Newspaper Page Text
Vol. i.
sov Columbian
TO THE PEOPLE.
| T T is in vain that the language of rea
| JL son, is urged against prejudices im-
I bibed in early life ; man, from the weak
ness of his nature, has easily itamped up
on his mind impreflions which no time
or experience can efface. We have been
taught to admire Alfred, by thole who
have’gone before us; we have been taught
to revere his laws : Such adminittration
is highly proper ; yet we should recol
lect, that what was wisdom a thousand
years ago, would be now deemed a very
trilling knowledge of many lubieCts.—-
The people of England thought them
selves truly happy under that mode oi
government, which Alfred eftablilhed ;
he enlarged the rights of the people ; he
narrowed the prerogatives ol the crown.
Asa patriot Prince, his name has been
handed down to poiterity, and even high
| minded republicans reverence his cha
racter. \ct the llaves of Britain were
not fatisfied with that mode of govern
ment, when time and experience had
ripened their knowledge. And shall
enlightened America, deign to receive
laws of a Britifn Prince, (at a time,
when all Europe was in daiknefs, when
science had taken refuge in Africa) who
did not in Lis own perion feel thole laws
which he thus created, and who there
fore could not well judge of their utility.
Can it be supposed that the laws of a
monarchical government, are adapted to
a tree people t Can it be luppofed that
rules ol conduct, eilabiifhed among wan
dering savages, or unlettered herdsmen,
will luit enlightened nations ? Is it fup
f>ofed unneceliary to take into view ti e
ocal situation of a country, while rorm
ing a iuriiprudence ? Under a monar
chy, tine sovereign's will, is the people s
rule of conduct—ln a republic, the gen
eral'will, is theuniverfai law ; and lure -
Jy, there is more wisdom in many, than
in one. Yet ftiil the common law of
England, which originated with her
kings, is of force in this country. Were
the Britons better able, at a time when
their whole property confuted in a few
cattle, to fay what punilhment ihouid be
annexed to crimes committed at this day,
either against our lives or our fortunes,
than we ourlelves are ? Common sense
informs us that they were not. Why
then have we not legislated for ourselves ?
Perhaps I may answer to my fellow ci
tizens the enquiry, informing them that
had they done so, the honorable gentle
men of the bar, would have been depriv
ed of many fees ; thofc harpies of locie
ty, ’would have had to have returned a
mong the body of the people, and gain
a livelihood by honeit industry ; they
could not have preyed like infatiablc
wolves upon the unfortunate debtor.
Were we to rife above prejudice, could
* reason direct us to our real good, we
would set aside the chaos of the Euglifh
law, a law which has never been perfectly
understood by any one man, from Mans
held, down to the pettifogging attorney
of Georgia. All the laws of our country
might then be contained in a fmgle vol
ume, andevery man of a decent u/nlerftan
diag in the community, might be perieCt
ly matter of the laws ol his country. The
Roman Emperor, who wrote his laws
in a very fmail hand, and hung them so
high upon pillars, that they could not
be read, has been condemned by every
age, because the people could not con
form to a law, the letter of which they
knew not—yet the Roman Emperor
was no worse, than are the lawgivers of
our country ; who having it in their
power at once to eliabliih a rule of con
duct, which every citizen might make
himfelf perfectly acquainted with,either
from indolence or prejudice will not un
dertake the work ; but permit thole
floating, those uncertain principles of
the British laws to remain, which have
varied w ith almost every different judge,
and which are obfeured by impenetra
ble myl'teries ; mysteries which the
craft of lawyers have invented in order
to beguile the multitude. A confide ra
ble part of the British law as now ad
miniltered, originated on feudal princi
ples. Can that law be applied to a peo
ple who Know no diftinCtion, who are
all equal trom the iirfl magitfrate to the
humbled peasant ? Stern when going to
visit the Count De B found af
ter repeated at empts, that it was im
possible to prepare a difeourfe, without
feeing a little of the man. And furcly
K is impoflible to prepare laws without
knowing something of the genius of the
Feople, who are to be bound by them.
