The New-Jersey gazette — Burlington [N.J.], 1786-05-08 00:00:00, page 3

distress as finally to force the haughty nation of Bri
tain to a commercial treaty, greatly advantageous to
this country.
CHARLESTOWN, (Massachusetts) April 14.
" As citizens of the United States, we cannot re
main unconcerned fpedtators of the alarming picture
of national distress, presented by Congress to the world,
in their late address. We are far from condemning
their unreserved communications. If expedients are
the resources of the weak, secrecy is the cloak of the
base mind. We with they had gone further, and pro
posed a radical cure for a radical evil. The confede
ral constitution, while it presents a comedy to the rest
of the world, will prove in the end a tragedy to our
felves —and our distress will be attended with so much
ridicule, that we shall lose the consolation of pity.
" Government, without coertion, is a proportion
at once so absurd and felf-contradidory, that the idea
creates a confufion of the understanding: it is form
without substance—at best, a body without a foul. If
men would aft right, government of all kinds would
be useless. If dates or nations (who are but assem
blages of men) would do right, there would be no
wars, nor disorder, in the universe. Bad as individu
als are, states are worse: clothe men with publick
authority, and, almost universally, they confider them
selves. as liberated from the obligations of moral recti
tude, because they are no longer amenable to justice.
" Who are the confederal government to operate
upon ?—States, thus composed, have they the power
of coertion ?—That is among the few impossible pow
ers which the confederation does not enumerate. But,
was it there, it would, like all their other powers, exist no
where else. Coertion is applicable to men, individu
ally—with refped to states, it is nonsense.—The strong
arm of government, levelled against a solitary and un
protected individual (rendered obnoxious by his crimi
nality) may carry into execution the laws of coerti
on; but to direCt the efforts of a feeble union against
a powerful delinquent state, could it be effected, would
involve innocence and virtue in an indiscriminate ven
geance ; the relation would be loft between crime and
punilhment ; it would become war, instead of justice ;
and the punishing violations of right by war is incom
patible with every idea of government.
" Congress, with a press, during the life of paper
money, did wonders : they have had the power of
emitting bills, and borrowing money, without funds
to gain credit—of railing an army and equipping a na
vy, without the means of building a ship or subsisting
a foldier —of fending ambassadors, who divulge our
distress abroad, and render our poverty more splen
didly conspicuous—making treaties which they cannot
enforce the execution of; and, finally, they present
themselves a fpedacle so ludicrous, that we cannot
help being diverted at our own calamities.
" The melioration of a constitution, founded on such
falfe and incompatible principles, seems to us in every
view impossible: but expedients proposed, which re
quire the unanimous concurrence of thirteen separate
legislatures, differing in interests, diftind in habits, and
opposite from prejudices, have so repeatedly failed,
that they no longer furnitb a ray of hope. We pray,
therefore for the day, when we shall fee a national
convention fit, composed of the best and ablest men
in the union, a majority of whom shall be invested
with the power of altering it. It is now so bad, as to
defy the malice of fortune and ingenuity to make it
worse."
\ CHARLESTON, April 10.
Extrad of a letter from a gentleman of the firfl literary
eminence in Pennsylvania, to bis friend in this city.
"I agree with you that this country is not at present
in a good situation, nor can be till they become more
industrious at home, and restrain the importation of
foreign luxuries, which makes them tributary to other
nations. Necessity will bring about that which political
wisdom has neglected. In a short time the country
might be very flourifhing ; but the love of luxury, the
desire of engrossing lands, the humour of removing to
the western frontier, and the general disregard to virtue
and moral obligation, that so much prevails, will re
tard, if not prevent, its prosperity. Liberty and na
tural advantages fignify nothing to thole who want
wisdom and virtue to improve them properly."
RICHMOND, April 29.
The riches difeovered at Senora, in New-Andulufia,
in South-America, are immense. One gold mine has
been difeovered within twelve leagues of the presiden
cy del Aiter, where, from fourteen pits at the depth
only of two feet, with very little labour, vast quanti
ties of gold have been found. Two other mines equal
ly rich, have been difeovered in the neighbourhood.
A writer in a late London news-paper thus observes :
" As it is from the progression of science and art, that
spirit, which we all justly admire in the Americans,
originally sprung, so the fame spirit is diffufed, and
will continue to be diffufed over the world. Already
we every where discern the influence of the great re
volution across the Atlantic on commerce, on the ba
lance of power, and the genius of nations."
The British commerce, by the prohibition which is
to take place in the Austrian dominions, is likely to
receive a more fatal dab than it has experienced for ages.
BALTIMORE, April 25.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman in the ueJlern coun
try, to his friend in Connecticut, dated Fort Harmer,
February 7, 1786.
" It is impossible for me to give you an adequate
idea of this country : general Parsons, on his return,
with his own observation (and mine, if of any ser
vice) will be able to answer every quere. However,
for the present, permit me to fay, 'it is a most delight
ful country, with every alluring promise—earnestly
Catharine M'Cann, alias Walker, was tried for bur
glary, and acquitted of that crime, but found guilty
of larceny, in dealing the property of Elizabeth Evitt.
