Oracle post — Portsmouth, N.H., 1804-05-15 00:00:00, page 2

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From the Net York ©ail, Advrutizer,
Iddbrncan we gratify the public in a higher degree, thin
by introducing fame work from the pen 'of a celebrated ^
author. Hence Ertrads from European writers are
read with avidity, and relished as a yefy sweet morfcL
But, while foreign works are prised, those from Ameri
can presses, the labours of our own countrymen, neither
are nor should be negle&d. The eocreafing number
of publications on this continent is at once the effea and
evidence of the progtefs of literature. The Rev. Mr
Miller of this city, has lately published the firft part of
“ A Brief R&ofpea of the Eighteenth Century ; con
taining a Scotch of the Revolutions and Improvements
in Science, Arts and Literature, during that period."
In his hiftory of the Sciences, and the authors who chief
ly Contributed to bring them to their present advanced
Bate, Mr. Miller difeovers much judgment and pent'
'tration ; greet feientific knowledge & extensive reading ;
patient rcfearch & accurate diferiminatiou. He poffefa
the happy talents of condensing featured details, and de
lineating with case and elegance the most prominant fea
tures of fubjeds highly interesting. Reviewing.however,
is not our province. We hope a work so replete with in
informationand so well calculated for genereral utility, a
-work,which must havetoft so much labour and investiga
tion will meet with the geuerous reception which it de
serves. For tbe fake of such as can fcarccly afford money
to purchase the work, or leisure to peruse it, we cannot
deny ourselves the pleasure of presenting our readers
with Mr Miller's account of ®ur ms line ; an accountl
equally calculated to afford information and gratify tu-|
xiofity. =o—
POLITICAL JOURNALS.
The method of announcing political events
and the various articles of foreign and domestic
intelligence, which usually engage the attention
of the public, by means of Gazettes or Newspa
pers, seems to have been firft employed in Italy,
as early as the year 1436 (a). It was in that
country that these vehicles of information recei
ved the name of Gazetta, (b) which they have
ever since retained, (c)
The earliest newspaper printed in Great Brit
ian, was " The English Mercuric, by Chriftoph'er
Barker, her highnels's printer," in 1588. But
public prints of this kind, after the dispersion of
the Spanish Armada, seldom appeared. The firft
Tegular weekly newspaper published in that
country was by Nathaniel Butter, in Augusta,
1622, entitled " The certaine Nemes of the present
Weeke." Three years afterwards another of a
similar kind was published. But, during the
civil wars, which took place under the Protecto
rate of Cromwell, these channels of public intel
ligence became more numerous than ever ; and
were diligently employed by both parties to dif
fcminate their opinions among the people. A
bout that time appeared the Mercnriut Aulic^i
the Mercuriar Rufticus, and the Me. cuius Givi
cw,&c. And, it is said, that " when any title
grew popular, it was frequently stolen by some
antagonist, who, by this stratagem, obtained ac
cels to those who would not have received him,
had he not worn the appearance of a friend.
These papers soon became a public nuisance.
Serving as receptacles of party malice, they set
the minds of men more at variance, inflamed,
their refitments intogreater fiercenefs, and gave
a keener and more deftru&ive edge to civil dis
cord. But the convulsions of those unhappy days
leftfew either the leisure, the tranquility, or the
inclination to treasure up occasional or curious
compositions ; and so much Were they neglected
that a Complete collection is now,no where to be
found, and little is known refpeding them" (d)
The earliest British Gazette of which any dif
dnft record remains was that published in 1563,
by Sir Roger L'Eftrange under the title of the
Public Intelligencer. This he continued until the
year 1665, when a kind of court newspaper was
established at Oxford, then thfe feat of govern-<
ment, and issued every Taefday. The frit Bum
& was printed in the month of November ofl
that year, and appears to have superseded Sir
Roger's. Soon after this the court was amov
ed to London, on which the title of the paper
was changed to the London Gazette, the name
which it still bears.
