Newspaper Page Text
4
jfOL‘ tljc Columbian
Numbkr 111.
T o the PEOP LE.
lET us but for a moment, ohftrve
_j the conduft our of government,
while the marks of British opprcifion
aic yet recent on our minds. While
our treasury is full, our government is
borrowing millions, that we may have an
accumulated debt upon our shoulders.
The funding fyflcm is introduced, not
’ to reward the foldicr, who had spent his
bell blood and bell t realures, in the ser
vice of his country ; but to pamper in
folencc, tonurfc extravagance, members
of Congress become Brokers ; their
funds are the funds of the United States,
the confidcration given, their votes.
The fccretary of the treasury, at the
head of this venal band, is fafe ; for
thole who were to judge of his conduct,
were the men, w'hofe fortunes he had
loitered with a parental care. It is to
noeffeft, we fee Britain finking under
the weight of her lundcd debt, w hich
was originally introduced in the reign
of Queen Ann. The revolution that
had deprived the Stuart family, of the
British crown, had filcnCcd the strong
voice of prerogative ; to supply its
jilace, anew lpccies of property was
created, which would bind the people to
fheirgovernment. These were the mo
tives that influenced the government of
England—these were the motives that
influenced the government of America,
in the adoption of so baneful a fyftcm.
An excise law is then introduced, al
though it does not pay the expences of
- collection : Instead of adding to the re
venue, it is a charge; its introduction
therefore mull ha\e been intended alto
gether, for the purpofc of strengthening
the hands of government. Mr. jay, is
font a Minitler Extraordinary, to con
cludea treaty with Britain, at a moment
when our veflels were robbed with im
punity, by that piratical nation, when
common julticediftaied a retaliation, by
flopping their vet Tels in our ports. The
Chief Just ice of the United States was
font, while there were many abler and
better men. Was not this an interference
of the Executive with the Judiciary ?
He had the honor of killing the British
kin’gs hand, and then returned with a
treaty, big with dilgrace and infamy to
his country. This treaty, instead ofbe
ing published, that the opinions of the
people might have been collected, was
concealed with the silence ofdefpotifn,
until it had firft been approved by the
Senate, and then ratified by the Presi
dent. The number of our fenaters, who
were to vote in favor of this treaty,
were known in London, before its con
tents had been agreed upon, by the con
trading parties. These are enigmas
that can only be explained to us, by hav
ing recourse to the keys of corruption.
W ere the eftedt offuch corruption con
* fined to the making of individual for
tunes, it would be well ; but the dark
feene will he continued, until the peo
ple lhalllicken at the idea of a represen
tative government. Some highly fa
vored character, fei/.ing the public in
fatuation, will, by How and imperceptr
blc incroachments upon the rights of
the people, erect to himfelf, a power that
will be transmitted to posterity. Our
moments of liberty, will be seen by after
ages, but like a gleam of light, breaking
through the lliades of time. To avoid
this tnreatningevil, the bed wisdom ot
man lhould be exerted. 11 has become
an opinion, fandioned by prejudice,
that it is eflential that the executive
branch lhould have a greater portion of
power, than the other organs of govern
ment. Without examining the policy of
this firft distribution, experience con
vinces us, that unlcfs the people are
watchful, their firft officer will abufc
that confidence that has been reposed in
him. The depravity of the human
mind is such, that man is never fatisfied
with his present situation ; he desires
greater honors, he thirds for an increase
‘'of po> ver ; forgetting the iiril principles
of a republican go\ ernment—A prejiaent
ot the United Mates, will deem it an in
jury to be depriv ed of thofc honors, that
he enjoyed for iix years, and the people
will countenance this folly in their lead
er, by re-electing him. To guard a
gainll this evil, it will be neceifary that
our constitution in express terms, lhould
declare that no man was eligible toferve
at the head of the Executive depart
ment, tor more than fix years. We find
this neceiiary in many of our state otfi
cers, where a man having served two or
three years, becomes fupcrcilious, and
ink lent; ncgleds his duty, difpifing the
kind tix.t ruinedhim. Ii a Ikerilk, oranv
other county or Hate officer, so soon be
Columbian jflufeum, £&♦
comes elated with that <£jgnity wliich the
people have conferred upon him, how
muchftronger will it hold with a Prcft
dent of the United States, who will be
flattered by every designing court in Eu
rope—whose birthday, will be celebra
ted by acclamations, by cannon, and by
songs -whose name will be resounded
from NewUarnpfhire to Georgia, My
fellow citizens, the virtue of man cannot
refill such reiterated attacks. Our
now president, w ho is among the wisest
and bell of men, if placed in this situa
tion, would fink.— i itofe innate princi
ples of virtue, which has been planted
by nature in his heart, and which bore
him with dignity, thro’ a long and ar
duous war, would be loft at the ihrine of
flattery : No longer awake to the advice
of those truly great men, who had aided
him with their counsel, amidll all the
thunder of war, he permits himfelf to
be guided by sycophants, and by court
slaves. The historian who lhall paint
for posterity his cha rafter, while he tra
ces the conduft of the general, will feel
all that animatedpleafure, that a review -
al of great aftions can infill into the hu
man mind. When lie fees him resign
the army, and in the lliades of retire
ment, repose his mind, new from the fa
tigues of v r ar. his name would be writ
ten among the names of philosophers.
