National gazette. — Philadelphia [Pa.], 1793-07-31 00:00:00, page 1

To the Hon. the Rrprefentatives of tlie
State «f Pe nnfvlvania, the Remonstrance
and Petition of the Subaribers, Land
iiolders, aiul Citizens ot the laid State.
Rtjpedfully Sheivelh,
THAT they observe With gteat cn-i
----iern, a law of the Legislature p-aflVc!
at the December Scflion T791 entitled kl A'i
ast to enable the Governor of this Com
jrnwiw'ealth to incorporate a company for
opening a canal and navigable water coup
rnnnicatlon between the rivers Delaware
and Schuylkill. &c.
With r'efpeft to the general operator
ot that law, your remonflrants humblj
conceive, that the legislature entrusted b)
tlieir conflituents with the gnardianlhif
and protection of every species of public
propei ty, cannot constitutionally alienati
and tra» fer the private property of theii
fellow citizens, or the profits thereof, foi
the exclnfive and peculiar emolument o
anv man, or incorporate company ot mer
in tlie universe, without their previous di
rest co 'fe»t.
A recapitulation of some of the obferva
tions which have already been fiibmitted ti
the consideration of a diiinterefied ant
enlightened public, through tlie medium o
t!i press, may serve to, ilfuttrate the pre
ceding polition. and bring the law bad
to the reconfidtration ot the legislature
Your re-nonftrants have the misfortune o
greatly differing with some oltheir friends
for while tW.y d.'preiate the menaclnj
conduct which has been recurred *0 f"i
the unwarrantable purpose ot compelling
a facrifice of their property to tlie feififl
views of the canaj company, they <!o no
liefitate to declare their entire appro'mi
on for the public utility of artificial iniaiu
Navigation Had better proof been want
ing than such a declaration, they woulc
mod cheerfully have aided and a'iiiledlh*
tveH mermc < ffii. U of" iSt« l.gir'fcrt.i"?
the arduous work, provided the profits ac
cruing from the toll, reverted into the
public Treafutv for lightening the burther
of future taxation. Instead ot which
your remonstrants cannot but lament tin
mistaken policy of the present system,
which eftabliflics a monopoly bylaw, of
25 per cent. 011 the capital flock of the
company, at the expellee of the belt inte
rest of their fellow citizens. Little, very
little more needs be said at thi early peri
od, refpefting the pernicious tendency of
such laws in thi« country, as it is well re
membered. their operation has never
farted foonet or later to create civil eom
motion, animosity amongfi itspeacea
ble citize*ns,\yhe have been recently taught
in the school of adversity, to think they
still pofl'efs the unalienable right as free
men, to defend their property agaitift the
attacks of unconstitutional authority.
The Srh Section of that law appears to
j'our remonftrants,pregnant with the abuse
of power, difgtiiied under the legal sophis
try of a writ ad quod damnum, directed
to the fherifi" of Montgomery county, (or
as the cafe may be) commanding him to
summon a pofie of twelve men, tor enqui
ring into the damage—" the perfou or
■erfons may sustain, owning any lands or
tenements neceflary to be used by tne said
President and Managers, or which shall be
injured in eflablifhing the said canal" It
fliould feeinaimoftneedicfs here toobferve,
that ia cafe the aggrieved perfou or per
sons, will not content to dispose of their
bottom lands at 251. per acre, the price sti
pulated by the deputies of the board ol
managers, for the molt luxuriant caterer 1
meadows, the whole property demanded
by them, is then wrcfted out of their pof.
feflion, and committed to the expat tc va
luation of the fheriff and his felefted pofie,
Jvhoare charged with the proprietors right
v *if making a title in fee simple to the Preli
clent and managers of the canal company :
Nor can your remonllrants e.xpeft an\
thing but vexation and cxpence from the
remedy of an appeal as celinquent suitor:
to the judges of the supreme court aire: d'y
mulfled as they are with the costs of trial.
What have your remonfir«nts done to
incur such an unexampled penalty ? Ot
are they singled out as victims lor feeling
the pulse of the whole community of free
men
Your remonfirauts, forbear any fur
ther animadversion on the baneful con
fluences of the law as it now Hands,
threatening the liberty avd property ot
every citizen in the (late, and perhaps the
very lives of some, as orderly refpetlable
people as any country can boast. As s\oe
iul experience has 100 often evinced, that
Numb. 79 of Vol. ll.] WEDNESDAY, July 31, 1793.
