The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1800-02-26 00:00:00, page 2

thereto, it would be requisite to inquire bow the
money already granted had been expended, in
order to know whether it was or was not a pro
fitable or necessary trade. He therefore moved
that the President be requeued to cause the pro
per department of government, to lay before this
house a llatemeix of the monies which have been
expended under an aft entituled “ an aft, &c."
Some observations were made as to the propri
ety of applying to thte President for the informa
tion. Mr. Harper and Mr. Otis thought it more
regular to apply to the secretary of the Treafuay.
Mr. Claiborne had no objection :,he had moved
the application to the Prelident, because the mo
ney was to be expended under bis direction, but
ashis object was to obtain the flatement, which
lie believed had never been laid before the house,
he altered his motion so as to require it of the
Secretary of the Treasury, which was carried.
A message was received from the Senate, dur
ing the fitting with the bill tor enumerating the
inhabitants of the United States. Sundry amend
ments were made by the senate thereto. Adj.
FRIDAY, FEB. 7.
A bill entituled “ An aft in addition to anaft
entituled an aft regulating the grants of lands
appropriated for military services, and for the
society of the United Brethren for propagating
gospel among the heathens;" a bill entitled “ An
aft refpe&ing the Mint ;" a bill entitled " An act
declaring the assent of Congress to certain ads of
, the states of Maryland and Georgia ;" and a bill
intituled “ An alt giving furthertime to the hold
ers of military warrants to register and locate the
fame,"—were refpettively read the third time,
and palled.
The House went into a Committee of the whole
on the bill providing the means of intercourse be
tween the United States and foreign nations—Mr.
Parker in the Chair—and after making some pro
gress therein, rose, and obtained leave to fit again.
, JONATHAN ROBBINS. .
A written message was received from the Pre
fideht of the United States, by his Secretary, Mr.
Shaw, in the words following, to wit :
Gentlemen of the House of Representatives,
IN consequence of your request to me, conveyed in your re
solution of the fourth of this month, I directed the Secretary of
State to lay before me copies of the' papers intended. These
copies, together with his report, I now transmit to the House of
Reprefcutatives, for the consideration of the members.
JOHN ADAMS.
United States, Feb. 7, 1800.
The report from the Secretary of State to the
President of the United States, contains the fol
lowing papers.
No. 1. Copy of a note from Sir Robert Liston,
Minister Plenipotentiary, &c. of the King of Great
Britain, to the Secretary of State, requeuing that
application might be made to the Prelident of the
United States to issue his orders for the delivery
of Thomas Nash ; the Judge of the Dillritt Court
of South Carolina, and the Attorney General of
the United States for that diftrift, having express
ed their doubts upon the fubjett, and wished for
the interference of the Executive.,
, No. 2. A letter from the Secretary of State to
the Honourable Thomas Bee, Judge of the billrift
Court of the United States for the State of South
Carolina, Hating it to be the opinion of the Preti
dent, that Jonathan Robbins, alias Thomas Nash,
ought to be given up, under the 27th article of the
British treaty, if upon due investigation it should
be found, that he had committed crimes worthy
reprehension and punishment : and also dating it
to be the wish of the President, that he should be
delivered up.'
No. 3. A letter from Judge Bee, to the Secre
tary of State, informing of his compliance with
the above.
No. 4. Certificates of the Selectmen and town
Clerk of the town of Danbury, in the State of Con
nefticur,difprovinUhe dhth ofJonathan Robbins,
to be a citizen of tgat place.
No. 5. Extract of a letter from Adm. Sir Hyde
Parker, dated Port Royal, to Sir Robert Liston,
Rating that Nash had been tried,, couvided, and
hung in chains—and that he coufeffed himfelf to
be an Irishman.
No. 6. Extract pfa letter from Benja. Moody,
Esq. Coirful of his Britannic Majetty at Charleston,
to the Secretary of State, Rating that he had writ
ten to Adm. Parker, for a copy of the Minutes of
the Court Martial by which Nash had been tried—
and containing Adm. Parker's answer, that it was
not in his power to comply with the request,
which could be alone granted by the Lords of the
Admiralty—that Nafli had been executed,&c. and
confefled himfelf an Irishman.
