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Columbia County t S<pt, 16, 1 &02.
Mr. Smith,
1 HAVE fecn in several of your late
papers some person ftvling hitnfelf A CL
tixeitf and in different efl'ays, or numbers,
/ endeavoring to Ihcw the different claims
that will comfe in for the land lately pur
chased of the Indians over the Oconee,
(hewing the propriety and impropriety of
each claim, and has at length in number
four brought it to this conclusion ; That
the land had better be fold and the mo
ney arising therefrom put into the treasu
ry, which would prevent our paying tax,
and distributing equal jullicc to the wi
dow and orphans, and every individual
would have equal benefit arising thete
from ; he fays giving it to those that will
fettle on it, widows and children, the
most needy, will not get any—-I will afle
the Citizen how widows ami orphans, and
indigent persons which is well known,
pay little or no tax, are to be benefited
by money lying in the treasury ? I fay
they will not be one cent the better for
two million of dollars lying in the trea
sury forever; but if the land is let out
on equitable terms, so as every one may
have a fair chance to get, numbers of
theft poor people will be the firft out and
get land, but money oilt of the treasury I
am bold to fay they never will get any ;
it 's not the man that will fay moil and
loudest for the people’s rights and privi
ledges, that is their grcateil friend, for
that is the very w'ay many take in this
County to blind the eyes in order to take
the greater advantage. Who this Citi
zen is, 1 know nor, but I exped he
thinks he will (land a better opportunity
to get money out of the treasury, than
land over the Oconcc: He purs me in
mind of a gentleman well known in this
flare, that laid he would not have any of
the Yazoo land, spake loud and long a
gainst the sale of it, but after it was fold
would go at midnight to make a grab
on the money to /peculate in human flelh,
in direfl violation of a law he was a sup
porter of; for what pujpofe this Citizen
wants two million of dollars in the trea
sury I know not, without he intends to
keep very near it, and get a part as it
goes. 1 believe it is a tad well known
m government, that a rich treasury is a
Curie to any people, for as long as there
is any more money than will defray the
Cxpences of government, there is always
villans that will be breaking in by night
or day to take it away, so that I conclude
’ the fooncr the, land is disposed of on fair
terms, the better, for wherever there is
land or money belonging to the public,
yon will always fee swarms of villans,
• rogues and speculators, like greedy vul
tures, preying on carcases. lam a
Citizen of Columbia County,
To the Citizens of Columbia
County.
PtUonv-CttizcfiSy
f)N Monday next you will be called
tinon to exercise one of your unalienable
and moll facrcd of rights to give your
fuffrages for men to reprefen t you in Ihe
Legiilature of the State of Georgia, to
make laws by which your lives and pro
perty may be materially affeded, a right
for the proper exercise of which you Hand
accountable to God and to poilerity.—
It would be well to paufc for a moment,
and to confider feriouffy, how you will
exercise so invaluable a priviledge. A
priviledge that coll your country lb much
blood and Treasure : Look at your pre
lent repreientatives: Look at them and
bltilli; is there one of them that has the
qualifications requisite for a Legiilature ?
Except indeed he may he a free-bolder.
Is there one of them that has endeavoured
to make himfelf acquainted with the hi-
Hory, the laws and culloms of foreign
nations, or even with those of his own
country ? Is there one of them, that you
would employ to draw an inllrument of
writing by which you wilhed to secure a
valuable piece of property ? Is there one of
them when at the legiilature that knows
how to draw up a bill or resolution with
precision, even upon the moll trifling
business ? Are they Inch men as you sent
to represent you in ’76 and *77, when
you were roused to a sense of the value of
your rights and priviledges ? You know
my friends that all these questions mud
be answered in the negative ; why then
in the name of common sense have you hi
therto eleiled them ? Is it becaufc you
think that less wifdora and sagacity are
required to preserve them to procure your
rights, or rather is it that you care no
thing about them. If in *76, men had
offered themselves to your choice, such
your prefenc representatives, and with
no other recommendation, than a loud
'nolle againil the Yazoo sale and fpccula
■■ * /
tion, a bowl of grog, or even a barrel of
taffy or brandy, which would you have
done? You would, I am convinced, have
hided them out of company, and treated
them and their grog with merited con
tempt. —Suppose ail the representatives in
the dare were filch as you have hitherto
chosen, what kind of a legillature do vou
think |bey would compote? They could
nor understand the nature of public bufi
ncfs, they are not capable of acting them
felvcs, or advising the governor, nor
could they even answer his medages,
Tnere are some times men of abilities e
leCted from some of the counties, but they
arc generally attornies; and there is a
mong the ignorant numbers such a preju
dice agaimt that class of citizens, that
puts it out of their power to be of much
service; they however would be appoint
ed, as no o:hers would be able to draw up
their resolutions and addredcs.
