Newspaper Page Text
HANCOCK MEETING
Sparta. (Geo.) 201 A August, 180 T.
Toward Tslfaih, Esq.
S, K _\Ve nivc the pleasure to acknowledge
tlie receipt of \our lavor, as chairman of the
prmianent committee, enclosing the icsolu
tmis and proceedings of our tcllow-cilizens ol
Savannah, by which out co-operation is reques
ts. iifopposi ion to the late outiage commit
ted on our national rights l>y a British ship of
v ar, the Leopard. So far as our personal in
fl ictice will exiChcl. o: our exettions will have
effect, they shall he used to piomote the get.c
rai welfare, and to rouse in out fellow-citizens
a just indignation of the proceedings ol the ca
binet of St. James. Aid we beg through you,
to assure our biethren ol Savannah, that we are
tinned with them in heart and sentiments ; and
th t you will lay before die n the proceedings
Os the citizens of this county, w hich you have
in ihe paper lieiewilli enclosed, as a specimen
of that unanimity so mu< h to he desired, and
*b necessary ii all great national concerns, and
of iheir determination 10 sacrifice their lives
an I fortunes, sonnet than their liberty sbali he
profiled by the unhallowed hand of lawless
power.
We, in the name of our countrymen, request
anv communication which may he deemed ne
cessary.
A cept, sir, the tender of our highest es
teem,
Richard A. Blount,
John Chowder,
Rolling Wall,
for themselves, and
William Rabun,
Stephen Evans,
M ho are absent.
Sparta. August 15.
At a numerous meeting ol the citizens of <
II nicock county, in die town o ‘-purta, on |
T hursday, the 6;li of August, 1807. gener.l j
1). B Mitchell, at the request of the chaiiman, *
read to the meeting the pioclanialion ol the !
Rresident of tiic United States, alter which, the •
resolutions and address to be forwarded by the j
chairman to the President of the Uni ed States, •
•Which were prepared by the commit'ee ap-j
pointed for that purpose ; the resolutions and I
address were almost tin itiimotisly adopted.!
Dming the whole transaction, that excmpLi y j
o, dei was preserved, which could exist alone
In a deep sense of the importance of the oe
ta: toil.
‘I he itizens of Hancock County, Georgia,
Convened for die purpose ol taking into consi
<li a i. n tile late impel u.iplcd and civ ai <!ly a’-
tat kon the lii he Chesapeake by die Hi iii-.li
slop of war the Leopard cannot forbear to cx
piess men cot dial approbation of tliat system
cf policy which has been pursued by the g<>-
m iinnein. of the United St \tes, and whi h has
hitherto secure cl lo her ci.izcns the incs'.i.n. •
In ;>tessin K s ol peace, and they with equal sin.
Cerity lament that this disposition in our go.
\criniient, has not induced reciprocal acts of jus.
tue and gomt-will from the government of
1 11 cal-biitain ; hut, on the contrary, the uni
loiin ton met of die Biitish cabinet has bet rav
ed such marked contempt for the lights of the
United States, as an independent nation, that a
]< tiger forbearance would betray a want of en
trgy, and a dereliction of our national dignity
end character :
The tfjre Krs/ved, That we sincerely sym
pathize with the millions of America, in the
loss of those brave tars, who were wantonly and
Ctut lly murdered on hoard the Chesapeake by
the impious h ind of British insolence.
Kihjlv </, 1 hat we offet our thanks to the
citizens of Norfolk and Hampton, for their pa
triotic and vigorous preparations to defend our
violated tights.
Kraalve</ % That we heartily concur in the spi
rited resolutions of the several committees that :
have met in diiVerent parts of the union on this t
ini|K)rtaiU occasion. j
Krsolved, I'hat vve have the utmost confi- 1
dence in the wisdom, integrity and patriodsm
f die chief magistrate of our nation ; and that
avc tire ready to sacrifice our property ami our
lives in the execution ol wh never measures
m iv lif udop ed. “ to provide for the common
defence, promote the genet al welfare, and sc
one the blessings of liberty to ou. selves and
to our postciity.” •
ing he requested to transmit to the President of
the United States, and the governor of this
s’ ite, a copy of these proceed! v sand that they
l). published in the Farmer’s G izctte.