Mr. Rutledge moved that the Message, and pa
pers accompanying it, be referred to the Commit
tee appointed in pursuance of a lefolution contti
tuting an enquiry whether any provision is neces
sary to be made to carry into execution the 27th
art. ofthe British treaty.
Mr. Livingflon hoped not—and fuperceded the
the motion of Mr. Rmledge, by moving a refer
ence to the committee of the whole House.
Mr. Rondolph called the yeas and nays upon it
—which were agreed to be taken.
After a long debate, both these motions were
withdrawn, aid the message ordered to lie on the
table, and be printed for the use of the Members.
The House again went into a committee ot the
whole on the Foreign Intercourse Bill—-Mr. Par
ker in the chair—when the bill having been gone
thro' with.
Mr. Gallatin moved an additional feaion to the
bill, limiting its duration to the expiration of the
tirftfeffion of the yth Congress.
Mr. Harper moved to amend the amendment,
by limiting the duration of the rd section only.—
After considerable difeuffion. ~ .
Mr. Otis said, that wilhing as he did, all monies,
necessary to be appropriated for this objeft, might
appear in one view, he would move, that the
committee rife, in order to move that the com
mittee of the whole be difeharged from the further
consideration of the bill.'.
The motion for riling was put and carried—,
ayes 43 —noes 38 —and upon the question " shall
the,committee have leave to fit again," it palled
in the negative.
The bill was then re-committed to the commit
tee of revifal and unfinifhed bufinefe, who report
ed it.—Adj. till Monday.
'-__— tu^^
EXTRACT.
On the comparative conduit of France and
Great-Britain in the present War.
During the fimsmer of 1791 some ofjhe princF
pal powers of Europe at a convention at pilnitz
in Saxony agreed to take advantage of the dif
tracled Situation of France to new model her Go
vernment and to divide among themfelvcs such
parts of that kingafti as,were mod convenient to
1 their refpaclive territories. On the 6th of July,
1791, the Emperor of Germany issued hiQcsrcu
lar letter againit the French dated at hvia, and
in that month the following articles wire agreed
on by the combined powers. 1 ;
Partition treaty between the Courts i& concert,
concluded and Jigued at Pavia, July. ,791. —
His Majetty the Emperor will retake all that
Louis 14th conquered in the Auflrian Netherlands,
and uniting these provinces to the said Nether
lands, will give them to his serene highness the
Eleßor Palatine, so thut these new poreffion^ ad
ded to the Palatinate may hereafter have the name
of Auftrofia.
His Majetty the Emperor will preferre forever
the property and possession of Bavaria, to make
in future an indivisible, mass with the domains
and hereditary possessions of the houfeof Auflria.
Her serene Highness the Arch duchess Maria
Christina Ihall be conjointly with his serene high
ness her Nephew the Areh duke Charles, put into
, Hereditary Pofleflion of the Duchy of Lorraine,.
Alsace ihall be reftoted to the Empire, and the
Bishop of Stratiburgh as well as the chapter Ihall
recover their ancient priviledges, and the ecclefi
ailical Sovereigns of Germany shall do the fame.
If the Swiss Cantons consent and accede to the
coalition, it may be proposed to them to annex to
the Helvetic League the BiJhapric of Porentrui, the
defiles of Franche Compte and even thoje ofthe Ty
rol with the neighbouring Bailiwicks as well as the
territory of TerJay which interjects the Pays de
Vaud.
Should,his Majesty the King of Sardinia sub
scribe to the coalition, La Lreje Le Bugey and the
Pays da Gex, usurped by France from Savoy, shall
be restored to him.
In case his Sardinian Majetty can make a grand
Division, he shall be fuffered to tpke Dauphiny, to
belong 'to him forever as the nearest defeendunt
the antient Dauphin.
His Majetty the King of Spain shall have Rou
fillon and Bearn with the Island of Corsica, and
shall take poffegion ofthe French part of St. Do
'mingo.
Her Majelly the Empress of all the Ruffians shall
take upon herfelf the invasion of Poland, and at
the fame time retain Kaminieck with that part of
Padolia which borders on Moldavia.
His Majesty the Emperor shall oblige the Port
to give up Choezim as well as the small sorts of
Servia and those on the river Lurna.
