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VOL. VI. No. 312]
Three dollars per annum.) PUBLISHED BY SAMUEL HAMMOND, NORTH BROAD-STREET, (Half in ad-c an Cc
NEW ARRANGEMENT.
CE.YTIJYEL OFFICE,
291/i May, 1809.
WITH a deep sense of the encou
ragement and liberal patronage that
this paper has received since, its first
appearance, the subscriber now returns
hi., sinccrest thanks to the public for then
support. He is proud hi the recollec
tion that at least he has endeavored to
merit it.
He henceforth declines all concern in
this paper.... 1 he property in which and
the printing business of this office he
has transferred to Mr. Samuel Ham
mond, junior.
He respectfully solicits from his
friends the continuance of that patron
age in his support, not doubting but that
he will make Independence his object,
Truth his guide, and Decency his com
panion.
He cannot close without congratulat
ing his countrymen at large on the pre
sent prospect in the political affairs of
the United States, and the succeeding
' editor in particular, on the pWasing du
ty he will have, in bearing testimony to
the revived growth and renovated pros
perity of this land of freedom, agricul
ture and commerce, under the auspices
of an administration, that in its first step
evinces a spirit of moderation, free from
disingenuousness, and a wisdom, that
appearing to despise the cob-web arts
of diplomacy, at once has met a frank
atonement and a fair proposition, with
an honest face and a cordial desire for
reconcilement by honorable negotia
tion.
GEO: F. RANDOLPH.
CEJVTLYEL OFFICE ,
3rd June, 1809.
' THE undersigned takes the liberty
of requesting the future patronage and
support of the public in conducting this
paper. He will essay to deserve their
good opinion by a steady adherence in
politics to principles purely American ;
in private disputes to forbearance and
dectncy, and in business, to correctness
and dispatch. These sheets have never
yet been stained with any thing that
honor could blush at, or virtue disap
prove of. He pledges himself in these
respects, that they shall still uphold
■v that character.
Remote as he is from the great scenes
pf politics and commerce, he feels his
duties not the less essential, although in
a limited sphere. To amuse, inform &
protect, shall he his pleasure and his
care. The seat of our general govern
ment is not alone that of power nor of
science. These independent states,
confederated for external defence and
internal peace, and in all other regards
' though unequal in size, numbers and
wealth, yet co-equal in rights, must
preserve within themselves those means
of integral existence, necessary to give
them due weight in the sovereignty of
the nation. They must (acting from
their own centre) each guard against
the infringments of their sister states,
and the encroachments of federalpower,
j in order to effect a benign and social
combination of the wh01e.... Amongst
the mears by which enslaved states have
become free, and free ones have been
preserved, the Liberty of the Press
stands pre-eminent....Where vaunting,
the scourge of popular tyranny, or the
sword of despotism have ever prevailed.
The state of Georgia has shone conspi
cuous in the ranks of freedom. She
has often felt the pang of adversity....
and she has triumphed in the smiles of
victory- She has been agitated by the
collision of parties ; but she has grown
from infancy to manhood, unimpaired
by their convulsions. She has with
others pined in the period of interdicted
activity....she Ims risen superior to all
these. The editor hails the present
time, and repeats cordially the preced
ing congratulations without the dread
that they will be found irksome. The
measures then that he shall support,
unequivocally will be those that tend
to harmonize the general and state gov
ernments. He views the latter as sub
stantial parts of the constitutional fab-
AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.
rics, and the former as their cement
and ornament. On public men and
measures he shall freely comment, and
whilst official public virtue receives his
aid, official public vice shall meet his
animadversions. The.open violator of
our rights shall be corrected, and the
insidious traitor detected, whenever the
one affords the occasion, or the other
an opening. In private controversies,
his duty will compel him to be the ve
hicle for public appeal; but he will
strive to mollify. In the transaction of
liis business he will vie with his co-tem
poraries in obtaining and preserving a
just proportion of the confidence of his
fellow citizens, on the same terms his
predecessor has done.
The Columbian Centinel will
continue to be sent to present subscri
bers as heretofore, unless otherwise
directed.
SAMUEL HAMMOND, Jun’r.
Attention!
