The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1790-09-24 00:00:00, page 1

If the gentleman of modest merit had attended
to the introdu&ion with candor, he would there
found, that the' Remarks ware made at an early pe
riod for the amufemeht of the author—but their
filling into a second hand, were introduced to the
public. As to their being ushered under the name
of one who had received the honors of Harvard,
'Yale or Dartmouth, all I shall fay is, we have been
too often led by the names of great men, without
examining thoroughly into their doings, so as to
judge like freemen for ourselves; In some measure
to verify this I ffiall refer the reader to some infor
mation giv % 4 in a pamphlet by Luther Martin
Esq. Attorney general for the date of Maryland,
relative to the proceedings of the general Conven
tion, held at Philadelphia—from page 2 to 9, viz.
<< The members of the convention from differ
«c ent slates came there under different powers—
*' some merely to, regulate trade—others were ex
< < presfly inftru&ed to agree to no fyflem, which
“ should take away from the states that equality of
'' fuffrages fecefed by the original articles of ton
« federation, and the doors were ordered to be
<< shut, and 'he whole proceedings were to be kept
“ secret, as tho' all the wisdom, integrity and
_ “ virtue of the states were centered in that Con
-66 vention—By another article, seven states might
/< proceed to business—consequently four.flatus, the
<< majority of that number, might eventually have
" agreed upon a system which was to affe& the
" whole union. A proposition was brought for
ce ward by a member from Virginia, for an ine
rt quality of fuffrages founded on numbers, or some
« such-like scale, which should give her and certain
<' other states, influence over the rest—A system by
« which the large states were to have not only an
, inequality of faffrages in the firft branch, but al
«fo in the second branch or senate. Upon, this
< c plan the three large states, viz. Virginia, Penn
« fylvania and Massachusetts, woulß have thirteen
" Senators out of twenty-eight, almost one half of
< c the whole number. Fifteen senators were to
<< maks a quorum to proceed to business—those
•' three states might therefore have thirteen out of
" that quorum; having this inequalityin each branch
gt of the legiffature, it muff be evident that they
<< would make what laws they pleased, however in
#<jurious or disagreeable to the other states, and
<# that they would always prevent the other states
<< from making any laws, however neceffar, and
<< proper,if not agreeable to the view of those three
<< states. On this deafen the convention was re
«' solved into a committee of the whole —Mr. Gor
« bam in the chair--Mr. Washington was then onthe
" floor in the fame situation with the other mem
ri bers of the convention, at large, to oppose any
<<fyftem he thought injurious, or to propose any
"alterations or amendment he thought beneficial.
Mr. ranllt,
YOUR paper of the 13th of August lately fell
into my hands, in which I difcoveted a piece
under the signature of a " Friend to modest merit."
This call'd to my mind the dory of a gentleman
travelling thro' this state —on his way he call'd at
a house where a lay preacher was holding forth—
The traveller, wishing to know the text he was
upon, spoke in an audible voice— "l demand your
text /"—Upon the second request the preacher read
it.— << Well, fir," fays the traveller, ".it ij a very
good text, but you are a great way from it." So
the author has a good signature, but I think he is
far from possessing those qualities. However, in
the firft place he introduces himfelf, by endeavor
ing to introduce, " a custom similar to that of the
Critical Reviewers in England"—and at the fame
time acknowledges " they are, like all other men,
often actuated by partiality and prejudice"—But
notwithstanding that, he wishes to have them in
troduced,' " that the shelves of the book -fellers &
printers may not be crouded." He need not give
nimfelf any trouble for that class of men ; for if
there is a spark of fire in an author, they will light
it up so as to palm them on the public—and if there
is nor, let them lay on their shelves till the Spathe
car, wants them to wrap up his drugs in.
However, he fays "the Remarks on the Report
of the Secretary, contains many sentiments on fub
jeCts of great national importance.—but it is to be
feared they came too late— but if they had been
ushered into the world under the name of a person
that had the honours of Harvard,Yale or Dartmouth,
it would foori penetrate the extreme parts of the
United Status."
THE NEWHAMPSHIRE GAZETTEER.
Friday, September 24, 1790.]
