The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1800-07-08 00:00:00, page 2

of the field that both thould grow together,
until the harvcft : When He will make
th^feparation. But He puts Zus negative on
at&Wrminating power, and principles of
this fort.
According to the New Testament, Anti
christ blasphemes God, and his tabernacle,
and them who dwell in heaven. There is
nohint however that man should judge and
' punilti this; but God is reprefcnted as punish
ed at hearing the fool utter with his lips,
what he fai(h in his heart ; " that there is
no God !" Or to hear the human tongue
given to glorify the Most High, dishonor
its glorious Giver ? Surely they who do
such things will not be held guiltless. But
Rill the question recurs, has God retained to
himfelf the prerogative of infliaing suita
ble punishment, a thing which seems to ex
ceed created power ? Or has he delegated the
power of punishing such daring offences ;
and appointed the magistrate the guardian
of his honor ?—lt is true he has mercifully
instituted magistracy to refrain men from
destroying each other ; but it dries riot follow
from this, that he has given power to pun
jih every dishonor done by men to their
Maker. He sometimes sets over kingdoms
rhe basest of men; who exalt themselves
against Him whose instruments they are.
But whatever be the charaaers of great
men, it remains a truth, that the powers
that be are ordained of God. And it fol
lows from hence that the power of Rulers
is limited precisely by the institution, the
will of Him who gives it;
Hitherto it must go, and no farther—here
then we have to demand not to bring proofs
— let the contenders for the power of Ma
gift rates, to enforce religion by temporal
pains, (hew a commission from God, to or
dinary rulers to this effe& This has never
been yet done. And unless it be done, we
may well think that God has given no such
dangerous power ; which might often be
turned against the disciples of Christ. Yea
such power has often in fad been claimed
and exercised against them. They have
been charged with blasphemy, as their Di
vine Master was before them. By the use
of such a power, the wheat might be rooted
up, under pretence of exterminating the
tares. Whereas it is the will of the Lord
femblies, constituted with powers equal to
our own, and that therefore to declare this
ad irrevokable, would be of hoeffe& inlaw,
yet we are free to declare, and do declare,
that the rights hereby asserted are of the nat
ural rights of mankind, and that if any a&
shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present
- or to narrow its operation, such aft will be
an infringement of natural right.
Let us now inquire into the grounds aid
reasons on which men have built this doc
trine that the powers of this world may and
ought to legislate in support and aid of the
chriftian religion.
It may be said in support of the do&rine,
That as it must be admitted by all who ad
mit the truth of the scriptures, that govern
ment is God's ordinance, it must therefore
be among the firft duties of Magistrates to
regard his honor, and enforce obedience to
the firft table of his law. They ought there
fore to restrain and punish atheism, idola
try,blafphemy, heresy and profanation of the
Sabbath.
Men often receive their opinions, much
as they do their inheritances, without think
ing how their fathers came by them- A
man who believes implicitly without evi
dence, is like one who travels a road, be
cause it is beaten, without examining way
marks, or guide-pods—And where the in
terests and corrupt bias of men are in favor
of a do&rine thus believed, they are ready to
dare with surprise at a question being mov
ed of its truth. Yet as we have adventured
to inquire, we will proceed to ask and ans-
Wer the question; what authority have civ
il magistrates to make laws to establish or
patronize religion ; or to interfere at all
in matters of the kingdom of Christ (which
in no shape intermeddles or interferes with
their's) by making any One laW in aid of
Christianity ? And strange as the true ans
wer may found, it must be, -that they have
absolutely no such authority at all. Let it
not be said that this principle, whieh re
trains the power of the Magistrate to the
civil temporal interests of men, is unfriend
ly to government, or detracts from the hon
our due to the governing powers— Far oth
erwise.—True, it does not give to Caesar
the things that are God's. But it renders
him all his own—And none like chriftians
who obey God rather than man, and refufe
to view men in the place of God, ever were
or will be fubje& to every ordinance of man
for the Lord's fake : neither murmuring,
complaining, or refitting, but cheerfully
paying tribute ; and giving honor to whom
honor is due.
