Republican ledger, and Portsmouth price current — Portsmouth, N.H., 1802-02-23 00:00:00, page 2

From the REPUBLICAN GAZETTE.
THE CONSTITUTIONALIST.
"He that hath eyes, let him fee — He that hath ears
let him hear."
. To the CITIZENS of NE^HAMPS HIRE.
IN the return of the duties which our annual
elections confer, I hope to fee no more the return
of those unhappy prejudices, by which thufe du
ties bare been mifauided. The tyranny of popu
lar delation, dlfdains Ilie voice of Reason, and de
bars attention to investigations eg the nature of
public measures. In defiance of all, it often con
demns what is beneficial to a State, and approves
what is injurious. As the earth mull be in a pro
sper condition to receive feed, or it will yield no
natural increase ; so the human mind malt be in a
rentable temperament, to attend to an impartial
difeuftion of the tenor of political .a^ts, or such
difeuHion will produce no moral fruits. I pre
sume that examples are not demanded to fnpport
or illustrate this pofitioh= Were they necessary, I
should not recur to remote periods or places tor
them : There is a leafin the hiltory of N. Hamp
fliire, which furnishes one, that is mournful ly ap
propriate. It is there recorded, that a majority
of h§r legislators, were under the infatuation to
conceive that they had the right, and that the
good of the State required the exercise of that
right, to oppress and perferute one class of (he
People, that they might give partial advantages to
another class ; and to deny that proscribed por
tion the enjoyment of those equal privileges,
which the conllitution had, in vain, guaranteed to
be common to all.—The picture of the distressing
consequences of this cruel condutf, to our com
merce and agriculture, to the pfofperity of indi
viduals, and to society at large, as exhibited by
the impressive eloquence of one of our firfl patri
ots* and Watermen, had no effect. But from the
idea that the tide of dclufiop is ebbing, or at leaf!
That more candor, if not more intelligence, pre
vails, the following fuggellions, on the fufjeft of
the erdbing elections, are refpeafolly Submitted
to the attention of that community, of which 1
constitute a part, and from which 1 do not feel
that [ can have, or wish to have, any separate in
lereft. In adverting to the objects of this eflay,
we ought to look back to firft causes, and primi
tive principles.
In the ever memorable refinance of this coun
try to British oppreflion, New-Hanipfhire mutt re
member, that it was to the exertions of Sullivan,
Culley, Thornton, Starks, Bartlett, Dearborn and
Langdon, with others, that she is indebted for her
portion of the glory 'of that conflift, which ter
minated, not only in the establishment of Ameri
can Freedom, but in the diffusion, even beyond
the Atlantic, of those Acred principles, which
will ameliorate the condition of the great family
ofman.
We fhonld merit the cnrfes of heaven for our
ingratitude mould we basely forget the service of
these patriots, to this State and our country. I
Would remark, that it is not those who fill in
with the current when success is certain, who have .
high claims to our gratitude, but those. who, in
dignant at injuries committed on the rights of the
People, regardless of their own fecority, are the
firfl to promote and execute, the boldest measures
for the Security of their country .—The last men
tioned of those worthies, after having seen at one
time those great principles, for which he with o
thers contended, so far diferedi'ed, that men grew
afraid to own that thev had ever been their advo
cates, has seen those principles again rising, in the
public estimation, to a scale proportionate to their
dignity and worth, and himfelf, by every repub
lican's wishes but his own, declared the candidate
for Governor of New Hampshire for the ensuing
ye"'
It may be well to consider, that when the ene
my's forces availed our foores, 'there were some
among us, who did perfonally,join them, but who
were not prerented from active co-operation
with them, either by their own wishes or their
own principles. And it cannot be denied, that
after the Federal Government went into opera
tion, these men were gratified at fuppofinz, that
thev fiw it waxing in fubflanee to an approxi
mation to that government thich we bad Separat
ed from—but to which their attachments nave ne
ver been or ever will be weakened, while it ,con
tinues a monarchy. But if it be said that ail the
measures of the late administration were approved
not only by the Adherents of our enemy in the re
volution, but by some who were at that time pat
riots, and hv many other well meaning members
cf th° community ; / anfver, that this middle or
der, by the Subsidiary influence .of the firfl, and
by the actual enjoyment, or the hopes of enjoy-
In%, the fruits of corruption, were made to apos
tatize from Republicanism, and might be consid
ered as Heflins in British pay ; and the lad might
consist of a part who were honed men, but de
ceived, and a part who can be eflimated as no
thing but mere drift wood, that will float from
one Shore to the other, according as the winds and
waves of fa ffiion and popularity happen to drive.
