The Mirrour — Concord, N.H., 1795-01-02 00:00:00, page 1

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WB ^uuoui.
CONCORD, fWHAMPSKIRE,) PRINTED ANDPUBLISHED AY ELIJ AH RUSSEL=
[VOLUME III."
te— —^
Political Miscellany.
from the MEDLEY.
THE SOLDIER, No. IX.
I COME now fate third article proposed
for consideration, viz. That t^ofe wbofe
per/ons and property are by law TOTALLY EX
EMPTEDforn military duty, derive a GREAT
ER BENEFIT from the institution than thofc
CITIZENS who are enrolled, and by law eblig
ed to juftain the frfa. 'Without multiply
ing words, it is evident that this follows as
an undeniable conclusion, from the second
article, substantiated at Ihe dole of my last
number ; viz. That the whole burthen of
supporting this most momentous institution
of government, an effe&ve militia,in gene
ral, falls upon the clffi of citizens leaf able
to support it. This I flatter myfelf was
proved to the fatisfa&ion of every mind open
to conviction. By those the least able to
support it, are meant those in pofleffion of :
the finalleft share of property ;—this being
the case, of consequence the Class of citizens
in possession of the greatest portion of inter
est must be (and as was proved) are wholly
exempted.— Now government is instituted
for the protection and security of life, liberty
and property ; this is the great object of ev
ery social combination, Ptyonal liberty, per
sonal security, and private property, are the l
grand rights of Americans. The glorious
fruits of the blood of those numberless heroes
and patriots with which the gore dyed fields
pf Columbia were incessantly drenthed dur
ing the late long and arduous confliCT with
Greatbritain. Tbefe imprefcripfible rights
of humanity (as has been lliffictentlf Ipewn)
¥ !*imftomred to ^^M^ ,
itarx,establishment, and wholly de^
pends on tWHlone, tor their continued fecu
fy@Qfo.-By this frtfP^
of r rm, th, are fcfeea&ifo,
to the wealth,, or in other words the ^1
m their foiled extent ;, who <having
the mo^property to be,,@,^, necef.
farily derivethe gfy advantages from the
w^of „oteaion. Whereas so far from ex
periencing their proteaion, the enrolled
ttie^hts Affinal liberty, and pr^e
&&„,, actually infringed by the P,,ent (pil
^^^^^^
the rights of personal li^ty infringed, be
€aufe obliged under fevered
penance for the emolument of a paft, f Ah.e
community, whod^t remunerate h im by
fefo him for %^ f in their % He 'eels
^fr^^^^
contribute ffife% 0r ft a , ou „
m^ ^^
^'"te b,'%:, * abfolurely .mb.
ftitutidnal : It is camptetely repugnant to ,
the latter part otxhe loth article of our dec
, laratfonof iteZh e,prefsly d@res, ,
• ##r^w^^
CT^^^^^Z
able uffl,enjauon merger. r,?e u&wp^ei^ta
of the people or fevereign power, admirably
Itoiegin th^prefent case, ^ptifotty
tTconttibuteit)is wrested from them
and " appropriatedio public ufa" without any
"?fohwhatever at a time when the
It.. In a word in order to fec^re the fucure
> tranquility ofthe te, i ''^ !'°' h °,
Y ^^feL^^
by serving ffi%publMor nought,
fy^ upon a footing °f,^,re
an%iml footing with them; by being rei
fonablv compensated for his service: and
though it is evident this would be an eqy&t
gQQtttmwrc^ ^©^^raMtetetercrarerttyaFt^t,
aitude of the military burthen is afeertained.