By P.FRENEAU : (at No. 209, Market Street) Purified Wednesdays and Saturdays, [Three Dollars per annum.]
infallibility is not the chartered privilege
of Legislative bodies, your renjonftralits
beg leave to suggest, that it in ay be possi
ble, fume venat designing characters of
the canal company, may have surprised 'he
Legislature into the measure, for the
nefarious piirpofe of Speculation, by mis
representing the advantages of a navi« i
b!e canal ifrom Norriftown to Philadel
phia. The novelty of that project, e»rn
could it be acconrpliflied, would begear
the Hydrophobia of a Brindtv himfe'f,
who wished to make the EftgHlh "
that rivers were only created to fex.nl
canals. Your remonlfrancs haVe never
yet been informed of the navigable life or
a canal clofcly embracing the bank, acd
adhering to the meandering courses of
the river Schhylkill, already navigable SaS
far as the falls, for boats from j to j/j
tons; and might be easily improved with
one tenth part of the expence of opening
the Canal, so as to admit of an uninter
rupted navigation at all seasons of the year,
for boats of 20 tons burthen, by diverg
ing the channel In some places, from the
oppolite, to the eaflern (bore with lloue
walls; and in other places, by embank
ments of consolidated earth, with the coil
ftruftiou nf a highway on the margin ol
the river for liorfeS to tow up thfc boats ti
their rendezvous for freightage down ;
not altogether dillimilar to the treckfciiir
of Holland, from which a moderate tof,
may be collected for defraying the ere
pence, and for the use of the pwb'te funds,
With tniprefiions of a becomiirg diffi
denes in the prosecution of speculative
schemes, your remonflrants have not the
preemption to affirm the one, i-Hat thev
have now |He honor of propofrig to the
legiflatitrejts unexceptionable—But at leafl
they flatter tnemfelves, that it has at onct
:hefuperior merit of preserving tfie invio
lability of private property, and t/ie rfgty
if man, Yoiir remoaftra"' therefore'
j?g leave to rely 011 the justice, virtue,
rod patriotifin of the legiflarure, to grant
:hem such redress, as they in their wisdom
hall think meet; and as in duty bound
hey wijt ever pray, &c.
Signed &c.
For the National Gazette.
t FIND an opinion is endeavoured to be
*■ propagated by the advocates of ariflo
:racy in this country, that public affairs
honld only be difculled by '• men of pro
perty," or what with them is a fynoni
mous term, "reputation."
Strange, that certain infects who have
been thawed into exigence by the sunshine
of the army dues, and owe their whole
ronfequence to the cafy credulity of a de
fran-led public, (hould affurae thus mucli
over what is the birth-right of every free
American, the right of freeiy d'lciitfim'
public measures. " Forget not thuu ni l
made of dust (fays the eastern
that thou inay'fl continue humble''—ii
the fame spirit 1 would fay. Forget not,
gentlemen aristocrats, that ten or fifteen
years ago ; nay, but three or four with
r ome of you ; you would have been dif-
Sculted to make out iron dips to a taubce\
and that altho' now you may be forming
maginary alliances between chunk and
'rate, time has been when ye were nearly
allied to church-mice.
11 is impossible to defend the fyftefri of
lisfranchiling a fellow citizen because lie
s not so rich as his more favoured neigh
jour. L'jider any ftv.e of society proper
:y always lias had, and will have full as
much influence as it ought ; and it is gross
ignorance in politics to add so many arti
ficial to the natural inequalities among
men. Neither am I inclihed to believe
chat public spirit and independence is ex
dulitely confined to the rich ; so far as
my experience goes, the dire ft contrary
is the fact ; and 1 altnoft fufpeft it is a
eafyfor a lirft rate fliip's cable to pass thro'
the eye of a needle, as for a man of large
property to be a good patriot and a friend
to the liberties of the people. 1 am. nut
prepared to believe that public spirit is not
one of the virtues of the man of humble
fortune.
If want of wealth be made the criterion
of literary and other demerit in this coun
try, with what poflible face can the advo
cates of " The Defence of the American
Constitutions," (land up ar.d utter the
endless eulogies of that mighty work? Ab
flfailed from a public salary of five thou
sand dollars a year (1 mere temporary
thing) it is well known the property of
that AUTHOR (to hispraile b; it fpokej)
is little or nothing; ant! that if this or
fomelimilar lucrative station should fail
him, he must t'en handle the spade at
Braintree, or .turning out the present Edi
tor, John I'eimo, take charge of his own
Gazette in this city, to the eternal confu.-
on of the relt ofthe editorial craft.
