The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1800-06-03 00:00:00, page 1

The Republican Ledger.
PORTSMOUTH, (NEW-HAMPSHIRE) PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY GEORGE JERRY OSBORNE, jun. MULBERRY LANE, NEXT DOOR TO ROUSSELET's MUSEUM.
NUMBER 42 vol. I.] TUESDAY, JUNE 3, 1800. [1 dol. 50 cts. per annum.
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" WHEN YOU SHALL THESE DEEDS RELATE, SPEAK OF THEM AS THEY ARE ; NOTHING EXTENUATE NOR SET DOWN OUGHT IN MALICE."
©e ^w^ Hnbceto.>
Truth is not to be fyoken at all times.
Proverbs.
A 9 there have been several mistakes re
fyeaing the chara&er of a liar, I think
it my duty to offer the reader my sentiments
on this fubjed. I Should be exceedingly
furry that all liars were such nefarious peo
ple, as is generally supposed, that they
Should be excluded from hereafter mercy. —
What then would become of the Merry An
drew, who has frequently for the fake of
fun told Rories, void of all truth— but there
are many degrees of liars ; and I hope to
prove, in the course of this treatise, that a
liar may l*e indifputeably, an honest, noble,
and benevolent character.
The wretch who is prone to defamation,
and with wanton slander, murders even the
characters of the just—this is the liar which
is to be dreaded —this thediac who is a pest
tofociety—and yet these liars too generally
pass unnoticed, while these who are only in
duced by wit and good humour to deal in
the marvellous, and tell a wonderful good
story, notwithstanding all the entertainment
they contribute, are, whenever detected in
their jokes, repayed with severe censures &
reprimands. Yet for my ownfake, I mull
defend those characters, and therefore insist
upon it, that conversation would tfery often
become tedious and insipid, did not these
gentlemen, who are certainly authotifed by
the liberties which Apollo granted to the
poets, to introduce now and then their plea
sant little anecdotes, more remarkable tor
their wit than truth ; or by the roguery of
a pun, to deceive an auditor, and make him
in the repetition pf it the liar. This We
had an inßance of Tome time ago ; when an
arch wag who wanted fun, determined to;
create some by relating a firaple truth ; ac
cordingly he met a stock-broker, and refolv-;
ing to alarm him, exclaims With a serious
face, "by the L—d such-a-one's Bank is
Ihut'np." Theterrified broker not consi
dering it was Sunday, when every, bank.
be foot ; went about, declaring that
it was broke. Consequently an adion of
damages, proved thrit be was the liar, & not
the wa^ ; and which was to blame ? Cer
tainly the broker, whose Rapidity of faced
ous lies it may be urged, that if such were ,
prohibited, our libraries would be exceed
ingly dull and scanty; for what arethe ma-.
jority of novels, plays, poems, &c. but in
fenious inventions for the entertainment of
the public. Surely then the authors are
more to be commended then upbraided.
Why Should we censure any thing won
derful and ridiculous. When ^fop of for
mer days, was revered for the wonderful
tongues he gave birds, beasts, nay even trees
and things inanimate —if it be no Shame to
tell a lie about a cock and a bull- I
am fore the most wonderful! story in the
Wonderful Magazine, deserves our, atten
tion, and if the author receives no praise
forthe veracity thereof—there is certainly !
some due for the invention. Instead of such;
writers or speakers being condemned for
their lies (if they arc lies) they merit every,
commendation for their wit and fancy—be-;
ing wonderful men, and able to tell goodflories.
When a child tells a lie out of apprehen
sion of being deteded in some naughty deed
that he is sure of being whiped for ; the pa
rent chastises him—this is very proper—but
how often —I bluth to remark it, does $ that
parent, by example, encourage the child in
what he is checked for. I have frequently
heard the mother threaten to fend for Raw
bones or the Fee-saw-sum gentleman, & such
like, terrifying the little foul by lies of the
greatest magnitude—for I deem them wicked
lies which have an evil tendency,
Those trifling fibs, which are known by
'the name of white lies, are unavoidable. I
defy the most religious people in the vt drid
to avoid telling those lies. Good manners
will not permit us to speak our minds blunt
ly and candidly. Support a person we dis
like, invites us to dinner—whose company
wedo not chufe to keep—we fetioufly assure
him we are engaged, notwithstanding ve
dine at home or go to a tavern at our own
expence—for it would found exceedingly odd
should we return such curtefy with-1 won't
—in(tead of I ca#7— I dont Like you—l hate
YOU. .
