The United States oracle of the day — Portsmouth, N.H., 1801-09-12 00:00:00, page 1

" Mr. De Witt Clinton expressed a
wish to make some observations to the
Council.—He observed, that for some
years past, the administration of this
state had been in hands which had made
all the appointments in one way, to the
entire exclusion of a large proportion of
its citizens—that the people of this state
as well as of the United States, had ex
pressed their disapprobation of that ad
ministration, and of the principles by
which it was governed in the late elec
tions for President of the United States
and the Chief Magistrates and Repre
sentatives for this state—that pursuant
to the public opinion so expressed he
should feel it his duty to remove all the
officers appointed under that adminis
tration—that he should concur in the
removal of Mr. Henry, and the other
Heads of Departments in the date, but
did not suppose it would be proper to
do more than equalize the officers in
the refpeaive counties.
“ 3. Whether he had, on any occa
sion, fliewn the least degree of preju
dice or partiality towards any person
in executing his official duties, from the
influence es his political opinions ?
“ Mr. Spencer then drew a resolu
tion, to be entered on the minutes, di
recting a fuperfedeas to Mr. Henry,
which was read by the Governor, and
passed by the three members present
unanimously, to wit : Mr. Clinton,Mr.
Spencer, and Mr. Rofeboon ; Mr. San
ders being in ill health and unable to
attend. Governor Clinton, during the
proceedings, only observed, that he felt
no resentment against any of the officers
of government, and did not require
their removal ; but as Governor Jay
had admitted the right of removal ;
to be vested solely in the council, they
mud aft their pleasure, or words sub
stantially to that effect. His Excellen
cy, however, made no attempts to re
pel or discountenance the proceedings,
but appeared fully to acquiesce in
them.
Fr?m th Albany, (Nevo-York) Gazette.
ON Monday last, the roth of Au
guft,the Council of Appointment
of this Rate, commenced an open and
avowed warfare upon principles, by a
removal of the Offices of Government
from their Ration, who were appointed
under the administration of Governor
Jay. Their proceedings, as Rated by
the late Secretary were as follows :
" When the business of the day was
nearly completed, Mr. Spencer propos
ed to the Council, that John V. Henry,
be removed from the office of Comp
troller of this Rate, observing that Mr.
Henry had, in debate in the House of
Assembly, during the last session of the
Legislature, expressed certain sentiments,
which convinced him that it would be
improper to continue him in office;
and that Mr. Henry had continued
the practice of law, which could not
have been intended at the time of his
appointment, as it must necessarily pre
vent him from paying a proper atten
tion to his official duties : he therefore
was of opinion that he should no longer
be continued in office.
“ Mr. Spencer then proposed Mr.
Elisha Jenkins to supply the place of
Mr. Henry, whom he recommended as
a gentleman well qualified to perform
the duties of comptroller ; the Gov
ernor put the question on Mr. Jenkins,
which was carried unanimously.
" A short pause then took place dur
ing which Mr. Spencer walked to Mr.
Clinton, whispered for a few moments,
and returned to his place : after which
Mr. Clinton proposed to the Council,
that the fame resolution be entered a,
to the Secretary—The question was
put by the Governor, and carried unan
imously.
" The Secretary then asked leave to
put some questions to the Council in
refped to himfelf, which was permit
ed, and after some evasions on the part
of Mr. De Witt Clinton, who declared
that they were unnecessary, from the
grounds on which he had already
Rated the removals were made,but the
Secretary persisting, they were put and
answered as follows :
“ ill. Whether there was any charge
of any description against the Secretary
for want of the most ftrid attention to
every part of the duties of his office ?
“ 2. Whether he had evinced a
want of talents to enable him perfectly
to execute those duties ?
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. Printed and Published ever) 'SATURDAY
Laws &c. of the United
Governor Clinton's
AMERICAN INDEPENDENCE, TWENTY-SIXTH YEAR.
or ALL THE DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS WHICH LEAD TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY, RELIGION AND MORALITY ARK INDISPENSABLE SUPPORTS. WASHINGTON'S Le~4ct
die TBniteb §§tateß
ADMINISTRA TION!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1801.
