The Mirrour — Concord, N.H., 1794-12-26 00:00:00, page 1

ft. ~
CONCORD, (NEWHAMPSHIRE,) PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY ELIJAH RUSSELL AND MOSES DAV IS.
[VOLUME III.]
Tbe NrabampJbire & Vermont
ALMANAC,
for tbe year 1795,
For sale at this Office, wholesale and retail.
^ Shopkeepers supplied on low terms.
, n Political Miscellany.
;FROM THE MEDLEY.
TH E SOLDIER, No, VIII.
IN reply to some suggestions of this
nature, I must now declare that I
have it not at heart to derogate in the
(malleft degree, from the necessity
and utility of righteous government;
but ardently wish to fee the liberty of
my country flourish upon the genuine
principles of equality, and the peace
and happiness of my fellow citizens
inviolably established : the attainment
of &hich desirable object, l am bold
to affirm, can never be accomplished
but by the most sacred regard to the
just rights and privileges of every in
dividual of the community: the mem
bers of which have become too much
enlightened, quietly to acquiesce io
any species of despotism whatever.
1 The American Revolution has at
length produced a measure of political
happioefs equal to the most sanguine
expectations ; but without a vigilant
attention, despotism may yet be our
portion. The most trifling causes
have in other countries produced im
portant revolutions ; and the feeds, pf
aristocracy, which we are now con
templating, are certainly of alarming
nature ; they are of an inflammable
v and dangerous quality ; and may be
compared^ the fiery materials of a
„thunder cloud ; which, if (offered to
gather strength by cohesion, may be
rcome pregnant with dreadful conse
quences— at length produce an explo
sion, and spread desolation over the
continent. The Sold ler,,therefore,
wishing to defiroy the fpedre, in em
bryo, having once drawnthe sword of
truth from the Icabbard of j ustice, fa
determined not to quit the field until
be has effequally fheathened it in the
bowels of oppression; 1 I shall there
fore proceed to an inveftigstion of the
febje& in the order proposed in my
last number: accordingly, the firft
thing that claims bur notice, is the
ffi^/k&of^
According to the most accurate in
formation 1 can at present obtain, the
military force df this Commonwealth
(agreeably ,othe existing law!) con
fihsof 74,600 men. The total ex
peofe of their equipments (if^med
conformably to the ißth paragraph
ofthe ad quoted in my last number)
atthe moderate computation of nine
dollars each, is 671,400 dollars.
By the 24th paragraph (also quot-'
e#) they are liable to be called- out 5
times by companies, and once by reg
iments or towns;'and allowing an
other day, Which muff be oecefyily
spent in preparation tor these different
matter,, I might reasonably compute
their annual toft of time at 6 days a
year : but wiring not to exaggerate,
at it ia probable the regimental, or
town mutter, will generally be con-'
^^^z^
of time to military duty, at five days
in each year ; and, averaging the dai
ly wages of each individual compar
ing the military establishment, at four
(hillings a man (which, when the fav
ourablentfs of the training season to
bufioefs is considered, cannot reasona
bly be called I&) the total annual er|
,peofe of these obliged to do duty, isf
found to be 248,665 dollars.
At one view, and at a moderate'
computation, the original individual
military expense, is 9 dollars for e
quipmepr, and 3 dollars annually for
every citizen enrolled.
The aggregate expence of equip
ment for the whole militia of the state,
confining as above of 74 600 men,
is 671 400 dollars ; and the annual
expence of the fame 148 665 dollars.
—Here then, agreeable to the firft ar
ticle proposed to be considered, we
have afeertained the magnitude of the
burthen ; or expence of the military
eftablifhmenc; and that it ought to
be general, and like other public
charages of government, assessed on
polls and eftatei, is the dilates of
common sense, and must be obvious
to every unprejudiced mind, that for
a moment confiders the intent and
necessity of the military institution :
—it is the foundation upon which
the whole admirable ftrudure of civ
il government is built ; taking into
consideration the present depraved
nature of mankind, the tatter could
not possibly be supported without it.
It is the engine whereby life, liberty
and property are defended and pro
teded; whereby infurreftions are sup
pressed, & invasions repelled. Noth
i°g gives rife to a greater degree of
refoeaability abroad than an effective
military force; and that it is consid
ered as it, greatest political engine,
may be readily discovered by the late
detachment of the militia made by
Congress :—no one can foppole, from
the present afped of affairs, that this
detachment will ever be called into
adual service—yet it must be allow
ed job, a measure of the highest po
litical utility.— It (hews that Ameri
ca b upon her guard, and that (he is
io a situation to chastise the lawless
invader of her peace and liberty. In
this view, a preparation for war, is
plainly the immediate harbinger of
peace. But to attempt still further
to prove the general utility of the
military establishment, I am sensible,
must be like "burning tapers at noon
day to assist the fun in enlightening
the world." If therefore the general
utility of this inftitutionis firmly ef
tabliffied, I"would ask again, Why
should it not be a, general expence?