—2. It has been proved that it is fuftained
by a class of citizens 4tf able to support it
—and gdly, it has been demonstrated that
those whose persons and property are by law
totally e%^ therefrom, receive a .greater,
benefit from the institution than those by
law obliged to perform military duty.— —
These important fa&being firmly establish
ed, a doubt can no longer remain upon the
impartial mind fefpeaing the opprelfive ten- /
dency of the prefeot military laws. Virtues
and her friends when they contemplate what
America has fuffeted in contending forliber
ty and equality, must reprobate in the sever
est terms this growing monster of Despo
tism, When pursuing the Soldier in his fu
ture remarks upon 0e fubjed, their difguftj
cannot be diminished, but must be increaf-:j
red. If we contemplate the population of
the state, and compare the number of inhab
itants agreeable to the census taken in 179 G |^
with that of the military force of the fame,;
an extreme disproportion will be obvjous.^
The number of inhabitants was then found;
to be 474,284. The military forceps was
before observed conffts of about 74,000 ;j
not bearing a portion of one to fix. By a:
statement, the accuracy of which I have tea- #
font to doubt, ^which gates the number of ,
rateable polls at 106,427, one third,hereof
appears to be exempted : but 'tis presumed .
the number of polls is greater. With re-j
gard to the wealth of the state;! have yet r
not obtained an accurate eflimate, but from|
the heft conjectural computation; have nol
doubt of being able to make it evident that
three fourths of the property at least, is ex
ern^ted from the expence of supporting the
military system.
J, glut we need not this aid to make the une
qual distribution of the expense fufficiently|
'Obvious. Let us confine ourselves tp Actual |
knowledge ; and by comparing the number j
of rateable polls within the limits of the fee
pud regiment of the second brigade in the'
fifth division, with the num&r annuaHyt
obliged to perform military duty, without re-I
itgatd to property, we Ihall firitf a criterion k
,w)im^ to fgun,fl Sufficiently competent [
judgment of th^gfo oppressive tendency r
of the laws.— The towns of Newbedford,.
^Sfrimouth, Westport and Freetown, com
pdfe this regiment; commanded by Georg b
•fyfafy,3fo This regiment agreeat [
ble to the last returns consists ot 7 „ rap% ;
and file. The number of rateable polls in
rt6e^ towns, agtee^ble to the census takeq
in 1793 is ziSol^ From which it appears ,
that two thirds thereofare wholly exempted."|
u&^^w^ !p%te^ prenylt
jmore, n^n three foyrtbs of which,s here ac,i
;u@yexempted ; let us assess ,te regimental [
,expense of equipments, and annual expence,
ofpiih^ry (faiy^pon the rateable, polls with. 1
jh ^te^ The equipments, it 9 dollars j
each, amount IQ 1615 dollars- Averaging ,
mils upon the rateable.polls ;„ and we unmet
diately find the Soldier's, expence of equip
mept/redneed from 9 dollars to 18/2% each.
g ^Qllars fiman, as before calculated,
the, a#,u 4 l expence of this regiment 1$ 2450
dollars ; which sum averaged as before, re
,, duces the @fe:% yearly experice from 3 and
' T^X'^^ ife^t reduc.
tion of the military burthen : and were it aft
fefed on both polls and estates, the expend
te, teremarked that asthere are gret
numbers of the set of ebnfo^he Erlends,
residing within these four tarns.fan, any
other four perhaps , the Commonwealth,
theinftance of posts here exempted will not
^jfoiv,%^%fe" ^.
adduced is'fubj& it will
^^i^^^'tbeQ'#'
bution of this indifpenfible public tax, are
now universal thrd'ont the state : the pdpu*
;tarnnrirtton to the DFOpreis of
I will bcmatter of aftoniflimentif the militia.
