Oracle post — Portsmouth, N.H., 1804-02-21 00:00:00, page 1

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Vol. XIV.]
—■ iiitmtatfefli
OF ALL THE DISPOSITIONS AND HABITS
"WHICH LEAD TO POLITICAL PROSPERITY,
RELIGION and MORALITT ARE INDISPENSA
BLE SUPPORTS. Washington's Legacy.
'''jworalist'
," A gentleman in the medical line, was some
time fiace requeued to visit a patient, and was
conducted up three pair cf fin into a gloomy
fliabby, Sky-lighted apartment: when he entered
he saw two young females fct;.4g on the fide of
a very poorly furnifhed bed, & wah^ut curtains ;
on approaching, he found one of them nearly in
the agonies of death, fupporteiby the dther who
was persuading her to take a bit rs bread dip't
in spirits ; but the pale emaciated figure refufed
faying in a feeble languid voice, i: would but
(Contribute to prolong her misery, which the hop'd
was drawing to an end ; and lo+>kingat the doc
tor, said, you have corae too laie fir—l want not
your affidance—and addrefs'd him—
Oh ! could'o thou minfcr ta a mind difam
Of&p the accefynd pi&gfyc^^Wfe!t
B&^frrt
-for in less than two hours rhe expired,
a small box by the fide of the bed, were
found feme papers by which it appeared that the
young woman was of a good family, and had
< more than an ordinary education —that (he had
' changed her name, and concealed that of her par
ents, whom she pitied, and whose greatest fault
had been too much indulgence and a mispla
ced confidence in the prudence of their favorite
' daughter.
On the back of some directions refpe&ng her
funeral, the following pathetic lines were written
and some little money tn the box was aligned to
have them engraved on a tomb-Stone ; thus—
VERSES
FOR MY TOMB STONE,
If ever Ifoould have one—by a proftitAe and apen
itent.
, THE wretched viaim ofa quick decay,
* Reliev'd frem life on harable bed of clay ;
The last and only refuge for my woes,
A loft lov'd ruin'd female, I repose.
From the fad hour I liften'd to his charms,
And fell half forc'd in the deceiver's arms:
To that whose awful veil hides every fault,
Sheltering my Sufferings in this welcome vault.
When pamper'd, ftarv'd, abandon'd, or in drink,
My thoughts were rack'd in striving not to think,
Nor could reject'd eonfeience claim she power,
T' improve the respite of one serious hour.
I durst not look to what I was before,
My foul shrunk back, and wifh'd to be no more,
Os eye undaunted, and of touch impure,
Old, e're of age ; worn out when scarce mature,
Daily debas'd to fliflle my disgust,
) j()f forc'd enjoyment; in affected lust !
Cover'd with guilt, infection, debt, and want,
My home a brothel, and the streets my haunt ;
Full seven long years of infamy I've pin'd,
And fondled, loth'd, and preyed upon mankind;
'Till the full course of fin and vice gone thro'
&y ihattcra fabric foi'e/c L&cnty-tvQ,
Then death with every horror in his train,
Here clos'd the feene of naught but guilt and pain !
Ye fair associates of my opening bloom,
O, come and weep, and profit at my tomb ;
Let my short youth, my blighted beauty prove,
The fatal poison of unlawful love ;
O, think how quick, my foul career I ran,
The dupe of paflion, vanity, and man.
Then shun the path where gay ddufions Shine,
Be yours the lesson—sad experience mine.
"miscellant.
From a late London Paper.
Dr. Jenner to the public.
Cheltenham, October 26.
Some reports having gone abroad, that the Cow
pox has been found to ftcure the con itution from
the plague in Constantinople and some other parts
of European Turk y, De Jenner begs leave to lay
before ti>e public the evidence which he has re
ceived of this important fait. He dots not deem
the point clearly afeetained but cannot forbear
thinking, thateverv reader will fee a considerable
presumption in its fovor, : n the following.
I Extras ofa Letter from Dr, De Carro, of Vienna,
to Dr. Jenner.
" Your difeovery h^satecady produced some con.
Sequences which you surely were very far from
forefeeing when you made it known to the world.
{ I belie v ethit 1 once mentioned to you, that a
, French phyficinn Monf.Lx Font, thought tie had
I observed, that vaccinated people were not attacked
with the plague. He described to me the fads
[\which railed the suspicion ; they were few and not
very conclusive, but he spoke of his new obferva
tidns with mudefty and prudence, and thought only
I'that the lubjea deserved his future attention. A-
Inother mhyfician of Constantinople, Mons. Au
win never had any communication with M.