Kraotvcd, I'liat the citizens return i heir thanks j
to the committee for the patrotic discharge of j
the dines assigned them. j
AV.v i/vrJ. ‘l'liat the thanks of this meeting be
voted to the chan man for his patriotic discharge
of the duties of die chair
ANDRE W BAX TER. Chairman.
“Samuel Butts, Secretary.
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE U. STATES.
Slit— I’he citizens ol Hancock county,Geor- 1
gia. convened for the purpose of expressing ,
their indignation and resentment, at the late ,
unprovoked and lawless attack on the American ,
frigate Chesapeake, by a British man of war
the Leopard, and believing as they do. that this
attack was not the unauthorised act of an indi
vidual. but the offspring of orders actually re- j
ocivtd trom the British government, anti be* I
lining further, that this forms but one link in i
that organized ch in of depredations, which the j
insolent minions of that abuidoned government i
isve been in the constant habit of coamuiung, i
•4ret since tlie atebievement of our indepen
dence by the glorious struggles of the revolu
tion ; and believing,as they have teasontodo,
that there does not exist with the Biitish go
vernment any principle or inclination, bv w hich
reparation is to be made for the past, or future
encroachments averted ; but that, rejiosing on
the confidence ol hy naval superiority, she
is determined to pursue measures ol ho-nitty,
to the utter annihilation of our neutrality; and
that tier violation of our neutrality is not alone,
but connected with the basest encroachments
on our liberty, in the impressment of our sea
men ; collating this with the just, mild and
pacific conduct, unilornily manifested by the
government ol the United States towards that
of Greut-Briiaiti; feel it their duty to express
their entire confidence, that the chief magis
trate of the union, wid. with promptitude, take
such measures as will ensure an.pie reputation
for the injuiies we have sustained, by peacea
ble negotiation, it that be practicable, consist
ent with the dignified station which we justly
occupy with the nations ot the earth. But, let
it never be forgotten- that, tho* peace is the
just interest, as well as tlie foremost wish of
Americans, yet.il they cannot have for its oasis
the reciprocal tights, and liie reciprocal iricitd
sliip ol nations, tney disclaim the lettered boon,
anti relying on the justice ol their claim, make
a solemn appeal to ...ture wild to liatu.e’s God
for the redress of their gnevaiices. They
therefore tender you, sir, tlie solemn assurance,
that should the executive find it necessary to
call lorth the energies of tlx; nation, they
aie ready to rally around the of their
liberty, and to sac, iiice their lives and their pro
perty at its alt r before its porals shall be pro
faned by the unhallowed hands ol any power
upon the cm tin
BRITISH VOLUNTEERS.
A distinction, without a difference, is made
by the British papers here as to Americans
compelled to sei ve, anci those who volunteer.
! In this paper a publication lately appealed to
j prove that in the vi uy nature ot things, it was
i highly improbable mat there was any such
1 chaiuctet in the whole llrinsn navy as a vo
j lunieer Anerican-noin seaman. Since that
f ai tide was published, a respectable Captain in
| the inti chain’s set vice com. -imicmed to me
j liie iiMim i i.i which \mericttn seamen are
[ untile a.tunteei s in the navy of England.
So soon as all American is impressed, the
1 impressing officer tears nis protection. He is
men brought before the captain, who haughtily
demands •• wlial leiloiv is this “ He is u de
serter, please your honor ?” “ No, sir, 1 am an
American citizen.” “ You are, are you ? Bray
then sir, where l- your protection f” It was
taken from me by the officer of tlie party
that pressed me.” “/Ah, that’s the old story
well ail you ruvi-tiways Is there any one on
board lliul has any knowledge of this fellow ?”
file business being perfectly understood, ami
r'gu'arly si at, mutiz and, a British sailor steps for
ward, makes bis bow. and says, “ Yes. please
your honor, 1 know him very well; he was in
the sane mes k with me lor 18 months, on
board his majesty’s slip the . I'he re’s lorn,
standing iheic, knows him as well as 1 do.”