" The Governor proceeded to nomi
nate M. Hopper who was unanimously
rejected, as was Mr. Van Nefs—andMr.
Tillotfon was unanimously agreed tc
" Mr. Spencer then observed to the
Secretary, that there was one circum
stance which applied to him, which did
not to Mr. Henry, which Was, that he
had held a very refpedable office, from
which he derived a certain degree of
influence ; that he had taken a decided
part in the late election, in which, to
his knowledge, he had been influential;
and whether it was not probable, that
from his official station that influence
had been materiallyincreafed— to which
the Secretary replied, that he believed
no man in the state could entertain that
opinion, that his office was merely min
isterial, from which he could derive no
possible degree of influence, that it was
not an office of authority, nor even of
dired responsibility, that if he had any
influence in society, it was from his
Handing as a citizen, rot as a public
officer ; but, that of all men, Mr. Spen
cer was one of the lad who should
bring forward that circumstance as a
charge against him—he (Mr. Spencer)
held a public office (assistant attorney
general) to which was attached both
authority and responsibility; he had
for several elections past been adive and
influential, to a far greater degree than
himfelf—and how had he been treated ?
had he been injured in the Icaft degree
in consequence of his having supported
his political opinions ? and that had
the former administration attempted to
remove him from office,in consequence
of his having supported his principles,
he (the Secretary) would then have
openly declared it an ad of direct ty
ranny.
" Five candidates were then named
by the Governor for the office of Secre
tary, to wit ; Jasper Hopper, John P.
Van Nefs, Thomas Tillotfon, Abraham
G. Lansing and Gen. Peter Ganfevoort,
and the application of two of them
read by the Secretary, after which he
informed the Council that Jasper Hop
per was his deputy, that whatever po
litical prejudices there might be against
himfelf, they must not be applied to
Mr. Hopper, that he was a warm and
decided friend to Gov. Clinton, and to
his politics, and he knew him to re so
at the time he employed him as depu
ty, and that such knowledge did not
prevent him from placing the utmost
confidence in him, and treating him
with friendfhip and refped ; that Mr.
Hopper had declared to him, previous
to the last election, his intention to sup
port Governor Clinton—that he bad
replied, he was perfectly right in so do
ing, as he was a freeman, and was
juftifiable in enjoying his own indepen
dent principles ; that Mr. Hopper was
a man of refpe&ability, a man of bu
siness, and a man of integrity, and was
better calculated to execute the duties
of Secretary, than any other man in the
State, and as such he recommended
him to the Council.
" 4th. Whether there was any doubt
of his principles of integrity as a man?
" Each of which questions was an
swered in the negative, in the molt de
cided and unequivocal manner.
“ The Secretary then fat down, and
deliberately entered his own removal
on the minutes.—Can it be the wish of
the good people of this Rate to coun
tenance and support Such proceedings
as these ? Is it for their inttreft, is it
their deiire,that men, who are acknow
ledged to be men of talents, men of in
tegrity, and faithful, vigilant officers,
should be oppressed and disgraced for
no other cause than that of maintaining
their honest and independent principles,
for the fair support of order and good
government upon pure republican prin
ciples—No, it cannot be. The good
people of this Rate are friends to free
dom, to justice—they detest tyranny &
oppreflion, they cannot, they will not
support men who countenance & prac
tice it, though they should continue to
court their favor, and support, under
the hypocritical and infiduous mask of
liberty, equality and the rights of man,
as a cover to the cloven foot of aristoc
racy, tyranny and oppreflion, and for
purposes of felf-intereft and aggran
dizement.
