The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1790-10-01 00:00:00, page 2

ANECDOT E.
PHlLir^h, King of Spain, had interposed,
while prince of Asturias, in favour of a gentleman
condemned for murder ; and had obtained his fa
ther's promise of a pardon ; with which the relati
ons of the criminal were fatisfied, and did not
make haste to take ft out in form. After the king's
death, the prosecution was renewed, and the new
king ordered execution. Those who had solicited
for the young man were amazed, and represented
to his majesty the inconsistency, as they conceived,
of his behaviour. His answer was very remarkable:
While a private man, said he, there quae room in my
breast for compafficn, but nro Jam & king, it ie&.
tirel, taken n, •with justice.
In proportion as punishments become more cru
el, the minds of men, as a fluid rises to the fame
height with that which surrounds it, grow harden
ed and insensible ; and the force of the passions
still continuing, in the space of an hundred years,-
the vsheel terrifies no more than formerly the prison.
That a punishment may produce the effed requir
ed, it is fufficient that the evil it occasions should
exceed the good expeded from the crime, including
in the calculation the certainty of the punishment,
and the privation of the expend advantage. All
severity beyond this is Superfluous, and therefore
tyranical.'
Men regulate their condud by the repeated im
pressions of evils they know, and not by those with
which they are unacquainted.. Let us for exam
ple, suppose two nations, in one of which the great
est punishment is perpetualfaery, and in the other
the awheel. I fay that both will inspire the fame
degree of terror ; and that there can be no reafors
for encreafing the punishments of the firft, which
are not equally valid for augmenting those of the
second to more lasting and more ingenious modes
of tormenting; and so on to the most exquisite re
finements of a science too well known to tyrants.
There are yet two other consequences of cruel
punishments, which counteract the purpose of their
institution, which was, to prevent crimes. The
frf arises from the impossibility of eftabliShing an
exa€ > proportion between the crime and punish
ment ; for though ingenious cruelty hath greatly
multiplied the variety of torments, yet the human
frame can fuffer only to a certain degree, beyond
which it is impossible to proceed, be the enormity
of the crime ever so great. Ttefecond qonfequence
is impunity. Human naturae is limited no less in
evil than in good. Excessive barbarity Can never
be more than temporary ; it being impossible that
it should be supported by' a permanent fyflem
legislation ; for if the laws be tqp cruel, they must
be altered, or anarchy and impunity will succeed.
Is it possible, without Shuddering with horror,
to read in hiftory of the barbarous and useless tor
ments that were coolly invented, and executed by
men who were called Sages ? Who does not trem
ble at the thoughts of thoufaads of wretches, whom
their misery, either caused or tolerated by the laws,
which favoured the few and outraged the many,
had forced in despair to return to a state of nature ;
or accused of impossible crimes, the fabrick of ig
norance and superstition ; or guilty only of having
been faithful to their own principles ; who, I far,
can without horror, think of their being torn to
pieces with flow and studied barbarity, by men
endowed with the fame passions and the fame feel
ings ? A delightful fpedacle to a fanatic multi
tude! '
CRIMES are more effectually prevented by the
certainty, than the severity of punishment.
Hence in a Magift rate, the necessity of vigilance,
and in a judge of implacability, which, 'that it may
become an ufeful virtue, should be joined to a mild
legislation. The certainty of a small punilhment
will make a Stronger impression, than the fear of
one more fe were,if attended with the hopes of escap
ing; for it is the nature of mankind to be terrified
at the approach of the smallest inevitable evil,whilft
hope, the belt gift of heaven, hath the power of dis
pelling the apprehension of a greater ; efpeci ally if
fopported by examples of impunity,which weakness
or avarice too frequently afford.
If punishments be very severe, men are naturally
led to the perpetration another crimes^ to avoid
the punishment due to the firft. The countries
and times most notorious for severity of punish
ments, were always &hose in which the most bloody
and inhuman a&ions and the most atrocious crimes
were committed ; for the hand of the legislator and
the assassin were directed by the fame spirit of fero
city ; which, on the throne, dictated laws of iron
to Slaves arid Savages, and, in private, instigated
the fubje& to Sacrifice one tyrant, to make room
for another.
[from THE MARQUIS BECCARIA.]
ON PUNISHMENTS.
MISCELLANY.
FROM THR UNITED STATES CRONteLR.
Exfya of a letter from a gentleman at Gilralter tc
bit friend in America, dated June 16.
