The constitutionalist — Exeter, N.H., 1810-05-21 00:00:00, page 2

' Who does not feel the identity of
the situation of the unhappy chairman
of the committee of the whole, with
that so wittily described in the Rolliad,
where the speaker of the house of com
-1 mans is compared to Prometheus, whose
k ever growing liver is incessantly de
voured by a vulture.
" There" Pitkin " sits, and ok ! un
happy fate;
" Must sit forever through the long
debate ;
" Like sad Prometheus fasten'd to
his rock,
" In vain he looks in pity to the
clock ;+
" While, vulture like the dire" Buf
foon " appears,^
'' And, far more savage, rends his
suffering ears."^
► -—r
NOTES.
* The writer would not be under
stood to include in this description, all
the speeches delivered on this occasion ;
for to be candid, he has not re^d one
' tenth part of them. He did read one or
two, however, which in his humble
judgment had considerable merit ; and
would have had more, if they had been
less prolix.
[+ Itis uncertain whether the wri
ter here alludes to the clock that ought
to be in the house (money having been
repeatedly voted for that object, long
ago) or to the little substitute with
which some charitable person kindly
h^furnished the assembled wisdom of the
— — arenot
■dicatr a, texture
Lsn□ pturishmcnt
Fed on the ears of
■tieman, for which
L compensation
their successful employment is Eng
land: in all her ambitious attempts,
She stands in her way. She stands like
a necromancer, -herself invulnerable,
and by her spells the giant Franco is
smitten with a palsy. With a spirit
less generous than her courage, and
sometimes with an attention to objects
unworthy of her situation, England
stands the bulwark of the civilized
world, the only obstacle to the univer
sal despotism of France.
Is it then difficult to explain by this
theory all the conduct of France and
her emissaries, and the co-operation of
her partisans in America! She has ex
erted her diplomatick skill to seize
Louisiana, Florida, and Canada, and
employed her Genets to enlist men in
our. back country to occupy them.
She was, in 1783, averse to our ag
grandizement, lest it should make us
strong enough to stand alone, and to
do without her aid. She has opposed
every step towards the stability of our
government and for the establishment
of its resources and credit. Her emis
saries, in 1783, opposed the grant to
the army, wishing to foment factions
and divisions; in 1787, the federal
constitution ; in 1789, the funding
system. She has been leagued with
every faction, as Fauchet's intercepted
letter shews. There is no doubt that
the jacobin gazettes are in her pay.
The despatches from Mr. Gerry, Mar
shall, and Pinckney, shew that she
relies on her power over the constitut
ed powers of the United States. She
has interfered in our elections; and
she needs us as instruments of her hat
red of England too much to lose a
moment, of any practicable means, or
to forbear any expense, that will se
cure the preponderance of her influ
ence in our counsels.
Sir,
In the course of the observations
which I have thought it my duty to
address to you, you will preceive that
I have abstained from entering into the
merits of the dispute between Mr.
Smith and Mr. Jackson ; and if you
deign to bestow a thought on the mo
tives, or intentions of an obscure wri
ter, perhaps you may have conceived
that I have reserved this great point
for the last effort ofmy strength. Be
not alarmed, sir—nothing is farther
from my intention that to add another
stone to the huge pyramid of dullness
and folly which is destined to mark
this memorable event ! Were I even
on the floor of Congress— a priveleg
ed man —I should scorn to take so un
fair an advantage of my immunity, as
after rummaging the library for huge
extracts from Grotius, and Puffendorf,
and Wicquefort, and Martens, and
Bynkershock, pieced out with scraps
from Smollet and Tristam Shandy—
" Like a patch'd dog hole, ek'd with
ends of wall" —to work the whole up
into a speech of eighteen or twenty
columns of the National Intelligencer,
to the great edification of the readers
of that sprightly and ingenious publi
cation!*
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
From the Spirit of Seventy-Six.
STATES.
