The Georgia journal. (Milledgeville, Ga.) 1809-1847, March 27, 1810, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

THE G EOF GIA JOURNAL. VOL. I. MILLEl)GEV1LLE, TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 1810. No. 22. I’UPUSHCD BY SEATON ORANTLAND, (l'RINTER TO THE STATE,) ON JEF- j FERSON STREET, OPPOSITE. THE NORTH END Of THE STATE-HOUSE. TERMS THREE DOLLARS PER AN NUM, ONE HALF TO BE PAID IN AD VANCE ADVERTISEMENTS WILL BE THANK- withstanding his age, to hear the fa tigues of war, fully as well as when he was a young man.” “ An officer of his staff lost, bv gambling, sixty thousand roubles, belonging to the military chest (about ten thousand guineas). Souworrow immediately sent for the officer, pun- AT THE CUSTOMARY PRICES. fully received, and published ishcd him, and wrote to the em press : “ An officer has taken sixty thousand roubles from the treasury of the army ; but before your majes ty shall receive this letter, the money will have been refunded into the mi- itary chest, out of my own proper J\culictnttes of A A rshul Svitxvoi ■ oxe* In the campaign ol 1771, in which he served as major general, he re ceived information that the marshal of Lithuania was forming an annv of Poles at Stalovvitz* He imme diately gave notice of it to Boutour- lin, commander in chief of the Rus sian army, a very cautious and indo lent man ; requesting at the same time an order for attacking them— Boutourlin, knowing that Souwor row had only a few hundred men un der him, expressly lorbade him, to undertake any thing. But Souwor row, who, that every instant, had learned that the Polish confederates had defeated the Petersburg regi meat, that their numbers were daily increasing, and already exceeded five thousand, judged that he could not delay lor one moment, the de struction of a nucleus, already too considerable. He hastily collected his little army, amounting to one thou sand msn only, and marched in quest of the enemy. In tour days he marched upwards of fifty leagues, fell unexpectly upon the Poles, m the middle of the night, and dispersed them and took Stuiowitz, with twelve pieces of cannon. The day alter he followed up his victory, and destroy ed whatever had escaped from the first battle. He then hastened to transmit to Boutourlin, the details of this daring expedition, by writing to him: k ‘ As a soldier I have diso beyed ; I must be punished ; and I send you my sword—But as a Rus sian, I have done my duty, in destro) - ing the confederate forces, which we could not have withstood had they been allowed sufficient time in which to collect.” Boutourlin, was wonder struck. Not knowing in what man ner to act towards Souwoirow, he determined to write to the empress for orders. On the receipt of his letter, Catherine wrote to the victo rious general: “ Marshal Boutourlin, as your chief, must put you under an "arrest, to punish the want of su bordination in the soldier; ns youi sovereign, I reserve to mjselt the pleasure ol recompensing the zeal of the faithful subject, who, by a splen did action, has so well served his country.” Site sent him the order of St. Alexander.” u On one point, this old warrior showed a weakness. It respected his age. He could not bear to be put in mind of it and carefully avoided whatever might recall it to his me mory. For this reason,looking-glas ses were taken away, or covered, in his apartments, or wherever he went on a visit. Nothing was more co mical than to see him pass belorc a looking-glass. When by mischance, he perceived one, he would run, shutting his eyes, and making all v Vind of wry faces, till he was out of the room. “ It would be a great mistake, how ever,” observes the author, “ to con sidcr this oddity, as produced by su tv. It is but fair that I shall be answerable for the officers w hich I employ.” “ Souworrow always delighted in re taining soldier-like manners. When saluting any one, he would stop, turn his toes out, stand erect, put back his shoulders, as on parade, and carry his right hand opened to the right side of his little helmet, as soldiers do when iluting one of their commanders. When he wanted to show a higher de gree of consideration, he would stoop very low, with a tolerably ill grace, without altering the position of his arms or feet.” “ Souworrow was deeply learned in ancient & modern history ; and knew intimately the details of the private life of the celebrated generals who had preceded him. He spoke eight languages ; and expressed himself in French with as much facility as if he had been horn in Franee. He was an utter stranger to all refinement in style. His mode of writing, and of speaking, avas short, concise, energe- tick, original,& unconnected. Every one of his phrases of three or four words formed a complete sense and sentence. But, this laconicism was above the comprehension of many, and especially of foreigners, who saw in it nothing but enigmas. He seldom wrote himself ; and avoided, above all things, negociations which were to be carried on in