His Majesty the King of Prussia, by meats of the
above mentioned invasion of the Empress of all
the Ruffians into Poland, shall make an icquifi
tion of Thom and Dantzic and thereunto th; Pala
tinate on the Eafl to the confines of Silefta
His majesty the King of Prussia shall befdes ac
quire Luface and his serene highness the einftor of
Saxony shall in exchange receive the rest of Po
land and occupy the Throne as hereditary Sove
reign.
His Royal Highness the elector of Saxony shall
give his Daughter in marriage to his serene high
ness the youngest son of his Royal Highness the
Grand Duke of all the Ruffians who will be the
the father of the race of the hereditary Kfogs of
Poland and Lithuania#
“Signed," Leopolds
Prince Nassau.
Count Florida BtANCA.
Bishoffswerder.'
Has thy deader perused with attention this molt
impudent and iniquitous agreement ? If so,) ask
of him whether any of the Powers thus confedera
ting to divide beiweed them ,he Territories of
France, has any right to complain if the French in
retaliation should conquer and retain their terri
tory ? 1 alk, whether it is any thing more than
rational felf-defence on the part of France to se
cure to herfelf it possible such an acceffign of Ter
ritory at the expense of her enemies, as to increase
the difficulties offuch an unprincipled confederacy
in future.
Let us row fee what took pldce in consequence
of this Treaty^ • ~
The Empress of Russia, early in the Summer of
1792 commenced her attack on Poland, the Em
peror of Germany and the King of Prussia in pur
suance of their engagement secretly aided the de
ftrudion of that unhappy country. "In the sub
jugation and difinemberment ofPoland, (fay the
Authors of the New Annual Registerfor 1792,
Brit, and For. hill. p. td6) the spirit of that nefa
rious band of conspirators who sighed the treaty
of Pilnitz is fufficiently manifefted, and that man
I who does not feel himfelf actuated by the firongeft
resentment at such violations of every thing that
is laudable and tight, mtfft nece/farily be deficient
either in sense or in honetty."
In further prosecution of this treaty, the King
of Prussia and the emperor joined forces under the
Duke of Brunswick and published their circular
and manifefto Rating as the pretext for gding to
war, their commiseration for the King of France;
,and a determination to re-eftablilh what they are
;pleafed to call good order and government in that
Kingdom, talk, whether this treaty has any re
ference to the interests of the King or the People
of France ? Whether that unfortunate Monarch
was not made the dupe & the facrifice ofthe com
bined powers, at the very time when in violation
of his oath he Was treacherously fending money
out of the nation to pay the emigrant troops at
Coblentz enlisted tinder the banners of this infam
ous Coalition.
After the defeat of the D. of Brunswick, the
1 King of Prussia retired from the league. So did
the court of Spain as soon as the Marquis D'Aran
da, became minister. The King of Sardinia how
ever aided by the Swiss Cantons (particularly of
Berne) was an early and active partizan ; he aug
mented his troops , entertained the emigrants ;—
arreted the French ambassador; and held a Con
gress on the mode of invading France. Hence
that nation in September, 1792, declared war a
gainst Sardinia...
Great Britain acceded to this league in March
1792, and at her instigation so did Holland soon af
ter. Three times the French attempted to con
ciliate Great Britain : they lent Chauvelin tirft
with Talleyrand , then with Le Brun; even after
the commencement of Hostilities, they twice fentf
over Mr. Daret, with powers to treat. Great
Britain did not pretend to have any ce@laint
herfelf. She made the opening of the Scheldt the
pretext—The French renounced the Rheme, and
offered to leave it to difeuffion between Holland
and Belgium. Holland (by the way) made no ob
jeftion to the opening of this river. The English
derate =_.atm ———e--etrena —mete-tc
* This paper and the other public fad# herein fated, I take
from the New Annual Rcgiftet for 1792 and the followihg year's:
A Book of eftablilhed authority and acknowledged inipartiaU
ty-—
f we haye hinted it before and we now assert it for a fad (fays
the N. A. kegiher 1796, p. y.§ that M. Chauvelin was authorized
and M. Marct cxpreGly dlfpatched to offer the British Cabinet
their choice ofthe French poffeffioni in the EaU Ot Well Indies
u the price of neutrality.^ '.
complained farther cf a revolution of the French
JLegiflature undertaking to &Hitt those nations who
were ffruggling for their liberties : it was ac
knowledged that Chauvelin voluntarily ygave the
moll repeated and farisfattory explanations on
this head, in his official notes to Lord Grenville,
approved of and confirmed by the Executive coun
cil ; but the treaty ot Pilnitz was entered into, the
die was call, and Chauvelin was dismissed with
hauteur : Wearied of entreaty the French declar
ed war against England and Holland ill February,
J 793-.