Be assured, sir, that I feel not the
smallest desire to participate in this
discussion. After the capture of the
Chesapeake, and the'insolerit official
menaces of France —when our minister
at that court has been compelled to de
clare " that to appeal to our treaty
with the French emperor, or to the
law of nations, would," after the con.
duct of France towards his government,
" be literally appealing to the dead,
my mind refuses to embrace the invisi
ble, impalpable point of dispute be
tween Mr. Smith and Mr. Jackson. And
let me tell you, sir, that a breach be
tween the United States and Great
Britain, at this time, growing out of a
punctilio of etiquette, or these refined
and wire drawn distinctions and impli
cations of the law of nations —(con-
fessedly a dead letter as to France)
—will, after what has passed, carry on
the face of it the damning evidence of
the treachery, by which it will have
been effected. Your orators have been
peculiarly happy in some of their learn
ed researches. Tristram Shaudy, a
most notable example of plagiarism *
and levity, leading to no possible con
clusion, is most appositely quoted.
Susannah and Dr. Slop are the best
authorities that could have been addu
ced in support of slip slop arguments,
upon points, which common sense—
" although no science, fairly worth
the seven" —disdains to notice, unless
by her contempt. It is a flimsy con
troversy at which end we shall break
the Lilliputian egg, which, broken at
either, is utterly worthless to men of
ordinary stature and dimensions. Nev
er was so shallow an artifice resorted
to, to cover fraud. You are not ig
norant, sir, that your minister of state
and his brother (not to mention other
members of the family compact) labour
under something more than mere impu.
tation of public peculation to vast
amount. A war with England [to say
nothing of other objects] would at
once smother all enquiry into this sub
ject. Thus the robber, when he has
rifled the house, is tempted to commit
arson to conceal the burglary. Do
you know, sir, that the people of
Norfolk say, that, about a fortnight or
hree weeks before the rupture with
the British minister, which affected so
suddenly the price of our produce,
general Smith sent duplicate advice
boats to England—that one of them
put in at Norfolk for some repairs;
that she was repaired with the utmost
expedition, and that the agent who
went out in her refused to take a sin
gle letter from any person in that town ?
Are you_ apprised, sir, that you are,
at this moment, a prisoner of state in
your own palace ? that consultations
are held upon you by the Smiths, the
Gileses, and the Leibs, in which your
present interest and future fame are
alike disregarded ? Are you not aston
ished when you behold the description
of men by whom you are surrounded ?
When you contemplate the character
of the avowed supporters of your gov
ernment in congress, and the compo
sition of that body !+ That profound
statesman, chancellor Oxenstiern, rear
ed in the school of Gustavus Adolphus,
has indeed declared " that 'tis incon
ceivable with how small a portion of
wisdom the affairs of states and em
pires are conducted," —but even he
admits that they require some. And
the portion that would seem small in
deed in the eyes of an Oxenstiern—how
vast, how exhaustless does it appear
in those of your simpering,self applaud
ing secretary. —This is a 'mournful
subject. To what cause, I pray you,
sir, are we to ascribe this dearth of
talent in our public councils—this gen
eral decline of character in our public
men ; whether f6r ability or integrity ?
Why is it, sir, that you look around
in vain for successors worthy of your
old contemporaries. In whatever cause
the solution of this melancholy prob-
Sterne.
+ The writer would by no means
wish to be understood as casting an
indiscriminate censure on the members
ofthe two houses of congress. There
are men as 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 any par
ticular persons. It would be uncan
did, too, to deny that the present con
gress is greatly superior to its prede
cessor the " embargo" or '' lack learn
ing" congress. There has been a con
siderable accession of talent since the
last election, but not on the ministerial
side ; which exhibits a bleak and bar
renprospect of utter sterility of intelect.
Connecticut, however, proudly adheres
to her " steady habits." But to the
exertions of two gentlemen of the old
republican sehool, one of them in the
senate, from Georgia, the other in the
house of representatives, from North
Carolina, it is probably owing, that
the United States have not been already
plunged into a war.
NOTES.
* See Ferriar's illustrations of
lem shall be found, the fact is not the
less humiliating and alarming. Retire
into your own bosom, and ask your
self, if with such -a congress, scarcely
capable of conducting the affairs of the
country in time of peace, you would
trust yourself to carry on war with
any power superior to the corsairs of
Barbary ? Shall we look to the state
legislatures for the supply of those
abilities of which congress is destitute ?