MISCELLANY.
FOR THE GAZETTEER.
" To those propositions, so reported by the com
" mittee, no opposition w:s given by that illuftri
-46 ous personage —or by the pre xder.t of the state of
" Pennsylvania—they both appeared cordially to
" approve them, and to give them their hearty
" concurrence—Yet this system, I am confident,
" Mr. Speaker, there is not a member in this
" house would advocate, or who Would hesitate one
" moment in faying it ought to be rejected. I
" mention this circumstance in compliance with
" the duty I owe this honorable body—not with a
" view to lessen those exalted characters, but to
As to gentlemen who have had the Honours of a
College, I refped them so far as I find their conduct
justifiable, and no farther—For I once knew a man
who had.the honors of a college,.being called upon
by his lady to tap a barrel of cyder ( the servant
being abferit) takes 'he gimlet and tankard, goes
down and bores the hole, fills the tankard and re
turns without putting in the tap to stop its running,
perhaps, thinking as it was done by one who had
& honors of a college, it would cease running, as
the waters did at the command of Moses —but at
length found himfelf almost as much mistaken as
the Egyptians were, I knew another dub'd with
the honors, that was hanged for forgery, and a3d
for committing a rape on an innocent girl—yet it
seems that if the namf of either of those characters
had been to the Remarks, it would have puffed cur
rent with this gentleman of modest merit—" But
unfortunate for the remarks, he fays, they must
make their way thro' the world on their iqtrinfic
merit." This is the bottom they ought to stand
upon, and if the gentleman had ftopt there I should
have closed with him without any further obferva-
tions.., „ ,<
The nett thing he introduces aghinft the Re
marks, is by quoting the address to Gen. Wash
ington— All I (hall fay is, the address is open,
candid, and delivered with the spirit of a Freeman,
^ and ifibb gear! "maa cf ^~-4 :£*iwrit awaoc un
ravel it, I dare fay his Excellency can —but let a
man that is worthy to wear the spirit of a Freeman,
compare it with one wrote by a gentleman who had
the honors of a college, viz;—r,su art the protedor
of cur country; and founder of this neev empire. This
contains flattery indeed—and what fays his Excel
lency, viz. It is too much —Icannot take it upon toe.
.Further, there are sundry other quotations. I
ffiall refer the reader to his own obfervasions, and
the paragraph of the remarks spoken of—then he
may judge for himfelf—for the quotations appear
to strike me in the light of a lawyer—who having
a bad cause, read that part of the law which
was most favorable to by client—but when the
whole was read, it explain'd iefclf.— As to the left
quotation, it was done to reprobate the idea of
KING, which is so much spoken of, and wished
for by the Tories, Europeans and others, who stand
on the lift for large fallaries. But if passive obedi
ence and non-resistance is the bobby-borfe of thegen
tleman of Modest Merit, let him mount in wel
come—'if he will not insist on my mounting with
him— for LIBERTY is my motto, and I mean to
carry it with me to my grave.
A FRIEND TO THE PUBLIG.
ihew how far the greatest and belt of men may
" be led to adopt very improper measures through
" error in judgment, state influence or by other
" causes, and to shew that it is our duty not to fuf
" fer our eyes to be so far dazzled by the splendor
" of names, as to run blindfold into what may
" be our deftruaion."
LETTER
From a CHINESE LADY, to Mrs. -, in Phi
ladelphia.
Canton; in the year of the world 10,305.
and the 3d day of the month of Peace.
madam; ',
T7OUR letter, together with the fariiples of the
I dress of your American ladies, all came fafe
to hand, by Capt. Willet. The size of thefa,,
and the use to which they are applied in your coun
try, have' excited the admiration of our whole city.