“ Switzerland had during the progress of the
French revolution, and during the war, remained
apparently neuter, but the spirit evinced by the
Cantons was extremely hostile to the cause of
France. Nor was it till the Prtiffiah negotiation
that Bafle recognized the French Republic.*
Some ofthe swiss cantons particularly Soleur and
Fribourg had treated the French miniller M. Bar
thelemy with great indignity, and had been excit
ed by the numerous emigrants who filled those
cantons, to such violent aniiriofity toward# the
French cause, that they were only prevented from
declaring hostilities by the wife and moderate
counsel of the cantons of Zurich, Bafle and some
others.!
It appears from Col. De la Harpe's book bn
Switzerland, publilhed in 1796 and 1797, that the
canton of Bern without waiting the concurrence
of the other Cantons, fitted out 16,000 troops to
advance to the frontiers of Ain and lura and take
possession of La Breffit, Le Bogey and the Pavs de
Gex ; but the retreat of the Duke of Brunswick
induced them to recall their army : M. De la Har
pe gives other indubitable instances of the active
hostility of this canton in particular. I refer to
the extracts from his work publilhed in the Auro
ra, Augull 16 & 18, 1798. This disposition was
conllautly kept up by the presence and intrigues
of tie British tefidents Fitzgerald and Wickham.
The insolent threats of Lord Hervey, joined to
the influence of his Brother the Emperor induced
the Grand Duke of Tufeany to declare war againtt
France on the ioth Oct. 1793.— Those P art s of
Italy which belonged to the house of Austria, would
of course be engaged in the con tell,fuch as Mantua,
Milan, Mirandola, &c.—The Prince of Parma, the
Pope, the king of Naples,! & the Venetians were af
terwards induced to join the combined powers, &
thus incurred the resentment of the French, till
the success of the latter compelled them to sue for
peace.—Unfaithful to their engagements howev
er, the Pope, the Neapolitans, and Sardinia again
affilted as far as they dared the Aulhian troops :
And the murder of 500 Frenchmen in cold blood,
in the Venetian territory, unpunished and almoli
unnoticed, by that Government gave in my opin
ion a just and reasonable cause for the punilhinent
lubfequently inflicted by the French.—
Such is a plain and faithful narrative of fads
.so far as it goes. Fasts too notorious to be con
-4 troverted. Do they not prove,
ill. That the commencement of hostilities in
every case (I except the invasion of Leghorn) has
been owing not to the French but to their ene
mies : that the French on the contrary were ear
nellly folititous for peace and neutrality ; and that
they were reafoiAbly driven to desperation at
hottie and retaliatioiiabroad by the unprovoked,
unprincipled, and l&ilh conduct of their oppo
nents?
' 2dly. That the popular governments alone, Po
land which had just regenerated eaceably and u
nanimbufly her former constitution, and France
engaged in the fame pursuit, were the sole objects
of this confederacy of Tyrants?
An intichate friend of mine, resident at Pilnitz
during the Convention there, told me it was a
matter notorious and openly spoken of, that after
the success of the combined powers againll France
and Poland, America as a Republic was to be next
attacked and reduced to a monarchical form.—-
3dly. That the principles of this coalition are so
detestably unjult, that every motive of prudence
and retaliation will juftify the French in seizing
upon the territory and weakening the power of
those who engaged in it.— <
4thly. that those therefore who cry out-against
the French conquers in Holland, the Netherlands,
in Italy or Swi Herland, can not advert to the obvi
ous, the neceffarj policy of the French, to deprive
her enemies of as much power, as much influence,
and as many friends as possible—or they must in
their hearts be friendly to the cause of European
despotism.
the French entered Leghorn, as a principal de
posit of British merchandize. Ido not mean to
juAify this, though it might be difficult to aflign a
fatßfaftory reason why enemy's property should
be screened in neutral ttore houses from the
French, and not in neutral ships from the English.
The invasion of Egypt, was certainly begun
with Qie knowledge of the Porte, for there was a
French Ambassador at Constantinople and a Turk
ish Meiller at Paris, while tile projected expedi
tion was publicly talked of.
