The Rhode-Island American, and general advertiser — Providence [R.I.], 1810-05-01 00:00:00, page 2

F • menfr .• prb<*er of st«U In year own pa
laci ? That consultations' are held upon
you by the Smith*, the Gilea’s and the
Leiba, in. which your present interest and
are alike disregarded ? x Are
yo< astonished when you behold the de
scription of men by whom you are surround
ed ? When you contemplate the character
of the avowed supporters of your govern
ment In Congress, and the composition of
that body I Ttwt profound statesman, Chan-
* cellor Oxensthsrn, reared in the school ot
Gustavus Adolphus, has indeed declared,
•• that ’tis inconceivable with how small a
portion ol wisdom the affairs of states and
empires are conducted; but even he ad
mits they require some. And the portion
ihat would seem small indeed in the eyes
. ■, of an Oxenstiern ; how vast, how exhaust
less docs it| appear in those of your sim
pering, self-applauding Secretary. This is
a mournful subject. To what cause, I
pray yoy, Sir, are we to ascribe this dearth
of talents in our publick councils—this gen
eral decline of character in our publick
men ; whether for abUk y or u ’ te l’ lt X
Why is it, Sir, that you look around in vain
for successors worthy of your old cotempo
rariea. Hi whatever cause the solution of
this melancholy problem shall be found,
the /oct is not the less humiliating and
alarming. Retire into your own bosom, and
ask yourself if with such a Congress, ( ej
scarcely capable of conducting the affairs
Of the country in time of peace, you would
tryst yourself to carry on war with any
power superiouc|o the corsairs of Barba
ry f wt look to the State Legislature*
for the supply of those abilities of which
is destitute.
Alas! so far as my observation extends,
we shall chst our eyes in vain to that quar
er for assistance. The same dull, spirit
ess incapacity seems to pervade every |
department of the State. Time-serving, i
' .nd electioneering, and jobbing, and chaf- i
'ering, and bargaining for offices and con
tacts, are the order of the day. But be
issured, Sir, that whatever be the case
rith their Representatives, the fieofile I
have not degenerated. They will never
embark their five*—(this no emp • pro
I‘esslon as it respects them)— their fortunes
and their sacred honour in a war entered
into to screen the embezzlers of their sub
stance, to achieve the guilty purposes of
> the blackest ambition.
When the hopes which the friends of
freedom once entertained from the French
were quenched, forever. When
In Great-Brityin we beheld the freest gov
ernment in Europe, connected with us not
more by language than by commerce;
sentiments as well as policy would seem to
dictate a preference for her cause in the
mind of every genuine friend of liberty. 1
speak not of that sfiuriout liberty, whose
votaries are enrolled in the code of the
conscription ; who rejoice in the subjuga
tion of Switzerland and the Tyrol, who
exult in the overthrow of the Spanish pa
triots, and offer up their daily vows at the
shrine of the grim Moloch of French am
bition.
- •• besmeared with blood” |
•< Of human sadrifica parent’s tears ("fj
It were devoutly to be wished that the
terrifick power of the modern Zingis rest-.
• ’edon no fiimer basis than the prayers of
his Gallo-American votaries; but the tal
ents which he haa embodied in his service |
are not leas appalling than the tremendous
physical force which he wields. When he
employ* blockheads, it is not in hi* own
council*, but in those of other nations. He
would spurn with contempt from his pre
tence forever the spiritless creatures, with
their absurd, imbecile measures, who have
so long figured as leaders in our legislative
councils. The blunt untamable honesty ot
M icon would as soon find employment in
his service, as the pert loquacity of —.
