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FOR THE EVENING LEDGER.
MEDITATION TOR TIIE FOURTH OF
JULY.
Knowledge, a’a! not o: th a groat;
Not worth a our frar:
For l ed*, and Demi mu t ad to pot,
11 lovc be absent there.
AS.tint biith-day of our independence, the
glorious fount) ol July is at hand, it set.ms pc
rmtaily proper that we should lie thinking a
little how we may bent perpetuate the blessings
of our political regeneration. To some,indeed,
it may appear an easy matter to .elite that
point. “ Knowledge, know.edge,” f.ay they,
“ is every thing to a people so favored as the
Americans. L<-.t them but know the blessings
ol tlicit own (government, and tlicy will lie sure
to defend them: let them Imt know the evils ol
foreign gov ernfiients, and they’ll be airaid to
incur them.” This is pretty talking, and no
thing else. A fine compliment, indeed, to
m in; that is. to man “ as he should hr,” but not
to man Ur is” —a cieature most selfish and
arrogant—the slave ol his passions—tc rible in
bis hatred—and, when wrought to the i itch by
a furious lust, ready to stab hisrtnolner; to sell
his count'y; to ki> kat Heaven, and to hurl
both soul and boclv into hell. And is a repub
lic to be committed to such madmen? Art
they like, in sale'y to hand down the precious
cargo to latest posterity ? Look to history.—
Long before our lime there were gieat repub
lics in the hoi Id; vvliv did. not Ibis boasted
kn'.nolfdt'r save them? They knew, as well as
we. th and republics are belter than monarchies ;
and that their own safety was bound up with
that of the republic. Vet, we see, that did not
do. Ambitious wretches among them strove
for power; and, because they could not suc
ceed. they furiously destroyed the governments
which they umld not master.
“ I nee the monT, and approve it too ;
“ 1 hate the wkong, and yet the wrong pursue I '
is the experience of all men, until their know
ledge of right is seconded by that good spirit
v hit.li • alone gives power to no it. II you ask,
what is that spirit? 1 answer—Tis Lovk, (ar
dent J'U./iinlUri'/ni.) This, at once ilie sweetest
and strongest of all the ull'ei lions, is appointed
of God as the grand preservative of all soi ie
tn s, but chieily of republics ; because the peo
ple there being most free, can do most harm,
unless restrained by some secret force. T his
secret force, as 1 said, is love; which has the
same benign influence on the moral world, that
gravitation has on the natural It counteracts
the centrifugal and destructive tendencies of
self-love. and. by causing republicans to study
the good of others as their own, it makes them
ah feel th it “ each is lo rw U a dearer self s and
thus hinds then) together by a centripetal im
pulse, strong and indestructible as a rock ufgru
niic. In short, all that Solomon says of that
“ righteousness which exalteth a nation;” all
tint Montesquieu piaisesin that “virtue which
alone pillars up republics;” all that Washing
ton lion's of that “religion, whose importance
to society volumes could not truce”—is “sum
med up in love ; the bond of perfection,” and
(he end of all religion. I his is the true “ sal
of the ear, h.” preserving all societies fiom the
corruption of selfish passions. 1 his is “ the life
of the w.ir/d,” diffusing, (as natural life decs
through the hod’ ) that strong fellovv-leeling
through the niemhcts, ih.it.■when “ one sijf-rs,
ail ‘hr rrxt suffer with him” and arc ready to fly
to take his part.
For glorious proof, look at the little republic
of Sparta. To nuke his dear country men
invincible. Lyrtirgus knew that he must make
tiicin love one another—to kindle this social
love, he knew he must extinguish inordinate
seti-lm e l'o this great end. he divided all the
lands of the republic equally among the chi
zons; a, ,1. by creating a commonness of pro
perty. and sameness of dress and diet, (all ex-
Cefoi.igly pi ,in) he did away pride, luxury and
strife, and thus brought t ent, ii a wonderful
degree, m leel the giowings of the brotherly
.v rj> l'ljis spn it, descending into their hearts,
rendered them terrible in the field as an army
ot brothers, each lighting for lives dearer than
his ovv i. On the brink of battle for their coun
try, thev needed no speech from their general
t, ettflmie their valour: one tender glance,
thrown back on the land of heir brothers , and
i istantjy every bosom glowed with that spirit
which “ smiles on the drawn faulchion, and de
fies its edge.” The trumpet’s clangor is mu
sic in their ears, and they rush to the charge
with eyes of lions, burning for slaughter.—
1 heir swords ri e high in the bloody strife;
wade, with close-compacted squadrons, they
hurst through the ranks of mercenary enemies,
the bounding ships through y ielding waves.
