Republican ledger, and Portsmouth price current — Portsmouth, N.H., 1802-12-21 00:00:00, page 2

AS Congrels is on the point pf meeting, the
public papers will neceffardy be occupied with the
debates of the enfiiing Seffioth, and in cotrfetfuence
of my long absence from America, my private
affairs require my attendance (for it is necessary
1 do this or 1 could not preserve as I do my Inde
pendence: I shall close my addrels to the public
with this letter.
I congratulate them on the fiiccefs of the late
elections, and that with the additional confidence
that while honest men are chosen and wife measures
pursued, neither the treason of rpodacy, masked
under the name of federalifm, ot which I have
spoken in my second letter, nor the intrigues of
foreign emiffdries,acting in concert with that mafic,
can prevail.
As to the licentiousness of the papers calling
themselves federal, a name that apoltacy has
taken, it can hurt nobody but. the party or the
persons who support those papers. There is natur
ally a wholesome pride in the public mind that
revolts at open vulgarity. It feels itfelf diflionour
ed even by hearing it, as a chaste woman feels dis
honour by hearing obfenity the cannot avoid. It
can smile at wit, or be diverted with Ilrokes of
satirical humour, but it detelb the blackguard.
The fame sense of propriety tbit governs in private
companies, governs in public life. If a man in
Company runs his wit upon another it may draw
a smile from the persons prefait, but as soon as he
turns a blackguard in his language the company
gives him up, and it is the fame in public life. The
event of the late elections filers it be true ; for in
proportion as those papers have become more and
more vulgar and abnfive, the elections have gone
more and more againftthe party they support or
that supports them. Their pTedeceffor, Porcupine
had wit. These scribblers have none. But as toon
as his blackguardism (for it is the proper name of
it) outrun his wit, he was abandoned by every body
but the English Minister thatproteffed him.
The Spanifli proverb fays, " there never was a
cover large enough to hide itfelf," and the proverb
applies to the case of those papers and the Shattered
remnant of the faction that Lapports them. The
falfehoods they fabricate, and the abuse they circu
culate, is a cover to hide something from being
seen, but is not large enough to hide itfelf. It is
as a tub thrown out to a whfile to prevent its at
tacking and finking the vefleL They want to draw
the attention of the public from thinking about or
enquiring into the measures of the last administra
tion, and the reason why fa much public money
was railed and expended. And so far as a lie to
day, and a new one to-morrow, will answer this
purpose it will answer theirs. It is nothing to
them whether they believed or not, for if the ne
gative purpose be answered the main point is ans
wered to them.
to blow up a flame between the two countries ;
and so intent were they upon this, that they went
out of their way to accomplish it. In a letter
which the secretary of Bate, Timothy Pickering,
wrote to Mr. Skipwitb,the American consul at
Paris, he broke off from the official fobjett of his
letter to thank God in very exulting language, that
the Ruffians hadcut the French army to pieces ,
.Mr. Skipwith, after flawing me the letter, very
prudently concealed it.
It was the injudicious and wicked acrimony of
this letter, and tome other like conduct of the then
secretary of (fare, that occhfioned me, in a letter
to a ftteild in the government, to fay, that if there
was any official butinefs ro be done in France, till
a regular minister thoulj be appointed, it could
not be trofled to a more proper person than Mr.
Skip With. "Heis,faid I, (< an honefl man, and will
do bufnejs, and that with good manners to the gov
ernment he is commissioned to all with. A faculty
.which that BEAR Timothy Pickering wanted, and
which the BEAR of that BtAR John Adams, never
puffed."
In another letter to the fame friend in 1797,and
which was put unsealed under cover to Colonel
Burr. Texpreffed a fatishftion that Mr. Jefferfon,
fin e he was not president, had accepted the vice
•prHidencv, “for," said I, “ John Adams has fitch
a talent for blundering and offending, it will be
necessary to keep an eye over him." He has now
sufficiently proved, that, though I have not the
spirit of prophecy, I have the gift of judging right.
