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TOR the evening ledger.
TO THE CITIZf -S Ct SAVANNAH.
The ‘lme is at hand when we shall Lc railed
upon by ‘ law .f ‘he state, pa?w ■ a* the U/t
v- -aion of ti.*- ‘ {risi rare, to excici x. our cltc
ti : f..u.clti.c. in choosing ftom the ihizensof
s.- • nh gene vlly, tour'eenpetsorrtto repre
sent iu i|| > i*y courii.il f<i the er.stfi: g year
As, a*. the i•.. <nt of their election, vie shall
Ji e de egj'eri to them powers of rmgiitnrie
and imjtorf'tnc* ■,flirting in very many ia-
Btanres, our ecu rest rights and pi ivileges, it
i.nptovi lerr.'y use. - ' —arid, at a moment like the
p e'e.nt. n hen ti •• ‘ k clout 01 wai is leanyto
burst upon our country —it rettrinly behoves
us to mike the selection with great care and
attention.
On the day t,f election, then, let every well
wisher to the country appear a* ‘he poll, di -
termined to vote only for persons o! sound
principles, of political honesty and integrity,
tested by more convincing proofs than t'eir
bare say-so.
Ac's a p e stroller than words, and afford
much belter evidence of tni'h ; professions are
idle as the wind, if not supported by them.
Because one says I am a republican, or I
am a democrat, he is not to lie either implicitly
believed oi relied upon, without circumstances
of higher authority trn ; hr word are addtio <i
to prove the fact. He may he an office-hunter 1 ,
arid therefore it may he hi > i, tv rest to tempo
rise. He rr.;.y be a r.r.iry demagogue, thirsting
for power orijv, withon; a panicle of patriotism
in his composition ; or he may be a mercenary
rep'ile, seeking for an opportunity to deform
the fairest features of our hippy government,
poiv the mildest and yet the most efficacious m
the world.
The f. re.going rema’ ks are intended to apply
to no particular individuals.
A SUBSCRIBER
Characteristic Anecdote of Admiral Berkeley.
The honorable admiral Berkeley, then only jj
a captain in the British navy, commanded the
Marlborough in lord Howe’s memorable en
gagement, on the Ist of June. Early on that
day, he got a scratch on the head, so very
slight, that a midshipman would have been
ashamed to have mentioned it to the standers
by during such an engagement. The honor
able captain, however, thought fit to be prevail
ed upon to go down to the cock-pit, to have
Care taken of his wound, for fear of consequen
ces, leaving the command of the vessel to the
eldest lieutenant, who being a poor Hibernian,
Unfriended by any thing but his own heart and
bands, and of course, without interest at the ad
miralty, thought that this wasa glorious golden
Opportunity to make a dash , and recommend
himself to promotion, by some very extraordi
nary deed of prowess. He accordingly lost no
time in running up the Marlborough, where
be thought she would h ve enough of pepper
ing, and where she soon caught the vigilant
eve of the brave Howe, who, with his spy-glass,
perceived her very busily employed m paying
her best compliments to three French line of
battle ships, one of which raked her fore and
aft. Astonished and concerned at her situa
tion, his lordship hastily called to Sir Roger
Curtis, his c aptain, and s.ii I, “ \\ hv, Sir Ho
gs r 1 Sir Roger ! What, in the name of Heav
en, cat; be the matter with the Marlborough
Sir Roger, who knew Berkeley, and was keen,
s..> and witty, as well as brave and hu
rt me, looked, for a moment, through his glass
at the Marlborough, then turning round to lord
II >we, drily replied. “ / don’t koow, rev, lord; but
J should i''u.g n , from the cun urt of the Mart
b ough, Hut cap.ain Berkeley has been killed ”
The following narrati.e is from Moses Wil
liams. an old continental soldier, who farms a
plantation adjoining Lvnhaven inlet. The
next morning after the late capture of the boat
and officers, a tender came near the shore ; a
lit t:tenant of the British navy got into her boat
and came within about two hundred and fiftv
yards of the beach, shewing a desire to speak
with the party. He, Williams, undertook to
go down, and hear what was wanted. He de
manded whether the boat, officers and men
we e to be released from their captivity—al
leSging, that the two nations were not at war,
and asked why our people tired on their boat.
