The Newhampshire gazetteer — Exeter, N.H., 1792-01-21 00:00:00, page 2

& opinions, have the fame progressive
effed in rendering modes of Govern
ment obsolete, as they have upon
Customs and manners. Agriculture,
commerce, manufactures, and the
tranquil arts by which the prosperity
of Nations is belt promoted, require
a different system ofGovernment, and
a different species of knowledge co
direct its operations, to what might
have been the former condition of
the world.
As it is not difficult to perceive,
from the enlightened state of man
kind, that hereditary Governments
are verging to their decline, and
that Revolutionfen the broad basis
cf national sovereignty; and Govern
ment by representation, are making
their way in Europe, it would be
an aft of wisdom to anticipate their
approach, and produce Revolutions
by reason and accommodation, rather
than commit them to the issue of con
vullions.
From whit we now fee, nothing
of reform in the political world
ought to be held improbable. It is
an age of revolutions, in which every
thing may be looked for.. The in
trigue of Courts, by which the sys
tem of war js kept up, may provoke
a confederation of Nations to abolish
it ; and an European CongreE, to
patronize the pregrefs of freeGovern
men,, and promote the civilization
of Na ions with each other, is an
event nearer in probability, than
once were the revolutions and alli
ance of France and A merich.
But, (hould he become one,accidental
ly; while others are not able to attain
originality, he would chance to be a
verjfopepb genius indeed..
{ About the beginning of Jonatban's
preachment, he fays, "that I difeard
the idea of superstition, and yet none
is more involved, in it than myfelf."
Bj% Mr^ Printer, he has foot bim;elf
with bis rida g^n. For what is fapet
ftition but blind zeal, rind the reject
ing of truth without examination ?
And what.does foperftition dictate,but
groundless uffertions ? and who has
more of fach than himfelf? My peti
tions, I at least, endeavoured to prove;
but what has he endeavoured? He
insinuates thu I cast blame upon
God; but hat he proved it? "Adam
(fays hi) exculpates himfelf,-and casts
the blame upon God. And Alcander,
instead of being original,is only tread
ing in the Peps of his father Adam."
Now, he has taken for granted, what
he cannot prove. It is a bugbear_of
his own frighted imagination. Nor
can he draw such an inference from
my writings. He further fays, "That
I averted, that the most wife and good
Being could not carry on his plan
without making use of deceit & lies."
Now where is the man's conscience ?
who will believe him for the future ?
In Gazetteer December zfh, I
observed. If any Jbould aen, the exif
ree of fin, it would be neceffar, only, to
refer them to the nature of man. In the
fame paper I observed, that, It was
, ALCANDER's
Obfer Nations on the late impoft'ons on
the public. —
MF. PRINTER,
IWAS lately most violently alarmed
by the difebarge of a blundcrbufs.
Its explosion was mighty, hnd behold 1
• —jt was nothing but fmoke^ It was
torched with ftrarge fire,Mr.Printer,
—it roared horrific jargon. And as
he who touched it, gave no signature,
it will not be impertinent to call him
Jonathan for,brevity 's fake.
CT Well, as Jonathan did not weaken
the force of my arguments, it is not
requisite to reat him as a disputant ;
but only to make a few observations
in the sober ftslc.of decency, Ifhall
not call him a pbi!ofopber,cft it should
do injjftice to his genius. I ffiall not
call him fopeiftitious ; for some fay,
the truth is not al rays to be spoken.
Ncj & her shall I call him an original;
for it is not a matter in revelation.
^Concluded,"\
from a benevolent principle that be caged
its exigence: Likewise, to assert, that
God is the cauje of fin, is Jo far from
reflecting horror an bis nature, that the
°pp°ji^ idea rejkids, not only horror ; but
weakness, imprudence, §il injtfice. In
Gazetteer Decemberll l alfo ob
served, that the Supreme and his inspir
ed servants reprefont fin, as evil inten
tion, enmity against Goo,a love of one's
felf in preference to a love of him who
requires the whole heart. Further, that
the threatenings of the Deity have rela
tion only to the fubje'^s of disobedience :
and that h e for Jome Jublime purpose,
(myflerious to us) caused the exfence of
fn, which, by his influence,tends to pro
mote the grand design. Now what,
pray, did Jonathan do with all these ?
Why—
Jf like a fawy, toticb, lad at flay,
Ev'n when he only tbo't bimfl'was hurt,
Declar'd he was,& vow'd he'd have bis
Then in a blof ring virulence threw dirt.
Now, Mr. Printer, let us observe
his workings,fince we have discovered
; his temper ; and, as to the smoke
of his blunderbuss, it will soon eva-
porate. For pray have patience,un
til I enumerate his cogent argument,;
l and answer them according to their
merits.
1 ft. Arg. That I am fuperfitious.
Ha ha-ha, droll enough.
I, 2J. That, my dfgn was to be tbo't
original. Can hejudge the heart Mr.