When healTumesa civil office, he trem
bles, lcall the president fnouid tarniih
those glories that the general had ac
quired. The historian here paufes—
leaft mankind, offended and denying the
future pifture, lhould give the volume of
his records tobe scattered by the winds.
Recollect my fellow citizens, that the
mollfacred rights of posterity have been
repoiited in your hands, and that nature
bids you guard them—refleft that though
man was created independent and free,
by the author of the .world, his mind
for ages has been fettered by the (hackles
of superstition ; his body been bound
by chains of opprelfion —Look with an
eye of keen investigation Over the pages
of hillory, there fee nations to day
proudly asserting their rights, and tramp
ling over their oppreilors; to-morrow
in liience,viewing the web of their slav
ery, woven around them—Let not the
dark pifture of human calamities be ex
hibited in vain—Let enlightened Ame
rica, wife in the experience of past
ages, continue to enjoy every bleffmg
that flows from Liberty and Equality.
WARREN.
FRANKFORT, Feb. 15.
The advanced polls of the French
and Austrians are now within a league
of each other.—The former have strong
corps at Stromberg, Simmern, and
Creutznach.
More corn and meal is now export
ing from Bohemia than ever was known
at any former perk and.
All the horses used for pleasure have
been seized at Straniburgh, when fome
persons going to the theatre in their
carriages, were forced to leave them,
the cattle being forcibly taken away.
On the 3d inst. the guillotine was again
put in motion at that place, and an emi
grant priest belonging to one of the
richest families in the department ofthe
Upper Rhine, was executed.
l _____ •
HAGUE, February 23.
The municipality of Utrecht sent no
tice to the States General, that 20 offi
cers of the Orange party in Westphalia,
who had been taken prisoners by the
French, were on the road to the Hague,
and yesterday they arrived here under a
strong escort; it is generally thought
they will be executed.
Yesterday the State prisoner Van de
Spiegel, went under a strong guard to
Wocrden, where he is tobe imprisoned.
Count Bentick follows him to-day.
The deputies of Friefland have re
folvcd that all persons who have served
in the Orange army, lhall be forbid to
return to Holland under pain of death,
and they have also given public notice,
that all persons who served the govern
ment, having now 101 l the confidence of
the people, must repair within 14 days
to their places ci abode, and remain
there, and they are at the fame time
forbid to Tell their estates, &c. The
deputies of Holland on the sth published
a declaration, upon which the provin
cial administration ft to be established,
until the National Convention fhouid
think fit to alter it ; this declaration,
however, meets great opposition among
the lower class of the people, but molt
particularly from the Deputies of Am
llerdam, who have the
measure, because concluded without the
confcnt of the people of Holland, and
have reiufed to make it public.
It is believed that this affair may pro
traft the meeting of the Convention,
which is fixed for the itftji.
The committee of Maritime ATfairs
have proposed to make a lottery of
50,000 florins, the tickets of which arc
to be distributed to those persons who
are willing to enter into the sea fervicc.
