The New Hampshire gazette — Portsmouth [N.H.], 1810-02-27 00:00:00, page 6

R SRR o e e e T I T I——
_Political Miscellany.
$-i° s . *
e A o Spe Ba———— ;
“BRITISH INFLUENCE.—Letter V.
T the Editof of the New-Hampjhire Patriot.
SiR, k
.. DESCENDED from the Englith, and fpeak
_ing their language, we naturally inberit, along
with the manners and customs of cur anceflors,
_the literature and feience of the parent Rate.
T:is rich and splendid poflcflion, abounding in
whatever can dazzle and delight the imag
ination, inform the undeiftanding, or improve
_2nd ameliorate the heart, has certainly called
forth in our breasts much of that gratitude and
- refpe@, which it was so well calculated to ex
_cite. The powerful and extensive bias which
has. arisen from this reception of advantage and
_infirucion, from Great-Britain, through the
medium of her literature and feience, is the sub--
&of the: present letter. :
" Io eflimating its extent we shall do well toin
- quire, firlty what part of the community it iy
who, in fa&, give the tone to public sentiment 2
an, secondly, what are the circumstances which
determine the opinioris and sentiments of this
influencing part of society ? In an{wer to the
firit of these queftions,it is evidedt that it is
our wisdom and car information, which necef
{arily preside over our affiirs; and mot our
ignotence or our folly. We are indeed accuf
tome{ in this country to fay, that every man
prilc@s an egua! {hare of the executive power;
a:.? in £a&, as well as in theory, governs himfelf.
‘This remark, {o honorable to our republican
form of povernment, is to a_certaid extent true.
Bet it is cquaily true, that some men a&ually
have, and that they ougit to have, a more de.
cided und permanent influence in cire@ing the
course of public procedure, than their less intel
livent, thuugh equally hogeff and virtucus
ncighbors. To maintain the contrary fuppo
{ition would involve us in the ablurdity of de
_elaring that igncrance is superior to knowledge ;
‘and that our wisdom oughi to submit to the
‘dictates of our foily. It is then the men of in.
formation ameng us, and those whose knowl
edgaig most extensive, that, in the words of my
fi:lt question, “ givethe tooe to. public fenti
-1 en!"’ i : ¥
1 am now, f:condly, to enquire what circum
‘flinces contribute to foim the opinions and fen
‘timents of this irfluencing part of the com-.
muniry. Muchneed not be said to comvince
ns, that it is from bocks and from authors that
‘t'&(= sentiments, and ‘thefe opinions are princi
p> i+ and primarily derived. It is indeed quite
{: - :flucusto expatiat. » -the influence of books
oo the wan of reading He is determined in
‘hic decisions by she aurhority ©f his authors ;
"2t t may with vhe most perfe& propriety be said
‘to derive bis koowledge and bis.information,
this sentiments and the wmiotives of hi> concuét,
“from the books that he has read, and the anthor
" ‘fites that he consults. They are the fauhful
‘guides which condue@ him on hiz @ay; the
“bright and (hining lights, without whose pow
e ful illumination, no progrels could be made,
“and no advantage obtained. Their noble pre
cepts animate bhim to the love of honorable
“fame ; while the example of their condué rouf
“es in his brealt the generoud thought of follow
‘inz ““the paths their virtdous footfteps trod.”
They are almolt as necefl:ry to his exiflence as
“the air that be breathes, or the food that is his
daily support. Believe me. he will not forfake
‘them.” As well might the magnet quit the pole ;
or the fun foop from his luminous track through
“the heavens, as the scholar quit his library, or
“the mur orreasing and letters abandon the op
“inicns of his favorite authors, or the sentiments
“awhich he has thence imbibed. ?
