Republican ledger, and Portsmouth price current — Portsmouth, N.H., 1802-02-16 00:00:00, page 2

But there is something undignified in thu:
hastily repealing this law ! in thus yielding ।
ourselves to the fluctuations of public opin- (
ion !fo we are told !-—but if there be blame ;
on whom does it fall r Not on us, who re
fpeded the public opinion when this law
was palled, and who dill refped it. But o
tfiofe who in defiance of public opinion pas
fed the law, after that public opinion ha, :
been decisively exprelied. The fevolutiot
in public opinion had taken place before th: |
introduction of this projeCt ; the people of<
the United States had determined to commi
their affairs to new agents ; already had tin (
confidence of the people been transferred' (
from their then rulers into other hands. At-,
ter this ex portion of the national will, and'
this new deposit of the national confidence,'
the gentlemen should have left untouched f
this important and delicate fubjed ; a fub
je& on which the people could not be recon
ciled to their views even in the flood tide of 1
their power and influence ; the, should have,
forborne,till agents better acquainted with the
national will,becaufe more recently conflitu
ted its organs, had come into the govern- <
ment. This would have been more digni-;
fied than to seize the critical moment when.
power was puffing from them, to pass such;
a law as this. If there is error it is our du
ty to correct it ; and the truth was, no law
was ever more execrated by the public.
Let it not be said postpone the repeal till|
the next session. No. Let us restore thofet
gentlemen to private lite, who have accept- <
ed appointments under this law. This will
be doing them greater justice, than by keep,
ing them in office another year, till the pro
fetfional business, which once attached tc
them, is gone into other channels. $
[Mr. Mason went into ah examination
of the number of frits depending at, the time t
the law was palled and particularly the
number brought within the twelve months,
preceding its passage, from the fewnefs of,
which, and their being ir. a Rate of diminu-।
tion rather than increase he inferred the in
utility of the additional judges.] 1
He continued : if on this review, we|
find the number of faits decreasing inßead of,
increasing ; if the courts then eftahlifhec
were found competent to the prompt ano
faithful difehaige of all the duties devolved
upon them, the law was unnecessary, the
additional expence incurred by it was unne
cessary ; and all unnecessary expence should
be saved. It is true that fifty thousand dol
lars divided among the people of U. S-a
monnted to but one cent a man ; but the prin
ciple was Hill the fame. It has been very
fashionable of late to juftify every unneceffa
ry expense by Rating each item by itfelf and
dividing it among the whole people. In this
way every expence is held forth as of little
co»fequence. Gentlemen fay in this case,
it is only one cent a man? In the case of
the Mausoleum, 200,000 dollars came tc
only four cents a man ! In the direct tax it
js onlv forty cents! They talk of our army,
it only conic to a few cents for each person,
who may fell as many cabbages to the sol
diers themselves as to pay it 1 So in a navy.
In this way arc the muff extravagant expen-
aw was very .wear pacing. It washout
ever rejeded In the House of Representa
tives by a very small majority. But it wa:
circulated as a project of a law among th<
people. It was illy received. It war
thought too rank a tiing, and met-with gen
eral difaprobation throughout the Unite
States, as far as I have been able to learn.
After this reception it was foftened down t
the plan introduced at the la(t session
What temper accompanied the progress of
the bill in the other ho'ufe I know nut, or if
J did know would it be proper for me htr<
to fay. But with refpe& to the a&sof thi
b&y I am not of opinion that they adder;
any dignity to ourcommon course of procee
dure. The bill was referred to a commit
t^, who, though it was very long, reported
it without any amendment. Various a
mendments were offered, some of which
were admitted to be proper. But they were
not received. One indeed proposed by a
member from Conne&icut, who was chair
man of the committee, and Was then hoftih
to the plan did pass in the eatly stages of th<
bill ; but on the third reading it was ex
ponged. All amendments proposed by the
minority were uniformly rejeded, by a flea
dy, inflexible and undeviating majority. I
confefs that I saw no passion, but I certain
ly did fee great pertinacity ; something lik<
what the gentleman from Connecticut ha<
termed a holdingfajt No amendments wert
admitted—when offered we were told no :
you may get them introduced by a rider 01
supplementary bill, or in any other way you
please ; but down this bill muff go— it mud
be crammed down your throats ; this was
not the precise phrase, but such was the a
monnt of what was said.
