National gazette. — Philadelphia [Pa.], 1793-09-14 00:00:00, page 1

jit a Meeting of a number of Farmers at
the house of Citizen Levering, on Saturday
lafl, the following Remonflrance was agreed
upon, to be presented to the LegiJ'aiurs oj
this Commonwealth.
To the House of Representatives
of the State of Pennsylvania.
The Remonflrance of the Yeomanry, anil
others, Citizens of Pennsylvania,
RefpeUully Jheweth, Tb it
IT is declared by the Constitution of our
country,that" the citizens have right in
a peaceable unnner to aflemble together
for their common good, and to apply to
those inverted with the power of govern
ment for redreTs of grievances, or other
purposes, by petition, address, or remoii
ftrance." Supported by this authority,
and as free citizens of an independent Com
monwealth, we consider that the right of
giving our opiuion on public measures, is
iufficient to impose on us the duty of call
ing your attention to several laws, by
which a few \vealthy and powerful citizens
liave been embodied, and are authorized tc
dig Canals and make Turnpike Roads for
their private emolument, to the de!tru£ti
on of public and private property. Shoule
those laws not be repealed, but become
precedents to (imilar laws, the liberties ol
the people will be deftroyefl by incorpo
rated companies enjoying partial and dan
gerous privileges.
We consider that Under every legal go
vernment, whether the foveifeign powet
is exercised by a king, by an ariitocracy,
or by a popular afiembly, the People are
entitled to be prote£ted in their lives and
properties. The social compart ensures
those rights, and at the fame time eftablifhe:
a perfect equality among citizens, that a!
all lay themselves under the fame obli
gations, and make the fame Sacrifices t«
society, all ought to enjoy the fame pri
vilfges. Laws made contrary to these
fundamental principles, are made in vio
lation of that duty which the Legislature
owes to the People, and therefore mull be
regarded as arbitrary and unjult. A natior
is obliged to preserve everyone of its mem
bers. The nation owes this to itfelf, flncc
the loss even of one of its members weak
ens it, and is injurious to its own preserv
ation. Those who comjtofe a nation are
united for tneir defence and conimon ad
vantage, and none can be justly deprivec
of the protection of the union, or of the
advantages which flow from it, whilst he
a£ts the part of » good citizen. If the go
vernment has a right to take one acre oj
the property of the farmer, Without hi:
content, and bellow it for the advantage
of a privileged company of citizens, it ha:
the fame right to deprive him of his whole
farm. In whatever country, or undei
whatever form of government filch an a
buse of power is exercised, there can onl]
exist matters and Haves—The theory o:
such a government is falfehood and mock
ery—the practice is oppreflion. Nothing
appears more absurd, than to esteem anj
ait right andjuft, merely becaule it has the
fanftion of the legislature. If our right:
have no other foundation, they are as inse
cure as under the ilioft despotic monarchy.
What encouragement to agricultural im
provements, if the property of the farmel
is at any time at the zbfolute disposal ol
others?—if that power which, when re
ftraiaed within its just bounds; would dis
pense light and heat to the whole country,
may be employed like a devouring flame
to destroy ? It is a matter of the firft im
portance to a free commonwealth, to have
the powers of the legislature defined with
preiiifion. We do not thifik it neceflary to
enquire into the extent of this power.
The history of governments will furnifh
nothing Satisfactory on this fubjeft. In the
disputes between Sovereigns and the
people, recourse is commonly had to histo
ry, to seek in the decilions and in the an
cient cultoms of nations, examples or facts
to regulate the judgment, but these histo
ries, often dictated by fear or flattery, ex
hibit little more than the most horrid a
buses and opprellions on the part of the So
vereigns, and the too ineffeflual druggies
of the people to preserve their liberties.
There does not exist a country in which
she just limits of the Sovereign and the
rights of the people have been preserved.
But it is not to the customs, to the exam
ples, nor even to the eoncsflions of other
nations, to which we appeal 011 the present
question ; it is to the unalienable rights of
rtje people, i: is to veafon, it ii to justice, it
Numb. 92 of Vol. ll.] *S'. A T U R D A Y, September 14, 1793.
