The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1801-08-04 00:00:00, page 2

{WASHINGTON, JULY 20, lßob
Gentlemen,,
I HAVE received the Remonstrance you were
pleased to address to me, on the appointment of
Samuel Bishop, to the office of Collector of New-
Hayen, lately vacated by the death ot David Ani
tin. The right of our fellow-citizens to repie
feat to the public functionaries their opinion, on
proceedings interesting to them, is Unquestionably
; Constitutional right, ofren^ feful, sometimes oe
ceffary, and,will always be refpe^tully acknow
ledged by me. 2
Os the various Executive duties, no one excites
more anxious concern than that ot placing the in
' tereft of our fellow-citizens in the hands of hpn
est men, with understanding (ufficient for tbe^ sta
tion. No duty at the fame time, is more difficult
to fulfil. The knowledge of characters peffeffed
bv a single individual is of necessity limited. To
seek out the best through the whole union, we
must. resort to other information, which, from
the belt of men, afting disinterestedly and with
the purest motives, is sometimes incorrect. In
the case of Samuel Bishop, however, the fubjett
of your remenftrance, time was taken, informa
tion was fought, and such obtained as could leave
no room for doubt of his fitnefs. From private
sources it was learnt that his umter(landing w,
found, his integrity pure, hit character unearned.
And the offices confided to him within his own
mite are public evidences of the ettitnation in
which he is held by, the (late in general, and the
city and township particular, in which he lives.
He is fid& to be the Town-Clerk, a Judice of the
Peace Mayor of the City of New-Haven, an office
held at the will of the Legislature ; Chief Judge
of the Court of Common Pleas for New-Haven
Flinty a court of high criminal and jurifditoon,
tin mon ^fa are decided without the right
anneal or review ; and sole Judge of Court of
nt, ^i@ stores all questions
tfX,Element of estates t e st ate and intellate;
fonts Guardians, fettl, their accounsand in
^founder hfs jurifdittion, and care all the pro,
I ~rtvre% and personal of persons dy,pg ; The
^o^aff offices, HI the annual gdt of the legifla
t were given to him in May last. .-
i&& that the man to whom the Legifla
fr_ Jf Couneaicut has so recently committed
trails of such difficulty and magnitude, is “ unfit
fhr administration must produce a change in thel
& flordinate officers, and in this indance we have 1
especially to lament that certain lipfares have |
succeeded in deceiving the Pre GdentTo far as to in
duce him to appoint a man to an important office,
whd does not possess those qualifications necessary
for the tfifeHarge ot iti duties. We hesitate not
to fay that had tl^ President known the circum
stances', and fitnation Os the candidate, he would
have rejected the application. To prove this let
faffs be fubmwted to the consideration of the
President. : >
S impel, Bithop,£fq. will be seventy-eight years
old in November next.— .
He is labouring under a full portion of those in
firmities which are incident tothat advanced pe
riod of life
With these infirmities and am alarming loss of
eyesight, though he was once a decent penman, it
is now with difficulty h^c^A „f write his
He" was never bred an accountant*—nor has the
course Ot hisbhfiuefs, ever led him to an acquaint
ahce#ith the molt Simple forms of accounting.—
HMs totally unacquaidteil with the system ot
Reve Tie^Lawsf and the 'for'ffis Os d&ug mercan
tile bufineft, and is now too tar advanced in life
and too ?nuch enfeebled both in body, and mind,
ever to learn either.—'
A manwhofe age, whose infirmities, and want
of the requisite knowledge isfuQi, is unfit to be the
Collector for the DillriCt of New-Haven.
We are aware that it may be said, he has sus
tained with reputation, and now holds, Several
offices in the City, Town, and Country,—but it
will be remembered that none of them are by re
cent promotion ; his office of Mayor he holds by,
Charter during the pleasure of the Legislature ;
and he is continued as Judge of the County Court,
and Town-Clerk, because the people of this State
are not in the habit of neglecting those who once
enjoyed their confidence by a long course of ufe
fulnefs.