I will fay that not an argument was urg
ed in favor of the bill, not a word to fheu
the necessity or propriety of the change.---
Yet vc are rold that there was great digni
ty, great solemnity in its progress and pas-
fit?^
Resolved, That the aft passed by the Legisla
ture for The N. W. of the Ohio, entitled,
' An act declaring the assent of the Territory to
an alteration in the ordinance for the government
thereof," ought not to be assented to by Congress.
Which resolution the House immediately took
up and agreed to —Yeas 81, Nays 5.
ThurJday, Jan. 28.
The House took up the reflations of a feleft
committee respecting Lieut.Sterret, amendatory of
those of the Senate, viz. Tiiat the Frefident be re
queued to present Lieut. Sterret with a sword ;
and that one month's pay be allowed to the Offi
cers and Seamen of the Enterprize.
Dr. Eudis from a committee appointed on the
fubjeft of the fortification of the harbors of the
United States, reported, that there were 153 coo
dollars of former appropriations unexpended.
It was the opinion of the Secretary at war that
63,500 dollars would be (efficient for the expen
diture of this year. It was therefore the opinion
of the committee that no amendments are necef
fory in the laws on that subject. The house a
greed to the report.
Friday, Jan. 29,
Engroffiog refolntions expressing the sense of
Congress of the gallant conduct of Lt. Sterret,
&c. were read the third time and pafftd.
Mr. Giles prerented petitions from 1200 pCrfons
resident in the N. W. Territory againit the aft of
the government of said territory, refpe&ing boun
daries; also praying to be admitted as a Rate In
to the Union, but if not admitted, that the gov
ernor may be prohibited from exercising an abso
lute negative on the parage of laws, &c,
Mr. Giles then moved that the petitions from
the N. W. Territory be referred to a feleft com
mittee to enquire into the expediency of admit
ting that Territory as a ffate into the Union. Car
ried and referred to a committee of fever.
Monday, Jan. 25.
A bill W6S reported, allowing a drawback ^ ;
^oods re-exported to N. Orleans.
The infractions given to armed vessels of the
U. S. during our difference With France, were
prefentfd in consequence of the requisition ot the
House.
Sacral petitions were presented by collectors of
the direct tax for additional pay.•
The resolution calling for a Schedule of the du
ties on damps paid in each date, was negatived.
The Committee of Ways and Means were direst
ed to report on the Subject of the impost and ton
nage duties. The motions for particular inllruc
lions refpe&ing the repeal of the duties on Salt,
brown sugar, coffee and bohea tea, were negatived.
The Secretary of the Treasury made a report
respecting certain paper money. Ordered to be
printed. Tuejday, Jan. 26.
The bill refpefting foreign corns pasted.
The House went into com. ofthe whole, on t)e
aft of the N. W. Territory, refpeQing boundaries
of States within said Territory. After fomq pro
refs therein, the committee rose and aiked leave
to Sit again.
A bill for the relief of Samuel Dexter, was or/
dered for a third reading.
Dr. Mitchell reported a bill for reviling and a
mending adls concerning Naturalization. Made
the order for Friday.
Mr. Sprigg reported a bill for the government
of the Territory of Colombia. This bill establish,
es a legislature, chosen by taxable citizens of the
United States one year resident in the Territory,
composed of a House of Representatives, to con
lilt of 25 members, 7 whereat to be chosen by the
district east of Rock-Creek,? from the part well
of Rock-Creek,and 11 by the county ot of Alex
andria. The Governor to be appointed by the
/resident ot the United States. The Territory to
pay the Legiflattire, and the United States the
Governor. The Judges tohmid tln,r offices dur
ing life, unless removed by the President, on the
application of 2 fucceflive Legislatures. —Referred
to a committee of the whole on Tuesday next.
