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AVGUSTA CHRONICLE.
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Vol. XXIU.] FREEDOM .1 th. P R K ? S ash T R I Art, .1 J B R Y mu umaim izmouTi. [No. .. S j
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dUG U S TA; (GttrgU) Painted by D. DRISCOL. near the market. Ntv ember 5, r3oB. £3 Dulls, per Ann*
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foTthe CHRONICLE.
Mr. Printer.
That two of a trade can never a
rrec, is a maxim by no means
generally true, yet it is easy t» fee
ihat it is founded upon those enmi
ties which frequently arise betweerf'
of the fa*e trade from the
clashing of their several interests.
But how a coll ilion fliould hippen
between persons vrhofe trades are
totally unconnected ; how personal
disputes mould arise between a
rniniffci’ of the Gofpcl and a compa
ny of actors, it is more difficult to
difeoycr. Yet it is a fad, and a
fad which ought to be regretted by
every receding mind, that every
Saturday’ paper presents to the pub
lic a column ot sneers ami abuse
levelled at preacher in this town,
and that every Sabbath produces a
violent philippic from the 1 acred
ddk, againfl Theatres and Actors.
Who was the firft aggreftbr in
this useless and ihameful conten
tion, I know not, nor can I pre
tend to any right to decide between
them; but l.lhall take the liberty
humbly to fugged that they are both
tiding; improperly, both departing
from the duties of their several pro
feffions. Let it be recoileded that
Christianity has been landioned by
the opinions of the great est men
which have ever appeared in the
world; that, whether riling or fal
ling, whether true or falfc, it yet
obtains credit with the majority,
and that it is yet so fafhionable as
to command refped for its teachers
even from those who do not believe
its doctrines.f
Let it be rccolledcd too, that
Theatrical reprefcntitiont have met
the approbation of almost all men
in every age and country where they
have been known; and that the
question, whether they tend meft
to virtue or vice, is of lo extremely (
doubtful a nature, that many men ]
of well meaning and well informed
minds, and even profdfors of reli
gion, have not thought it incom
patible with their duty as citizens
and aschriftians to devote a portion
of their time and money to this spe
cies of amusement. The attempts,
therefore, which appear to be ma
king, on the one hand to laugh the
preacher out of countenance, and
on the other, to preach down the
Theatre, are equally futile and ri
diculous. . They will both be sup
ported while men continue to re-
Ipccl religion and to love avnufe
nicnt. I have fecn or heard Icarcc
ly any thing like argument on ei
ther fide, ridicule and abuse seem
to be the only weapons ol their war
fare.
Solomon’s authority has been
vouched to support the pradicc of
dancing, playing brc. 8z adilferent
conftrudlion has been given to his
words and actions, by the other
party ; but I apprehend that any
man of candor and reHecftion who
■will read attentively that part of
Solomon’s writings which has been
alluded to, \viii immediately per
ceive that it makes neither lor nor
against either fide of the question.
When Solomon fays ,f there is a
time to dance” he also fays " there
« a time to build and a time to pull
down” there is a time to gather
stones together and a time to scat
ter them abroa#. Now where is
the merit or demerit of building up
) \
** 1 ■ " *"
t Ido not mean, to inJinuAte that
the A&ors Are infidels 9T have poin
ted their ridicule aguinfi Chrijluint
-o'* I only me An i§ jhev) tlczt the
teachers of Religion are entitled to
ref pen ami the remjen ivby they Arc
so.
and of pulling down, or of gather
ing Hones and of fcartcring them
again? There is certainly none.
They are not moral actions. Now |
if Solomon meant to fanftion, or
condemn the actions there ipecified, i
would he have mentioned among \
them such a number of actions
which, in a moral point of view
cannot be the fubjefts of either ap
probation or censure? The sup
position is absurd.
On the other fide of the question,
we are told from the pulpit that when j
Solomon said “ there ia a time to
dance” he did not mean that frivo
lou* kind of dancing which only ia
to kc met with in our Theatre* and
Ball-Rooms; but a certain kind of
holy dancing, luch probably as Da
vid is recorded to have danced be
fore the ark and luch as fomc of our
modern convert* dance at this day.