This may seem a very religious and spe
cious argument. Who that fears his Maker
and trembles at his word, but must be thock-
Che Inquirer, 00. 2,
For the REPUBLICAN LEDGER.
ing it bimfetfby dreadful plagues. We may
often at this day fee things blafphemous,pub
lifhed sometimes even by religious men and
read with avidity ; yet no chriftian, altho'
he must abhor these Speeches, would wish to
fee them punithed by the civil power.
In a word the power of punilhing atheism
and blasphemy must, as the argument fup
pdfes, extend to idolatry, heresy, and
speaking against chriftian doctrines arid in
riitutions ; and then must men be punished
for open profeffed infidelity. Though Christ
has declared against the infliaion of any
temporal evil for unbelief—faying, "if any
man hear my word and believe not h judge
him not"—« he hath one that judgeth him :
The word which I have spoken, the fame
Ihall judge him in the last day." And on a
certain occasion, with that merciful spirit
which ever charaaerifed him, he rebuked
the disciples who were for calling down
fire on unbelievers; faying, “ ye know
not what manner of spirit ye are of ; For
the son of man is not come to destroy
men's lives but to five."
As agent for fupplyihg the North Weftern ter
ritory with Stationary.
As agent for the South Weftern territory.
As agent for paying foreign ministers, which
account is not yet (to use the treasury phraf) ad
justed. L
As agent for fettling the differences with Geor
gia.
When these are assured we shall be glad to learn
whether any of the paper provided for the De
partment of State, has been Cent to the above ter
ritories.
And whether these agencies are hot held by the
Secretary of State in either of two views, contra
ry tollrift right, to the advantage of the public,
and the spirit of the conllitution?
If the Secretary is paid, he ought to difeharge
its duties—if he can difeharge a variety of agen
cies beside his important office, his salary of 5000
dollars is too much.
And agencies being profitable offices, the influ
ence of the secretary may cause an increase of
them to the public detriment and bis own em
olument. 14
Mr. Wolcott yet must explain how far Mr.
Pickering has fettled as agent in so many profita
ble Rations before we tyve him credit.
etc-
From the American Daily Advertiser.
MR. tLAfPOQtE, ,<
1 am compelled by the confederations of juflice
and personal attachment to Col. Pickering to de
clare, that the recent publications in the Aurora,
refpefting his pecuniary tranfattious while Secre
tary of State, unfounded.
The accounts of the Department, while it was 1
conducted by Col. Pickering, have been exhibited
at the Treasury. and it is expefted that they will
be finally fettled soon after the offices are opened
at Washington. It appears from these accounts
The true religion cannot be established
by human laws. Every falfe one partakes
of blasphemy and idolatry. According to
the New Testament, the religion of anti
chrift partakes largely of both Here then
is blasphemy and idolatry, and no power set
up, no tribunal on earth to punilh. This
looks as though God had reserved to himfelf
the power of punilhing these in every case :
No commillion being produced, no jurif
di&ion appearing to be now given to earthly
powers in any case of the kind.
It is very true that God ordered that blas
phemy and idolatry should be punished with
extermination in his kingdom of Israel.
These were treaJon against the God and King
of Israel. But it is equally true, that now
is Christ's kingdom heavenly ; now it is
not from hence, not worldly as it once was.
Neither death nor any worldly punifhmenh
is appointed in the New Testament for these
fins. Profeffors of Curie's name were cut
off from the communion of the faithful, and
delivered over to fatan the prince of this
world, that they might learn nA to blaspheme
—And the judgment of men without the
Church is left with Gad.—Them who are
without, faith Paul, God judgeth.
We should be glad to know what law author
ife >the retention of any money in the hands of the
Secretary of the State more than is necessary for
the contingent ex pences of the office of State, and
the salaries of himfelf, clerk, and managers.
We should be glad to know the amount per
cent which he drew as agent on the several ac
counts which we have already published, and on
the following :
In what refpeft are they unfounded?