" The Secretary added, that he had
been decidedly active during the last
eledion, and the reflection, gave him
great pleasure; he had supported prin
ciples which were dear to him,&which
he would never desert ; that he was
particularly led to such activity from a
dread which then lay on his mind, of
Governor Jay found Mr. Scott in
the office of Secretary, Mr. Lawrence
in that of Attorney General, Mr. Cor
tenius, in that of Auditor (the office
answering to that of the present Comp
troller) Mr. De Witt in that of Sur
veyor General, and Col. Van Horne,
in that of adjutant General, all of these
appointments were neceflarily made
under Gov. Clinton's administration,
and each of the incumbents decidedly
in political sentiments with him. The
public opinion is certainly as strongly
and decidedly expressed in the election
of Governor Jay and a federal Legif
lature,at that day,as it now can possibly
be in the election ofGov.Clinton & a rep
resentation 'rnpoliticalfentiment with him.
Gov. Jay also ceded to" his council the
right of removal from office. Did Mr.
Jay or his Council attempt to remove
any of these officers ? No ; they all re
mained. The Auditor and the Secre
tary died in office: the Attorney Gen
eral remained till he tho't proper to
efign ; the Adjutant General remain
ed until he was utterly incapaciated,
from a fatal disorder, and absolute ne
cessity compelled the appointment of
another, whose appointment was only
temporary, provided his predecessor
should recover ; the Surveyor General
Hill remains in office.
Let us now take a short review of
Gove nor jay's administration, & com
pare it with the present proceedings
under that of Governor Clinton.
When De Witt Clinton, who had
been in violent opposition to Gov. Jay's
election, called on him, from his pre
deceffbr, to deliver up the seals & pa
pers, the Governor received him with
the most friendly politeness, entered in
to familiar conversation with -him, in
the course of which he made an offer
of his future service, with the promise
of the firft office that fell vacant, which
he would wish to sill.—ls this is not
substantially true, Mr. Clinton will
please to contradict it.
certain confequerces which would at
tend the eleCnonfc r Governor Clinton,
and what he the dreaded he now saw
completely reafod. Mr. De Witt
Clintcn interfere, and put a flop to
the converfation,when the Council, ad
journed , or tie Secretary would
have added, thattis ccad was, should
Governor Clinton Succeed in his elec
tion, his administration would be feeble
and inert, and Ambrose Spencer and
De Witt Clinton would become the
rulers, and Tyrants of the State.
In the several counties of the state,
there remained at Gov. Clinton's pres
ent succession, Ezra L'Hommedieu,
Esq. Clerk of Suffolk, David Gelfton,
Surrogate of New-York,Richard Lush,
Clerk, and Abraham G. Fanfing, Sur
rogate of Albany, Dirk Swart, Clerk
of Sarratoga, John Woodworth, Sur
rogate of Rensselaer and many other
public officers appointed by Gov. Clin
ton, who with Ambrose Spencer Assist
ant Attorney General, have uniformly
been the most decided and adive oppof
ers of Mr. Jay's politics and elections ;
not one of whom were removed or fuf
fered the lead injury from the open a
vowal and exercise of their political
sentiments.
But, fay some of the supporters of
the present violent and tyrannical pro
ceedings, Gov. Jay has set the example,
and we only follow it ; he has made
many violent and improper removals,
from no other cause than political prej
udice, and some have undertaken to
fay that their number amounts to up
wards of three hundred ; this is a bare
faced and infamous talfhood—Mr. Jay
never issued a single fuperfedeas with
out an actual complaint, and the whole
host of fattelites and fyeophants to De
Witt Clinton and Ambrose Spencer are
challenged to mention one—they can
not do it—'two or three country officers
and magistrates may have been fuper
ceded without a hearing, during Mr.
Jay's admini Oration, but they were
cases in which the charges were so evi
dent and the proofs so pointed, as, in
the opinion of the Council, to preclude
the necessity of a hearing ; whether
that conduct was ftrialy correft, is a
point that does not require an immedi
ate difcuffal ! the only point here
maintained is, that no fupercedeas was
ever issued by Mr. Jay, without a di
red complaint of mifcondudt.