Hidory informs us, that the natural commence
ment and progress of all governments is, from
those that originate in the will, and are concluded
by, the voice of the people, or their agents, to ab
folnte monarchy —^hat this is delayed by the wifi
dom and virtue', and Fattened by the ambition and
extravagance, of those agents, when unchecked
6y the cautious vigilance of the people. Whether
the progress of ours, in this deplorable course,
would have been retarded by the economy and
moderation of the late adminifiration, admitting*
there, had been no change, or whether if was not
rapidly verging in profligacy and tyranny to a hm
ilitule to that government, whose chains we had
broken and relinquished in t„6, may be a fubjeft
of some future difenffion.—We had, within a Short
foace, a Stamps Aft, a Standing Army, a Land
Ta*, with the mode of collection still worse than
the tax itfelf. and in addition to this train of/evils,
a Loan of Five Millions at Eight per centum.
These burthens were imposed on th; People in
time of peace, and when an immense revenue, the
product of a commerce enlarged beyond human
expectation, in consequence of our being almost
the only neutral nation in the world, gave reason
so funpofe, that the irfoal imposition of burthens
would hr+ve been alleviated, not increased—and
the public debt not augmented but reduced- Our
Citizens were carried by the officers of that ad
miniffration, from the peaceful fireffdes of their
families to the dreary walls of prisons and a
merfed in heavy films of money, for writing and
► Dr. fohn Goddard
Speaking in oppefition to these measures ; and
scorn aud mockery were call upon those who e
veu expressed the lead doubts of their expedien
cy. Terror and proscription reigned -But
while clouds and darkpefs, were last fettling over
the Union, Cod said, Let there be light, and there
was light ! The mills of deluiiun were Scattered
away ; a long Suffering Spirit waked from the dull,
and the high duties of government were delegat
ed to other harids. The change was conltitution
al—lnch as the people chose, and Heaven approv
ed—ln this change of public agents, if the biftor
ical axiom, that 1 have advanced, which declares
that the natural progress of all governments is
frouFthofe that are tree^ to those that are despot
ic, be confeffed, it cannot be denied but that the
United States of America were, by this change,
arretted tor a period in their career to the com
mon doom of nations ; —Yet the New Adminif
tration are'reviled, with unprecedented violence,
by a class of men who, while thole whose princi
ples they approved were'in power, denounced all
those, as deserving of the molt horrid punishments,
and even death itfelf, who Should be guilty of
writing or freaking against the government of
the Union ; whether the acts of that goVernhient,
upon investigation, could be proved to be morally
right or wrong. The reasons which they aligned
for the rigid doctrine, were, that as all the ads
of our public Agents, duly elected, muff be legal,
whatever might be their moral conferences, and
binding on all, any abuse against the Govern
ment would have a tendency to alienate the minds
of the people from the Government, and excite
disobedience to its laws—They deemed it, there
fore, highly criminal, and justly puaithable—-But
it may be well, briefly to examine the merits of
the accusations of these bold and clamorous de
famers of the present government—the accusa
tions of men, whose former profeffions exhibit such
an awful contrail to their present practice. They
formerly made long faces, at hearing even a whif
pef against the government —They are now for,
rallying the forces, of Treason, and pouting the
florin of infurreftion on the devoted heads of our
Rulers. Yet it is not only conceded, that the
present administration are desirous to lighten the
public burthens, aud to be economical of the pub
lic money ; but fh'ange as it may appear, it is the
exercise of these duties, in the abolition of taxes,
and of unnecessary offices, that has produced two
of the mod prominent articles of complaint from
the oppositionists.— she policy, acknowledged
correct by the Oatefmen of all nations, of dispens
ing with internal taxes, when the contrasts of a
government can be made good without them, is
the more ilrikiugly obvious in this country, where
tire dispersed Situation of taxable property, over
an almost immeasurable extent of territory, ren
ders this mode of taxation extremely tedious and
expensive. It has cod 20 per cent to collect the
late Land Tax, and in some quarters the whole
tax would not pay the charges of collection. As
to Offices not wanted by the country, I conceive
no arguments need be adduced to juflify their a
bblition. But a loud hueand cry is raifed^hrough
the country, because the Executive and Senate of
the Union are hot willing to trust all the subor
dinate offices of the administration in the hands of
the enemies of the admihifiration. There is now
a large majority of that description, who hold of
fices under the present government ; but as those
cordially attached to it, would be more likely to
difeharge its duties, with fidelity, than those op
posed to it, and as mal conduct in any of the de
partments would throw an odium on the Execu
tive, his Situation would be unpleasant indeed, if
he could not have some portion of those under
him, who would drive to perform the duties of
their respective Nations, to his Satisfaction, and
riot drive to wound the confidence of the people
in the government while they were eating its
bread..'
