected by themselves. Hardly was their Khan established, according to this new form of government, before he faw himfelf deprived of all authority, and even obliged to defert his country to give place to an ufurper, who would again fubject the Tartars to the yoke of dominion, from which our beneficence had releafed them. The greater part of them, as

blind as they were ignorant, had fubmitted to that ufurper; the reft, thinking themselves too weak to refift, would infallibly have yielded to his yoke; and thus we should have loft the fruits of our victories, and the principal recompence for the facrifices which we willingly made at the last peace, if we had not inftantly taken under our immediate protection fuch of the well-difpofed Tartars, who prizing the bleffings of their new political existence, lamented their being forced to fubmit to the ufurper who had expelled their lawful Khan. By thus effectually protecting them, we furnished them with the power and the means of chufing a new Khan, in the room of Sahib-Gheray, and of establishing an adminiftration analagous to this flate of affairs. It was to attain this end, that our military forces were put in motion; that a confiderable body of our troops were ordered, notwithstanding the feverity of the season, to enter the Crimea, where they were fubfifted at our expence, and obliged to exert the power of our arms for the fupport of the good caufe, in order to recal fuch of the Tartars as were eftranged from it by their revolt. The public is not ignorant that a rupture between Ruffia and the Ottoman Porte had very near enfued upon this occafion; but thanks to the Divine affistance, we difpofed matters in fuch a manner, that the Ottoman Porte again acknowledged the independence of the Tartars, and the validity of the election of Schaghin Gheray, their lawful fovereign. Notwithstanding all the inconveniences above-mentioned, as long as we were fuftained and animated by the hope of re-establishing the repofe neceffary to the advantage and prefervation of good neighbourhood with the Ottoman Empire, we regarded the Crimea, according to the tenor and letter of the treaties, as a free and independent country, confining ourself folely to appeafing the troubles which prevailed amongst them: from our love of peace, we found in this conduct a fufficient recompence for the great expences incurred by it; but we were foon undeceived in this refpect, by the fresh revolt occafioned in the Crimea laft. year, the encouragement of which always flowed from the fame fource. We have been obliged, in confequence, to have recourfe again to confiderable armaments, and to caufe troops to enter the Crimea and the Cuban, whofe presence is become indifpenfable for maintaining tranquillity and good order in the adjacent countries. The fad experience of every day demonftrates more clearly, that if the fovereignty of the Ottoman Porte in the Crimea was a perpetual fource of difcord between our two empires, the independence of the Tartars exposes us to fubjects of contention no lefs numerous and important, fince the long fervitude to which that people have been accustomed, has rendered the greater part of the individuals incapable of valuing the advan tages of the new fituation procured for them by that independence of which we fought to give them the enjoyment; and which, laying us under the neceffity of being always armed, occa fions not only great expences, but also expofes our troops to inevitable and continual fatigues.

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The efforts they made to extinguish the flame of difcord, in fuccouring the well-intentioned of that nation, expofed them to the violences of the feditious and ill-intentioned, whom we were willing to leave unpunished, in order to avoid even the fhadow of an act of sovereignty, fo long as we could cherish the leaft hope of at length restoring good order, and preventing by this means the effential interests of our empire from being injured.