Alas, so far as my observation extends,
we shall cast our eyes in vain to that
quarter for assistance. The same dull,
spiritless, incapacity seems to pervade
every department of the state. Time
serving, and electioneering, and job
bing, and chaffering,and bargaining for
offices and contracts, are the order of
the day. But be assured, sir, that
whatever be the case with their repre
sentatives, the people have not degen
erated. They will never embark their
lives —(this is no empty profession as
it respects them) —their fortunes, and
their sacred honor in a war entered
into to screen the embezzlers of their
substance, to atcheive the guilty pur
poses of the blackest ambition.
(to be continued.)
The fate of Bur is melancholy : Yet
virtue cannot wrep over it, because
she is obliged to Fish that all who fol
low the same path may fall into the
same pit. But I should prove a sol
emn warning to demagogues and to A
merican demagogues in particular : For
if Burr, with al his talents, with all
his accomplishments and with all his
influence, succeeded so ill, what hope
can there be for any other ?
Above all the example of Burr af
fords an impressive lesson of instruc
tion to our citizens. Let it never be
forgotten that this man was one of those
who professed the warmest admiration
for the people, the greatest zeal for
their welfare, the most implicit submis
sion to their will. Let it never be
forgotten, that this man once wanted
but a single vote, to have made him
President ot the U. S. Above all : let
it be remembered that A. Burr & Thom
as Jefferson were sworn brothers in
politicks, equally beloved by their fol
lowers, equally believed to be patriots,
and equally pretending zeal and disin
terestedness in the publick service—let
it be remembered too, that their final
disagreement was not the result of a
difference in principles, but merely a
clashing of individual interest and am
bition ; Burr could not brook to hold
the second station in the government,
and Jefferson was resolved to possess
the first. And now what is Burr, this
boasted patriot, this compeer with Jef
ferson in the goodly work of turning
Federalists from office, that they might
enjoy them in their stead ? He dares
not show his face in his native country,
but is skulking about Europe, trying by
“ plotting mischief," to bring himself
again into notice.
I do not say, that had Burr been
the successful condidate for the presi
dency and Jefferson the unsuccessful
one, Jefferson would have imitated
Burr in his subsequent conduct. Ido
not believe he would ; for he had not
the same fiery, daring, unconquerable
spirit; he was equally ambitions but
less determined and would probably
have sacrificed ambition to prudence,
sooner than have attempted to gratify
it by violent measures. But the sus
spicion is irresistible, that when Burr's
" Aaron Burr," says a late London*
paragraph, "is said to be in Paris,
plotting mischief."
Fortunately for his country, per
haps for the world, Aaron Burr's days
for " plotting mischief" are over. lie
is an outcast from his native shores, a
houseless wanderer ; and it is probably
of about as much consequence to the
political world whether he is in Paris
or in Guinea, as it is to the natural
world whether Ie is dead or alive.
There was a time when Burr might
have won the hear,s of his country &
secured the applaues of ages. There
was a time when by a virtuous and
a prudent course o' conduct, he might
have stood next p Washington and
Hamilton on the lit of American wor
thies : But he preferred that crooked
policy which had fir its object personal
aggrandizement, t> the plain path of
patriotism and duy ; and he has reap
ed the rich and mrited reward of his
labours an old agepf care, of ignominy
and of obscurity.] There was a time
when his influencevas second, perhaps,
to that of no man n the union—nay, I
doubt if there vis not even a time
when he might hae kindled a flame of
civil discord that hould have consum
ed the sabrick of oir liberties and then
have quietly seated himself upon its
ruins : Now, he that, at no distant
day, shall write tie epitaph of Burt
may say of him, $ Antony of Caesar ;
But yesterday, his word
" Had stood againstthe world : Now lies he
here,
“ And none so poor,to do him reverence."
From the Virginia Patriot.
AN OUTCAST.
motives for opposing Federalism were
grounded solely in the gratification of
personal interest, the motives of those
who united with him in the opposition,
and of Jefferson among others, were
not perhaps altogether so disinterested
and so patriotick as they pretended
them to be.
