Oracle post — Portsmouth, N.H., 1804-03-13 00:00:00, page 2

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^Sketches of the Grand Celebration at
Gilmanton, &c.
ADDRESSED TO ALL TRUEDEMOCRATS,
" '°°" P e °P' e > g reat and small,
Heav'n knows I dearly love you all,
And wish my talents had been greater
That I might love and serve you better,
And use my character and "weight
To clog New-Hampshire's wheels of (State.
The law,, tho' we are forc'd to heed 'em,
Are old Iworn enemies to freedom. A
(In this you'll credit me, I trow,
For I've bad many a chance to know)
Some vile Aristocrat's device,
To clip thewings of enterprize ;
Nay laws are now but federal tricks,
111 suited to our politics.
Now could we but remove the-Leader,
We'd soon correa this vile procedure ;
Change ev'ry Officer of State,
All whom religiously I hate, -'
Nor afl< the reason, 'tis no matter,
(Is Satan fond of holy water?)
Could we by tricks however Scurvy,
Just turn th' Executive topfy turvy;
What glorious times would then ensue,
Poor fellows, for myfelf and you?
As this great town by force strange fate
^ Has fear'd, most obstinately, ftraighr,
/Our plans, to turn them as we wou'd,
All serve to do mure hurt than good.
We must recur to lies and fiaion,
Then swear the town has felt conviaion.
Proclaim there's been a feaft and rout,
By all the " Gentry" round about.
To celebrate the fpeculatioo,
In Jefferfon's new fangled nation,
Replete with every thing that's good,
Slaves, Mammoths, Indians, Salt and Wood,
Tell how we eat, and danc'd and swore,
While we were groggy and before.
Name all the Men —their toads declare,
Thd' not a loul of then! was there,
But like the rest of this relation,
A dev'lifli witty fabrication.
Thus by our cunning, fly manoeuvre,
Make people think, they've all come over,
Renounc'd their federal faith, and come
Down to the meanness we rfeme.
The feaft fictitious thus begun,
Is published in the Dover Sun;
Too learned, and too good I own,
To live in Simple prose alone,
And feeling that it can't be worse,
I've thrown its beauties into verse.
" On Wednesday last in spacious Hafl,
" Was had a Democratic Ball ;
" And dinner too, by neighboring gentry,
' The grandest there has been this cent'ry §
" Where ev'ry foul that could be got,
Was welcome, if he'd pay his fcot,
" The cloth removed, the Speaker's no
" Secured each black guard toast a clap,
I give the following as the best,
Your fancy will supply the rest.
" The Paint's great abettor,
" We can't e have worse, and wish no better ;
" Next the Vice P t, so nice,y
" Omitting all but just the vice;
" Our new found country—\oud applause,
Preserve them, Lord, from Friefts and Law%
" Monroe who Shines at writing books,
" And Livingston, our two French ,cooks.
"The Governor of fame too fair
May we soon starve him from the chair,
The gieateft Patriot Earth e'er had,
Tip 118 your daddle boned lad,
Our schools, academics and College
Clos'd doors against religious knowledge,"
VOLUNTEER.
" Four cardinal virtues pure and bright
Tawhich I claim the patenf right,
First Pride the foil I low'd my fame in.
The fruits are fwindling,fraud andgaming.
The day so tickled at th' event,
Increas'd her splendor cent per cent;
Drefs'd in her funday clothes and all,
On purpose to attend the Ball;
So charming mild and free from rancour,
'Twould charm the hard heart of air Anchor,
The Sun, to favor our design,
Strain'd ev'ry nerve to try to shine;
Old fafhion'd rays he found too Small,
T' illuminate so grand a hall,
To lend them—dat'd the fun do less ?•-. \
His rays in double copot,nejs,
Altho' he doubted much their right,
To call upon him in the flight;
Th' astonished Bars were in coofufion,
At Sol's abrupt ill lim'd intrusion,
And swore as one they'd not give way,
But every Dog Should have his day.