From the middle of the seventeenth century
die employment of newspapers, as channels of
intelligence, became more frequent and popular,
not only inGreat-Britain but also in several other
countries of Europe. Newspapers and pamphlets
were prohibited in England by royal proclama
tion in 1680. At the revolution in 1688, this
prohibition was taken off; but in a few years
afterwards, nefpapers were made the objects of
texation, and were firft damped for this purpose
so 1713. Their number, however, has been
constantly increasing from that period till the
present time. But since the beginning of the eigh
teenth century,this increase particularly in Great
Britain, France, Germany, and America, (e) has
been incredibly great.
Perhaps in no refpeft, and certainly in nooth
er enterprizes of a literary kind, have the Unit
ed States made such rapid progiefs as in the es
tablifhment of politital journals. At the begins
ning of the eighteenth century there was no pub
lication of this kind in the United Colonies. The
firft newspaper printedin America waFthe &T
--ton Netos Letter, begun April 24th, 1704, in the
town whose name it bears, by B. Green. The
a The firft Gazette is said to have been printed at Ve
nice, and to have been published monthly. It was under
the direction of the government,
& The word Gazetta is said by feme ts be derived from
Qaarrra, a magpie or chatterer , by others; from the name
g a little coin, called Gazette, peculiar to the city of Ve
nice, where newspapers were firft printed, and which was
she common price of these periodical publications; while
a third class of critics suppose it to be derived from the
Latin word Gaza, colloquially lengthened into the diminu
tive Gazetta, and, as applied to a newspaper, Signifying a
little ucafury of news. Curiosities of Literature, vol. i. p.
„s.
c Those who firft wrote newspapers were called by the
Italians Menanti ; because, fays Voffius, they intended
commonly by these loofc papers to spread about defamatory
refleaions, and were therefore prohibited by Gregory
XIII. by a particular bull, under the name of Menantes,
ftom the Latin miniates. CurioSities of Literature, vol. 1,
d Johnson's Life of Addison.
, There was no newspaper in Scotland till after the fuc
ceflioo of King William and Queen Mary. At the unton
there were three eftabliffied in that part of the United
Kingdom. In the kingdom of Great- Britain, the whole 1
member of newspaper, printed in the p# 177, was
U,680,000. In 178 s, the number hyl increased to
SOTP9 1 At the d@Of & QU, bhey were #
second wis the Boson &iae,which commented
towards the latter end of she year 1720, by
Samuel Kneeland. The next year a third was
published under the title of the New-England
Courant, by fames Franklin. (/) Between the
last mentioned year and 173°, three other news
papers were published in Boston, though some of
them appear to have been laid aside. As the
firft printing work done in North-America was
executed in Massachusetts, so in that colony the
earliest, and for a number of years, the most
vigorous and fuccefsful exertions were made for
the eftablithment and circulation of political
journals.
The firft newspaper printed in Pennsylvania
was The American Weekly Mercury, b, Andrew
Bradford, the publication of which commenced
December 22, 1719. The firft printed in New-
York, it is believed, was by Wm. Bradford, (g)
October 16th, 1725, Under the title of The New-
York Gazette. The firft paper published in
Rhode-Aland was The Rhode-lfland Gazette, by
James Franklin, bofore mentioned, who began
the publication in Oftober, 1732. The firft in
Connecticut was by James Parker, in 1755 ; and
the firft in New-Hampshire, by Daniel Fowle, in
1756. The periods at which Gazettes were firft i
introduced into the other dates are not fertainly |
known. In 1771, they had increafaho the;
number of twenty-five; and in iSol,fl|th&i ,
one hundred and eighty (A) different n©wfpa-1
pers in different parts of the United Stares.l
It is worthy of remark that newspapers havej
almost entirely changed their form and charac
ter within the period under view, for a long
time after they Were firft adopted asa medium
of communication to the public, they were con
fined, in general, to the mere ftatemmt of fads,
but they have gradually assumed an office more
extensive, and risen to a more important Ration in
society. They have become the vehicles of dis
cussion in which the principles of government,
the interests of nations, tl^ spirit a^d tendency
of public meaftires, and thr public ind private
charaders of individuals ar&ill arraigned, tried,
and decided. Instead, therefore, of being ccn
fidered now, as they once were, of small mb
ment in society, they have become itjmenfe mor
al and political engines, closely coinefted with
the welfare of the Rate, and deeply involving
both its peace and prosperity. Newspapers have
also become important in a literary fiew. There
are few of theta, within thp last twenty years,
which have not added to their poltical details
fotae curious afid ufeful information, bn the va
rious fubjeds of literature, science and art. They
have thus become the means of conveying to ev
ery class in society, innumerable scraps of knowl
edge, which have at once increased the public
intelligence, and extended the taste for perufng
periodical publications; The mfr^fie„fy,more
over which they daily contain, refuting new
books, projects; intentions, difcoverift and im
provements, are well calculated to enlarge atd
enlighten the public mind, and are worth, bf
being enumerated among the man, methods of
awakening and Maintaining the popular attety
tion, with which more modern time, beyond all
prcecdig example, abound.
