Republican ledger, and Portsmouth price current — Portsmouth, N.H., 1802-11-30 00:00:00, page 2

From the Chronicle.
IN the progress of Federalism, every ,af
frn of the human mind has been availed :
iutcreft, fear and pride have been the bul
warks more immediately exposed to the aB„
tack of the enemy.—The Young Men of all
ranks in fotiety have been arretted by the fe-^
(feral parry,The weight of pecuniary influence'
has threatened them with poverty, aldrin
many instances with the ruin of themfelves
and families. How often have-we seen the
overbearing spirit of a rich despot, exercised
on the days of Election-—and it is known as
a fa&, that many Tradesmen were explicitly
told, at the time the Britijh Treaty was in
agitation, if they did not sign in favor of its
i adoption, that every means would be taken
to deprive them of the employment of Fed
eralists. Even since the last Ekaiart, Pertain
petty tyrants have refufed to Employ some in
dependent Mechanics, becanfe they exercised
their right of fuffrage as conference didated ;
when they had even fulfilled their engage
ments with undoubted honefly and fidelity.
- But the m&ft powerful and artful method
phtTued was the exciting a tindruffafoio~>?dbfr
currency to the politics of the day. Those
who presumptuously stiled themselves the
“ better fort" introduced a cant phraseology
of Federal and Jacobin. Federalism was as
fashionable as a.J pencer or pantaloons---in all
those refined cycles, Federalism was the card
of invitation or introduction, which admit
ted the refpedive guests—“ Mr. Such r a-one
a Federal^," was the common paflport;
which ufbered him into these polite affocia-f
tions. Matters and Misses were taught to
reverence and refpe& all those who were
complimented with this appellation ; young.
Gentlemen and young Ladies, were noticed
by their refpe&ive Mamas and Papas in
proportion as they gave evidences of their
Federal inclinations.
Billy Dapper was a Federalist, and Sam
Steady a Jacobin ; the former was received
with every mark of cordiality, while the lat
ter was reprobated as the most abandoned
profligate, billy would talk with a peculiar
flippancy about politics, and lament the pro
gress of infidelity ; he would repeat with
rapid volubility, d—n the Jacobins, d—n the
Dijorganizers, d —n the Deists, d—n a Re
publican Government, and generally conclu
ded his pious rhapsody with, d—n Tom
Paine ! He was a prodigy of perfection,
and every thing Billy said was considered as
wondrous wife and wondefully profound ;
he gained such an afeendency that all he'
proposed was adopted, and many deep fye
culations were made in consequence of his
sage recommendations. His notes were
readily endorsed, and Billy had only to aft
and receive ; he pursued his plans, and en
creafed in reputation to the amount of about
ioo,coo dols. At length his affairs began
to grow a " little squally ;" his " checks"
on the Bank were all " balanced ;" and fi
nally he had no other resource than to be
take himfelf to the place of refuge in
" Stollay 's> Buildings," and there, like many
of his predecellors, enriched himfelf by im
poveiilhing his creditors ; thereby cancel
ling all debts, dues and demands by a nolli
profequi of " Jit tranjit gloria mundi." Billy
Dapper, after thus legally and honorably dis
encumbering himfelf from the rude allaults
• of impertinent dunners, and more insolent
bailiffs, strutted about with a dignified
deportment ; took new apartments, de
corated them with fafhionable furniture,
and commenced Gentleman under the
" modern philosophy" of the Bankrupt
Ad. He now renews his old language :
d—ns the Jacobins, d—ns the PreJident,
and is peculiarly energetic in anathe
matizing Tom Paine the Infidel. He is
greatly concerned for the cause of Religion,
and laments the confluences of demorali
zing the rising generation ; he will often
exclaim : what will become of society when
men are not held to do justice by moral ob
ligation. But Billy is a Federalist ; he
has affirmed his credit, goes, on in his busi
ness, and even now looks down with ineffa
ble contempt on Sam Steady. —During the
reign of terror Billy arid his comrades were
outrageous against every man who dared to
think'different from themselves ; the card
table would sometimes be disturbed by their
vociferations ; even the tranquil game of
whidwould be thrown into confusion, all
the honors would oftentimes be loft, and
the tricks would be the only part of the game
to,count upon.
Thus much for the hiftory of Billy Dap-
^ e ,i—but, alas, Sam Steady was peculiarly
unfortunate under his political denunciation.