The brooks and rivers felt so happy,
They fwtll'd to look like Mississippi,
While cakes of ice that pav'd the freer,
Grew hot to warm the ladies feet;
And e'en the snow, tho' strange rating,
Turn'd green to imitate the spring ; ,
'Till feelings, which can ne'er be wrote,
Set all their faculties afloat :
And ev'ry voice of ev'ry (inner,
Call'd out at supper time for dinner,
The glass feem'd luck'ly $ explore
A Secret never known before,
That they had minds and hearts and features
Somewhat resembling human creatures.
All perfe# order and decorum,
Like court when held by fuflice Quorum,
With fad regret they then prepare =
To dance Bet Martin with the fair,
'Till maz'd with whirling round the floor,
They feel as dizzy as before :
Thus beef and ladies, mm and light,
Detain'd us the whole glorious night,
Like owls or bats at fight of dawning,
All Icarcpered home the following morning.
The controversy between the United States and the
sugar refiners, in which the former claimed the duties on
the refined fugarson hand, at the time of repeal of the ct
cife, has been finally decided by the Supreme Court of the
United States in favor of the sugar refiners. It was taken
to the Supreme Court on appeal from the judgement of
Judge Washington, delivered at a circuit court held at
Philadelphia,
For the Oracle;
Messrs. Ta EADWELLS,
THE writer of the following obferveJb four
Oracle of February iith an essay copied from the
Repertory concerning the "Philosophy of Dress,"
&c. The writer of which appears to have under
taken to explain what heat and cold are ; but like
most others who have written on the fubjeds, has
left them as much enveloped in mystery as he found
them; for explaining terms by words which nobo
dy understands, is in fa&, no explanation at all.
This writer, firstly fays, that " Cold is nothing/'
and secondly, that it " is the absence of beat,"
b which amounts to this, viz— Nothing is femething^
which is a contradiction. Such mistakes in phi
losophizing seldom arise from rhe want of ability in
the philosopher, but from the erroneous method of
fubflituting hypothetical for experimental knowledge,
of by explaining terms which are of indefinite mean
ing themselves. By this evasive method we may
explain every thing, but nor fatisfaAorily. In this
lax w^y Sir Isaac Newton explains light by faying
it " is the medium through which we fee"—and
(moke, by faying it is the ghof of fame, &c. and thus
the writer in the Repertory explains cold, by tying
it is the absence of heat." But he oughtfirfliy,
to have told us what heat is.; for if we may explain
qualities by the absence of their oppoftes/we may
as well lay that light is the absence of daiknefs, and
that zee is the absence of water, as that to/c/is the
absence of heat)- The writer of these rtqWesis
far from foppofing that he thoroughly u^tefods
the nature and essence of cold and heat^ he would
thank any one to explain them by actual experi
ments, but to assert that they are already known
may have a tendencfro prevent some from making
the fwureneceffar, experiments and enquiries.
Gilmanton, (N, H.) Feb. 1804.
Thelaft moments of Dr. Priestly.
Iu the last fortnight of January, his fits of indigestion
; became more alarming, his legs fweHed, and his weakness
increased. Within two days of his daath he became so
weak that he could walk but a little way, and that with
great difficulty ; for some time he found himfelf unable to
speak ; hut on recovering a little, he told his friends that
he had never felt more pleasantly during his whole life
time, than during the time he was unable to speak —He
was fully fenfibic that be had not long time to live ; yet
talked with cheerfulnefs to all who called on him, iu
the course of the day, he expressed his thankfulntfs at be
ing permitted to die quietly in his family, without pain,
and with every convenience and comfort thatihe could
wiSh for. He dwelt upon the peculiar happy fixation in
which it had pleaded the divine being to place hip in life,
and the great advantage he had enjoyed in the acquaint
ance and fckndlip of Tome of the best and wifellof men
in the age in which he lived, and the fatisfa&ion le deriv
ed from having led an ufeful as well as a happy life—He
this day gave directions about printing the remainder of
his notes on fcripeufe, (a work, in the completion bf which
he was much interested,) and looked over the ffift sheets
of the third volume, after it was corrected by those who
were to attend to its completion, and expressed hitfatisfal
tion at the manner of its being executed ' #
On Sunday the j;h, he was much weaker, btit fat up in
an arm chair for a few minutes— He desired that John XI
chap might be read to him : He flopped the reader at the
4j(h verse, dwelt for gome time on the advantage he had
derived from reading the scriptures daily, and recommen
ded this practice, faying, that it would prove a source of
the pur.ft pleafure—"We foil ail, (said he) meet finally ;
we only require different degrees of discipline suited to our
different tempers, to prepare as for final happiness—Mr
coming into his room, he faid—"you fee, fir, I am
(till living." —Mr. . bbfervcd, "that he would always
».•/' —yes I believe \ Jball ; wefball meet Wanctiicr and a 1
better world." He said this with great animation, having
hold of Mr. - — -'1 hand in both his own. After evening
prayers, when his grand children were brought to his bed
fide, he (poke t® them Separately, and exhorted them to
continue to love each other, &c." "I am going (added
he) to deep as well zs you ; for death is only a good long
found sleep in the grave—and we (hall meet again."