N«tr this holy kLnsl of dancing is
not recorded to have happened more
th*» once or twice from the creation
of the world down to the day* of
Solomon. Who that refpehts the
character of Solomon, will believe
that when he was enumerating events
which happened every day he would
have clallod among them one which
wa* completely foliury, which wc
have no rcafon to conclude had ever
happened more than once ? Would I
he have ranked miracle* and com- (
mon occurrences together ? Had hi* 1
meaning been what the reverend
gentleman supposes, he wrote as ab- j
furdly as he would, had he said ** j
there is a time to build, and a time
for a rod to be turned into a serpent
there is a time to pull down, and a
time to divide the red fca, there is a
time to dance, and a time to caufc
the fun and moon to Hand Hill. He
who can believe that Solomon would
have written thus mull entertain ve
ry little refped for his dilcrimina
ting power*, or hi* talent* as a wri
ter.
\ The truth is, Solomon meant not
1 *
to approve or difapprovc of the ac
tions which he ha* there enumera
ted. His intention evidently was
merely to give the outlines of the
great picture of human life, andiu
doing so he ha* {hewn us that it wa*
clTentially in hi* age and country,
just what it ia in oura ; to wit: that
men arc varicufly employed, and
that the lame man is engaged
in different purfuit* at dilferent
times. At one time he is sowing
hi* land, at another reaping his har
vest; at one time he is pullmj down
hi* old buildings, at another creep
ing new ones ; at one time he is en
gaged in bulincf*, at another in a
rnufement.
The writer who calls himfclf
Cantwell (1 do not know whether
he is an ahior or not, nor i* it of a
ny conlequencc) tclit us that Solo
mon had avast number of wives 6c
concubines, and this he confidcrs
an evidence of his being fond of a
“ hit of [port r Dpes not that wri
ter know that the laws and cuftom*
or the Jews permitted poligamy &
that every man was allowed to keep
as many wives and concubines as he
plcafcd, or as many a* he could
maintain ? Does he not know that
a multitude of women was conside
red merely as a badge of greatnrft
and an appendage ot (late ? Does
he not know that the fame laws and
customs prevail in many countries
to this day ? Thcle queftion* must
receive an anlwcr in tlic 9.»iirana>Avr,
if Cantwell poffcffes c.tbcr candor
information. Ann what do these
facts prove? merely Solomon
was a rich and fplcndid monarch.
If m y constructions of the words
and aAions of Solomon be correct,
his authority proves nothing on ci
ther lidc. In the passages relied on
m ■ 1 " -
he has not decided whether imafc
inents arc consonant with icligion
and morality or not. j
The parties mult therefore fcarch
for new arguments for the lupport
of their refpe&ive causes or continue
the use of their old weapons ridicule
and abuse. I appeal to the public
and to the confcicnces of both par
ties. Is it right to abuse Methodist
Miniflers in songs upon the llagc ?
Is it right to dengnate a particular
man of that profelhon in a News-
Paper, by the approbious epethets
of*' Green Horn, Piney-lVoods Pre*~
cher," and canting hypocrite (for
the figruturc ot Cantwell amounts
to that.) On the other hand is it
right to pervert the pulpit, sacred to
the purity of religious worfiiip, to
the purposes ofperfona! (lander and
abuse ? Is is right to declare pub
licly, that the company of ad tors are
wicked and unprincipelc<l enough
to pick mens pockets and rob them
of their coats? If the difputc
is not fettled by the voice of
public candor and oftheir own con
science®, I known of no rcafonablc
grounds on which it can ever be de
cided ; but victory must ultimately
declare herfclf in favor of that fide
which appears to be moit voluble
in abuse and recrimination.
These are the thoughts which have
suggested thcmfelves to me on this
occasion. Some of my oblemtL
ons have arisen from fadts which I
know only from informatioa.
If in any case I have been misin
formed I desire that thcobfervations
predicated upon such falfc infor- •
niation may be' conlidcrcd as already
retradled.