- If thetrain of reasoning hitherto pursued be
“eorre& {and I think it will not be disputed, by
any one acquainted with fa&ts) it then becomes
a question of the firk magnitude and impor
tance to enguire inte the charadter and import
of theéfe bocks and of this reading, which, as [
“have shown, have so great a‘fhare in forming
“the opinions, and influencivg the condu& of
‘the moßt adtive and leading men. What are
“the [eatiments, which, derived from this source,
we admire in our youth, and fuffer to govern
_cur maturer years ? Are they American? are
“tghey sepublican ? Do they inculcate a love of
tour ows conftitusion, or an habitwal reverence
«Jor aur popular forms cf povernmeat ? Or, on
‘the contrary, are they vot foreign? are they
inot moourciical ? and do they not cherish, in
% the breasts of those ko make them theit", study,
- an attachmert for a country, which is not their
“own and for a government which is boflile to
‘ ¢hat of the United States ! No: man can mif
“take the pro-.r answer 1o these quéﬂion; s for
Vevery ione knows th-tour rfeadir.zg x:s' 'almo_ﬁ
exclusively confined to Britith publications. if
““any one doubts this wundeniable fa&, let him
¢ afle the booksellers throuphout America, what
““bocksare in the greatelt demand with their cuf
“tomers 2 They will unanimonfly inform him.
4 that for one produéion from the pen of an Ao
# merican author. they fe!t ap hundred that are
«inported friom Great Britsin. - They will tell
~ him that while the few original produétions,
{ which cor esunuy has produced, hie wncalled
o forson their fh=lves, new and repeated editions
£ gre lequired of every book and even pawphlet
< which becomes popalar iy England.
. While we are thus conftantiy reading her au
¢ thors, and feﬁgﬂ! upon them our hgmmtj
vund taste ;- while thele authors, much to their
« honor a: pairiots, mwd“:tdeqmna iy
, praises of Greai Buitain, it is mot probable,
ncreren pole, has, finied swe are, we
WSI iihanion Sk bt guiiles
Arines they inculcate. *Vho is there, lot ne ask
SRR T T e %m**m%*”ﬁé
and hillorians, and has not at the fame time feit
a growing affe&tion and efleem for the land
which gave birth to these favorites of heuven ?
Who is there that has dwelt with enthusiasm
upon the splendor, and light, and glory, evolv
ed in her luminous course through the extended
regions of literature and science, and has not
repeatedly wished her ¢ God-speed.”
To me it appears, Sir,.that the extent of this
influence is dangerQus in the extreme ; it per
vades every. part of the country, and with
out our preception or knowledge gives a turn
and inclination, beyond the couitroul of our wills,
to our condeé and our a&ions as well as o var
thoughts. It is more especially to be dreaded,
since we are so little inclined to oppose its pro
grefs—for it comes in the form of a friend and
companion, presenting to our acceptance, what
ever is dearest to the foul of man, knowledge
mingled with pleasure ; and information blend
ed with celight. [Eloguence, hiltory aud philo
sophy, clothed in their brightelt forms, are all
in the train of the enemies of cur independence.
“The path which leads to ovr ruin- is delight
fu! to the sense, and invites our approach ; for
it is perfumed with enjoyment, and firewed
with flowers. But there is a serpent under the
grass ; and the sparkling bowl of friendihip, {o
importunately prefled to our lips, though sweet.
er than harey to the tafle, is yet pregnant with
« the poison of alps!” DECIUS.
Janvary 15, 18i0.
TR P et
FROM THE NEW HAMPSHIRE PATRIOT.
No I |
The pretensions of Gev. Smith examjned.
TO THE FREEMEN OF NEWAHANIPSI*IRE.
ON the 13ih February, A. D 180 l Con.