Printer ?
His vanity felt mighty tickled, and
he thought he had gained the point,
no doubt, after calling so many hard
names r and they are all the weapons
he can get, Mr. Printer, unless bis
passionate fury should drive him still
deeper into the infernal regions,to get
another blunderbuss full of Pluto's
rubbish. The explofin, already given
us, brought forth blind zeal, wild
fire, boyishness, falfe insinuation, no
proof, impositions on the public, and
a blot to himfelf.
I have endeavoured, Mr. Printer, to
treat Jonathan according to his weak
ness anq puerility ; but if he assumes
the name of man, and still continues
to misrepresent my sentiments and
designs, and to draw falfe conclusions
from my premises, he may expeft a
Specimen of sarcasm, suited to his de
merits. However, ifbe will make a
confeffion for his imposition,as public
as the report of his blunderbuss, and
if it be acceptable to the community,
he Shall hare the forgivenefs ofl
AIcANBIR. I
6 h. That, I am afage and a philo
sopher. Great argument!
7th. The refpe& he pays Mr. Cal
vin and Mr. Worcester. A specimen
of his policenefs this.
Sh. That f have found cut that
Goo's revealid will is one thing, and
bis secret will another ; and that people
used to think God was holy, before 1
found out, that be commands one thing,
and causes them to do another. Here,
Mr. Printer, he may think he has
wounded me; but alas ! he tas'Jbot
himfelf with bis own gun again. For,
when God commanded Pharaoh to let
the people go,he was at the fame time
determined that he Should not let them
go; and said, (Bxod iv. 21.) "I will
harden his heart, and he shall not let
he people go." Again Chnp.'vii.
2,3, &c.) " Aaron thy brother shall
speak uno Pharaoh, that he fend the
children of Israel out of his land ; and
I will harden Pharaoh's heart ; and
Pharaoh shall not hearken unjo.you,
that I may la, my band upon Egypt,
by great judgments." Now doe^Jona
rfaaJifpute the fovereigaty of God?
9 h. His ninth argument is that I
am worse than tbeDevil —nation queer!
another specimen of his politeness
truely. But tell him, Mr. Printer,
that I want none of his eulogiums.
4-3. That I mifeonjirue fehn Calvin,
and twiji many texts in the bible. Has
he proved it pray ?„..
4th. That,l cafl blame on God. Let
the public judge.
sth. That I am bold and impudent,
Against this,pleafe to place his paffian
Mr. Printer. ;
In refpea to the Correspondent, Mr.
Printer,as he is a friend of Jonathan,
he may be foot with the fame gun. For,
the difference between them is only
this. Jonathan insinuates and averts
things rifely ; while the Correspondent
insinuates and reasons falfely— and
both take that for granted which is
impossible for them to prove. The
Correspondent fays, " If the Deity b%
truely the original cause and author
of fa, as Alcaridcr thinks he has de
mondrated ;.then the Devil muff have
been only the instrument.?'
,In the firft place, Mr. Printer, to
Show the fubiihy of the Correspondent,
I did not attempt to demonitrate that
God was the author; for I did not
once use the term.—And in the second
place,, to fay, that Satan is only the
infrument, bec?.; fe he is dependent
on God, and because God operates
on his mind; is a gross mistake,
Hcre.be has foot himfelf with Jonathan's
gun. Notwithstanding he is an instru
ment in God's hand, yet he is a vo
luntary accountable agent. , We are
all increments in God's hand, effect
ing his glorious purposes. Yet we
lareI are all accountable beings, and liable
to puniffimcnt for thole very adions,
of which God is the cause. #;
It is true, that, " the guilt of a
vicious action always rests on the a
gent, and not on the instrument, as
fueb," as the Correspondent observes;
but it does not thence follow, that,
"fatan Hands acquitted of all blame,"
as he fays. For fatan is an instru
ment and an agent both : yes, the only
exerciser, and the only agent of fin ;
altho' God be the cause of it. God
means it for good, and exercises a
good motive in causing it. While
fatan means it for evil, execifieg a
bad motive. Goodnefs,or fin is known
from the motive : If that is bad it is
blamworihy; if good,lewardable. God
causes the exigence of things, without
being ihofe things himfelf.—He cre
ates and causes man; yet he is not
man. He causes fin, still he is by no
means,Sinful. When Christ open
ed the eyes of the blind man, altho'
he was the cause of his feeing ; still
he was not the blind man, who saw.
The blind man was the instrument
and agent both ; and Christ the
Cause. In like manner God causes
fin, without being Sinful.
Virtue is virtue; and vice is vice.
