The Columbian informer, or, Cheshire journal — Keene, N.H., 1795-01-13 00:00:00, page 1

[Ne. 41. ofVCT. ll.]
^gfaQhvgrc&yh wfcau^
0 Miscellany.
'From the FARMERS CHRONICLE.
^I/hETHER human happiness is
encre^fcd in proportion to the acquisition
of knowledge, it madea question by some
and difpftd by ethers; to the lovers
of disputation, I freely submit the con
troversy. If, however, the perfection of
bappinefs does not conlift in knowledge,
then it appears there is a medical deleft
in oar original constitution, and that ar
dent third for knowledge which is implan
ted in the human breast,is calculated mere
ly to encreafe our misery ; and by our
boasted foperiority over the brute crea
tion, we are only diftisguifhed for Superi
or wretchedness.
The present dawning is doubtlafs but a
prelude to that flood of light which Shall
pour into our dark world, and illuminate
our benighted hemisphere, and the prog
ress of liberty preparatory to its recep
tion. Fetters of iron de not more effec
tually hold the body in bondage than the
mind in ignorance. Talk to a vaffd of
an caftern Bafa<w of the equal rights of
man—o, hiafacred -QbligatiGmTas a moral
p g e nt/ and of his relative duties as a
m£9ft>cr of the universal family of man
w^nd, and it will be to hira altogether
unintelligible jargon. You must firft
pl^e him in the filiation you describe,
before he will feel the force of your ob
fer+atious. Nor will it be extraordinary
if 4P° n his firft emancipation, the nov-
V U £ f h" &d^&Mbuhldfrtead him to
lMtyfrregu!ari ties. —The mind inebriat
ed with liberty diftinguiihei not the fine,
delicate and atmeft imperceptible line,
which divides it from liceatioulnefs ; but
as the mind expands and derives light and
knowledge from a thousand heretofore
unknown resources, it gathers strength and
lability, and the tool hours of reason
will faceted the few moments of frenzy.
Mental bondage, which is the consequence
of corporeal, is equally degrading, and
not less delruaive of human happiness.
To this vile source may be attributed
tbofe very absurd and greatly diversified
opinions in religion, which have divided
the world into heftile bands who have fre
quently deluged the world in human
blood. Ignorance, is not the mother of
devotion but the father of faperftition.—
It is to this, that Mahomet is indebted
for his numerous votaries which have dis
graced humanity for more than a thou
sand years. On the mountain of igno
rance hath the papal Ark rafted for a Rill
longer period—And Should the flood es
liberty, like the waves of Jordan flow
back to its original source, it would be
yond a doubt, sweep away the idolatry of
the eastern world. Viewed in a moral
light, how important, how highly inter
esting to mankind is the progress of lib
erty ? Itis a fubjeft which must engage
the attention and deeply interest the feel
ings of the patriot and the chriftian.—
No one who has at heart the good of man
kind or the honour of God can be indif
ferent.
The present disordered slate of the
French Republic, and their total derelic,
tion of religion is no argument against
my general petition, that knowledge and
liberty are friendly to religion and mo
rality. For centuries have that wretched
people been the vassals and dupes of a
venal court and a corrupt clergy. Fear
the Pope, and honor the King, is the Creed
which they fucked in with their mother's
milk. To have difpu'ted which, would
have exposed them to inquisitorial tortures
as heretics. Religion was a mere engine
of oppression. In order to insure obedi
ence to the sanguinary and oppreffivemea
fures of the court, it was necessary to call
ia the aid of the clergy, and the people
Columbian
Or,'C HESII IRE
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY H E N R r B LA KQ
were taught that refinance to the regal
power, was not only treason against the
king, but also removed the offender with
out the pale of the holy mother church,
and fit him off from all hope of filiation
—This for centuries had been the Rate of
the nation, and this was their Situation
when the holy flameof liberty was tranf
fufed into them. By its light the magic l
was difpellcd, and the deception exposed.
hit aftonilhing that in reforming the a
buses, and in regenerating their govern
meat, they Should totally discard a relig
ion with all its hbly trumpery, which had
been improved as an instrument of their
wretchedness ? A religion, which to an
unprejudiced mind with a small Share of
difeernment mud appear marked with
the greatest absurdities. I always Band
aftoniffied when I hear Protestants railing
against the French republic for difearding
their religion. If their's was the true re
ligion, we who are protestants Shall be
damned for not believing io and practic
ing upon it ; if it was a falfe one ,iR
any rational chriftian preiAnty^fy they
have done wrong in -abolishing It. Cer
tainly not. B^rthere are many well difpg
fed perrons whose fears have been ftrong-~
fy excited on the Subject, and h^ve asked
with religions solicitude whether Deism
and Infidelity are not eftablilhed in France
—I anfwcr,No. —No religion at all. The
great body of the people who were brc't
up in a fuperititious reverence for the Kq
mifh religion, ignorant of every thing
but the creed above mentioned,nine tenths
of whom never heard of any other relig
ion—Their minds in constant alarm and.
perturbation from cGterc^ rhvaWmraar
internal confufont, harraffed with fears,i
and tortured with doubts as to their po
litical profpeds, have nothad it in theii
power to fit down coolly and dispassionate-;
iy, as the vast and important fubjedt juftlyi
requires, and determine what religion
is most conformable to the word of God :;
A Book,' which till the late revolution they
had not the oriviiege of opening. . Bi.
when the cool hoofs of leafy Shall fur
ceed ihefe of political enthofiafm. whr
the mind becomes calm and compared, and
the moments ,f serious reflection arrive,
which happens with nations as well as
individuals, it cannot be doubted but the,
will fix on some rational, and itis to be
devoutly hoped, upon some pure and ho
ly religion.