greis passed a Jaw creating the office of Judges
of the Circuit Court of the Unite. Statg. By
this law the State: were divided into difyri&s, &
those dillri@s classed into fix circuits ; fto each
of the five firft circuits three judges, ans ¢o the
sixth one judge, were to be appointed |with an
annual salary of two thousand dollars td each of
said judges. This law pafled the Hou(} of Re
presentatives by a majority of only eicht, every
republican member voting aguinft it § and in
the Senate it pafi:d by a majority of fire—eve
1y federahit, but one voted forit, anjevery re
publican senator 2gainft it. Under ‘,!rhis law in
-March of the fame year, in the last moments of
Mr Adams’ administration, Mr. Smith was ap
pointed a judge of the fii & circuit, vith a salary
of two thousand dollars a year. An office that
required only a portion of his tim¢—that gave
him a large salary—bat yiclded little if any ben
efit to the nation. |
When Mr. Jefferfon entered upon the duties
of bis office, as President »f the United States, he
was firongly imprcfled with the great impor
_tance of economry in the administration of the
government ; and in his firlt address to Congyefs
he recommended a reform in Loth the jndiciary
and revenue departments. At that time there
publicans were the mzjority in Congress ; they
repealed the iaws imposing the interul revenue
—ang a host of unnecessary officers, who fatten.
ed on the labors of the people, were thereby re.
moved from office. And on the 7ith of March,
1802, the law by which the ju.ges f the circuit
courts beld their offices, was repealed——the re.
~ peal to take effe@ the firft of July {ollowing —
Every fedeialitt in Congress voted against this
repealing law, and every republican in {avor of
it ; and though it passed in the Senate by a ma-
Jority of a single vote, yet in the Floufe of Re
presentatives the majsrity in its favor was twen
ty-seven. By abolilhing these courts, the people
saved aonually, not only thirty-two thousand
dollars, the amount of {alary of the sixteen new
~ created judges, but a large annual sum for the
incidental charges requisite for the support of
that eftablithment. ‘ |
- 1 have been thus partieularly in narrating
these fa@ls, because to me they incontefiibly
_prove, that the fderalifis in 1801, when they
l ‘wete a majority in Congress, eagerly seized and
zealously umproved, the lait moments of their
power, in diflipating the public money, by cre
} ries, for their political partizans. . Those fads
ating useless offices, endowed with liberal fala
also prove thac the Republicans, firong in their
attachment to frugality and economy, when
they were a minonty, opposed extravagant {yf
; tems ; though their opposition was then una
i vailing, it proves their attachment to the public
~interelt. But no sooner did they gain the 2fcen
- dency, than they fuccefsfully “parfoed their frn
- gal mealures, and adtoally delivered the people
~ tram the burthen of {upporting unneceflary and
- expensive cfficers. Indeed, my feliow-citizens,
~if you with tohave an expensive government, if
__you wiih for {yflems of internal revenue, Rampt
and diret taxes, ele@® federalifts to offce ; but
I if you are desirous of avoiding a fyfiem of taxa
~ tion and an oppreflive host of vfelefs officers—
#f you wifb a trugal adminifiration, then ele@
~ republicans to office.. And here permit me to
add, that a considerable number of the officers
of the snternal revenue and of the direc? tax, not
contcnt with the liberal compensations granted
to them by federal Congre[fs, tor a long time re
tained in their hands considerable {ums of pub
lic money thus colleéted from the people. And
{ome of them have even to this day lived on the
public money wrung from the hand of labor =
~ I'be Secretary of the Treasury informed Con
‘grefs the present feflion, that there is due from
Nathaniel Kogers, £fg. of New-Hamplhire, tor
moniés reccived on account of the .
intowal revspue, o, 195 98
- Angd for the dire@l taxy . 1100 56,
. Amountinginalito D 1,296 51
t __T'o obtain this Wﬁ"”{m’”é Mr. Rogers,. the
- United States have been m{&“«‘! to resort to
Rt MR fer VY G oWD on
. avaidable, but when judgmen §,f“
f{ Ir. | %‘?
g G e AN T mé'@&*
The fadls T have fated vaturally disclose a
nother tmportant feature in the conded of Me.
Smith. From the moment he received informa.
tion of Mr. Jefferfon’s meflige to Congress, re.
commending a reform in the Judiciary of the
United States, he commenced his hoflility to Ms.