By P. FRE NE A U: (at No. 209, Market Street) Publijhed Wedkesdats arid Saturdays, [Three Dollars per annum.]
is to the enlightened understanding of th«
representatives of a fret people,
We observe with great anxiety, wealthj
incorporated companies taking poffeflion ol
public and private property. The outrages
c*mn!itted by those privileged orders, have
already occaiioned several hundred of dur
fellow citizens to appeal to the legislature
;or redress. The inequality introduced
by ftich eitabli(hments,muft deltroy the liber,
ties of our country. No obfervationjs bet
ter fup()orted,than this that, a country can
'ot long prefcrve its liberty, where a great
nequality of property takes place. Is it not
lerefore the molt dangerous policy fn this
nfant republic, to combine the wealthy in
irder to mike them powerful ? Whilst we
contend foi - an equality of rights, we have
no idea of the juliice of an equal divilion of
property. We know tliat a difference will
always take place in society, .according to
the pbyfical and acquired abilities of its
members, and this inequality so far from
Deing a source of evil, is the true basis of
jublic prosperity ; it invites the members
if the fame society mutually to aliilV each
Jther, according to their various abilities.
This mutual exchange of good offices is
leftroyed, and the commonwealth endan
gered, whenever by arbitrary and partial
aws, a few men are incorporated, and
made fufficiently powerful by privileges
ind wealth, to purchase, or to deitroy, the
and rights of their fellow citizens.
Influenced by these principles, and en
gaged in an'occupation, not only necessary
:o the existence of our country, but which
.Ve know to be produ£tive in proportion
o the liberty, independence and security
>f the farmer, we trull that the legifla
ure will neither think our requell unrea
onable or Unjult, when we pray to have
liofe obnoxious laws repealed, by the au
:hority of which, companies have been in-'
:orpoi ated to dig canals and make turnpike
roads, to the Injury of public and private
iropcrty. An Set of this kind, howerer it
night be censured by a few interested in
lividtials, would not only be consistent
with the ftri&eli principles of jilltice, but
:ouliftent with the ftri&eft principles sup-
Jorted by precedent. Vattel observes that
he prince or superior of the society, what
/er he is, being naturally no more than
he adminillrator, and not the propri
etor of the llate, his authority as fo
reign or head of tbejiation, does not of
tfelf give him a right to alienate or dispose
if the public property. The general rule
.hen is, that the superior cannot dispose of
be public property as to its fubltance. It
:he superior makes use of this property,
he alienation he makes of it will be inva
lid, and may at any time be revoked by his
"ucceffor, or by the nation. This is the
aw commonly received in France, and i>
ivas upon this principle that the duke of
Sully advised Henry IV to resume the pof
:'eflion of all the domains of the crown,
alienated by his predeteflors. The records
of the legiflatureof our own country afford
an honorable instance of fubllantial jiillice
in the reltoratioi) of private property ta
ken from its owners by law. On the me
morial of Dr. William Smith and others,
trustees of the college, acadeniy, and cha
ritable fchcol of Philadelphia, a law was
enacted by which the former law was re
pealed, and the property restored to the
owners.
ExlraEl from the Log Book of the brir
SALOME,Capt.Hugh Wajfonfhatfailca
from Havre de Grace the 2d. of Jfunt
laji, bound to Philadelphia.
"QN Sunday, June 2d. failed from Ha
vre de Grace. Nothing remarka
ble except occurrences of wind and wea
ther, till Wednesday June 19th, when at 6
A. M. saw a (hip Handing to the westward,
carrying a heavy press of fail. At IP. M.
having neared us, and firing a gun, we took
in oar studding fails, top-gallant-fails, and
llay-fails. At one quarter pall 1 the (hip
rounded to, & gave us a Ihopt. We then
rounded tp in like manner, and hove a
back the main top fail, when (he came up,
ind hailed us, From whence we came ? It
was answered, From Havre de Grace and
sound to Philadelphia. He then ordered
js to hoist out our boat and come on board
if him. Answered, by the captain, that
lie had no small boat on board, and that
the long boat was very heavy, and so full
of sundry goods that he could nor, pofiibly,
hoi it her nut. Upon that, they got out
their own baat and came 011 board with
an officer and fix handij. The ship then
(hot ahead of us; then luffed up till her
fails werf aback, and dropped along fide.