Mr. Adams' administration palled its prebation
ary term, Served by fitch friends as he thought
would belt carry its pnrpofes into effect. He ap
pointed Whom he pleased to office, with the con
lent of the Senate, and dismissed whom he pleased
-from office. Nobody doubted the right, or ques
tioned the expediency of exercising it upon that
principle. And there Was more severity in the
performance^ of this right in the (ingle indance of
his difoiffing Mr. Pickering from the office of
Secretary of State, than ir all the instances of re
movals bv Preddent Jefferfon combined together.
But the difficulty was, that although the govern
ment was then admihiflered by the agents of itA
confidence, and Strictly according to it wiflies and
intentions', it was not administered according to
the wishes of those wko had to Support it. The
arguments of those who disapprove of the Presi
dent's conduct, as to appointments and dismissals,
i f just would obviously lefleu his refyonfibility—
IU ought not to be ahf&erable for the mifeon
doCt of those whom he neither appointed, nor
can be allowed todifinifs. But if the noise of op
position Was to frighten him from his duty, of ap
pointing such fuhordinate functionaries, as he
might think v ould conduce the best for the gov
ernment and country, would he be fit for Prefi
net ? Wouldthe opposition be candid enough to
consider this compliance fotheir objeltiohs, as an ex
cuse for any errors that might happen in any of
the departments of the government, from this
cause ?—'Let our present President's administra
tion, while in probation, have a chance, equal to
his predeceffor's=The condari, that was lawful
for the one, surely cannot be unlawfiil for the
other ; but, if this goes too far, let him have a
part of his rights —*if Mr. Adams had all federal
ids under him, let Mr. Jefferfun have feme repub
licans. -
But what fay the few of those, whose services in
the adminiltration again/l the administrations the
Preiideig has thought proper to dispense with, and
determined that if they will labour against the
government, they fnaH not be paid by the gov
ernment for their labour ? What do these men,
who have been so cruelty and unmercifully dea t
with fay ? Their own words are, “ the prefent'
Federal Government is tonduCTed by the mod a
bandbned men; is leading the country, ter ruin ;
and that the principal and inferior managers of
its concerns, will meet the detestation of the pres
ent and fuceeeding ages." Why are these gentle
men so much enraged, at having liberty to retire
from the Jcenes of so much iniquity ? Why do they
call Jo many logging, lingering looks behind, at be
ing expelled from sharing in the duties of a gov
ernment, u bich they Or much abhor, and Whose
flipends they have heretofore declared, were so
disproportionate to the services required, that
men acting merely from pecuniary motives, would
never, accept an office under it. Our ears have
been Punned, aud their Couriers have been loaded
w th encomiums, on this difinterelted patriotism.
Whyare these gentlemen so angry, at this admip
idration's giving them the friendly opportunity,
The Federalists, after having, without effect,
arrogated to themselves all the virtue and Reli
gion of the Nation ; after leng styling themselves
the “ friends of order,"aiid good government ;
and after having advocated, and pursued, meas
ures the molt Quixotic, and extravigamly prodi
gal, in regard to the National character and the
interest of America ; and after becoming the bold
est and most intuiting Dlfdrganizers, by propos
ing, iu the face of the American Public, a Dili
(ion of the United States ; which would inevitably
deffroy the Government :—After having, for a
while fbccefstully, advocated a Standing Army,
an unnecessary Land Tax, useless Embassies to for
eign courts, and Executive multiplication of of
ficers not wanted : After having set up a fvftem of
Terror, Proscription, and the wildest Extrava
gance, still these Federa|hls have the impudence
to continue their irfnlts on the common sense of
the People, by claiming to themfeives exclusive
Economy.
The Truth is, these excinfive friends of Order
and “ Steady Habits," have worn their Virtue
and Religion threadbare ; they have fa often vo
ciferated Jacobin ! jacobin! that the term has
completely loft its cnarm ; its force is now turn
ed aganft them—They have jaded all the other vir
tues, in fiipport of their measures of agrandize
ment, and of Ariffocracy ; and they now would
resort, as a dernier refouffe to earn nth them
selves in the dill further exclusive enjoyment of the
Loaves and Fifties of office, and of the sole man
agement of S T ate affairs, under the popular pretext
of Economy ! But the People will take care for
therfelves; they have been too long deceived
with a found ; they have seen the constitution too
daringly Viojated, and the Rights of Citizens, the
unalienable rights of Republicans, too insultingly
trampled on by the tnries, afty longer to be cheat
ed with their bypocrify, any more to be taken in
by their hollow preventions, which are merely
C'dl Bait, and the Chaff of Federalism aud Briliih
inflnene.