Jefferfon and the republican adminifiration of
the Uaton.. Tkey deprived him, to use the e/e.
gant language imputed to him on another occa
sion, when h;rwas little more than a yearliug, of
a rich office, the duties of which were far from be
ing burthenfome. Few men in the State have
loft more by the success of republicanifing and I te
tieve none have been niore conflant and uniform
in the ranks of opp:fition, than Mr. Smith. Huve
bis molß intimate friends, at any time since that
period, ever heard him express his approbacion
of a single measure adopted by the adminifia
tion of the United States for ths lafl nine years ?
Can any man believe it is {sund policy, to ele&
a man thus holliie to the government of the U.
nion, as governor of this State ? If such a comfe
be prudent, then @ #oufe divided againfi #fAf is
WOT in danger of falling ! ‘
In the automn of 1802, upon the resignation
of Judge Olcott, promoted to the Senate of the
United States, Governor Gilman appointed M.
Smith Chief Justice of our Superior Conrt. The
firlt thing I shall notice of his condu@ as. chics
justice, is that of his murmurs and complaints
that bis salary is too ymall. Upon the {uij-& of
{alariss, the progress has been usually in favor of
the office and against the people—{ularies have
ofien been encreafed,but seldom diminished. In
1792, the salary of the chief justice of this State
was only fix huudred doliars a year; in 1797 it
wag raised to eight hundred and fifty dollars, &
in 1802 to that of one_thoufand dollars per an
num. When ithe salary was at the jowelt of
those sums, your ears, ov thels of your legifla
ture, were not then continually aflailed with the
cry, like that of the borfe leech—give—give! or
Were you threatened by them with resignations un-
Lefi their falarics aere raif-d. Bui fearcely had
the feais of Chief Justice Smith’s commiflion Be
come dry, before he began to cowplaiu that his
falar: was infufficient, and that be was fiarving
dnofficec It was not to be expe@ed, thst the man
wiho had then so recently received two thoufsnd
dollars a year for holding a useless offi -2, would
be content as Chief Juitice, with a falury of Jus
bats that famn | Ia the Spring ciicuit of 1804, he
communitated his complaints to the affuciate
indges of that court, and proposed Juring awith
Zhem in a petition to the legiflatore to taile the
salaries of each and ail the judges of rhat Court.
Mr. Wing:te, it is said, being {atisfied with his
{zlary, dectin.ed alling with tiew upon that fub
je&t. Mefirs. Livermoie and Atkinson, the two
other judges. know whether it was not the result
oi their deliberations, as well as that of Mr.
Smith, that all further proceedings on that sub-
Je& should be deferred vntil the November ses
sion of the Lepifliture—and that then a joint
memorial should be preferred by all three of
them. But Mr. Smi:h, regardiefs of this, and
probably thinking the profpe& greater to bbtzin
an increase of {alary for oz judge, than for three
or four, preferred for dimf:if in Fune of the fame
year, 2 most singular memorial to the legifla.
ture, msdeffly hinting at his poverty, declaring
that his salary was infuffcicnt, and afluring them
that unle(s it was raised, be must relultantly resign.
To this appiication, I am sorry to Rate, your
lcgiflature granted him an anvviTy of foe bun
dred dollars during biy continuance in that office,
thereby raificg his annual pay as Chief Jultice
to one thoulznd five bundred dollars a year.—
This is not that permancnt salary your Conflitu
ticn contemplated : No—it was a mere Zempo
rary gran:, cependiug on Mr. Smith’s life, or
what was more uncertain, his pleasure, or, if you
pleale, his caprice, to relinquilh that office. At
the November season following, Meflrs Liver
more and Atkinfen applied for an increase of
their salaries, bat were denied. Mr. Smith’s
salary was {fix hundred dollars a year more than
either of the other judges. An inequality, as
Judge Livermore {aid, unkninum in other States,
and “ calculated to cover with difhoror all the cour?
but the Chics Fuftice.”” Mt. Atkinson, to his
Lonor, soon after declined fitting on the fame
bench with Mr. Smith. ;
Is the man, capable of such condu&, and so
anxious of having bis own salary raised, the man
belt qualified for your Governor ? Can ycu be
lieve such a man will be {atisfied with the present
salary of twelve hundired dollars as Governor,
‘who for five years received fifteen hundred as
Judge ? s o LR RIS RIRS.