And all the world knows, for it cannot help know
ing, that to judge rightly, and to write clearly,
and that upon all fcrts of fubje&s ; to be able to
command thought, and, as it were, to play with
jt at pleasure, and be always master of one's tem-1
per in writing, is the faculty only of a serene mind,
and the attribute of happy and philosophical tem
He that picks your pocket always tries to make
you look another way. Look, fays he, at yon
man t'other fide the flreet- —what a note he has
got !—Lord yonder is a chimney on fire ! D'ye
fee yon man going along in the salamander great
coat? That is the very man that stole one of Ju
piter's satellites and fold it to a countryman for a
gold watch, and it set his breeches on fire. Now
The man that has his hand in your pocket does not
care a farthing whether you believe what he fays
or not. All bis aim is to prevent your looking at
him ; and this is the case with the remnant of the
federal faftion. The leaders of it have imposed
upon the country, and they want to turn the at
tention of it from the fubjeft.
In taking up any public matter, I have never
made it a consideration, and never will, whether
it be popular or unpopular, but whether it be
right or wrong. The right will always become
popular, if it has courage to shew itfelf, and the
ihorteft way is always a fright line. I despise ex
pedients ; they hre the gutter-hole of politics,
and they fink where reputation dies. In the pre
sent case, as in every other, I cannot be accused of
using any : and I have no doubt but thousands will
hereafter be ready to fay, as Governeur Morris said
to me, after having abused me pretty handsomely
in Congress, tor the opposition 1 gave to the frau
dulent demand of Silas Deane, for two hundred
thousand pounds tterling— Well ! we were all
duped, and I among the rest.
Were the late administration to be called upon
to give reasons for the expence it put the country
to, it can give none. The danger of invation was
a bubble that served as a cover to raise taxes a d
armies to be employed for some other purpose.
But it the people of America believed it true, the
cheerfulnefs with which they supported those mea
sures and paid those taxes, is an evidence of their
patriotism, and if they supposed me their enemy,
though in that supposition they did me injustice, it
was not injuflice in them. He that afts as he be
lieves, though he may aft wrong, is not conscious
of wrong.
But though there was no danger, no thanks are
due to the late administration for it. They fought
aromas paine,
To the Citizens of the United States.
LETTER th, .FOURTH.
peranee. The feelers, who know me not, and
who fill their papers with paragraphs about me,
'betides their w ant of talents, drink too many flings
and drams in a morning, to have any chance with
me. But, poor fellows ! they muff do something
for the little pittance they get from their employ
ers. This is my apology for them.
My anxiety to get back to America was great
for many years. It is the Country bf thy heart,
and the place of my political and literary birth.
It was the American revolution that made me an
author, and forced into action thepind that had
been dormant, and had no with for public life, nor
has it now. By the accounts I received, she ap
peared to me to be going wrong, and that some
meditated treason against her.liberties lurked at
the bottom of her government. I heard that my
friends were oppressed, and I longed to take my
standing among them, and if other “ times to try
men's fouls" were to arrive, that I might bear my
Ihare. But my efforts to return Here ineffectual.
As soon as Mr. Monroe had made a good stand
ing with the French government, for the conduit
of his predecessor had made his reception as minis
ter difficult, he wanted to fend dirpatches to his
own government by a person to whom he could
confide a verbal communication, and he fixed his
choice on me. He then applied to the committee
Os Public Safety, for a pa flport ; but as I had been
voted again into the convention, it was only the
convention that could give the passport ; and as
an application to them for that purpose would
have made my going publicly known, I was oblig
ed to fuflain the disappointment, and Mr. Monroe
to lose the opportunity.
When that gentleman left France to return to
America, I was to have gone with him. It was
fortunate I did not. The vessel he failed in was
visited by a British frigate, that searched every part
of it and down to the hold, for Thomas Paine. I
then went, the fame year, to embark at Havre.
But feverai British frigates were cruising in fight
of the port who knew 1 was there, and I had to
return again to Paris. Seeing myfelf thus cut off
from every opportunity that was in my power to
command. I wrote to Mr. Jefferfon, that, if the
fate of the election should put him in the chair of
the presidency, and he should have occasion to feqd
a frigate to France he would give me the oppora
tunity of returning by it, which he did. Buti
declined coming by the Maryland, the vessel that
was offered me, and waited for the frigate that was
to bring the new minlller, Mr. Chancellor Living
flon, to France ; but that frigate was ordered
round to the Mediterranean ; and as at that time
the war was over, and the British cruisers called in,
I could come any way. I then agreed to come
with commodore Barney in a vessel he had engag
ed. It was again fortunate I did not, for the vessel
funk at sea, and the people were preserved in the
boat.
