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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”