The Pennsylvania ledger, or, The Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, & New-Jersey weekly advertiser — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-04-27 00:00:00, page 4

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POET's CORNER.
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I
C AINT George for their Patron our anechors
L> chose,
The pride of his friends, and the fcourgeof his foes;
To separate fiction from truth tho' unable,
Some meaning we all must ascribe to the fable.
I I.
His sword might of courage, of justice his spear,
His ihield of his faith might the emblem appear,
The white horse he rode on, the truth of his cause,
When enrag'd as the champion of freedom and laws.
111.
The Dragon was slavery clad all in mail,
Bright guineas & moidores form'd each Ihining scale,
His paws were oppreilion, his pinions were power.
His tongue was deceit dropping lies ev'ry hour.
IV.
The virgin may fignify fame charter'd right,
To fubjeds more dear than the blcffing of light,
Each day tingl'd out by some new tangled laws,
A feaft for' the monster, to cram his vile jaws.
V.
The conquest he gain'd o'er fair Liberty's dread,
With ever- green laurels adorned his head;
What pity his children, forgetful of fame,
Should fully his trophies, dilhonour his name.
VI.
What daemon suggested a voyage to make
Acrols the Atlantic to worry a snake.
To harrafs her covert with fury accurft?
She never opposes unless stricken firft.
VII.
No boasts doth she utter, nor threatenings bring,
Tho' nature with venom hath furnilh'd her fling,
Had you not provok'd her, and urg'd her to battles
You had ne'er been difturb'd with the noise of her
rattles.
VIII.
Take warning in time, and return home again,
Your cause is unjust, and your forces are vain;
If fever'd in pieces a dozen or more,
Again shall unite with more strength than before.
IX.
Remember Saint George, to eachEnglifhman dear,
Mix courage with justice—his sword with his spear—
A fair silver ground wide emblazon'd his shield,
The bloody cross now only covers the field.
X.
Let pride yield to justice, resentment to reason,
Defence of our Liberty, cannot be treason;
We both may have err'd — grant usyet but our right
And then as one people we'll ever unite,
cfocfocfoc^^ *ofoc^cfocfoc^^
C A T O's ieventh letter concluded.
The author of Common Sense hands lingular in
his rage for condemning the English constitution
in the lump, and the administration of it from the
beginning. The immortal Sidney himfell gives
it a different character, and speaks with reverence
of the wisdom of our ancestors. “ They evidently
“ appear, fays he, not only to have intended well,
“ but to have taken a right course to accomplish
“ what they intended. This had effect as long as
" tho cause continued, and the only fault which
" can be ascribed to that which they established is,
“ that it has not proved to be perpetual, which is
" no more than may be justly laid of the belt hu
" man constitutions that ever have been in the
" world. If we will be just to our an^eftors it will
" become us, in our time, rather to purine what
“ we know they intended, and by new conftituti
" ous to repair the breaches made upon the old, than
" to accuje them of defers that wiß for ever attend
“ the aliens of men."
Montesquieu, in the cool moments of philo
sophical reflection, unbiased by local prejudices, and
remote, both in time and place, from the feenes he
describes, has given us an inftrudive lesson on this
head.
“ A very droll fpedacle (fays he) it was in the
" last century, to behold the impotent efforts the
" English made for the eftabliihment of democracy
" or republican government. The spirit of one fac
'< tion was suppressed only by that of a succeeding
" fa&ion. The government was continually chang
" ing. The people, amazed at so many revoluti
“ ons, fought every where for a democracy, with
“ out being able to find it " any where.. “ At
“ length, after a series of tumultuary motions
" and violent shocks, they were obliged to have
“ recourse to that very government, which they
“ had so odiously proscribed."
Every government, in order to be compleat,
must have within itfelf the power of preserving its
being, as well as pursuing its well being. And fucli
a power necessarily implies three things.—ift. Le
gislation, or the making laws and regulations for
the good of the community. 2d. The execution of
these laws. gdly. The judging when they are duly
executed, and punishing offenders. The great ob
ject of the whole is political liberty. which Montes
quieu defines—“ That tranquility or peace of mind
“ arising from the opinion each perlon has of his
“ fafety. In order to have this liberty, it is re
“ quifite that the government be so constituted, as
“ one man need not be afraid of another, "* either
in refpe& of his person or property. Every man's
own feelings can tell him that this is a true question.