, James Franklin was the brother of Benjamin Frank
lip, who afterwards became so conspicuous as a man of
Science and a politician. Benjamin was at that time em
ployed as an apprentice in his brother's office, and Contri
buted much to render the Courant popular.
g The family of the Bradford® defcrves to be mentioned
in honorable coniedion with the Greens in tit annals of
American printing. The press of Samuel Green was the
firft introduced into New-England ; and the presses of An
drew and Williani Bradford were, it is believed, the firft
established in Pennsylvania and New-York. 1c is remark
able that there hay been, for mere thin a century past, in
both those families, a constant and refpedable succession of
printers.
^ Os these about fifteen arc daily papers; and supposing
^OOO copies of ech to be printed, the whole number of
copies annually diflribtitul, making due allowance fir Sun
days, &c. will be stoat 4 590,000. The number printed
three times a week is about nine. Os these supposing 800
ropier to be on an average fl ritken off, the amount annually
diAsibused will be 1^80,090. Atout twenty five are
printed twice a week. Os these, allowing 800 copies each
to be the common number sent abroad, the number annu
ally circulated will be 2,660,066. Finally, about one hun
dred and thirty newspapers are printed week),; and allow
ing the number of each poblifhed to be 260, the amount of
this class annually edited will be 5 408,000. So that the
whole number of newspapers annually circulated in the
United States may be climated at thirteen millions and
fevent,-eight thoUfand—For the &of being rather below
than above the mark, fay twelve motions. It will be seen
by comparing this with a preceding note, that while the
population of the United States is not more than one half
if that of Great- Britain,the number of net- (papers circulat
ed in the formes country ma, be estimated at mere than
two thirds of the number publiffied in the latter.
Late Foreign News.
Ladd date: to Marsh 29, tectite! at 80/hd, ^ the fi,r
Warrington and Kingflon, frra Eftgland.
'la*fo*, MUCH 19— With refye& to oen.
Moreau, it appears that the arre ft of Ihis great
man has excited a strong sensation in his favdr,
not only among the people of laris, but fa the
armies. The troops are all on the alert through
out the interior, and the roads are couflantly pa
trolled by the Gendarmerie.
Particulars relative to th Arrefl of Gen. Picbegru.
PARIS, MABCH 2b. — The broker Le Blanc was
the person who betrayed Pichegiu, who occupi
ed in his house, a small room in tie fifth floor,
for which be paid 150,000 livres in the month#
Le Blanc went to General Murat the Governor
of Paris, and offered to inform him rs Piche
gru's place of concealment, and to deliver him
up for iQO,OOO livres (40001. Rerling.) This
sum was promised him. The manner of zrreft
ing him was then fettled. Le Blanc introduced
thegenr d'armes, into the house at night, when
Picnegru was asleep, and gave a key to his room.
As they were informed that Pichegru bad with
him 2 piflols and a dagger, they opened the door
with as little noise as possible, and rushed on hit
bed. Though surprised and alarmed, Piche#
gru condnded himfelf with the greatest vigor,
and in a manner that even his enemies were forc
ed to esteem his doura^e and pity his misfortunes.