Wednejday, Jan. 27.
An engrossed bill for the reliet of Samuel Dex
ter, was read a third time, and the consideration
Hereof postponed till to-morrow.
A Mefiage was received from the President, lay
ing before Congress the accounts of Indian trad
:ng houses to January x, 1801, with a report 01
the Secretary of War, —Referred.
The House wentinto a committee of the whole
on the Act of the Legillature of the N. W. Terri™
•ory, entitled, " An att declaring the aflent of the
Territory to an alteration in the ordinance for the
government thereof." —Whereon a debate of Some
length eiifued, on the motion of Mr. Fearing, de
ciding the constitutionality of the aft, which was
upported by Messrs. Fearing and Griswold ; and)
>ppofed by Mefffs. Davis," Giles, and Bayard. On,
the question being taken it was loft. Mr. Giles
motion verbally modified, was then agreed to ;
when Mr. John C. Smith, the chairman, reported,
that the committee bad come to the following
refolUtion :
Mr. Giles said, as a report was soon expected
from the coin, of ways and means, it was impor
tant to afeertain the sense of Congress on the con
tinuance of an eftablijhment attended with a con
siderable expense. He said he alluded to the
mint.
If it should appear that this establishment cost
more than the benefit derived from it, he prefum
ed it would be difeontinued. He, therefore, fub'
mitted a resolution, declaring that the several a&
in relation to the mint ought to be repealed.—
Ordered tolie on the table.
:es whittled down tna mere fraction. Bui
ibis kind of federal atiihmetic I can nevei
iccede to. It may suit an expensive gov
rnment ; but it is an imposition upon the
people.
• (To be concluded in our next.)
—.«.<^^fy^j
To the PEOPLE of NEWHAMPSHIRE.
THE fporious federalifts, whose main
spring is Toryifm, are adepts at white waJb
in, the Moors head ! They artfully enveil
themselves with the plainer of deception,
and fain would persuade people that federal
ids possess all the riches, the talents, the vir
tue, the religion, and all the patriotism of
the country Yes, these men who call
House of Reprefeutatives.
From the REPUBLICAN GAZETTE.
themselves federJifts, begin to prate about #
their economy ! Economy is a republican vir
tue, but seldom found in th^train of fpuri
ous federalifm : —yet federalists may, fume
times, eeonomife : we have a few instance?,
on record, in the American Republic :
While the Britilh. federalists of the conti
nent, were economifing in Congiefs, pav
ing.the way for the introduction of a hos!
of federal judges, with nothing to do but
meet, adjourn, and receive their salaries:
while these extravagant federal economics
were actually creating Sixteen new judges,
as ufclefs as a fifth wheel to a coach—the
minor satellites of the Sect in New-Hamp
thire, were running mad with economy al
so—they made a wonderful difcovery,that the
servants of the people could manage their
business more summarily than the people
could for themselves, and with more wisdom
too, as these WISE men undoubtedly tho't ;
they' therefore took upon themselves the
Work of the People; and as the Federal
Constitution fays that Electors of President
and V. President shall be chosen by each
date, in such manner as the legislature may
point out, these federal economifers found
it convenient to establish a new kind of lo
gick : they reasoned thus ; lie, the legijla
fors, are chosen by tbe people, to tranjaft their
business, we represent tie fate, ergo, we are
■ the fate —ergo, they ele&ed the electors—
? And what if they did not flick quite so close
,to the constitution, nor flick at taking from
. the people a constitutional right, they were
: religious federalists ; and besides, it muff be
, avast saving of money, or time, and time is
;money, for the Court to do the work, and
Iwill more than pay for leaping the barriers
-of the Constitution ! And only let the Peo
? ple choose tbe fame good, honest, virtuous
' federalists, during life, or on the plan of
Mr. Adams' judges of midnight creation,
. during good behaviour, (federalists to decide)
land there would soon be no neceflity to keep
in the state archives such an out-of-the-way
thing as a Constitution ! and the People
}need cot take any thought for themselves
neither, for these prudent federalifts will
SAVE all the people's Money !