For five bundled years, even all the time
that they possessed tins brotherly spirit, they
rem fined invincible ; and stood, though hut a
lit'ic people, in the midst of the great neigh
bm fi g monarchies, like a rock in the midst of
tin* ocean defying all its storms, and, from
sides ul adamant, easily dashing its loud, thun
do,i’vg Ifiiiows.
No country affords a nobler proof of the guar
dian power of love than our own. Turn, for ex
ample. to N'evv-Englund. ’ l is well known, that
New-i'.t od was settled by a colony who left
their mi e Britain for conscience*sake. To the
l.,nd ii ’.l'.-iv e vile they brought vvithlhein their
red rion; which, partly perhaps for want of
other consolations, they cultivated will great
real. 1 heir week-day hours were spent in in-
B'’cent and hi ppy labours, and on the sabbath
they all went to church, where thev were
taught that “God is love;” anal that lie who
1"’ eih most, shall be the most happy. Suitable
to such subli ne doctrines were the morals of
Ute hearers. I‘hose who owed any thing, paid
with pleasure; those who promised, performed
with punctuality. Superiors spoke with mild
ness, and interiors obeyed with alacrity. The
rich were like guardians to the poor, and the
poor as children to the rich—and whenevei
they met, they met like brethren, every man’s
lace shining upo.i his neighbor. \\ hat was
the result ? Why, the people of New-Lngland
grew up togetliei as one great family ; the
blow that struck one was felt by all, and excit
ed a rage dangerous to the strongest assailail.
\\ ltncss the 19th of April, 1775, when a thou
sand iliitish regulars tired on a company of
sixty-four militia-men, at the little town of
Concord. Six of the militia men were siiot
down. See there the effect of that love winch
is e>’er ready “ to lay down its life for its
friends.” At sight ot their beloved neighbors’
wclteiing in blood, the rage of the tanners rtse
to a pitch that defied all consequences. 1 Ley
returned the file upon the enemy. Thotgh
hut sixty against a thousand, they returned the
lire!—Eveiy voley fired by the British en
raged the neighboring farmeis as though it hud
been levelle ,at their own bte. sts. “ Ihe Bi -
tisli are murdering our friends,” was the reite
rated eiy. Instantly, all who heard the cry
throw down the implements of husbandry, anti
flew to .Ncir houses—not to hide their plalc,
nor to stow away their pituurd, but to snatch
the arms of vengeance. Pouiing m from every
quurtcr were seen crowds of sturdy peasants,
with flushed checks and fiery ctcs, eager for
battle. Nay, age itself forgot its wonted infir
mities; and hands long palsied with years
threw aside the cushion’d-crutch, and grasp’d
the deadly fire-lock. In brief, the farmeis at*
ta< ken tiie British regulars wnh such fury, that
they killed and took nearly one-fourth ot then
whole mnnher !—A .H iking proof how close
men will stick together, and how dcspeiately
they will fight for one another, w hen they 10. k.
But change the case,mid say what becomes of
a republic, when love, its /infer life , is gone ?
Why, ii ice the luimui body whose natural ale
is extinct, it runs t dissolution—and then,
“ hut ful, and hating ore another ,” its members
all separate and tall u pieces, like a rope of
sand.
And suppose again Uat the above “ yankee
doodlc,” so bravely pliyed at Concord, .had
happened under some of tiie European despot
isms, wheie women ant children have been
known to starve, while the nobleman’) dogs
were wallowing in fat!! and where pour me
chanics, after all their latpurs, hardly durst tap
at the rich man’s gate tor their pay!—l ask,
would the poor men here, have rushed tc arms
as they did ; t Cuncurtt, aixl have run the risk of
fife and limb to defend such oppressors? 1
think not. 1 lather think, it likely they would
have joined the invader, and assisted t> cut
their tyrants’ throats, for the chance of a better
older of tilings.