My friends, thefc things ought not to
be ; so you have men of abilities and in
tegrity, who are willing to serve you ;
but they disdain to stoop to the low syco
phant practices, that are so plcafing to
you: You will not fee them immediately
before an eledtion, preaching and roaring
against {peculation ; fawning upon and
Ihaking hands with every one they meet,
-vhether an acquaintance or not; they
will not be deluging every company with
their grog or their politics, nearly to pro
mote their own election. No, they have
more dignity of character. But you may
fay that these men of information are all
ambitious knaves, they will not regard
our rights; give us honelt farmers who
know and feel how the poor lives ; they
will take care of our interest : my friends,
there are but tew men in this country
that are not farmers, and there are some
of that class as capable of serving you as
any other you could chose. Bur your
ideas of an honelt farmer is one that has
jult sense enough to carry on his farm to
advantage; but when he has by reading
and reflection improved his mind above
the common level, when he has qualified
himfelf to serve you : you then confider
him as dangerous to your interelt—ls ho
nelly then confined to the ignorant and
illiterate, or is there not a greater pro
bability of finding it among those who
underltand their duty to God, and feel
the force of that obligation that binds to
gether the whole brother-hood of man
kind.—Let us now examine what kind of
honelty those men of your choice are pof
felfed of. Your Senator has generally
been considered as an honelt, upright and
difintereltcd man, both in public and pri
vate life. But in the feilion of 1794,
when the loaves and fillies were dividing,
your difintereltcd patriot could not wuh
ftand the temptation; he would not take
a part of the Yazoo lands; but like an
honelt man exhibited his account against
the Hate for some thousands of dollars, for
his services as major, lieutenant colonel
and colonel of the Richmond county mi.
litia, from the 16th of April 1780, to
the 20th May 1783, for which time
your worthy senator was allowed pay and
fubfiltence, and interest on the fame, up
to the 26th December 1794.* It is a
Well known faCt ro numbers of you that
he did not perform three months service
to the state within the aforefaid time. It
is a pity that no provision was made for
the officers and foidiers who were under
the colonel’s command.
The worthy Parson not having the sha
dow of a claim to set up against the state,
and not having the fear of the people be
fore his eyes ; in a dark and midnight
hour of temptation, grates fix thousand
dollars from your treasury, for the vile
purpose of trafficking in human flelh, in
direct violation of the conllitution and
laws of the state, which he himfelf aided
in making, and frequently denied the
faft, both publicly and privately. Yet
this worthy representative of your's, this
virtuous son and pillar of the church, af
ter a suit was commenced against him for
those fix thousand dollars, and notwith-
Handing his declarations to the contrary,
came into the superior court of Columbia
county, and without a blnfh, on his so
lemn oath declared,+ “ That the sum of
money mentioned in the receipt or note
aforefaid, was to be employed in the
purchase of negroes on their joint account:
That after the negroes so to be purchased
(hould be fold, the sum of fix thousand
dollars aforefaid were firft to be paid out
of said sales—the expences were next to
be deducted, and then the net profits were
to be equally divided, &c.” and after
making this declaration, the parson, with
a folcmn and fanCtilkd countenance, de
* See the Journals of the Leg future
for 1794, page 66.
