The United States oracle of the day — Portsmouth, N.H., 1801-08-22 00:00:00, page 1

SIR,
I had the honor of receiving yours
of the 15th ult. It appears that you
are afraid of the rainy season in the
month of August being unfavorable to
the grape in Virginia. There is no
doubt that if the vintage is made in a
rainy season, it will be prejudicial to
the wine. You speak more favorably
of the months f Odober, November &
December ; but fay nothing about Sep
tember, a time to which it is poffible,as
I think, to have the vintage with you,
by retarding the vegetation a few weeks
—a process which is in the power of
the agriculturist.
First, by planting the vine as deep
as neceflary, and thereby preventing
lateral roots,from (hooting near the fur
face of the earth.
Second, by planting them closer,
that they may have more shade ; not
to plough betwixt them so early in the
spring, and to keep them clear and free
from weeds. To keep the vines high,
that is about 7 or 8 feet, to diminish
the adion of the solar rays ; and lastly,
to take care that the vineyard be not too
much exposed to the fun. With this
precaution, the vintage may be procras
tinated a few weeks.
Grapes of the fa: le species with mine
are not ripe in Europe until Odober :
here, upon an average, taking one year
with another, they will be ripe the firft
week in September. The southern ex
posure of my vineyard, the distance of
the plants, its declivity on the face of a
hill, and the stony foil reflecting the
rays of the fun on the fruit, hastens its
maturity perhaps 10 or 12 days.
The vine ought to be planted rn this
climate ih the fall, a season which is
more favourable than the tying,which
is frequently toodry,in which the plants
do not succeed so well, at least I have
found this to be the case.
In the beginning of next Odober I shall
be ready to deliver at Philadelphia any
numberof plants that mas be demand
ed, either with roots or cuttings. I
shall fell them at the following rates :
Cuttings of the real Champaign,Bour
• goyne and Bourdcaux vines, from 18
to 24 inches in length, when taken in
fmali quantities, at 5 cents per plant.
The fame with roots at 12 cents. Those
who. take a thousand cutting; will be
served at 4 cents, or with roots at 10
cents.
Cuttings from the Cape of Good
Hope vine, 9 cents a plant, and plants
with roots 25 cents when fold in small
Your attention and public caution on
the fubjed,have induced me to take the
liberty of consulting you on the fubjed.
I am desirous of planting two acres ;
can you furnifh me with vine plants, or
cuttings adapted to our climate, and at
what price can you afford to deliver
them packed for traafportation, at Phi
ladelphia?
From some specimens that I have
seen of wine made here from the native
cultivated grape, I have no doubt but
that wine of an excellent quality might
be made here by a judicious Selection
of grapes and proper cultivation.
From my own small experience,! ara
disposed to think that the grapes which
ripen late,will be the most likely to suc
ceed here in making good wine.
This opinion arises from my having
observed the constant failure of the
English white grape (as they are called
here) which ripens in the month of
Aufll In this month we generally
havei,frequent & heavy Showers of rain ;
on tie contrary, in the month of. Octo
ber, November, and Decemfo, the
weather is generally serene and dry, &
frequently without Severe froit until af
ter Christmas.
Having been for a long time past de
sirous of engaging in the cultivation of
vines, I was pleased to obferte in a late
Aurora, your observations rcfpefting
the practicability of making good wine
in the United States.
FROM the Sincere desire of promot
ing the agricultural interest of A
merica, we are induced to publish the
following extract of a letter published
by a gentleman in Virginia, to Mr. Le
gaux ; with his answer.
VIRGINIA, JUNE If, 1801.
SIR,
AGRICULTURE
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, TWENTY-SIXTH YEAR.
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. Printed and Published every SATURDAY
Lffws &c. of the United
SATURDAY, AUGUST 22,1801.
tztßmßCTuercffrerareHmßffn^tflwrcEWfrßttnratm&ttßfott— .
AMERICAN WINES.
OF AtL THE DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS WHICH LEAD TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY, RELIGION AND MORALITY ARE INDISPENSABLE SUPPORTS WASHINGTON'S f^^
©je Biteb ^tates
From the Baltimore Gazette.
ANSWER.
He is enterprizing, quick in his per
ceptions, and his judgment intuitively
great; qualities essential to a great
military character, and therefore I re
peat, that his loss will be irreparable.
The following is an extract of a letter
from General Washington, to the
President of the United States (Mr.
Adams) when the late army mas a
bout to be formed, and some corn,etition
appeared among the different names ;
dated Mount- Vernon, 25th of Septem
ber, 1798.