He was a young man who had received a
virtuous education, and was Well inttruc
ted in the principles of honesty and econo
my ; he had not only applied himfelf to bu
siness, but had appropriated his leisure hours
to reading hillory, and from thence had been
^ble to judge with propriety of those systems
of goverb%nt which secured the rights of the
people £4 knew the baneful effeds of Mon
archy,the deftruaive tendency of Aristocracy
and had from reflexion approved a Repub-
lican Form as meft congenial to his country.'
Knowingthat economy was the basis of this
government, he always reprobated those ex
'peaditures and eftabtifhments under the for
mer administration, which led to a subver
sion of the purity of its principles. Jnthe
reign of terror, therefore, he had the resolu
tion not to wear a Cockade ^ he exploded the
idea of a Standing Army , he- did tot ap
„proy,£ Q„^A^/a¥& or ^UW&^aod.
'thought it was an impofitidn for Mr; Adams
<o allow eight per cent. for the loan money,
at the time when all the Fecfe faljfts had
pledged their lives and property, in support
of his-measures. . He would often fay, why
djd Mr^,dam,thus sport away the public
ciedit.in giving such excessive usury, when
he had the ftrongeff aflurances from the ad
dresses of the Federalists, that their property
was at his disposal ? Sam, by this kind of
conversation, and by adhering to tnefe prin
ciple's, was early denounced in all circles of
his'acquaintance, as a Jacobin ; the young
Gentlemen forfook him, the young Ladies
eye'd him afant ; even when he entered in
to company, it was quickly whispered that
he was a Jacobin ; it any parties were pro
posed in his presence, it was soon huflhed till
Sam had retired—:No Gentleman would be
seen abroad in his company ; no Lady would
condescend to ride with him, none to dance
with him, none to walk With him, none to
talk with him, none to curtefy to him, even
if he submissively bowed to them ;—Alas,
poor Sam was forfaken by all hinformer
acquaintance : and even the young Ladies,
who always before were pleased with him,
took a strong aversion, and he was left a
lone to wander about like Rachel mourning
for her firft born.
However, Sam adhered to his principles,
and pursued his business with industry. ; By
not ,being admitted into so many parties of
pleasure he had more leisure to prosecute his
business. He got forward in opposition to
the vile means of his enemies to injure his
reputation ; he acquired a commerciaLchar
a&er by pun&ually complying with his en
gagements, his credit was eltablifbed by the
rectitude of his conduct, his notes were never
hawked upon the Exchange at a difeount ; he
baffled his opponents by the uniformity of his
principles, and now stands in that elevated
situation, as it relates to property and honor,
that his enemies envy him. He is not dis
turbed by the cries of the injured widow
and orphans ; he walks through the streets
without the curses of honest creditors'; and
when he passes, no man can fay, there goes a
Villain ! He does not carry the Bankrupt
A& as a pallport, or a " Whereas" as a
receipt in full for all delinquencies ; his pay
ments are 20 (hillings in the pound, and
what he eats, drinks and wears are not the
earnings of other men's industry. He does
not make Religion a cloak for licentiousness
or curse Tom Paine for a malk to cheat an
indiscreet Tradesman ; he esteems honeit
men, let their religious profeffions be what
they may, and never embraces a hypocrite
to gain an advantage by his sycophancy ;
he speaks his mind on all proper occasions
with the sincerity of a freeman, and scorns
to flatter, though he might obtain the appro
bation of the powerful ; he remains collec
ted in the various changes of parties and
Heady to his purpose when he is threatened
with the frowns of the opulent ; an appro
ving conscience raises him above fear, and
all his actions are the result of a deliberation
founded on the basts of inviolable integrity.
He never smiles to betray the innocent, or
frowns to dismay the timid ; he inculcates
Christianity to promote charity and philan
thropy, but despises the man who makes the
benevolence of the Deity a scourge to inflia
the mifchief rankling within his Own bosom
his praaice and his profeffion in every ref
pea correspond ; he is not a faint in words
and a fiend in deeds.
Thus stand in general the chara&ers of
these two men, and thus have they proceed
ed in their refpe&ive intercourse with soci
ety. To avoid as much as possible, person
alities, they are not so particularly described
as to designate any individual. One, how
ever has been covered with the mantle of
FederaliJm, which like Charity, hides a
multitude of fins ; while the other has been
obliged to exercise all his virtues, to screen
himfelf from the malignant difpofttion of
his adversaries—while one reveled in luxu
ry and diffipatioh, imposed on the credulous
and defrauded the uufufpicious, the other
was beset with all the venom of malice, and
his charaaer rendered the sport of every un
principled man who had enrolled, his name
in the Federal catalogue. '« Such things
have been," but we trust in God that the time
is arrived, when characters will be estima
ted, not by the phraseology of party, but by
the standard of honor and honesty ; that im
perious lordlings who have acquired fortunes
by the necromancy of speculation, despots
who exercise an insolent controul over the
tradesman and labourer, and fanaticks who
wish to Ihackle the reason of mankind, will
be brought p that check and balance which
give them no other pre-eminence than what
arises from their inherent merit. When
this takes place the hypocrite will be strip-
ped of his plumage, the purse proud [pecu
lator of,is trappings, andd'purious Federa
l^m appear in that, defohnhy fy which its
advocates hava long fiftce reduced it?