JUDGE, every man for himfelf., •
J< was conceded, in 1799', that there were in the
country, Fecierahfts, whole Federalism extended
beyond Conflitutional limits. The eftablifhnwm
of a semi weekly paper in Boston of a size the lar
ged of any on the continent, to be diriribnted,
without pay, thro' all the States ea:t of the Hudfon,'
was evidence in itfelf, that the prujedors and fup'
porters of a press to be conducted in a manner so
contrary to all precedent, and creating and accu
mulating an expense incalculable to its promot
ers, had fomejery uncommon object in view.
Some wife men,at the time/uppofed it a plan of a
combination of Federalids, ot the description just
mentioned, who, disappointed in the late national
election in the expectation of ever fringing the
whole Union into their views, flill conceived, that
if they could create a division, between the Noch
ern and Southern States, that they could carry
their purposes, with that portion u hom they could
infatuate, and seduce into a federation. But this
supposition at firft did not gain exteufive credit,
from the idea that such a scheme could emanate,
only from the freakifh brains of some weaklieaded
Desperadoes ; that men, whose abilities, as polit
ical fectarifts;were fuffieient to make them dange
rous, would be too confcibus of the impractica
bility of accompli thing the object, to attempt it.
Yer, incredible as it then appeared, it is now gen
erally believed that men, capeble of arranging a
great system, and of persevering, in it, men of
hopes, as bold as the design, have engaged in this
Daring Conspiracy :—And the belief, white it has
added one more to the grades of human villainy,
has weakened the doctrine of general fahatior
it has unhinged even the charitable faith of the U
niverfalid !—But the matter of the paper proves
even more, than the plan upon which it was infli
tuted, or manner in which it is circulated. Who
ever will take the trouble to examine its files,
will observe that the main drift & tenor of its belt
written publications, are to excite the prejudices
of New-England against the Southern States.
There is an unremitting attention paid to this
point, which (hews that the Editors have had their
inttruttions, that this is the great object, to which
their moss ferrous labours are to be devoted. But,
amid long columns in favor of Monarchical and
Hierarchical, and against Republican Governments,
to give the paper an appearance of candour, and
correttnefs of reafon'ing, there are foinetimes fol
kriin arg oments brought forward, With much whin
ing hypocrisy, to contest principles that nobody
advocates, and to maintain propofitionswthat no
body disputes.
(To lie Continued.)
Even the Federalists of New-Hampshire, the
very men who voted a Tay on the People, to lay
out in Bank Speculation ; who railed the Salary
of one fran from One Thonfaud to Twelve Hun
dred Dollars, and then attempted to add three
hundred more rd the film : These very saving
men, or their Aids, tools, underftrappers and em
issaries, are crowding their subsidized, proflituted
Tofy papers, with dissertations on Federal Econ
omy !—What perversion of terms !-= Any man
who will take a curfoy " R trofpecl" of pad Fed
eral Measures, may determine for himfelf, how
high claims these men have to Economy,and Can
dor.
offering their money & rgpotetinn ; Why so indig.
nAnt, because they canriot be implicated in its
& infamy ? Sone apology is due 10 the public , tor
vindicating, acts that need no vindication. The
Federal gazettes are foaming over with tlw ffoth
of Faction —-yet the deligping of that party, who
know itlo be froth, would persuade the weak and
credulous that it is fubStaned. Yet although of
many labored pages of Icortility, that one half c f
them are not read, nor the other half believed
Hill more of this tjafh paries dbw„, ihan is good
tor our peace- Such is the nature of man; that
a very ^probable lie, requires a itreng and u„
fupporicd refutation. . Yet Republicans, cuf&inj
in the natural good sense of the People, arid in the
immense majority, thoughpet the Union, in tavoi
of the wife measures of the government, would
Differ all these bitter overflowing of gall, all these
follies and fadhoods, to pal's unnoticed, were there
not difrernable, in the back.ground, a fcherce
maturing for execution, which ought to excite
general alarm, and which calls for general efforts
to crush an 4, deflroy -wtnd it is not too much to
fay, that the Salvation of New England depends
upon their exertions.'
GULL BAIT:
Or, the CHAFF of FEDERALISM.
From the REPUBLICAN GAZETTE.