On Monday morning, the 6th of February, on being
afad how he did, he answered in a Taint voice, that he
hadno pain, but appeared fainting away gradually. A
bout 8 o'clock he desired to have &rec pamphlets which
had been looked out by bis directions the evening before
" He then di&tted as dearly and difinaly as be bad roer
dene in bis life the additions and alterations mbiob be wJhed to
bare made in each — '/ — — took down the fubQancc of
what he said, which was read to him : He obferved,"fir,
you have put it iu +our own language; I wilh it to be in
mine-Ht then repeated over again nearly "word for word wbat
be bad before said, and when it was tranferibed and read
over to him, he (hid, "That is right, I have now done"
About an half an hour after, he defiled that he might
be moved to a cot—About ten minutes after h^as mo
ved to it, he died ; but breathed his last so ,y, that
thee who were fitting close to him, did not immediately
perceive it—He had put his hand to his face, which pre
vented them from observing it,•
'•,He was born the 24th of March, 1733,
Mark tbe perfea and bebold tbe upright ;
For tbs end of that man is peace,
Rail Road.
London, Nov. 2fr---On Monday the ^h of Nov.
the CarmarihcnOijre Rail-Road, from Llandfv to
Cpftle Garreg, was opened to the extenlive colli
eries and iron mines in the neighbourhood of Bron
diny and Gynhidere, on which occasion the Gen
t'en.en of the company went up the road in car
riages conftrufted for the purpose, where they
were met by avast concourse of Ipedators. 10 wag
gons were then loaded with full twenty-five tons of
iron, stone, and co#, in addition to which the
waggons were crowded with more than 150 per
fons.—Tbe procession proceeded from thence full
kven miles to the sea fide (through a very m^!,-
tainous country) drawn by one horse ; they were
preceeded by a band of music, colours flying, and
were received at the sea fide with loud acclama
tions, amidst the firing of guns from the vessels in
the harbour, whole colors were displayed on the
occasion. \The usual way of carrying iron, stone,
and coal through this part of the country, was on
borfes backs, which would have taken upwards of
300 borfes to have conveyed the fame quantity.
Legislature of Maflachufeits.
SENATE.
Saturday, Feb. 18.—An order was passed ap
pointing a committee to confider the expediency
of printing at the expense of the Commonwealth,
copies of the constitution of the United States and
of the Commonwealth, together with Gen. Wafli
ington's Farewell Address, and of diflrlbuting the
fame among tbe feverai towns and pl^itions ;,
*and also to confider the propriety of recommending
that die books thus printed and distributed be in
troduced and read as a Ichool book. ~ *
The committee eonfifts of the Hon. Messrs.
Bacon and. Pickman, of the finite, and Messrs.
Taylor, Kendall and Smith of the hvulc.>
44444444 ,94444444
Late Foreign Advices.
3, tbe Baltic, captain Blunt, and Packet, captain Trott, we
have received papers to February 14.
„ London, jan.zo.
We are happy to fate that his Majelty is much
better, and will, it is expelled, be able to go out
:''y.°'™ o ° '' s supposed that his Majesty's
constitution will receive all the benefits which are
frequently derived from occafionaffit, of the gout.