OLD^UTIL
ibornag ,
To the Citizens oftfc United ^{atfs.
^^i^refrfoff^^
AFTER an absence of almost fifteen
yea&l am again returned to the country
in whose dangers I bore, my (hare, and to
whose greatness I contributed my part.
When I failed for-Europe in the spring
of i7&7,it wfc my intention to return to'
Amcrifa the next yc ar , and enjoy in ret&
ment the esteem or my friends and the re
pose I was entitled to. I had flood out the
storm of one revolution, and had no wish
to embark in another. But other Ilenes
and other circumstances than those of con
templated case were alloted to me,> The
French revolution was beginning to germi
nate when I arrived in France. The prin
ciples of it were good, they were copjed
from Americn, and the men who condu&-
ed it were honest. But the fury, of fasten
soon extinguished the one, arid lent the oth
er to the fcaffold. Os thbfe who began Mbah
revolution, I am altpoft the only survivor,
and that through^ thousand dangers. I
owe; this not to the prayers of priests, nor
the piety of hypocrites, but to the continued
protection of Providence.
;But while I beheld with 1 pleafuie the
dawn of liberty riling, in Europe,!! saw,
with regret the luftre of it fading in Ameri
ca. In less than two yearstfrom the time
of my departure, some distant symptoms
painfully suggested the idea that the princi
ples of the revolution were expiring on the
foil that produced them. I received at that
timea letter from a. female literary corres
pondent, and in my answer to her, I express
ed my fears on that, head, in the following
penlive foliioquy :
66 You touch me on a very tendet point
when you fay that my friends on your fide
the water, cannot be reconciled to the idea
of my abandoning America, even for my
native England, They ate right, I had
rather fee my horse Button eating the grass
of Bordentown of Morifania, than fee all the
pomp and (hew of Europe.'
“A thousand years hence, for I must in
dulge a few thoughts, perhaps in less, Ame
rica will be what Europe now is. The in
nocence of her character that won the hearts
of all nations in her favor,, may found like
a romance, and her inimitable virtue as if it
had never been. The ruins of that liberty
for which thousands bled, may just futnifh
materials for a village tale, or extort a sigh
from rustic sensibility ; whilst the tathiona
able of that day enveloped in dissipation (hall
deride the principles and deny the taCt#
" When we contemplate the fall of em
pires and the extinction of the nations of
the ancient world, we fee but little more to
excite our regret, than the mouldering ru
ins of pompous palaces, magnificent mon-
I now knpw from the information I ob
tain upon the spot, that the impressions that
then distressed me, ror I was proud of A
marica, were but too well founded. She
was turning her back on her own glory,
and making hasty (Irides in the retrogade
path of oblivion. But a spark from the al
tar of seventy-six unextinguifhed and
unextinguifhable through that long night of
error, is again lighting ,p in every part of
the union, the genuine flame of rational lib
erty.
As the French revolution advanced, it
fixed the attention of the world, and drew
from the pensioned pen of Edmund Bailee
a furious attack. This brought me once
more on the public theatre of politics, and
occasioned the pamphlet Rights of Man.—
It had the greatest run of any work ever
published in the Englifb language. The
number of copies circulated in England,
Scotland, and Ireland, besides translations
into foreign languages, were between four
and five hundred thousand. The principles
of that work were the fame as those in
Common Sense, and the effeas would have
been the fame in England as that had been
in America, could the vote of the nation
have been quietly taken, or had equal op
portunities of consulting or anting existed.
The only difference between the two works
was, that the one was adapted.to the local
circumstances of England, and the other to
those of America. As to myfelf, I aded
in both cases alike ; I relinquished to the
uments, lofty pyramid, and walls and tow
ers of the most costly workmanship : but
when the empire of America (hall fall, the
fubjea for contemplative sorrow will be in
finitely greater than crumbling brass or
marble can inspire. It will not then be
said, here stood a temple of vast antiquity,
here rose a Babel of invifrble height, or there
a palace of sumptuous extravagance ; but,
here ! a painful thought ! the noblest work
of human wifdom —thegrandeft feene of hu
man glory,and the fair cause of freedom rose
and fell. Read this and then ask if I forget
America."•
,people of England as 1 had done to thbfe of
America, all profits from the work. My
; reward existed in the ambition to do good,
^and in the independent' happirefs of my
own mind.