I will conclude by observing that
lam neither an Ad for nor a Preach
er ,' that lam ncithrer a member
of the Thespian Society nor of any
Religious Society, but a candid
unprejudiced
BEHOLDER.
New-York Court of Scflions &c.
[From an account of the Trials «t (aft Court
cf Seflioiw, field in (he city of Ncw.york
wv fele4t the following, n» difplayirg
much If}?,ingenuity *md *»it:]
Michat. Gut.njiN was charged vithha
vsbj (Solan a hat, t) i property of Isaac i ve*.
He was observed by one of the ncigborj, in
the «4t of tskkg it litnj the door of Mr.
Ives; and being and overtake* in
the Fly-Market, with tjie hat o« hu head,
was arretted, and delivered into thj handi of
ju&ke. it vrz* con ten did by Dr. Graham,
(who wej couskl for iho\prifo«er, and who
on all occaHona, even wh.rabw and argu
ment would be unavailing, uever abai lon*
the caste of his client) that cs tire hit had no
lining, u could not in contemplation oflivr
tea complete hat, aud that therefore, no
con viflioo could be had under the indittmcnt
Norwithit juei'ijj ail the ingfenaicy of the
counfid, the jury found the pripner gtiit f,
and the court fenreuccd 3iin» to on* year’s
hzrb labor on the fortifications.
Mary-Amm Stswaht, tho mother of
fercra! young child tan, vnd for advanced in
a (la:c cf pregmucy, warn brought to the b*r
on Friday, to aafurcr to a charge of Healing
tJH-vtr* rn, th« property of James Ifoiloy,
which *rn, on examination, proving to be
plated, the jury acquitted heron rhe inditl
rneuc. She vrti bower?rremanded into cu»V
tod? uniil Saturday, when (hr Grind My,
preferred a bill against her for pin.
hd urn, of the valco of twco/y dollar*, to
which lire pleaded not £i»ilty (lie
conceded the f«.l ia ffca pjqikc-office, at tha
time of her apv^fitnfiop^Vid) thcplsa, that
the crime was lympafftcd ro fat iffy the
gir ofh;r To the rftomfhmcnt of
ever l ' prifodficfcnt, before h? examination
of cvi«L#ce could take place, her buffnm
fteppei forward from among die priioner*,
placing himlclf at ills' r»r, ma lea pablicac
knowledgment, utcier oath, that rm only
was guilty cf the felony, and that hii wife
was perfectly ionoccnr. Tin ho* .r!ry of
tli- Courr, and ot trie Attorasy-Goeral,
permitted this acknowledgment to go to she
Juryataa seqaitfai of the wo:non, and (he
was difekarged accordingly.
Tbe patience of the court war next pat
to a severe trial by petit>ton-j of the inoft
trivial cases, tint merti'ef* min ever per
mitted tacn.»ittiJsr uu (ftflou cooiUra-
ri.m of i jury. A poor forlorn creature of
the name of Bridget Ward was indeed for
(letting a very br# fiift, and u par of old
i flocking, much vvorfr, laid to be tht pro,
pmy of one John Kelly. The only evi
dence agsinit her, was her proftcutor, vrho
tfiftifmd uo ordinary zesl to have her con- -
victcd ; sml, in hii zesl, ovcjfhot tho
bounds of policy snd diferetion. It ap
peared that (he had lived it his family for
two weeks in the capacity of t fetvant »
that flic had not received, and jp was not
intended by her employer that (he IhculJ
receive, any cornpcnfatton (or her ftrviocs j
(hat flic had fifed e pair of old ftockingt he.
longing to him, dnring herfcrviluda ; that
he threatened her with the lair if (hs flioald
take the fan? liberty with any thing clfa 9 ■
that he. wifhsd in vain to get rid of htrj
and that he hid adopted (hit method of prof*
tenting, or. dtfcovciing that (lie had taken
a fhifi which, though in facl it vr«s a bad
(bifr, was well pieced and patched, and
had originally hern made ent of a« old
Hurt. Mr. Smpfon, in that peculiar vein
of farcsflic hamonr, for which he ftsnd#
nruspia'lsd at the American bar, undertook
I her defence. He said, tha (htft was bad,
but it was rot tlie only bad thing conncflcj
with the prevention The witnefj hitnfelf
wj!S a fad dogj and the Jkift, htd ps it
ws«, did net belong to him, but mfft l.«
of the number of thofc fc*r articles, which
are oonfidered in hiw and in equity, the
rxclofire property of the wife. Itfidct;,
the Jh'fi was not a Jkift —it had been made
cat of an old Jhirt ; and he aj.peahd to
Dodtor Graham, who had evinced, during
the feifion?, fach a nicety of difenmina.