the frothy nonsense of - —, or the im
penetrable stupidity of ■ ■ —• faJ And
yet, these are the statesmen on whom we
are to rely to cope with Bonaparte, when
every obstacle to his power shall have been
remqved ! Alas ! Sir, his Talleyrands, and
Champagnys, and Berthiers, and Lefebvres,
and Neys, and Soulta, opposed to our Doc-
(e) The writer would by no means wish
to be understood as casting an indiscriminate ,
censure on the members of the two Houses of
Congress. There are men aa he believes of
ability and worth in both; but in what ranks
•will they be found ? Certainly not under the
' banners of the family compact. It would be
invidious to mention ahy particular persons.—
It would be uncandid too, to deny that the
present Congress is greatly superiour to its
predecessor the “embargo” or “lack-learn
ing” Congress. There has been a considera
ble accession of talent since the last election,
but not on the ministerial side; which exhibits
a bleak and barren prospect of utter sterility of
intellect.—Connecticut, however, proudly ad
heres to her “ steady habits.” But to the ex
ertions of two gentlemen, of the old republi
can school—one of them in the Senate, from
Georgia, the other in the House of Represen
tatives, from North-Carolina, it is probably
owing, that the United States have not been
aln-:«dy plunged war.
(f) And yet these men call themselves re
pub I cans ! The holy fathers of the inquisition
* Called rAemse/ves Christians.
f* i) There can be no difficulty in Alling the
blanks without going into a committee of the
whole House.
In councils, and
teU )la tha field, are fearful odd#l
Although in the “ curses—food but nef
deep, which <w pfitriotick legislator#
have heaped on the belligerents, they
seem to have availed themselves of thfe fa
mous precedent of the sage and pious Er
nulphus; (i) yet to their astonishment
and dismay, neither words, nor proclama
tions, nor resolutions, however angry, or
undignified, nr scurrilous, have brought
those great offenders to a just sense of their
transgressions. What then remains to be
done?
Without pretending to instrqfft, much
less to dictate or prescribe to" you, Sir,
may I be permitted to suggest whether the
most lofty language and pretensions com
port with the resources of second and third
rate powers; whether circumstances ought
not, and will not, (in spite of all we can
do,) govern ut, instead of our governing
them; whether there are or can be any
rights so absolute as not to be limited and
modified by the posture of affairs and the
existing state of things ? In other words,
Sir, whether in the “ gettion” of oifr con
cerns with the other nations of the earth,
we should look to our own resources and
to theirs; to the actual situation of the
world; or turn to the statute book, or to
the musty authorities on national law, for
our rule of conduct ? And on this subject,
Sir, if you wilt pardon the liberty, I will
relate ene other anecdote. 4
An irritable Virginia gentleman arrived
■me dark and cold winter’s night, at a fer.
ry on James river. The boat was kept on
the other side, and our impatient squire
vociferated most loudly for the ferryman.
Unluckily it was Saturday night, and Cha
ron had gone about a mile off to the next
plantation, to assist at a dance. A boy,
however, was despatched for him, but the
very circumstance which aggravated the
gentleman’s impatience, via. the darkness
and coldness of the night—served but to
retard, instead of accelerating the move
ments of poor Charon. At last, however,
with slow and reluctant steps, he came—
when, as he was loosing the boat from he>
moorings, our unfortunate traveller saluted
him with a volley of curses, as choice as Er
nulphus himself could have coined—threat
ening him with instant chastisement as
as he should reach the opposite shore.