They both consist in the nature, and
not in the cause of volition. The dif
pofuion itfclf is bad, and not the cause
of it. If virtue consisted in its cause
only, there would be none in the uni
verse, unless virtue existed betore.it
did exist. to cause itfelf which is a
contradiction. The holiness of God
consists in bis holy nature, and not in
its caufe,for it has none. God is an
Gneaufed being. Likewise rhe virtue
; of man consists in bis holy nature and
Idifpofition, and not solely in the cause
of it ; else we are led to aft, who is
its cause ? The anfiver is Gob—and
if it lies entirely in God and not in
the nature of the virtuous man, there
is no virtue in him; and we are fur
ther led to ask, who is the cause of it
inGoD. The answer is, nobody.-Con
sequently, to fay that virtue consists in
its cause, and not in is nature, is to
fay there is none in the universe.
Now, Mr. Printer, as the Corref
ponaent's premises are falfe, we may
conclude, all his consequences are.
Arid inflead of my making God.to
blame, he does it himfelf. For as he
holds, that the Devil is only the in
strument, and not the agent, be /boots
himfelf here, not with Jonathan's gun;
bat with bis own ; and makes God to
blame himfelf, instead of proving it
on me. Yes, Mr. Printer, the Cor
respondent has been fat b, two guns,
by Jonathan's tff bis own. Both have
been foot by their own guns, and guns of
their own invention. .
Hence, Mr. Printer, both have Aiot
themselves, both have imposed on the
public, and the remedy required of
both is Similar ; which is a conleffion
adequate to their deserts, lays
ALCANDER.'
DEAR SIR,
HA VIN G unbosomed cur sen
timents to each other, refpcc
tmg an offinfive war with the Wef
tern Indians, it falls to ray lot again
to write you on that fubjeft ; the de
feat, and great lofi sustained by the
army under the command of ,Gere
ral St, Clair, affording matters for
another epistle. .
, You will recollc& that in a para
graph of my last. 1 presented you an
anticipation of another campaign in
to the Indian country ; and its pro
bable cons quences.. As you may
have loft Qr m'fldid that letter, [
transcribe the loft paragraph from the
original, which flares as follows:
" But set us anticipate an efenjiv?
campaign (for although you and I are
growing old men.. I pre,me neither of
us will loft cur military tape, while
we retain our senses ; we /hail wife
well to, and remark upon the conduct
of our younger brethren and feus.) A
juficient ar?, is refod and well ap
pointed ;it commences its mdreh and
enters the bounPLfs wild—the element if
l ma, be allowed the expreffon, ,f.the
savages. This Jagaejous enemy will
carefull, eye the diepojirion of the 4rmy
and rectitude of its movements ; JhjJU
a detachment or column float from its
line of security, it is infantly flruck,
ani the en°my is away. If precaution
is so per+tf? as to afford no opportunity
of advantage, the array continues to ap
proach the towis —the old men, women
a,d children, are in feyfen removed out
of danger —the Britilb lines arc not Jar
dillant, they are fafe ; the Warriors
hover around the arm, but not v/i/hix
reach ; the arm, arrives at the tows,
burn and defro, all they can find of
buildings and pro : erty — Having arcom
plijhed all they can do. direa their
march homewards —the Indians keeping
fi^" °f 'be rear guard ; a^d th arm,
no sooner return within our own fettle
menfs, and are diftanded, but the In-
Jians byway of retal atio, burn the
homes of our exposed Jettlers, futcherirg
men,women & children, that fa^ into
their bands —and the alarm is kept
up from one end cf th, extynfive fron
tiers td the other,—— Giverrment i,
puJbed to devise ways and means to rai;e
a million or two of dollars for de
fraying the expen/e of tbs prefect
expedition ——the people in the interior
parts of the country groan under the
new appearance of beavf taxes, &&li
tho/e expojed, continue to cry for :&:<(>„„
and their'fears are daily increased 6,
the repetition of bloody tales of murdered
friends —The remedy is yet to be
fought for. ImuQrepeat one- of ,be
observations noted in m, last, expense
keeps a dear fchool.— K^g Solomon
was not of onr profffon, but re wrote
golden maxims,—One occurs to m, mind
with which I conclude (although sou'
stal l bear from me again)-— 6 * The
prudent man forefeerh chervil, and
hideth himfelf, bar the simple pass
on and are punished."
Thus much byway of repetition,
in order to bring your mind back to?
the fubjed where we left it Let vs
now turn, our minds to the late ad
vance and unfortunate defeat of bur
weftern army, by the arms of the
Savages of the wildernefa; with the
loss of many brave men, (some of
whom you will recollea) and of artik
lery,baggige,&c, &c, Qur army wu
THERE was formerly a rumour
that the Mountains ihould bring forth.
The people, being not a little agita
ted with fear, gathered together, ex
expelling something of a mender:
and behold ! out came a mouse.
This fable forbids vaia fears : for
commonly the fear cf danger is more
grievous than the danger i<iJf.
OP.
A FABLE,
Addressed to Jonathan S^hfeFriend;
THE WESTERN EXPEDITION.
C°» °f a Letter from a Gentleman./$
THE MORAL.
bis Friend.