But a faction acting in disguise was fif
ing in America, that had loft fight of firft
principles.! They were beginning to con
template government as a profitable mono-
P^J* and the. people as heredkay property.
It is therefore no wonder that the Rights of
Man was attacked by that, faction, and its
author continually abused. But let them go
on, give them rope enough and they will
put an- end to their own infignificancer
There is too much common sense and inde
.pendepce In Anacricajo be long the dupe of
any ration, foreign or domestic.
But, in the midst of the freedom we en
joy, the licentiousness of the papers called
federal (and I know not why they are cal
led so, far they are intheir principles anti
federal qnd despotic,) is a dishonor to the
character of the country, and an injury to
its reputation and importance abroad. They
represent the whole, people pf America as
peftitute of public principle and private
manners. ^As to an, injury they can do at
home to ttibTe whom they abuse, or service
they can render to those who may employ
them, it is to be set down,o the account of
noisy nothingness. It is oh themselves the
disgrace recoils, for the tefleaion easily pre
sents itfdf to every thinking mind, that those
pho abuse liberty when they poftfs it, would a^ #
bufe power could they obtain it ; and therefore .
they may as well take as a general motto for
,11 such papers, We and our patrons
ARE NOT FIT TO BE TRUSTED WITH
POWER.
, 1 here is in America, more than any othi
er country, a large body of people who at
tend quietly to their farms, or follow their
several occupations, who pay no regard to
the clamors of anonymous scribblers, who
think for themselves, and jhdge of govern
ment, not by the fury of newspaper writers,
but the prudent frugality of its measures,
and the encouragement.it gives to the im
provement and prosperity of the country,
and who anting on their own judgment nev
er come forward in an election but on some
important occasion.
When this body moves, all the little bark
ings of scribbling and witless curs pass fol
nothing. To fay to this independent des
cription of men, you must turn out such and
Juch persons at the next eleaion, for they have
taken off a great many taxes, and lessened the
expenjes of groernmrht, they have dijmiffed m,.
Jon, or my brother, or myfelf, from a lucrative
office, in which there was nothing to do, is to
(hew the cloven foot of fadion, and preach
the language of ill-disguised mortification.
In every part of the union, this fa&ion is
in the agonies of death, and in proportion
as its fate approaches, gnalhes its teeth arid
struggles. My arrival has struck it, as
with an hydrophobia, it is like the fight of
water to canine madness.
As this letter is intended so announce my
arrival to my friends, and to my enemies,
if I have any, for I ought to have none in
America, and as intfodudory to others that
will occafionall, follow , I (ball close it by
Retailing the line of conduit I shall pbrfue.
I have no occasion to a&, and do hot in
tend to accept any place or office in the gov
ernment. There is none it could give me,
that would be any ways equal to the pro
fits I could make as an author, for 1 have
an established fame in the literary world,
could 1 reconcile it to my principles to
make money by m, politics or religion, I
must be in every thing what I have ever
been, a disinterested volunteer ; my proper
sphere of a&ion is on the common floor of
citizenship, and to honest men I give my
hand and my heart freely.
I have some manufeript works to publiffi,
of which I (hall give proper notice, and
some mechanical affairs to bring forward
that will employ all my leisure time. I
(hall continue these letters as I fee occasion,
and as to the low party prints that chufe to
abuse me, they are welcome, I (hall not de-,
feend to answer them. I have been too
much used to such common fluff to take any
notice of it. The government of England
honored me with a thousand martyrdoms,
by burning me in effigy in every town in
that country, and their hirelings in America
may do the fame.
THOMAS PAINE.
City of IPaJhihgton.
Latest top tie a@aM
—H.<4<g4»+
Extract of a letter Jrom JoneJborough, (T)
dated 061.6.
" A number of reports are in ciruculation
in this and the adjoining counties, which, if
true, we think a rupture with the Cherokee
Indians not far diftant—lt is reported and
generally beleived, that the Indians have
politively refufed to give up the murderers
of young Runner, in consequence of which
a number of Mr. Runner's friends, some fay
30, others more, had armed themselves to
take fatisfaaiop, and had actually gone into