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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.