The Mirror — Concord, N.H., 1798-05-15 00:00:00, page 2

HISTORICAL.
Dfoi,fc ofth Wall whichfaarato Tar.
ter, from China, &e. From " Lord
Macartney's Embnff, to China."
THE wall that fepiratei China
from Tartary is the most
stupendous work ever produced by
man. to the vicinity are caaton
menu for an army of considerable
magnitude, at the extremity of
which in maffy gate way of stone,
defended by three iron doori,
which guarded the pafa between
countries formerly diftina. This
wall, the pride of human labor, is
foppofed to be upwards of 1200
writes in length : its height varies
according to the circumCaocei of
the farla-e. Where one of us
contrived to get to the top, it was
30 feet high, and about 24 broad.
The foundation is laid on large
square floats , the fuperft u6ture
hbrick ; the centre is a kind of
mortar, covered with flag stone.
A parapet, of no ordinary Qreogth,
runs on each fide of an embattled
wall. [
if wlcQhli&r that this iffimenfe
fabric tf@MP & wideff rivers, on
arches of proportionate size, or in
the fameform conneas mountains
together,/ ocWionally pending,
the higher hills, or descending the
deepest vales, the most a&ive
powers of imagination will be re
quired to realize this effort of man !
In every (itmdn, however, the
passage along if, is easy and unin
terrupted ; and it fervei as a mili
tary way from one extremity of
the empire to the other. At pro-'
per intervals there are strong tow-j
era pk^a, whence fe^M are re
peated, and any alarm may be
communicated to the most distant
parts of the empire, teith the ex
pedition of a telegraph.
But man and all his works are
doomed to decay. Time has al
ready laid its wafting hand on this
celebrated monument of labour ;
and as it is now no longer neeeffa
rv for Security or defence, since
the narioni on both sides acknowl
edge one Sovereign, it 11 more than
probable that future travellers, in
fame remote age, for it will exist
for ages still, may describe its ru
ins ; and pause while they contem
plate the instability of Sublunary
grandeur. Indeed in feme places
fragments have already tumbled
down, and others menace the
pains they once defended.
From the best accounts we could
receive, tbil wall has been built
full 2000 yelrs ; nor canrits traces
be remoyed but with the confum
motion of all things.
About , Seven miles from the
great wall, there is a mountain,
which exhibits an additional proof
,f the indefatigable labors of the
Chirefe, in works of public utility.
A road go feet wide, is cut thro'
the Solid rock ; and to lessen the
decli fl cy, it is funk no leis thanan
hundred feet fem the Summit of
the mountain. Yet still theaffent
hat a tremendous appearance ; and
without this vast labor, it could
'hoc h^ve been Surmounted by
man."
Excellent SpGffb.
LONDON, JAN. it"
MANY are the Splendid specimens
of forerfic abilities, which Mr.
Curran has exhibited to the approv
ing taste of the'public ; but his late
fpcech onihe trial of Mr. Flirty,
the Printer of the press, is in oyr mind
by far the most diftinguiflied. The
1
whole of it is animated with those ener.
getic powers that make eloquence firike
with force on the imagination, the ur
derftanding and the heart ;—the length,
however, into which it runs, prevents os
from gratifying our readers with the pe
rusal of the entire speech, our want of
room not permitting us to give more
than the following truly beautiful pas
sage, from which may be collected an
idea cf the rest. Ex, de Hercubm.
" I tell you therefore gentlemen of the
jury, it is not with refpea to Mr. Orr
thit your verdia is new fought ; you are
called upon on your oaths, to fay, that
the government is wife and merciful,
that the people are prosperous and hap
py, that military law ought to be con
tinued, that the Eritilh coaftitution could
not with fafety be restored to this coun- ;
try, and that the statements of a contra
ry report by your advocates in either
country were libellous and falfe. I tell
you, these are the queflipos, and I ask
you, can you have the front to give the
expected anf-vtrio the face of a commu
nity who know the country as well as
you do? Let me aft you, how you could
reconcile with such a verdid, the goal,
the tenders, the gibbet, the coufhgra
lions, the murders, the proclamations
that we bear of every day in the Greets,
and fee every day in,ttie country ? What
are he processions of the learned counsel
bimfelf, circuit after circuit ? Merciful
God 1 What is the fete of Ireland, arid
where (hall you find the wretched inhab
itant of this land ! You may find him
perhaps in a gaol—the only place of fe
curitj—l had almost said, of ordiaary
habitation ;—you.may fte him flying by
Ithe conflagrations of his own dwelling—
or you may find his bones bleaching on
the green fields es his country—or he
may be found tpffing upon the furface
of the ocean, and mingling his groans
with those femptfts, less savage than his
persecutors, that drift him to a returnlefs
distance fiom his family and his home !