writing. A pen would he say, looks aukward in tin hand of a soldier. There are, accord ingly, but few letters extant, entirely in bis own hand-writing. He wrote the following on the head of a drum, amid the smoking ruins of Tour- tonkaya, to the field-marshal Roman zo(F, to announce to him the taking of that place : Slaxvo Boer on, slaxvo box van ! Glory to God ! Glory to thee ! Tmtrtankayaxvoiala in tarn. Tourtankaya taken is by me. “ Whatever came from his pen had the same characteristic energy & con ciseness. Usually, he gave the subject of his letters to one of his staffofficers, who, from his instructions, wrote them, & brought them to him for his signature “ He was in the habit of frequently haranguing his troops ; but he had not, on those occasions, the same merit of conciseness. His orations lasted an hour, sometimes two ; even in the middle of winter, “ I recollect,” says the author, “ that one day, in the month of January, on the parade in the grand square of Warsaw, it was 11 o’clock, a body of 10,000 men, formed in a hollow square, fil led that place. The cold was in tense, a penetrating sleet fell from the icy heavens. In the middle of that square battalion, the Marshal, clad only in his white dimity jacket, began his usual harangue. He soon perceived that the inclemency of the engaging manners* and of a counte nance and figure the moRf engaging and prepossessing, heid improved fine natural parts by .the discipline of a classical education in England. Af ter having laid in a competent stock of general learning, he had 1 given a professional direction to his mind, by passing the necessary number of terms at the inns of court, and he ar rived in Virginia with the reputation of commanding talents and consider able legal erudition.-—In a country where there were no colleges and scarcely a school where the first ele comparing his means with the ends diagnostics of innocence and moral he had in view, to steer clear of pro jects above his strength, and to li- excellcncy. If sir, having seized the villain who has violated mv \i ile, mit his ambition to the just points oi !I should bring him before a tribunal resistance and obedience. But even though* these points are decided a- gainst him, it will detract littlfc from his real fame. When the liberties of cf justice, what Would be your opini on of the Judge who should order, that I, the innocent, injured man, must cast lots with the guilty which a people arc in danger, or have been of us must die ? Would not your violated, it is perhaps right to trust|heart chill at such a sentence : ments of language could lie acquired ; perannuate pr tensions to r r'I I l I I I'll season made his speech appear much too long : and hereupon he deter mined to make it last two hours. Even hearer returned to quarters benumbed with cold ; and almost e verv one, generals, officers, and sol diers, all took cold. The Mar beauty.— The marshal himself often made mer ry with his own countenance ; and as to his singular aversion for look ing-glasses, I have heard him repeat fivquentlv, that he never looked at himself in order to avoid being made sensible of the havock of time ; andjshal escaped the disorder notwith that he might continue to believe standing his dimity jacket. I sel- himself still able to execute the same dom saw him so gay. Perpetual military enterprizes as in his youth,'coughings echoed through his apart- for the same reason, whenever hej mclUs . This pleased him highly, found a chair in his way, he wouldjHe enjoyed himself in the idea, that leap over it, to show that he retain-jhe had given his army the exampl cd his activity. It was also for the 0 f bidding defiance to fatigues, t< same cause that be seldom walked, winter and all its horrors.” hut always ran, particularly when coming into, or going out of his a- partimnt. Nor was lie detcri cd lrom so doing by the most numerous com pany. He would even redouble his capers, and his anticks of every kind, before strangers ol high rank ; to convince them, that hj^ was aolenof- Tbc following character of General Nathaniel Bacon, who headed the Rebellion in Virginia in the year 1075—0, is extracted from the 2d Volume of the History ol that state by J.l). Burke, Esq. “ NATH’*. BACON, a youth of might where there were no lawyers, and scarcely any knowledge of the science of jurisprudence, it will he easily imagined in what respect and estima tion acquirements like those of Mr. Bacon would he regarded. After a short probation he was admitted to a seat in the council, and at the peri od we are now describing, he was second to no one in the colony in figure and estimation. “ Attracted either by curiosity or led hv the public sympathy, which at this time appeared to he general, he had mixed in the croud : But what ever might have been his object, he for some time cautiously preserved that guarded silence and reserve be fitting his character and situation. Possibly he was desirous ol ascer taining what reliance might be pla ced on the constancy