I’om immediately lakes the hint, steps up and
confirms the stov ol nis messmate with a due
seasoning ofoa hs. The American, thunder
st uck a> such baseness, vainly endeavors to be
heard He wid not he permitted to speak. He
is commanded, and c impelled to oc silent, and
this scene ot twiqui y is concluded by his being
ordered below for nu her examination He is
not brought up again tor several days, if he is
tefractory ; and in the mean lime he is treated
with the mo,’ lgomus scve'iiv. the bitterest
tanntings and the most ruei threatenings. In
this manner, surrounded bv enemies, and with
out a friend his spirits sink, and he enters, with
a fixed determination to embrace tbe first occu
-1 sion to escape fom his bondage. \VTiI any
I mat presume to s tv, that men thus impressed
, into the seivice are volunteers, or will he pre
j tend that such a contract is. or ought to be, bind
iag ?
j I'he captain who communicated the above
facts, concluded the statement something in
‘ tins w.iy : “ Vniericat’ seamen, volunteers in
the British navy, are such voluiveers as I once
: saw in Dublin. 1 was walking on one of the
quays, when’ 1 met a parcel of soldiers guard
ing a number of men, who vve c hand-cuffed
and walking m the censer I stepped up to one
J ol the guard, and enquired who those men
were tha 1 they wee thus conducting in hand
cuffs. Indeed then, sir, said the soldier, with
perfect gravity ot coimtenjpve. thev are volun
tars going to serve bis majesty 11”——7Jctro
crutic J’rcas.
MILITARY WORK.
] A comp-ehensivc ‘Military Work, is about to
appear at Philadelphia, in numbers, lo be ex
tended to eight or ten numbers, with piates.
It will comprehend tlie whole of the actual
system of French discipline and tactics; the
discipline of ritle corps and hussars; the disci
pline of flying or horse artillery ; the principles
of field defence ; the duties of every branch of
the staff or eiut-m ljor ; and the duties of gene
‘ ral officers.
; Besides, an interesting historical review of
j the Art of War, and of the various changes and
luses of warlike weapons
The work, when published, which will be in
• a few weeks, will be for s de at S. Pleasant’s book
: store, Richmond —Acgus
In this city, (says an Albany paper of August
j 18) within ten days past, probably one half the
j inhabitants have experienced attacks of the In
t fluenza, and in he country, in every direction,
• it more or lets prevails.
CONDITION or ENCLANB.
FROM THE AURORA.
Those ivho have kept our numbers of “ Po
litics for Farmers and Mechanics,” would do
well to preserve the following also—at. once as
ati evidence of their correctness and an elucida
tion of their statements. In so few words, ive
have seldom seen so full and laithful an expo
i sition of the ill fated condition of the people of
: Britain, and of the true nature of the govern
ment. Those who put confidence in the mi-
I nistry of England, for a disavowal of the con
! duct of Beikley, should reflect upon the follow
ing. from the pen of an honest peer of England,
j elected to parliament from the first city in Bti
j tain. Our Boston tory prints call this letter ja
• cobinism, and wonder why such language was
i suffered to go unpunished ; from whence vve
I may learn what we should have to expect had
j they the power to establish among us such
a “ stupendous fabric of human invention.”
TO THE ELECTORS OF WESTMINSTER.
Gentlemen —Next to the consciousness of en
deavoring sincerely to serve my country, Ho
tting can be more pleasing to my mind, than
the public approbation of my endeavours. Ac
cept my greatful thanks.
At the same time forgive me for feeling
something like despair of any good to the coun
try, whilst I see the regular expences of cot
ruption, greatly exceed all the expences neces
sary for any war, which we can be justified iti
pursuing: whilst I see attempts to delude the
public mind, by comparatively petty and in
significant enquiries into what is termed pecu
lation : whilst those inquirers themselves think
it not dishonorable to seize greedily every op
portunity of enriching themselves out ot ihe
public spoil, by any other means, not termed by
theui peculation.
uch wretched notions of public honor and
honesty, can afford no signal benefit to the pub
lic, nor can give us any suitable redress. They
appear to .. e to resemble the notion of chasti
■ ly eutei tained by the prostitute, who boldly chal
lenged any to say, that she ever went out of the
regiment. > ccording to them, all within the
regiment, all within the red book, is honorab e
and virtuous. And they insult us by declaring,
they have as good a title by the red book, as any
of the people can have to the fruits of their in-
J duslry, or to the inhertitance of their ances
tors ; from which industry, and from which
inheritance, be it remembered, and from them
aloe, the red book itself takes every thing it
has to bestow. So that they pretend as good
a right to all which they can contrive to take
from us as vve have to the remainder—till they
can take that too.