The physicians have therefore recommended to his
Majesty to change his general abstemious regimen
for a meliorated diet.
# is reported at Paris that the King of Spain has
been struck with an apoplectic fit on the oth of
December, and ftil| continued in a dangerous way.
nJan.2s.
Bonaparte returned to Paris on the 6:h inst. from
a visit to the coast.—The army of Augereau, lately
at Bayonne, and supposed to be defined against
Portugal, has been marched to Brest, where there
is now said to be go or 40,000 troops, ready for
embarkation.
Each regiment of the line in "France has beeh
ordered to furnifh a certain number of chosen men
for the camp at Aptas, 'which is to constitute the
Invincible'Legion, escorting and surrounding Bo
naparte in his conquest of'England. Report fays,
they are to take the oath to come bach liaorious with
then Genual or never to return any more. Gieat em
ulation prevails among the veterans to enter into
this legion, but the conferipts do not shew the
fame ardour.
A letter from Gerioa brought by the Hamburgh
Mail on Thursday, mentions that General Regnier
is to command the troops ready to embark at Tou
-1(H), and that the fleet which is tocarfy therr, has
provision on board for fix months, if 10, the des
tination of this force must be the East-Indies, if
Lord Nellon will have the civility to let him pass
out of port unmolested. In this conclusion weare
confirmed by a private letter from Paris, which'
states, that two persons, formerly agents at the
Court of Tippo Saib, notoriously for their hatred
to England, and well ver fed in the affairs of India,
have been lent by Bonaparte, to Toulon, to accom
pany the expedition. Regnier it will be recollect
ed, was the General, who commanded for three
years in Egypt, and was disgraced by Menou in
1801. He set forth in his charges against Menou
and D'Eftaing that had Bonaparte been able to pe
netrate into India, he, Regnier, was to be the Go
vernor General there.\
QJAN. 26-
_ Real Readiness.— Every hour, for the lift
fix months, England has been amused with ac
counts of "the French being quite ready " It may
now be afted—for what ? A gentleman who lately
left France solves this doubt, by telling us the
French are in tbe state they mention; the Merchants
are all ready ?—to break. The Pealants are all
ready— to starve. The Sailors are all ready— to
leave their Jkips. The Army is nearly ready. — to
mutiny : and the desperate Chief Consul, after
all his threats, is ready— to find an excuse for flaying
at home. —This is the man— Who conquer 'd the world
with his "Row, dew, dow ! !"
JAN. go.
Tudry.— From Conftantitople, we, hear of the
death of the Captain Pacha. Cadti Bey is his foc
ceffor.
The Extract of a Dhpatch from Governor North,
of tbe Island of Ceylon, does not afford fatisfa&ion.
It confirms the account which we had received of
tbe murder of the Garrison of Candi, who were at
tacked in tbe midst of a Truce, on tbe 24th of
June. The Commandant, Major Davie, unfortu
nately capitulated on the following day, and march
ed out of the Fort with 'all his force, loon after
which the European Soldiers, forty in number,
were murdered in cold blood.
It has been rumoured in the political circles,
that the Britifb force in Guzzerat has received a
check from the Mahratta army, in the vicinity of
Surat, and that this important city has been laved
from the enemy only by the timely arrival of the
6ffli regiment. Two ihoufand troops, we under
ttaiid, are immediately to be fewt out from England,
to reinforce the army on the Madras establishment.
FEB.,.
The Austrian Minister at Paris, has been pre
sented by the First Conlul with a gold fnuff box,
encircled with diamonds, valued at 1000 louis d'on!
He is a favorite at thexThuilleries.
FEB. 10.
Commercial Report.
Th? state of trade in London, and throughout
these United Kingdoms, has not become worse, in
the firft month in 1804. " The number of the bank
ruptcies, and the value and extent of them, appear
to be fomewbat diminished. The fsils of that
scarcity of silver coin which was occasioned by the
fcaptioefs of tbe iffae at the bank, and by leveral
other causes, begin to be removed by theemiffion of
those dollars, which have been Damped, & though
intrinsically worth but 4 Killings and 9 pence, are
fold at tbe bank for 5 frillings, and will be taken
back at the fame price, upon a commendable p^-
caution to hinder them from being withdrawn
of currency, to be exported or melted down.