Knowing theman as we do, we do not hesitate
to fay that he cannot, without aid, perform a fin
gle official aft.•
It may be laid that the appointment was with a
view the aid of his son Abraham Bifhop,Efq. & that
he is to be the real Collector. . We preiume the
business meift be done by him if done at all—Yet
we cannot be led to believe that the President
Would knowingly appoint a person to the dis
charge of duties to which he was incompetent,
with a design that they should be performed by
bis son. If however this was the case weexplicit
ly Rate that Abraham Bishop, Esq. is so entirely
destitute of public confidence, so conspicuous for
his enmity to commerce, and opposition to order,
and so odious to- his fellow citizens, that we pre
sume his warmed partisans would not have haz
arded a recommendation of him.
Knowing there fads of which we mud believe
the President ignorant, and relying on assurances
,' that he will promote the general welfare, with
out regarding didinftion of parties," we cherish
the idea that oar grief at the rejection of Mr.
Goodrich, will not be augm^n'ed by the conti
nuance of a father utteflv unqualified far the
office, or of a son so nniverfally condemned#
We assure the President that the sentiments thus
exprefled, are the sentiments of; the Merchants
and importers of the Didrift._ That such a class
of citizens should be heard patiently, urid^ their
well founded complaints redressed, if practicable,
we are fully perfqaded. If it be an object "to
retinre harmony to social intercourse," and if a
decision, “ at the bar of public reason," be wor
thy of attention, surely such a portion of the com
munity, will not plead in vain, for a reconsider
ation of this appointment, and that such an im
portant office may be filled by a person compe
tent to the performance of its duties, and in some
degree acceptable to the public.
Signed by ~
Jeremiah Atwater, Elias Shipman, Abraham
Bradley, Abel Burnett, and others to the number
of eighty persons, ,
WE certify that the signers of the foregoing
Remonstrance are the owners of more than seven
eights of the navigation of the port of New-Ha
ve% (Signed) , SA AC BEERS.
President of the Bank, and of the Chamber
of Commerce in New Haven.
ELIAS SHIPMAN,
President of the New-Haven InJurance Company.
The PRESIDENT'S REPLY.
'^-?&;^t -.. # '\
to be the Colleger of the difirirt of New- Maven,"
tbo' acknowledged in the fa are Writing to have
obtained all this confidence “ by a long course at
ufefulnefs" ?—lt is objected indeed, in the re
monstrance that he is 77 years of age : but, at a
much more advanced age, our Franklin was the
ornament of human nature. He may not be able
to perform in person all the details of his office ;
but it he gives us the benefit of his understanding,
his integrity, his watchfulriefs, and takes care
that all the details are well perforated by him,felf,
or his necessary affiftauts, all public purposes will
be answered. The remonstrance indeed does not
alledge that the office has been illy cvndnrted, but
only apprehends that it will be so. Sixfold this hap
pen in event, be aflored I ^UI do id it what Shall
oe jug and neceffafy for the public service. In
the mean time he should be fryed without being
prejudged. tv
The removal, as it is called, of Mr. Goodrich,
forms another funjert of complaint. Declarations
by myfelf in favor ok political tolerance; exhorta
tions to harmony and affection in social intercourse,
and to refpert for the equal rights of the minori
ty, have, on certain occasions, been quoted arid
mifconltrued into affiirances that the tenure of
offices was to be undisturbed. But could candor
apply such a construction? It is not indeed in
the Remonstrance that we find it : but it leads to
the explanations which that calls for. When it
is considered that during the late adtainiftration,
those who were not of a particular feet of poll
tics were excluded from all office; when by a
Steady pursuit of this measure, nearly the whole
offices of the United States were monopolized by
that feci ; when the public fentimetit at length
declared itfelf and burlt open the doors of honor
and confidence to those whole opinions they more
approved ; was it to be imagined that this mono*
poly of office was Still to be continued in the hands
<>f the minority ? Does it violate their equal rights
to assert some rights in the majority also ? Is it
political intolerance to claim a proportionate
(hare in the direction of the publie affairs ?
Can they not harmonize in society unless they have
every thing in their own hands ? If the will of
the nation, manifested by their various elections,
calls for an administration of government accord
ing with the opinions of those elected ; if, for the
fulfilment of thdt will, displacements are necessa
ry, with whom can they so justly bepri fy with
perlons appointed in the last moments of an ad
ministration, nor for its own aid, but to begin a
career at the fame time with their f/cceffors, by
whom they had never been approved, arid who
could scarcely expert from them a cordial co
'operation) Mr. Goodrich was one of these, was
it proper for him to place himfelf in office, with
out knowing whether those whole <gent he was
to be, could have confidence in his agency ? Can
the preference of another, as the successor of Mr.
