The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1801-04-07 00:00:00, page 2

It is unnecessary to dwell on tire flagrant
absurdity of which these gentlemen are
guilty, by acqufing a man to entertain two
contradiaory opinions. I suppose that the
calumniators of Mr. Jefferson, have a
greed to maintain one of those two accusa
tions, and as,l have to deal with divines, I
also suppose they have feleded that of athe
ism as being the most malignant — -Now,
the. definition of toleration is, allowance giv
en to that which is not approved. Religious
toleration therefore is that disposition in a
man to permit his fellow creatures to wor
ship the supreme Being according to their
own principles, though they Should not meet
his approbation. It matters not for a tol
erant man whether his neighbours adopt
the dogmas of Luther or Calvin ; whether
they believe or disbelieve the mysteries of
refurre&ion, incarnation, transubstantiation
or consubstantiation ; whether they utter
their prayers in Hebrew, Greek, Latin,
Englilh or ShaWanefe. For him, it is fuf
ficient that they do not infringe the laws of
the country in which they live. He re
quires nothing further and does not think
himfelf inyefted with the authority of con
trouling ttieir religious opinions.
The Spanish Inquisition is not one of the
public institutions, he wishes to fee introduc
ed in his Country. He fecks less to cen
sure others, than to regulate his life so as to
be above censure himfelf. In no p^rt of
this condua can I discern atheism, and I
challenge the most sharp sighted episcopali
an to (hew where it lies. An atheist ac
knowledges no God, whereas the friend of
toleration fees without rancour every one
worshipping God after his own manner. I
eva (hrewdly fufpea that if it were poflible
for a society of atheists to exist, Qey would
be little less intolerant than; our puffed up
theologists. This idea I may perhaps de
velope in some leifere hours. It is fufficient
for the present, to have (hewn the imbecility
of the pretended proofs of Mr. Jefferfon's
atheism, which have be^n palmed upon the
credulous, by men without honor or prin
ciples.
From the Chronicle..
0e ^igns of We Cimes.
*Addreffed so the men who call therr'dies
, , FEDERALISTS.
INthe declaration of American Indepen
dence it is (aid, " We hold these truths to be
felfcvident: that all men are created equal ;
that they are endowed by their Creator
There is away of reasoning peculiar to
Clergymen, when they wish to persecute a
republican. It is far from being conclusive ;
but it never fails to dazzle the unthinking
part of the community. An instance will
illustrate this assertion. Thomas believes
that the religious creed of his neighbour
does not break his leg ; therefore Thomas
is a deist ; and an atheist. In this curious
syllogism there ia little conneaion between
the premises and the conclusion. Thisis,
however, the sandy foundations on which
the Abercrombies, Gardners, and oth
er jackalls, have built their snowy ftruaures
of slanderous malignity, ever ready todiffulve
before the fun of truth.'
compel one Christian fe& to contribute to
wards the fuppoit of another. This was
enough to rouse the hatred of clergymen. —
hatred was at firft artfully concealed : the in
flamable materials of the volcano were se
cretly fermenting ; but when public grati
tude called the great man to the piefidential
feat, it ttemendaufly burst out, and over
spread the country with its impure lava &
scorching flames. Myriads of inled-ca
lumuiators, warmed into life by this volcan
ic heat, rose against the illustrious sage, and
were loudly welcomed by his political ene
mies. They soon perceived that they had
a common interest, and placed under the
fame firm, thejoint stock of their hatred.
This hatred has been and is Rill increasing;
it is as inextinguishable as the far-famed
Grecian wild-fire. Every thing is fuel to
it, even the matters which appear the mod
opposed to combustion. The icy hand of
death cannot quench its fury ; for, like the
ravenous hyena, the unrelenting theclogifts
will disturb the tranquility of the grave and
devour their mouldering vi<Slims. Thus
they intrepidly insult an unfortunate wo
man (Mary Wolftoncraft) because she is
dead.
justly celebrated Thomas Jefferson.
Every one had read his notes on Virginia.
We all admired the logical neatness of his
arguments, the accuracy of his observations
and !. e unaffected elegance of his stile.