" I now intend to prove th^t a liar may be
a most amiable charader-this may.fem
at firft. a very audacious undertaking, bdt
even you, reader, I hop, will acknowledge,
that 1 am just in my opinion.
Suppose a man secretly entertains in his
house a friend—Or a stranger—who being
embarrassed, is under great afflictions —if a
bailiff call, and the host not only declares up
on his honour, that he is not at home, but
also affirms that he went yesterday to the
country, and by a repetition of these lies,
day after day, screens his unhappy guest
from the base power, of a merciless Creditor
whe/e is the fin in such lies i —fin !no —
there is generosity—there is true friendlhip,
but because it is so scarce, the chataaer of
of an honest liar is partly unknown.
“ Truth is not to be spoken at all times"
was a proverb of old days—and theancients'
verified it by frequenty proving that decep
tions were of the greatest utility—many a
life has been preferred by a falfehood—ma
ny a scoundrel reclaimed by an artful tale—
be it then for the future understood—what
liars should be Hetefted—what liars enter
tained as wits, and what commended for
their good intentions. But let us not precis
pitately censure all of this description, as se
rious co ^deration must convince us they do
not all deserve it.
EXTRACTS FROM
^r. fox's ^pmb,
In the Britijb Houje 0/ Commons, on the third
day of February laJL
The reader will okferve in this Speech many
curious fafls, such as the behaviour of the
British at Naples, that of Lord Harvey to
the Grand Duke of Tuscany, the method of
promoting an Irijb Union, &c. ISc.
HE objected, in like manner, to all the
pretended and hyprocritical sensibilities, a
bout which we had made such parade ; if
w>knew any thing of the genuine doctrines
of chrittianity, there was not to be found in
the New-Tettament, the rule the sentiment,
the juftification of a war for the cause of
religion. It was blasphemous impiety and
hypocrisy, to presume to call war by such a
name. Nor would it be possible for any
war to be concluded, if nations were inceff
'antly to recur to the firft cause. He had .
lately Inet, in reading, an account of a bat
tle between two nations, in which almost all
the combatants, on both sides, were killed ;
and it was said to be owing to this, that tho'
they had, offenfive weapons on both sides,
they had none for, defence. So, in this war
:of words, if reproaches only are to be used,
and nothing conciliatory, the war will be e
ternal. It the attrycious conduct of the
French was to be noticed, must we not also
refer to the Attrocities of our allies ? The 3
powers which confederated against Poland,
and annhilated that independent people,were
all our allies, for this war of social order ;-
and if Buonaparte was not to be treated
! with on account of the cruelties of his con
du&, what ffiould we fay of leaguing with
the General who committedthe indiferimi
nate horrors at Warsaw ? that worthy man,
" who exceeded the other in discipline as
much as in virtue !" If their trampling on
the weak powers was a crime, did it not al
so belong to us and to the allies i Was it
not his relation, Robert Fitzgerald, who
firft invited the Swiss to depart from their
neutrality 1 The pretended letter from Lord
Hervey to the Grand Duke of Tuscany had
been denied, but he believed that there was
certain ground to believe that he went into
the Grand Duke's tlofet, laid his watch up
on the table, and peremptorily, demanded
that he/nould, in a certain number of min
utes, dismiss the French minister, and the
French people. Lord Hervey was recal
led, but, was the principle recalled ? Did it
not drive him into unwilling war? The
conduct of Mr, Drake to Genoa was the
fame. The pertidity of the French to the
Venetians was atfejjous, but it had been
justly asked by his honorable friend, was
