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HER A L D.
= ~~A U G U S T~A,
WEDNESDAY, Mxv 21, 1800.
WE present our readers this day with
the excellent remarks of Judge Chafe, to
John Fries, Frederick Hainey and John
Gettman, the persons lately convicted of
Treason, in the Circuit Court of the Unit
ed States, previous to his pronouncing
on them the awful sentence attached by
law, to their offences. Their execution
is appointed to take place the twenty-third
of the present month.—The only observa
tion we now offer on this interesting and
affe&ing fubjedt—on these just: and neces
sary proceedings, is our sincere wish, that
the remarks of Judge Chafe may be read
with attention.
WE understand that the Trustees of
Richmond Accademy at a meeting of the
Board yesterday, received and approved
of a plan for an elegant Brick Accademy
submitted to them; we are not able to de
tail further particulars of the plan, than
that it is to consist of a Centre Building,
and fide wings two story high—that the
wings are to projedt each wav beyond the
Centre Building, and are calculated to unite
convenience with elegance—a committee
we learn were appointed to contract for
building one of the wings immediately.
ON Friday evening last, the large and
elegant House in the Town of Washing
ton, belonging to Benajah Smith, F.fq. in
which Colonel Francis Willis resided, wa;
.ntrnt to ashes. The fire we understand
was discovered about eleven o’clock, and
J n consequence of a high wind, and pre
vious dry weather, progrefted so rapidly,
that very little furniture was preserved,
and even the family but narrowly escaped
A CONFERENCE on the fub
jedt of peace is to be opened between
MeiTrs. Davie, Elsworth, arid Murray, the
Ministers Plenipotentiary of the United
Sic*-? of America, and a commiflion ap
pointed for that ptirpofe by the firft con
fui. This commifiion consist:; of three
members, Joseph Buonaparte, Fleurieu,
and Roederer; citizen Mourgues is secre
tary.
IT is said, that the firft consul will
set out very soon to take the command of
the army of the Rhine. It is added, that
he has given orders to his guards, to hold
themselves in readiness to depart towards
the end of this month. [Paris Moniteur.
Died, on Thursday morning last,
Mrs. Jane Alexander, wife of Mr.
Robert Alexander, Merchant, of this city,
and late of New-Yoik.
PHILADELPHIA, May 3.
Yesterday sentence of death was pdfled
on Fries, Hainey and Gettman, convicted
of treason in the circuit court of the Unit
ed States. Upon this awful occasion,
Judge Chafe addrefled Fries in the follow
ing imprefiive manner:—
[After observing to Hainey and Gett
man, that what he had to fay to Fries,
would auplv generally to them, the judge
proceed* :]
John Fries, you have been already in
formed, that you flood convicted of the
treason, charged upon you by the indidt
ment on which you have been arraigned,
of levying war against the United States.
You have had a legal, fair and impar
tial trial, with every indulgence that the
law would permit. Os the whole panne!,
you peremptorily challenged thirty
four, and, with iruth I mav fay, that the
jury who tried you, were of your own fe-
Ldtion and choice. Not one of them be
fore had ever formed and delivered any
opinion refpedting your guilt orinnocence.
verdift of the jury against you was
, bounded on the testimony of many credi
ble and unexceptionable witnefl’es. It was
apparent from the conduct of the jury,
when they delivered their verdict, that if
innoepa they would have acquitted you
with pleasure ; and that they pronounced
their verdidt against you with great con
cern and relu&ance, from a fenfeofduty
to their country, and a full conviHion of
your guilt.
of which you have been
found guilty is a crime, consider
ed, in the molt the most free
countries in the world, as the greateft that
any man can commit. It is a crime of so
deep a dye, and attended with such a train
of fatal consequences, that it can receive
no aggravation ; vet the duty of my sta
tion requires, that I should explain to you
the nature of the crime of which you are
convicted ; to fliew the necejftty of that juf
ticey which is this day to be adminittereti;
and to awaken your mind to proper re
flections and a duefenfe of your own con
dition, which I imagine you must have
reflected upon during your long confine
ment.