"YT is an invidious talk, at all times
A. to draw comparisons, and I shall
avoid it as much as poflible ; but'l
have no hesitation in declaring that if
the public is to be deprived of the Ser
vice of colonel Hamilton, in the milita
ry line, that the post he was deftined<
to fill, will not be easily Supplied ; and
that this i§ the Sentiment of the public,
I think I can venture to pronounce
Although colonel Hamilton has never
a&ed in the character of a general offi
cer, yet his opportunity as the principal
and most confidential aid of the com
mander in chief,afforded him the means
of viewing every thing on a larger Scale
than those, who had only divisions and
brigades to attend to ; who knew no
thing of the correfpondencies of the
commander in chief, or of the various
orders to, or transactions with, the gen
eral rtaff of the army. These advan
tages, and his having Served, with ufe
fulncfs, in the old congress, in the gene
ral convention, and having filled one of
the most important departments of
government, with acknowledged abilities
and integrity, has placed him on high
ground; and made him a conspicuous
character in the United States, and even
in Europe. To these as a matter of no
small consideration, may be added,that
as a lucrative praXice in the line of his
profeffion is his most certain dependence,
the inducement to relinquish it, must,
in some degree, be commensurate. By
some, he is considered as an ambitious
man, and, therfore, a dangerous one.
That he is ambitidts, I Shall readily
grant,but it is of that laudible kind,which
prompts a man to excel in whatever he
takes in band.
Messrs. Willet & O'Connor,
THE Speech of Mr Jefferfon is
fraught with moderation. It
breathes nothing but wisdom, and a
spirit of conciliation. Happy would
it be for the enviable renown to which
he has arrived, and equally happy for
his country,had he never deviated from
it. But no sooner had he commenced
his administration, than his conduct
engendered a fufpi<4|n, that his addreTs
before the delivery hi it, had not been
maturely weighed.
If Mr. Jefferfon believed that Fede
ralifm# and Republicanism were as pre
valent among the friends as the ene
mies of Mr. Adams's administration,
(and his own words bear testimony to
it) why did he eje& from office those
whom he found in ? If only one or two
men had been turned out we should
have rest fatisfied that he had.adequate
reasons for it. It was not possible on
the wide extent of our country, that
his prcdeccdlis in office could have
quantities, but by the thousand at 9
cents for cuttings, and at 20 cepts for
plants with roots.
The difference between cuttings and
plants with roots is, that the latter are
more certain, and will produce vintage
one year sooner than the former ; yet
if I were to establish a vineyard on an
extensive fcalc,l would prefer cuttings.
By planting at the distance of three
feet, an acre will contain 4840 plants,
which in the third year (if they are cut
tings) will produce for your firft vin
tage 3 2 5 gallons of wine per acre, and
the next year double, and if they are
well cultivated, they continue to bear
100 or 150 years.
You are not ignorant that next to
corn and wheat, the vine is the most
precious plant that the supreme Being
hath bestowed on man, and you are too
well acquainted with its medical virtues
for me to enlarge on them.
Spring-Mill. LEGAUX.
OF
GENERAL HAMILTON.
MISCELLANY.
CONON—No. 11.
From the Norfolk Herald.
{been personally acquainted with all the
men to whom they gave appointments.
Their knowledge of the characters of
many of them must have been derived
from the representations of others.—
Under these circumstances it can ex
cite no surprise if some men were un
worthily made collectors and marshals.
These Mr. Jefferfon was called upon
by the duty which he owed to himfelf
and what is dill m >re to be regarded,
by the interest of his country, to dis
place. But where was the necessity of
I fpunging out from the record of com
miOions the names of the marshals ?—
This llep cannot be defended, and I
shall attempt to prove in my next paper
that it is pregnant with sonfequences
; which there is serious cause to appre
hend will Shake our government to its
very foundation."
Since his entrance into office he has
made a number of new appointments.
I have, after much enquiry, not been
able to learn that there is a Solitary fed
eralift among them. If this be true,
to juftify himfelf, Mr. Jefferfon must
summon to his aid all the eloquence &
powers of reasoning of which he is in so
eminent a degree possessed.
It is frefh in the recollection of your
readers, that on^one of the principal
topics of clamours against the federal
party whilst they held the reins of gov
ernment, was the pretended avowal by
the executive that they would not give
an appointment to any one who did
not approve of the measures they had
pursued. The enemies of the adminis
tration did not fail to express themselves
upon that resolution in the most indig
nant language. They represented it
as abhorrent to reason, and as infring
ing the fundamental principles of Socie
ty. Sordid and bale indeed mud those
men be, was their incessant yell, who
with the emoluments of office to be en
tirely engrossed by their friends and
themselves! To render the administra
tion unpopular was undoubtedly one
of the objects of those arguments ; and
perhaps the, friends of Mr. Jefferfon
never tumbled upon an accusation a
gainst it that was more propitious and
conducive to his election. The people,
at least all of the anti-federal party,
loudly averted that in the dilpofition of
offices, the line of distinction between
the two parties Should be loft Sight of,
and that merit alone Should be attend
ed to.