So unskilfully did they manage matters that
we expected her every moment to be on
board of us. Her spanker topinlift caught
our ftarbord topmast studding fail boom,
and carried away both fore yard haufe and
and studding fail boom. By this time the
boat came on board, with one officer and
fix men, as before mentioned. The offi
cer ordered captain Waffori to Ihow his
papers; which he did. He then ordered
him to get in.o the boat and go'on board
the ship. This was also complied with.
Daring the <aptain's absence, the officer
and two hands were left on board, whom
the officer ordered to go below in the hold,
and make a search. They soon returned,
faying "it was so d—d full, they could fee
nothing." At 4 in the afternoon the captair
returned on board, with a prize mailer
and fix men, with orders to conduct the
brig into Liverpool, as a prize. At 5 P. M.
the Egglifh boat returned on board theii
Ihlp, not forgetting to lteal two loaves oi
Pngar and two fniall pigs: we begged
them not to rob the brig of her stores.
They handed up the two pigs, and faic
ihey had nothing e|fe. They were ther
3efireJ ta reftorethe loaves of sugar thej
jad Uolen—Anfwered. 11 You lie, you for
if a b—ch ; if I had you here, I woulc
knock your life out of you."—They ther
landed up one loaf of sugar, and said the)
lad no more ; and so went off, with the
brig's Itores.—At 6 in the evening the boal
jgain came 011 board : they then searched
:he pa&engers' trunks for warlike arms ;
ound one or two cutlafles, and two 01
hree pair of pistols, which were willingl)
;iven up them. The boat was nowdif
latched again to the armed Ihip for hant
ind When lhe returne3, ad
irrllinf, capt. Waffon, they said, "Capt,
?ou must luffer yourfelf and your mate tc
ieputin irons!" Captain Waffon anfwer
?d, " just as yon please." They, howe
ver. thought better of the matter, and faic
10 more to capt. Waffon about his
nto irons. At this time there was a fail
n fight, when they hailed the boat to come
in board the fliip; they then took off
rom the brig, one cord of wood, one do-
Si 1 of tpwU, two cutlasses, two small
words, three sword-canes, two pair of
iocket pistols, not forgetting to steal two
liore pig 3, and to heave a close-stool over
board that was for passengers' use. The
:ane-fwords, pistols, and other swords be
jonged to the paflengers .N.B. The second
ieiiteii.mt was the officer of the boat, and
eeing him, when leaving the brig, wish a
pig in his hand, I said, 44 Don't take away
our pigs."—" D—n them, replied he, why
[hould we let the b—s have theiri ?—That
however, was not the last boat that came
011 board. At 10 P. M. the Ihip tacked
to the southward in chace 6f a fail that
was to wind ward, and left us under or
ders to proceed towards Liverpool, as un
der suspicion of having French property on
board.
We continued standing to the eastward
till Sunday, June 23d. under convoy of the
privateer, making towards the port of Li
verpool. At three P. M. on this day, saw
i ship bearing down towards us. At 6 (he
poke us; bidding the prize master to ast
with thegreateft precaution, an<l telling
lim that was a prize that was following
iim; the captain of the ship then hailed
iur prize master, and allied him how he
ared ? the prize master answered, "he
-ould not wilh for better." The captain
if the Eftglifli veflel answered, "I am ve-
T happy to hear it." At the fame time
liere were two fail in fight standing fouth
>vfeftwar«l. He said that he would go and
ee what they were. In a short tifne one
it those veflels got a stern of us,then wore
ind flood for us, and in a little time spoke
.is ; he asked hs from whence tt'e came ?
The prize master answered him, "from
Philadelphia, and bound to Havre de Grace
—What are you loaded with ? Anjwcr,
Sour—"What Ihip is that a head of you?
Aijvier, a Liverpool privateer of two and
tweuty guns.—"Where is flie bound to?
Anjwer. to Liverpool.—The people 011
board of the French ship (as she proved tc
be)'called out, a prize ! a prize ! —then or
dered us t« wear and stand to the west
ward, and said he would hoist out hi:
boat for the captain and the privateerfmei
to cotr.e 011 board of him.
The boat having come along fide, capt
Waflbn and some of the Knglifh privateerf
men went on hoard of him, leaving onlj
two officers & five of their men in the brig.