Austin, be candidly called a removal of Mr, Good
rich ? If a due participation of office is a matter
of right, how are vacancies to be obtained?
Those by death are tew, by resignation none.
Can any other mode than by removal, be propos
ed ? This is a paipful , ffice ; But it is made my
duty, and I meet it as such. I proceed in the
operation with deliberation and enquiry, that it
may injure the bell men least ; and affeft the pur
poses of justice and public utility with the lead
private diltrefs : that it may be thrown as much
Its possible on delinquency, on oppression, on in
tolerance, on anti-revolutionary adherence to our
enemies.
The Remonstrance laments “ that a change in
the administration mull produce a change in the
iubofdinate officers ": in other words, that it
should be deemed necessary for all officers tb think
with their principal. But on whom does this
imputation bear ? on 'hofe who have" excluded
from office every Shade of opinion which was not
theirs ? or on those who have been so excluded ?
I lament Sincerely that oneffential differences in
opinion should have been deemed fufticient to in
terdift half the society from the right and the
blessings of felf government ; to proscribe them
as unworthy of every trust. It would have been
to me a circumstance of great relief had I found
a moderate participation of office in the hands of
the majority ; I would gladly have left to time
and accident to raise them to their just share. But
their total exclusion calls for proper correctives.
I Shall correct the procedure ; but that done, re
turn with joy to that state of things when the on
ly queflions concerning a candidate shall be, is he
honest? is he capable ?is he faithful to the Con
stitution ?
From the Independent Chronicle.
1 Cbe Ganbaffer.
Great is trath and it will prevail,
;THE removal of officers by the President, is au
nimadverted upon by the party who persecute
him and his country, with great rancour. The
men, who happen to be removed, are of course
noisy and clamourous. They ling loud on the
song of their own merit, and their friends, with
great , zeal, join in the chorus. What is there in
proof, betide the affections of those men, and their
friends, to ffiew that theirremoval is not for the
public good?'
There are two removals in the State of New-
Hampshire, merely to reliore worthy men, who
had been removed on no other charge, than that
of refufing to sign an Address to Mr. Adams ; in
which were contained principles that their hearts
did not approve, and language towards their
own particular friends which they considered is
slanderous and abusive.,
The other removals, with a few exceptions,
perhaps equally proper with those in New-Hanip
mire, have been of men, aph&nted by the fate
Precedent, at the moment in itiich his authority
was expiring. ; v'
That tranfattion cannot fail of having a con
spicuous place in the hiftory of our country. Pre
sident Adams saw that he was out eftbe quedion
in the election of President. Be ytes not even a
candidate ; and yet, as if he intended to establish
an influence towards his own re-eKtiou at the
end of four years, or would place his conftitotloo
al successor under a guardianship of his appoint
ment. He continued to nominate officers until
late ip the evening, when his office would expire
the next morning. If this was right, it' can by
no means injure him to mention i| ; if if was
wrong he ought to bare the bhme=lf the taft is
not truly related, the Secretary ot the Senate is
in town, let him contradiftit, and fay when the
left nomination by Prefidcat Adama was made.
tfiri'ric'^^ °ri
i --ri.,}.
I tender you the homage of my
-high refpea,
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
To Elias Shipman, Esq. and others)
members of a Committee of the>
merchants of New Hawn.)
The commissions for the outers nominated,
mull have been made out before the approbation
of the Senate was obtained, or otherwise they
could not have been iSlued by Mr. Adams before
his Presidency expired.
There is a\ clause in the Confutation which
cannot be considered as an unimportant member
of that instrument, by those who are not devoting
all their efforts to obtain places and pensions.
" No Senator or Representative shall, during
the time for which he was elected, be appointed
t'o any civil office under the authority of the Unit
ed States which shall have befen created or the
Emoluments thereof encreafed during such time."
Language does not admit of forming asocial
coriipact in foch words as cannot be evaded : we
therefore, more especially in those arts, formed
for guarding the liberties, and justice bf a nation,
find a conftru&ion in the spirit and intendment of,
the instrument.'