of the people before he declared himself. But the moment the attention of the multi tude became decidedly fixed on him and he was withloud shouts proclaim ed their leader, his reserve vanished: The suggestions of cautious policy were drowned in the shouts of the people, or lost in the eclat of being regarded as one of the asserters of human rights and a leader of the ar mies of freedom. It has been suggested that his motives were of a less enlarged ant: disinterested nature. But thesv. charges could have been made only by men unacquainted with the cir cumstances of Virginia. For any purposes of fortune or advancement, Bacon could not be benefited by civil war. He might lose much, but could not possibly add to his power & consideration. We must then regard him not as the desperate adven turer, a bankrupt in fortune and rc putation : But a youth amiable and popular ; of bright hopes and shining talents, and already advanced to the first offices in the government. He might have mistaken the true inte rests of his country. He may per haps incur the charge of rashness Sc indiscretion : But it is Hot possible, with a full knowledge of all the cir cumstances, to doubt either his ho nesty or sincerity. “ The chief reliance of Bacon was on himself. He visited in person all the military positions : animating the zealous, and confirming the wa vering, by his arguments and exam ple. In the prosecution of this plan, the labors, watchings, and difficulties he had to encounter, acting on a vio lent cold he had contracted in the trenches before James-Town, began to make a manifest impression on his health. A slight diarrhea, wanting at first little more than rest to re move it, unskilfully treated, was dai ly acquiring a fixed and permanent habit in his constitution. But h did not permit his zeal and exertions to slacken on this account; and al though the fatal ravages on his health were visible to all, no one could dis cern the least diminution of his ar dor, or the slightest abatement of his 1 abors. Death at length ouvertook him at the house of a doctor Pate in Gloster county : hut though diligent search was afterwards made lor his body hv sir William Berkeley, the pi ety of friendship preserved his re mains from the insults which the cow ardly malignity of governments ex ercise on llieir dead victims. A sanguine temper, a hold and dauntless courage, great promptness ind decision of character, added to a presence of mind that rarely desert ed him ; these appear to he the envi able qualities of this man. It is at tended with some doubt whether lie possessed, in the same eminent de gree, those cooler properties, whicl less to the doubtful virtue of calcula tions, and the cold suggestions of prudence, than to the ardor and en thusiasm of liberty, and all the hero ism and glory they \viil inspire. Le onidas with his handful of patriots, at the streights of Thcrmopvks, is an object better calculated to command our reverence, and excite our admi ration, than the great king mov ing at the head of his millions, and surrounded with all the pomp of Would > ou not pvouounce it contra ry to reason, to common sense 8c jus tice ? You surely would. In the case* of duelling, the public is the judge. I receive an injury which nothing hut life can atona ; I do not appeal to the public ; no, sir, the public officiously interferes and condemns m-, under the penalty jaf perpetual disgrace, to cast lots with the aggressor, which of us must die. Was there ever any eastern magnificence. “ Uie life of Bacon, as it appears in his actions, iurnishes proofs of a nature less equivocal. Active, vigi- lenf, patient, enterprising, although unacquainted with arms, the moment the energies oi his mind were direct ed to this pursuit, lie displayed all the qualities neceasarv to exalt and adorn it. A faithful friend, his as sociates never had to complain of the sacrifice of their persons or pro perties by any mean or selfish com promise of their leader. He disdain ed to make his reputation the step ping stone to his own advancement and to his honor it should he menti oned, that while sir William Berke ley was daily executing men by mock trials, or by the summary process of martial law, at the time when he had scarcely a foot of ground to stand on Bacon flushed with victory, and in possession of all the resources of the country, was never reproached with shedding a single drop of innocent ilood, save what was unavoidably spilt in the heat and hurry of battle. Had this man’s position on the globe been more favorable, or his means more ample, it is not easy to sayjhow exalted had been his rank in history. He might have been the Brutus or the Cromwell of his coun try : hut as it is, he is fated to pas off without fame and almost without notice—A striking instance how much merit is under the controul o! times and circumstances.” thing more preposterous ! more a- REMARKS By Mr, NO LAX l), on the Bill lately passed by the Legislature of / r , gtnia, to surerks's duelling. Mr. Speaker—The