—(How is it poflible that a lady's waist can ever
be accommodated to them, when it is impossible
to make them fit the waist of a child of two years
old ? I would fuppofe,that so tight a ligature drawn
across the bowels and breast, could not fail of pro
ducing folicks, asthmas arid conceptions among
your ladies, I conceive further that the dispropor
tion which the stays must create between the lady's
waist and her limbs, muff fy it&nfeemly ; for
who can believe that a lady's arm and body are of
the fame thickness I —and yet, by means of your
stays, they are made to appear as if this were re-
Published by H, Ranlet, in the Main Street, Exeter.,
' P. S. I hope you will not hereafter reproach us
with the feafs given to your veffels*. Many of your
cuftoips Delong to barbarous nations, and all the
power, knowledge and ingenuity of your country
can never hart us, while you consume our luxuries,
and pay for them with money, obtained by the
Culture apd sale of the necessaries of life.
*Permit the barbarians to ,ass the flirt—they can
do us no harm..
THIS DAY PUBLISHED,
B, the Printer hereof, and for sale at his Office,
Asa STEARNS' SERMONS on
XVlthe DIVINE CHARACTER.
gSubfcfyber/ are dtfred to fend for their Books.
EXETER, SEPTEMBER 17, 1790.
ally the case.—l hope that after this, ycu will cease
io banter me about the fm:'ll fhces 1 font you by
feet. We breathe easy in our chambers—we are
strangers to the colick and consumptions—and la
vendar and volatile salts are wholly unneceflary, to
Capt. Berry, fame time ago. They co net impose
half the restraint upon cur bodies, that your flays
keep us from fainting in warm weather.
The cujh:n is a great curiofuy. Soon after its
arrival, 1 prevailed upon my fitter to wear it upon
her head. She instantly became the laughing flock
of the whole family. But this was not all. After
wearing it three days, it excited such an intolera
ble painS :itching in her head,that the hastily threw
it into the fire.
I know not how to describe the ideas that were
excited in my mind by the fight of the Bfop —
Agreeably to your directions, i fixed it upon my
do upon yours,—Thefe ihoes never impair our
health, nor does the change they produce in the
size of our feet, offend the eye, by exhibiting dll
proportion in the shape of our bodies. Defdes, as
the custom of our country forbids our going abroad,
we luffer no inconvenience from want of agility in
hips ; but judge what my feelings were,when I tell
you, that my filter and two brothers ran out of the
room to avoid me. I pursued them into the court:
yard,where a new feene of terror opened before me.
All the dogs belonging to the house barked at me
—the cats squalled as I passed by them—and my
favourite parrot nearly broke his cage to fly from
me. in this terrible situation, I flew back again
into the parlour, and tore the detestable mass of
trumpery from behind me. My father came in
time enough to prevent my cutting of it in pieces.
He took it up, and viewed it attentively, and af
terwards gave orders to have it sent to Pekin, to
be preserved among the articles of dress worn by
the Tartars, before they were civilized by being
incorporated with our nation.
We have been told here that you copy the Britifli
nation in your dresses and manners. If so, we
suppose the report we heard some years ago, that
you had become a separate and independent em
pire, is wholly without foundation.
iWhat avail your alphabet, and your legick,
when neither of them has taught you to make a
breakfaft, without fending to the East and Weft.
Indies for the materials that compose it ? gWhac
avail your boasted free governments, when they
have not Virtue to prohibit the importation and
consumption of a liquor, which we are told de
stroys many thousands of poor inhabitants, and
carries out of vour country many hundred thousand
pounds, every year ?
While we avoid all these follies and vices, we
have but one wish, and that is, to be preserved by
means of gates and fortifications from, such an in
tercourse with your country, as shall secure us from
the infection of your dreffes—feiences—liberty and
religion.
Fro^gMadam, your distant, and unknown, but
fincera' friend. THALISKA TOLUDA.
You laugh at us for our ignorance of many spe
culative feiences, and particularly for our igno
rance of your religion— but ?w„hat avail your feien
ces. and your religion, if they do not teach you
to submit yourselves to the government of reason ?
(What avail your numerous universities and
schools of learning, when they do . not teach you
to manufacture, your own clothing ?—^What avail
your numerous refinement in government, when
none of them have taught you that the firft object
of all government should be fufice ? You com
plain loudly of the frauds that are committed upon
your agents by some of our interiour merchacts.
Our laws are notwithflanding juft.—.But we are
told, that you defraud no: only strangers, but even
your owh citizens by law.
[Vol. V.— Numb. 216