We have Rated that certain turns of money were
unaccounted for at the treasury on fpecified dates ;
we have given the numbers of the warrants, the
amount of the sums, and the dates on which the
several accounts were la(l fettled.
Are these unfounded fatts ?
We assert they are absolute fafts not to be con
troverted, and Oliver Wolcott furuifhes the con
feffion of their authenticity, for he fays that “ the
balances to which the Aurora refer are the aggre
gate amounts of sums which have been remitted
to ministers," &c.
Then it appears that the Aurora has not avert
ed unfounded forth —but absolutely real and ac
knowledged tranfaftions.
But more, Mr. Wolcott, exclusive of his felf
contradiction, and his acknowledgment of the
Ratements given by ns, acknowledges that they
have not been yet fettled, but that they will be,
uses the ambiguous expression “ accounts of the
Department."
In Claypoole's Paper of yesterday morning, we
find a Jesuitical article fubferibed Oliver Wolcott,
wherein it is dated that the statements in " the
Aurora" are unfounded. \\
THE CONFESSION GF
OLIVER WOLCOTT,
Secretary of the Treasury.
From the AURORA.
that a balance of about 500 dollars remained im
his hands when he retired from office ;—This sum
was deposited in the Bank of the United States,
and Iras this day been returned to the Treasury.
The balance to which the publications in the
Aurora refer, are the aggregate amounts of furns,
which have been remitted to public agents chiefly
residing in foreign countries ; the payments made
by the late Secretary of State are supported by
tegular vouchers, and although in many instances
they constitute charges against individuals in the
books of that department ; they will exonerate
the Secretary from pecuniary refpoptibility.
The nature of the public service requires that
monies should be entrusted to agents on account,
and the practice has been common in every de
partment, since the firft eßablifhmeut of the gov
ernment.
OLIVER WOLCOTT.
Treasury Department, )
June 23d, 1800. ,
Jonathan Dayton has fentus a kind of re
ply, abounding with his accustomed inso
lence and vulgarity, which we Ihall publilh
on Thursday morning to expose him.
To the Editor.
Sir,
I have read with much surprise the let
ter of Mr. Wolcctt, published in Clay
poolers paper of this morning. Individually
you have cause for exultation by the force it
gives to the faffs you have brought forward,
but I cannot congratulate the public on the
confirmation it affords to the suspicions al
ready gone abroad.
I do not wonder that Mr. Wolcott should
kindly fympathife with Mr. Pickering. I
am not surprised at this fellow feeling be
tween them, nor that they find it necessary
to fay something in reply to accusations so
formidable ; but I do wonder they have not
contrived a better defence, and that Mr.
Wolcott (hould venture in the very firft par
agraph of his letter to state boldly to the
public what he knows to be untrue.
He fays, the recent publications in the
Aurora refpe&ing Mr. Pickering's accounts
are unfounded. Mr. Wolcott, knows that
so far from being unfounded, they are not
only founded upon, but are tranferipts from,
the original accounts in his .own depart
ment. Let Mr. Wolcott, if he dare, pro
duce official tranferipts of the originals,
himfelf, and shew, if he can, the variance.
Mr. Wolcott however, in tender concern
for Timothy Pickering, daringly ventures
to palm upon the public a flagrant untruth.
This noble pair of friends (like Pylades and
Orestes) are so careful of each other, that
they are careless ofthemfelves ; and to save
the falling reputation of Timothy, Oliver
Wolcott boldly determines to facrifice his
own.
“ The accounts of the department, while
“ it was conduced by Col.' Rickering have
66 been exhibited at the Treasury."
Have they ? All of them ? Are the vouch
ers found that were lately required, and for
want of which the accounts were returned
to Mr. Pickering ? Have they been exhib
ited en maffe or in detail ? Ifthey have been
exhibited, have they been examined ? Molt
probably not, for Mr Wolcott assures “ that
when expected they will be finally fettled
soon after the offices are opened at Walh
ington !" Whenever they ihall be finally
fettled, the public will be in no final! degree
indebted for that event to the Aurora.