PORTSMOUTH, JAN. 31.
This morning arrived three French gun boats
(Nos. 43, 47, and gi), captured last night ty the
Tribune, Capt. Bennet ; and the Hydra, Captain
Munday. They are remarkably fine brigs, each
with three gz-pounders and 50 men on boardflome
of whom are soldiers, belonging to the 23d demi
brigade. They arc 8o feet long, and 18 wide,
draw fix feet of water forward, and four aft, and
are most excellent boats, fitted in the completest
manner with every necessary, article of Cores; they
are entirely new, and row upwards of forty sweeps
and are so conflruQed that if run on shore they re
onain perfectly upright, and thus present a most
formidable battery. Each wa# commanded by an
Enfigue de Vaiffau. Those vessels failed from La
Hogue with ten others, for Bolofy, and were
captured about fix leagues from w Lien's, having
been blownxff tbe French coals They are in
every refpe& as capable of confiding at lea as one
of our gun boats, but more adapted for fighting in
a Imooth water. There are one hundred and fifty
more of the lameclafs lying at La Hague, waiting
an opportunity to proceed to Bolougne; & fliould
the weather moderate, they will tfte their p#ty
in spite of our eroizers, which can never innoy
them in the manner they creep along shore, elcort
ed frequently by a body of dragoons, whose purpose
it is to fire at boats, fliould they attempt to attack
them. —o—
— Spain.
A letter from Madrid, dated January 3, fay, "tbe
Spanish declaration of War against Great Britain will make
its appearance in a few days; and Spain will furnish
ships and trrops to aid tbe Trench in an expedition against
Ireland The Britilh Minister has rcmonftrated against the ,
hostile preparations which are making.'
, It appears that a veffcl called tbe Flora; taken by b.
French privateer and carried into a Spaniffi port has been
condemned. She was bound to Malta, and had on board
clothing for 2000 men, and considerable flora
-After a late Cabinet Council a messenger was dispatched
to Madrid.
.Sir R. Strachan, with a squadron, was cruizing off Ca
diz on the jd inst. ready to take immediate advantage of
a rupture with Spain.
We continue to receive affurauces that (he neutrality of
Portugal is not to be disturbed.
Front Bilboa, December 27.
On the 21st inflant Mr. Hopkinfon, received a letter
from Mr B Frere brother and Secretary to the Minister
'of Great Britain, at Madrid, of which the following is a
copy:— ° <
"SIR, Madrid, Dec 17, lloj,
" I am directed by his Majefty'sMinifter at this Court,
to reqaeft that you will recommend all his Majefty' sfob
jeds in your diftri&, to take fact precautions as they ma,
deem advisable in the event of a rupture between the two
T^r"' 'rr ' '"' * c ° (Signed) B, FRZRE.
" Wm. Hopkinson, Esq."/ &
PARIS, JAN. 7.
, Soon after his arrival last night, the First Con
sul sent for the Minister of the Marine and War
Departments, and was elofeted with them for two
hours.— Report fays, that he is not very well fatis
fied with his last journey to the coast ; neither the
works of Boulogne, nor the armaments, were
found in that forward Bate he expected; and the
late storms, and the wrecks along the coast, had
conffenbly abated the enthusiasm of the soldiers.
The Marquis Lucchefini, and the Count de Co
bentzel, have this morning had conferences with
the First Consul and with Talleyrand, and after
wards dispatched couriers to their refpeAive courts.
The rumours for a congress, and for negociations
between the belligerent powers, are daily eftcreaf
ing ; and it is new laid that Prussia has offered, and
been accepted by France, as mediator, together
with Austria, to reftpre a peace. The general 0-
pinion inwur diplomatic circles is, that either be
fore June hostilities Will cease between England 1
and France, or that Austria, Russia, Russia, and
Spain will join in the war;
JAN.2§.