Williams asked him why they fired on the
Chesapeake——did fhov ca.l that an act of war,
or by what name did he distinguish it ? Here
plied, that’ we detained their men. and they had
used force Williams urged that they had de
tained ten of out’s for every one we had of
then's, if that had been the fact, and vet we
bad not used force to take them away—the offi
cer said that our men had enlisted; to which
Williams replied, in that particular, we were
at least equal, for none of their’s were impress
ed or forced in to our service, and that he wish
ed to know what business any of them could
have on shore, when they had seen the presi
dent's proclamation, ordering them out of our
vt'.sv. He assured them also, that there was
lot one planter in the country that would not
enforce th.fi proclamation, by putting a ball
through any of them that would set a foot on
shore—lt at as to their boat, then in his posses
tioivor tiieir officers ind men, he could only
act as the commanding officer diiecied, and
thm th, v h ,and In-st se’id to general Mathews at
iv O', folk ’’i -gin,* paper.
We heard a report yesterday, that letters had
been re. eived in town front B difax, which
state, that two regiments, in addition to those
i* thither some months since, were, expected
jrt *hrtt place ; and th t a considerable force was
I’ve expected .it Q tebec. among which are three
of Sco's Highlanders.— iurora *
The following animated ccmposi'ion i from
the pen of Edward Rushton, of Livcrpot 1
England, the author of Mary Le More, by
whom it was written during the last year.
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCY.
Ye men nf Columbia 1 hail ! hail the great day,
Which nerv’d your giyantic domain,
Which taught the oppress'd how to lpOrn lawless sway
Arid gave the vift world anew reign.
Yes, hail the bieft mtm<-nt when awfully grand,
Your Congress pronounced the deuee,
Which told ancient realms'hat ycur hne cover’d land,
‘1 ho* coerc’d was lelolv’d to be free.
Thcfe warriors who fell in your foul-cheering cause,
To the tiue sons of freedom are dear,
Theit worth the unborn fnall ret carle with applause,
And bedew their coid turf with a tear
O, cherish their names, le their fuffeiings and deeds,
Go forth on the wing . of the wind,
And a man, prostrate man, your high destiny reads,
May he learn his own chains to unbind.
As he tills vour rich glebe, the old peasant (hall tell,
While his bosom with energy glow,,
How your Warren expir’d—how Montgomery fell,
And how U alhington baffled your foet.
With transport his offspring fflall catch the glad found- ,
And as freedom illumines eaT bread,
Their country s defenders with pr aile !hi Ibe crown’d,
While her Ipoiiers they iearn to detetl.
By thcfe fields that were ravaged, those towns tha* \
were filed,
By thole wrongs that your females endured,
By those blood fpnnkied gi aves, where youi warriors
expired,
O, preli rve what their prowess procured.
And relied that your rights are the rights of mankind,
That to a 1 they were bounteously given,
And that he who in chains, wou and his fellow-man bind,
Uplifts his p.oud aim against Heaven.
• FROM 1 HE NEW-YORK ri URORA.
OF THE COMPARATIVE POWERS AND EXPENSE
OF SHIPS OF WAU, GUN-BAOTS AND FOR-;
TUTCAIIONS.
The natural defence by men is common to
all nations ; but artificial defence, as an auxili
ary to human strength, must be adapted to the
local condition and circumstances 01 a country.
What may be suitable to one country, or in
one state of cit cumstanceb, may not be so in
another. i
1 he United States have a long line of coast
of more than two thousand nines, every part
of which requires defence, because every part
is approachable by water.
The right principle ior the United Stales to
go upon as ei defence.for tilt- co..st, is that
of combining the greatest practical power
with the least possible bulk, that the w me
quantity of power may be better ciistt ibutcci
through the several parts of such an extensive
coast.
l'he power of a ship of war is altogether in
the number and size of the guns she carries,
for the ship of iiseif has no power. Ships
cannot snuggle with each other like animals ;
and besides this, as haif her guns are on one
side he ship, and half on the other, and as she
can use only me guns on one slue at a lime, tier
real power is only equal to half her num- *
beroi guns. A seventy-four can use only thir
ty seven guns. She must tack about to bring
the other half into action, and while she is do
ing this she is defenceless and exposed.