hill which has been read, i3 one which claims the se rious atter/Jon of every member of us. bominubly absurd ! It is the opinion of many, sir, that duelling is an evil which will correct itself ; while others say, it is of little concern to the rational and virtuous part of mankind, in what manner fools and knaves, rid the world of each other, as it will not deprive so ciety of one valuable member ; hut daily experience convinces us that both those opinions arc incorrect; for while the evil is growing to an alarming height, we find that some of our, best citizens have exposed their lives, while others have fallen victims to this abominable practice—and will the collected wisdom of this Com monwealth make no effort to suppress this sanguinary and 'growing evil ? Will the enlightened Legislature of Virginia make no stand against the current of public opinion ? I hope, I trust they will. Sir, so long as it is believed that the practice of duel ling is sanctioned by public opinion, there is no man, who is anxious to maintain his social standing, can re fuse what is termed an honorable call. No matter how much his moral and religious principles may he opposed to the practice—no matter though he may have a wife and children de pending on his exertions lor their daily bread—no matter how great claims his country may have on his talents, in critical and trying times —lie loses sight of all, in "the dread ful idea of being stigmatised as a cow ard—Pejus que letho stagitium timet —He seizes the fatal weapon—he marches to the combat—receives the mortal wound, and leaves a discon solate widow and a mimber of li ip- less orphans to mourn their irrep ira- ble loss This, sir, is not fancy this House : it is one in which even member of this body—in which ever} citizen of Virginia is deeply interest ed.—The practice of duelling seems to he an unnatural graft on genuine courage, growing out of a barbarous age ; for we find that it was first in troduced by the Goths and Vandals, during the days of their ignorance and barbarism. The polite and po lished nations of Greece and Rome, who were ever prodigal of their blood, when in defence of their country’s rights, knew nothing of this detesta ble practice, which appears to he Isa*. these are scenes, that frequently, ve- ty frequently, pass in review before Pass this bill and vou put a stop to the evil passtliis hill and you place a shield between the man of feeling and public opinion—you raise a harrier in the road to honor and preferment, at which the ambi tious man will pause and reflect ’ere he rashly engages in a duel—pass this bill, and I will venture to predict, that you will preserve the lives of man} - , of very many valuable citizens, —Had a similar hill been passed at last session, it would have been attend ed with the very best of consequen ces : We should not now be foment- the loss of a Pope, a floor and built on an infinity of absurdities—a Smith—on us, in part, res's the because, while it seems to suppose,'blame of robbing Society of those that a man’s honor ought to he dearer able and useful members on us sir, to him than his life, it at the same in part rests the blame of preparing time supposes, that this honor is in affliction for the widow’s heart, of fil- the power of every unprincipled vil- ling the orphan's eves with tears, and lain that can invent or tell a lie—of.bringing trouble and misfortune on every careless or ill bred person that numerous relatives. As fathers, may jostle him in his way : it sup- then—as brothers—as inert, and as poses, that a lie may become true and Legislators, I call upon this House honorable, provided the person whojto suppress an evil which strikes at tells it is willing to fight in support otjyou in all these tender relations.—1 it, and that any crime whatever may call on you to set an example worthv become honorable by fighting in its of yourselves and of those you rc- delcnce ; it supposes that the man present; and should this hill not have who is covered with guilt, who has'the desired effect, vou will enjoy the wounded the peace of his friend, hyjconsolation of having performed your staining the character of his wife or duty. Before I ret down, I give no- of his daughter, becomes at once an tice, I shall call for the Aves and honorable man, by heroically wash-jNocs. 1 ain anxious to have mv ingout those stains in the blood ofiname recorded on this question—1 the husband or the father : it further supposes that it is better for a man to he condemned by his own consci ence, and by the virtuous and rati onal part of mankind, than to suffer one moment in the opinion of the ad vocates of duelling : finiuly, that wish to enter my protest against du elling.—There are some gentlemen, Mr. Speaker (far he it from me to insinuate that there are any in this> Assembly) who, though opposed to he principle of duelling, do not wish to proclaitb their sentiments to the enabled ‘him, hy^teel and gunpowde r are the true world^ J»-sc they should he suspected