A transport with 300 Dutch and French
Emigrants abroad, going to the Weft -
Indies, has been carried into Fiufhing.
We have juil now learned, that the State
Prisoner Vande Spiegel, on his journey
to Woerden, has been seized with a
paralytic stroke, and his recovery is
rather doubtful.
PARIS, February 20.
A letter from Nantz, of the I.sth
Pluviofe (Feb. 4.) fays.
“ We are surrounded by the Chouans,
who have cut off the communication be
tween Nantz, and Angers : Manufac
tures are no longer carried on here, and
the workmen are in consequence in rhe
greatest consternation. Sir.ee Stoftiet
has risen, his troops prevent any thing
from being brought to this town —Suck
in substance is our situation.”
This day, about ten in the morning,
all the forms, boards, and other inftru
mentsufed in the formation of aflignats,
were broken in the Place Vendome, and
there melted in avast furnace which had
been conftrufted for the purpose.—This
fpeftacle was attended by a great crowd.
February 21.
In execution of another order of the
direftory, the central bureau has fixed
the prices at which the butchers shall
feil their meat from the ift Ventofe
( Feb. 20.)
In aftignats. In fpecle.
Beef 145 livres 11 sols.
Mutton 145 do. iido.
Veal 130 do. 1 1 do.
T he new war minifler, Priet, has re
duced the number of his clerks from
1700 to 600.
LONDON, February 26.
It will be seen, that every prepara
tion is making on the part ofthe French,
to renew the campaign with all podible
expedition and vigor ; that with a view
to ia iktate their fifeal operations, a
bank has been eitablfilled ; and that the
Chouans, according to their own ac
counts, arc incrcafing in a moil alarm
ing manner, ipreadir.g difafFeftion and
promoting desertion among the troops
ot the Republic, and extending -their
deftruclive measures over the” whole
face of the country, in the provinces of
Brittany and Normandy, and in the.
adjacent diftrifts.
1 he price of the Louis d’Or, on the
23d inst. fluftuated between 8600 & 7850
livres (in aftignats) and the price fixed
by the government, on meat and every
other article of consumption, excited
such a difeontcnt among the people of
Paris, as rendered itneceffary to call out
the military, in order to check the spir
it of inlurrection.
The resources of commerce arc infi
nite. Large quantities of human hair,
have lately been imported from France ;
many an Engl fin head will be covered
with the spoils of that of an unfortunate
French Priest or Nobleman, who has
fallen a viftim to the ra>e of democracy.
La Vendee.—Our readers may rely
on the authenticity ofthe following pa r
ticulars, which have just teached us.
Sapinaud is gone over to the Repub
licans] but as he had little knowledge
of the art of war, his loss Is not coniid
cred as important.
Charettc is in great force ; but the
Royalists can never become formidable
as long as they remain attached to their
habitations, which they leldom leave,
for fear of an interruption from their
enemies. Their numbers arc great;
they consist of 80 div ikons of 4000 men
each ; but they never aflemble, unlcfs
for the purpole of repelling an attack ;
thatobjeft attained, they return to their
homes. They are in poffeftion of a vale
extent of territory. Several Emigrants
have rode many hundred miles without
meeting an enemy, provided they avoid
the town and municipalities.
T'he Royalists are in want of powder
and other ammunition. Powder fells
at the enormous price of a louis a pound
in specie ; the lowest price is 12 livres.
It is a remarkable circumstance that this
powder they purchase, not of the Eng
lifli, nor of the Dutch, not of their own
friends, but of the Republicans.
The Bank has given in an account to
the House of Commons, of the fains they
are in advance for government. They
amount only to Eleven Millions Sev
en Hundred and Eighteen Thou land
Pounds!
March 7. *
Last night a veil'd arrived at Dover
from Calais, from which a foreign gen
tleman and another were landed, the for
mer of whom immediately took a -.liaife
poll for London. The conjefture wa s >
how true we cannot fay, that ho was
charged with difoatchcs from Paris for
our Ministers.
March 8.