It would be well enough that fame high
rp rited property-men should br told, that
many of those whom they are ignorantly
.'billing, and endeavouring to hold up in
the light of paupers, and therefore tinwor
thy the common rights of freemen, are
independent landholders, persons of indus
trieus habits and hone't pursuits in life,
that alk favours of no man,nor expe£t any;
abhor every idea of sycophancy, and e
ally despise a knave Whether he he.
" Sporus at cutn't, or Japhet in a jail.''
It'they are not eluded amojig the rich,
it is more than probable an unfufpecYins
lonefly and lincerity in their intercourtt
ivith the world may have been the cause :
md tho' they may not have fndivtduail)
'rickei their country, its army, navy, or
urivateerfmen our of from 40,t0 50 or6o ot
ioo,oo» dollars.tiiey have (till spirit enough
:o exert I itch abilities as they poliels, in
checking tiie monarchical machinations oi
:ertain mulhroomi that are endeavouring
:o set themfelvcs tip as the fovereigil demi
jods of the United States.
L.
The following ii the dcpojlt'ion of Charlci
JVeems, llajler, anil 'James Fi/h,jcama.i,
bejurc one oj the Jujtices of Camlden, it,
Aortb Carolina.
<l BE IT KNOWN, That on the ijtl
Jay of July, 1793. appeared be
ure me, Jofepii Jones Kf<.;. one 01 the juf
ices in and lor tue county of Cambdei
living,at Plank-Bridgs, where no notarj
'i* tuMiMii public is Tirfidertf,- Cn'ailc;
Weems, malter, and James jr'ilh, feammi,
]f and belonging to tiie schooner Eagle
>f Baltimore, 111 the It.its of Maryland :
.vhich /aid appearants l'olemnly declared
ipon their'oaths, that the said fchoonet
ivas loaded at Baltimore, in the (tare oi
Maryland, with ftour, I'oap, candles, dry
;oods, loaf sugar, rum, &c. and no contra
band goods on board, and failed from
Baltimore the 1 rth day of ju le lalt, clear
:d out and bound iorbt. Domingo, a Fremt
iort, and 011 the 24th day ot June, in lati
;ude by observation, 19 10 north, lteering
j. W. for the port of Damemaria, off fan.
ilace was tired at ami brought to by a
chooner called the Kate of Bermuda,
commanded by Joseph Brownlow, ownec
jy Meifrs. Jennings and Tucker of Ber
muda, as tncfe deponents understood bj
aid captain Brownlow. — The laidßrown
ow ordered the said Charles Weems ti
loift out his boat and come on buard tin
chooner Kate, with which he was obligee
:o comply, and alio to deliver up his pa
pers to the said Brownlow, and was bim
elf detained 011 board the said Brownlow'
,'ellel. The said Brownlow then sent hi:
nate and several people on board tiie faic
chooner Eagle, took out all the hands ex
.ept the mate and one paifenger ; and ha
zing put several ot his people on board tlit
aid lcliooner Eagle, lent her as a prize
into Bermuda. Ihe laid Brownlow, af
:er having ordered the said schooner Eaglt
:o proceed to Bermuda, did put the faic
Charles Weems and hi-, crew 111 close con
finement, and lettered them with irons,
threatening to kill the said Charle;
Weems, ajid using him with the greatrll
['everity, under pretence of his velfel beinj
French property; that after failing 8 days
the (aid Brownlow having come in light 01
a schooner called the Harmony, comman
ded by John Core, bound for the port oi
Plank-Bridge, ii) the llate of North Caro
lina, did go 011 board the said fchoonei
Harmony, and having inioimed the faic
John that he mull take the said Weenn
on board the said schooner Harmony, & or
the said Weems remonllrating & declaring
that he was unwilling to go on board the
fchooner,but withed to remain a prifoiierS
to be carried intoßermtida where he niigln
have an opportunity of exculpating him
felf ami clearing his veflel from the impu
tation of being tiie property of ;>ny othet
power than the United States ef America,
the said Brownlow abfohitely refufed, tu
which the said Weems was obliged
(though reluftaiitly}tofubinit, fearing that
if he perfilted in Ins determination ot being
carried to Bermuda the sanguinary con
duct of said Brownlow would extend so
far as to depriv* the said Wesins of I>U
life, before his arrival at that place, lie
having reason to consider himfelf in the
hands of a pcrfon who paid no refpeft to
the laws of nations,and entirely disregard
ed those of humanity. The faid"VVeem»
doth further depose, that his chest was vi
olently broke open, and robbed by the of
ficer of the said Kate, and the sum of four
hundred and fany dollars, or thereabouts,
taken therefrom ■ and that his repeated
claims of the privilege of an American ci
tizen, were unheeded and answered with
infnlt.