From these reflections, tho’ few and simple,
we may coliect some good fourth-of-July ttieas.
\\ e may learn, at least, vvliat it is that conslt
tutes the truly valuable in political character—
not he who knows most but he who lovjs
most, is the best republican. Such an one Wil
abound most in moral duties, which, as tie
Apostle s.iv s, are “ profitable unto men.” aid
never Lil to win their i.ovk. Love gives umqv
—union giv es sthknotm ; and strength give,
securely and duration, liiclecd, love isasel
sential to the republican as to the Christian ch
racter ; and, tiiough 1 will not say, no mail oui
be a republican wno is not a Christian, 1 vvil
confidently assert, no mail can he a cluisiiu)
without being a republican. Let him but “ lov
his neighbour us /urns if ” and lie cannot fail u
he as lender of his neighbour’s interest as of hi,
own ; and will, as by anew instinct, becomt
that industrious, frugal, honest and humane
character we call a republican. Whoever
fails of /tier manners and virtues, has not love,
and whoever has not love, is not a Christian,
nor a republican ; but an aristocratic usurper
of the lights oi others—a thief and robber, de
ny ing them that comforting respect to which,
as honest equals, they have claim; or withhold
ing from them the w ell-earned rewards of their
labours.
In short, love, with her graces and virtues,
are the very ligaments of a republic ; which
they alone brace up to healthiest tone, and en
due with all its noblest elasticities and energies.
Whoever, therefore, by fraud or vidence, sins
against the law of love, is, so far forth, a traitor
and murderer of his country. He cuts the sa
cred bonds that unite her children ! and every
such stroke ensures her downfall—every suen
blow diives a mu. in her coffin !
F'ar, then, above the prcciousvvedge of Ophir
let us prize that love which, by consolidating,
preserves all worlds ; and equal to the tire of
hell let us abhor that injustice , which makes
“mint an enemy to man and, hv dividing,’
desti oys nations. As only a variety of the same
infernal spirit, let us equally detest those bitter
speeches which sometimes run like streams of
gall through some of our newspapers. Thev
are utterly incongruous with our national cha
racter. The manners of a ever
resemble their government ; and, as out’s is
the mildest on earth, our language should be
the soitest. Those abusive speeches, there
fore, cannot he natives : they must certainly
be exotics; the natural growth of foreign des
potisms, where injured men are taught to curse,
ami. coming over here, they curse by habit.
1 hey also disgrace our glorious cause. Let
those, who wish for a nation of king and slaves
vilify such as cannot think as they do. Their
cause is had, their weapons can hardly he ex
pected to he better. But we, who wish for a
nation of equ tls, and therefore ot brothers • must
know we possess a portion of the same spirit
with superior beings, and should feel ourselves
too nearly allied to Heaven to he agitated bv
such low passions. For, to what serves con
scious Inncccnce and truth, but *o inspire the
soul with serenity and grandeur. Let us learn
to measure men by that truest standard, the
moral tendency of their wishes ; and to pity or
praise accordingly. If there be thore who
wish to exalt the few, on the degradation of
the ma ny, shall we hate and revile them for
it ? God forbid l Minds so void of the truth,
hearts so destitute of love, you are no objects
of hatred. Children of prejudice, you are
wretched enough already 1 Convinced that you
are in the wrong, heartily would we pity you !
and, persuaded that we are in the right, we
will “ go on our way rejoicing.”
M. L. WEEMS.
Savannah, July 1, 1807.
Continuntion of late F.uropenn News,
Received via Philadelphia and JVt vj- York.
Constantinople, March 11.
Firmans have been sent to all the Barbary
regencies, charging them to send out their
cruisers against the English merchantmen.
Another measure, which must press severely
on trade, is the general decree, adopted both
in the Ottoman and Persian states, not only
against English merchandise, hut against the
English factories. Every tiling that is Eng
lish, is ordered to he confiscated in both em
pires.
Jlfppo, January I.— The Persians make a
common cause with the Turks, and attack, at
once, the Russians and English. Ail the Eng
lish factories have been seized, and the corres
pondence from England with the East-Indies,
by the way of Persia, must at this moment be
stopped.