tion in the cases of tha hat without a lin
ing, and the value of watches, whether it
was po/fible to make a Jhifi of a fhtrt. Tits
Datltor, with Ids ofatt! ingenuity, decided
in the negative, and affined the court, (*nd
he fpeke from experience) that it requited
two fhsrti to tnrika one Jhift, The imlidl
meat, therefore, Mr, Saropfop contended,
could not on this ground he fitpported. [led
the witness pofftffsd 2 trthe of the benevo
lence of the good old Vicar of Wskerield,
in his eagerness to get rid of the woman,
he would have lent her not only thefc arti
cles, bnt fomeihing more valuable th.in thefr,
that he might enjoy the farisfatiion of find
ing, that flic would never come back to
return them. It was a paltry hufincfij.
perhaps more disgraceful to the tvicnefs than
the ptifoosr j bat since he had made a Jhift
t» place the woman in so degrading a titu- 1
stion, and toprert ut even this Jhijt (bad us
it was) from growing worse, by feruling her
to the fiatc prifiw, he thought the belt Jhift
th# jury could males cf it, would 1m- fo Jhift
he. from the bar—and he(hould fed no ve
ry ft 1 eng emotions of sorrow, to fee the
white {t jhlftei into her place. The jury
took his advice, and returned a verdiftof
*OT O*ILTV.
The fallowing statement, from the A«ne
rirafi, gives, we believe, with great pre
cision, rhs result of the Maryland Election.
The Hor.fc of Delegates will, therefore, !>e
compofcd of 40 republican, and 39 federal
w»?*n>e»c, end rhs Senate of 15 republican
mrmbcii. Tilde will chor.le in j »int
mr«ti(ig the Governor and Federal Senator,
who wili command a republican m;!jcri(y <Jf
16, and the government, cou(Vq>ientTv, ia
all departments, be iikewile republican.
Os the rcprcren.'a.lr'S In C’.ngrds fix
republican and three federal.
National Intelligencer v
,
A Cat natl of an aim'd! inercdibl: fire,
w.sj flight this morning hy the U. States’
foM'ers ftrticned at inn magazine,! oppofipe / '
this city ; it measured ij x 2 inches be*
tween the eyes, 3 ftrt 5 3 4 inches round'
the back part of the head, and weighed lay
potfids!
Ni 'ut.OrleauL paper.
Died on the 5 b initenf, r.t her Inufc f«s
Fnrklin Come, Philadelphia, aged 64,
Tears, Mrs S«rah BvcVc, wife of Richnd
baehc, elq. *n! ooiy daughter of the late
venerable father i;t his Dr. Benja
rr.irt Frarkim. dimes.
O'? the §d inst. the IJilbift Court cf the
\ TJ. S. ir(i met! its f'lTi min Salem, when
his h. o t the judge pronounced the ccnftifu
tio.i.lr.y o( the Embargo laws.
Net, Int,
LONDON PARAOfiA PHS.
The Ladv of a new. made Knight-being
>i<ked to drink a g ! a(s vine, refuted, btcaufe
her phyjtrian had put her upon a regiment,
•winch 'was to drrnk •Hooter, “ < Thtn i Mad
am, Jatd Mr.. .4Herman 6di ch, “ / prejuns
you be long to » ( oIJ-Jf . ia.it,
A C*im. Csn hat imktn place in St. Giles,
iu which a duji-man is the plaintiff, and a
chimney./weefiti tie drjcnian*. The dam.
ages are hud at jo~O,'. Tht parties <1 e
perfeitly in e.armfl, add there is msthi/igp
like C'jcxprom Jt m bujiufjs.