Let it be further noted, tft. That from the be
ginning to the present period of this deftruflive
war, it has been the policy pursued by France to
seek, to entreat for peace and neutrality— ot
Great Britain in particular, to exite, to force, to
infifton the active hostility of neutral nations.
Witness tlie insolent tone of Lord Auckland in
Holland, Lord Hervey at Tufcauy, Mr.. Drake at
Genoa, &c.
21y. That Great Britain has during this war a
dopted unjust and unusual methods of hostility.—
She seized on the private property of French Citi
zens quietly resident in England, without any
previous notice. Witness the case ofChollet & Co.
and the bill for prohibiting the transfer of French
Property-
She behaved for some time with so much im
propriety toward neutral veflels that Denmark
and Sweden, agreed to fit out 8 ships of the line
each to repel her inftilts; and demanded and com
pelled reltitution. Onthe6th ofNov. 1793. An
order iffiied aimed at the Americans, to flop and
detain for trial all ships laden with the produce
of any French Colony, or carrying provisions
thereto.— . -.
- Previous to the regular declaration of war a
gainfl France, the Courts of England and Holland
did in fatt declare the whole French coast iu a
date of Blockade and with the view of darting
France, prohibited the carrying of provisions there.
This has since been done also in the Weft-Indies.—
InOft. 1794, the Dutch Merchants requeued leave
the depotit their merchandize in England as a
place o(lafety without paying a duty ad valorem.
This was retufed non the 16th of January follow
a spring of 1795.
, N.,A. Regiffer for ;,„, p. six.
% When the Pope and the King of Napes were intimidated by
the French Success in June, 1796, they agreed to renounce
their former allies and withdraw their forces: fee the N. A. Reg.
1,96, p. 210. The ports of the Pope's dominions were open to
the British, and the Ihips of the King of Naples had joined the
Eritilh Squadron..
ing it w£ permitted t within a few day! after, 2
Dutch fixty-fotirs, 2 Hoops, ,Dutch India ships,
& 6c other vessels were seized in the British Ports,
amiop Feb. 9th, letters of Marque were iffoed a
gainst all Dutch veflels bound to or from Holland,
aud all neutrals bound thither with Military
Stores.r
I fay nothing ofthe searching our ships, and cap
turing our feauteu ; we have no obligations as a
Commercial nation cither to England or Fiance.
3. The negociatious for peace with Great Brit
ain went off on account ot the cape of Good Hope,
the island of Ceylon, &c.—That is, Great Britain
would not make peace unlcfs the were permitted
to plunder her allies : she led, the forced Holland
into the war , arid now leeks to profit by the loss
es of that country. France on the other hand,
would not make peace on the terms of facriti
cing the intereh of her friends. She did not ask
for the captured colonies to be given up to her,
but to the nation horn whom they were taken.
4, The present compaign is notoriously owing
to the breach of faith of the Andrians in privately
calling, in the Ruffian troops while they were a
muling the French by negotiations at Radlladt.
5. Great Britain and the combined powers have
prbfefledly interfered in this war and with other
nations, to work the downfall of Republican prin- *
ciples and to proflrate the rights of the people.—
France on the contrary, has never yet invaded an
enemy's country, but file has endeavoured to pro
pagate ans l efiablilh the very principles on which
her own, on which the American Governments are
founded; equality of rights, abolition of privi
leges, and the sovereignty of the people exercised
in a representative government. Is this four not?
Who then are the declaimers againll this magnan
imous mode of waging war ? In Europe, we
know them to be the adherents of the coalition.—
But is it for the freemen of this country to tigh
and lament over the downfall of the most impres
sive and insulting Tyrannies ? Surely these mourn
ers in the train of Despotism, cannot be the iincere
friends of Republican America. *
* I have left out all consideration of the french bring intfo
el to other countries : and yet the Americans thou ht luch an
interference perfedly jußlfiabie in their own cases ; why not them
in the case of Ireland or Swifferland ? Let the reader peruse,
Miss H. Maria Williams's account of that country, or Mr. Gib
bons's letter on Swifferland in his porthuroous works (vol. 1. p.
412, Bvo edit.) and blame the Revolutionists if he can. Mr.