Wherefore tliefe ap'pearants, llrft pro
tefling against the circun ftaiues of there
being no Notary or Tabetlion public rea
ding here who could more formally au
thenticate this inftmment, do by thefc
presents protest apmnft the unwari;r table
proceedings of thelaidcaptalnjofeph&rows
low,for all&lingnlar thedanriigt&dam ?,t s
ariftng thereupon, on behalf o! th.mfi.. c
as well as their owners, shippers, under
writers, and other-- therein concerned Iri
tefliwiony whereof these appearants being
sworn on the Ho'y Eva-igvlills as to the
truth of the foregoing, fact., they
have severally fubfenbed their nan.-**
hereunto, in the pretence of two ivitneffe?
residing in Crmden, the 13th clay of July,
1793, the Proteli being coteu down with We
;he fame day.
Signed, by Charles Weenu. and Jamei
Fish. Witnef.es, Charles Price, Peter Mer
_er '; and a'.telled by Joseph Jones, one of
:Jie juflices of the cc.nnty of Cambden ;
*"d confirmed in all the principal circum
tances by the concurrent oath or John
Sore an.l John Goreham.
For the National Gazette.
"THE influence of charaiter , 3rd grezi
•*" names"'over the huiiK.ll mind is truly
iftonifhing. 1 his influence is ob'ervable
even in the molt trifling circt,n..iarce?.
Its effects are more particularly so, in pro
portion to the magnitude of the <>bjefi-, :
:oncerning which a question happens to
arife'. The power alluded to ha» domini
on in a certain deg:ee over the minds
?ven of the belt in oi nied, and is capable
a I being augmented in proportion to the
address of the agem, and the comparative
information of the object upon whom it is
?xercifed. As this influehcr is frequently
lbnfed and often prodiifiive of bi.iet'ul
:onfequences, mankind oiight ever to ■ e
nil their guard, nay it is the:r duty by c\ ery
neans to avoid its pernicious ettects.
Reflecting kill night-on the foregoing
:ruths, I fell into a profound flcep, and
"oon after probably began to dream, the
"übltance of which, as nearly as 1 could
recoUeft., is as follows :
I fancied myfclf a native of the planet
Venus, the inhabitants whereof were not
inly numerous but wealthy, and the conu
:ry throughout flouriflting. The placets
Mars, Mercury, and Luna, I also conceiv
ed to be inhabited and very populoas, and
:hat they all had intercourse with each
Dthrr, some by means of balloons, and
others by wings.
The inhabitants of Mars, me thought,
« ere rather arbitrary, and atteihWeri to
:!omincer a little over not only my coun
rjmen, but a'fo over the citizens of the
>ther planets. We however, alter a levere
fruggle amPfome hard blows, convinced
rhofe martial gentry that we were and
night to be put of the aflioH nf their sphere.
The Itruggle colt an immense treasure at'(l
:be precious lives of thotifands of our brc
.hren. Our object was obtained \frith the
inoft complete Cuccefs, aided however by
the glorious interposition x>f the benevolet E
vtizens of Mercury,ever prompt to l!retc;t
out the friendly arm of protection and re
lief to the diftrefled.
Generous nation I (methofight I heard
some one Exclaim) how much do ye yon -
selves stand now in r.ccd of th::t manly aid
which ye so lately sent others! Ho*' dil
traftrd your affairs in c< nfeqnence of the
hellish combination of the petty tyrants of
the numerous paltry empires, and little
provinces of Luna, re-inforced by the un'-
solicited, fangninary Myrmidons of Mars,
and impelled through prejudice and jea
lousy to this last act of favrge barbaiuy
againlt the citizen'- of Mercury, contending
for an object which they col lider of infi
nitely more value than life itfelf, namely,
to think ahd ait fir t/ici;:fc'vt r.
As I have already mentioned, I fancied
all intercourse between the planets to he
carried on by means of v-ing l : art! feat'otmsj
[Total Numb. 183.]