La Font, who is of Salon ca, wrote to rhe about a
year ago, that he had also some suspicion of the
[ Cow pox being a preservation against the plague---
1 did not mention falls, but said, that Several people
had observed the fame, and many vaccinated them
, selves as a security against the plague. Guess
what was my astonishment, when a few days ago !
received, through the French Ambassador at Vienna
a packet of Dr. Aubu^ who begins his letter with .
these words ;---" What I had the honor of men
tioning to you longaah,g h , concerning the Cow-pox
being a security against the plague, as a probability,
1 can now, after many experiments, Speak of aknoft
to a certaintj." He describes the fads fummaril,
in his letter, and adds two proces wfr% Signed by
I him and several witnefa, desiring Citizen Cham-'
pagny and mylelf to give them every possible pub
licity. The proofs are.
I ft. Os 6000 vaccinated at Constantinople, not
I one has taken the plague.
* nd. That infants previously vaccinated, have
fucked, without injury, the milk of nurse sinfilled
with the plague.
I 3 d - T hat an Italian physician, Dr. Valli, whol
f went to ,Constantinople to Rudy the plague, was so
persuaded of the truth of the new difeovery, that
upon the sole security of having been vaccinated,
he Shut himfelf up in a Lazaretto, and had, with
people attacked with carbuncles and buboes, var
ious mode of contact, without any effell.
4th That the lame Dr. Valli, inserted into his
own hand, a mixture of variolas and pestilential
virus, and having felt no effed from that trial, he
meant the following week to insert pestilential virus
alone'.
sth. That Dr. Aubin, having been informed
that in some villages near Conflantinople, the cows
were Subject to some eruptions on their udders ; he,
with several gentlemen cf the French Embassy,
went to those villages, and found the Cow-pox then
cxifting. The report of the inhabitants was, that
they had never Seen the plague, or the Small-pox a
mong them: though both these diseases made dread
ful ravages in the vicinity.
Such my dear fir, continues Dr. De Carro, are
the extraordinary falls which have been communi
cated fc me. I have now and then corresponded
w^h M. M. La Font and Auban; their correl
4, odence announces much medical information
<^ %,.ioh;7g the world with Lakh an
important dicovery, runs certainly a great tifk, if
he receives any false and hasty obfervajions."
Miferab!e State of Hanover.
From good authority, a gentleman writes thus : —
" I have learned that toe French : on the surrender
of Walmoden, immediately took into employ, and
increased the pay cf the surgeons attached to the
Hanoverian army. Indeed, according to his Rate,
meat, it is the peculiar study of the French to con
ciliate all the men of information with whom they
meet. Even those of comparatively inferior talent,
who may have any importance or influence in the
bumbirft villages, they endeavour to attack to
them, in order to emply such as instruments in
reconciling the country to their dominion ; but it
feemsthey have not Succeeded in obtaining the
Support of any men of eminence in literature, or
any possessing much personal consequence. And
how is it possible that they could perltrade any pej
-1 ns who rcfpe& character, or regard their country
to plead for the system which they pursue ? My
informant, who left Hanover only five weeks ago,
lays, that there were then about 20,0110 French
troops in the Electorate, and that the ravages they
committed were intolerable, even to the poorest
peasantry. He mentioned some infiances which
are scarcely to be paralleled, even by the condom
of the Spaniards towards the natives of Peru. They
went on somewhat smoothly for a Short time after
they got possession of the country ; but for a con
siderable time back they levied the most exorbitant
contributions.
“ Mortier obliges the people to advance double
pay for his troops* He merely confuits the States
as to the best means of collecting this tax, one half
of which it is supposed goes into his own private
coffers, although he mentions the whole is to be ,
fairly distributed among his forces, as a reward
for their Wrigu^. By such means as those Maffena ;
and other generals contrived to enrich themlelves
in Italy and Germany. Any Hanoverian, who
cannot procure cafli to pay his proportion of the
contribution, has property, however poor he may
be, is taken and instantly fold.