WELL informed Protestants would not
be much furprized at the Abbe Barruel's de
scription of the temple of Genetiena at Pars,
is, and of its profanation. “ Four naves,"
fays he, "joining in the form of a Greek
cross, resembled the union of four immense
temples, which from the four cardinal points
of the world, invitedtrue adorers to a central
altar, crowned by a magnificent dome."—
Here,if wew ere to believe him, (in addition to
a representation of Christ, Peter and the Popes,
in one group,) was represented all that had
'een interesting in religion from the origin
of the world. This Temple consecrated by
the chisel of religion, cost, it seems, more
than eighty millions of livres, and was forty
years in building.* It feared the mind of
the devout chriftian, &c. Yet “ this most
superb monument of God and his faints,
the Abbe informs his readers, was by the
malice of the Devil and of the national as
fembly, converted into a m&ufoleum tor the
enemies of both God and his faints." " The
names of God and Geneviena in the frontil
piece were obliterated ; and the cross taken
down." Martyrs, dodors, biihops, oriental
and occidental —(lately columns of porphyry
—ornaments of massive gold—canopies,
porticoes, sculptured virtues, and the rubies
and emeralds where the pious ashes of the
virgin Genevjena reposed, together with the
pious ashes ; all were according to the Ab
be, mingled in one common mats of profa
nation !— It need not seem furprizing to
bear a bigotted Popifh Abbe (who vindicates
his Church from the protestant charge of
perfection,) talk at this rate. But to hear
a new England Clergyman, of the ftri&er
fort, express his desire for the spread of the
Abbe's books, to illuminate the minds of his
countrymen, and guard them against infidel
ity, may seem somewhat curious, if not fur
prizing ! Religious congregationalists of our
country fall very fbort of the Catholic gran
deur ; They have neither images nor wax
tapers ; neither altars, nor incense nor holy
water ; but they have ornamented religions
houses, they begin to have organs and veft
mepts, & are in the falhion of haying confe-,
clarions. And the pile, whether of wood,
brick or stone, is considered as holy, after
the ceremony.' From the rostrum built for
the speaker, the important found sometimes
——•
•In the Abbe's view, this quadruple temple mnft
have quite editfed that of Solomon.'
The idea of forestalling the offices was a new
one. The Judges could not be removed, but
they were raised higher, and before they had no
tice of their appointments, and consequently be
fore there was a vacancy, others were under coin
miffion to fill their places. Thus it happened,
that some diftrift Judges would not accept their
advancements, and there were two Judges in corn
million for the fame office at the fame time—in
quire of the council of Massachusetts, whether the
Judge of the Circuit Court, who had been Judge
of the Diftri& Court and his successor were not
qualified to office on the fame day and after Mr.
Adams was out of office.
Whether this kind of condurtarofe from Ill
will to Mr. Jefferfon, or to affiime the friendship
of a number by an undue patronage, it was evi
dently wrong ; and Jefferfon cannot be leflened
in the eyes of the people, for (hewing an open
disapprobation of it. Those who are ousted from
offices will complain ; and the greater the necef
fity is for removing them, the louder their com
plaint will be. A few disappointed hangers on
for loaves and fifties can write a multitude of para
ragraphs in a Gazette.
OCULUM VERITATIS,
We do not charge the late President with ap
pointing Senator, or Representatives to offices
created during the time they were in Congress,
or to offices the emoluments whereof were in
creased in that time: but the due regard to the
spirit of this Clause in the constitution, would
certainly have prevented some of the nominations,
hastily made in the moment when his authority
was expiring.
When Congress had alTertibled to begin their
last session, Mr. Adams addrefled them on the ne
cessity of reforming the Judiciary departments,
some politicians expected that he had a plan to
lessen the unnecessary expense of a number of civ
il officers who had nothing to do; but the event
was an increase of Judges; Until they amounted
almcft to an army. The emoluments of the tor.
mer judges were increased, so as to induce the At
torneys of the Diftrirts to step from that office to
the bench, whilst thqfe lower judges, by an in
crease of Salaries for the Circuit Juges, were in
duced to make vacancies for the attorneys.
If under this plan officers were created and the
emoluments of others increased and members
of Congress were appointed to old offices left va
cant by this new manoeuvre, how much does it
fall Short of contravening the spirit and meaning
of the constitution ?'
Obtettator, So. 3+
For the Republican Ledger.
Iri the midst of all this profantnefs, we fee
evidence breaking forth, as it were, by acci#
dent, that the leading charaders do not be
lieve in this holiness of chapels, which 'they•
would have the common people believe in.