He jumped out of ^ bed* i& and without
arms ; knocked down targens de eram & tty'
waft unable to hold him, although fixin num
ber. He almost choaked two, in pushing them
against the chimney ; a third he (truck so Wrong
ly upon the breast, that he yet spits blood ; and
the fourth he pinched in the arm with fetch
strength that the gens de armes cried out, "if you
do not let me loose, I will (hoot yon through the
head." With the loss of part of the Flesh, he
got loose, and PichegfUekclaiMed, “ Fire rascal,
and you (hall receive a sword of honor." At last
he was obliged from fatigue to capitulate—and
surrender himfelf upon condition of not being
tied or chained. He was however wounded in
the head, and on the shoulders, and had loft a
great deal of blood. In dredlng himfelf he de
clared, that if he had not been deprived of his
arms, he fliould not have fallen into their hands.
He was afterwards carried before the Counfel
lor of State and Police Director, Real, and un
derwent a long examination. Bonaparte had
ordered the gens 'd armes to take him alive, and
they were all fit picked men. Upon Real a(k
ing who he was ? Pichegru answered " I am
known enough." Where do you come from ?"
"From England." "In what mantier ?' "Id
I a fliip, not a balloon." " Where did you land ?"
I" At Dieppe." " Who brought you here ?"
1", Nobody ; I came here by myfelf." " Were
!you not accompanied by your accomplices." " I
i ath no criminal, and therefore have no accom
-Iplices." "Do you know Moreau ?" "Yes."
j " Have you seen him ?" " After what has hap
pened between us,'l could only fee him With arms
in my hands." " Have you seen Georges ?"
" Yes, the Royllift ; but not the supposed assas
sin Georges." " But Georges has more than
once plotted the death' of the Fist Consul ?" I
" So fays Buonaparte; Georges fays the con-;
trary. I believe the latter more humane and
honest than the former, arid his words art there
fore more to be depended Upon." " With what
view did you come to Paris ?" " To Call Md
reau to account for his conduft in <7^7." After
these and some other questions, he was sent to the
Temple, where Moreau is shut up in one of the
dungeons.
Extract rs a private letter froth Paris, dated the
2 S^ °f Feb. 1804.
"It is aftouifhing what universal displeasure and
dismay the. arrest of Moreau has occasioned in
Paris, and indeed throughout France ; no one
believes him capable of conspiring against the
country. Moreau's brother, after the glorious
display of generous and fraternal feeling he man
ifefted in the Tribunate, was arrested for fair he
Ihould have an opportunity of exerting himfelf
in the General 'a behalf; and even Madam Mo
reau 2nd the rest of the family have been put
in ConAnement." ———
Moyeau to Buonaparte.
& Ntodtot t. Main, Yentofe An XII No. IT, dr Paris
March , I&>4| contains rohat follow/.
" The letter which We now publish, has been circulated all
over Park for this week, and triany thousand copies have
been sent into the Departments. We reprint it, howev
er, that Foriegfiers may read what this moment excites
so math inters in France; It is addressed to " Mon
sieur Bonaparte,the First Cofiful, by Citizen Moreau the
Vidor of Hohcnliden, now a close Prisoner in the
Temple.
" to MOM3IEUR bonaparte, tfti first consul."
" From the Dungeon of the temple Ventoje xotb, 7
Tear Xil. March 1, 1804,j
Sir,
“ SINCE your ambition requires more viaims,
strike, but do not calumniate thole you butcher.
Wade in the blood of innocence, but spare honour
in taking away life.
''lf you e*pea from me the supplicant's peti
tion, read no farther. In this dungeon, where your
tyranny has plunged me, I am more elevated than
you upoU your ulurped throne. So fa, all just men
of m, contemporaries, and future ages will
confirm their sentence. No Sir, on the borders
of eternity Icall you to an /account for your
treafonagainft my country & against myfelf. Do you
remember our'mutual agreement on the Bth Nov.