These are not the only evidences of the
economy of Federalists —And they have also
given us some Striking evidences of their,
Virtue—for infiance, they have denied to
one class of citizens, privileges Similar to
tn those they granted to another clals, and
, which the Constitution guarantees to al!—
ithey have made an ex post faCto law, which
Il impairs the obligation of contracts, and is
I retrojpeaive, in direCt violation of a Consti
tution which these scrupulously religious
federalifts had taken a solemn oath to flip
port : this is “ confirmation Strong," of the
superior claims of the Tory federalifts to ex-
clufive virtue —a kind of virtue however that
no hopeft republican will ever contend for
—it was peculiarly neceflary to the cause of
Anglo Federalism in the reign of terror ;
but can be of but little value now that the
people of these hates have opened their eye:
to fee, think and reason for themselves, in
head of taking for the creed of their politi
cal faith, That federatifls can do no wrong —
this was a dogma of the fallen fe&, in which
no man of sense any longer believes.
In the height of their zeal, we have seer
these exclusive federalifts excrcife power
never delegated to them ; we have seen then
assume prerogatives, and pursue measures
much more in the manner of a Tutkifh Di
van, or Papal Inquisitors, than like the po
litical fathers of a free, enlightened, inde
pendent people ;• —We have seen them es
tablishing a procedure which but illy befit
the Friends of Order !—which calls for th<
correctives of Justice ; which merits the
condemnation, justly to be infliaed by in
fultcd republicans. We have seen the con
ftituHen violated——the rights of the people
trampled on — We have seen the people un
necessarily TAXED—we have seen mone)
extorted from the pocket of the poor man,
(perhaps without a second or a single cow ;
who supports his family by his hard induf
try)---from such men, we have seen money
colleaed by legislative authority, not for the
support of government, or to defray the ex
penses of Legislation---but, for a far differ
ent ufe—-for the purpose of locking it up in
the vaults of a bank, conducted upon illibe
ral principles, for the paltry purposes ot
Speculation, tor the. benefit of a few, alrea
dy wealthy men, who have grown (not grey,
but) rich, in the service of the public. ——
For the aggrandizement of such men, in
power, and in wealth, we have seen the per
ple taxe^, and the State a second time:
amorphofed to a Speculator in Bank Scrip:
And we have seen the Old Tories, lea uec
with the federalifts, the principal and most
llrenuous advocates of those tinjuft and op
pressive measures 1 But, Times change,
and the PEOPLE of NEWHAMPSHIRE
will ere long seal the Death Warrant of to
ryifm and British ledcralifm.
Twenty years ago, in New-Hampshire,
for a proje&, plan, or plot, to be advocated
by men, who opposed with all their foul,
and might and ftrtngih, Ute emancipation
Col. John Langden,
is thoroughly known to the people of New-Hamp
shire, —1 bey have heretofore confided to him the
highest offices in their power to teltow open the
n?oft beloved fellow citizen—be has never difron
ored the high confidence reposed in him ; but has
, proved himfelf worthy of the honors he has re
; ceived—Be was a leading Whig in New-Bamp
fbire, in those times which tried men's fouh— Be
then ably and effettuaUy advocated the rights of
rhe people —He affifled in the eflabliihment of the
State and Federal government ; and has uniform
ly contributed to fuppert Loth, in the purity of
Republicanism.
PEOPLE of NEW HAMPSHIRE!
remember Yourselves ; take care of the ircOf
mable ^privileges you enjoy as Freemen—JC HN
LANCDON was a terror to the Tories in 1776 —
He has ever since been the feme fi-m, confident
Republican, an unchangeable Whig, the Itcady
Friend of Liberty, both civil and religions.
People of New-Hamf/hfre .' He is a Man whom
you have known and PROVED, through the melt
'^cult and perilous timet —and to You the ap
s made, Eid he eier loje fight of ICJR inter.
