[Extract]
Sir The Small pox having of late spread much in the Town, it was judged impracticable to prevent its going through the Town, and on Friday last the General was inoculated, and gave permission to the Regiments in Town to inoculate. We have taken every precaution to prevent the Troops at the Posts out of Town from taking the distemper, and disposed matters in the best manner we can for defence in case of an attack.
It seems that the Devil and the Tories have overshot their mark at New York; having found we were not so easily conquered by the Sword as they imagined we should have been, they have been trying their luck at secret powder plots and conspiracies ー I think this will produce good to America. to the Enemy's fleet at New York we expect some important event will soon take place. May Heaven give us a decisive victory which shall make the impious Tyrant of Britain tremble as did an antient Tyrant, when he read the hand writing upon the wall.
When will America appear in character, and take rank as a Nation? ー If we wish to prolong the war, to waste our blood and treasure, to form an inconsistant character, and to be condemned by the wise, and by posterity, let us still talk of treating with British Commissioners and after they have exerted all their powers to divide, to bribe, to poison, to kill burn and destroy, then form a reunion and reconciliation. ー We do not question that there are some weighty reasons for delaying a Declaration of Independence, but we are puzzled to find what those reasons are. I rejoice to see the Declaration of the Philadelphians, and hope this will be a leading step. In my humble apprehension, an early Declaration might have saved the United Colonies three millions sterling, and ten thousand lives. However, I hopea ll is for the best; none of these delays discourage me in the least, but I want to shorten the work.
I have just received intelligence from Cape Ann, that a Privateer which belongs to this Town has taken and sent into that Harbour two Ships from the West Indias, one of them has four hundred and fifty Hogsheads of Rum on board, which were designed for General Howe, the other was bound to England with four hundred hogsheads of Sugar, two hundred hogsheads of Rum, Cotton Wool &c &c