" Independently of the conftribtions, the people
are obliged to furnifh the soldiery with almost thel
whole of their food. The soldiers are allowed j
from their own stores only half a pound of meat
and half an ounce of rice each per day, and the in
habitants upon whom they are quartered, are com
pelled to fumilh bread, beer, &c. This &c> com
prehends every thing tfiat the house affords ; and if
they are not fatisfied with the supplies of their host,
they are authorized to fell any property be may
possess to procure what they want. Such want is, 4
to be lure, previously Submitted to a French officer,
with whom it rests to order the Sale and to dispose
of the property, and to whom he plcafes. It is
easy to suppose how such a man is likely to ad.
" Mortier is endeavouring to organize a corps
which he has called the German Legion, to be
formed from among the Hanoverian soldiery ; but
such horror which thole men feel at the idea of en
tering the French Service, that they desert from
the country by hundreds, exposing themlelves to
the clique of being (hot by the French outposts on
the frontiers. To prote& themselves from that
they generally, travel in bands offifty or a hundred,
and they have in many instances Succeeded in
beating off the French detachments fen' .to obftrua
their passage."
Splendid Celebration.
[The following Details of the Celebration, which took place
at New-Orleans, on the possession of Louisiana by the A
merican Commissioners, is a traeflation from the “ Mon
iteur of Louifana," of thefaft Dec. 1803. It contains
many particulars that are iaterefling, and feme that arc
highly amufingj
THE work is at length confummated-^Louifi
ana changes her government for the last time ; and
tifc flag of the United States has throughout this city
every where replaced that of the French Republic.
The following account of the three hfl days,will
complete the hiftory of these events, which mark an
epoch, defliued to be one of the most memorable
in the hiftory of America.
On Sunday last the 18th of this month, the colo
nial Prefea. commissioner of the French govern,
ment, was invited, once more to assist in the divine
Service of a form of worship, about to rale to be
national in this country, from the nature of the gov
ernment under which the people were about to prfs.
The religious ceremonies were celebrated with the
greatest pomp : The Colonial Prefed, accompanied
by the municipal body, by French oncers, with
thole of the militia, and many other refpedable per
fonentered the church through a lineof grenadiers,
and there received mass, with the Honors due to the
reprefenrative of the French Republic. The lines.
Domi%fal,flmf4c republican ;
Domine,fak^sfac Cmjules :
Onc{ more resounded through theehmeh; where
ORACLE POST.
e==±e==r=e=e^ ^ t^-^— =.^^
TUESDAY, February 21, 1804
they by been re^uhrly sung, on festivals and Sab
by H rce" '" "'" '"'"' P offcffi) n of the country
At 2 > dock in the afternoon, were seen passing
° a °' °fthe river, the commissioners of the
United Mates, Mr. Claiborne and Gen. Wilkinson
°^ a '"' detachment of volunteers of the
Miffs Territory, on horse-back. They pro.
C eede< IMediately to citizen Lauffat's and their
arrival ;a 5 announced by the difeharge of can
non. 6y
,°".",' ''"''" received them in his faloen, in
m A" °'* numerous company ; when, after
'"' mo , ,R c>,he led them ' into bis cabinet,
where tin- remained in conference for more than
an hou
'' °° '°° ner ' e " '" m than it became pub
lic on the next day, Tuesday, at 11 o'clock
111 truing, Louisiana would be given up to
the% d States.' "
Mor "ile, the American commissioners retired
'' ° / kto their camp, arid from that moment
"l'''?" a "° us bring made , for
OJ Mrliefday we were most agreebly surprised
by tl>e display ofa body of fine cavalry, traversing
the city fom oneend to another, and ending their
way towards the camp. It was Citizen Lauffat
who thud attended, was on his way to visit the
Commi&ners of the United States; he was pre
ceded byyhe Major, and Adjutant-Major of the
militia, it ) French uniform, at his fide wasthc Com
mandant fle la Place, the Colonel of the militia, an
aid-de-capp, and the secretary of the Commifiion;
in the miff of which, his superb dress, his noble
horse, thejrichnefs of its harness, of blue velvet em
broidered feith silver, distinguished him from every
otber.(.
He was followed by a number of the young
officers o militia, French soldiers and inhab-/
L itants of he city. This retinue, amounting to
about sixty men, offered a fpeffacle tr^y bril
liant, andit was a matter of univerfil farprife,
how, on h short notice, had been collected a bo
dy of cavalry to numerous, so excellent, and so
well equipped. But what is impossible to a Chief
beloved by the Louifianans—ln half an hour af
terwards the municipality followed in carriages ;
multitudes assembled, and the road for half a
league, was completely covered. Theieception
at camp was a-la militaire, and accompanied
with every) honor.