By unfounded, does Mr. Wolcott mean
falfe ? fabricated ? Does he mean (if he
hath indeed any other meaning than to blind
the eyes of the public by general denials and
round assertions) that the balances Rated in
the Aurora as unaccounted for by Mr. Pick
ering on the days in that paper mentioned,
are not the fame unaccounted balances at
the fame time which appear against Mr.
Pickering in the original books of account
in Mr. Wolcott's own department ? Will
Mr. Wolcott affect this ? if he does; he as
serts a falfehood and he is challenged to
produce to the public the accounts them
selves.
If there be error in the statements of the Auro
ra, how easy was it for Mr. Wolcott to shew this,
who has the paramount control over the Trea
sury department I The Editor of the Aurora it
seems can take this trouble for the fake of the pub
lic, but Oliver Wolcott and Timothy Pickering
will neither take it for the public nor themtelves!
How admirably this dignified reserve becomes
them 1 What a noble spirit of contradiction 62
behalf of his friend Timothy, Wolcott has exhib
ited 1 He contradicts not only the Editor of the
Aurora, but himfelf ; and daringly (lands forward
to the world to fay, that the tranferipts of the ac
count of his own department, upon which the
evidence of public expenditure is ultimately to
rest, ARE UNFOUNDED 1 ! !
But they are only unfounded in the firft para
graph of this molt original epiffle: for strange to
lay , they appear in the third paragraph to be per
fedly well founded 1 “ The balances (soys Mr.
Wolcott) to which the publications in the Aurora
refer, are the aggregate amount of turns which
have been remitted to ministers and other public
agents, chiefly reliding in foreign countries." —
Indeed ! Mr. Wolcott I So then these balances—
thefe Rateinents in the Aurora, are aftually found
ed upon the accounts in your own department !
How difficult it is for those who seek to conceal
the truth to preserve consistency I Mr. Wolcott I
fear has undertaken a talk which requires a much
better memory than he seems to possess.
But I apprehend that' you, Mr. Editor, could
never have supposed, or have meant to insinuate
to the public that Mr. Pickering had embezzled,
or was unable to pay the sum of 501,000 dollars,
appearing against him ; on the contrary, 1 appre.
bend that the accounts and statements you nave
brought forward tend to prove that he lias made,
Foreign Intelligence.
■» ■■<+4 +tt«te»+to„- #
Palermo, (Sicilly) APRIL 2.
In a late sortie of the French at Malta, the,
took 70 British soldiers, but they were soon rescu
ed. The French commander appears dilpofed to
surrender, if the Englifli will convince him of the
capture of the veffeh with supplies for him.
FLORENCE, APRIL 12.
The following bulletin was publifhed/l ere offi
cially : “ A Courier from Field Martha! Count
de Hohenzollern has brought me the agreeable
intelligence that on the ,th the Bochetta was tak
en by assault. Six tier of entrenchments, which
seemed impregnable, we scaled by our troops
with heroic valor, notwithstanding the most 'ob
ftinate refiltance made by the enemy. The main
body of the army has, besides, taken pofleffion of
the fortrefsof Vado, and has in part, entered Sa
vona. The loss of the enemy is much more con
siderable than ours. The French are surrounded
and defend themselves with defpefatioo. The
details will be published forth with.
(Signed)
The Marquis of Sommariva, Maj. Cen.
safona (Genoa) april ~
We (the Austrians) are mailers of this place.--
We took, by storm, the mountains of Adjuto,
Notte and Reprino, and the woods of Savona,
making a number of prisoners and taking 4 pieces
of cannon. Vado and Steffano are likewise in
our hands. Gen. Maffena retreated. Our Cen.
Ott, is under the walls of Genoa—the French are
retreating to Finale. The British have began to
bombard Genoa from the Sea.
.STRASBURG, APRILS.