not the receiver as bad as the thief ? The
condu4 of Austria jn this instance remind
ed him of the pretext for the slave trade—' I
lid not make this father of family, this son,
this brother, a slave ; I bought him with
my money ; I did not entice him away, ei
ther by witchcraft or sorcery of any kind,
but I gave a quid pro quo. So the emperor
may fay —," I bought these people in the
way of trade ; I deliver over half a million
# rf human beings into slavery in another
place—this is my indemnity ;" and this;
said Mr. Fox, ought to be one of the chief
;and mod crying objections to the War, for
in this horrible traffic in human flefh, white
and black, there has been more of this scan
-1 dal committed, arid it leads to this diabolic
^^-^^^±— =——=———=-- —-————--
al outrage more than any other war that ev
exifted. He then answered the argument,
that France had roused all Europe against
her by her crimes. Have you not (said he)
then, succeeded in roofing any part of Eu
rope by your money, by your sedition ? It
argues little for your address, if you have
not, but I dare fay the truth lies between
you—between their crimes and your mon
ey the rage has been excited. Did France
assail Russia; Has the Magnanimous Paul
taken the field for religion and social order,
on account of personal outrage ? He has de
clared himfelf grand master of Malta, not
wiihftanding that his religion is as opposite
to our's to the faith of the knights ! And
what is his conduct to Denmark and to
Spain ! He then animadverted on the differ-;
ent attempts at negociation which had been
made in 1796 and 179,7, and particularly
reasoned on Mr. Pitt's assertion, that he ap- ;
prehended danger from, the success of the
negotiation ; but it wasAhe unequivocal 0-
pinion of the people of England at jhat time :
that they ought to treat.^
Mr. Fox then drew a most animated pic
"ture of the horrors and murders perpetrated
at Naples, which was said to be delivered.
There, if he is right informed, the very
fiefh of their viaims was devoured By the
friends of social order and morality ; and in•
no instance was the treaty observed which
promised fafety and the Security of property
to what we called the patriots: as this trea
ty is said to have been signed and guaran
teed by a Brinlh officers he hoped and trott
ed it would be particularly enquired into &
that this foul stain should be washed away
from the British name; a Rain that in black
nefs could rival any that resulted from the
attrocities of the French revolution. When
were these horrors to cease ? Were they to
be ascribed to ambition, to the lust of pow
er, to a spirit, of aspiring domination ? No;
e motives were of engetic hue, when
compared with those which instigated those
horrors. They were those of revenge, ha
tred, animosity, and rancour, and of every
foul passion that leads to the extinction of
civilization of and humanity. These, how
ever, were not to be checkedin their desola
ting progress till the Bourbons are restored.
We had before boasted of fuccefsful cam
paigns, we were repeatedly told of the cap
ture of Valenciennes, Quefnoy, Coude, &c.
&c. which prepared some gentleman for a
march to Paris ; But (till more Sanguinary
hopes of success were now conceived than
at that period' :Where .then was the ex-
Ipeaationof peace ? Since success leads on
:ly to war^he war may now be egpeaed
;to be endl^ ; Good God! what a lamenta
ble profpea was this for the country —for a
mere (peculation or rather experiment, we
are to perfitt in (pilling the blood, in ex
hausting the country, and (welling the back
Catalogue of human miseries and all this
that we pause, and for what ? That wemay
better afeertain the charader of an individ
ual, or the probable liability of his power.
F« this ara^l the horrors of human carn-I
age to beflfcaaed. What difference be
tween a battle of Bienheim, or example!