V e yesterday stated the receipt of a
Paris Journal of the 3d instant : ialt
night we received a series from the 27th
ultimo to the 4th instant, inclusive. The
moil interesting article is the execution
of Stoftiet, the Chouan Chief, with fora®
of his associates in arms.
A letter from Copenhagen, of the
13th ult. confirms our accounts of the
destination of the Dutch fleet. It dates
that, “ At Bergen, in Norway, a Dutch
squadron, of fix ships ofthe line, eight
lrigates, and four cutters, is expected
here, to take the East and Weft India
inen at that port under their protediion,
and conduct them to the Texel.”
BOSTON, April 7.
More Bntijb Amity.
Capt. Klkanah Mayo, who arrived
in town this week from New-York,
has favoured us with the following ac
count of the cruel treatment he and his
men received from the officers and men
jf the British frigate La Pique, at Bar
badoes, in-December last, viz. Captain
Mayo, in the ship Polly, of Cape Ann,
homeward bound from a whaleing voy
age, was drove in by ft re ft ot weather to
Barbadoes, where itc lay near three weeks
tor the -arrival of ionic Americans to
f reign t ms oil home; during which time,
the British frigate La Pique arrived 1
there from a crude, and in two days af
ter, prefied two of his hands. Captain
Mayo applied to the governor for pro
tection, who caused the men to be releas
ed; three days after, Captain Mayoh
boat, being athore with three men wait
ing *'°r him, the frigates barge hauled
in close to his boat, and boarded him
with'cutlaffes, topreft the men by force,
the men called on Capt. Mayo, from
the shore, who run to the boat for their
relief where he found the crew cf th©
bntiiii frigate with the tiller of their
barge, beating the men over their head*
with said tiller’till the blood gullied’
from their mouths and notes, and oth
erwise mangling them in a barbarous
and Blocking manner, Captain Mayo,
sprung into the boat and cleared it of
the British crew ; the commanding of
ficer, who was then on the wharf, said.
he would have every man aboard the
ihip ; Mr. Woodruff, with whom Capt.
Mayo did business being on the wharf,
offered his bonds to the Capt. of the
irigate that he would bring his protec
tions on shore. Capt. Mayo then went
on board his ship to bring his protec
tions- <Y hue .ic was on board, the com
manding officer of the frigate and all the
wit of the officers get inro their barge,,
waiting for Captain Mayo, who wai
returning with ail his protections, they
boarded kim, the commanding officer
jumped into Capt. Mayo’s boat with
his drawn cutlais, and dragged by force
all his men into rheir barge, and then
presen ted his catiaft, to Capt. Mayo’s
bicaft, and ordered him into the barge,
w hick lie refufed, after which he pricked
him fevcral times in the bread, and then
towed Captain Mayo on board the fri
gale ; he put Capt. Mayo’s men into
the hold among Ins, men who were sick.
with the yellow’fever ; he then ordered
app.tr oi irons to he hxed cn Captain
Mayo, which were not fixed however - y
he kept him on the quarter deck until
evening, then ordered Captain Mayo’s
boat to be hauled up, and ordered him
on ooard alone. Captain Mayo requeft
cd hhn to let him ha\ c a man to go with
him, which the Captain of the frigate
refuted ; then said he would cafl him off,
and let him go adrift, he told him he
might pen lh at Tea, to which he replied,
he hoped he would. Captain Mayo
told him he would not go, unless he call
nun off, he then took his barge, and tow
ed captain Mayo on board his own ship;
the next morning Captain Mayo went
to the governor, and complained of the
officer's conduft, the governor ordered
his men to be immediately released,
which were accordingly lent on shore :
Four days alter, three of his men were
taken with the yellow fever, which they
took while on board the frigate, and
which ipread through Captain Mayo’s
ships company ; —four of his men died
of the fever, the rest were obliged to
leave the Ihip, and he hired negroes to
pump her. Captain Mayo then chart
ered vcilc!3 as he could find them to
take his men and cargo to the United
States ; riiij bale conduct of our new
treat) allies occasioned the loss of 8000
dollars to his owners.
It! e fubfcribei do teftify to the a
bove account.
ELKANAH MAYO.
No. ig.