. Lebruary, 6, 1810...
1T is fofficient to observe that the Farmer’s
Cabinet, from which the follow is taken, has ev
er supported a [rictly impartial character as it
refpeéls politics, and is only roused to warmth
of expreflion when pppefing principles traitor.
oufly fubveifive of our happy fyltem of govern-
ERL. e ~ el
' ¢ Can such thing be, 3 o o
. And overcome us like a 2 summer’s cloud, ,
- Without our {pecial wonﬂeé' PO R
© e nlefs the people now oppose the administration,
Caltisloft.” It is time to speak plain. The sdminiftra
‘tion must be controled, ‘or the country will beccome a
_colony of the Great Natiou, and the vnce boalted free
and enlightened inhabitants of the ** land of hberty ja
the Weft,” be hewers of wood and drawers of water to
‘the Members of the Legion of Honor **
‘The above is an extra& of a paragraph from
the Féderal Republican, an inflamatcty paper
published at Baltimore, teeming witti lhufe and
{lander upon the government. Americuns, con
(ider the sentiments it contains, in their nature
and extent. Itis yours to determine their mora)
~and_political complegion. Confider whether
‘the authy of them, and the avthors of similar
fencimenta, which are attempted o be fpreid for
3R, W ARG OB i [ 7 SReßiierve
to do ? You are called upon: ander no téfs a gens
‘to drag fiom, power, to bind hund and foot, and
ﬁ? AR Sk **f‘i:«?% gl blrgeindnln m‘*«iﬁ‘i :
:g'-m, D gTR RAR RS S R
havé entrusted the pusrdianthip of your laws &
tiberties,. . Vou are called upon to undo what
you have solemnly done, to unmake the POwETs
you have coullituted, to use every exerticn to
render ineflicient the measures of your govern
mevt. Confident L am, that befare you dothis,
before you raily around the fandara of fattion,
yon will require something mwore than hoiiow
einpty blalts of the .trumpet of disorganization
to arouse you—you will require to be convinced
by loungdnefs of reasoning, that your rulers have
betrayed the trust reposed in them. Otherwise
you may goon making and uvnumaking, creat
ing aund annihilating, uwnul, like revo/uticnary
Francey you shall have built up and subverted
twenty constitutions and as many adminifira
tions in the short space of a few years. To what
borrors would this lead ? Would it not plunge
headlong in:o the boundless ccean of civil war 2
Would it not tinge our freets and fields with
blood ? And would it'not wholly incapacitate
sto resist foreign agzreflions ? Will not you,
in view of such direfal consequences, will not
every genuine: American deteit the wretch who
1s capable, not only of cherishing, but of opsuly
avowing f{uch traitorous, {uch, wicked, and a-.
bominable sentiments, ,
Eut why are we ac this time, in such 2 Hlemn
and preflizy maoner, urged to uafurl the ban
ners of treai n, and to wage war with eur ad
miniltration ! B:caufe our Exccutive,for rea
sons which we think impericufly required him to
do it, has thought proper to dismiss Mr. Jack=
son, and betaule his condu in that tranfaion
has received the approbation of the Senate, and
probably before this, of the house of Reprefens
tatives. Supposing the'corre@nefs ofthe execu.
tive in . this procesding to the' problematical;
which is viewing it in.the most yufavorable
light, what furt of comdu@ should we expe@®
from an American, glowing with the love of his
country, and anxious for the honor and dignity
of his rovernment ? Would he be seen to writhe
himlelf into every form to evade reasons which
might appear to jultify that goversment, and
to invent arguments to pailiace the condu& of a
nation, whole holtile difpofiti .1 is beceming
more «iid more evident ¥ Would he refért to ev
ery poflible conftru®tion of langvage, in order to
attach blame and reproach to the guardians of
his-own rights, and to wipe away the imputas
tions, that hive been cafi*upon the: Britith min.