As thisris the case wuh ships of war, a ques
tion naturally arises therefrom, which is, whe- ‘
titer evenly-four gun-,, or any other number,;
cannot be move effectually employed, and that 1
with much less expei.ee, than by putting tnetn ;
all into one ship of such enormous bulk that it ‘
cannot approach a shore either to defend it or
attack i’ ; and though the ship can change its :
place, the whole number of guns can be only
in one place at a time, and only halt that num
ber can be used at a time.
This is a true statement of the case between
ships of war and gun boats for the defence of a
roast, and of towns situated near a coast. But
the case of ten is, that men are led away by tite
greatnE'S of an idea and no; by the justness j
ot it. 1 bis is always the case with those who j
are advocates for navies and large ships.
A gun-hoat carrying as heavy metal as a ship 1
of one hundred guns can carry, is a one gun
ship of the line ; and seventy-four of them which
would cost much less than a 74 gun ship would
cost, would be able to blow a 74 gun ship out
of the water. They have, in the use of their |
guns, double the power of theship, that is, j
they have the use of their w hole number of 74 i
to 37.
Having thus stated the general outlines of
the subject, I come to particulars
That 1 might have correct data to go upon
with respect to the expenre of ships and gun
boats. I wrote to the head of one of the depart
ments at Washington for information on the
subject.
‘l'he following is the answer I received :
- Calculating the cost ot a 74 or 100 gun
“ ship, from the ac'ual cost of the ship Unit
“ ed States of 44 guns, built at Philadelphia,
“ between the vears 1795 and 1798, which
“ amounted to 300.000 dollars, it may be pre
“ sumed that a 74 gun ship would cost 500.
“ 000 dollars, and a 100 gun ship 700,000
“ dollars.
“ Gun-boats, calcula'ed merely for the de
“ fence of harbors and rivers, will, on an aver
“ age. cost about 4000 dollars each when fit to
l * receive the crew and provisions.”
On the daHi here given. I proceed to state
comparative calculations respect tug ships and
gun-be at*.
The ship, United States, cost 300 00C dol
lars ; gun-bouts cost 4.00 dollars bach, conse
quently the 300,000 dollars expended on the
ship lor the purge e of getting use of 44 guns,
and those not hearvv metal, would have buiil
- ■ven:: •five gun-boats, each carrying a cannon
of the s..me v eight of metal that a ship ol an
hundred guns can carry. The difference
therefore is, that the gun-boats give the use of
31 guns heavy metal more than can be obtain
ed by the ship, and the expence in both cases
is equal.
A74 gun ship cost 500 000 dollars. This
same money will build 125 gun boats. The
gain by gun-boats is the use of 51 guns more
than can be obtained by expending the money
on a ship of 74 guns.
The cost of an 100 gun ship is 700.000 dol
lars. I'his money will build 175 gun-boats. The
gain, theiefore, by the gun-boats, is the use of
75 guns more than by the ship.
Though I had a genera! impression, ever
since I had knowledge of gun-bouts, that any
given sum of money would go further in build
ing gun-boats than in building ships of war, and
that gun-boats were preferable to ships ior
home defence, I did not suppose the difference
was so great us the calculations above given
prove them to be, tor it is almost double in fa
vor of gun-boats. It is as 175 to 100. l’he
cause ol this difference is easily explained.
The fact is, tha* ail that part ofthe expence
in building a ship from the deck upward, in
cluding masts, yards, sails and rigging is sav
ed by building gun-boats which are moved by
oars, or a light s..il occasionally.
1 he difference also in point of repairs be
tween ships ot war and gun-boats is not only
great, but is gi cater in proportion than in their
first cost. The repairs of ships of war is an
nually from 1-14th to 1 - 10th of their first cost.
The annual exper ce of the repairs of a ship ;
that cost 300,000 dollars will be above 21.000
dollars ; the greater part of tlsis expence is in j
her sails and rigging, which gun-boats are free j
from.