Mei.mo, April 7.
Dispatches were yesterday received from
the governor of Pomerania, announcing the re
treat of the French from thence. The Swedish
troops followed them closely, and annoyed them
much. The French abandoned their batte
ries, and entrenchments before Straisund. A
combat took place at Lussow, at Slide: hagen
and at Voiglehagen. The Swedes took pos
session of Loitz and Griswald, on the 2d April,
on the 2d, of Dominien and of Anclani. At
the latter place. 1995 Fredericks d’or,'and 30U0
crowns, belonging to the French military chest,
were taken ; in the other places a quantity of
arms and stores were captured. One thou
sand French soldiers and 20 officers were taken;
among the latter a French colonel.
Bamberg, April 10.
The St. Petersburgh court gazette of the 6th
March, under the head of Koningsbcrg, contains
the following article :
“ The French general Bertrand arrived here
from the French head-quarters, and In s also
set out for JMemel. AN e arc ignorant of the
object of his mission, but whatever may he the
nature of his propositions, his majesty is firmly
determined to reject all negotiations which
shall relate to the Prussian monarchy exclu
sively, and not to take any steps without the
consent of Russia and England, his allies.”
The mouth of the Oder is to be declared in a
state ol blockade.
Banks of ihe Elbe, April 17.
The news ol a British army coming into this
river, lias excited t e most sanguine expecta
tions among ail classes ol the inhabitants and
an equal degree of dismay among the Dtiicti
troops, among w hom, a spirit of discontent and
mutiny has lately prevailed, partictilaily tne
day before yesterday, when several eetacli
ments were marched from Hamburgh, on
the way to Lubeck, tor the defence of ih„i
city, whose governor and garrison hourly fear
ed to be attacked by a corps of victotious
Swedes, of whom, scouring parties of hoi se
weic seen near Bergedoiff, a few nights ago.
On this account, most of the Dutch at Ham
burgh, were ordered to march to that little
town, sit * cl half way between the former
town and Lubeck On this occasion, many ot
the soldiers openly mutinied, swore they would
throw away their arms, and go over to the
Swedes or the Prussians. The mutiny grew
so serious, that some actually threw down their
arms, and waving their hats in the air, called
aloud. “ long live the kings of .Sweden and Prus
sia ! \Ve wont fight without pay! We wont fight
against our fi tends 1” It was found necesary to
employ martial law against some of the rioters,
who were sent off, tied on waggons, and several
of them huv e since been tried by a council of war
and shot.
In different parts of Pomerania and the
duchy of Mecklenburg, the Dutch threw down
their arms at the approach of the Swedes, and
surrendered themselves prisoners. Besides
Rostock, the Swedes had also taken Prentzlaw,
at a small distance from Stettin, to which place
2000 Dutch troops had retreated from Mecklen
burg. They were also masters of Uckennunde,
Wolliti, Usedom, kc.
All the news ofan armistice between the bel
ligerent powers of the conduct, as well as the
intelligence of negociations for peace having
been opened between France, on the one part,
and Russia and Prussia on the other, are idle
talcs.
London, April 23.
House of Commons. —Mr. Lushington wished
to put a question to ministers respecting a ve
ry alarming report which had pervaded the ci
ty during the day, of a dreadful disturbance
having broken out in Madras. The rumor had
been very prevalent, and he wished to leant
whether ministers had heard of it.
Lord Gas lereagh replied, that certainly hi
majesty’s ministers had heard of some distur
bances in the remote territories of Madras*;
hut thev were not aware of any thing oi that
description in or near the seal of government.
April 24.
There appears to be some foundation for a
rumour which was circulated in the course of
yesterday evening, and which this morning
maintained its credit upon the exchange,
namely, that Hamburgh and dependencies had
been evacuated by the French, ‘i he evacua
tion was unavoidable, from the .moment the
blockade of Straisund vva6 i aised.
April 25.
Paris papers have arrived to the 17th, and
Dutch to the 22d—they have brought us the
69th bulletin ; dated from Firkenstein the 4ih
inst. It does not contain any intelligence of
the least importance ; not a single shot, we
are told, had been fired by the advanced posts
for a fortnight. Bonaparte was going to in
spect the line front Elbingto Maiienwerder.
