The Republican ledger — Portsmouth, N.H., 1801-02-17 00:00:00, page 2

Admidft the agitations of parties the true
point of wisdom and the line of justice
seems to be overlooked or contemned.—
When parties are nearly balanced and vi
/ olently opposed to each other, it is a general
rule, that it is better to do nothing, than to
carry a measure by a small majority; cases
excepted which immediately concern public
fafety. A law that is opposed by\a great
part of the community, will be negleded
evaded or violated ; in either of which cases
government is brought into contempt ; vrif
executed it fofters a fqirit of difaffedion,
Every day produces new evidence of the
great philanthropy, talents and patriotism
of Mr. Jefferfon. The letter from that
gentleman to his friend in Berkeley (which
we publiih) does equal honor to his head and
heart : and mutt convince those who have
perfccuied him, that he is not an enemy to
peace and harmony, but a decided supporter
of every principle of representative govern
ment, and of liberty.
Few men indeed, who like Mr. Jefferfon,
had been the objects of eternal dander and
reproach, would have manifeßed as much
benevolence and forbearance towards their
enemies, as he has done in this letter, which
we value the more, because it contains the
spontaneous efFufions of his heart. It was
Written in answer to a letter, and fdlely for
the fatisfadion of his friend.
4%'. Debate was then held onihe motion
to Rrike out such part of the bill as conferres
the right of fuffrage to persons potfefled of
a house and lot —-this was negatived.—The
committee then rose and obtained leave to fit
again.
SIR,
Your favor of August 26th, has been
duly received, and is entitled to my thank
fulnefs for the personal considerations you
are pleased to express in it. How far the
measure proposed might have the expected
effect, you can bed judge : however in the
great exercise of right in which the citizens
of America are about to a&, I have, on ma
ture consideration, seen, that it is my duty
to be passive. The interests which they
have at fake ate entitled to their whole at-:
tension, unbiaffed by personal esteem or lo
cal considerations ; and I am far from the
presumption of considering myfelf equal to
the awful duties of the firft magistracy of
this country. That there should be differ
ences of opinion among our fellow citizens,
is to be expected always. Men who think
freely, and have the right of expressing their
thoughts, will differ. It is true that these
differences have of late been artificially eh
creafed ; but they are now again subsiding
to their natural level, and all will fooh come
right, if no ads of violence intervene.—
The great queftibn which divides our citi
zens is whether it is fafeß that a preponder
ance of power should be lodged with the
monarchical or the republican branch of
our government ? Temporary panics may
produce advocates for the former opinion,
even in this country ; but the opinion will
be as short lived as the panic, with the great
mass of our fellow citizens. There is gne
circumstance which will always bring them
to rights : a preponderance of the executive
over the legillative branch cannot be main
tained bst by immense patronage, by multi
plying offices, making them very lucrative,
by armies, navies, &c. which may enlist on
the fide of the patron all those whom he
can interest, and all their families and con
nexions ; but these expences muff be paid
by the labouring citizen ; he cannot long
continue, therefore, the advocate of opin
ions, which, to fay only the lead of them,
doom the laboring citizen to toil and sweat
for useless pageants.
l should be unfaithful to my own feelings
were I not to fay, that it has been the great
est of all human consolations to me, to be
considered by the republican portion of my
fellow citizens as the fafe depositary of their
rights. The firß wish of my heart is, to
fee them guarded as to be fafe in ahy hands,
and not to depend on the personal difpofitiun
of the depositary ; and 1 hope this to be
practicable as long as the people retain the
spirit of freedom. When that is loft, all
experience has shewn, that no forms can
keep them free against their own will. But
that corrupt state of mind muff be very dis
tant in a country where, for ages to come,
unoccupied foil will (till offer it felf to those
who wish to reap for themselves what
themselves have sown.
Our chief object at present should be, to
reconcile the divisions which has been arti
ficially excited and to restore society to its
wonted harmony. Whenever this shall be
done, it will be found, that there are very
few real opponents to a government eledive
at short intervals.
Cfy of Mr. Jefferfon s letter, in reply to one
addressed to him by a citizen of Berkeley.
Monticello, Sept. 4,1800.
Accept the assurances of the refpea of,
fir, your very humble servant,
THO's JEFFERSON.
Examiner.
which gradually undermines the party that
favored the measure, and exalts their com
petitors into power.
[Chronicle.]
[The following although addrefled to the Legifla.
tore of Massachusetts, is so perfectly applicable
to this date that we think it highly worthy the
attentive perusal of our readers.]