Gentlemen, figure to yourselves a gang of
robbers, combined to plunder the peaceable and
industrious inhabitants of several parishes, and
agreeing among themselves to share the booty
in such different proportions as the leader of
the gang shall appoint to each. From time to
time it will happen, that some thief or other a
m< tigst them will purloin a part of the booty,
and clandestinely appropriate to himself more
than his appointed share. The purloiner is tie
detected ; and the gang with open mouths ex
claim against the atrocity of cheating—there
giment: the only crime of the kind which they
acknowledge to be o. Would it not be ri
diculous in these plundered parishes to take
any part in such a dispute, and to divide thetn
j series into strong pat ties for the accuser or the
i accused? As long as the thieves in common
| take all they can seize, what is it to the plun
i dered people who shares the booty, how they
share it, and in what proportion ? Ought
, thev not rather to destroy the gang and abol-
I isb the combination ?
J Such is my conception of the different cor
j rupt ministers we have seen, and their corrupt
1 adherents ; and unless the public, with an unit
■ ed voice, shall loudly pronounce the abolition
of the whole of tlie present systems of corrup
tion, I must still continue to despair of my
country.
You, gentlemen, by this unparalleled elec
tion, have lately pronounced your sentiments,
nv.v your voice be echoed through the land.
In the mean time though an individual is al
most a.-, n thing in the scale, I will carry with
me your sentiments into the house of com
mons. And I assure you, that no rational en
: deavours of mine shall be omitted, to restore
, to my countrymen the undisturbed enjoyment
of the fair fruits of their industry : to tear out
the accursed leaves of that scandalous red book,
and to bring back men’s minds to the almost
forgotten notions of the sacredness of private
property, which ought no longer to be transfer
red from the legitimate possessors, by the cor
rupt votes of verxil anil mercenary combinations.
I will continue, gentlemen, disinterestedly
• faithful to the interests of my country, and en
deavor to prove my self your zealous represen
tative. Francis Burdett.
Kosciusko lives in great privacy at Paris, and
; almost in a state of penury. No temptations
! can induce him to meddle in the concerns of his
• unhappy country. The emperor Alexander
h is offered him pecuniary relief to a considera
ble amount, but he great fully waved the offer.
Such is the character of a republican worthy of
antiquity.
IVit in humble life. —At a late contested elec
tion at Southson, between Mr. B. E. and Mr. G.
R. a waggoner belonging to the foimer, accost
ed a servant of the latter, while ch iving an ox
team into the town: “ Well. John. I dear za them
oxen be to be roasted for your pe .rtv to-day,
beam them ?” “ Oh. yes.” answered John, “and
the waggon is a gwine to be stewed for yourne.”
London paper.
LIBF.RUM MAP.fi.
FROM THE AURORA*
Bell’s Weekly Messenger, of London, ccn
tains the following publication, founded pi inri
pally upon the out’ age committed by Whitby
at New-York, which is at ot ce remarkable for
its liberality and intelligence. The miserable
emissaries of Britain, in this country, dare not
avow sentiments so candid and correct as we
thus find even in a London print; there is
scarcely a principle laid down in this atticle
that has not been disputed in this, our neutral
and high'y interested country.
The rights of trade are, in this article, well
defined, and in such a way as this country oe
s mauds. In one particular only, theie appears
j an error or deficient) —mention is made of
i main sea , in a loose sense, and leaves rocm to
I conjecture, that the writer made an exception
for the narrow seas, as St. George’s channel.