The committe appointed to investi
gate the conduct of Gen. Wilkinson,
made a report to Congress on the Ist
inst. The reading of it was opposed;
on which occasion Mr. Randolph said,
“ He fras not surprised at the un
willingness of some men to have this
report read. With an obstinacy and
pertinacity almost unparalleled some
members had from the beginning op
posed every attempt to have the con
duct of the commander in chief scruti
nized and exposed. Some men had in
deed reason to tremble. He did not
believe Gen. Wilkinson, if guilty, was
without connections. He was not sur
prised at this extreme uneasiness and
unwillingness to have -the report come
before the House and the public."
" Mr. Nelson, of Maryland, said
the report was ex parte and therefore
unjust."
" Mr. Randolph was surprised
that the gentleman from Maryland
should complain of exparte testimony.
Hadthatgentleinan forgotten thepart he
rook in enquiring concerning judges
Chase& Peters ? was not the testimony
against them altogether ex parte ? And
was it not in possession of the public
eight or ten months previous to the
trial of judge Chase ? Did the gentle
man then feel or express any sorrow,
or make any objection to the proceed
ings at that time ; or was not the con
trary the case? [Mr. Nelson looked
at thefloor.] Burr certainly had more
cause for complaining of the effect of
ex parte testimony: he was imprison
ed on no other. Did heappear before
the grand jury of Richmond? Mr.
Randolph spoke of some papers, now
in the possession of Gen. Wilkinson,
which, had been delivered to the War
Office, after his trial before the military
tribunal. He knew not by what
means these papers were purloined
from the war office. Were not the
session now near its close, he should
consider it his duty to institute an en
quiry by what means they were pur
loined."
we do hope Mr. Madison will never de
viate frjm the excellent principles he
so unanswerably maintained in congress
in 1791, and in the Virginia legislature
in 1800. But, he never can maintain
such grand by harkening to the ruin,
ous course! of that arch apostate,
Albert Gallatin—whole official re
ports (of late) are chiefly Calculated to
strike a phnic into the ignorant, to con
ceal our great resources ; to make for
eign enenties deride us; or to favour
the immoral and unjust views of rapa
cious speculators.
The time has been when Mr. Galla
tin's views of finance Hee his book]
made us think he had an'honest heart
as well as a lucid head—but, he has
gone over to the camp of the Philis
tines. While he (or ahy one led by
him) sways our councils, the nation
will continue in an eclipse."
From the Philadelphia Democratic
Press.
BONAPARTE.
The traffic of war (for it is a trade) has
widely changed since the ascendancy of the
Bonaparte dynasty. Thd poney of France
has been tlr aggrandizement of her territo
rial dominions, and the subjugation of every
spark of national independence on the con
tinent of Europe. Whoever even cursorily
reviews the eventful period of Napolean's
reign, mult admit the evidence of a deliber
ate system, planned with consummate skill,
and conducted with a cautious patience un
exampled in history.^—|l^ appears to have
placed ill review all the unsuccessful mon
archs th[t have reigned in Europe; to have
studied the sources of their overthrow, and
wisely avoided a similar course. Uncon
trolled Monarchy has from the beginning
been his Polar Star, but most unlike Charles
the firstty-he has pursued his object, not by
bold andrapid strides, but a cautious path
strewed )ver with many internal blessings.
Charles ] ersecuted the Puritans ; Bonaparte
reconciled the Protestants. Mark his foot
Fromthe Baltimore Whig, (a demo
cratic paper.)
SUBMISSION, &c.~“ We ex
elude many articles to day for the sake
of inserting general Smith's interesting
speech against the submission bill, en
tire.4—lt will be found to confirm our
objections against that most feeble and
despicable measure ; a measure which
we are mortified to say, all the influ
ence of Gallatin and his " machines"
was exerted to carry into operation.
But, who could have thought that Mr.
Madison would countenance such a
dishonourable act? An imprudent a
gent or an officious relative sometimes
Cutts in twain a veil of mystery and
proclams intentions, that were meant
to be kept secret. For his own repu
tation, the credit of the democratic
party, Ind well being of the nation—
GEN. WILKINSON.
The noble frankness and ingenuous
ness with which our representatives
lay open to us their operations, just
ly merit our gratitude and assistance.