I have been induced to address your hon
ors by a remarkable pailage in the Gover
nor's fpcech at the opening of the prefem
session. . The passage alluded to reads thus :
" Our obligations to support the Federal
Constitution, will require us to attend to
national affairs, and endeavor to diffufe cor
rea information concerning them among
our fellow-citizens ; to difeountenance a
spirit of party and undue attachment to any
foreign nation." Whether the sentiments
contained in this quotation are ftrialy cor
re&, is not the fubjea of my enquiry ; you
have made a full echo to this part of the
speech, and thereby made the sentiments
your own. Hence it may fairly be pre
sumed, that you confider yourselves bound
to a& in conformity thereto.
To you has been committed an import
ant truth The people have chosen you to
be the guardians of theit rights, and the
time for which you have been chosen draws
faft to a close. It therefore becomes their
duty to require, apd it is your duty to give
an account of your condu&, that they may
know whether you have aded the part of
faithful Rewards.
Several measures in course of yobr politi
cal year, have arretted our attention ; con
cerning which we have a right to ask and to
receive that corred information, which you
have so unequivocally pledged yourselves to
give. The most prominent of these is, your
taking from the people a right, which they
have always supposed, was guaranteed to
them by the federal constitution, and which
t ey have been in the habit of exercising
ever since that constitution has existed.—
Your imprudent assumption of this right,
has given just ground of alarm to the people ;
and unless you can give some substantial rca
fons for it, you mutt expert they will take
care to entrust their concerns in future, to
men who will mote refpe& their rights
than you appear to have done. It has been
said you justify this measure as neceflary to
counteract the doings of the legislature of
Virginia. In order that your constituents
may judge of the force of this argument,
you ought to inform them what were the
proceedings of the legislature of Virginia,
to counteract which it was necelfary to ap-
P^ so violent a remedy. TheConftitUtion
of the United States fays—" Each Rate shall
appoint, in the manner the legislature there
of shall direct, a humber of Electors equal
to the whole number of Senators and Re
presentatives, to which the Rate may be en
titled/' Did the legislature q£Virginia vi
olate this rule ? No ; they dy not under
take to deprive the citizens C that Rate of
this darling right • on the contrary, they
complied with the letter and spirit of the
constitution, and directed that they should
exercise it in its fulleft latitude, by adopt
ing a mode i^ which each citizen might
have a voice in choosing every Elector to
which that Rate was entitled. Permit me
to ask you, what would have been the result
had you adopted the fame mode with Vir
gina ? Have you a doubt that Mr. Adams
would have had every vote, and would Mr.
Pinckney have had an equal number? Can
you fay he would ? Would not candid an
swers difoofe your true motives, and may
we not fairly conclude they originated in a
preference of Mr. Pinckney ? But some
of you may fay, we were deceived by the
Elfex Junto: if so let your conduct shew it,
by renouncing them and their works.
The maxim, that virtue and talents ought
to be the governing motives in appointment
to office, is founded in wisdom—and where
this maxim is not pradifed, a Representa
tive Government cannot long exist. To
this maxim the People had a right to expe&
you would have paid a sacred regard. Have
you juftified their expectations: If you
have, I would ask why the Senate so point
edly negatived the appointment of the Hon.
Levi Lincoln,.as a commissioner to adjust
the line between this Rate and Conne&i
cut ? Have you endeavored to difeounte
nance an undue attachment to any so r'gn
nation ? If so, why did you appoint Mr.
Mason a Senator in the Congress of the U.
S.? Was it because he avowed the inten
tion to oppose the ratification of the treaty
with France ? Have you constantly endea
vored to difeountenance a party spirit ? It
you have, why have you chosen Mr. Cod
man a Senator, in preference to Dr. Eußis,
when Mr. Codman had about 43 votes by
the People, and was then and is Rill in
France, 1 while Dr. Euftis had more than
1600 votes, and was,on the foot ? The rea
foa you urged at the time was because Dr.
E. was ele&ed a Representative to Congress ;
but this reason cannot fatisfy. the People,
From the Independent Chronicle.
To the Legislature of Maflachufetts.
Meffrs.Nutting & Whiteloch,
By publishing the following you will
oblige fame Old Farmers.
There has been many Rridures made" by
some buzzing gentry, upon us said farmers,
who met together to solace ourselves on the
happy profpea there is of Mr. Jefferfon's
being chosen President) Our repaß was
the produce of our own country, and on that
account we suppose praise worthy, more es
pecially so, as under Providence it proceed
ed from our own industry, and hard labour,
and not from the hands of some idle drones
who are glad to/eeyupon other men's ' corn.'