\ou are a native to this country —You
live under a constitution (or form of go
vernment) framed by the people them
ielves; and under laws made by your re
presentatives, faithfully executed by inde
pendent and impartial judges. Your go
vernment secures to every member of the
community equal liberty and equal rights;
by which equality of liberty and rights I
mean, that every perl'oll (without any re
gard to wealth, rank or station) may en
joy an equal share of civil liberty , an equal
protection of law , and an equal security for
his perfon and property. —You enjoyed (in
common with your fellow-citizens) all
these rights.
If experience fliould prove, that the
eon ft it ut ion is defective, it provides a mode
to change or amend it, without any danger
to public order, or any injury to facial
rights.
If congress, from inattention, error in
judgment, or want of information, thould
pass any law in violation of the constitu
tion ; or burthenfome, or opprelfive to the
people, a peaceable, i'afe and ample reme
dy is provided by the constitution. The
people themselves have established the
mode by which such grievances are to be re
drefled ; and no ether mode can be adopted,
without a violation of the constitution and
of the laws.—ls congress fliould pass a law
contrary to the constitution , such law would
be void , and the courts of the United
States poflefs complete authority, and are
the only tribunal to decide, whether any
law is contrary to the constitution. —If con
gress fliould pass burthenfome or opprejftvt
aws, the remedy is with their condiments,
from whom they derive their exiltence anil
authority. If any laiv is made, repugnant
to the voice of a majority of their eonfti
tuents, it is in their power to make choict
of persons to repeal ir; but until it is re
oealed, it is the duty of every citizen to
iubmii to ir, and ro give up his private fen
t<ments to the public will. If a law bur
thenfome, or even oppressive in its nature
or execution is to be opposed bv force , and
obedience cannot be compelled, there must
toon be an end to all government in this
country.—lt cannot be credited by dispas
sionate men, of anv information, that con
gress will intentionally make laws in viola
tion of the constitution, contrary to their
iacred trust, and solemn obligations to sup
port it. None can believe, that congress
will wilfully , or intentionally , impose unrea
sonable and unjust burthens on their con
stituents, in which they must precipitate. —
The most ignorant man must know, that
congress can make no law that will not es
fedt them equally in every refpeft, with their
constituents. Every law that is detrimen
tal to their conftiruents, must prove hurt
ful to themselves. From these confidera
tions, every one may fee, that congress can
have no interefi in oporejfing their fellow-ci
tizens.
It is almost incredible, that a people liv
ingunder the best and mildest government
in the whole world, fliould not only be
diffitisfied and difeontented, but fliould
break out into open resistance and opposi
tion to its laws.
The infurredtion in 1794, in the four
weftern counties of this state (particularly
in Wafliington) to oppose the execution of
the laws of the United States, which laid
duties on (tills, and spirits distilled within
the United States, is (till frefii in memory :
it originated from prejudices and misre
presentations induflrioufly difleminated
and diffufed against thufe laws. Either
persons difaffedted to our government, or
wifliing to aggrandife themselves, deceiv
ed and misled the ignorant and uninform
ed class of the people. The opposition
commenced in meetings of the people,
with threats against the officers, which ri
pened into adts of outrage against them ,
were extended to private citizens. Com
mittees were formed to fvjtematize and in
flame the spirit of opposition. Violence
succeeded to violence, and the colledtor of
Fayette county was compelled to surren
der his commifiion and official books; the
dwelling-house of the infpedtor (in the vi
cinity of Pittfburg) was attacked and
burnt; and the marshal was seized, and
obtained his liberty on a promise to serve
no other process on the wejl fde of the Al -
U*lu*y mountain. To compel fubmiflion 1
to the iaws, the government were obliged
to march an army againli the insurgents,
and the expence was above one million
one hundred thouiand dollars. Os the
whole number of insurgents (many hun
dreds) only a few were brought to trial;
and of them only two were sentenced to
die (Vigol and Mitchell) and they were
pardoned by the late president. Although
the inlurgents made no retitbnce to the ar
my sent againfl them, yet not a few of our
troops loti their lives, in consequence of
their great fatigue and exposure to the se
verity of the season.