London, Oft, 12.
A curious circumstance occupies the at
tention and conversation of every one at
Petersburg. The following is the account
which has been transmitted in a private let
ter, it was we believe, deemed of fufficient
importance to be inserted in the Petersburg
Gazette. When it was firft made known
it occasioned a considerable degree of alarm.
" An officer, who was walking in the
Emperor's garden, was wounds by a muf
,quet ball# It was immediately rumored'
that the ball was not ity^nded fop him/ but*
for another person. Enquiries were immte-'
diately set on foot, and theaffair soon assum
ed another afped. Jt was found ¥bik the
event related to an immaginary confpicaoy^
the only objeft of which was to T>btrfn'a ;
large sum of money. The officerf^howas!
wounded, it was added, in order to, givf an;
air of probability to the affair, fity a pjftol
at his own arm, and lodged a ball ip it.l
The government however, is still occupied
in investigating the affair to the bottoms"
The late Michaelmas Fair at Frankfort
is Rated, in letters from that city, to be the
worst within the memory of the oldest in
habitants. This is attributed to the unfet
led Rate of affairs in Germany, added to a
scarcity of money.
A dreadful storm lately happened at St,
Had half the number of evils befallen me, that
the number of dangers amount to through which
I have been preferred, there are those who would
ascribe it to the wrath of heaven—why then do
they not ascribe my preservation to the protecting
favor of heaven ? Even in my worldly concerns 1
have been blessed. The little property I left in
America, and which I cared nothing abdut,_not
even to receive the rent of it, has been encreafing
in the value of its capital more thaneight hundred
dollars every year, for the fourteen years and ptore
that I have been absent from it. lam now, in my
circumstances, independent, and my economy
makes me rich. As to my health it is perfectly
good, and I leave the world to judge of the flat-ore
of my mind. lam in every inttance a living con
tradiction to the mortified federalifts.
In my publications I follow the rule I began:
with in Common Senje, that is to consult with no
body, nor let any body fee what I write till it ap
pears publicly. Were I to do otherwise, the case
would be, that between the timidity of some, who
are so afraid of doing wrong they never do right,
the puny judgment pf others, and despicable craft
of preferring expedient to right, as if the world
was a world of babies in leading firings, I should
get forward with nothing. My path is a right
line, as ft~aight and clear to me as a ray of light,
the boldness (if they will have it to°be so) with
which 1 speak on any fubje& is a compliment to
the judgment of the reader. It is like faying to
him I treat yet as a man and not as a child. With
refpeß to any worldly object, as it is impossible to
difeover any in me, therefore what I do, and my
manner of doing it, ought to be ascribed to a good
motive.
In a great affair, where the happihe^ of man is
at flake, I love to work for nothing ; and so fully
am 1 under the influence of this principle that I
should lose the spirit, the pleasure, and the pride
of it, were I conscious that I looked for reward ;
and with this declaration I take my leave for the
present.
THOMAS PAINE.
Federal City, Lowell's)
Hotel, Dec, 3, 1802,,
foreign articles.
Paris, 03. ?B.—M. Lucien Bonaparte
retired to his estate at Du Pleffis, as soon as
he found that calculations of prudence and
motives of jealousy deprived him of the hope
of being First Minister.
The report of an approaching war en
creafes every day, and produces a great sen
sation.---The consul has received with
much haughtiness the retnonftrances made
by M. de Markow, on the fubje& of his
hostile plans against Switzerland ; but this
imperious tone may conceal considerable
inquietudes as to the views of different pow
ers, and his own perfenal situation.
An admiralty express reached Plymouth
on Thursday morning, ordering all the men
of war lying in that port to take in stores
and provisions for four months, and prepare
immediately for sea.
l'Avanturian failed with her dispatches
the fame night.
NEW-YORK, DEC. 13.
IMPORTANT.