+ See his affidavit t filed tv the clerk's
office rfi Columbia county ,
y
dared to the court " that his reputation
had hied for that tranfaftion.”
tyly friends, is this a virtuous or a cor
rupt ad in your reprefentatative ? Especi
ally in a man who makes a profefllon of
religion, and is a preacher of the Gos
pel; is this speculation or not ? Yet these
men effeift to be great friends to the peo
ple, but they must be great patriots in
deed, if they will consent to damn thcm
fclves for your political salvation. These
fads, and a number of others might be
Hated. I flatter myfelf you do not know,
or surely you would not place confidence
in men who thus wontonly sport with
your property, your rights and liberties;
this, with many more of your errors, is
the consequence of your ignorance of the
principles of our government; for the
people arc always right when well in
formed. Strive, therefore, to get infor- 1
mation to judge for yourselves; in no
country under heaven is political know
ledge so neceflary to the exigence of the
government, as in the United States;
mod other governments are fupportcd by
force or by fraud; your's (lands upon the
opinion of the people; how neceflary is
it, therefore, that you fliould be well in
formed. A FARMER.
Columbia county. Sept. 27, 1802.
BERMUDA, Attgnji 14,
The accounts received this week from
the Weft-Indies, (late that the crops have
been so very abundant as to lower the
price of sugar and rum considerably in
all the islands, and fufficient (hipping
could not be procured to export them.
Price of rum in some islands is only 2/1
this currency.
NEW. YORK, Sept. 16.
Mr. Balden, the publisher of the Com.
t mercial Advertiser, was arrested yester
day, at the separate suits of Mr. James
Cheetham and Mr. David Dennifton, on
a charge of defamation, damages 1000
dollars each fait,
September 1 7.
A letter from our correspondent at
Cape Francois, of the 29th of Augull,
mentions, that the market was fully sup
plied with every kind of American pro,
duce, that peace and tranquility prevail,
ed at the Cape, and that the general (late
of health became every day more favor
able. The rumour which was circulated
a few days since, received by the w'ay of
Nassau (n. p.) of a frefh infurredlion on
the part of the negroes, headed by Touf
faint’s sons, appears to be totally unfound
ed.
GOOD NEWS.
By the Spanish schooner, Santa Rofaal
Lima, arrived here yesterday from Ha
vanna, we learn, that there was every
profpeft of that port being speedily open,
ed to American vessels, loaded with (lock
and lumber. Our informant fays, that
when he failed, this question was before
the government of that place, brought
forward in consequence of a petition from
the inhabitants, praying the admiflion
of these articles, as lumber was very
scarce.
Capt. Barker, of the schooner Lively,
from St. Euftatia, informs, that that
place was on the eve of being given up
to the Dutch. He also mentions a cir
cumstance refpefting the conduft of Sir
John Wadvvell, which he thinke a duty
to mention, as a caution to those who
may trade there, relative to the Engliih
duties and port charges; which was, as.
ter stipulating the duties on thefugar, and
port charges, he being on the point of
failing, Sir John levied an additional du
ty ot 150 per cent, which capt. Barker
was obliged to pay.
Extraß of a U tter from a young gentle
man on hoard the schooner Enter prize,
to his parents in New. llampjhire, dat
ed Cadiz, July 16, 1802.
“All our frigates are employed in ccn
voying vessels up and down the Sraighrs ;
but notwithstanding their extreme vigi
lance, our savage enemy have taken a
brig belonging to Philadelphia
In May we had an engagement with a
Tripolitan gun boat of 90 men and four
guns; it being calm (lie got away from us,
and the next day we saw her in the har
bour of Tunis. We have been into Tri
poli, and fired at the (hipping in the har
bour— 12 gun boats were sent out to en
gage us; but w'e drove them all back.
The Constellation was engaged by two
Algerine gun boats, both of which (he
funk.
The Emperor of Morocco has declared
war against America, and sent aw'ay our
consul; in consequence of this dcclara
tion, we arc ordered to cruise off the Gut
of Gibraltar.