The vvhole line from Warsaw to Thorn and
Marienberg is putting in a state of defence.
Nothing is said of a general battle being about
to take place ; but the preparations making on
both sides prove that it is at hand.
Firkenstein, whither the French head-quar
tcis have been removed, is SO English miles
further back than Osierode. No cause is as
signed for the removal.
Bonaparte, w hose attention seems to be as
much directed to Turkey as to Poland, wolud
have us believe that the Russians in the Turk
ish territories have been beaten in every affair
with the Turks. But all the rumours of these
successes over the Russians are without foun
dation.
Extract from the 69th bulletin.
“ The health of the emperor continues ex
cellent : it is even remarked that it appeals
belter than formerly. Some days his majesty
makes excursions to the distance of forty miles
on horseback. At Warsaw, it was last week
believed, that the emperor had arrived there
about ten o’clock at night. The whole town
was immediately and voluntarily illuminated.”
April 27.
Sir A. Paget is appointed ambassador to
Turkey. There is still, therefore, an expec
tation of negocLting with that powrer.
Dispatches to April 20. have been received
from our squadron off Rochfort. The French
fleet of six sail of the line has gone into the in
ner harbor, and been entirely dismantled. The
crews were landed.
Great nicety and good sense will be requir
ed to re-establish our relations with Russia on
the friendly footing they were.
The murder of the Pacha of Belgrade, with
all the Janissaries, their wives and children, by
the Servians, while leaving the province under
a Servian escort, will, it is feared, he follow ed
by that of the Turks in all Servia. ’
Embarkations are going on with activity,
detachments of ships of the line and frigates,
with .gun-brigs and bombs, are now daily leav
ing the Downs for Yarmouth roads, to join tho
grand naval armament.
The Danish government have been secret
ly and sedulously preparing their navy and ma
rine for service. They have 21 s.fil of the line,
and 13 h igales, not rigged, Lut with their stoi es
on board.
Two British commanders warned an Ame
rican ship from entering Antwerp, as in a state
ot blockade. The British government have
offii ially expressed their disapprobation of ihe
conduct of those commanders.
‘1 he following is a copy of a letter from ths
Hague, dated the 17th inst. alludit g to this,
among other interesting topics :
“ Although it is prettv generally acknow
ledged, that the Dutch troops have sustained
considerable loss before Straisund, no official
report ol that affair has as yet appeared. It is
said, that only 12 men of one battalion remain ;
and that the park of artillery fell into the ene
my’s hands Ihe remains of the besieging
army are now in the duchy of Mecklenburg h.
Ring Louis is much indisposed ; it is said he
is much affected at the reverses which our ar
my has sustained.”
April 28.
Political Retrospect. —No intelligence of any
importance lias been received from the conti
nent. Paris papers to the 17th. and Dutch to
the 22d inst. have come to hand, they contain
the 69th bulletin of the French army, dated at
Firkenstein on the 4th. It states that not a shot
has been fired at the advanced posts during the
fifteen preceding days, it is supposed that
his suspension of active hostilities is connec
ted in some degree with the negociations for
peace, which are said to be carrying on at Me
mel, as it were in the presence of the king of
Prussia and the emperor ol Russia, who has
been for some time at that place. Both ar
mies have received considerable reinforce
ments. The French are making the most ac
tive preparations. They continue to drain the
country behind them of every disposable man,
in order to strengthen themselves for a conflict,
which, should it take place, will be decisive of
he fate of Europe. In the event of the result
of this conflict being against them, they are
putting ‘lie fortresses they possess on the Vis
tula in -the most effectual state of defence,
while they continue to push the sieges of Daul
zick and Colberg with increased activity. The
contending powers must now he able to esti
mate their ability to do each other all the mis
chief originally intended, and by this time must
he heartily tired of a contest, calculated to pro
duce ruin and destruction to all the parties en
gaged in it.
Hie real state of British affairs at Constan
tinople is involved in the thickest veil of mys
tery ; no official accounts have been received
from admiral Duckworth, and the whole of the
accounts ot the British fleet having passed out
if the straits, must be mere rumor and conjee
lure.