ifter ¥ Would ke nat rather look, awirh en' eagle
g 2, mroevery part of the tranfaéion in question,
and c¢ifcover the most ardcnt,_foifgitude to é&ab-_
lifh the correé@nefs of bis own government 7
Should it il remain doubiful, that doubt would
never operate in favor of his enemies, He
would facrifice his doubts on the altar of i ¢
country- Convinced that nothing can jultify a
citizen 10 joining the kandard of an enemy, he
would rally around the flandard of his COUntryn
and fre-ly facrifice, especially at a crisis so dan.
gerous as the present, every felfith confileration,
every prejudice ; every feeling, whose operation
might dilira& the councils, or weaken the ener
g'es of his government. :
What then shall we think of men, who in
spite of the weight of evidence, which appears
against Mr. Tackion, and in the face of the rec
ords of his insolence, make no scruple of coms:
pletely juftifying hiin ; who boldly charge our
government with actipg under French influence,
and call upon their fellow citizens to withdraw
from it ali attachment and all confidence ! Are
they not enemies to the happiness of this people 2
Do they not hereby evince a difpcfition, not on
)y uofriendly, but a difpofii n which borders.
upon treason ? _ ~JUNIUS.
e
Where Federalifim davclls, there are the office feekers®
and office holders. ;
Whereas,” there arefew federal towns withouy
some republicans, there are few republicans in
offices of profit among the croud of federalifis.s
Look at the federal town of Exeter, coptaining
1727 inhabitauts, and you will find three times
the number of Rate and county officers holding.
offices of profit in proportion to their number,
that there is in any republican tdwn in the Rate..
In Exeter there are the Governor, Secretary of
State, County Treasurer, Recorder, and High'
Steriff ; Juige and Register of Probate ; a 2 No.-.
tory Public a-d Clerk of Common Pleas, They
have ten Jultices throughout the slate (a sixth
‘part of the whole number in the state) & Ports
mouth, 2 republican town and capital of the
state, containing morethan three times the num
ber of inhabitants, has only fix. Exeter has two
Jullices of the Peace and Quorum ; the federal
‘town'of Concord has four : Exeter has five Jus
tices of the Peace, Portfmputhfe?eh; and Cone
cord, Chester, 4nd Sandbornton; fix each (&l
three federal.) ~ Who has been thus partial to
federal towns? It could not be Mt. Langdon,.
for the Britith party fay he has always been par
tial to republicans. © But they fay he made teo
‘mrany appointments, and did not appoint us To
OFEICE. t:»-;Howiwdoés it happéh that {o many
~more of those men who take part with 2 foreign
_nation against their own are found in office, than
those who support their own government ’ Per-,
haps they will fay, « Whereas WE possess all the
talents, religion, and order ;WE oy are fit for
IR —Ot - Patriot,
. Judges Salaries in Maffachufests.
. By 2n A& of the General Court passed Feb
-12, 1787, the Salary of the Chief Lu'ltice was
fixed at £. 326, equal to 1066 dolls. 67 cts. and
_the Affiiciate Justices £. 300 equal to 1000 dls.
By'an a& passed Feb. 26, 1790, the salary of
the Chics Jultice was fixed at £. 370, equal to.
1233 dls. 23 cts. and the Aflociate 15’9”;:5 35Cs
€qualto 1166 dls. 66 cts. By an ack past-d June
1 zozhtﬁgéf‘ﬁegwﬁ*i‘“%g‘ebbmf Jultice was
ﬁxéd‘wzngs e Aifuciate Jultices 2400.
iji‘.. o;) } Q?S‘ Qt?ﬂi ‘3% ;";g‘. >“ : e ”dg
the Chief Jufiice w %g 500 dls, m&
d ‘»;ﬂ hove is a trae hiltor vof the Sal les
VBO te Rt oßled Pat diffcient times, The
M&Wﬂ%ﬁi“%ﬂj&ﬂ\%g
TR SR T ey o 8 cil iR
Sy T L S R AR e Y