Let us only think of aiding them by
every mean which lays in our power ;
and let us place entire confidence in a
government in which we all have a
share, and whose proceedings are not
concealed by mystery or affection,
which are the offsprings of pride and
malice.
It is clear that the present govern
ment only aims at deserving the name
of a junta of good men. This no one
is ignorant of.
He must be a truly honest man who is
willing to be always open ft the inspection
of honest men.
Corunna, Feb. 27—Official —The
judicious and energetic measures taken
by this Superior Junta, to arm all the
kingdom, in case the enemy should
dare once more to profane it by their
presence, has had all the effect that
could be expected from patriotism and
the love of liberty, as assured by his
excellency Don Nicolas Mahy, in his
letter to the Junta, on the 23d instant.
The districts, he says, in reply to the
orders given for the alarm, express
their satisfaction at such wise measures
in a most lively and affecting manner.
Abundant supplies of military stores
have been carried to the most impor
tant places ; they are working day
and night at the manufacture of fire
arms ; and the commissioners appoint
ed for the purpose to buy up all the
arms they can find at any price what
ever.
There is a great provision of Mon.
tano cannon, which will be distri
buted as the Provincial Juntas shall
think proper ; and it seems that the
Superior Junta always anticipates the
wishes of the people, and that they
confine themselves to distribute the
arms and stores with which the vigi
lance of the government and the gene
rosity of the English nation furnish
them.
steps ! Dictator, Consul for ten years ; Con?
sul for life—and then Emperor. Had he
precipitately, and at once rushed upon his
mark probably, like most other despots, he
had fallen a prey to an ill guided ambition.
The boldest apologist for Bonaparte must,if
he has any sense of justice, crimson at the
base attempt to justify his conduct. The
memory of Palm, the book-seller, announces
him a Murderer !—His invasion ofSpain, and
his preparatory steps, cancelled the last
claim he had to even the shadow of moral
honesty, and the enrichment of his private
treasury by acts of sequestration on com
merce, without discrimimating between
fraudulent & legitimate, shews that his soul
and system were alike callous to every sen
timent 61 justice; he appears to have em
braced the tory Hume's Philosophy, tlrat
conveniency is the only test of principle.
" It will appear idle and superflu
ous to address you, when so many
Proclamations have been issued in or
der to keep you stedfast in the ardent
love of your country; but in a time
so pregnant with disasters, of which
the vile government which we have
had is the cause, I am induced to take
up m y p en id order to shew you that
the consternation in which the invasion
of Andalusia and the unexpected suc
cesses of our enemies, seem to have
thrown you, does not partake of the
heroic tlameof liberty, with which you.
have been heretofore animated.—l tell
you the truth : Never can we be sub
dued by a foreign power so long as the
spirit of patriotism and the appellation
of Spaniards subsist among us. You
have only to take a view of the Penin
sula; surrounded on almost all, sides
by the sea ; divided by rugged moun
tains, fortified by maritime places,
many of which are impregnable; these
are the rocks on which the infamous
cohorts of the Tyrant who lay waste
our country will often meet destruction.
Protected by the great and generous
English nation, who united with the
brave Portuguese (who are our broth
ers and one with us,) will never for
sake us; how is it possible thata thought
of your being reduced can occupy your
minds? No: Never Spaniards. Cour
age and Constancy. Suffer not your
selves to be dismayed by past misfor
tunes which are the effects of former
evils and misconduct. To arms ! Span
iards! be animated by courage and
constancy. Resume new valour.
Despise the cowardly, pusillanimous
wretch who dares endeavour to dis
hearten you : May this noble province
produce new and illustrious defenders
of our outraged country and religion
and may it be the instrument of the
restoration of our independence and
of our beloved sovereign Ferdinand
VII , and since the people —this mag
nanimous Spanish People—desires lib
erty, let us unite and fight in concert
in so glorious a cause :—Relying up-'
on which I conclude with the assur
ance that I am ready to shed to the
last drop of my blood in your defence.
''Marquis de la Romans."
" Spaniards !
Badajoz, Feb. 10.
ADDRESS OF ROMANA.