Ft Z!:w-Clivers 0/ New Han?,Jhire,
I feel in ccnnion with every thinking
citizen the ferions importance of Union on
the ensuing election ot .a Governor for this
date; and the more I rtfird upon the un
happiness of the relult in the choice of 3
rerfon ehimical to our general government;
the more 1 lament my own inability to in
culcMe the fentimeut of union among ms
teJow-citizens, The federal prints, teem
ing with letters and pieces to excite disunion
is matter ot surprise, in a government con
stituted as ours is, and ought to meet with
public anitnadverfioni It is a most mclan#
choly consideration that mankind are so W
lily milled; that misrepresentation can gairt
ground among them ; and that so few of ui
fix our minds bpon firia, unai fwerable,
pofitivefam § opposite Writers using a!mofl
he fame language and the fa&s themfelfo
left so uncertain. If any instance more
strong tban^nmher could be produced ; let •
us exhibit two papers of the left yeek, the
one the New Hampshire Gazette, the othef
the Oracle, one ligned Stockholder, the 0#
ther Lucius. I have read both these papers,
and advise every citizen iodo the fame ; my
objf& is to get to the truth, to juflify
m)4elf in a very arduous duty to myfelf, my
country, and to polarity, (mote deeply im
plicated in our present Votes on the eleaion
than trifling thinkers are apt to imagine ;)
I therefore fbip myfelf for the moment of
my predilections and my prejudices as calm
ly and coolly as a sincere patriot, and one
that loves bis country can do, and I efk my
lelf to dp juitice to my choice. 'Let us ex
amine these writers, the Stockholder in a
clear, simple, plain uncontr?vert ble argu
ment in a series of proportions, unfolds to
me if I believe him; one of the most daring
att&ilpts in this (late to violate she conftitti
tion ; beat down she rights; and oppress the
citizen, that can be presented to the reafont
or imagination ! and this eft&ed under
pretence of form of law and the fat;&ion of
the legislature ; traced and fixed upon 3 fcw
perfous who influenced another person who
has been your Governors The question with
me then arises; as to the /a^ ; 1 set about
to examine this enormous inroad upon our
liberties, our property and our rights that
ought to be thundered into tht ears of every
citizen “ like Starling in the ears of Mor
timer," till he is aroused to a just sense, and
indignation of his wrongs, and a prompt vin^
dication of his rights ; ''Lucius" in imita
ion of the Stockholder “ hand paffibu#
acquis,"gives you two letters (that he means
r 0 continue) which seem to have been writ
ten on some former occasion brif rather mal
a„r6,os for the moment as we thill fee, ard
the exhibits a variety o \faffs leading to ca
lumniate and aoufe Cot JOHN LANG
DON,uncffential,unimportant ; ft;l[ of an
achronisms to make his faffs apply to vour
prefat choice of him for four Governor;
the most essential and important, ffiall be fe
leded for your awn fair judgment, my ftl^
low citizens,, whose impartiality I entreat
with as much apparent Jmcerity, at bast as
Lucius can do, and beg you will determine
between us.--In the firft place read the
Stockholder with attention to every para
graph,, and -period —read it over and over
again—it will bear it as a specimen of the"
most impressive Ample stile of writing—You
will then he convinced of his fa%---the ea
sier because the evidence is at your own
doors, in your own bosoms, and you need
not travel to Philadelphia and Washington,
for the journals of Congress, as Lucius
would have you. Then read Lucius tilf
you bre sick ; I wont promise you how soon
that will be ; but in my opinion a more ma
licious, malign, deceitful alfend&age of falf
hoods were never crowded together in the
fame fpacc , aud I venture to challenge the
recollection s 'he reader, for the proof of
my aflertiop, it he will take the pains to in
form himfelf ; as an individual ought to do,
before he condemn any man, much less a
person so th orougfily Amiable and truly be
loved as Col. John Langdon. I confefsf
feel a degree of refehtment as a fellow citi
zen, at the audacious-attempt of offering
in seven columns of a newspaper such a load
of inapplicable calumny—-he begins in 3
way that would eXadly suit the stile of a re
commendatory panegyric upon Col. John
Langdon, with a little variation of phrafe^
and if I wanted the common, beaten, hack
neyed phraseology of " Lucius," I would.
use his words in a true, that he fifes in the
fafe sense; he fays " the time is at hand
when yen will be called upon to give your
fuffrages for a chief magnate, it is gene=
rally undeiftood that every exertion will b^
made, I may fav is now making (" 10 Pre
vent the re-election") to secure the 'election
r of " our present" another Governor---as
long as the fubjea of popular elections is
! treated with candor and a fared regard /,
truth-—as long as the character *id conduct
of those in" who ought to be out of, having
been too long in office, and the pretenfionsof
those who “'wifh" deserve to ,be in are ,ex^
amined and impartially webbed the tfeft if *
filOTary, and the public are indebted to those
hr the REr^LICAN LEbcER.