On thei| entering the marque of the oncers,
the cannons were fired to salute the French Com
midioners, music succeeded, and played the air,
dearest to Frenchmen,namely Bonaparte's march.
The Colonial Prefelt, presented the members of
the municipal body, and afterwards the officers
and principal citizens, to the American Commis
sioners, ebnverfed with them, and after making
the tour of the camp retired in the fame order 1
that he cxme. The night following the precau
tions of the police were increased and the guards
,and patroles doubled, the Colonial Prefect went
nimi^': t^ecoimoi^f the different posts, &iode
through the interior of the city.
At length that day dawned, which was to usher
in a new era for the people of the Mississippi.
Citizen Lauffat, Commissioner of the French
Republic, proceeded to the city Hotel on foot, at ;
the bead of the municipal body of the officers at
tached to his mission, a great number of militia of
ficers, and diftinguilhed inhabitants of the city and
surrounding country, and of the citizens of his na
tion. He was saluted as he passed by the republi.
can brig L'Argo,
The weather was exceedingly fine, and the tem
perature mild as that of April. In about an hour
the troops of the United slates presented themselves
where they were met in military form at the gates,
and after receiving the orders of the Colonial Pre
fed, were introduced into the city.
They displayed in the square, havingthe Amer
ican commissioners at their head, and being com
manded by one of them General Wilkinson. He
formed them in the line of battle, opposite the front
of the city hotel, the armed militia and the French
company under capt. Baugand, were arrayed on
the opposite fide. A detached company, at a little
distance was Rationed near the national flag.
The American commissioners, afeending to the
hall, were met on the grand flair case by the assistant
of the mayor, the chief of the batallion Comman
dant de la Place, the firft adjutant major of the mi-,
litia, and the secretary of the commiflion, who were
placedthere to receive them. The commissioner
of the French Republic, himfelf, which, with the
municipal body, received them in the audience
hall ; he was seated in an elevated chair, Mr. Clai
borne at his right, & Gen. Wilkinson on his left
in other chairs, the secretary of the French com
mission standing before them on the right, and the
fecreUry of the American commission on the left.
The Commissioners of the United states presen
ted to the commissioner of the French Republic,
their full powers, which were immediately read by
the secretary of coromiffion, Wadsworth, and re
peated by the secretary of commission, Daugerot.
Citizen Lauffat briefly announced the object in
French and at his order, citizen Daugerot afterwards
read the Treaty of Cession of Louisiana, with the
powers of which firft Consul Bonaparte,had invested
citizen Lautfat, in the name of the French people,
that he might execute the fame, according to the
process verbal of the exchange of ratifications which
were to precede this execution. These readings
over, Citizen Lauffat rose and said —"That from
this moment he gave to the commissioners of the
U. States poffeffioUpf the country and dependencies
of Louisiana, conformably to the articles t, 2, 4^
and § of the Treaty and to the conventions of the
loth Floreal, year i<th (30th April) in erder that
according te this treaty the sovereignty and proper
ty of Leuitiana, should pass to the United States
under the fame elaufes and conditions with which
it hr,d been cedqd by Spain to France in virtue of
the Treaty concluded at St. Idt Ifonfo, the 9th Vena
demairr, year 9, (O&. 1, 1800) whish hud receiv-
^fcpQtura£re ff ^t&^cr^raQßßraßranQnHiiteQQtytoß'
ed its execution by the French having taken pos
session of this colony.
After these words, citizen Lautfat took the k^3
of the forts of New-Orleans and presented them
to Mr. Claiborne ;be then continued thus —" I
here declare that in virtue of rhe powers with wheh
I am invested, and of the mission with which I am
charged by the First consul, that all citizens and in.
habitants cf Louisiana who (hall remain under the
government of the United States, are from this in#
ftant released from thei^, oaths of fidelity to the
French Republic." Citizen Lauffat, then rose and
changed feats with Mr. Claiborne. The ffcretaries
of cemmiffiens then read the process verbal of this
ceremony, the one in the French the other in the
English language; they were then on both sides
fign^d and sealed and reciprocals exchanged, and
the fitting ended. The citizen went to the princi
pal balcony of the hotel. At their appearance the
flag of the French Republic was lowered, and at
the fame time that of the United States raised, when
they met at equal height, they remained till a fignai
of the firing of cannon on the fq^^, the forts coat,
F ^^^ * .^eby^ ^ich w^fyeatg. bg„HM„L
batteries ; at this moment the American colour was
raised and the French flag taken down.