But the union of these three powers, the legisla
tive, the executive and judicial, in one man or any
number of men, is not liberty but tyranny compleat;
because there can be no fafety for individuals in
fucli a case, unless goodness were always united with
power; which is not to be looked for, except under
the perfeft government of heaven." It is a mistake
(fays the great Mr. Locke) to think that this fault
“ (the abuse of power) is proper only to monar
“ chies. other forms of government are liable to
" it as well as that; for wherever the power, that
" is put into any hands, for the government of the
“ people, and the preservation of their properties
" is applied to other ends, and made use of to im
" poverifh, harrafs, or subdue them to the arbitary
“ and irregular commands of those that have it;
“ there it presently becomes tyranny, whether those
“ that use are one or many. Thus we read of
“ thirty tyrants at Athens, as well as one at Syra
“ cufe, .md the intolerable dominion of the Decem
" viri, or ten men at Rome, was nothing better.
€< Wherever taw ends, tyranny begins."
Even the union of but any two of these powers,
the legifative and executive, for example, in one
man, or body of men, would leave no chance for
liberty; became they who make the laws being alm
to execute them, they would be led to frame op
preflive laws, for the lake of the power and wealth
which they might derive to themlelves, by carry
ing fucli laws into execution.
Again, there is no liberty, if the power of
judging be not separated from both the other powers.
For where the fame persons who make the laws, are
either to execute them, or to judge oftheir execution;
the life and liberty of the fubje& are wholly at their
mercy. Thele principles are general, and they
may now be applied to particular examples.
“ in Turkey, thele three powers are united in
" the Sultans person, and therefore the fubjeCts
" groan under the weight of a most frightful op
“ predion."
“ In the Republics of Italy, where these three
" powers are united, in a handing body of magi
“ ftrates, there is less liberty than in our monar
" chies;" meaning those of France, Spain, &c.
•' Their government is obliged to have recourse
to as violent measures for its support, as even that
of the Turks—what a filtration mull the poor fub
jedbe in, in these republics ! " The fame magi
strates, as a body, are ablolute in every thing. By
having the execution of the laws, they poffels what
ever powers they are plealed to give themlelves in
making them. They may plunder the Rate with
out controul. For, they firft of all, in the charac
ter of lawgivers, appoint what taxes they pleale;
and, being allo the executors of the laws, thele
taxes come into their own hands, and may be put
into their own pockets. Being likewile themlelves
judges amidlt all these oppressions, no man fan
have a remedy against them, and '• every private
citizen may be ruined by their particular decilions.
Although in luch a date, there is no extern.d pomp
(fucli as arbitary Princes have) that indicates ty
ranny or despotic sway;" yet the people know it
by a lurer mark—" They feel it every moment."
Even at Venice, where the power of the magi
stracy is said to be some what loftened, by having
different tribunals ereded. which temper each other,
there is hill this milchief—“ that these tribunals
are compofd of magiilrates all belonging to the
fame body, which conliitutes almost one and the
fame power," unaccountable to any other.
These three powers ought then, for the preser
vation of liberty, to be lodged in separate bodies,
and made to controul each other. Montesquieu
adds, that for the greater fafety, the judicial pow
er ought not to be given to a Handing senate; but
that the judges should be of the fame Nation as the
accused; or, in other words, their Peers—amena
ble to the law; only its mouth, and guided wholly
by its decisions; that, in criminal cases elpecially,
it is proper the person accused should have the
privilege of chufing in some mealure his judges
(that is, in our conltitution, a jury) in concurrence
with the law, or at lead he should have a right to
except against so great a number, that the remain
der may be deemed his own choice.
The application of these general doctrines to the
English constitution, the corruptions that have
crept into it, with the power left in the people for
bringing it back to its firil principles, and render
ing it fafer for us than any other we can probably
substitute in its room, are important subjects, and
too copious to be difeuffed in this letter.
CA T O.
* Montesquieu, B. XI. Ch. 6.
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NEWPOR T, April 15.
Thurfdav last, towards night, the ship Scarbo
rough, of 20 guns, a trantport ship of 200 tons and
16 guns a brig loaded with provisions and a Hoop
loaded with falr, came into this Bay, and anchored
between Goat Island and Conanicut. In the even
ingtworow-gallies,commanded by Captains Grimes
and Hyer, with a number of volunteers from the
army on this Island, took the brig and sloop; after
which a battery at the north part of this town, a
battery at Brenton's-point, and the gallies played
so briskly upon the ships, that they were soon obli
ged to move out of the reach of the batteries, and
went under Conanicut. Captain Hyre, in one of
the gallies, lay within musket shot of the Scarbo
rough, firing upon her, while captain grimes board
ed and lent off ihe brig and sloop. The Scarborough
did the galley some damage in her hull and rigging
and the musketry from her tops wounded one of
Captain Heyre's people very badly, which was all
the injury received on the American fide. This bold
action, of taking two vessels close under the Hern of
a 20 gun ship, may possibly convince our enemies
that the Yankies are not such dastards, as the tories
in this country have represented them.