The Author was placed in the firft rank a
inong the brightest ornaments of his Coun
try. His name was proudly mentioned
with those of Washington, Franklin,
Rittenhouse,JohnAdams, when it was
necessary to. refute the anti-philosophic opin
ion of fomeEuropean theorist concerning the
pretended inferiority of the native produc
tions of America. Unfortunately for his
political and literary fapae, Jefferfon declar
ed himfelf openly in favor of religious tol
eration, and maintained that it was unjust to
ed by a prevailing party ; a species of trea
Ton to offer an opinion in opposition to it ?
We reflea on our political and civil fitu
atipn with astonishment—we can hardly re
alize, that a cloud of tyranny has, for years
together) overspread the American hetni
fphere, loaded with thunders against each
man, who should dare to express an opinion
in opposition to that of a party—that a sur
render of the right of private judgment, on
public measures, has been made the price of
influence to office—that even the office of a
writing-clerk, the license to retail, and e
ven the butinefs of a sexton, or crier of a
court, could not be obtained without a re
linquishment of the most important rights,
of a private citizen. Who would have be
lieved, when we were on the heights of
Charleftown, in the wilds of Bennington or
oil the plains of Saratoga, that within a
few years from those bloody feenes, and be
fore the grass should be washed from the
blood of men fighting for liberty, a princi
pal magistrate in Maffachufats, should
come forward to lease a tavern estate, under
an express condition, that the tenant should
on matters of public concernment, cease to
have an opinion of his own, and forrender
his right to private judgment on the great
concerns of his country ? The tenant's son
may probably, according to the course of
things in this country, become the landlord
and the judge's son the tenant. However
disagreeable this equality may be, yet it is
the necessary result of a free government.
A few months ago, the cloud hung with
a darkness that might be felt—arrogance &
insult, wrapt, in the mantle of domineer
'ing triumph, flatbed hideously through the
Greets—the confidence of man in man was
destroyed—the father concealed his senti
ments from his son, the son whispered in
his father's prefers—the intercourse of
confidential opinion o tween hufoand and
wife was laid aside—the facial thread of
neighbourhood was fevered by the corrupt
ed shears of legal sophistry, and society
seemed to depend on the galling band of
terror.
with certain unalienable rights—that among
these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness ; that to secure these rights, gov
ernments are instituted among men, deriv
ing their just powers from the consent of
the governed : it is the right of the people to
alter or abolish it, andinftitute new govern
ments."
weaken, but brighten the bats of liberty.
Jacobin! if thatris the name whichrin a
painful opposition has fared us from a for
eign war ; has prevented us'from wag
ing war with the Whole world, to aid Great-
Britain in an unjustifiable and unfuccefl
ful controversy with the European continent
the appellation molt be ever dear, to Ameri
ca ; and be worn as a badge of honor to pos
terity, in right of their fathers.—This hon
orable testimony, of having saved the liber
ties of a nation/ and of preserving the hap-,
pinefs of millions, can never be wounded by
the senseless abuse, the ftinglefs wit or the
paltry rhit. : ngs of fcribles, in the Centinel
and Palladium, those mercenary presses of
an expiring fadion.
FED^RA^XS.
But the signs are changed ; Jeffeifon ap
pears in the habiliments of 1776; he re
mains the fame man he was, when he com
posed the Declaration of Independence ; he
moves like the genius ot America ; calm
reason bears the constitutions before him ;
the fights of man fit likening to catch his
syllables ; his voice is the found of liberty,
undulating on the firm principles of ^ood
government ; his breath rekindles the flame
of freedom, restores the liberty of the press,
and gives security to pet Tons and property.
The rights of conscience, that firft dignity of
man, hails him as her proteaor.
Let & maniacs rave ; the phrerizy of
difap,pointed defpptifm cannot be quenched;
it will con fume its own bowels, and then
expire ; the knawing of madmen do not
In the declaration of Rights- prefixed to
the Constitution of this State it is declared,
that all men are born free and equal, and
have certain essential unalienable rights ;
that all power resides originally in the peo
-ple, and is derived from them ;that the li
berty of the press is essential to the security
of a date, and cannot be retrained."
