The Mirrour — Concord, N.H., 1794-06-23 00:00:00, page 1

ft^fe ''stffoUt
Ufeful Miscellany.
FOR THE MIRROUR.
On the OPERATIONS and (ECONOMY
? of the HONEY-BEE.
[From Smellie's Pbilojopby of Natural Hiftor,.]
THE skill and dexterity of the bong-bra;
displayed in the conftrudion of their
tombs or nests, have at all times called forth
the admiration of mankind. # They are com
posed of cells regularly applied to each oth
er's sides, These cells are uniform hexagons
orfix-fided figures. In a beehive, every part
is arranged with fuchrymmetry, and so finely
finifhed, that, if limited to the fame materi
als, the most expert workman would find
himfelf unqualified to conftruft a similar hab
itation, or,rather a similar city.
Most Natural Historians have celebrated
bees for their wisdom, for the perfection and
harmony of their republican government,
and for their persevering industry and won.
derful economy. All these splendid talents,
however, the late ingenious Count de Buffon
has endeavoured to perluade us, are only re
fultsof pure mechanism. But this is not a
proper place to enter Into a difcuflion of this
point. It will fall more naturally to be treat
ed of when we come to describe the societies
established among different gregarious ani
mals. We shall, therefore, at present, con
fine ourselves chiefly to the mode in which
bees conftrud their habitations.
In the formation of their combs, bees feedh
to resolve a problem which would not be a
little puzzling to some geometers, namely,
A quantity of wax being given, to make of
it equal and similar cells of a determined ca
pacity, but of the largest fee in proportion
to the quantity of matter employed, and dif
poled in such a manner as to occupy in the
hive the least possible space. Every part of
this problem is compleatly executed by the
bees. By applying hexagonal cells to each
other's sides, no void spaces are left between
them ; and, though the fame, end might be
accomplished by other figures, yet they would
necessarily require a greater quantity of wax.
Besides, hexagonal cells are better fitted to
receive the cylindrical bodies of these infers.
A comb consists of two strata of cells applied
to each other's ends. This arrangement
. both saves room in the hive, and it gives a
double entry into the cells of which the comb
is composed. As a farther saving of wax,
' and preventing void spaces, the bases of these
cells in one ftfatum of a comb serve for bases
to the opposite ftfatum. In a word, the
more minuiely the conftruftion of these cells
is examined, the more will the admiration
of the observer be excited. The walls of the
cells are so extremely thin, that their mouths
would be in danger of Suffering by the fre
quent entering and issuing of the bees. To
prevent this disaster, they make a kind of
ring round the margin of each cell, and this
ring is three or four times thicker than the
walls.
It is difficult to perceive, even with the as
finance of glass-hives, the manner in which
bees operate vghen cohftruaing, their cells.
They are so eager to afford mutual affiance,
and, for this purpose, so many of them crowd
together,and are perpetually succeeding each
other, that their individual operations can
seldom be diftinaiy observed. It has, how
ever, been plainly discovered, that their two
teeth are the only instruments they employ
in modelling and policing the wax. With a
little patience and attention, we perceive cells
just begun : We likewise remark, he quick
ness with which a bee moves its teeth against
a toll portion of the ceil. This portion,
the anirhal, by repeated strokes on each fide,
smooths, renders compad, and reduces to a
proper thinness of consistence. While some
of the hive are lengthening their hexagonal
tubes, others are laying the foundations of
new ones." In certain circumftanc, s, when
M extremely hurried, they do notcomplete their
new cells, but leave them Imperfed till they
have begun a number fufficient for their pref
erit exigences.—When a bee puts his head a
little way into a cell, we easily perceive it
scraping the walls with the points of its teeth,
„in order to detach such useless and irregular
fragments as may have been left fa the work.;
b Os these fragments the bee forms a ball about
the size of. a pin-head, comes out of the cell,
and carries this wax to another part of the
;work where it is needed. It no sooner leaves.
the cell than it is succeeded by another bee,
^ , which performs the fame office, and in this
Y manner the work is fuccelfcly carried on
theb ^^r
COXCOR D.
[Vol. ll.]
FROM THE CENTINEL.