THE Subscribers, had the misfor
tune of being swindled, out of a
quantity of Cotton, some time ago, at
a store in the city of Charleston,
was made public in South-Carolina and
Georgia, by advertisements, indifferen-
Nevvspapers. They have had the great
er misfortune, in their anxiety and zeal
to discover the swindler, unjustly, and
rashly, to form a suspicion, that Doc
tor George A. Brown, of Wrightsbo*
rough, in Columbia county, and State
of Georgia, was the person, who com
mitted the fraud; and at a religious
congregation of citizens, at the house
of Win. Halbert, Esq. in Pendleton
District, S. C. publicly charged him
with the act.
Dr. Brown, like a man of honor and
integrity, fully convinced us of our
great mistake, and error, and in con
sideration of our being poor men, that
we had been actuated by mistake, and
not malevolent motives, has charitably
and generously forgiven us. While
we acknowledge, that Dr. Brown has
it in his power to ruin every individual
of us, and distress our families; we vo»
luntaiily come forward and do solemn
ly declare in open Court, at Pendleton
Court-house, and to all the world, our
mistaken and erroneous conduct, to
wards the said Dr. George A. Brown.
We testify his innocence, we thank him
for his honorable and gentlemanly con
duct, and we declare our regret and sor
row, for the injuries his feelings may
have sustained ; we are fully satisfied,
that Doctor George A. Brown, is a
man of the first respectability ‘of an
excellent character, and that his con
duct in life from childhood has been ir
reproachable. We can neither say or
do, too much to redrcoS the feeling of
Dr. Brown, or to vindicate his name and
character. We never will forget his
honor and generosity in forgiving us
for the wrong we have inadvertantly
done him, which we believe arose from
the similarity of features, between the
person who swindled and cheated us
out of our property, and the features of
the said Dr. George A. Brown.
We desire that this declaration may
be made public in the Newspapers of
Charleston, S. C. and Augusta, in
Georgia, at our expence, for the space
of three months ; and recorded in the
Clerks Office, in Pendleton District,
S. C. and Columbia county, in the State
of Georgia.
Given under our hands and seals this
"3 1st March, 1809.
his
JohnX Crump,
mark
Wm. Mitchell,
George Mitchell,
Wm Dodson.
Signed, sealed and acknowledged in the
presence of
William Browin,
John B, Dempsv,
William Harris,
Daniel Massengale.
April 22. 92
-Hill „
DOCUMENTS,
Accompanying the liill providing for the
sale of Gun-bouts, reported by Mr. An
derson,i Jo //«■ senate, June , 8, 1809.
Committee Room, May 29th, 1809.
Sir —The Committee to whom has
been refered a resolution ofthe Senate,
authorising the committee to enquire
whether it be expedient at this time, to
. make any modifications of the laws re
lating to the army and navy ofthe Uni
ted States, have directed me to ask in
formation of you upon the following
points—
How many Gun-Boats have been
built under the existing laws ?
What has been the average, of ag
gregate cost of building them ?
In what situation are they now pla
ced, or contemplated to be placed ?
llow many of them are laid up, and
how many in actual service, and were
stationed.
What will be the annual expense of
taking care of those laid up ?
What the annual expense of those to
be continued in actual service ?
\V hat will be the probable state of
those gun-boats at the end of one year,
which may be laid up or unemployed ?
What will be the probable state of
those at the end of one year, which may
be kept in service, on the coasts or in the
harbors ?
Which would best promote the true
interest of the nation, and of the navy
department ; to continue the system of
gun-boats hitherto adopted, and dis
pose of them in the manner now au
thorized by law or to authorize the pre
sident to cause them to be sold, except
so many as lie may think expedient to
be retained in service ?
What would be the difference in the
expense of keeping one or more fri
gates on our coasts, or sending them to
the Mediterranean, should it be consi
dered expedient to keep any armed ves
sels in the Mediterranean seas ?
Upon the foregoing points the com
mittee wish you to give as full a view as
you can, from such data, as you now
possess.
Is it at this time expedient to make
any modifications of the laws of the
United States, in relation to the navy
department ?
If so what are the modifications you
deem expedient, so far as you have had
time and opportunity to examine them ?
Accept assurances of my high con
sideration.
JOSEPH ANDERSON,
Chairman of the Committee .
Paul Hamilton Esq, Secretary of
the JSavy .
Navy-department, June 6th, 1809.
Sir,
I have received your letter ofthe 29th
ult. requesting information which 1
have now the honor to give upon the
points therein stated.
There have been built under the ex
isting laws, one hundred und seventy
six gun-boats and bombs ; and the av
erage cost of building them may be
calculated at 900 dollars.