There were 27 hands taken in the above vessels,
who inform that the ships were from Georgia, the
transport having on board 140 soldiers; that the
Scarborough was commanded by Captain Barclay,
and had on board James Wright, Governor of
Georgia, his family, and some other tories, ofthat
place:—That the brig was from Philadelphia, taken
going into Gerogia; that the sloop was from some
of the islands, commanded by Captain Gregory
Cozzens, of this place, and taken near Georgia;
that they were bound to Boston, and had parted
with several other prizes, one of which, a sloop,
arrived here on Saturday, and anchored between the
two fliips.
Saturday night and yesterday morning a battery
at Conanicut to dillurbed the quiet of the Scarbo
rough, the transport ship and the sloop, that they
took the advantage of a fair wind and pufhd to
sea; but as they puffed the mouth of the harbour,
a battery on the call fide near cattle-hill, hulled the
Scarborough twice, and sent one 18 pounder thro'
the sloop. The Scarborough returned a very heavy
fire on both the batteries, without doing the lead
damage Our Bay is now free from pirates.
Extract of a letter from Jamaica, February 10.
" The times here arc very troublesome; all the
European ships are taking in cannon, fearing to be
attacked by our privateers cruizing off the Banks of
Newfoundland for them; the French seem to be
much in favour of the Americans, likewise one third
of this island at lead: This town has been in con
fufion these two days pad, occasioned by the arrival
of the Squirrel, Capt. Douglals, who brings intel
ligence that he spoke with three fail, being part of
a French fleet, together with a number of transports
amounting to 17,000 men, bound for Hispaniola;
another account lays, that 9 fail of the line, with
the above number of men, had actually arrived.
“ The Admiral's barge ftopt here this moment,
and confirms the above, as allo two Frenchmen that
have just been examined. This town is in much the
fame situation as Newport was upon receiving the
account of the Lexington battle. It is reported that
martial law will be read on Monday morning; the
Council have been fitting these two days. The
Admiral's ship, and the Squirrel, are all the force
heic.—No flour in this island but what is musty and
hard; the newell being 6 months old."
NEW-LONDON, April 12.
Last Saturday Capt, Samuel Champlin arrived
here in 27 days from St. Euftatia, wiih a quantity
of powder and warlike stores. Off the Capes of
Virginia he was brought too by a schooner tender
of 6 carriage and 12 swivel guns, and ordered to lie
under her Hern till some people could be put on
board (there being at the time a heavy sea) however,
the wind ihifeing and blowing a hard gale, he got
clear of them, after being 9 hours under their care,
and proceeded on his voyage. Three days after,
off the middle of Long Island, he was attacked by
a sloop tender of 12 swivel guns, and between 20
and 30 men: The tender difeharged about 4c swi
vels and 60 imall arms at Captain Champlin, who,
with 5 swivel guns and r 6 men, beat her off, and
chafed her 30 hours but could not get up with her.
When Captain Champlin was attacked by the firft
mentioned veflel he threw over some letters he had
for the members of the Continental Congress.
ip <>-.<> ...<>. -<>-•<►• .<>. .•<>....<>....<>...<►....<>...;<>....<>....<,....<>....<>....<,....<,. 4,
f) UN-AWAY on Sunday last from the fubferiber,
I living in Front Jireet, below the Blue-bell, a
SERFA NF GI It L, named Betsey Williamson,
about five feet high, has a black complexion. .black
curly hair, is peek fretten. Took with her a black
and white flowered calicoe gown, new fooes, brown
thread flockings, pewter buckles, friped and flowered
apron and a coarse white one, jtriped handkerchief
and black bonnet, coarse linnen cap, and a white
cloth cloak with a hood in it.
Jull printed, published, and now telling By
ROBERT BE LL,
Printer, in Third-street, price only one shilling,
with large allowance to thole who buy per dozen.
Observations on the reconcile
ATIONof GREAT-B R ITAIN and the
COLONIES. In which are exhibited Argu
ments for and against that Measure. By a
Friend qf American Liberty.
Salus populi fuprema lex est.
Let the good of the people, be the foundation of
all law and civil government.
Whoever takes up said Girl and delivers her to her
Majler, jhall have Twenty Shillings reward.
$ JOHN SHUTE, Baker.