Our hero was a justice of the peace—-he
well knew what were the rights of a Vir
ginia colonel, and what the rights of a
poor black ferryman. Like some of our
members of Congress, he was too magnani
mous to consider the real state of things.—
Like Sterne’s judicious critick he thought
only of the stop-watch. Meanwhile it oc
curred to poor Charon, (for even slaves
wiU sometimes reason,) that if he was to
get a severe drubbing—the cudgel should
, come to him ; that he would not goto the
cudgel; and this determination be an
nounced in the most positive terms to his
“ masse.” Our traveller now began to
perceive that he had not managed this
matter quite so well; that there are cir
cumstances which have no respect for the
rights and menaces even of a Virginian
colonel; that it would have been prudent
to husband his threats until he was in some
condition to execute them. He began
therefore to give Charon fairer words.—
On th¥. faith of a gentleman, ** and. the
honour of a soldier” he promised the pour
object of his rage, oblivion for the past and
security for the future. Charon was as in
exorable as his name sake, the old ferry
man of Styx. Our gentleman now began
to be alarmed lest he should perish with
cold before he could reach the next house*
He opened his budget of indemnities; h<
offered Charon an extra half bitt, a pista
-1 een, a half dollar! a dollar!! and a bot
tle of rum!!' Charon, who thought the
ierms of this arrangement too liberal to be
adhered to with good faith on the part nl
the high contracting power on the othei
side of the water, had rejected all these
splepdid pecuniary offers under a suspicion
of a “ disavowal of the arrangement,”
when the state of things should be changed,
ut he could not resist the bottle of rum.
He thought it impossible that ill faith could
exist in a shape so alluring. After much
time spent In the negotiation, in repeating
in distinct terms the articles of agreement
and exchanging ratifications, Charon push
ed off; wafted our unhappy wight over
the river ; took him on his back, (for bj
this time he was unable to walk,) to his
miserable hut, and laid him by the fire,
where hd left the poor unhappy frostbitten
traveller, (while he set out to the next
store for his bottle of rum,) to ruminate
on the converse of a famous precept, and
silently resolving, never again to feel
right and forget- power.”
Nothing cuuld have induced me to ad
dress a personage of your dignity in a
style thus familiar, and, (as I had thought,)
unbecoming, but my having perceived
that Roderick Random and Tristam Shan
dy and Shakespeare’s motley fool, with his
("hJ Captain Weasel—a redoubtable hero
of Smollett’s Roderick Random, lately lugged,
into a speech in the House of Representative*,
with as little ceremony as he was ligf'ed from
under the seat of the state waggon, to the
great amazement and admiration of Hugh
Strap the ehaver f
(i) Another great modern authority*—See
Tristaan Shandy.
Note.—By a late treasury statement, it
appears, that since the commencement of
the government, the army and navy have
cost fifty-four millionsol dollars; £7“ twen
ty-five of which have been expended since
Mr. Jefferson's electinn to the presidency.
MR. PICKERING.
« lie
relsome,” are at the top of the fashion,
in the flrat political circle in the country—
standard authorities ou the floor of Con
gress.
At length, too, I perceive it has been
discovered by some of those who do not
talk a I way 9 but think eometimee, that, even
' in national affairs, circumstances ought to
be taken into account, and that the United
States-are not irretrfrveably disgraced be
cause their gun-boats are not a match for
the British navy, and General Wilkinson
and his army not quite equal to Bonaparte
at the head of his legions. This was reck
oned a damnable heresy a few years ago;
but like other heresies it appears to begin
to thrive by persecution, and it seems now
to be agreed, that Ire may, and ought to'
pursue our interest in the most practica
ble way, and that really there is no abso
lute necessity for hanging ourselves, (like
Jack in the Tale of the Tub,) out of spite,
because we are thwarted in argument.
But I have been too long diverted from
the subject which prompted me to address
you—the -immediate object of my solici
tude ; on which I have bestowed many an
anxious thought j, to which, (with the bless
ing of God !) it is p>y firm unalterable pur
pose to devote many an hour of labour, 1
mean the history, character and connex
ions of the ** family compact.'* These I
shall endeavour to trace through, all their
ramifications, and I shall present you with
such a body of evidence in relation to these
people and their designs, as no man- claim
ing the character of common prudence, or
foresight, ever ventured to resist.
The charge against the Honourable Mr.
Pickering, of being a publick defaulter,
having been repeated in the New-York
electioneering canvass, a correspondence
has taken place between Mr. Emott, a
Member nf Congress from that State, and
Mr. P. on the subject; in which the follow
ing official letter of the Cpmptroller of the
Treasury has been published Cent.