MR. RUSSELL,
IN a government like ours, founded upch
the broad basis of Liberty and Equality
happy under a constitution formed by the
Sages of United America —ratified by mill
ions of enlightened citizens, and favoured
with an administration pure as its original :
It must give pain to the true Patriot, disgust
to those worthy of the privileges we enjoy,
and grief to our valiant Sons, whose fears yet
remind us of the price by which we purchas
ed our Independence, to fee the envious, de
signing and factious, making every possible?
exertibn to raise prejudices against our gov
ernment and stain the glory of our flourifh
ing empire ; to fee the Demagogue at the
head, of a Democratic Society, circulating the
effufions of heal ts, influenced by the fell-De
mon; who presides in the grim Court of Pan
demonium, and Satan-like, with infernal ar
tillery, presuming the ruin and deftruaion of
our happy country. Attend to the Demo
cratic Societies—their repeated publications,
particularly those of the Society at Philadel
phia, at their meeting on the Sth instant ;
their pompous resolves—what do they im
port, what do they insinuate, ^hat bounds
do they set to their prerogative—Do they
think under the specious name of a Demo
cratic Society, to impose upon a free and en
lightened people, and by the resolves of their
august body, establish a criterion of right
are they so vain as to suppose welhall implic
itly receive and adopt their sentiments and
opinions, however preposterous, because they
are solemnized by a resolve ?—ln the resolves
referred to, the aforefaid Society have assum
ed ihe right of interpreting the Constitution ;
bf designating in violators; of arranging
them at their bar ; of impeaching and con
demning the firft Magistrate, our worthy and
meritorious President, and virtually faying,
the Senate are rogues and knaves, and that
the members of their society, and none other
kre friends of the Republick—friends of the
United States, and ought to have supreme
rule. Do not my fellow citizens, the resolves
[peak the foregoing language ?- Say they,
" the appointment of John Jay, Chief Jus
tice, &c. as Envoy Extraordinary, is contrary
to the spirit and meaning of the constitution,
makes him dependent upon the Prefident—
deftroys the check by impeachment upon the
Executive, and has a tendency to controul
the proceedings of the Legislature :"—ls not
this the height of arrogance ; expressly ac
cusing our rulers of violating the Constitu
tion ; insinuating that the Executive ought
to be impeached, and that the Legiflatur, is
governed by prejudice and party. Was not
our government of the mildest nature, and
administered by men disposed to bear and
forbear, and use the most lenient means ; the
unexampled Democratic Sages might shudder
at the recollections of such ffeafonable insin
uations. Still eager to confumate their fol
ly and disclose their objea—being left by
their grand master, they hasten to resolve,
that their proceedings be made publick and
immediately transmitted to all the Democrat
ic Societies in the Union.
Can this noxious, this inferhal vapour as- 4
fed your minds my countrymen otherwise,
than to spurn, repudiate and despise it ; will
not the consideration of its origin and object
cause you to reject with manly firmnefs this
satanic emission. lam convinced it will.—
Let not those exciters of feuds, of animosities,
whose ebullitions are meant to subvert our
government, pullute your pure minds. You
have too, too dearly purchased your liberty
arid independence to facrifice them at the
shrine of a designing junto, under whatever
specious garb it appears Sufpea the man,
or body of men, who shall insinuate against
our government or rulers in a newspaper,
and be assured their aim is for a feat in Con
gress, where they may have an opportunity
rto burthen you with the yoke they have so
industriously endeavoured to prepare for your
necks. -'
AFARMER.
N. B. It is suggested for the considera
tion of the above referred to Societies, to
substitute the word Democratic for Democrat
ic, as being more pertinent and more expres
sive. 2J_
—
Latest Foreign Intelligence.
Turkey. .
CONSTANTINOPLE, m %6.
*/[De Coutsciiourey, who is co
IVI. refirffe here as Envoy.from the
Empress of Russia, after the depart
ure of her Ambassador, has arrived
MONDAY, June 23, 1794.
BY E. RUSSELL.
_______ —-— —I __-
here. The Ambassador de Kuwikow
will shortly have his audience of leave,
and it is supposed will quit Constanti
nople about the middle of March.—
The arrival of the Ruffian Envoy, at
a time when every warlike prepara- -
tion is on foot, is rather lingular. It
it true, the present Miniftera of the
Porta do not with for a war, but they
are combated by an opposition with
the Capt. Pacha at their head, whom
the emiffariea of the Jacobins have
gained over to their interests, and who
use all his influence, (which is very
great) with the Grand Signior to en
gage him to join the Convention, or
at least to Ihow a partiality, which
must be highly offensive to the pow
ers at war with it, and it is to this in
fluence that we ascribe the depreda
tions which are committed by the
French frigates off Smyrna, on the
vessels of all nations, to the great pre
judice even of the Ottoman fubjeAs ;
and this fame influence may, notwich
ftanding the great caution of the Mio
iftry, again involve us in a war with
Russia.
— — =to—- — —
France.