Who could have imagined, when that De
claration of Rights was made in the year
1780, Under the protection of the Declara
tion of Independence, that within twenty
years from that time, there should be a
combination to restrain t^e press ? that the
words People,Liberty, Equality, Freedom and
Citizen, should become terms of reproach ?
or that it would become, in the opinion of
many, criminal to use them in America ?
Who would then have dared to. predict,
that the word Government should, at so
early a period, be boldly used by a previling
party, to express their will and pleasure ? or
that the test of merit would be an implicit
and unrestrained submission to their will ?
Who could have conceived, that the admin
istration of a party, for their own honor &
emolument, would be confideredas the gov
ernment itfelf ? and that it would be deem
Extraft of a letter from fames Linn, efq. member
of the Houje of Reprejentatives for the fate of
Netu-ferjey, to his friend in Philadelphia, dated
Princeton, March, 13, 1801.
" On Wednesday evening 1 arrived at Trenton ;
I was fatigued with my journey, and rested one
day at that Place. Last evening I called at the
city tavern, kept by Mr. Voorhees, and took a
place in the Rage, which was to set out at five
next morning ; I got up about that time, and
went to the door of my lodging with a candle : 1
observed three men walking slowly towards my
lodgings ; 1 returned, blew out the candle, wrapt
myfelf in a cloak, and went towards the Stage
house. Upon my going into the llreet two of the
men walked on, the other crossed the Greet and
Popped. When I had got within 50 yards of the
tavern, a man, whom 1 suppose was the person
who eroded .the flreet, seized me, and threw me
violently on a piece of timber: I got up, told him
he fhoufd be taken care of, and went towards the
tavern ; he instantly overtook me, and flruck me
once or twice. I called Mr. Voorhees, and then
went towards a flick I thought I observed jn the
llreet ; he then took up a stone, as 1 suppose, and
threw it with great force. Mr. Voorhees' servants
opened the door ; he pursued with a stone in his
hand ; 1 entered the door, and rhe servants shut
it—-immediately the family trembled, they open
ed the door, but the ruffians were gone. It was
so dark that I could not identify the perfou ; and
after 1 was attacked my attention was so engag
ed, that I did hot take any further notice of the
other two."
N.B. Mr. Linn voted for Mr. fefferfun.
The origin of the hopes of art annual celebration of
a war with France—extratied from E. Liver
more's omniun gatherum Oration.
" TO my young Fellow-Citizens, I would
now more particularly address myfelf—for
such have the honor of firft suggesting the
propriety' of celebrating this day. You
have ever been found (with very few excep
tions) to be truly federal—you are untaint
ed by prejudices for any foreign nation ; &
as the present generatian muftfoon pats 2-
way—it is a confutation to reflect, that the
next, will do honor to the patriots, whofor
some years past, have been so unjustly ca
lumniated. You are the future hopes of A
merica, and upon your exertions will the
fafety of our country depend. There is an
ample field for your aAivity—the army and
navy invites, and the profpe& of glory is be~
fore you. In the words of our august Pre
tident, " to.arms my young friends"—Our
fleets you mutt Ihortly officer and tnan, and
our armies you tnuft recruit—The languor
of our military (so aftonilhing in some parts
of the country) you must invigorate. With
out some degree of enthnliafm, nothing
great can ever be accomplilhed ; and enthu
siasm is principally expected from young
minds. Though the situation of our coun
try, is greatly flourishing ; yet still there is
danger.'
" WE must be firm and united,vigiant and
adive or all wi\\ be loft.
" Then shout, (releaf'd from Gallia's Chain,)
This da, COLUMBIA'S born again."
Frota the New-Jerusalem. Church, in the City of
/ ^Baltimore,
To Thomas Jefferson, Esq.
President ofthe United States of America.
SIR,IT is with lingular pleasure and profound re
fpea, that we, the miniiter and aftiug committee
of the New-Jerusalem Church, in the city of Bal
timore, beg leave to congratulate you on your ac
c^lßon to the chief magistracy of our beloved
country—a Country hitherto eminently favored
by the divine Providence with a peculiar degree
of civil and religious liberty.