•• You have three accounts with the Uni
ted States which remain unsettled. They
relate to expenditurefpf publick money in
y6ur late official character of Secretary of
State. The first, No. U 931, is an account
ns agent for paying the emtingent expenses
of government, in which you are charged
with the balance of a former account of
8 10,386 7 cents ; and you are credited
with expenditures on publick account to
the amount of 8 3954 73 cents, leaving a
balance of 8 6431 34 cents in favour of the
United States. This balance is carried to
i subsequent account, No. 12583*in which
you are charged with various sums of mo
ney, amounting in the whole to 8831,986
19 cents, and are credited with expendi
ures on plbblick account to the amount of
8 825,260 49 cents, leaving a balance of
8 6672 70 cents against you. This balance
“ Comfitroller'e Office, A/iril 3.
•• Six—Your letter of the 3d, to the Sec
retary of the Treasury, accompanied by
a printed handbill, headed “ Late from
Washington,” and dated. March 24, 1810,
is referred to me, with a request that 1
would furnish you with a statement of the
situation of your accounts. I now comply
with your request.
s carried to a third, which is your last ac
count, No. 18571, in which you are credit
d with expenditures on publick account to
he amount of 83753 60 cents, leaving
the want of the lartction of the President
■of the United State*. The object ef the
expenditures, with the exception of a tri
fling amount, is specified In general terms;
and the vouchere eatinfactorily chow the
fiayment of the money.
“ The second and third comprise expen-
gress,' appropriating monies for different
purposes, ih your statement you account
for all the moniee received by you, ana
your account is admitted by the auditor,
except the before mentioned balance of
8919 and 10 cents. In the expenditures
in relaxation to certain objects, the appro-
i balance of 8919 10 cents against you.
These accounts have been examined and
adjusted by the auditor, and reported to
'his office for the decision of the Comptrol
ler.—The first on the 24th of December,
1800 ; the second on the 31st of August,
1801; and the third on the 13th September,
1806.
“ In this office they have been suspend
ed for the following reasons: The first con
taining sevejral charges amounting to 8 3750
for secret services, has been suspended for
ditures made under sundry acts of Con-
priations were exceeded ; and a final set
tlement of the accounts harf been suspend-
ed for want of appropriations to meet the
excess. During the present session of Con
gress, the requisite appropriation has been
made. The balance of 8 919 10 cents re
ported against you by the auditor is the
difference between the amount paid by you
to Samuel Hodgdoh, of Philadelphia, and
the amount acknowledged to have been re
ceived on his account by Colonel Hum*
'''TxiAsuiir Department,
MUCIUS.
A bill from the Senate tohmend an act
for the relief of persons imprisoned for debt,
was read twice, and referred to a com
mittee of the whole on Wednesday next.
The batture bill was again returned from
tho Senate, with a vote of adherence to
thtk* amendments. On motion of Mr.
Poindexter, the consideration of the amend
ments were postponed indefinitely.
[Thus epds the business of the batture«
After debating on this interesting subject
more or less in almost every week, for five
months past—after keeping the petition
er dancing attendance, until almost bis
last farthing is expended, Congress have
thought proper to leave the subject just
where they found it. Mr. Livingston has
gone home and I think will Dever again ap
ply to this House for justice. If he cannot
get redress from the courts, he must con
sent to submit to the new republican doc
trine of “ pike and gun.”]
On motion of Mr. Taylor, the House re
sumed the unfinished business of yester
day—the consideration of the bill to con
tinue the charter of the bank of the United
States. Mr. Swoop’s amendment still be
fore the House.
Mr. Love made a long and tedious speech
against the bill, and concluded by moving
an indefinite postponement.
Mr. Gold made a few very sensible and
pertinent remarks in reply to Mr. Love,
nd in favour of the bill.
Mr Boyd spoke against the bill, and in
favour of the indeflhite postponement.