At 10 P. M. captain Waffon returned on
board with orders to proceed on his paf
lage towards Philadelphia, and take lour
ol the •jjie pas-
fengers in the brig were pver joyed at this
fortunate release, gave the French fliip
three cheers, and we then made fail. Dur
ing this time the Liverpool privateer made
all poflible fail to get off. The French
privateer, that released lis, was called the
Republican. [The Salome arrived at
Philadelphia on Friday Sept. 6th.]
ADDRESS
To certain holders of Public Securities.
[From the (Boston) INDEPENDENT
CHRONICLE of September 5.
TT is suggested, (with how much propri
ety I will not pretend to fay,) thatJome
individuals, who are largely concerned in
the public flocks of the United State*
(peak very indifferently with refpefl to the
republic of France—write against the nati
onal proceedings with acrimony— treat the
miniiter of that nation with difrelpect
and in all their conduct seem disposed to
favour the Brjttjh, in preference So the
French.
To this class of people this address is par.
ticularly dedicated, and as I mean to ar
gue as it aftecls their interest, they mud
excuse the plainneU of the cominunica
tion.
In the firft place, gentlemen, please t®
recollect what nation in Europe enabled
the people of this country to vindicate their
"S a j nlt tlle "furpations of Britain,
and a lifted them to accomplish the great
buliuefs o. the American revolution?
V\ hat nation patronized our cause at an
early period, and under whose a furan,e
and protection did Congress declare our
independence P-Whofe navy fectired
our extensive sea-coasts from deftruflion ?
Or whose soldiery flood as a breait-work,
to check the ravages of Britons and Hef.
fians, through our defencelefs villages
When our paper became Wllrft
depreciation, from whence were
.heie states supplied with a permanent cur
rency?— Who l'uppqrted our commerce
-.tiring the war, or on what nation were
oills of exchange drawn, at 33 ,-•? pe r
:ent. difcount?—ln short, gentlemen
without enumerating particulars, (as
thousands mult anfe in your minds) what
European nation gave a permanency to
our public debt, eflablilhed the liberties of
our country, and enabled vou to e»ioy
under your own vine and fig-tree the
various luxuries of life attendant on your
inunenfe pecuniary acquisitions ?
It isarefleaion worthy of von feri-s
ous confideratiou, that unless France had
become the ally of America, the debt con
traced during the war, instead of being;
uncer the direction of out ovjh voierti*
meat, and in ibe hands of uur ovjn citizens.
would have been, charged to :hefe /lata,
and th? British government would have
illumed '■'the r'ght to tax us in ail ca/es "
tor its discharge. An "ASSUMPTION"of
the 1110 ft aggravated nature would then have
:aken place, and you, gentlemen, instead
at.the p.eaiing prospecTs which now pre
ent themselves to your fancies, would
with the reft of ytjur countrymen, have
jecome a group of contemptible vaff„ls
ind condemned to toil for the emolument
if a numerous body ol task masters, acting,
jnder the controul of an incensed mini
fy. .
Pardon me, if I enquire whether fomt
3i you hare not ,amassed your fortunes
under the friendly patronage of the consuls
at 1-ranee r During our content with Bri
tain - di .j| rlot jotne of you experience the
molt liberal advantages from the nation,
whom we then glijried in calling our ally 3
Was not the utmost confidence placed in
your negociations, and did jon not then
consider yourselves highly favoured, in be
ing within the focus of their contracts 5
The benefits you received are too evident
to be concealed, neither is it prelumed
that it is your wish to difclaiiu vour con
nexion.
If there are any of the holders of our
Public Securities, unfriendly to the cause
of France,no men can q£tmoreinconfiftent
with their own interejl. I would alk fucli
provided France lhculd be conquered by
the combined armies, where is the security
of your present funded property ?—From
whence are your quarterly payments to
arise (-Do you fuppole that the Britifli
nation, after subduing France, will tameiy
States to raise a revenue for the
difcnarge of a debt contrasted in a rebel
lion (as they would call it) agaiuft them f
—Do you flatter yourselves that the fame
appropriation of finance will then be ner
fliUted wider the dir«ttiunof *ur o-.vn. jo.
Numb. 196,]