In an ode song at the Chapel in Boston, a/
the 29th of Mayj 1801, we find certain verses
which may be Worth the attention of the'
believers in the fanaity of Modern meeting^
houses. The ode has been published in
more than one paper, and seems to have*
been well received by the clergy and faity
prefent—lt accompanied a clerical oration,
which is also published. The verses are,
these :
"The gay, the honored, and the fair ;"
Retort to make bows and curt'fies to h reli
gion Sprinkling roses, may among tbemjelves,
(without any transformation ;) be naturally
enough considered, as the Temple, or ferine
^fafaon —although held up to the multitude
as the Temple ts God. T
I heard a gentleman lately describing a
Rornifh Chapel, and the ceremonies, with
rhe impression they made on the mind of
him a stranger—He dcfcribed in few words ;
but in a lively manner—The leader, or mas
er of the ceremonies—his appearance and
manner—the latin prayers—the (chantings
—music from the orcheftre, or organ loft
burning of incepfe—Sprinkling of holy wa
ter, &c.-—And added, that for a moment the
question forcibly struck his mind ; Can theft
people seriously believe in all this pageant
ry ? I luppofe no such question ever occur
red to his mind at the fight'of protestant re
ligious assemblies. But I confefs it does to
mine.; when 1 figure to myfelf a well drtffed
aflembly of protestant,, (generally Speaking,
far less In earnest in their religion) display
ing themselves in thfeir gayest attire and best
rirs and graces, admiring or criticifing the
fine object ground,them, likening alterhate
ty to organs, and the effufions on moral vir
tyre or politics, from art orator dreifed iri a
black gown and white band ; lam ready to
put n like question .to myfelf— li if ,4^l,
they can think this pompous, gaudy Ihow,
has any thing to do with chriftianity as de
scribed in the New Testament, and a§ it &
tually appeared among the firft humble fol
lowers of Jesus of Nazareth ? The scripture
view of man must Solve theft questions : al
moftany absurdity will bebelieved that favors
iffucs, « Thisf acred Deft." And sometimes
in a convention fetmon, men hear of the
caution to be uftd in putting on the "Priejis'
garments' of the clergy. Who that cobfi
ders these things can doubt their love of the
worldly glare, the magnificent idul-woiffiip,
with which the French Abbe was so enrap
tured ; and against which the firft reform
ers so vehemently protected ?
A poem lately published in the Newspa
pers drew my attention afrefh to this fub
je&. It wa^, it seems, sung at the dedica
tion of a building called St. Paul's Church
at Newburyport.* In this poem such reli
gious houfe§ are freprefented as sacred tem
ples, though it would be easy to (hew that
they have no more connexion with Christ,
or with Panl, than the neighboring hotel or
coffee-houfe has. Certain people however,
find their account in pretended consecra
tions ; so the fingers are made to chant of
the house, then operated upon, by consecrat
ing ceremonies :-
A highly adorned chapel, where the rich
and genteel ; Called in another verse of this
ode;
" W'e dedicate this house to thee."
And this introduces the daring freedom, the
impious re^ueft; that the living God would
bow the heavens, and make that house his
fixed abode ! !
Will not such people be compelled yet to
think with fear of such grand words as these;
" Thus faith the high and lofty one who
inhabiteth eternity, &c.—Thus faith the
Lord, the heaven is my throne, and the earth
is my footstool; where is the house that ye
build unto me ?"
—And of the New-Testament commentj
" Ihe most high dwelleth not in temples
made with hands—as faith the prophet."
The Catholics & Episcopalians who ded
icate theit fine houses to faints, male or fe
male, and then call them temples, are coun
tenanced by their dissenting brethren, sing
ing on sabbath days, in the words of W atts,
their prophet ; whose poems, called Watts'
Psalms, are now fubfiituted in place of Da
vid's :
b W ^?TS.
But these earthly temples consecrated (as
the modern Abbes would have it,) by the
chisel or trowel of religion, are in reality,-
as much set up against the true God, who
dwells in Chrifl and bis church: as the Tem
ple of Diana at Ephesus, or that of Genqvi
ena at Paris.
" Humanity with pride unknown,
[This anniversary smarts her own.
While affluence deck d with ev'r, grace.
To Faction's farine transforms this places
" Religion here with mildefl [way,
Sprinkles with roses, virtue's way."
'' Lord of the worlds above,
. How pleasant and how fair.
The dwellings of thy love.
Thine earthly temples are."