The present sanguinary and turbulent afpe&of
the Ealtern Continent, is doubtless truly painful
to every philanthropic and difint^refled lover of
mankind—but still, the heavenly doftrines of the
New Jerusalem Church, confirm us in the belief,
that " God rides on the whirlwind and directs the
form ;”—and encourage us to anticipate, with
indescribable sensations, an approaching period—
"A consummation devoutly to be wifhedfor, when
genuine charity, liberality and brotherly kindness
towards all who differ from us in mere opinion,
Ihall become the “ order of she day," when theol
ogy, philosophy and politics, shall, like “gold se
ven times tried in the fire, jofe all their “ dross
and tin, and when reason and religion, shall fully
unite their sacred and powerful influence, in pro
moting “peace on earth, and good will amongfl
all men.
With the moll fervent and sincere prayers, that
the Lord God of Hosts, may long preserve and keep
you, and the nation over which you now preside,
“from all evil , —and richly replenish your will
and underflanding, with fnch divine affe&ions and
perceptions as may eminently qualify you for the
exalted and important Ration you are now called
unto.
I EEG leave to return you my thanks, and thro'
you, to the anting committee of the New Jerusa
lem Church, in the city of Baltimore, for your
friendly congratulations.
1 deplore, with you, the present sanguinary and
turbulent date of things in the Eatlern world, and
look forward to the relloration of peace, and pro
grefs of information, for the promotion of genu
ine charity, liberality and brotherly kindness to
wards those who differ from us in opinion.
The philanthropy which breathes through the
several expressions of your letter, are a pledge that
you will endeavor to diffufe the sentiments of be
neyolence among our fellow men, and to incul
cate the important truth, that they promote their
own happiness by nourishing kind and friendly
dispositions towards others.
Commending your endeavors to the Being in
whose hands we are, 1 beg you to accept affuran
ces.ofmy perfect confidence and refpett.
THOMAS JEFFERSON.
The Rev. John Hargrove.
We remain, fir, with due refpeft,yoursf&c.&c.
JOHN HARGROVE, Snifter.
George Higson,)
John Bayer, >Affing Cqnmittee.
John KeKr,)
The President's Answer.
SIR, Washington, iith March, ißot.
COPY OF AN ADDRESS
, KEEN, MARCH 21.
Much damage was done in this town and vicin
ity, by the violent storm of Wednesday & Thurs
day last. The water rose much higher than has
been known for 20 years pait, and we hear of a
large number of mill-dams being carried away &:
a ''rt^" "'' ''' e '''dges, insomuch that there was no
passing yesterday, excepting in boats, from this to
several ot the adjacent towns. Several thoufaud
acres of land, were inundated.
On this river and its branches have been ear
ned a CT, aDd defiroyed teven grid-mills, five
saw-mills, fourteen-bridgts, two clothier's (hops
and works, one dwelling house, two barns, fev
eral,mall out-hotifes, besides immense quantities
of timber and fencing from all quarters. The on
ly instance of mortality accrued to knowlege is
the son of Mr. Josiah Atkins, of Welt-Simfbury,
about fourteen years of age ; this lad and bis
filter went into Mr. Cleveland's mills to take
down an old wever's loom belonging to the fam
"Y; an ° while they were busily engaged, the
mill and its appendages, went off. It seems the
giil firfl took the alarm and made an effort to get
out, but the inflant she hepped on the plank lead
ing from the threshold of the mill door to the
bank, the end drew off and tumbled her headlong
into the current. She floated down the flrearu
about thirty yards, when she caught hold of a
small limb and drew berfi.it to the fhote. The
boy continued in the mill which was borne down
the flream some diftahce in an erect position,
and forming a scene (ruely sublime and awfol I
the boy at the mill door, begging allittance of
those who flood on the shore, who were triable
to help him ; the mill after, passing down fome
diltance in this manner, flruck a 1 rge rock, cap
sized and tumbled to pieces, and in this concus
sion it is fuppefed the boy was killed. Judge
what mufbhave been the feelings of the parents
who flood on the shore and witnr ffed the whole
cdtaftrophe, hearing the cries of their darling fora
in diflrefs, and unable' to afford him any relief !