A convention is about to meet at Newyork,
for the purpose of reviling some part of the
State Constitution. It is said the Vice President
is a candidate for a feat in this body. Gen.
Hamilton is also a candidate.
Vol. XI.
No. 49
Morning, b, WILLIAM TREADWELL, & C° Printers es the
_States, in New-Hampshire.
You are not ignorant that your
exaltation has taken place in oppo
sition to the sentiments of avast ma
jority of the people in New-England ;
nor are you ignorant of the reasons
on which their opposition was founded.
Several things in your public conduct
and in your letter: of correspondence,
had led them to doubt of the cordiali
ty °f your affections, as the govern
ment of their choice ; and to fear left
your influence as Chief Magistrate,
might be exerted in attempting dange
rous experiments upon our civil es
tablishments. A ground of yet great
er apprehensions was, the reputed la xi
ty of your religious principles. Chris
tian principles being, in our efteem,the
only solid foundation of a true, Ready
and persevering patriotism, and the on-1
ly effectual fafeguard against the temp
tations incident to a Ration like your's;
we were alarmed at the idea of having
a deist, and possibly, an atheist, at the
head of our government. Our fufpil
cions of you were increased by observ
ing that the few favorers of your elecj
tion am6ng ourselves, were in general,
men destitute alike both of property &
of religion, whose characters and for
tune render them, at all times indiffer
ent towards the good order of a just,
permanent and energetic government.
On the event of your election, however,
our chrißian,as well as republican prin
ciples, led us to acquiesce. Nay, we
were willing to hope that your im
proved and enlightened understanding,
sense of honor and regard for public o
piniori, might, in some good meafut%
Supply the place of that patriotifil
which uniformly results from the fear
of God and a sense of true religion. —
This hope was cherished by the just sen
timents and soothing language of your
inaugural fpeech.—lt is with extreme
regret that I now feel it to be a duty to
point out to you, fir, in what refpeds
your fubfequfnt conduct has disappoint
ed this hope.
Unpleaftnt things during the tumul
tuous feenes of election, while the par
tisans of rival candidates were difeuf
ling the merits, and exerting themselves
in the behalf of their refpeaive favorites,
were unavoidable. But ought they
not to have been forgotten at the in
stant of decision ? From that moment
would not true patriotism have led you
to feel and ad, not as a victor at the
head of a triumphant party, but, as
the venerable father of your country,
sustaining its representative Sovereignty
for the good of the whole, bearing an
equal relation to, and an equal affec
tion for, each individual ; alike blind
to, and ignorant of all parties ; and re
garding nothing in the execution of
your high office, but the general weal,
peace and prosperity ? Upon ycur be
ing seated in the chair of State, you
were,nodoubt,immediately overwhelm
ed with applications for offices ; but
before you began the odious business of
displacement and new appointment,
ought you not to have paused and con
sidered for what purposes the Constitu
tion invests the President with this pow
er ? If the hereditary despots of the old
world exercise it in gratifying their
own partialities, in providing for their
minions, friends and flatterers—the A
merican people never fufpe&ed that in
the hands of a President of their choice
it would be thus abused —When they
made jo^ mistress of the family, they
had no idea that you would ad the vi
rago, clear the house, and without giv
ing them an hearing instantly drive out
all the old servants, as though they
were a parcel of rogues and scoundrels.
On the contrary, the generality of fed
eralifts believed that the new bride
would have entered with an air of com
placency, and previous to any symp
toms of ill humour, would have tried,
at lead, to manage the family-affairs
with the help already accustomed to
them & acquainted with the ways of the
house. That a Washington under
similar circumstances, would have con
ducted thus, his life from beginning to
end, is a proof. Though he should
have known that all those public ser
vants had been opposed to his election,
yet, believing them to have acted con
feientioufly, they would not have been,
on that account, less in his esteem, nor
considered by him as less qualified to
co-operate with him in the public service.
®racle of the Bap.
PRICE ! DOLLAR 50 CENTS Per Annum.