[1,584,000]
The paper A herewith sent, affords
the requisite information as to the sit
uation in which these boats are now
placed ; the number laid up ; the num
ber in actual service, and where station
ed.
Paper B is an exhibit of the annual
expense of taking care of those laid up”
Paper C is an exhibit of the annual
expense of maintaining one gun-boat,
and twenty four of them on one sta
tion, for instance New-Orbans ip ac
tual service.
As to the “ probable state of those
gun-boats at the end of one year, which
may be laid up or unemployed, “ I will
observe, that with all the care that can j
be taked of them, they will unavoidably
decay in a greater or less degree; !
those built of green will of course decay ’
much sooner than those built of sea- :
soned timber. To keep a gun-boat in
a state of preparation for service, wc
shall very frequently be subjected to the
expense of repairing her ; an expence '
SATURDAY, JULY 15, 1809
to an amount which cannot be fore
seen. The sails and standing and
running rigging, at present belonging
to those laid up, will, piobaidy at tbe
end of one year, be so much injured as
to be* Unfit for use ; their small boats
and water cacks, unless well protected
from the rain and sun will sustain consi
derable injury in the course oi the same
time, —and they connot be so protected
without expense. If a gun-boat is suf
fered to lie in po'l for one year, with
out giving her any repair, bite will
probably be found at the expiration of
that year, wholly unworthy of being re
paired.
With respect to those kept in service,
they also will decay, if not occasionally
repaired ; though it is observed by pro
fessional men, that vessels in service,
especially in salt water, are less subject
to decay than when they are lying-in poit
and universal experience does, 1 believe,
sanction this idea.
In reply to your query respecting the
gun-boat system, as relating to the “ in
terest of the nation and ttie navy depart
ment,” as to the propriety of continuing
that system or the abandoning it by
the sale of the boats, I am to observe,
that much must be said on the species
of policy which in the event of a war
may be adopted. If that event should
shortly occur and it is determined that a
plan ol' operations merely defendve
shall be pursued, there can be no doubt
that gun-boats will aid materially, if
properly stationed ; but if the contrary,
our marine should be directed against
a foreign trade,and i<> the convoying and
protection of our own, a system of well
armed fast sailing frigates, and smaller
cruisers, would, on every principle, fit
preferable in point of effect; and com
paratively, rated per gun and number
of men to be employed, would be much
hss costly. It must also be observed,
that it is only on board of vessels suited
for sea-service, that good seamen are
to be formed, and that those calculated
merely for ports, afford no opportunity
for improvement in naval science. As
to the expediency of selling or retain
ing the gun-boats, reference to the pre
ceding exhibits affords some informa
tion ; but I beg leave to remark, that
nothing short of a knowledge of the po
licy which events may induce, could en
able me to give a decided opinion on
this point.
“ The difference of the expense oi
keeping one or more frigates on our
own coast, and sending them to the
Mediterranean,” vvguld in my opinion
be inconsiderable. On our own coast,
they will, especially in the winter and
spring months, be subject to nume
rous accidents from causes universally
known, and not existing, it is believed,
in an equal degree ir, any other part of
the world; such as frequent and sudden
heavy squalls of wind, numerous shoals
thick fogs, and the irregularity of the
motion of the gulpli stream, which in
misty weather renders the approach tc
our coast peculiarly hazardous. For
our vessels stationed in the Mediterra
nean, we shoulu be subjected to the ex
pense of transporting certain articles of
provisions and naval stores, not to be
obtained in that sea; but this is, I be
lieve, the only additional expense to
which they would be subjected, and this
expense may be more than counterba
lanced by the accidents to which our
vessels would be subject on our own
coast, and the comparative cheapness
of certain supplies which can he obtain
ed in the Mediterranean ports, arid I
am persuaded that if Congress would
authorise the building of a suitable ves
sel for the transportation of provisions
from this country to the Mediterranean,
lor the use of any of our vessels that
might be stationed in that sea, the ex
pense of maintaining them there would
be less than the expense ol maintaining
I them on our own coast.
you have not required my opinion
! on the expediency ol sending some of
’ our frigates to the Mediterranean, I v\ih
j only venture to suggest for considera
tion, that we have in that sea, a valua
: ble trade at staky, subject to the depre
dations of a lawless people, whose dis
' positions might be effectually restrain-