The difference also in point of duration is’
great. Gun-boats, when not in use, can be j
put under shelter and preserved from the we a- ;
ther, but ships cannot ; or the boats can be <
sunk in the water or the mud. This is the way
the nuts of cider mills for grinding apples are
preserved. Were they to be exposed to the
dry and hotair after coming wet from the mill
they would crack and split, anu be good for no
thing. But timber undei water will continue
sound several hundred years,provided there be
no worms.
Another advantage in favor of gun-boats is
the expedition with which a great number
of them can he built at once. An hundred may
be built as soon as one, if there are hands
enough to set about them separately. They
do not require the preparations for builcing
them that ships require, nor deep water to
launch them in. They can be built on the
shore of ahallow waters; or they might be
framed in the woods or forests, and the parts
brought separately down and put together on
the shore. But ships take up a long time
building. The ship United States took up two
whole years, ’96 and ’97 and part of the years j
’95 and ’9B, and ail this tor the pui pose of get- j
ting the use ot 44 guns and those not'heavy me- j
tal. This foolish affair was not m the days oi the j
present administration.
Ships and gun-boats are for diffe’ ent services. j
Ships are for distant expeditions ; gun-boats \
for home defence. The one for the ocean ; the 5
other for the shore. j
Gun-boats being moved bv oars cannot he 1
deprived of motion by calms, for the calmer
the weather the better for the boat. But a ‘
hostile ship becalmed in any of our waters, can !
be taken by gun-boats moved by oats, let the \
rate ol the ship be what it may. A 100 gun j
man of war becalmed, is like a giant in a dead
palsy. Every little fellow can kick him.
The United States ought to have 500 gun
boats stationed in different parts of the coast,
each carrying a32or 36 pounder. Hostile
ships would not then venture to lie within
our waters, we ie it only for the certainty of
being some times becalmed. They would
then become piizes, and the insinuating bullies
on the ocean become prisoners in our own
wate rs.
Having thus stated the comparative powers
and expence of ships of war and gun-boats, I
come to speak of fortifications.
Fortifications may be comprehended under
two general heads
Enst, fortified towns; that is. towns enclos
ed within a fortified polygon, of which there are
many on me continent ot Europe, but not any in
England.
Secondly, simple forts and batteries. Those
are. not formed on the regular prinepies of for
tifications. that is, they are not formed for the
purpose of standing a siege, as a fortified po
lygon is. They at e for the purpose of obstruct
ing or annoying the progress oi an enemy by
lanti or water
Batteries are formidable in defending nar
row passes by land ; such as the passage of a
bridge, or of a road cut through a rough and
craggy mountain, that cannot be passed any
where else. But they are not formidable in
defending water passes, because a ship wi'h a
brisk wind and tide, and running at the rate of
ten miles an hour, will be out ofthe leach of
the fire of the battery in fifteen or twenty min
utes, and bring a swift moving object all the
time, it would be a mere chance that any shot
struck her.
When the object of a ship is that of passing
a battery for the purpose of attaining or attack
ing some o'her object, it is not customary with
the ship to fire at the battery lest it should dis
turb her course. Three or four men are kept
on deck to attend the helm, t*.id the rest, hav
ing nothing to do, gc below. Dnckwcnh, ia
passing the Dardanelles up to CuustoDC.l epic
did not fire at the batteries.
When batteries for the defence of water pass
ses can be erected without any great est t ce,
and the men net exposed to capture, it r< ii e
very proper to have them, i Ley may J.rcp
off small piratical vessels, but they art nutto Le
trusted to for defence.
Fortifications give in general, a delusive idea
of protection. Ail our principal losses in the
revolutionary war, were occasioned by nisr.” g
to fortifications. Fort Washington, with ag.-.i
tison ot 2500 men, was taken in less than lour
hours, and the men prisoners of war. The
same fate had befallen fort Lee on the opposi.e
shore, if general Lee had not moved hastii v ts
arid gained Hackinsack bridge. General Lin
coln fortified Charleston, S C. and himself anti
his army were made prisoners of war. General
Washington began fortifying New-Yoik in ’76;
general Howe'passed up the East river, landed
his array at Frog’s Point, about 20 miles above
the city, marched down upon it, and had not
geneial Washington stele silently and sudden,
ly off 01. the North river side < f York Inin .1,
himself and his army h-d also been prison e s.