1,99 ' Talleyrand, Sieyes, and Le Fevre were pre
feofc — I promised to die by your tide in the attempt
of removing the Diredoridt tyrants. You (wore to
eftablifli a Government, not depending u/oa the life of
one individual, not tyrannical, but firm,liable, andlib
eral: bellowing freedom on Frenchmen, and wor.
*y 0 obtain, by gratitude from foreign nations that I
confide nee and efleem, which your predictflorsand
yourfelf have commanded by the dre^d of four
bayonets. When I Shortly afterwards went to head
armies—disorganized and defeated—your last words
were : —' L know,our love of, our country ;be vifiohous
and France Jhall force admiration, even from her rivals
andjoes b, the liberty fie enjoys at ho%e, and b, she gfn
oofo, ts her external negociatiens ." How l^rc you
fulfilled these great promihs? how have you respec
ted these oaths ? In ny degraded country, I fee
outlying but cringing slaves and proud tyrants ; bate
placemen & infamous (pies. Every where in Eu
rope, son Sial,to tefoff™ ' & ^ B ova
eminent are alike feared and detested. Deny thole
fads if you can ! Yoh have long followed the ex
ample of Sylla the triumvir imitate for a month on
ly, Sylla, the private citizen, and you shall be con
vinced, that the compliments of felfifli and iofeved
princes prove no more the ftandnd of merit in a
.governor r than the flattery of vile courtiers, or the
praise of corrupted counfeUors.
But at this will probably be the last time that
you will hear from me, confider what 1 now tell
you not as the envious declamation of an imprison
ed rival general, but as the genuine effufion of the
mind of a dying patriot, who forgives his death and
your ingratitude. You pretend that my country,
meh are happy, and fatisfied with your govern
ment. Let it be so, though Saves can have no o
pinion, or at least dare not express one. But you
are mortal as well as myfelf. If you Ipve French,
men, let not their happiness depend upon.your life.
You have too much lente not to know that, with
you, the Consulate for life will expire in the Bona,
forte family ; and other pretenders of other upstart
families combat for, annihilate, or occupy a consu
lar throne, of only some few years Landing. As
to your right of appointing a tucceffor in your wi#,
remember that Louis XIV. the royal defendant of
fifty kings, was, after a reign of upwards of three
score year,, not five minutes a corpse before Ms
will was overturned ; a will approved by the Frm-
ces of the blood, registered iff Ms Parliamefif, and
applauded by all his courties ; and that the Duke
of Maine was shut up as a prifooe: when he ex
peded to rule as a Regent.
"To prevent our children and grand children
from fuffering the wretchedness of their forefath
ers, by turns tormented by anarchy, or crushed by
tyranny ; and from witneffog those feenes of hor
ror, terror, and scandal, we have seen ; recall the
legal heir to the throne of France, and limit sever
ally bis authority : make him a King but not a
Despot. Such was the plan of Pichegru, of my
lelf, and of Georges : and with 'his plan your pre
servation was necessarily connected, because we
wanted your fortune, your talents, and your rank,
as well as our own lervices, so warch the reign of
a foreigner who, though misfortunes may have
made him prudent, fufferings liberal, and gratitude
just; may, by relatives less patriotic than himfelf,
be tempiM to extend his power.
" I M, your Grand Judge and his horde of
fpics to prove anything contrary to this assertion-
My wife, my mother in law, and my brother;
know nothing of this loyal undertaking. I should
regard the day bf my death with greater fatisfaaion
than those of my triumphs, could I but hope that
it served to make my country flourishing, my fel
low citizens free and prosperous, and worthy of
liberty and profperit,: "MOREAU."
, „_QQ
We ate favored with the following letter for publication
and pc doubt ho&the reader will peruse it with interest,
as it contains a more particular account of the develop
ment of the late conspiracy in France,than any which we
have yet seen. Knowing the source whence it corner,
and placing full reliance in the intelligence and integrity
of the writer, we give it to the public with great confi
dence, that the Statement is as corred as any informa
tion, obtained by a private gentleman would allow.
, [United States Gaz.
Paris Febuary 28, 1804.