Gibbons at leat tcannot be (impeded of partially towards repub
lics, yet his letter confirms De la Harpe's account of the Wat
tevilles and the Steigers. Towards the conclusion of that letter,
Mr. Gibbon, speaking of the remonstrances on the part of the
people, fays “ But there is another remedy, more prompt, more
perfect, more glorious. William Tell would have prescribed it,
I do not."
BIOGRAPHICAL.
NAPOLEONE BNONAPARTE was born in
the town of Ajaccio, in Corsica, in 1767 ; the son
of Charles Buonaparte and Letitia Ranioßui.
His father, who was also a native of Ajaccio,
was bred to the civil law at Rome, and took part
with the celebrated Paoli, in the ever memorable
Itruggle made by a handful of brave islanders, a
gainst the tyrannical efforts of Louis XV. And
the Machihveliau fehemes of bis miuifter Choifeul.
Upon the tehimony of a near relation, he not on
ly laid alide the govn upon this occasion, but a&
ually carried a musket as a private centinel!
On the conquest of the island, he wished to re
tire with the gallant chieftain who had so nobly
itruggled for its independence ; but was prevent
ed by iiis uncle, a canon, who exercised a parental,
authority over him.
In 1773, a deputation from the three elates
was sent to wait 011 the king of France; and on
this occasion, Charles Buonaparte was feiefte.lto
represent the nobles. He was soon after promot
ed to the office of procurator real of Ajaccio,
where his ancellors, itippofed to have been orlgi-'
nally from Tufeany, had been fettled nearly two
hundred years.
The family of the elder Buonaparte was nume
rous, for he had (even children—four tons and
three daughters. It was his good fortune howev
er to be cherished by the French ; and both he
and his family lived in the greater intimacy with
M. de Marbceiif, rhe governor. On the death of
'the father, M. de Marboeuf continued to patronize
his family, and placed his 2d son, Napoleoue, at
the military academy.
The advantages refusing from this seminary..
which has produced more great men than any
other in Europe, were not loft on young Buona
parte. He there applied himfelf with equal assi
duity and address to mathematics, and studied the
art of war as a regular science. Born in" the midst
of a republican fhuggle in his native land, it was
his good fortune to buril into manhood at the mo
ment when the country of bis choice (hook off the
chains with which Die had been menacled for cen
turies. There was also fometbing in bis manner
and habits that announced him equal to the situa
tion for which he feeins to have been defined ; in
fiead of< imitating the frivolity of the age, his
mind was continually occupied by ufeful Undies ;
arid from the lives of Plutarch, a vclome of M Inch
he always carried in his pocket, he learn'd at au
early age to copy the manners and emulate the
actions of antiquity. With this disposition, it is
but little wonder that be should have dedicated
•his life to the propion of arriis. We according
ly find bim, while yet a boy, presenting himfelf a #
candidate for a commission in the artillery.; be
proved fuccefsful in the competition, became a
lieutenant in the French army, and served as such
during two or three years, in the regiment of La
Fere.
On the second expedition againfl Sardinia,,hav
ing attained the rank of lieutenant-colonel of a
corps of Corsican national guards, he embarked
with his countrymen, aud landed in the little i&
and of Maddalena, which be took possession of in
the name of tlie French Republics but finding the
troops that bad been got together for this expedi
tion neither possessed organization nor difciplii;e,he
returned to the port of Ajaccio, from whence they
set out. In the mean time a scheme was formed
tor the annexation of Corsica to the crown of Eng
land. Buonaparte, had a difficult part to aet on
this occasion ; he was personally attached to Paoli;
he resented the treatment he experienced during
the reign of the. terrorists, and had actually dray n
up, with his own hand, a remonflrance, transmit
ted by the munici|>ality of ^jaccio, agaicfl the
decree declaring the general an enemy to the com
monwealth. Indeed, he was supposed to tc so in
tima'^j connected with him, that a warrant was
a&uafy issued by tire commillioners of the con
vention, to arrest young Buonaparte ! Neverthe- 2
less be was determined to remain faithful to his
engagements, and learning that the English fleet
had failed for the purpose of seizing hrs native isl
and, he embarked with hit family for the conti
nent, and fettled within 18 leagues ot Tmlnm
That town had just been delivered up to the Eng
lilh Act Lord Hood. The military talents of the