By a gentleman who left Philadelphia in the end of February, we have received the following intelligence, which may be depended upon:
(Concluded.)
If the men of war, for I think it will be impossible to assemble an army capable of acting this season, finish not the business this summer, we shall certainly have a French war on our hands, to call off our attention; a thing which the friends of America expect, and rejoice at the thoughts of; and in this case our sugar islands may fall an immediate prey; for it is certain the French are pushing out an extraordinary number of troops to all their settlements. A push should therefore be made in America, with the ships of war, and every floating stick of timber, every magazine for naval stores should, if possible, be destroyed. Every sailor taken should be carried to Europe, if not wanted in the fleet; and be distributed among the merchantmen, particularly the India ships. ー If we have a French war on our hands, a strong squadron should be immediately sent out to protect the sugar colonies, and transports should be ready before the middle of October, in America, to bring over at least 12,000 men to the West-Indies, and make at once a sweep of the French islands. In making the attack, their towns and plantations should be more aimed at than their strongholds. Indeed the only strong forts of consequence are at Martinico and the West end of Hispaniola.
When the American trade, and shipping are destroyed, you may leave these heroes to boast of their prowess, and parade their armies as they please; it will be a pity to risk the life of a gallant soldier against them. And in this case two expeditions might at once be carried on against Martinico and Hispaniola. And if we value the sugar trade, these islands should be suffered to be even deserted, rather than ever be returned to France. ー I say this, on the supposition, that France is ungenerous enoughto meddle in the present dispute.
We find, there is no attention given to the supplying of the sugar colonies with the articles, which they formerly had from America. Many improvident people begin already to be pinched for food; and there is no promise of a supply; 150,000 acres extraordinarily laid down for raising grain would more than supply all the West-Indian demands for inhaitants, poultry, and horses. ー Suppose the bounty upon corn were confined at present to West Indian consumption; or that no bounty should take place till certificates were produced of a sufficient quantity shipped to the West Indies. If the British market were opened for rum by lessening the duty; it would be more profitable for us to be supplied with our provisions from Britain than from America. At present the British ships which take away our sugar, come generally out less than half laden. The freight of our provisions from Britain ought therefore to be but little additional expence; and much below what is necessary to support the American trade; and we should pay for them with our produce, instead of paying the Americans besides rum a considerable proportion of money, to supply them with cash, to buy French melasses and sugars, to injure our own consumption.
Franklin is so much revered in Philadelphia, that whenever he walks the streets, he has a crowd constantly at his heels. Sometime before the gentlemen left Philadelphia, he and some others of their chiefs, and Macleod [John Carroll] a priest, set off for Canada, to reconcile the Canadians to their measures, and frame a code of laws for them. We shall see if Parliament, or the free thinking Congress, be more favourable to popery
It is surprising to think of the number of ignorant fellows that you have suffered to carry out transports and storeships. One fellow has carried down his lading to dispose of it at Jamaica: Several, as we are here credibly informed, have given up their ships designedly to the Provincials; and numbers of them were so ignorant of the coast, as to come here to the West-Indies, rather than venture in. Every transport should have carried a navy Lieutenant or skillful midshipman, or master's mate, to keep the master to his duty, and guard against his treachery. It deserves to be a matter of enquiry, whether those masters, who have treacherously delivered up their ships, had any encouragment from the traitors in London; for the worst enemies of government are to be found there.
Notwithstanding all the boast of securing Philadelphia, by staking the river and building galleys with long guns, people begin to remove their effects from thence, expecting it to be laid in ashes. I abhore the burning of towns; and it would be a pity, if it could be avoided, that so fine a one as it is should be destroyed; though if any place has greater demerit than another it is this.
Though the colony would not take up arms to defend itself from the French, even when fire and destruction threatened, it has for a speculative point, run headlong into arms against its protector. It has shaken off peaceable tenants of its founder; and raised the standard of rebellion in the very face of its charter; which expressly reserved taxation by Parliament: a reservation intended by Penn, to take the colony out of the power of the Crown, and make it dependent upon Parliament, as a situation most favourable to liberty. Little did he then think, that the time would come when America should solicit the crown, to take it out of the hands of parliament, and rebel against King and Parliament, because they were not indulged with their request; and that all who pretend to be patriots in Britain, should join in abetting their insolent demands. Might it not be made a convenient place of arms, till peace was restored.
Should France the good ally of the Americans attempt to entangle us in another distructive continen[t]al war, by attacking Hanover; suppose we were to transport all the Hanoverians to Pennsylvania and the middle colonies, and leave Hanover deserted as a bone of contention to be scrambled for by the Germans and French. The Hanoverians would gain a fertile territory by the exchange; and if we took care to make good regulations for them, we might exchange riotous and unprofitable rivals for faithful and useful subjects. Or suppose we were to give Hanover to Denmark for her sugar islands.
I think it hardly possible that the Americans can supply all their demands with the barter of provisions; so that their present trade must drain them entirely of their cash; flour as a specimen, is now at Philadelphia at 6s (currency, or about 4s. sterling) per 100 wt. Indeed nothing but paper is to be seen in circulation. Those who refuse to take it, are sent to work in slavery, in their iron mines.