The Algerines have taken a 44 gun
frigate from the Portiiguefe. The victo
rious veffol was the Crefcenr, a present
from America—Thus, you fee, how for-
lunate vessels are that arc buift J n Ame
rica, even if they are manned with Turks'
“ There are now' lying in this harbc r ‘
50 transports full of French troops, b0.m.1
to St. Domingo.” a
Extrahi of a letter from an officer of the
Confcllation , dated May 24, jg 02
at sea.
u Mr. O'Brien informs, that Spain i a
order to avoid a war threatened by the
Algerines, has very recently contented
to pay to Algiers the enormous sum 0 £
two millions of dollars, and to alter he
national colors. This, with the capture
of the Portuguese frigate, has so dated
the Algerines, th at our couful fays he ex
pends the dey will flrortly, and at an Un .
guarded moment, declare war againli the
United States. I hope he may, and that
we may have the honor of battering their
towns about their ears. They will find
in us a nation fir superior to either Spain
or Portugal in the arts of war. By mak
ing them feel our power, we should ren,
der the United States feared and refpefhd
by these barbarians, and insure fafety to
the lives and property of our citizens in
thole seas.—Enclosed is the account Mr.
OBrlen gives us of the strength of the
regency of Algiers.
A correct liji of the Marine of Algiers,
GUNS.’
No 1 frigate, Algerine built, copVd 48
2 American do. do. 34.
3 A xebec, Algerine do. do. 34.
4 do, do. do. 30
5 do, do. do. 24
6 do. do. do. 26
7 A Polacre Greek built, 22
8 do. do. do. 18
9 A brig u. s. built, coppered, 22
10 fch’r. do. do. 26
it do. do. do. 18
12 do. do. ' do. 16
13 A CarlafquHba Corsica built, 10
14 A small xebec, repairing
1 5 A Polacre Greek built (coafler) 6
Algiers has about 30 gun boats, half
of the number could be got in order in 3-
bout a month. They have about 200
fail of coasters with lattine fails, each 20
or 30 ions. There are about 6,000
Turks, about 6,000 half Turks : and with
difficulty they could raise 50,000 militia
or rabble. This regency has 50 or 60
millions of dollars and has in chained cap
tivity 1500 Chriltians, and is permitted
to be a iicenfcd plunder of all Europe.
(Signed) RICHARD OBRIEN.
Extract of a letter from the fame, dated
Turns Bay, June 2, 1802.
** We brought with us presents from
our government to the Bey of Tunis, they
consist of four mulkets and four pair of pi
stols, furpafling for workmanlhip and ele
gance any thing you can almost imagine, be
ing inlaid with gold and lham diamonds.
You mull suppose they were elegant when I
tell you that one of the mulkets cost 8001.
sterling, the cost of the whole amounting
to upwards of 70001. sterling. The Bey
was much plealed with these presents, and
obierved to our consul that they were? 1
worthy of a prince. The Enterprize ar
rived here last evening from Tripoli.
They tell us that there are four Swediffi
frigates and one American (the Boston)
cruizing off Tripoli, and blockading the
port so that nothing can cither go in or
our. The Tripolitans are in a state of
(larvation, and will probably be willing
to come to any terms, in the courle oi a
few weeks.
“ Yeiterday we had the gratification of
walking over the ruins of the celebrated
city ol Carthage, Mr. Eaton, American
coniul, and captain Murray, being of the
party. We were (hewn the plain on
which Regimis the firil Roman that en
tered Africa in a hostile manner, fought
his celebrated battle, and also the plain
where S Jpio and Hannibal fought a pitch
ed battle. We favv the remains ol many
of the ancient temples and city wails*
But what remains more perfect than any
thing else is the aqueduct,by which wa
ter was brought nto the city from a moun
tain, by a route of seventy miles. Wc
ail dined together in one of the reservoirs,
after fatiguing ourfolves by walking over
the ruins. 1 expect we (hall fail to-mor
row for Tripoli.”
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 16.
In addition to the printed accounts
which we have received from Baltimore*
Verbal information renders it certain that
an uncommon degree of sickness, very ■
malignant in its features, prevails in that
city. We understand, that although the
removals have not been very numerous,
yet the effect of alarm cn the business cl
that place, has nearly equalled that which*
is at present experienced in this city. |
New-York appears Angularly exempt
from the effects ol panic, notwithstand
ing the frequent occurrence during
season, of cases of malignant fever.
Oar accounts from Boil on,, by **-•*