Citizen Lauffat then defeended from the city ho
tel with Mr. Claiborne and general Wilkinson.
they placed themselves in front of the line formed
by the militia, when citizen Liuffat spoke as follows, ^
"Militia ot New-Orleans and of Louisiana !
You have given proofs of the greatest zeal, and
ofa filial devotion to the French Randard, dur
ing the short time it has appeared on your banks.
I shall make this known to France and her gov
ernment. In their name I return you thanks.
Behold the commissioners of the United States,
to whom I transfer the command over you.
Obey them henceforth as the representatives of
four legitimate sovereign."
This concise harrangue being finifhed, citizen
Lauffat placed himfelf along fide of the ftartd
ard of the republic.—lmmediately the drum
beat, and the company gs French citizens put them
lelves in motion—the weather was uncommon
ly favorable for this ceremony ; the croud was
great ; the windows and belconies presented
to view the most beautiful women of Louisiana
— Fhe French, Spanish and American plumes
rose here and there, as in tufts, from the midst
of the various groupes. A large number of A
rcericans celled at a short diftanc^ from the
city hotel, throwing their hats in the air and
huzzaing. But ia general the greatest silence
and order reigned throughout the multitude. A
thousand persons have observed and repeated
that, during the remainder of the day, at the
fight cf the French flag, beheld on high, and
then disappearing, fortow and emotion were de
pided in almost every countenance, and tears
Rowed from almost every eye. This emotion
was redoubled when the company of French ci
tizens carried off, with flow Reps, this beloved
emblem of @ur national alliance. It would be
difELuK aor the IpcSator ever tc rerg^c .p;^ &&
ment, on the affecting fpedacle. Fifty different
Frenchmen, brought to this country, by differ
ent views, destinies, and chances, the one un
known to the other, surrounding the standard of
their country, finding themselves all brothers,
render to it, from the spontaneous and abundant
emotions of their hearts, a homage of effeltion,
devotion and refped ! Their manners and hab
its had neither resemblance or military unifor
mity but from their portions, their motions,
their distance, and their Reps, it was easy to fee
that many of them had marched with the Brave,
and had been counted among the distinguished
defenders of their country. As this company pass
ed before the American lines, they presented
their arms to the beat of the drum, displayed
their colours and saluted it with their cannon;
and while it could be perceived weeping eyes
remained fixed upon it. It was at the House ,
of the commissioner of the republic, and into his
hands that the company deposited the flag for
whose protection it had been organifed. On
, leaving the ranks to receive it, Citizen ,Lauffat:
thus fpoke:''
"Fisneh Citizens! I shall render an account:
to our government of the patriotic sentiments
with which you have fulfilled at the distance of
2,500 leagues a religious duty to this standard.
I shall require from )our commander a lift of
yout names and shall tranfixit them to the Min
ister of Marine and the Cpl®nies, and you may
geft assured that they will be placed under the
eyes of the First Consul." Scarcely had the
French Commissioner entered his dwelling, when
the officers of the militia waited upon him with
the following address :I
"We have desired to render to you, and, thro'
you, to the French Republic, this new homage;
while we still wear (pointing ty their cockades)
this emblem es the transient unidn which has sub
sisted between us, and of the attachment we ft^ll
always feel for it."l
The feene was very affelting.\
At three o'clock the company seated them*
selves at the table of the Colonial Qefelt, who
gave a dinner to the Commissioners o\the Unit
ed States, followed by a tea party in theevening-
The feftival was splendid. On the dinner table
were ninety two covers ;'and there were front
four to five hundred guests at supper. \ The
main table accommodated sixty, the remamder
were distributed at small tables, arranged under
the outer galleries ; with which all external
communication was cut off ; while within glit
tered the American, Spanish and French col
ours, which, intermingled, and falling in large
folios, formed the most elegant drapery around
the walls. The decorations if the great table
confided of plateaux, embebifhed with beautiful
paintings & surmounted with temples, pavillions,
&piUars, The pelite attemion and fignificant al-
{No. 19.