It ought always - to be understood, that the
claims of Great-Biitain on tins point, are not
allowed—nations make no discrimination be
tween the Atlantic and St. Gt-orge’s channel ;
| they contend, what may be exercised on one,
1 may also be performed on the other, without
i molestation. The question of jurisdiction over
i such seas as the British term narrow, is settled
jat least by general consent. Ihe Portuguese
; at one rime claimed exclusive jurisdioti. t rover
i the Indian ocean ; and the navigation ol the
: Baltic and Adriatic has given rise to repeated
j wars : but there has been no assent to the
t claim of any nation, to control a greater extent
; of sea from the coast, than could be passed by
Ia cannon shot fired from sl.ote. The remarks
in the seventh paragraph, it.deed, define the ju-
I risdictioh. beyond which it is unlawful to exer
cise hosttlicies ; but occasion ought always to
be taken to deny the ch im ofiu beiiigeient to a
• greater extent on i;s coasts.
\\ c have heie English authority, too, for
saying that the administration oi Pitt was dis
tinguished by arbitrary and despotic measures
towards neutrals—.be men now in power are
the underlings of that minister, and pursue the
. very same despotic system that he did.
i We recommend this article to particular at
. tention—justice could not have been expected,
when W hitby had at his command the oaths of
men, who put little value on them, and who
were all indirectly implicated with ..im IF
the testimony of our witnesses could have had
effect, the commission of the outrage within
our jurisdiction would have been established.
1 EXTRACT.
The unfortunate afl'ait oi the death of Pierce,
by a shot fired trom the Leander has excited
I much attention, not only in America, but a*
I mongst the neutral nations in Europe. We
have some cause to believe, that it was not
without some difficulty ai.d a great address ,
that a general remonstrance of all the neural
powers has been prevented. It is with regret
that, our sacred regard to truth and our national
I honor , requires us to concur in this opinion.
! The whole question turns upon the single
* point—whether it was done in the main sea,
or in the waters of the United States ?
By the principles of the law of nations, tha
| main sea is consideted as common to all na
j tions—that ail have tlie tight ol interrupting
j transmit, and none any right of property or do
; minion. The liberum mare is a fundamental
; principle in the public law of Europe,
i The sea is theteby considered as a wide
t road, an extended path, and the freedom of
S transit as a part, and a most essentLl part, of
; the general liberty of nations.
| It has hence become a question, how far tho
j right of search, with regard to neutral vessels,
j is founded upon the strictness of this law. Let
I us not be supposed as the willing advocates of
J new opinions, if we asset t, that it can hove no
j possible foundation —that it is, on the oth r
j hand, a direct violation of neutral rights. Our
j maritime superiority, however, gives it an erfcr%
j ced introduction , and the nations cf Europe sub-
I milled to what they could not preven : they
| acknowledged it, (at least tacitly acknowledge
! ed) as a branch ot the general law, and gave
us credit for the discovery. It was doubtless
more consoling to their pride to obey a general
and mutual law, than to submitto fotce. Hence
the introduction of the right of search, th first
infringement of the fundamental principles of
commercial liberty—the liberum mare.
But in what manner soever introduced, this
right is now established, and as the practical
public law is founded almost as much in usage
as in neutral right, so has this original innova+
lion become now, in a degree , sanctioned into a
legitimate law. It has become a law of com
pact, if not ol right, and as such will ever be ac
ted upon by any nation which shallfnd it to it
advantage. \\ ith regard to us, it has been
adopted as the basis of our neutral code , and is
adhered to, and will continue to be adhered to,
with scarcely less temerity than our navigation
act.
But, though the main seas, as we have said
above, are considered as the common right of
all, and the property or dominion of none, thi#
liberty and commonage is confined to the main
seas. In municipal regulations, with tegard to
navigable rivers, the stream is public property i
the water on the immedia e edge of the banks is
! the property, at least so far as it does not in
| terfere with the public commouage, or right of
I transit, of the proprietor of the bank; if a tree,
! a post, a fishery, exist within so many feet of
I the bank, it belongs to him.
The same limitation, with regard to the libe w
f rum mare, exists among nations.’ The coasts
! and waters of he coasts are the peculiar waters
—the property and dominion of the nation which
owns the coasts. Thus Spain prohibits all ships
from approaching within a certain distance of
) her bays, livers, and her coast on the Amcricag-