By the Olivia, from Cape-Francois, we
learn, that all the ports on the north fide of
the island, excepting the Cape ; and all on
the weft fide, excepting Port-au-Prince and
St. Marcs had been evacuated by the French,
—who were concentrated at the Cape :--that
Gep- Deflalines was killed in the attack on
St, Marcs—That Gen. Le Clerc died at the
Qapq 3d Nov. and wasembalmed and put on
board a man-of-war for France —whither it
failed ynder a difeharge of cannon from
2 Bo.gun ships, 2 745. three frigates, &c. ly
ingjq the harbour ; That Gen. Rochambeau
hadfocceeded Gep. Le Clerc; and when the
OlivQcame away, a 74 said to have the fuc
of Gen. Le Clerc on board, was beat
ing u P^ —'^ That from the 18th to the 30th
(tench arising from the dead bodies in
thefoaibouf of the Cape, was inconceivably
g'reat, numbers of tlie blacks having been
tfirowp into the sea, and drowned.
'Before the court '6f Oyer and Terminer and
General Goal delivery,whieh commenced its fef
lion in Pougbkeepfie on the 16th ult. came on the
trial of Nicholas Toncroy, on an indictment for
an assault and battery, on an old lady upwards 81
80 years of age. He was under the lingular and
unhappy delusion, 10 suppose the old woman a
witch, and that by cpttjng her three times across
the forehead, he should serene himfelf from her
forferies. This he adnally performed. He was
convifted. After which an accommodation was
effected between him and the family of the old
lady, and he was fined one dollar and cost ofpro
fecution.
Oa. 2g.— This morning we received
Faris Journals of the 19th inst.
The intelligence from Switzerland con
tinues to be very confufed & contradiaory.
What is positively asserted in one quarter,
is as positively denied in another. But
when we confider that Bade is in the pos
session of the partizans of the Helvetic Gov
ernment and of the Frft Consul, we are in
clined to give more credit to the following
Hatements, contained in a letter from that
place of the 13th inst. than to any other ; —
“ It is confirmed that citizen Rapp has
not been able to persuade the Oligarchies of
Berne to conform to the proclamation of
Banaparte. The definitive answer sent to
the Delegate of Bonaparte, has been, “ That
the Helvetic Diet of Schwitz would depute
two of its members to Paris to enlighten the
mind of the firft consul." The Commission
of Ten, established by the Government of
Berne has refufed to disarm the new Bernese
levies, and to restore the Helvetic Senate
within the walls of their capital. It was
generally asserted here yesterday, that the
Bernese authorities were determined to op
pose the French troops, if Bonaparte did not
mortify the dispositions of his proclama
tion."
Genies, in tte department of Aveyron, in
France, which defiroyed all the vines and
fruit trees in the surrounding country, to
gether with an immense quantity of wood,
and the entire produce of the fields. The
manure that was on the lands being fwepi
into the Lot by the violence of the rain, all
the fifh in that river were poisoned.
The fubferiptior opened for the ereaion
of a monument at Zurich, to the celebrated
Lavater not being fufficient, the Helvetic
government has fubferibed an old Cannon,
from the Arsenal, to furnifh Bronte.
Oa. 15. —The cultom which prevails in
the American Theatres, of drinking Wine
and Porter betwixt the has, is not so bar
barous as it may appear to be. If the Ma
nagers will hot furnifh Entertainment, the
Andience muff provide for themselves.
Practical. Joke. —Mr. H 11, a gentle
man well known for hcfpitallity, good hu
mour, and love of literature, lately invited
four friends to dine with him. One of the
diflies happened to contain three patridges,
and the host told his friends he would (hew
them how to make a fair divifon of three
birds among five people—Addressing his
guests then by couples, tye said, " there's
one for you two, and there's one for you
two." Then placing the third on his own
plate, he added, “ and here's one for me
two."
Latest ^ tbe @ailg.
The public for some time past have been amus
ed with the propositions of the 26 federal mem
bers of the Legislature, of New-Jersey, with re
gard to the difiribution of certain offices. We
have now to notice a proposition of a more seri
ous nature —of a nature forever to deprive of pub
lic confidence and private relpedt, the persons
with whom it originated.,
It will be recollected tfidt Th ffe early part of
the last feffim of the Legislature, a joint-meeting I
was held for the choice of certain officers A
mong these officers, the most important was the
Governor of the State, and a Senator to Congress.