She was ordered to be publickly whipped with twenty
one lathes-pay a fine of 45s to the state, and ordered
to restore the stolen goods, or their value.
John-Smith Leftar was tried for burglary in the
dwellinghoufe of Peter M'Kenn, and acquitted. He
was afterwards tried with Richaid Isaacs for larceny,
in dealing property of John Bell and John Fairies, to
the value of £. 58 51. They were both found guilty.
They were severally ordered to be whipped with twen
ty-one lathes—pay a fine to the value of the goods sto
len, and make restitution, &c.
John-Conrad Latour, John Speckert, Frederick Kir
keffel, Christian Peter and Jacob Walter, were indicted
for a fraud on the publick, convicted, and found guiri
ty by the jury.
Latour had been a lieutenant in captain John-Paul
Schot" s company ; had a mutter roll of the company,
and knowing that several of them had not applied for
the certificates of the depreciation of their pay, he
procured people to perfonate the soldiers, who swore
that they had received their certificates of deprecia
tion, and accompanied their affidavits by the certifi
cate of lieutenant Latour, of their being the identical
perlons who were in the original mutter rolls, and
intitled to certificates. They were well inftruded in
the names of their company, and other circumstances
which are usually inquired of them, in order to pre
vent detection.
/ They were each of them ordered to be pilloried,
except Christian Peter. Jacob Walter was ordered to
be pilloried a second time, having been convicted on
two indictments. John-Conrad Latour was also fined
4. 100—Jacob Walter £. 97 17 B—Frederick Kirkeffel
4. 63 12 o—Christian Peter 50I.—and John Speck
ert £. 98 15 5.
Extract of a letter from a gentleman at Necy-York, da
ted 19th April.
",he Paper money bill is passed, making it a legal
tenner in all cases of prosecution—an inducement for
people to refufe paying their debts which many ima
gine was not altogether necessary.—This operates as a
general obftrudion to business, which will not only
prevent people's fatiguing themselves too much—but
will tend to liberalize men's notions of property, and
in time, may bring back the apostolic practice of hav
ing all things in common. It will also take off our
hearts and lessen our affections for this transitory world
the fafhion whereof changeth, and further verifies the
proverb that riches take to themselves wings and flee
away, and shews the particular pertinence of the wife
man s question.—What good hath man of all the la
bour wherewith he laboureth under the fun?
"I'" 1 2 9- Various schemes have been held forth at
different times for extracting frefh from salt water a
discovery, which, when effected, will merit a grateful
tribute for the inventer, from mankind in general.
As yet they have all unfortunately failed. A mr. Al
ien of Connecticut seems to have devised a more rati
°n.al P l ,! than an y heretofore attempted, the process
whereof is as follows: A common barrel or hogshead
is provided with a falfe bottom, three or four inches
above the real one: this falfe bottom is perforated
with a number of holes, and over them a filter of flan
nel (or any thing that will stop sand, and admit water
t° P c ! hr °^ h ') The barrel is then nearly filled with
the fineft sand, beat down very hard. A tube, com
municating with the space between the two bottoms,
is extended to a convenient height above the top of
the barrel; the sea-water is poured into this tube, and
solicits the attention of the industrious farmer from
the eastern states: struggle no longer with the devour
ing embarrassments of cold and froft, in the barren re
gions of the north, but embrace the invitations of
peace and plenty in a temperate climate.
"I mud not close my letter, without dealing a lit
tle in the wonderful. We have difeovered the ruins
of a very ancient town; it is ninety rods square, sur
rounded with a wall which is at this time two rods
thick, and five or fix feet high, and from the appear
ance of the foil, two or three growths have already
added to the manure; and the present timber affords
trees of seven feet diameter on the walls; I cannot
give a minute description, without delineating it; for
which I have not time at present. It is four square,
with twelve gates, three on each fide, and very regu
lar; between the town and the Ohio are regular for
tifications, with turrets of observation, lines of defence,
out-works, &c. —In the town are a number of raised
grounds, with regular afeents to them, probably pla
ces of worship, and a canal to lead the water from
the town, eight rods wide —a wall on each fide, which
is still thirty feet high in some places—the burying
grounds, &c. &c. —We have made every enquiry of
the inhabitants and Indians, they can give no fatis
fadory accounts ; the Indians fay their fathers do not
know who made them ; then it would be mere con
jecture in me to endeavour to unravel the secret. That
they are not the works of nature, is certain; and that
the Indians, in their present state, have not made them,
is as certain ; then it follows, that the present Indians
are descendants of nations once acquainted with arts,
or this continent was inhabited by a nation unknown,
who are loft in the revolutions of time and entirely
extinft; for many reasons I am apt to embrace the
latter; but let either of the two be true, it convinces
me that we know very little refpeCting the firft peo
pling of America."
PHILADELPHIA, April 19.