We then fee that we bravely fought to cure
the ambition of Louis XIV. but if it be now
enquired why we expire and spread defolu
tion around them, life that spread thro' the
Palatine by that zain angro, ambitious mo
narch, it is not because we are but merely
to pause & pause in war, not in peace, in
order to fee whether we may not meet with
a better than Buonaparte to treat with.--
That individual profeffes to deGre peace ;
you refufe to found the sincerity of his pro
feffions, while you secretly entertain a reso
lution to carry on the war, too odious, too
determined, too ruinious to be openly avow
ed. Yet you sued for peace in 1796, be
cause the people ex pressed an anxiety foi
the return of peace. Are they now as anx
ious, as folicitious as they were then? Most
certainly they are. But such have been the
alterations made in the conffitutlon, that
means are left them for manifesting their
anxiety and solicitude! Formerly minifteß
crouched before the veil of the nation-—now
they pay riot the least deference to the voice
of public opinion. Mr. Fox concluded by
repeating Ids wilh tba| &CT *r° would
have voted for the address in case ministers
had accepted the overtures of the enemy,
<fyould now vote in reprobating the reje&ion
of them ; apdthat those only would vote
for the present address, who would have
opposed that which recommended immefr
ate negociation. ™
<BWW«IimiMWMM«W»«^^
The question was then loudly called for;
when the house divided,
For the Address, 265
Against it 64 r
Majority - —-201
REMARKS on the charges against Mr. Jeffer
son, as an enemy to Religion, in anJwer to 4
writer tn that paper with the-signature of Por
tius, in whsch his malicious charges are proved
to be unfounded,
SIR,
IT is the fault of many, that in reasoning
they reduce consequences from things which
do not exilt in fa&, and assume positions un
supported by argument, or least shadow of
foundation. In this there is one or two
things in view, either to Support a favorite
opinion at all events, or purposely to mislead
the unwary and diferiminating mind. If
neither of these is the case, ignorance or at
least inattention, must be attached to the
person who endeavours to fopport his prow
positions in this manner ; to one of these
only can such a mode of conduct be attribut
ed.
Your firft proposition (the only one I (hall
notice) is " that Mr. Jefferfon, has (hewn
himfelf an enemy to religion for which our
fathers left their native land, &c." This
is Rated in such an indirect manner that
while you raise a bare presumption of the
fad, the mind is led to adopt in its fulleft
extent, and to attach all that criminality to
the Man which such an allegation, if fully
supported and proved, might completely juf
tify. Happy amd that while you and your
party continually make assertions and remain
fatisfied with them, the character of Mr.
Jefferfon can never fuffer from them or re
ceive that injury from their publication
which their authors intend, and which will
soon fettle upon their own heads : for being
but mere inventive, the effe&s of malevo
lence or of party spirits, and the foggeftions
ofa mistaken zral when passion subsides &
reason refomes her sway, their authors will
feel all that shame and disgrace which this
conduct will ever insure. It is plain that
your assertions ar&piedicated upon the idea
of Mr.Jefferfon's being raised to the Chief
# Magistracy. If this is not the case, why
have you been thus supine, thus supine, thus
neglectful of your duty ? Why have you
not held him as an object of detestation and'
reproach !'lf this is the case, do you not
know that our constitution does not require
or admit any religious test or criterion ? Ltit
I Sir^prove your aHertion, and Mr. Jefferfon
;is the I,aft man that I should beivillirig to fee
I placedin that important Ration, because I
believe that a man divested of Moral obli-
I gation or who, has discarded the principles
of our holy religion, cannot be influenced
by integrity or conscience ; the latter being
.the natural consequence of recovering alt
their bias from the former. But Sir, from
what source do you derive your information
that Mr. Jefferfon will thus be railed to tmT
Chief Magistracy ! But you need not an
swer this ' question. The idea was held
forth long before the eledion took place, &
as I believe to answer the purposes and ends
of your party. His chi faaer was painted
in its blacked colors, (colors which favor of
as dard minds) before a justification of it,
was asked for, or before the least reason
could exist for it, save only the one already
mentioned. ALPHONSO.
From the AURORA.
THE diforganifed R,te of the anti-repub
lican party, at their departure from this city
is scarcely describable. The Caucus at
Reed's was a feene of uncommon agitation.
The difficulty of fixing upon men whose
public and private characters were not open
to teptoach or fofpicion was confeffed -
Mr. Jay was rejeded on account of the
Britiih treaty and the fall of the Hamiltoni
an influence, Eltfworth's law licentious
ness was too odious to obtain him a vote
South of the Connecticut river. It was the
prevailing opinion however, that Mr. Ad
ams should not be supported, and Mr. Gocd
hue declared that he would^prefer Mr. Jef
|ferfon ; in this opinion two others joined.
We have not heard their names. A few,
however, were found Ready to Mr. Adams,
a few objected Wholly to Timothy Picker
ting who was, however, supported by a large
; majority of the Caucus.
Jacob Read maintained that it would &
expedient to put up Gen. C. C. Pinckney,
I in order to divide the Southern States, and