Before this can reach yob, you will have heard
of the plot to assassinate the Fitg Consul, and of
the different persons that have been arrefled, among
Which Moreau and Pichgru are the most distinguish
ed. The discovery of the plot, as related to me
some time since, is curious ; therefore,! will relate
it to you, though I am not fond of meddling witty
politicks, orany of the affairs of government.
The police of this country; you know, is ver,
exaft, Specially in time of war. A number of
fufpiciotts charaaers were, from time to time, late
ly arrested. After interrogating them, and nothing
criminal appearing against some fifteen or sixteen
persons, the Grand Judge gave the lift to the First
Consul and proposed to liberate them. The First
Consul desired the Judge to c^H the next morning
for his answer. On looking over the nameq, and
reflecting on the report, firing suspicion arose in
the mind of Bouaparte, and when the grand judge
called in the morning for the answer, he expressed
doubts of tbeit innocence. He again looked over
the ! ft, and marked the names of fix persons whom
he desired to be put on their trial. Out of these
fa'ttooe toe condemned by the tribunal to be Shot.
On the morning of the day of execution, one of
these three desired to be beard, and he would make
ulrful difeoveries. This was regarded' only as a
feint to prolong his life for a day arid accordingly
refufed. He urged that a letter might be delivered
from him to the goverriour of Paris, which was
co Afented to; and in oonfequence of this letter the
execution of this man was directed to be delayed
until further orders.——The other two were fho&
Thegovernor (hewed this letter to this First Cort
ful who direaed, that the man (hoold be heard, and
if his discovery should be worth attending to, bis
execution delayed for a further time; otberwifq
that it should take place the next day. The con.
sessions of this convict led to the discovery of the
whole plot, and probably have laved the life of the
Consul. It would be too tedious to detail the
many plans which appear to have been laid. Geor
ges it is certain, had lodged at the PaLce, and, in
the charaaer of woodcarrier, had been twice in the
pppartment of Madam Bonaparte. He informed,
that a frigate would appear off such a place, and
if such signals were made they would be answered
by such as would inform whether they had other
twenty conspirators on board, and others to inform
whether they would land them or not. T^e sig
nals were made a,d answered, that they would
land as soon as the weather would permit, and
probably they are taken before this. Georges has
not yet been taken, but he cannot escape. Thera
are, it is said ? about sixty others in and about Paris;
so, you fee, the plot has been very extensive.
Should the trial of Moreau and Pichegru be pub
lidled, I will fend you a copy by the firft vessel for
New. York or Philadelphia. 1 saw but little chance
for peace before this ; at present I fee none; such
attempts watarally tend to destroy them. Perhaps,
however, there may be one chance for peace : re.
ports are that the King of England is again attacked
with infani,, and it is also said that he is dead : if
so, the Prince of Wales, on coming to the throne,
may make overtures for peace, and throw off the
present ministers otherwise calculate for a war as
long as England can support it.
By the latest Mails.
Washington, APRIL 30.
To facilitate to claimants under the ,ch a-tide of the
treaty with Great Britan the recept of their monies in in
flaßceain which they have not constituted the public ,
gent in London their fpeeial attorney, it has been thought
prefer to draw to the United States all such monies of the
above description as may not be drawn from him by the
individiduals themfclves prior to the ill of September nest.
The Agent is accordingly intruded to cease paying theni
after that date, but after the ift of November next, the,
will be again payable at the City of Washington to those
who have right, or to their attornies dul, authorifed.
Da,&tmextfState, Afesil 28, 1804
R ichmond(Virg) April 2
COUNTERHI'S
On llw iffh infl. Thomas Logwood, of ^utL
inghain county, a man of considerable wealth
was apprehended inth^city, for counterfeiting &
States Bank notes. Severalvl the notes we under.-
fend were found on him, and on his examination
before the M/giftra^, (efficient evidence appered,
to induce them to cnmmi shim to jail, to take bis
trial at the next circuit court of the United State#
to be held for this Diftrift.
An eiptcfs was immediately fimt off ty the Est
cutive to Logwood's house, where counterfeit pa
per to the amount of eighteen iboufand eight bun
dreJJoUQ^fo a number of bale Eaglet, Double