We cannot help faying nevertheless that we
should have been contented with, our old pi
lot at the helm, but there has been such
manoeuvring and conjuring among the Es
sex folks, and others of the fame restless dis
position, that in short their boasted federal
ifm is faft declining. We have fiot as yet
loft fight of the republican principles of '75,
and mean to support them, so long as one
vital spark remains—and governments in
a' great measure flip ported by us, " corn fed
fellows," (as we are Riled in the Oracle ;)
supposing war should again resume is dire
ful head, against these states, are these Rric
ture gentry to come forward and defend?
No, not one in a hundred would—the very
smell of gunpowder would bring on such
panics that fothe would fculk to the woods
for hiding places and sooner flarve than fight.
Others would cringe, bow and scrape for
favor, or perhaps scamper away for Eng
land, and become pensioners for their cou
rage in running away ; like some who are
now receiving a reward for their cowardice,
or something worse.
The refleaions upon us country folks, in
the foid Oracle, affected our minds Very lit
tle, for altho' we have some feeling as well
as our neighbors, the feurrility exhibited
took off all its edge, knowing also that all
the specious pretences made by some for
government will vanish like the dew of
morn, before the dazzling beauties of one
grasp of power, to crush all who dare con
tradia, a&, or even think differently from
them. They are callous to all the feelings
of freedom of thought and equality while
particular systems, expe&ations and projects
for elevation, haunt their fouls. The re
foeaable writer, with high importance, as
sumes to didate to a few farmers refpe&ing
their innocent mirth about a President—
Wonderful refpea&bility indeed ! to be so
busy about trifles, a duty incumbent oh him
to detea. Now be it known to all men of
every description, that we, the said old far
mers, of Old York, " formidable or not"
formidable " gentlemen of the wilderness,"
ptomife dnd agree one with the other—that
we will a&, think, and do, every thing or
any thing we judge agreeable to the rules of
decency, peace, good order and hilarity, any
objections made by a certain wj/eacre to the
contrary notwithstanding.
Done at York,
ibis ibtb day of Feb. 1801.
By order of the committee,
NATHANIEL TRUSTWORTHY;
Chairman.
14 fr^^^*,^^*^ >-»—.
For the REPUBLICAN LEDGER.
Republican Suspicions confirmed by Federal
Conftfuns.
The Republicans through the U. States,
(in modern language Riled jacobins) have
frequently announced their suspicions, of a
prediteaion in certain governmental officers,
tor monarchy. Mr. A has (hewn the
justice of those suspicions by an avowal,
that the country never can be happy, with
out an hereditary, chief mrgift ate ; and A.
Hamilton has added his teflimony, by avow
ing himfelf a monarchic.
Again. The republicans declared the a
larm refpeaing, French invasion, so indus
triously circulated in the days of terror, by
the anglo-federalifts, to be an impudent pre
tence to gull the people into an acquiefceuce
in a funding army. A certain writer in vin
dication of Mr. Adams against the outrage
ous attack of Hamilton, now declares the
fame, and fays that nothing short of extreme
infatuation and weakness could listen to a
tale so ridiculous and absurd. He also de
clares that the idea originated with Hamil
ton,, who wished to place himfelf at the head
of an army, for the purpose of crushing the
spirit of enquiry, so fatal to the wicked con
spiracies of an unprincipled junto ; and that
by the nefarious intrigues of A, Hamilton,
the President was “ drawn in" to sign the
a& for the eßablifhment of a (landing army,
contrary to the dilates of bis own judgment. T
Again. Suspicions have been entertain
know that the time for which he was chos
en will not commence till the 4th of March
and until that time he was as eligible as any
man in the Commonwealth. I could affc
many more questions, but candid answers to
those already proposed may render them
unneceifary ; I will therefore bid you good
bye for the present.
Middlesex.