This great and remarkable clemency of
the government had no effed upon you and
the deluded people in your neighborhood.
The rife, progress and termination of the
late infurredion, bear a strong and flriking
analogy to the former; and it may he re
membered, that it has cost the United
States So,ooo dollars. It cannot eleape
observation, that the ignorant and unin
formed are taught to complain of taxes,
which are neceflary for the support of*gu
vernment, and yet they permit themselves
to be seduced into infurredions which
have so enormously encreafed the public
burthens, of which their contribution can
fcarcelv be calculated.
J
When citizens combine and aflemble
with intent to prevent by threats, intimi
dation, and violent e, the execution of the
laws, and they actually carry such traite
rous designs into execution, they reduce
the government to the alternative of pros
trating the laws before the insurgents, or
of taking neceflary measures to compel
fubmiflion. No government can liefitate.
The expence, and all the consequences
therefore, are not imputable to the go
vernment, but to the infurgeuts. The
mildness and lenity of our government arc
is flriking on the late as on th reformer in-
Atrredion: Os nearly 130 persons who
might have been put on their trial for tua
fon, only five have been profccuted and tri
ed for that crime.
In the late infurredion, you, John Fries ,
bore a conspicuous and leading part. If
you had reflected, you would have seen,
iiat your attempt was as weak, as it was
■wicked. It was-the height of folly in you
to f'uppofe that the great body of our citi
zens, bleft in the enjoyment of a free re
publican government of their own choice,
and ofall rights civil and religious—secure
in their persons and property, and confei-
His that the laws are the cnly security for
heir preservation from violence, would
not rife up as one man to oppose and crush
to ill-founded, so unprovoked an attempt
to disturb the public peace and tranquilli
ty. If you coul(( fee in a proper light
your own folly and wickednejs, yon ought
now to hlefs God, that your infurredion
A’as so happily and speedily qflelled by the
vigilance and energy of our government,
aided by the patriotism and adivity of
vour fellow-citizens, who left their homes
and business and embodied themselves in
the support of its laws.
The annual, neceflary expenditures for
the support of any exienfive government,
like ours, tnuft be great; and the Aim re
quired can only be obtained by taxes , or
loans —ln all countries the levying taxes
is unpopular, and a fubjed of complaint.
It appears to me, that there was not the
lead pretence of complaint againfl much
lefsof opposition and violence to the law
for levying taxes on dwelling houses ; and
it becomes you to reflect that the time you
chose to rife up in arms to oppose the laws
of your country was when it flood iq a
very critical situation with regard toFrance,
and on the eve of a rupture with that coun
try.
I cannot omit to remind you of another
matter, worthy of your coftfideration.—
If the marshal or any of the poflee, or any
of the four fiiends of government, who
were with him, had been killed by you, or
any of your deluded followers, the crime
of murfa would have been added to the
crime of treason.
In your serious hours of reflexion, you
ought to confider the consequences that
would have flowed infurredion,
which you incited, encouraged, and pro
moted, in the charader of a captain of mi
litia, whose incumbent duty it is to (land
ready (whenever required) to aflift and de
fend the government and its laws, if it had
not been immediately quelled. Violence,
oppreflion deftrudion, wade,
and murder, always attend the progress of
infurredion and rebellion ; the arm of the
father would have been raised againfl the
son; that of the son againfl the father; a
brother’s hand would have been stained
with brother’s blood; the sacred bands of
friendfliip would have been broken, and
all the ties of natural aflfedion would have
been diflolved.