Imagination will want assistance to figure a scene
of the whole group. The boy was taken up a
few hours after, at half a mile below, his head
was bruised in a shocking manner, and other evi
dent marks of violence caused by the timber. It
is suggested that one inflance occurred near Capt.
Cafe's in ^hicb were feu five buildings, viz. one
grilt-mill, one faw-miH, one du eliing house, one
clothier's shop, and one bridge, in regular succes
sion floating down the river!
In Hurwinton the damage done by the late rains
is computed at 6 or Too dollars. 1
WASHINGTON, MARCH 90,
We confider it a matter of expediency not to
congeal the faft, that a considerable number of
addreffs to THOMAS JEIFERSOH, President of
the United States, have been withheld from pre
fentiheut, on the advice of many of the most en
lightened republicans in various parts of the Unit
ed States. Indeed it is a circumstance that can
not be too highly appreciated that principle eve
ry where produces the fame effect. Hence we
find, that without the lead concert, a remarka
ble coincidence of opinion on this fubjed prevails,
and tho'many addresses have been preferred,
they mark but a flight deviation from this concur
rence ; and are to be considered as the offspring of
precipitate zeal, rather than the result of deliber
ate refection.
It is lincerely to be hoped that in the future pe
riod of Mr. Jefferfon's adminiflratiou no more
complimentary addresses may be pretexted. It is
not on the words Inn the actions of his fellow-ci
tizens, that he is to place his firm reliance, and on
his aftions depend the measure of fopport he fliafl
receive.
ERRONEOUS STATEMENTS
CORRECTED.
As from the hafly manner in which articles of an
interelting nature frequently gain admission into
the public prints numerous errors occur, the ed-'
itor of the National Intelligencer proposes occa
honally under the above head to notify them ; &
though he is far from desiring to produce an im
preffidn that he is exempt from error^he will in
this department be (particularly attentive to avoid
;I. Mr. Wagner is not appointetllhf private se
cretary of the president.
2, Mr. Short has never been nominated much
less appointed minister to the French republic.
3. Wade Hampton ja nos appointed Pofi-Mafler
General.
4. Mr. Dawson is not invefled with anv power
of negociation in relation to the ratification of the
French, treaty. He is merely the bearer of that
instrument, and in that xharafter and none/other,
compeuAted far his ferviges.
NORWICH,MARCH 25.
Since our last, we have experienced a S. E. gale
accompained with rain, which fell in fitch torrents
as to raise the rivers to uncommon height. Sever
al parts of the place were so completely inundated
as to prevent puffing except in boats. Two bridges
were destroyed in Windham.
_ amherst, March 21.
The great rains, Which commenced on Wednef
.lay evening last, have raised the rivers, brooks,
&c. much higher in this vicinity, than they have
been for forty years past. Much damage has
been done. A grist mill belonging to mr. Shep
ard has been entirely carried off, together with
the dam. Several bridges have alfu been swept a
way.
SNOW—We learn that in the course of last
week's itorm, not more than 20 miles east and
welt of this place, there fell about 18 inches of
snow !
BRATTLEBORO', MARCH 2,
' The damage done by the frefhet last wed; in
this and the neighboring counties, is computed
at more than 260,000 dollars-.m;ils, bridges, & c _
~ , HARTFORD, MARCH ?0.
A correspondent at Welt-Sim&ty has fibred
us with the following account of the damage oc
cahoned by the late rains,' on the Farmington
river.
Dcni^ic Information.
. q.^^^^^.^—„^,^,,,,
THE LATE RAINS.
NEW-HACEN, MARCH,
„ The damage done at Waterbary, (Con.) by the
riling of the waters in consequence of the late
rains is estimated at 20,000 dollar,. Mr. Benjamin
Baldwin, aged 48, was drowned in attempting fa
save part of a bridge. °