We know that the lory influence rages a
gate n—their furnace will be seven titres heat
ed to engulph him—ti e wrath of Anglo Federal
ism burns bot.to facrifice hint—But, will the Free
men of New-Hampshire, infer that it fluetree to
prevail on them now, which in '75 would have
rivetred on them the chains of slavery ! and bound
their potterity in a flare of vassalage to a foreign
tyrant ?—Shall that influence, frail Ts, influence
now prevail on the people of New-Hampfhirc,
to withheld honor from him to whom honor 1S
due ?—Will they reject an old tried FRIEND, at
the inllance of their old tried enemies ? Forbid it
Heaven ! forbid it paUictlfm ^^ft'sof'76.
nfthefe States from thraldom tn - ^JTh
tyrant ;. for Inch n,en to have adverted a
plan, would have been certain condemna
ton to it, would have damned it, in the efti
nation of every man who contended f or the
boon of Republican Liberty ! Then, it was
fufficient that those 1 ories, whooppofcd the
Revolution, Ihould be permitted quietly to
enjoy the buffings of that civil liberty t'hev
lefpifed, without directing the councils of
the State, or partaking largely in the ad
miniftfalion of the very government, of
which they would have prevented the estab
lishment. But times have Strangely altered !
We have seen those very men ; those very
identical old tories, gaining influence, and
raised to high places of authority ! We have
teen the fame men, who went about the
earth to and fro, seeking to delude the peo
ple and prejudice them againfl the revolu
tion, at the fame time that Washington and
bis compatriots were fighting the battles of
their country ; not a few of these anti-revo
'utionary itinerants, have ue seen promoted
to the high and honorable office of Repre
sentative of the People ! Such has been the
Grange departure from the primitive princi
ples of Republicanism ; that the very Mon
archies themselves hare been put into the
chief places of authority ! But the Peo
ple are awakQ-they will conftilt the inter
est of the Senate, and the interest of the V
nion. They will remember the maxim of
every true and honest Republican, that the
people are the only legitimate farce of power ;
the people will profit by experience ; they
will be cautious to delegate power to their
friends, and not cleft their enemies to rule
them. Remember your friends of 1775,
and of 1789 aud 1802— remember your en
emies of those periods also—We have men
in New-Hampshire, foolifh enough to strive
to persuade you, that the men who were
your open enemies in 1775, 76, '77, '7B,
'79, 'BO, 'Bf, to i8o2; are “ the most re
(pedable men in the ftatc !" that they are
more the friends of the People, than even
the men who flood foremoft in the revolu
tion, who placed their property and their
lives at stake, in defence of the Rights of
Man, of the Independence of their country,
>and of the liberty which we now enjoy.
.Upon this idea, we have seen thole very
>men, those very anti-revolutionary men,
? promoted 10 honor, 2nd legally secured, un-
I der our republican governments in the ex
clusive enjoyment of benefits refusing from
ithat government, which benefits we have
, seen denied, by an unconstitutional a&, to
he very men who effected the Revolution,
and established our freedom under that form
of government, the best calculated under
Heaven, for the happiness of man. Such
things, Citizens of America,' ought rot to
be— — But such things, have we seen in
New Hampshire ! where we have flill, meh
base enough to disgrace an honorable pro
feffion, by defeendihg so the low, pitiful &
contemptible < ffice of tiding upon bye-roads,
and in the fubuibs of our populous towns,
dealing cut scandal agairft men, the latchets
of whose Shoes they are rot worthy to un
oofe. Os this ephemeren breed, is the
' bastardized" Yankee, with his plain tail.
He appeared fitft in the Courier, and has even
dejeended (it we may ute the terni)ficm that, to
seating the back roads to irflame with, bis ,etty
^ggirg oratory the murids of the people —<h-
RITS of ',6, he appeared not in difguhe ; he dis
covered plainly his otfa & ; to deride the advo
cates of Republican principles, and to puff the Old
Tories into conft queuce, at ibe expend erf the Ci D
WHIGS, Who fought ter their Country's Freedom !
=Hs prime obje& has been to defame the cha
rader of Col. JOHN I ANGEON, tie Repub
lican candidate for the office of Chief Magistrate.
But this Yankee is {pending liis breath, and wearing
jp his go< fe quills for naught.