From the CENTINEL.
To Thomas %fferfon, est.
President of the United States.
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THIRTEENTH YEAR,
Not one of them would have been dis
placed but on fomv urgent considera
tion of public utility. To his great ±
good mind it would instantly have oc
cured that, as they had relinquished
their or iginal occupations to accept ap
pointments from the government, the,
could not return to them but under cir
cumftahces of detriment and disadvan
tage; and that this private injury would
ultimately redound to the injury of the
public. But, exclusive of this last con
sideration, he would not have Subjected
a personal enemy to such a reverie un
less compelled to it by his Superior ob
ligations to the public. It would, in
that case, have been his^range work to
which he would have proceeded with
reluctance ; and this reluctance would
have been the greater left it Should ap
pear to the world as the effect of per
sonal pique rather than of public neces
sity. I appeal to your own knowledge
of Washington for these traits of deli
cacy, dignity, wisdom and goodness in
his character. Is it not wonderful that
with Such an example in your own re
collection, and lately exhibited before
you in more than a thousand eulogies,
you should not have judged it worthy
of imitation ?—lnftead of bearing your
faculties with a Washingtonian meek
ness, diffidence, modesty, & circumspec
tion ; you wield the mod delicate and
dangerous prerogatives of office with
the ralhneffi of a Phaeton &. the Strength
of a Sampson, armed with the jaw-bone
of the Mammoth. Without mercy or
quarter, you finite hip and thigh all the
old officers of government within the
reach of your power. What a Scamper
ing from public Rations do we witness
through the whole extent of our coun
try from Georgia to New-Hampshire !
All this to make way for whom ? For
those only who were the known flip
porters of your election. This, it Seems"
is the avowed principle—nor even
cloaked with the pretext or pretence of
public good—But, in the meanwhile,
what a train of public evils, alarming
in magnitude, and unlimited in extent
and duration, may be expected to en
sue from such a conduct in the head of
a nation ? Instead of the melting down
of parties and their extinguishment,
what an irritation to their paffions,and
sharpening of their Spirits against each
other ! What an accumulation of fuel
upon the fire ! What an effufion of oil
upon the flames of discord.
The merchants of New-Haven have
presented you with a remonstrance a
gainst one of your appointments. The
date of your answer is a circumstance
which mutt not pass unnoticed. As you
have been apprized of the suspicions
entertained of your religion, it might
have been expe&edthat you would have
been upon your guard against whatever
might tend to strengthen those suspi
cions. To keep holy the fobbath-day by a
suspension of all unnecelfary attention
to worldly affairs, and by spending the
day in the private and public exercife#
of religious worfhip,in the express com
mand of the Almighty. In the esteem
of the “ man after God's own heart,"
one day fofeent -joas better than a thousand
other days. The truly religious through
every age, have a similar conviction,
and are conscientious in their observ
ance of this day: The pretenders to re
ligion makea fhowin observing it. Sen
sible how much the people at large are
influenced by the example of their rul
ers, all those rulers who wish the aid of
religion in affairs of government, are
careful and circumfpeft in ail their pub
lic tranfaftions, to exhibit themselves as
drift observers of the forms and duties
of religion. By fitting down to write
your answer to the above-mentioned re
monstrance on the Lord's day,you have
exhibited yourfelf to the eyes of the na
tion as anon-observer of the fourth
command. Having been in the habit of
regarding all days alike, and of doing
the fame things on the sabbath which
you do on any other day, it is proba
ble that you did not advert to this cir
cumstance, nor think what day it was.
Your Secretary at the head of the war
department, committed the fame mis
take, probably, on the very fame day.
He appointed the sabbath for a review
of the fortifications and militiary stores
at Rhode-Inland. The officers and sol
diers guarding those fortifications were
in course, called to attend him instead of
their maker on that day ; and while
religious people were honoring the Al
mighty with their prayer and praises,
those officers and soldiers were honor
ing the Secretary, with martial mafic
and the roar of cannon- It is reported