The great Montesquieu, supposes
there are .particular crimes moft preva
lent in particular climates, if so, the inha
bitants of the latitude of fifty, could illy
a.law to fait the man who lives
Columbtait #Weum,
in the latitude of thirty-two : But these
are weaker arguments —that inalienable
right, which was purchased wirh blood,
and which is written in our Constitu
tion, has insured to the American people,
the power of making their own laws.
The God of heaven has given tp them,
political wisdom above other rtttions;
and in the fchool of experience have
they been taught their real good. Let
us but consult the one and exercise the
other, and we lhall have laws, mild yet
firm, fiinple yet refined, exprefling the
general will and tending to the general
good.
A PLANTER,
jfmral iUgiOattsre* ‘
HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES*
Wcdntfdny y May 11.
ON the motion of Mr. W. Smith, the
house resolved itfelfinto a commit
tee of the whole, on the report of the com
mittee and means, on the provi
sions requisite for improving the internal
revenues of the United Stares, and for
more effectually securing the collection
of the fame, when a considerable debate
took place upon the firft article, which is
in the following words :
“ rtt. Resolved, that it will be expe
dient to abolish the tax on spirits diitil
-1-d from materials of the growth or
produce of the United States, at any
other place than a city, town or village,
or at any dittillery in a city town or vil
lage, at which there shall be one or more
ftiils, which lingly, if only one, or to
gether, if more than one, shall be of less
apacity than four hundred gallons, and
o collect this branch of the revenue
trorn a tax on the capacity of the Hills,”
In the course of this debate, a motion
was made to Itrike out ail the words af
ter “ produce of the United States,”
and another for striking the article out
altogether. In support of the firft mo
tion, It W 23 asserted. that the tax itfelf
was unequal and vexatious, by laying a
duty upon one part of the United States,
which distilled spirits from grain, whilil
others which brewed porter or beer of
their grainy paid no duty ; and in sup
port of the latter motion, it was aflerted,
that the present mode of : collecting the
tax waseafier to distillers and more pro
fitable to the revenue, than would be by
the new plan. Af length a motion was
made for the committee to rife, for the
purpose of getting rid of the considera
tion. The commit tee accordingly rose,
reported, and alked lea ve to lit again.
Some opposition was made,’ and leave
was obtained by a majority of i only,
being 36 for it, and 35 against it.
A motion was then made and carried,
39 t 0 37 to difeharge the committee of
the whole, from a further consideration
of the firft article. On motion of Mr.
Nicholas, the house took up the report
of alelect committee, for augmenting the
salary of the accountant of the war de
partment, which being agreed to, a com
mittee wa* appointed to bring in a bill.
PETERSB.iJ AG, May 20.
The scarcity of bread in the upper
parts of the country is truly alarming.
Many families are nearly or quite dcfli
tute. Thofc who are luppiied, experi
ence continual fears, on account of the
situation of their neighbours, whose
wants have been so extremely preifing,
as to compel fame of them to commit
afb ofdiflioneity. It is laid that feve
rai persons, not being abie to withstand
the pathetic solicitations of their tender
children for bread, had fought an asylum
w hich at once extinguilhei their sor
rows and their exifteuce. Corn, is, in
the upper parts of the country, as high
as ten dollars per barrel.
We underhand that the Senate of the
United States, Lae rejefted the bill
forming the South Weltern Territory
into anew state.
NEW-YORIC, May 10.
According to the latest accounts re
ceived from France, by way of London,
it appears that t’ e insurgents in the weft,
arc ftiil in confidtrable force, though
they have fuffered many deieats. They
have lately taken two towns, Chalons
and Maycnne, the latter of which they
plundered and abandoned. De Puifaye
had been surprised, in company with
fome ladies, in the mi dll of a part of his
army. He attempted to lave himfeJf
by flight, but, together with fomt of
his followers, was lhot by’ the republi
cans. D’Autichamp, who raised a regi
ment of Emigrants, taken into Brinih
pay, is laid to have fucceeued Stofflet
as the agent of insurrection in one par
ticular part of the country.