But, to our great regret, all these measures, dictated folely by our love of humanity, tended only to bring upon us loffes and damages, which we have the more fenfibly at heart, as they affected our fubjects. The lofs in men is not to be appreciated; we will not attempt to estimate it; that in money, according to the most moderate calculations, amounts to upwards of twelve millions of roubles. To thefe particulars is to be added another of the utmost importance, both in it's object and with regard to it's confequences: We have just been informed that the Porte has began to lay claim to the exercife of fovereignty in the Tartar dominions, by fending one of their officers, at the head of a detachment of troops, to the Inland of Taman, who has even proceeded to caufe the officer to be publicly beheaded who was fent to him by the Khan Schaghin Gheray, with a commiflion only to enquire of him what were the motives for his arrival in that island; and what evidently proves the nature of the miffion of this commandant of the troops is, that he made no difficulty in declaring openly to the inhabitants of Taman, that he looked upon them as fubjects of the Porte. This decifive, though unexpected step, convincing us of the inutility of the facrifices we had made upon the laft peace, annuls in confequence the engagements we had contracted, with the fole intention of firmly establishing the freedom and independence of the Tartars, and fufficiently authorizes us to enter again into the enjoyment of thofe rights which we had lawfully acquired by conqueft; the more fo, as it is the only means remaining for us to fecure hereafter a folid and permanent peace between the two empires. Animated, therefore, with a fincere defire of confirming and maintaining the laft peace concluded with the Porte, by preventing the continual difputes which the affairs of the Crimea produced, our duty to ourself, and the prefervation of the fecurity of our empire, equally demand our taking the firm refolution to put an end, once for all, to the troubles in the Crimea; and for this purpofe we re-unite

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to our empire the peninfula of Crimea, the Mland of Taman, and all the Cuban, as a juft indemnification for the loffes fuftained, and the expences we have been obliged to incur in maintaining the peace and welfare of these territories.

In declaring to the inhabitants of those countries, by the prefent manifefto, that such is our Imperial pleature, we promise them, for us and our fucceffors in the imperial throne of Ruffia, that they fhall be treated upon an equality with our ancient fubjects; and that, in taking them under our high protection, we will defend against all people their perfons, their estates, their tem ples, and the religion they profefs; that they hall enjoy the most abfolute liberty of conscience, without the leaft restriction in the public exercife of their worship and their ceremonies; and that not only the nation in general, but also each in dividual in particular, fhall participate in all the advantages enjoyed by our ancient subjects. But we alfo expect, from the gratitude of our new fubjects, that, touched with these favours, they will be fenfible of the value of this fortunate revolution, which removes them from a convulfed state of disturbances and diffentions, to one of entire fecurity and perfect tranquillity under the protection of the laws: and that, ftriving to imi tate the fubmiffion, zeal, and fidelity, of those who have long had the happiness of living under our government, they will render themselves worthy of our Imperial favour, beneficence, and protection. Given at our Imperial refidence of St. Petersburgh, the 8th of April, in the year of Grace 1783, and in the 21st year of our reign. (Signed with her Imperial Majefty's own hand). CATHARINE. L.S.

Copenhagen, Aug. 16. Various accounts have been received here of an ifland having lately arifen in the fea, in the neighbourhood of Iceland. Although the fact itself is authentic, yet the time of the first appearance of this island, it's dimenfions and fituation, are not well afcertained. The information brought by the laft fhip from thence is, that it was still increafing, and that great quantities of fire ifsued from two of it's eminences.

Vienna, Aug, 16. His Imperial Majesty went to the country palace of Laxembourg last night; and the first grand manœuvre of the troops, encamped at Mickendorff, was performed this morning in his Majesty's prefence.

Berlin, Aug. 19. His Pruffian Majefty fet out for Silefia on the 15th inftant, having been preceded by the prince-royal, who left Potsdam on the 14th.

MONTHLY CHRONICLE.

AUGUST 1.

AME on in the Court of King's Bench, Guildhall, before Lord Mansfield, a cause wherein John Keyfe Sherwin,engraver, was plain tiff; and Robert Sayer, printfeller, defendant.

In fupport of the action, it was proved that the plaintiff had made a drawing of Mrs. Siddons, from which a print was engraved. Doctor Bea

ver, of the Commons, was called to prove that he had bought the print, faid to be a copy, at the shop of Mr. Sayer; and Mr. Sherwin, (brother to the plaintiff) Meffrs. Cook, Smith, and Woollet, depofed, that, to the best of their judgment, the fmaller print was a copy of the larger.

Alderman Boydel was alfo called; who faid, he could not tell whether it was or was not a copy, X. 2 and

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