" THE Effendi, who is the Prime Minister,
kept his (The Em&cr of Morecco) death con
cealed Several days, q[ring which time he sent the
treasure with a Along guard to the capital, and
di(patched a courtef to Mult El Azed, informing
him of the death ofhis father. El Azed, in an inst.
ordered himfelf to be proclaimed in the tomb of
Abfolem, Emperor of Morocco, mounts his horse,
and goes direct ffe#e£*W at which place I was
at the time of hilarrival; He was received by
every one with open arms, declared Emperor in all
their places of-worfhip. .The ^firft order that he
gave was, that every Jew riff the city should be
put to death.—This was nearly being carried into
execution; but a worthy, fellow who had been with
him during his travels, requested that he Would,
suspend his order, as being contrary. TO the laws of
Mahomet and God. The new Emperor then order
ed every man,^woman; and child of the Jewish re
ligion, to be Stripped naked,their goods;money and
property of every: kind to be given, to his troops.
This was actually dose :—and of all the Scenes
that ever I saw, this was the most horrid.—Think
Within yourfelf to fee thousands of beautiful wo
men going round the Streets in .the greatest ^if^,
ftefs, without a Single rag of ckiathes upon them.
My rooms were as full of women as they could gow,
and I do declare to you, that every, article of
cloathes, blankets, Sheets, &c. save what i wore, were
appropriated to their use. My,pen cannot describe
to you the horrid, filiation they were in, cut;, beat,
and abused by every rascal they came near. Many
hundreds of their women were r^vi/W by the
black troops. This horrid sane being over, he
enquired for the Spanish and English Vice Consuls,
who were both Je„. rHeordered them both to
be tied up by their.hcel£ there to remain until
they died,: At the reque£ of the Englifh.Admiral,
the 'Englifli Vice Consul did giotfuffer, but a much
better man, the Spanish, fuffered a> above.
" The , many cruelties he has committed would
be too much for me to describe, or you to read.
He next proceeded to Tangiers, Sallee, &ca but
in place of anting at he had done at Tetuan, he
was advised to exall large fonts of money, which
was done.all along as he paSfed^ He is now-cre
ated Emperor all over the Empire. It was gene
rally thought he would meet with opposition from
faje of his brothers, but in place of that wherever
he made his appearence they fled."
^LONDON, JU^Y 20.
THE formidable preparations thoughout the
Several ports of this kingdom, as well as thro
Spain, arid even those of our Neighbours of France,
indicate, in powerful terms, almbft the certainty of
an approaching war, and seem to threaten, in the
language of hostile indignation, a general rupture ;
yet, notwithstanding all theft extraordinary exerti
ons there are extant at this moment, circular letters
'of a late date, from the Compte de Florida Blan
ca, to the principals of the several trading hoofes
in Spain, affixing tte&all intentions of^var
are laid aside; advising them to continue their
traffic with Great Britain as ufiral, and insuring to
them the security and fafety of their own property.
The Chelsea petitioner in Scotland on his Ma- ,
jefty's birth-da, after getting himfelf completely
drunk, out of the abundant zeal, aßuAlly set fire
to his own house, byway of bonfire, which was soon
reduced to ashes.
Sir Gerrard Venick's unfuccefsful attempt of the
county of Suffolk, ftahds among'the molt expenfive_
of electioneering CDntefts. ft Is computed that
30,000|, will not repay him.
In England, faysa Frenchman, humanity is ex
tended to the animals which ^re defined to the.
slaughter-house. Famished dogsare.not permitted
to anticipate their tortures. Yet,,th£ Negroes of
the English colonies are dill more unfortunate than
those of the French. But these Negroes possess the
fame virtues.
During the late American war,, a Negro, be
longing to Colonel Langdon, followed his mat
ter in a painful march :=Sceing the Colonel al
most overcome with fatigue, he^faid; Mo%„a
J u ffir great deal, set jo^ fight f„ Zibert, ;me t:o
fuffer, ^itb patience, if me toe liberty to defend /—
The Col. gave him this precious gift on the spot ;
and he has not since fad.4pore zealous defender,
a more disinterested friend, or a more faithful ser
vant. j
There is no exampte of a Negro having returned
ingratitude for the gift of liberty. They are not,
however, ignorant that you only restore that which
you had no right to deprive them. Who canfee
without being affeaed, the hone# James (the Ne
gro whole anecdote is every where known) approach
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
PHILADELPHIA, SEPT. 14.