Trust’ not to fortifications, otherwise than rs
batteries that can be abandoned at discretion.
The case, however,is, that batteries, as a win
ter defence against the passage of ships, csnrn t
do much. We:e any given number of guns
to be put in a battery for that purpose, and ai*
equal number ofthe same metal be put in gun*
boats for the same purpose, those in the boats
would be more effectual than those in the batte
ry. The reason for this is obvious. A battery
is stationary.—lts fire is limited to about tv >
miies, and there its power ceases. But eve. y
gun-boat moved by oars, is a moveable fori.;,
cation, that can follow up its fire ar.d charge Vs
place audits position as circumstances may in
quire. And besides this, gun-loala in calms a e
the sovereigns of ships.
As this matter interests the public, and most
probably will come before congress at its next
meeting, if the printers in any of the states,
after publishing it in their newspapers, have a
mind to publish it in a pamphlet form, tegeincr
with my former piece on gun-boats, they ha>e
ray consent freely. I take neither copy-right
nor profit for any thing I publish.
COMMON SENSE.
FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.
Though it dearly appears that no part of the
law of nations justifies Great-Britain in impres
sing passengers—who die not military ene
mies) out of our ships, yet thirteen men ha'&
been impressed within a few days out of the
American ship Martha, from New y, by the
British ship Squirrel. None of these n. a
pmbahly wore sailors. Even the tyranni. J
doctrines and practice of impressment in Eng.
land do not extend them to farmers, and me
chanics, and traders, which it is probable these
devoted Irishnrv n all were. Therefore, if our
ship had been British the impressments would
have been unlawful. But what are we to say
to this perseverance to execute mere lEr.gii h
law, daub ful English law; nay, this law of cu
tom and power against even British charters
and bills of rights, on board a ship foreign to
England, in which she has no jurisdiction.
It is a question not to be hastily negatived,
whether the taking of pledges for the re-deli,
very of passengers, lawfully and indisputably
protected by our flag, ought not to be authoris
ed by act of Congress. Should a war tale
place, it would merit consideration whether
British subjects to the amount of all ascertained
impressments out of cur ships should be held
for a strict exchange.
Should they take our citizens in peace as well
as war, we should be crippled, if we did n >t
secuie their return by pledges. If England
can take one of our citizens in peace by im
pressment, she can take the whole. England
by this conduct to our citizens and fag tells in’
the plainest language of actions, •which speak
louder than war as, that we are not yet an in
dependent people, that we hu\ e no flag, as an
independent nation !
Right of Search. —lt has been said by
some that a belligerent armed ship has as go and
a right to search a neutral public armed ship,
as a private neutral merchantman. This is not
admitted ; but it is not ever to be forgotten,
that the right of search does not extend tc any
persons, but military enemies.
Extract cf a letter from ‘he Am-ricarr. consul at
Can on to a gentleman in ffciu-ffork, dated
March 22.
“ I mentioned in my 1 st, that soon after
your leaving here, the gentlemen of the Eng
lish East-Inaia company, fi ed a sma 1 Mar.;. .-
rine house in front of the imperial factory.
This affair was. however, soon settled ; but
about the same time, the crew of tfoe compa
ny’s ship Neptune were at town, on hbirty,
who outrageously beat the Chinese—one of
them has since deceased, which has caused a
great ferment. The government demanded
one of the crew to be given up. which has been
refused—the company have beer, stopped from
sending on board their ships for the last ten
days. This restriction will probably continue
until a man is obtained, or the ships will go
without their cargoes.
“ The Chinese have been mustering their
forces at the Boca-Tigris, and it is said, in
large numbers, with a heavy train of artillery ;
the viceroy of this province set off yesterday
for the encampment. Whether the Chinese
intend preventing the company’s ships from
p. ssing the Boca, is not known. It is very
doubtful how this affair will end- but I think
the government will have a man, or the *r ‘V
of the company will be susper.dec. fdr a ’inie”