Why then does Mr. Jefferfon presume
whilst the echo of public indignation a
gainst Mr. Adams for handing his offi
ces only to the approvers of his admin
istration is Still ringing in our eqrs, take
him for his example ? Does he believe
that the people most solemnly protested
against it, because it was done by Mr.
Adams ? In the administration of our
government, does he think that they
do not regard measures, but men ? or
has his reliance on the unexampled
confidence whicli his party place in him,
emboldened him to disregard their pre
judices and to insult their reason ?
For my own part I can with truth
fay, that I do not know how to recon
cile his conduct. In his Speech he did
most unequivocally declare that the
measures pursued by our government
were in the main wife, prudent, and
politic. In making this declaration he
must either have been sincere or not.—
Which ever alternative you take, it is
equally unfortunate to his character.
If you maintain the negative of this po
sition, it results that implicit faith can
not be placed in his declarations On
the other hand if you contend that he
uttered the dictates of his judgment, it
must be admitted that he is deficient in
virtue or firmnefs.
Let his conduct be tested by faCts.—
If our government anterior to his ele
vation to the head of affairs was ably
and virtuously administered, as he fays
himfelf, it must have been under the
conduct of able and virtuous men. If
so, with what colour of reason has he
cashiered them ? He certainly has not
adopted the unnatural principle of re
warding virtue with death, and vice
with life.—.He will not have the hardi
ness to'come forward and proclaim to
the people of the United States, that he
kicks out of office the federalifts, because
in the Service of their country they
have eminently distinguished themselves
for their integrity, their patriotifm,and
their talents. Neither will his sense of
justice & the awful responsibility of his
Situation permit him to fend it abroad,
that they made a resolute opposition to
his receiving the chair of the firft of-
r o l XI.
Nk 46.
Morning, by WILLIAM TREa!dWELi7^ et
States, in New-Hampshire.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THIRTEENTH YEAR.
PRICE I DOLLAR 50 CENTS Per Annum.
fice of his country, and that therefore
on principles of retaliation he will de
grade them, beggar them, and heap
upon them every indignity & disgrace
which lie within his reach ! From the
tenor of his conduct it would Seem that
he considers himfelf railed to the ele
vated Station which he holds for his in
dividuals, and not for the fake of the
community ; for sure I am that many
impartial and dilinterefted men must
declare that he manifests a fixed and
unalterable determination to rivet him
felf inseparably to his power. I again
with confidence appeal to facts. A
meritorious and enlightened and belov
ed character, has lately had the office
of collect )r violently wrested from him,
because he was the friend of Mr.
Adams. There is substituted in his
place a man who has not half the re
commendations, for no other reason, as
I fear, but because he h^s philipized
the old administration and eulogized
Mr. Jefferfon. And wh| was this
done ? Because Mr, Jefferfon fails with
the wind of ambition ; because he is not
Sanguine of ever coaxing the federal
ists to give him their interest ; because
prudence whisper in his ears,that to con
tinue in office beyond four years, it is
fafeft in him to rest his hopes on the
antifederal party; because his tho
rough acquaintance with this party
speaks louder than a trumpet,that some
of the molt influential among them can
not be kept firm in his interest, unless
he gratifies them with Sat and honora
ble offices ; and because there is no
other way of doing this, but by draging
the poor defeated federalifts from their
offices, and filling every vacancy with the
sons of antifederalifm.
Os the Merchants and Citizens of the
U. States resident in Cape Francois,
To the Merchants and Citizens of the U.
States residing at Cape Francois.
GENTLEMEN,
Accept, I pray you, my bed thanks
for your kind congratulations on my
fafe arrival, and the cordial welcome
with which you receive me among you.
Penetrated with a sense of the duty
which I owe tomy country, and to the
iaterefts of its citizens, in the commer-
THE undersigned, merchants, and
citizens of the United States, resident
at Cape Francois,beg leave to hail you,
welcome among them.
While we congratulate you on your
fafe arrival, permit us to express our
reliance on your zeal and attachment
for our common country ; whose com
merce is so intimately and extensively
connected with this colony. If it shall be
found that any well intentioned objec
tions exist in the present commercial
relations, we are persuaded, that so im
portant a fubjed will meet your early
attention and support.
Convinced that from a candid and
impartial investigation of the interests
of both parties, the most happy effects
would refuk, they anticipate with fat
isfadion the establishment of such fu
ture regulations and revisions in mat
ters touching our trade as will not on
ly tend to the encouragement of our
friends and connexions on the conti
nent, but continue to yield to the gov
ernment at home, an inc^eafing Source
of revenue and emoluratyl However
great our anxiety mhy we for the at
tainment of so desirable an object, we
are aware that obstacle and difficulties
will present themselves.