The French army of the Rhine have opened the
Campaign. A part have passed the Rhine —and
the whole are in motion. Various attacks fflnft
ha^e' taken place ; but we have not learned the
particulars. [Paris Papers to April 29, fay no
thing of the result of this commencement of oper- 4
ations.]
~ =
Further Strafourgh, April 2fy,
For three hours and a half our troops have been *
firing ; they attacked the AuHrian polls before
Kehl. The cannonade hill continues (the time
when the courier set out.) To-morrow morning
I hope I (ball be able to give you the result of the
battle.
Another letter of the fra date.
- The two armies have been engaged since fix
o'clock in the morning. It is now nine, and the
or might have made an enormous fortune from
his office and his agencies, alter fully paying up
all the balances that the Treasury accounts exhib
it .<
The complaints which the public have a right
.to make from the documents you have brought
before them are
Ift. That Mr. Pickering having the liberty of
drawing for hundreds of thousands of dollars at
his discretion, and before there is an absolute
want of them, may thus borrow from the
public, for fix or twelve months together enor
mous sums ; and speculate with them to a protic
of eight per cent to himfelf, while the public is
at the fame time borrowing money at that enor
mous interest.
For inßance, the 8 per cent loan occasioned a
great deal of (peculation aud Hock jobbing: a
hundred thousand dollars borrowed from the pub
lic cotters at that time, would have afforded a pro
fit that might have furnifhed the little parlour of
Mr. Pickering's cottage in Luzerne, very snugly.
What Mr. Pickering might have done also : and
the public may have done under this convenient
perquisite of diferetionary draughts, other officers
might have done also : and the public may have
borrowed at 8 per cent their oun money from
their own fervauts!
Whenever Mr. Pickering will furnifli a State
ment of the comparative dates and the sums of his
draughts on the Treasury and his payments for
public services, we shall know whether Mr. Pick
ering is so poor a man as he pretends to be : for
iao,ooo dollars drawn in Jan. may be paid in De.
cember.
2d. The public have a right to complain, that
Mr. Pickering, who has undertaken the arduous
office of Secretary of State, fliould also be permit
ted to monopolize so many agencies. They are
duties, if not incontinent yet accumulated with
the most barefaced impropriety. Are these agen
cies performed for nothing? Would not the per
quisites of two per cent furnifh the poor man's
table with whisky in the back country ?
3d. The public have a right to complain, that
the officers of the government are ever permitted
to draw on the treasury in favor of themfehes at
all. Why cannot they draw in favor of the per
sons to whom they pay the money, at the time
they pay it ? Does a merchant keep 10 or 12000
dollars in his delk to pay little accounts, while he
has his bank to draw upon ?
4th. The public have a right to complain that
these treasury accounts appear to tell one thing,
when Mr. Wolcott the Treasury, dec! res they
mean nothing like it. Is this the way of sapping
the accounts of the public ? Yes, it is—it th, pub
lic are to be kept in the dark.
sth. The public have a right to complain that
these accounts are not more regularly, more fre
quently, and more fully made up and submitted
to the public aud that there is not some easy me
thod of checking the vouchers, without depending
entirely on Mr. Nourfe and Mr. Steele !
The public have a right to complain, that any
taxes are laid upon them, or any loans are made
at eight per cent, till these unaccounted millions
are fatisfaftorily accounted for ; not by Mr. Wol
cott, contradicting the statements of his own de
partment—not by accounts holding out to the
public one meaning, and concealing another—not
by accounts partially exhibited without corres
pondent vouchers—not by general assertions un
accompanied by proofs and contradicted by the
asserter himfelf—but by fair, full, and intelligible
statements, which the public may be enabled to
underhand, and in whose authenticity they can
confide.
• It is the Duty of Mr^Wolcott, as a citizen, and
by a fojemn oath to produce them : he is paid and
well paid for taking care, that they shall be forth
coming—lf he means to remove the doubts that
now haunt the public mind, he will produce such
accounts ; and, until he does, suspicion will
whisper, that
"There is femething rotten in the fate of Den
mark."
A CITIZEN.