And yet, with these has ringing in the
ears and flaring in the face of the perse
cutor, y&u are called upen to fay, on
your oaths, that these fads do not exifi !
You are, called upon ip defiance of Ihame,
of truth, of honor, to deny the Bufferings
under which you groan, and to slitter
the persecution that tramples you under
foot.
“ But the learned gentleman is further
pleased to fay that the, traverser has
„ charged the government with the en
couragement of informers This, gen
tlemen, is another fma!! fad that you are
to deny, at the hazard of your fouls, and
upon the solemnity of your oaths ; you
are upon your oaths to fay to the filter
country, that the government of Ireland
uses no such abominable instruments of
deftcuaion as informers. Let me ask
you honestly, what do you feel when in
my hearing, when in the face of this au
-Idience you are called upon to give a ver
dia th^t every man of us, and every man
of you know by the testimony of your
own eyes, to be utterly and absolutely
falfe ? I speak now not of the public pro
clamatidhs of informers, with a promise
of secrecy and extravagant reward—l
speak riot of the fate of these horrid
wretches who have been so often trans
ferred from the table to the dock, and
from the dock to the pillory—l speak of
what your own eyes have seen day after
day, during the course of this commiffior,
from the box where you are now fitting,
the number of horrid miscreants who a
vowed upon their oaths that they had
come from the very feat cf government—
from the baftile, where they had been
worked upon by the fear of death and
the hopes of compensation, to give evi
derive against their fellows, that the mild
and wholesome counsels of this govern-,
ment are holden over those catacombs of
living death,' where the wretch that is
buried a man, lies till his heart has time
to fetter and dissolve, and is then dug up
a witness!
" Is this fancy, or is it fad ? Have you
not seen him after his refurreaioh from
that tomb, after having been dug out of
the region of death and corruption, make
his appearance upon the table, the, living
image of life and death, and the supreme
arbiter of boih ? Have you nos marked
when he entered, how the stormy wave
of the multitude retired at his approach ?
Have you not marked how the human
heart bowed to the fopremacy of bis
power, in the undiffembled homage of
deferential horror r How his glance, like
the lightening of heaven, seemed to rive
the body of the accused, and mark it for
the grave— while his voice warned the
devoted wretch of woe and death ;-a
death which no innocence c^nefcape,
no art elude, no force resist, nf antidote
prevent :—there was an antidote—a ju
ror's oath—but even that adamantine
chain that bound the integrity of fpap
to the throne of eternal justice, is foived
and melted in the breath that issues from
the informer's mouth, confcier.ee swings
from her mooring, and the appalled and
affrighted juror coofults his own fafety,
in the surrender of the viaim.
Erque fibi quinque timebat,
Uniue in m^eriexitium converfa tuhre.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE if REPRESENTATIVES.
APRIL 26.
/—rHE Hcufe went into a Committee
X of the Whoie, on the bill provid
ing for the expenses of the Military Ef
tabliihment for the year 1798. The fev
ers! items in the bill were generally fill
ed agreeably to the estimate of the Secre
• tary of War, without debate, except in
the case cf the Quarter Master's Depart
ment. It was propoled to fill this blank
wi<h 200,000 dollars ; and with 150,000.
The firft was negatived, and the latter
carried. The Committee of the Whole
went through the bill, the House took
Up the amendment, agreed to them, and
ordered the bill to be engrossed for a
third reading.
The Speaker said be had received a
letter this morning, flgned Thomas
Pinckney, which he was desired to lay
before the House. It was accordingly
reads It fated, that when he (Mr. P.)
had concluded the late treaty with the
Spanish government, the Spanish Minis
ter, the Prince of Peace, informed him
the presents usually given in such cases
would be prepared for him, and that also
when betook leave cf the British Court,
the like information was given to him by
the Minister there.—To both which he
replied, that theConftitution of the U.