Confiding in your patriotism and tal
ents, we rest our hopes on your firm
nefs to vindicate at' all times, our just
rights and privileges ; to Secure to our
persons and property, that protection
and refpeX, whicli can alone maintain
harmony and good understanding; re
move jealousies and discontent ; and
by the manifestations of good faith re
store confidence, revive commerce, and
fix it on a solid and prosperous basis.
We pray you to accept the assurances
of our high consideration and refpeX.
(Signed)— Frederick Tracy, Lew Jen 8c
Dubamet, S. Lacofte, B. Caflang, Earle
and Attwood, IF. Dodge, Slm. Hillen,
R. Stevenson, Wm. Knox, jun. John N.
D'Arcy, R- Moore, J. Suckley & Co.,
F. Low, Thomas Afoury,fames Williams,
Humphrey Taylor, Jonathan S. Smith,
Peter Dorey, John Mayer, S C. Albert,
Wm. F. Carty, Charles Tracy.
To Tobias Lear, Esq. Genera! Com
mercial Agent of the United States, at
St. Domingo.
SIR,
Oracle of tlje Bap.
ADDRESS
You have truly observed, that cbfta
cles and difficulties will present them-
Selves in making those arrangements
which might be mutually beneficial to
both parties. My bed endeavors Shall
be constantly used to remove them ;
and to maintain harmony and good un
derstanding between the United States
and this colony, will be a primary ob.
jedt of my wishes. In promoting which
desirable end, I rely, gentlemen, with
perfect confidence, upon your cordial
co-operation ; and when ourjrfl rights
and privileges are acknowledged, and
Security given to our persons and pro
perty by the government under which
we reside, I am persuaded that we shall
appreciate their advantages toohighly to
hazard the loss of them by any impru
dent or improper conduct on our part.
In offering my grateful acknowledg
ments for this your polite attention,
permit me to add the assurance of my
high consideration and reiped.
(Signed) TOBIAS LEAR.
Touffaint hearing of his master, sent
a message to Gen. Maitland, faying he
had a favour to aik. What was it ?
to fend his master to him. The Gene
ral did so ; and Touffaint restored his
master to his estates, and gave him ne^
groes for their cultivation. He behav
ed in the most affeXibnate & kind man
ner to him who had truly been his fath
er.
cial relations committed to my charge,
I trull that your reliance upon my hon
ed exertions, to promote the welfare of
our common country in these import,
ant points, will not be disappointed I
(ball only have to regret that my abili
ties will not equal my withes to answer
the just expectations of my fellow-citi
zens.
Touffaint, to the talents of a general
and a politician, adds those more ami
able, of gratitude and humanity. His
Master fled to the United States of A
merica; and Touffaint remitted him,
or endeavored to remit as much of the
produce of his estate as was poffible.—^
When General Maitland evacuated
Port au Prince, the treaty for that pur
pose was negociated & concluded with
Touffaint, who executed every condi
tion with the ftriXeft fidelity & honor.
ButTouffaint did not treat as an indepen
dent prince as some of the papers have
said. All he did, was in the name of
the French Republic. For while he is
absolute monarch over St. Domingo,
he affeds to be a fubjed of France, a
fad of which the following anecdote is
a fufficient testimony.
When Gen. Mainland evacuated
Port au Prince,all the old French Plant
ers who had joined the British, depart
ed with him of course. In the harbour
was the old master of Touffaint, who
had come from the continent to endea
vour to retrieve his property, in which
he had been unfuccefsfui ; and he was
about to fly with the English in rags &
wretchedness. General Maitland had
too much wisdom to treat Touffaint as
a brigand (robber,) as he had hitherto
been treated : and Touffaint's condud
repaid him for his civility.
THIS extraordinary man is a na
tive of St. Domingo. He was
born a Slave, and as such remained till
the troubles in that Illand gave an op
portunity for the display of his talents.
His matter, a considerable planter^ook
him while very young tq France, where
he remained some time; and being a
smart lad, attention was paid to his ed
ucation, which is better than most ne
groes receive. But Still he was only a
negro Slave ; and returned to St. Do
mingo, where he lived in that charac
ter Several years before the troubles
broke out. Soon after the French
Revolution, every one kno s how the
misrepresentation of the principles of
Liberty and equality desolated St. Do
mingo. The whites were destroyed, 8c
after them the people of colour ; the
blacks remaining, in fa& masters of the
island. In the dreadful feenes that oc
curred, Touffaint soon distinguished
himfelf and acquired a sovereign fwa,
over his fellow negroes amounting now
to 100,000 men in arms, inured to the
climate, &leducated to war.
CHARACTER
Ofthe Celebrated Black General
TOUSSAINT LOUVER TURE.
Gen. Maitland, upon this,Sent a mes-
Cape Francois, Bth ]
July, iBoi.J
From a Miscellaneous Publication.