With regard to the internal state of
France, it was observed that Baris wa
traaqijil. The fubjeil which oi late
had chiefly engaged the public attention,
was the Liberty of the Press. The di
rectory, following the example of other
governments, was attempting to anni
hilate tree discussion, because fome men
abused it; they wilh to deny the right
of pointing out their mifconduift, be
cause they have been accused without
foundation. In other measures it was
owned they were adopting the system
of terror. They have illued two mil
liards of anew paper money, called ter
ritorial mandates, which mull be re
ceived at par, under pain of transporta
tion. The Louis d’or was at 5300
livres, and it is fluid the mass ofaflignats
was rapidly diminilhing.
PHILADELPHIA, May 4.
Yesterday Don Joleph Ignatius de
Var, his Catholic Majesty’s Conlul
General, was received and acknowledg
ed by the Prefidentol the United States,
as charge des affairs from Spain, in lieu
of Don J ofeph de J auderines.
SAVANNAH, Jane 3.
The following interfiling particulars
refpeffing the loss oi the Dutton Kaft-
Indiaman are given in a late London
paper.
“ We have a terrible fucceflion of stor
my weather of late. On Tuesday, im
mediately after dinner, I went to the
Hoe, to fee the Dutton Eail-Indiaman
full of troops upon the rocks diretth
under the flag ftaff of the citadel. Sh.
had been out 7 weeks, on her paflage n
Weft-Indies as a tranfpoft with 40c
troops on board, besides women and the
ihip s crew, and had been just driven
back by ftiefs of weather with a great
number of sick on board.
“ You caunot conceive any thing so
horrible as the appearance of the whole
together, when X firft arrived upon the
spot. The ship was grounded on sunk
en rocks, somewhat inclining to one
fide without a mail, and her bowfprii
also carried away. Her decks covered
with soldiers, thick as the/ could hand
together, with the sea breaking in a
dreadful manner around them. Whai
ftiil added to the melancholy grandeur
Os the fcene,was the distress which
were fired now and then dirfcdlly over
our heads from the citadel.
, “ When I firft arrived, I found that
they had by fome means got a rope, one
end of which was fixed to the (hip, and
the other held by the people on shore,
by which means they could yield as the
Ihip fwang. Upon this rope they had
placed a ring, which by reeving out
two finaller ropes they could draw to
and from the ship. To this ring a loop
was suspended, which each man put un
der his arms, and thus also holding the
ring in his hands, he supported himfelf
while drawn to the shore by the people.
And in this manner I saw several bro't
to land.
“ This mode proved a tedious opera
tion, and though I looked at the pro
cess a Jong while, the numbers on the
deck were not apparently diininiljied.
Besides, from the motion the ship had
by rolling upon the rocks, it was not
pra&icabie to keep the rope equally
ft retched. From this cause as well as
from the sudden riling of the waves, you
would at one moment fee a poor wretch
hanging, 10 or 20 icet above the water;
and the next totally lofc fight of him,
buried in the form of a wave. Some,
indeed escaped better.
“ But, after all, this was not a scheme
of which the women and the sick could
avail themselves—l observed with the
greatest admiration at this juncture, the
behaviour of a captain (Sir Edward Pel
lew) who seemed interested in the high
est degree for the preservation of those
on board the wreck.—He exerted him
felf uncommonly, and dire&ed others
what to do on shore. In vain, by a
large speaking trumpet, he endeavoured
to make himfelf heard onboard. No
thing could be heard but the tremendous
roaring of the winds and sea 1
“ He then offered five guineas instant
ly to any body who would fuffer him
felf to be drawn on board with instruc
tions to them what to do—When he
found that no one would accept the of
fer, he gave an instance of the highett
heroifln, for he faftened the rope about
himfelf, and gave the signal to bedrawr.
on board, he had his uniform coat,
and his 1 word hanging by his fide. I
have not room here for particular de-
Icription ; there vvas fomethig grand
and interfiling in this. For, as soon as
they Lad pulled him into the wreck, he
was receii ed with three vait ftiouts b
the people on board, and these were im
mediately echoed by those who lined
the shores, thegarrllon waiij aud lower
• tw f i
u The firft thing he did, was to r ! £
out two other ropes like the firft—l fawr
him moftadively employed upon themt
with his own hands. This quickened
the matter a good deal, and by this time
two large open row boats were arrived
from the dock-yard, and a (loop had,
with great difficulty, worked out frorqs
Plymouth Pool. He then dirededhi*
attention to the women and the lick, who
were with difficulty got into the opea
boats, and then carried off to the Hoop,
which kept at a distance for fear of be
ing stove against the Ihip or thrown up
on the rocks. He fuffered but one boat
to approach at a time, and Hood with his
drawn sword to prevent too many rulh*
ing into the boat.