FRID AY, January 2, 1795.
conclusion m^y-be most rationably deducedl
from its past 'tohduft.— The militia have ,
very reafonabl, exoeaed itever since theclofe|
of the^war. Little did they imagine that|
they were struggling for the eftaolifhment|
of oppreflion ! They have, by an ill placed ,
confidence in the justice and virtue of that
body, waited from fediba to session, withfut
prifing patience ; their hopes have been as
repeatedly fruftrated ; aud it is now evident
to r demonftr^tiori, that they have waitedin
vain. It has therefore become high time
that they withdraw their confidence from a
body, who, having exempted them^elves^
feel not interefed in the fufferings of peu
tonffituents, and look at home for juftic• ,
and an adequate redress of their grievances. ;
Let then the whole military force of|
the Commonwealth, as becomes their proses- j
fion, but. more efpetially as it behoves their,
interest, amicably unite ; and through the;
medium of our Officers, those "Patriots|
that bade proud Albion's tyrant tremble on I
his throne, and bravely fcorpU&life w^h
slavery fraught,! 'prefent a Petition to our
Legiliature.
When they hear the voice of the supreme
power of the state, thus solemnly dilating ;
their duty, ta^y dfuft teh^dy indeed to att:
diametrically opposite th%:t% by uontinw^g
jo tefofe the soldier 3 reqfo^ble compenfa-l,
tian for his Expense a,nd Fatigue 1
fy, ^^Q^r^^w— - — —
~ W FOR TH£ MIRROUR.
Mffi. Russell & Davis,
7@# have been fe ityulgent as to gratify mebitb
erto, if you have np objeaions I jbatl continue
as opportunity offers.
OBSERVATOR, No. IX.
I HAVE been writing uppn various fub
'jeds in former Numbers, but I think I
have said nothing concerning ^CtffrG*,
and if it is no fin to talk about them, more
than others, this Number fhaftbl "devoted"
to their service.
vln the Sacred Scriptures, we have a promise, ,
th^t was wrote in the firft ages of mankind,
'[that by the M^ffiab's coming, all the families
of the earth fhauld be blessed. But how
shockingly do the! old head strong eleaioners
wyeft thefarM Volume ? They ofteodeclare
jo us, that the greatest part of mankind were
)r^er#fy, from all eternity, to take up
their loggings, in the horrid reigns of eternal
d^mnatilk ?—Su rely they must include them
felvhs of the '• %,,/ra," (as was observed
taWfere) or they would not be so lavish of
'their doctrine.—Methinks he must be a very
bold man^who will enter ijgo the fared d-f&,
and there affirm, in the most positive man
;,ner; before God, Angels 2nd Men, &$, e
\mfor part, under the found of ^ voice,
I were predetermined, from all eternity, to be
;damned. But many of these old eleaioners
;often prove themfclves to ^fretchers of the
truth,if net breafers pl it. ——l was pe
rusing one of these authors ;he other day,
apd.be made bold (Q affirm, tbet,Gpd swill'd
all men to sieved, «M yet will'd feme to be
damned.—-Out of reffta to him, I will
believe him a LiAß,>fo r I am loth to thioM
him a >/, but perhaps he was a brewer of
'both.'—Every man in this land of freedom,
has ihe lihe^ of confeience, and of course,
has a right |o tell his opinioo. But fora nan
to affirm how many will be faved,and Mow
many damned, as though he was well ac #
quainted with the heart of an unsearchable
9^ U l ^^ gre ?f ^ of prrfump
tion, if not bhiphemy !—There ,s,o finite
being, who can,ffert the will of the &fagfo,/
apdhow much more amiable would thte Cler
gy appear, if they would give their opinion
in a candid, charitable and benevolent man
nef, knowing that 'they are sassed to error,
for they are but men. M they who are weak
fighted, would not presume to venture any
further,,han thrir eyesight would allow,they
^^X^^^
the blind, it will be no wonder if they both
$ fall into the ditch !— ,'; ^^ : n,, §
$0 —-— s^<;
A Fragment.
from home, in these days=m#k eyed
|poor old man, begging for a p^irof, worn
f~me old papers, found the following, truly
sentimental thought.— :
" Linton, a muficiah, belonging to the
Circheftra, of Covent Garden theatre, was .