The end of all punijhment is example ; and
the enormity of your crime requires that
a severe example should be made to deter
others from the commission of like
in future. You have forfeited your life tUM g
juftict—let me the tv tore earnestly recon*f 1
mend to you, moll lerioufly to confide 9
your fuuation—to take a review of you]!
patl life, and to employ the very little timjl J
you are to continue in this world, inenijlji 4
dcavors to make ymn peace with that Godffifl
whole mercy is equal to his justice..
expert that you area Christian; and ay l TI
Juch I address you. Be allured my guilt}* 5
and unhappy fellow-citizen, that without ll
serious repentance of all your fins, yoti 4 ■
cannot expert happiness in the world tc?i !■
come ; and to your repentance you multi „■
add faith and h«pe in the merits and media-i [.■ t
tion of Jesus Christ. These are the I
terms on which pardon and forgivenefs
proinil'ed to thole, who profefs the
fiav religion. Let me therefore again en-,l‘l
11cat you to apply every moment you
left, in contrition, sorrow, and repentance. 1 11
Your day of life is almoll fpnit, and the*Ll
night of death fall approaches. Look
to the Father of Mercies, and God of Coin-’EM
tort. You have a great and an immense fill
work to perform, and but little time in'i ■
which you mild finifh it. There is no re-4r I
pentance in the grave; for after death ■
comes judgment; and as you die, so you %\ ■
mull be judged. By repentance and faith y ll .1
you are the objtrt of God's mercy ; but if i! I
you will net repent, and have faith and de-]f
pendence upon the merits of the death of j
Christ, but die a hardened and iinpeni- c " ■
tent finner, you will be tlieolijcrt of God’s * I
ju/lice and vengeance. If you will sincere- * ' I
ly repent and believe , God hath pronoun- }| H
ced his forgivenefs; and there is no crime * f * ■
too great for his mercy and pardon.
Although you mu ft be ftrirtiy confined t, *' I
for the very lliort remainder of your life, ‘si ■
vet the mild government and laws which fj I
you have endeavored to destroy, permit : 1
you (if you please) to converse and com- 1
mune with miniflers of the gospel, to r? B
whose pious care and confutation, in fer- 11 ■
vent prayers and devotion, 1 moll cordial- * ’■
ly recommend you.
What remains for me is a very painful, * 1
hut a very necefliiry part of my duty. It "1
is to pronounce that judgment,' which the I
law has appointed for crimes of this mag- 4 I
nitude. Trie judgment of the law is, ami 'f I
this court doth award “ rhrt you he bang- if I
ed by the neck, until dead:" And 1 pray 4
Gon Almighty to be mcrcilul to your •?!
foul! <IJ
A CAUTION. ? I
WHEREAS Zachariah Cox, gave I. I
me his Note of Harta for three ill
thousand dollars, dated Philadelphia, Oc- T 1
tober the 13th, 1795, payable to myielf or J,J
order, twelve months afterdate; which ||i
note was afterwards indorfed by me and ||]
palfed to Col. Samuel Jack, and by him
returned to the fa id Zachariah, for Bills of I j
Exchange drawn upon Edward Fox, .of
- to the fame amount which if’
Bills I alio indorfed. 1 J j
And whereas I have good reason to be- hi
lieve that the identical note alluded to, ha# 'ft j
by some accident fallen into the hands of , I
William Cox and offered for sale.
These are therefore to forewarn all per
sons not to trade or in anv manner nego
tiate for the fame, as I have since fettled i|
with Col. Jack for the Bills; which Bills 11
were given, and taken in lieu of the note «|
now said to be offered by Mr. Cox.
Wm. LONGSTREET.
Ido hereby certify that the a* j 1
bove is a true statement within my own
knowledge, except that of the note being j
offered for sale. '
S. JACK.
May 2t. (3t. 45.)
A WARNING.
THE Sheriffs of Richmond and Jef
ferfon County, having refpertively
made free to feizc our Goods and Merch
andize, under attachments against Samuel
Richmond, altho’previoufly notified of ,
the sale and delivery to us. We on our
part take the liberty of cautioning as well
them as their deputies and all Constables
whatsoever against: taking such liberties in j
future, feeing determined to punifli the
firft of them that may repeat this illegal |
proceeding to the utmost extent of the
law.
Bishop & Coolidge.
Ma y 2 *- (4b 4L) jJ
TO BE HIRED, ,
BY THE MONTH OB FOR A LONGER TERM,
A NEGRO WOMAN, f
Who is a good Washer, lroner and a
plain Cook.
a l s o,
A NEGRO BOY,
About 17 years of ago, who is a good
Waiter—-For further particular* apply at
this Office.
May zi. {at.) I