“ After he had seen all the people, ex
cept about 10 or 15 out of the ship, he
‘afteped himlelf in the rope as before, and
vas drawn aftioTe, where he was agaia
received with Ihouts.
“ I observed a poor goat and a dog
among the crowd; when the people werd
omewhat thinned away, I law the goat
narching about with much unconcern,
out the dog fhewedevident anxiety, for
l beheld him ft retching himfelf out at
me of the ports, {landing partly uponth*
>ort,and partly upon the gun, and look
ng earneitly towards the ihore, where
! luppofe he knew his matter was.—All
. hele perithed foori after, for as the lea
rose, the Ihip was washed all over, and
he is now in pieces.”
marine iirgifter.
ENTERED INWARD.
‘unk, Day#,
. Schooner N?ptnnr, pickinfon, Charlelt. j.
CLEARED OUT.
Sloop H nriet, B.’mis, St. Mary’s.
—— J.ini"s, W 11, Charlcfton.
Schooner Hope, do.
I M PO RTE t>.
In the Schooner Polly, ISAAC CARR Majler,
From the Illmds Delos,
On tlie Windward Coast of AFRICA,
5 7 Prime SLA VE S,
The greatest proportion grown
The SALK of which, will
Commence on Monday the 6th inst.-—CON-
Dlf IONS, CASH, or Blls on N-w-York,
Rhode liland or iioilon. at short Sight.
ROBERT WATTS.
Savannah, June 3. it
NOT I C
THE CO-PARTNERSHIP OF
Bek her tlvd D>ch?nfnn ,
Having by mutual content, Diflblved on the
lit day of May iaii;
THEY beg leave to urge the
necellity of a speedy Payment, from such per
lons as remain Indebted to them ; and at the
fame time, thofe who have and -mand*
against them, to call for payment. They fevrs.
rally return sincere thank.* for th<? encourage,
inent Ihewn them in the profreution of their
business, and hope a continuance of public fa
vour if mented, individually.
Wm. BELCHER,
J. D. DICKINSON.
Savannah, June 3, 1796. 27-ts
WILLIAM HLLCHLK,
Respectfully inform* the Public, that
he continues in the STORE lately occu
pied by Eelcher & Dukmjon, aud intend* to
pursue the
Vendue & Comm’’[Ft on
Business ; in which capacity, his exertions will
he uled to promote ihe Int'r'ft of hi* Em
ployers, and give general fatisfatfion.
Savannah, June j. 37-ts
T he Subscriber begs leave to
inform his friends, that he has removed hie
STORE, to the Old Exchange, where he pur
poses carrying on the
Vendue ovd. Commission
F. USINES fi, as usual,
A'pd hopes, from his punihiality and attention,
ro merit a continuance, of their favors.
WILLIAM PINDER.
Savannah, June ad. t7-at
Sherijf’s bales.
On Thursday, the tfk day of July nrxt t
Will he SOLD by Public Out.
cry, at the Court-House in this City , between the
Huurs of 10 and 3 o'clock ; in purfuaneg of 0
Levy in Ftbriiarj laji -
10 NEGROES,
Seir.-d und"r Execution, as the Prop-rty of the
Kftate of G- irgr Cuthbert, Esq. deceased.
CONDITIONS CafH.
T. NORTON, S. C. C.
Savannah, Jun- 3, 1796. a7-t*
LOST,
Between mV. •* hofe t and ftf
,ward Griffiths'*, on the Bay, gn ouifl’e
,old WATCH CASE. Whoever will deliv ft
k to Mrs. M Call, or Edward Griftuh, fiia.’lb*
handsomely rewarded.
Savannah, May 13.
107