For the REPUBLICAN LEDGER.'
id, of a partiality in f,rr.e of our state offi
cers, for Great Britain. A late vindicator
of Mr. Adams, now acknowledges; that it
was the conßant aim of Picketing to create
an alliance uffenfive and defensive u ith that
perfidious court, as well as t c plunge us in
to a war with France—and that it°was for
this, among other offences, that he was driv
en from office.—The republicans also de &
nounced the infamous Purcupiuc, once the
tool of the anglo fed,-, as a British hireling,
supported by the British governmetg to cor
rupt the morals and principles,of our citi
zens. A friend of the President now pub
licly acknowledges these fads, and impli
cates Pickering in the guilt of being Porcu
pine's adviser and confident. Yet for all
these seasonable and salutary warnings to
the people, republicans were denounced as
jacobins, by the very men, who, to ruin a
fallen adversary, have now converted these
suspicions into indubitable fads—But it fe
to the mutual jealou fies among the heads of
a conspiracy, more wicked than any that
has.darkened the page of hißory since the
days of Cataline, it is to the jealouties a
mong the chiefs of this delparate fadion,
who have providentially fallen out among
themselves, that America is indebted for the
di/covery of plots and designs, which would
otherwise have remained hidden, until their
fatal explosion. May the fame protesting
Providence, that during our Rruggle to break
the chains of Britilh tyranny, so often bro't
to light the wicked (levices of cur enemies,
Rill guard our blood bought liberties, against
the intrigues and conspiracies of British emis
saries and domestic traitors.
The jacobins are every where triumphant.
Our federal enchantments are broken.—
Federaldelufions have vanished. Theitrong
mind of the American people is roused.-—
They have at last detected our falfehoods.—
They no longer tremble at the magic name
of jacobin ; it has loft its deleterious influ
ence, its terrors are turned into ridicule;
our federal tricks are detected ; the tedetai
conjurers are exposed, and we, alas ! are
despised by all hoheft men, from one end of
the Union to the other. Where is the an
glo cockade, the bletled symbol of British
influence .''Where the glorious 17th of Ju
ly, that was forever to commemorate our
separation from King killing France ? Where
our ftandirig army, that was to silence the
rude murmurs of the rabble r The sedition
law, where! alas, gone,' they are fofeter
gone, and left their advocates a prey to uni
versal contempt. Federalists attend—there
is but one way left. The jacos aie driving
to inroduce a republican Governor in New-
Hampfliire ; Walker is their man. I
beseech you refill him with your whole force.
He ais jacobin in grain. He has been uni
formly opposed to standing armies; experi
five navies, high and needless taxes, exorbi
tant salaries and fntig and comfortable line
cures. He, (vile Jaco) makes nodifference
between gentle-meh, and working men ; he
ridkuloufly refpeas the low fellows that la
bor tot bread, as much as he does the idle
gentle-men they labor for. This is throw
ing down all diftinaion, and upfeting the
very ground work of federalifm. Refill
then his elcaion; or the charms of rank,
the parade of office, the comforts of good
falaties and good dinners will be gone for
ever. But above all, resist him ye treasury
speculators, and ye, O ye purchasers of the
bloody earnings of the houfelefs loldier, at
256 in the pound, resist him. For alas ! if
Walker should succeed, who knows what a
dreadful reckoning day may come. Let
your refinance then, ye federalifts and spe
culating federalifts, extend from Pifcata
qua's angry flood, to the banks of the Con
neaicut's gentler stream— Let the shrill echo
of your voices animate the drooping spirits
of your defponding and fcif-conviaed breth
ren— Let the heart appalling notes ot jaco
bin, jacobin, awaken every village, that is
not yet hardy enough to ridicule the found.
Stick at nothing 10 fink Walker ; the foe
of landing armies, oppressive taxes, old to
ries and high salaries ; Walker the friend
ot peace and of the fwinilh multitude,called
the people, flick at nothjng to link Walker
into the gulph of contempt.
Among all the reGgnations and declensions of
federal men from holding offices, we have not no
ticed a sentiment in their valedictory oddrefs but
contained a spirit of resentment against the prin
ciple of republicapifm, and against a republican
dminiftration, the exigence of which they antici
pated, except the anfu er bf Gov. Jay to thcco&
mit tee, wlio addressed him in commendip ion
his public ferviees. Much credit is doe to him
for a sentiment contained in this lad answer : by
way of advice to his federal friends, he I
take the liberty, therefore, of feggefting whether
the patriotic principles on which we profefs tp git
do not call upon ns to give (as far as may depend
on ns) a fair and toft effect to the known iciife
and intention of a majority of the pro] le in eve
ry counitutioual exercite of their will ; and to
support every adminiUraiioi; of the government
An humble imitation of o'piece, lately publish
ed in the New-Haropfhire Gazette.
Federalifls of N:w-Hampfbire, look out.
t.&rf^rf^cgrf^^^)^,^,^,,.>..>.,,
For the REPUBLICAN LEDGER.