The question for postponement was
taken and lost—ayes 46, noes 67.
The question o® Mr. Swoop's amend
ment was then taken and lost—4l to 62.
Mr. Love, in order to retard the passage
of the bill, made a motion for another
amendment. The question on this motion
was lost—ayes 34, noes 73.
Mr. Troup moved to strike out that part
of the bill which requires the directors of
the bank to pay a sum of iponey to the
United States as a consideration for the re
newal of the charter. He contended that
this was a bribe, and could not be received
without the imputation of corruption on the
members of the House. *
Messrs. Smilie, Key and others replied
to Mr. Troup.—The question on striking
out was taken by ayes and noes and lost
ayes 35, noes 75.
Mr. Taylor moved to add the wordjfvr,
so as to extend the charter of the bank 25
years, instead of 20, as in the original bill.
Mr. Taylor spoke at considerable length
in favour of this amendment, but before
the question was taken the House adjourn
ed.
pkwys and Moafis Young, from Joseph
Ysnardi,account of their salaries That
mode of remittance to Colonel Humphrey*
was adopted by you at his request; am
the correspondence from the Department
of State, and other evidence which you >
few days ago submitted to my considera
tion, and which had not been laid befor<
the auditor when heedjusted your accounts,
fully satisfies me thbt you are not juetly
chargeable with thio difference, and that
you are.entitled to credit foT the wholt
amount /laid to Mr, Hodgdon. I have the
honour, to be, Sir, with great respeea, your
obedient servant.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Saturday, Avail. 21.
Leave of absence was asked and obtain
ed for Messrs. Knickerbocker and Havens,
from Monday next, to the end of the ses
sion.
I am informed that tlft Senate have
agreed to the postponement of the adjourn
ment until the first of May.
Congress have put off their adjourn
ment till the Ist of May.—Should the de
mocrats succeed, they will immediately re
new all the restrictions on commerce, and
thus give a death-blow to all trade. If the
federal republicans in this city carry their
ticket, Congress will adjourn and let all
restrictions fall to the ground, and trade
and cnmffierce will once more give life and
activity to every class of our fellow-citi
zens. By commerce our mechanick* and
labourers become rich—by restrictions on
commerce, they are rendered poor indeed.
City of JVcw- York, aa.
I, Gilbert Fowler, late master of the
ship Louisa Cecelia, do solemnly swear,
that on the 4th day of November last, I set
sail in'and on board the said ship with a
cargo rjsugar and cocoa bound on a voyage
>o Gijon in Spain. That on the 25th of
June, in sight of Corva, fell in with four
French frigates from Nantz for Guada
loupe, and was boarded by the Clorinda,
Captain St. Crirque, who took me and my
ct ew out of my ship and immediately scut
tled her. And I further declare, that I was
put down in the fore peake of the frigate
to mess with the bnaitswain and his crew
in the hold, with some British prisoners—
hat I remained on board the said frigate
under three decks until the 7th day of De-
23p tit fiSailti.
NEW-YORK, April 25.
Congress
ADJOURNMENT.
“ G. DUVAL.”
eember, when I, together
were sent nn board the Loire frifste, and
were then put between decks with other -*|
where I remained four daw— j ’I
hat there was allowed on board JjL
inda for 13 Americans the same as
given to 7 English prisoners, which was
six ounces of meat, one pound of bread and
t pint of water per day. * J
And I further swear and declare, that
during the time the Americans were thus 1
(rested the British officers who (were pri- .
toners, meased w ith the French officers—
that I was landed from the frigate at a
small port on the island of Guadeloupe and
was obliged to travel 15 miles to Basse
terre, together with my crew—that about a
week afterwards the Americans were put
into prison—the English officers at that
time, were allowed half a guinea a week A
to subsist upon, and when Americans ap
plied for the same were refused. v '
And I further swear and declare that
the Captain of the C lorinda informed me * I
that the Emperour's orders were to destroy
every American vessel they met with on V
their passage, on pain of depth; aa he '
was determined to go to war with Ameri- '
ca, if she did not declare war against Eng
land. ' S
GILBERT FOWLER. <
Sworn thio 23d A/tril, 1810, *
before me, , J
J. G. BOGERT, N. P.
City of New-Torh, 99.