Owing to an equal diviflon of the votes between
different candidates, no election took place of
either of these officers.
Tuesday, dec. 7, 1802.
A quorum being convened this da,; the
following new members took their feats,
viz. Samuel Hunt,from New-Hampshire in
the room of Joseph Peirce, tefigned; Samuel
Thatcher,from Massachusetts; DavidMerri
wether,from Georgia, in the room of Mr.
Taliaferro, refigued ; Tho'sWinn,of North
Carolina, in the room of Charles Johnson,
dece^fed ; and Thomas M.Greene, a delegate
from the Miffifippi Territory,in the room of
N. Hunter, deceased.
An order palled, directing the clerk to
inform the senate, that a quorum had form
ed. He was also ordered to furnifh each
member with three newspapers at bis lodg
ings.
THIS day being prescribed by the Con
stitution, for the meeting of Congress, Fifty
Three members of the House appeared ;
who not forming a quorum, adjourned until
to-morrow.
We anticipated the pleasure of present
ing our readers with the President's Mes
sage to both Houses of Congress, in this
this days paper ; but a quorum had not
been formed in the Senate on the 7th infl.
We cxpe& it in time for our next.
To obtain one or both of these was an object
of the utmost magnitude to the Federalifte. They
well knew that if the reins of the State Govern
met remained in Republican hands, their profped
was desperate. They hoped by placing one^of
their own fed in the governmental chair, to ac
quire through his influence the afeendency at the
next election, The office of Governor was there
fore to them all important. That of Senator,
confidcring the length of time he was to serve,
was of considerable confequepce..:
After the firft, and before the fecopd Joint
meeting, while the Republicans (hewed no dispo
sition to relinquish the advantages they poffefled,
or to abandon the commanding petition they had
taken, one of the Members of Assembly, of Ithe
party which calls itfelf federal, and who is one
of the aotl influential and violent of that party,
in the presence of another member of the Arne
description; made to a republican member &
council, an offer of an hundred acres rflard, lying
in the county of Morris, it he would give h^
two votes for the appointment of officers in Joint-
Meeting as be fhou!d be directed ! !
Upon the Republicans observing (in order to
found the depth of the propofak and to difeovet
whether it was a jell or an earned) that if it werd
known that he fold bis votes in the manner pro.
posed, it would ruin bis reputation with the Re.
publicans ; the person who made the offer replied
that he need be under no ,pprehenfion of its evert
becoming public, as he would bind himfelf by a
bond of one thousand pounds (or dollars, rhe Re
publican is not fore whicb);that it should never
be divulged by'him or his colleague.
The Republican now finding the offer was ra
tions and feeling indignant that the federalists
should thus fufpea and tantper with bis integrity,
turned^fbortly round, and left the difappoi^ted
bribers to their own refleaion.
Os the truth of the above statement, no donbt
need be entertained. It will be substantiated, if /
SENATE, Dec. 6, 1802.
Eight members only attending, an ad
journment took place until to-morrow.
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 1802.
Twelve members only attended. Adjourn
ed accordingly. Eighteen are neceflary to
make a quorum.
Boston, December 17.
. Amflerdam papers toO&. 23, were recciv
ed by the Drip Pembroke, which arrived an
Thursday last.—On the 13th of Odober the
Diet of the Patriots of Switzerland adopted
the articles prelcribed by Bonaparte; but the
First Consul's proclamation had been treated
with every indignity in the principal towns
—A new plan of indemnities had been pres
ented to the diet of Ratifbon,and accepted by
a majority of the members. Thofetwoevents
appear to be favorable to the continuance of
peace.
From Port- Republican.
Lapt. Wadbury, of the brig William Pitt, arri
ved at New-York, spoke on the firft inst. the.
fch'r Fame, from Foil-Republican, cut 14 days,
the captain of which allured him that the Negroes
had succeeded in taking Port- Republican by storm
and had put all the whites to the sword. The
American veflels in the harbor failed in company
with the Fame under convoy of a French Fri
gate.
Congtefg of ffie United ^tates.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
Monday, dec. 6, 1802.
"TRUE AS THE DIAL TO THE SUN.''
0e republican Ledger.
"Fede/a/ Proportion !"
Portsmouth, (n.h.) December, 21.