murdered by street robbers, who were aftef-,
Wards difcoyered and executed , #
A play was given tor the benefit of
Widow and Children-and the day precede
iffyfie performance; ffe follow,ng appeared
in one of the public prints^:— }
Theatre Royal, CoveotGiffen;
ForW ^ffrfMrj.Linton, &c.•
“ The Wido^ " bid Charity,uhifpering
me io me ear, "sbft have your mite ; wait
upon her, with a guinea, and purchase a box
ticket,"—" You may have one for fyeJhil
obferved Avarice, -pulling me by the
elbow, my hand was in my pocket, and tte
guinea, which was between my finger ano
thumb, flipped out.—" Y^s, said I, the shall
haVe my five (hilliofc.'—Juftice flared me
^n the face —" Good Heaven exclaimed
Juftice,—" What are you ab^ut ? five foil
lingi! if you pay but five (hillings for going
into the Theatre, then you get value received t
for yppr money, and I shad owe him nd
thanks," added Charity—lay &^er hand
np^ flff htatt; and lending mq
to t'ne Widow's hon^ —ibA^~
in my left hand, my -hole frame tren
—looking round, 1 saw Avq^&rurn the co;
ner of the street, and I found rftyh^moffn
in tv pocket, grasped in my han^
"'ls your mother at home,
I to a child who conduced me into
lout- ^ Yes," anfivered the infant— CTfflr
my father has not been at home this great
while—that is his hsrpfichord—au&hat is
his violin-lie used toplay on fhett^Fme,"
='' shall I play you a tone my boy, said I,"'
"no Sir," answered the boy,—" my mofflr
will not let them be touched, for since m%.
father Went abroad, music makes Her c;y,
4nd iheri we all cry—l locked on the violin,
it was uhftrung—l touched the harpsichord,
l it wit out of tune. Had the lyre of Orpheus
founded in my ear, it could not have infinu
.ated thrills of fenfibitity equal to whafl felt ;
ft drag the fpitit in tioifon with the flefh.—
" I h<arty mother ori the flairs," said the
boy. , ffiook him by the hand—"give her
this my, ad," said l;and left the house. It
rainecf---I called a coach—drove to if offee
-libufe,lArt riot having a farthing in „ pock
et, borrowed a milling at she bac"~ — —- ''
Here was Charity ! !
Ftyt THE MIRROR
Messrs. Russell & Davis,
SEEING a piece in your Mirrour N
which resembled a dispute concern*!^
the final state of all men—put metoon con-,
federation, and the firft thing Ifeftriick
my mind, was this, viz.—ThatUtyfe firft
formation of min, God made himtioly and
upright, in hisown in^^e, created he them,
male and female, and gave them dominion
over all the creatures, which he bad made,
placed them in a state ofcoropleat hfeinefs,
even in the garden of Fafadife, where they
knew nothing but love, enjoying the pres
ence and sweat smiles of God, their heavenly
father— And was placed as federal head and
repiefentative of his decendants, even the
whole of the human race ! But alas ! in that
happy situation, man did not long continue,
but toon transgressed by disobeying the com
mands of his righteous father, and tell into
fin, by which he loft his moral reditude, and
became as miserable as he was before happy,!,
& we, his posterity, being included & confid.
ered in him, & by union with him-he being
^^ ^r.riffi, *'
: "" ^ Mz s ^ '^W"^ ^-
our to, Thus he, with all bis pfoy.
were plunged into a most deplorable fitua-e
tion, under the curse of a broken law ! and
there most remain to an eternity of ages ! to
foil the Wiffof their father's %o&^
countenance, and be exiled from bis favour
war could
^^^^^"""^^
IWished, and man laved :*= I he Kevelator
! viewing the fituatibn of man, and could not
1 conceive o# any way, &or iiian s eicape *=anci
he wept much, and one of the Elders laid
ltiqtq tiinfctyeep not, for behold the lion oft
prevailed to open t'he book -und to lose tht
1 feais itatof, ^ blessed, J,s, who was the
[NUMBER jls.]
7^=.. ..^i^i,