Extraa of a letter from Curracoa, dated August 14.
'' A VERY violent gale of wind happened here
on the night of the nth inst. It began at
12 o'clock, and continued till about 8 o'clock the
next day, commencing with great violence at N.E.
but suddenly Shifting to S. E, did confider.able dam
age, chiefly to the buildings near the water, on the
South fide of the ffland; many of them were under
mined by the sea, and fell—a new fort, east of the
town, is nearly defiroyed. Four vessels were
,blown from their mooring ; three however, receiv
ed but little damage, the other [ think will be
loftJ' -— ,f,
YORK, (PENN.) SEPT. C
On Tuefday last, the 24th ult. Mr. Ellis Lewis,
being invited to assist his next neighbour at a chop
ing frolic, which he made for the purpose of clear
ing some new ground, sometime Ine in the after-;
noon, while he was talking to one of the hands, a
faplin, which was felled bv some of the rest, flruck
him on the head and probably the breast and fhoul- ,
ders, which brought him to the ground; he was
suddenly lifted to his feet, and in about two.
minutes was able to stand and speak sensibly; he
complained he was much hurt, and lay down on
the ground; the blood seemed to colled in hit
throat, and he vomited some up, and observed to
those who were present thathe bled inwardly; shortly
before or after this circumstance, a physician came
by accident into the clearing, bled him in the arm,
and pronounced the injury he received, but flight;
the Dodor was probably led into this mistake, from
the slightness of the wound in the head, which ap
peared very trifling; ffiortly after he had been let
blood, he grew much worse, complained of a great
pain in his breast, and when the bands went home
in the evening, was unable to walk to the house,
or even to fopport himfelf On the back of one of
them who carried him. Ke' asked to be taken
home, sometime after he received the stroke, but
his request was neglected. When taken to the
house, he was laid- on the bed, and the company
Commenced their evening recreation, without pay
ing any attention to the fufferings of their com
panion in the labors of the day. It don't appear,
with certainty, that he ever spoke after he came to
the house, although he was so sensible as to lift his
head to have a pillow put under it; he lay on the
bed till about two in the morning, when the com
pany retired; be was then lifted off the bed, arid
laid upon some bags on the floor, at which time he ; ^
neither spoke nor moaned, but appeared as one in
a found sleep. Here he was left without attend
ance, within less than a half a mile of his own
family, who had no notice of his being hurt—with
out a sympathetic ear to hear his moans, or cordial
hand to administer to his wants. In the morning,
at day-light, he was difeovered to be dead, lying i
in the lame position in which he Was lain lift ; be
had been so long so, that his limbs were Aiff.
The following is particularly recommended to
the fair consumers of gauze, muffin, &c\ <f-'
pecially when employed at needle work by capefe
light,:
Extras of a letter from Philadelphia, Sept. 1%
" Strange as it may seem the following is re
lated here as a fad.—A gentleman Who resides in
Darby (seven miles from this place) has a dog who
every morning goes down to the river, and fcarely
ever fails of bringing home with him a large cat
fife. Some time ago the owner made a journey
to Pittiburg, about 320 'miles distant, in company
with the dog. By some accident, or possibly be
ing weary of remaining too long at PittSburg, the
dog feperated from his mailer and came home
aloqe, to the great distress of the family, who from
this circumstance imagined he must have been kil
led, or at least met with Some fatal accident. The
matter's fortunate arrival, however, a few days
after, relieved them from their anxiety, and left
them to admire the sagacity of a dog who has not
only the furprizing faculty oj tattling fijb, but could
find his way alone 320 miles through a Strange
country vwif^&z the leaf knowledge of geography, or
any other of the arts or jciencA commonly taught in.
our schools." •,
the beneficent Quaker who had just given him b&
liberty, and hear him fay—" Give me thy handj
generous man, that I may place it on my heart,
thht this may be the firft ad of that liberty which
you restore to me."
. It surely is a definable thing to be a member of
Parliament, more to be " desired than gold, yea,
than much fine gold." Oi e Candidate for a coun
ty not far from St^fy—and yet not Surry itfelf,
has one hundred coaches in pay, at four pounds per
day—and between one thing and another^ this gen
tleman is supposed to spend three thou sand pounds
a day. ^?
AMERICAN ADVICES.
NEW-YORK, SEPTEMBER 16, _