NATIONAL CONVENTION.
Qaati& 16 Germinal, (April 4.)
St. Just, in the name of the com
mittee of General Safety, " The pub-
Ilie accuser of the Revolutionary Tri
bunal has communicated that the re
volt of the cribinali has made them
fufpeod their proceedings until they
fall know the sense of the Conven
tion. You have escaped the greatest
danger that ever menaced the Repub
lic ; in the mean time all the accom
plices are discovered, and the revolt
of the criminals, even at the foot of
justice, intimidated by the law, ex
plains the secret of their conference,
their despair, and their fury ; every
thing announces that the honesty they
affeded, was the most hypocritical
foare that was ever laid for the Rev
olution.
" What innocent man ever Ihrunk
A from justice ? Thererequires no other
proof of their guilt than their audaci
ty. What! those whom we have ac
cused of being the accomplices of Du
mourier and of Orleans ; those who
. only made the Revolution in favour
of a new Dynasty: Those who have
conspired for the misery and slavery
of the people, at length complete their
infamy by shrinking from trial !
" If it be thus with men who are
truly the friends of liberty—,if the en
ergy proper for those who undertake
to enfranchife their country is in their
hearts, you shall find there are no
more concealed conspirators to pun
ilh, but bold, open, avowed conspira
tors, who counting on the Aristocracy
with which they have been for years
connected, call down on the heads of
the people the vengeance of crimes.
“No ; Liberty shall never retreat
from its enemies. Their coalition is ,
discovered. Dillon, who ordered his
army to march against Paris, has de
clared that the wife of Defmoulins
touched a sum of money to excite a
movement in order to assassinate the
Patriots, and the Revolutionary Tri
bunal. We thank you for having plac
ed m at the post of honour. Like you
iwe shall cover our country with our
!bodies.
To die is nothing, provided &
the Revolution triumphs. Behold the
day of glory— the day on which the
Roman Senate struck at Cataline—
the day that shall consolidate forever.
public liberty ! Your committees an
swer to you for an heroic watchful
nefs. Who can reftife to you its ven
eration in this terrible moment, when
you fight, for the last time, against
the fadion that was indulgent to your
enemies, and which this day renews
its fury to fight against liberty ?
" Your committees hold life cheap
—they ate covetous only of honour.
People, you shall triumph; may this
experience make you love the Revo
lution by the perils to which it expos
es your friends!
66 It was without example that jus
tice should be infolted ; if it ever was
so, it was only so by insensate emi
grants prophesying tyranny. But the
new conspirators have recriminated on
the public confeience: What more is
wanting to convince us of their guilt? -
Miserable men! They confefs their
crimes by refilling the few.Jt is only
criminals that terrible justice ever
frightens. At this very moment there
are conspiracies forming in the prisons
in their favour=at this very moment
aristocracy is struggling,
" Is it by privilege that the accus
ed are insolent I Let us call back then,
the tyrants, Cuftipe and Briffot, from
the tomb, for they did not exercise
their privilege by insulting their judg
es.
" In the peril of the country, in
the degree of majesty in which you
have placed the people, mark the dis
tance that feperates you from the
guilty. Ie is in this view that your
committee proposes to you the follow
ing decree :
"The National Convention, after
having heard the reports of the com
mittees of Public Welfare and of Gen
eral Safety, decree, that the Revolu
tionary Tribunal shall continue its
proceedings in the conspiracy of La
croix, Danton, Chabot, and others ;
and that the president shall employ
all the means that the law provides to
make his authority, and that of the
Tribunal, refpeded ; and to repress
all attempts on the part of the accused
to trouble the public tranquility, and
to hinder the progress of justice.
" Decreed, that all persons accused
of conspiracy, who shall resist or iofuic
national justice, shall be instantaneous
ly held to be guilty."
England.
LONDON, APRIL 14.
DECLARATION of the KING of PRUSSIA.
The King of Prussia, by a declara
,tion dated March 13, enters into a de
tail of the causes which induced him
to become a member of the'Coalition
against France ; which was the pre^
fervation of the German empire from•
the encroachments of the French.—
His majesty then mentions the efforts
he has made in the cause—the blood
and treasure he has expended—the ill
return he had received for his affifc
ance—and the falfe reprefentationa
which had been made refpeatog his
motives and views. He next men
tions the demandiwhich he had trade
of a fobfidy, and the fopply of his ar
mies by the Circles the most exposed
to danger, and which reaped the most
benefit from the defence—Comptans
of the evasive measures taken refpe&
ing these demands, and finally fay's
NEWHAM.
— far
Num. 87.]