States forbade its Ministers from receiv
ing any present from any foreign. Prince;
or State, without the consent of Cpn
grefs; that in due time he would aik
that consent, and aft accordingly. This
letter asks for the determination of Con-j
grefs. It was moved by Mr. Rutledge
to refer this letter to a fclea committee ;
Mr. Macon wished it to go to a commit
tee o's thw whole house. After feme ob-'
fervations on the latter motion, was ne.
gatived, and the former carried. -1
The following motion was made on the!
25th inst. in the Senate.
" Rfolfo. That a committee be ap
pointed to confider whether any, and
what provision ought to be made by law, :
for removing from the territory of the
United Stares, such aliens 6orn, not enti
tled by the Constitution and l@ws there
of, to the rights of citizenship, as may be
dangerous to its peace and fafety—and
providing for retorts to be made of aliens
that fh&ll be landed from any vessel which
Shall arrive in any of the ports of the U.
States—and that permits be granted to
such as Shall be fuffere^ to rtfide therein,
and to report by bill or otherwise."
'APRIL 27.
The House sassed thb bill making ap
propriations for the support cf the mili
tary eftabliffiment for the year 1798. —
They also went again into consideration
of the bill for newly organizing, arming,
and disciplining the militia of tie United
States ; and after tome time spent there
in, the committee rose, and being dis
charged from a farther consideration of
it, the bill was recommitted to a feled
committee.
A Bill was received from the Senate
for authorizing the President to procure
a number of final! vessels to be equipped
as gallics or Qtherwife.
apKil 30.
The bill from the Senate to authorife
the President of the United States, to
cause to be purchased or built a number
(not exceeding ten) of small vessels, to
be equipped as gallics or otherwise, for
^bich it is proposed to appropriate 80,006
dollars, was committed to a committee
of the whole on the state of the Union ;
and the Committee was discharged from
the further confideraticn of the bill au
thorizing a provisional army, which was
referred to the Committee for the protec
tion of commerce and the defence of the
country, to report such alterations and
amendments therein, as they Shall think
proper.
MAY I.
The Bill authorifing the
President to procure a num
ber of Gallics, passed to a
third reading.
A report was made from a Committee,
recommending a direct Tax, on Lands,
Houses and Slaves, to the amount of
2,000,0c0 dollars, which was £&»',,
ted.''''
;? i ^nm^ramo.rcrcaCTQ±TZ^B^BUwremTC9R£~9raß,
Tbefc^j Herald, Capt. Davu, fy Miners
v&. Cap. Turner, have arrived Gt h^f.
ton, from London. The papers received
by tbeje wffw, are as late as March 16
A Summary of their contents foifo ;
INKASIONrf ENGLAND.
FRANCE, MARCH 9.
THE preparations for the
Invasion df England,
continue with unabated activ
ity. General Buonaparte has
visited the whole coast oppo
site the enemy. N^expenfe
is spared—no project is left
unattempted, to insure suc
cess. An embargo has been
laid on all the northern ports,
and the privateers fitting for
sea, have been detained to
serve as trahfports. Five hun
dred gun boats are preparing
at St. Makes.
BERNE, MARCH I.
Cangrejs at Rafladt. 4
The French Ambaffadott,
persisting in their demands of
having th^ Rhine as the
boundary of the Republic,
the Envoys of the Empire
have been neceffiuted ,0 ac
cede thereto ; and the defin
itive treaty now negotiating,
will have this principle of ag
gression as its basis.
ENG^Nb.
The voluntary contribu
tions to defray the expenses
of the war, exceed two mil
lions flerling (nearly fifty
millions of livres French mo
ney.) The fubferi prions are
made by all denominates,
from the Monarch on the
throng to the pobreft coal
heaver ; nor do the ladies ex
empt themselves from, the
patriotic offering. A gregt
degree of harmony pervades
every part of the kingdom ;
and the native military ardor
of Britons nev^r appeared
more loyally enthusiastic. If
the funds are the thermomi
ter of the feelings of the na
tion, their gradual rife is de
monstrative of contempt for
the braggart threats of the
French to land on the fh&fts
of Britain.—On the contrary
two expeditions, one under
the orders of Adm. Colpoys,
and the other under Adm.
Nolfon, are in motion, for in
fliefting on France, the evils
.which (he has threatened G.
Britain ; and the consequence
already has been, that the
Englifl)have landed^ on the
French coast, and have a&u
--;ally &ftroyed several fifhing
hamlets.
The threats of the French
against Hamburg, and the
other Hans towns, have caus
ed a great influx of money,
from thence, into England.