At a sessions of oyer and terminer, held at Phila
delphia, the 3d day of April instant,
William Brock was found guilty of having com
mitted a burglary in the house of William Murdoch.
John Corran was convicted of a burglary in the dwel
linghoufe of Andrew Clow. —Their sentences are not
yet passed.
Notice is hereby given,
)T° 211 the creditors of John
Middlesex county, § 1 Jonson, an insolvent debtor,
confined in the gaol of said county for debt, that they be
and appear before two of the judges of the inferior court
° f common-pleas for said county, on Thursday the nth
May next, at two o'clock in the afternoon, at
the house of major Thomas Egbert, in the city of
New-Brunswick, then and there to shew cause, if any
they have, why an assignment of the hid debtor's
cftate should not be made for the benefit of all his cre
ditors, and said pnfoner be thereupon difeharged from
hisf^nfineme^.pnrfuant to an ad of the legillature
° f ^titled, ' an aft for the relief of infol
vent debtors. J OHN JONSON.
April 13, 1786. 4w*
^ GRAMMAR SCHOOL.
TTNDER the direction of the Rev. Andrew Hunter
! s n °7°P, en , e d ?! Woodbury, nine miles from'
the city of Philadelphia, where the Greek, Latin and
English languages are taught with great attention to
quantity and pronunciation; also several other ufeful
branches of science.
An examination of the scholars will be holden every
three months, when gentlemen who choose to attend
may judge of their improvement, and the method of
teaching. Convenient accommodations may be had in
the town, in families where regularity and good mo
rals prevail.
May 1, 1786.
All forts of mantua-making, day-making and mille
nary, done by
MA RY JA Y,
11 ' Micajah Howe s, in Trenton—where may be
had a variety of gauzes, ribands, muslins,
chintzes, humhums, love ribands, black gloves and
Al '° materials for stays, hats, cloaks and bonnets.
Ladies in town or country may depend that no pains
f P ared to give them fatisfadion, and will be
thanked tor their custom. 4w
pressing every way according to its altitude, it ended:
vours to force its way through the sand to the top of
the barrel, from whence by this mode of filtration,
it is drawn off frefh and fit for use; for the saline
particles being heavier, and perhaps differently form
ed, meet with obftrudions from the sand and are left
behind. The process is simple—the experiment curi
ous, and the utility may be great.
The Richmond papers state, that a gold mine has
been difeovered in Montgomery county, state of Vir
ginia; and that from an assay made on some of the
ore, it appears that the quantity of that valuable me
tal produced, exceeded expectation.
The following instance of integrity is truly singular
and honourable. A person who lately failed in bufi
iiefs in the city of London, having, by the fortune of
the lottery, become entitled to one of the 20,000!.
prizes, drawn on Thursday the 16th of February last,
deposited it in the hands of a broker, with directions
to have it applied to the use of his creditors, until all
their remaining claims (amounting to i6,oool.) should
be fatisfied. The name of this upright worthy man
is mr. Lempeaie, a native of Guernsey.
The following paragraph is taken from a Jamaica
paper of the 15th of March last :—“ We hear that his
majesty has relinquished his proportion of money ari
sing from the sales of vessels seized and condemned
on the navigation aCt : when ships of war make cap
tures of American or other vessels on illicit trade, his
proportion is to be divided among their crews, to ex
cite them to alertness on those occasions."
May 3. On the 25th of March, in Chefterfield coun
ty, in Virginia, a small woman, aged 35 years (who
had eleven children before) was brought to bed of
three fine children, two boys and a girl: they are all
well, large and likely, as children delivered at sin
gle births; they were named Esau, Rebecca and Jacob.
Friend Collins,
INHERE is an advertisement in thy paper of the firft
1 day of this month, which I perceive has been con
tinued for near fix months, for the sale of several ne
groes. The owner of them tells us that they are fold
for no fault, 'but that he is determined to keep none of
their colour.' I and several others would be glad to
know what is the meaning of this. Is it the colour
only that displeases him ? We would think this is but a
sorry reason for parting with the poor creatures. But
perhaps the meaning is, that he is determined not to
keep (laves any longer, and therefore will fell them to
take the burden off his conscience. This has a strange
appearance, for I should think felling them is much the
fame as buying them or keeping them, and indeed
the worst of the three, for if he be a confeientious per
son he may treat them well and inftrud them, whereas
if he fells them he cannot tell into what hands they
may come. Again, perhaps he is moved by interest,
not duty. It may be he thinks slaves are in general bad
servants, that they have no noble principles to aft up
on, nor any animating views to support them, and are
therefore generally lazy and unfaithful. This is the
opinion of many persons who think the practice is as
unprofitable as it is finful. Not being able to con
ceive any other meaning to his resolution of keeping
none of their colour, but one or both of these, I have won
dered very much how he thought this would invite pur
chasers. Who does he think will take either his fin upon
their conscience, or his loss upon their estates ? If he
can explain this matter any better than I have done, it
will be acceptable to thy sincere friend,
Timothy Plainspeaker.
3d day of the sth month, 1786.