—dr Why, agreeable to the second
article to be considered, ffiould it fall
(as may be easily proved), upon that
part of the community, in general the
least able to support it ?'Z
The rich are exempt, andthe bur
jhen is sustained by the honeft,.far
mer, mechanic, and labourer ; as ev
ery one may be convinced by advert
ing to the paragraph of the act quot
ed in No 2, which particularifes the ex
emptions. We (hall find these per
sons, with inconsiderable exceptions,
in affluent circumfance#, and in the
ea(y walks of life ; chiefly employed
in trims of emolument, and receiving
their compensations from the hard
FRID A Y, December 26, 1794.
ty^Q^ -, — & - -- - _, ; _ Q ______
earned purse of the Soldier. And
what is worthy here of particular ob
servation, and which will serve like
wise to substantiate the second arti
cle ; for want of a certain portion of
property (thro' misfortune perhaps)
the militiaman, in many instances, is
excluded from these very offices of
profit, the filling of which, by law,
entitles a man to exemption from mip
itary duty.
^ Tbe Soldier No. VII, Jball appear asfan
as ewe can obtain acop,^-
Late Foreign Intelligence.
Germany.
COLOGNE, SEPT. 25.
ALL is absolutely loft, if the French
do not afford peace to the Em
peror—he ought to implore it with
clasped hands. The Austrians have
been completely beaten at every point
from the 19th to the 23d of the pre
sent month, when the French entered
Aix-la- Chapelle.
The retreat of the Austrians beyond
the Rhine, is only retarded by the
time necessary to render it fife; and
preserve the immense magazines at
Cologne. Two bridges of boats are
for this purpose thrown across the riv.
er above and below Cologne, which
demonstrates their intention to cross
The citizens here fly to arms, not to
defend themselves against the French,
but the rabble, who menace them
with pillage The Austrian Head-
Quarters are at Juliers, between Co
logne and Aix-la.Chapeflc. General
Clairfayt will defend, as long as pos
sible, the passage of the Roer. A
general adion iiexpe&ed daily, which
will be the coup de grace.
The military chest of the Auftrian#
which has been two daysat Cologne,
has puffed the Rhine, and is actually
at Duffeldorf, which place all foreign
ers have had orders to quit within 4
days. The members of the govern
fefit bf the Pays Bas, and the feat of
government, are to be transferred to
Wifbourg.
It is announced this moment, that
the Emperor has nominated Count de
Clairfayt, Governor General of the
Pays Bai per interim, with full powers
—intelligence which announces the
design to re-enter Brabant, and to ef
tablilh a military government.
VIENNA, SEPT. 26.
Letters, and particularly the official
accounts from Warsaw, of the 9th in
stant, give us the most ample details
of the circumstances attending the re
treat of the Prussians, on the night
between the sth and 6th.
Various causes contributed to this
retreat. The infurgeou, in Grht Po
land not only cut off the supplies of
provisions and ammunition from the
army of his Prussian Majesty, but also
cut off the communication between
the others parts of his dominions and
his camp, io the environs of which
the Poles had demolished all the ftreeti
and attempted to entrap the Prussians
ifi a number of grand abbatis, which
the rubbi(h enabled them to form.
. In the pursuit, the Prussians were
miserably slaughtered, the streets thro
which they puffed were covered with
the carafes of men and horses ; and
as they had not time to bury their
dead, the air about Warsaw, for four
or five days was greatly infested b,
the putrid exhalation: from their bo
dies.
The enraged Prussians fed like
mad dog?, deftroviog in dm wav, all
(be houses of the peufenu, so rhar the
places through which thy puffed are
as dreary as a defart.
In their march to Great Poland,
they have but a melancholy profpe#
of penetrating into the country, the
insurgents having carried off all the
magazines and arsenals, and occupied
the strong places in force, and are
firmly determined co oppose them.
If the Warsaw papers do not over
charge their accounts, the King of
Pfuffia is in^great danger of being cut
off, with his whole army.
The Insurgents have possessed
themselves also of Pazin, a city with
a fortified cattle, which is the centre
of the government of the whole prov
ince.— They have no further intelli
gence at Warsaw since the arrival of
the Prussians at Sochaczew, in the
Palatinate of Raws.
A report prevails, but unauthenti
cated by any date of name or place,
that an aaion has already taken place
between the Poles and Prussians, in
which the latter have been beaten.
~ They again talk here of a peace, of
which the Houle of Austria would be
very desirous, if it was not bound by
its engagement with the Allies, of
whom it wishes to know what terms
are expected. It the French would
consent to eftablilh the National Con
ven.ioo upon more solid principles,
humanity itfelf would call for a peace,
of which the Austrians stand more io
need than any of their allies.
If it is required that the House of
Austria ffiould try another campaign
with the money offered them, it must
be very disagreeable ; to the Emperor
and his Ministers, that it (hould be to
Jong forthcoming.
Great difficulty also arises in find
ing recruits to replace the men loft in
the different regiments, and to aug
ment the armies.
Hungary has already contributed
Efficiently, and by its cooftitution no
person can be forced to enlist against
his will.
Neither is it inclined to furoifh any
money ; and it is even doubtful wheth
er it will furnifh the sums promised to
the Emperor, at the time of his Coro
nation.
Much of this, however, is founded
only upon conjecture ; not is there
any better ground for the report, that
the King of Prussia is very urgent
with our Court, to furnifh him with
the troops fiipulated by the treaty of
tygt, by which the two powers re
ciprocally guaranteed to each other
their possessions, and which troops
the infurredion in Poland now ren
dered necessary to him.
Holland.
,HAGUE, OCT. 1.
Fort Crevecoeur, after having been
bombarded by howitzers, surrendered
to the French, on Saturday last, at/
midnight. The garrison said to con
lift of 250 men, under the command
of Colonel Tiebal, of the Engineers,
made a capitulation, by which it was
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