The wife of the uptiolfler, Guinen, in the street
of Taranne, at Paris; her lover, Brafier ; and her
maid, Brunot, have been condemned to death for
the murder of her hufbaod. This is, within three
months, the ninth woman guilty of murdering or
poisoning their husbands at Paris.
By our letters from Torbay received this mor
ning, it appears the Ville de Paris,Admiral Corn
wallis's fhip,remained there on Thursday last; but
we underhand the admiral was to fail yesterday to ''
resume his Ration off Brest, and that accounts
of his having a^nally put to sea have been re
ceived at the Admiralty. Several vessels of his
fleet were on their way to Brest, or off that place
The Admiral's ship having framed some dam
age in her fails, has we suppose, been detained
behind to repair. The enemy have had full op
portunity to put to tea.
We are sorry to have to announce, that anoth
er storm equal in fury to any that preceded it,
took place last Friday night, and continued the
whole of Saturday. Admiral Cornwailiis was
left on Friday morning off the Start, Taping his
course forUfhant,to resume the blockade of Brest.
But the storm at night forced him to abandon
his intention, and a heavy squall abreast of the
Berry split her fails to pieces. He was forced
to put into Torbay on Saturday morning. Sev
eral more men of war were seen coming in after
wards, but the gale was so tremendous,that their
names could not be afeertained. They are, of
— U — e ? Partof the Channel, fleet.*
; —- =^_=^_ —== —-=====3^
By the latest Mails.
CHARLESTON, Frß If |
Yesterday morning about fix o'clock, the fouthero dou
ble range of brick flores on Roper's wharf, in this city,
was difeovered to be on fire. The flames had got to so
considerable a height before they were difeovered, that it
was impossible to get them under before the whole of the
range was burnt or pulled down—That wharf and its ftore#
are in the possession of Messrs. Waring and Smith, fa&ors;
the stores contained near a thousand barrels of rice, and up
wards of 700 bales of long staple cotton ; of the former it
is,fuppofed upwards of four hundred barrels are deftroved,
arid near 400 bales of the latter—This property belonged
to different plantors and merchants : the eaftero end of
the range was occupied by Messrs Waring and Smith, Mr.
Thomas Ball and Meffis Alexander and John Corrie, as
counting houses : nothing was saved out of these but their
papers and books—We have no information to fay positive
ly to what this unfortunate circumflance is owing; how
ever, there is no reason to believe it was done designedly.
FEB 14.
An attempt was made last night to set fire to the house
of Mrs. Cockran, on East-Bay ; nor is it^khin our recol
ia&ion of ever hiving witnessed a more providential escape
from this dreadful calamity—The incendiaries had made
an opening underneath the back door, where a new
fill had recently been placed, and putting in the fire, it ra
pidly communicated to an inside glass panncl door^and had
risen to an alarming height, when the cracking of the
glass fortunately awoke the family ; and the alarm being
promptly given, the flames were, with great exertion, ex
tinguished—A negro fellow and a wench have been com
mitted on fulpicibn.
NEW-YCRX NARC4I '
^', ; Fire at Norfolk.
Great Di,after. Captain Seaman, who arrived yefterda,
iu 48 hours from Norfolk, informs, that on Wednesday e
vening, the 22d inflant a fire broke out is that town,which
after raging with inconceivable fury, many hours', con
sumed the richest parr of the town, and laid in affies
three hundred arid,ye beufa and/%, a new (hip from the''
eastward, two brigs, one schooner and a sloop It com
menced about eleven o'dock, in a, store at the end of Max
fctd' e wharf, in the occupation of Samuel DQ,, thence '
took a direfa up Market-street to she Exchange toffee
House, and thence to the River, laying waste all the build
ings within that compass. The market was pulled down
to prevent its crossing Main-street, on the weft fide. Sev
eral houses were blown up with a view to stop its progrei,
and attended with ccnGderable success, but the exertions of
the citizens generally weft, rendered unavailing by the -
want of Engines, Buckets, Hooks &c. of which there was
a great (carcry, Right or ten persons are said to have
tWr^^r^reW^b dfefa feppofai tq