fl FEW days ago died at Pincer,
in Middlesex, Daniel Dancer, £fq. a
man whp quitted this earthly Hage, not
more remarkable for hi# worldly riches,
than for his having lived in an apparent
state of extreme poverty. Such aai the
eccentricity of his charter, ihn, though
scarcely allowing himfqlfthe common ne
cessaries of life, he las left property to
the amount of scoot a year ;o Lady Tem
pest and Captain Holfaes. During his
last sickness, Lady Temped accidentally
called upon him, and finding biablying;
up to the neck in an old lack, without
even a shirt, remoaftrated against the im
propriety of such a filiation; wheo he
replied, that having come into the world
without a shirt, he was determined to go
out in the fame manner. She then re
queued him to have a pillow to raise his
head, and he immediately ordered his
old servant, named Griffiths, to bring
him a truss of hay for that purpose, ,
He would never aty ^i, '&,prfe
any more than two fho.es for his fore feri
deeming those for his hiqd feet ,Qpfo-'
ceffary expence.
So perfeaiy" penurious was Wrifa his
difpofitidn, that, rather than .expend 4
penny, he frequently had recourse t? the
EXTREME PARSIMONY.
From a LONDON PAPER.
rc/E sDzr, j+q
JUDICIAL ANECDOTE.
A learned judge traveling the circuit
not a century ago, bargained with a coun
tryman for a taxi, to span one in hia four
wheeled carriage, and desired as the coun
trymap knew him, to let him to a distant
country on trial. (The countrymen con
futed; but before his honor returned, the
horse died. On the judge's relating the
fircurafy^es, the countryman Shrugged
up hisfaulders^ and said, he did not ex
,<a Ofc Ikepoor mature <would have lived
l#g. „ net liv, long !"—replied the
jiage ^rily, " Oh I" replied the coun
tryman; <• you mistake my meaning ; 1
thtyghtnothing could lira tag after,o# had
it 4N TRIAL."
Ms,
cov,
WON
CT
I b % j^l
#junds when (he woPd^aUj^forth, armed
^ith i pitchfork, in former to check the
r rogrtfs of the intruders on her brother's
grounds ;, on which occasion, fhs had
7c ^ rhe appearance of, a moving bundle
^ rags than of a human being.
) —4-
Ljcluh RECRUITING ANECDOTE
1 RECRUITING fetfot lately
fliwent intoapublic^JcimDub
lin,andeuliftedalu,tyj^^.rapparent-
I, hx ftei high, who fafy^^^Lpexi feat
to m ,
The fellow declared hnSr ready to
fervehis Majesty, butinfitied on not ftir
ti% from the fpet until he got half the
Sp^ty of fix guineas, offered by the fer
jeant.
'Ths money was given inftantly,and the
reckoning paid ; but what was the atton
ilh ment of the ferjeant, on finding his re
cruit without feet, hobbling after him on
a pair of ^wooden slumps !
The ferjeant demanded and infilled on
having his money returned—the recruit as
positively refufed, a ledging, he was ready
to be attefled and to do,he bell be could
for the king's f,rYice.
Their high rpighuDtrfes,th, amok,enter
ed into the spirit of the trick, took the
part of the cripple, and hooted the fer
jt,, so much,out of patience and into
shame, that be Mas very glad to retreat
Fit-out frar of drum!!
Poled, That any further proceeding on
the part of his Excellency's address ref
peding the Supreme Judicial Court, be
postponed until the firft day of January
next.
Toted, That Mess. Goddard, Badger,
Gale, Wright and Eames.be a committed
to employ a messenger, or mefiengers, tty
wait on the several Jaftices of the Sib
preme Judicial Court and pr,fent each ,f
them with a copy of the rtfohe of this ,y
receding said Justices./
Dec. z 3. %M That-Mess. Wafer.
Leavitt and Johnson be a commit!# on
the petition of Jeremiah Lock./
Motion was made that the votafofed
last evening, to fend mtfenger^o the
Judges of the Superior Court, Mie-aon-
^ger, Carr, Dog/Tlarkcr, Bert.
Steven#, Ames & Hough, a committed
co report what measures are heft to be ta
tea refpeaing that part of h^xcellency'#
address which relates to the Supreme Ju
dicial Court.
Dec. zo. Voted, That, Mess. B. Pierce,
Alien and Cilley be a committee to confi.
der of the Petition of Reuben Ward, for
himfelf and others, refpeaing a company
of cavalry in the 12th regiment.
The committee on W. Langdon Efq'a
petition reported that the town of Tuf
torboro' be abated one eighth part of their
soldier tax for 1782 —reported accepted.
Voted. That A. Livermore, Crawford
dud Smith be a committee to consider of
the petition of Sundry inhabitants of Salis
bury, refpeaing an academy.
Whereas it is re,refated that the Superior
Court of Judicature has met been bolden regu
larly in the counties of Hillsborough, Cbepire
and Grafton, as by law it ought to have been
—and also that the said Court has often unne
ctfaril, adjourned in the other counties, with
out finifoing the bu,nefs therein pending —
Refolded, That this house ought toenquire
into ths causes of such failures in the ad
ministration of Justice, and endeavour, in
aconHitutio9 al manner, to remove them,
—and thaa, meffsge be sent immediately
to the jf" as of the Supreme Court of Ju
dicatuZ quelling each of them to in
form Ifo House, why the said Court has
not been duly hodden, and the business
thereof completed.