I, Francis Telford,' late master of the
ship Phoenix, do solemnly terear, that
while in the prosecution of a voyage from ,
the port of N>w-York for Lisbon, on the
23d of November, 1809, was captured in
lat. 43, 16, Jong. 19, 40, from the Meridian
of London, by two large 44 gun frigates,
and two flutes of 20 guns bach, pierced for
48 guns, loaded with stores, and bound to
the island of Guadeloupe—That they im
mediately took all the crew out, except
the boy and myself, and took the ship in
tow. . On the 24th, at 3, P. M. the boat’s
crews from the different ships came on
board, the sailors, apparently in a great
rage, with their implements of deduc
tion, such as axes,' augers, saws, flee, in or*
der to sink her—That they then began to
plunder her of every article that suited « *
their purpose. At this time they sent me
on board the Clorinda frigate, Monsieur •
Alexander St. Cricque, commander. In
about two hours the men returned on board
the frigate, and said they had scuttled the
ship in many places; they then cast her
adrift, and I soon lost sight of her. And I
further swear and declare, that I remain- ■»
ed on board this frigate until the 7th of De
cember, when I was sent on board the
Loire frigate—That on the 13tb, at 1, P. 1
M. the two frigates struck on the west side *
of Antigua, where we touched also, and z
shsrtly lost sight of the frigates andk neKre H
saw them more—That at 9 o'clock in th*
morning, passed St. John's harboure-.lßth»
at 6, P. M. close in with the north end of
Basseterre, Guadeloupe; at 5, A. M. saw
a number of English cruisers who pursued
us into a small port called Lanslybam, here
they landed all their prisoners.
And I further declare, that the first fa
vour I asked was refused, which was, that
since my being captured, I might proceed in
a canoe to Basseterre, aa the weather was;
extremely warm, and no sign Of a sea
breeze setting in; but this was absolutely
refused me, although granted to seme pri
vate British subjects; that I then had to '
march by land to Basseterre, where I was
detained in prison seven weeks, until the
British captured the said Island.
FRANCIS TELFORD.
Sworn thie 23d A/iril, 1810,
before me,
J. G. BOGERT, N. P.
We have seen a gentleman Who left
Washington on Sunday last. He informs *
us that .the Senate had rejected Macon’s
Bill, No. 2, on account of Johnston's addi
tional sections, imposing a duty of 50 per
cent, on all importations from France and
England and their dependencies. Our in
formant adds, that it was the general opin- 1
ion at Washington, that the non-inter
course would die with the session, which
would terminate on the first of May, agree
ably to a resolution of both Houses.
Letters from Washington, confirm this
opinion.
BOSTON, April 28.
LATEST FROM ENGLAND. 1
By the ship Ann, arrived in the bay yes- 1
terday, from Liverpool, we have received 1
London papers to March 23d, and Liverpool ■
to the 24th. Though late, their contents 1
are not very interesting. We have ex- ‘ [
tracted the following articles aa most ma- }
terial:—
The London morning Chronicle of the _ (
17th March, contains the official details of
the capture of the ijlAtd of Guadeloupe,
which capitulated to the English on the
sth February last. The loss of the British
on this occasion is stated, at 4 Lieutenants,
3 Sergeants, 45 rank and file killed.—l
General, 1 Major, 9 Captains, 4 Lieuten
ants, 1 Staff, 18 Sargeant*, and 216 rank ,
and file wounded.
London, March 17.
The Duke of Frioul, (Marshal Duroc,)
arrived in town last evening from France*
which occasioned a rise of the funds. *