Norfolk gazette and publick ledger — Norfolk [Va.], 1810-03-05 00:00:00, page 2

•f the Office of D.icountaoi
•I Mm United States ia this
Jt4»rrr.— Fran ftiry part of
and bp m« Of all parties, we notire
peralier satisfaction tbo reapert which was
paid to the memory of (he father nf his country.—
TloW il on art, no contrivance in all (Me, i*t it ia
thaepontanoOae effaeinoa of love and gratitude.
f 8»0*T-tIVtD
PoroLAiuTT.—Tte fount of
, Jltorci, a few peat* since, waa marked at a jubilee
fa the rismomtirk calender, and at'such was cele
brated. It eras the epoch of democratick atcen
iawy manifested in the election of the immortal
Jefferson! We hear nothing more of the fourth of
March, and indeed it would be insulting the pub
lick feeling to celebrate en event, from whirls with
si dffe allowance for the critical elate of the world,
haoAoawd the acr emulated evils, under which this
poorconn try it now labouring.
. tram wa*ks»gt<m — By Lent Night * mail.
*iTbe proceeding* of the House »f Represent**
fWaswit! inform you of live fate of Macon's Bill as
iSmtdsd by the Senate.
“ The comntittee^to wbnn> it is referred will be
3a no hurry to report upon it j they are rather in
clined to consign it to the Sleep nf Death, than re* j
teive it by any act of theirs. ft eras to my mind
rtiy strident that the home were at first disposed
, W a large majority to past ths bill as amended by I
mg! Senate. Of this Eppes aud his friends became J
Mtitible, when he moved a reference to a select
committee on Tuesday. This point was gained by
nwMgnnent M the preceding evening.
' •* The conduct of these men resembles that of
hvoksn tenants, who have received notice to quit;
tfcry^dastfoy the inclosurctand ruin the premises they
tab no longer hold. The warning voice of their
Mbstert, the people, tells them that their tenure is
of shot I duration. The proceedings of the ‘ New
York legislature, w« have had sometime, and those
of Massarhasetts have been just received. Or*
tarn folks /ram the east, looked •* rery <juter‘’ when
they saw the majority of io$>! They each looked
at If ha was saying “ this Lodes me no good."
/v‘‘ A*,ln tha ultimate fate of this bill, much, as
I LuVe ever predicted, will depend open advices from
England. From what 1 can learn the friends of
tha Dill, ara determined to Jet the business rest
where it does; the senate having manifested its
•entiments, • the enemies of commerce cannot
*****?!? '* heyoad the, present session of Congress,
•Hed the non intercourse trill expire by its original
} regrat much for Hie injury which num
fesit will experience from thecontionation of the law,
bat it is mbrh hotter trt bear the evil a little longer,
than tpittcrtipt to temoveit by remedies, riiich would
be more irjnriuas. M,icon's bill as nripiually pas*
■ed by the house, or the hill with F.ppcs’s atnend
a^tpts are much worse than the present n.m inlei
OqimaJaw, when its short duration is considered.
Th*m et it passed origriruliy would huve entailed
mischiefs on our commerce, which tbit country
could not have removed, and Kppes's amend,Dents are
nothing more or lees then a Jefi l .-i.iieri mode of get
ting into * war with Great-Britain."
.dp ■-:« 1 * ■ •• ___
Fob tue Publick Ledger. j
• To JAMES MADISON, Esquire, President of
th« United States.
Youareissiited and defended, alternately, by par
ty writels, under Greek end Roman signatures. But
your assailants and your defenders both err alike._
Theymix two ingredients which, like oil and vine
fir, rennot coalesce. Patriotism and Party can
•e«»r subsist tftgtther. No mnn, we are told, can
MTm two misters. Tltoae Essays, though pm
k**4*dly dictated by in ardent utf for tbe public k
good, have so much the appearance of being prompt
Sd-hy motives siqiytef and impure, a.Kish and ran
corous, tbit yun mart raid them, if you read them
•tJi.^hbiW-iot.
Vouchsafe then to hear ai old federal friend,
•*>•«soma yems ago,- strutted bia hour upon tbe
**£«■»;•*«» auborninate part in the tame
Hw*l drama With yourself. A friend, who has
bocn buried in the bosom of domnttrk retirement,
user aroeu tha blasphemers of opr immortal YVath
bigtoufuined an sweodency in our Councils, and
wbwhnskro biclination. Cfw the hey day of his
v-w '' ' ot **n
plat ?) to appeal again in the publick Thu*
^few^^***^* **« professions of patri
*,,r >'r h*s r* desire •
qay%gAd delude the too credulous people; who a
rm***kUIfhimt to any party, foe be it in quest
df no flire, baa no object bf imbiii<>n or vanity,
orgiaiKf. er tpUra, W'Wicnur to gratify, and i»,
* ,J;* "Weml wel
fbe general welfare are ay no
n > by 1 wowsousprnjfa*,- to rl:nf
•** ftMtls .who 'pauses, ponders,
to. Itito^^jJte, sr.ojoi.tt, ..a .^t^. tifvtr
eutAituw. '-'V i ( ««s»b™=h
' Sir! you have bevu deteisud. la tbonmttgo
mm with Mr. Krfkiav you were deceived, and lbe
spurious offspring mf that deception was the dis
Miuai ef Mr. Jackson, f give go credit tn the tele
that ie tntd of your detormisMiou, even before his
arrival “ to pick a quarrel with him,” nor to that
other story, which so many believe, “ that the mode
of liis conge w«s decided upon i#;the summer, et a
house in Albermarle with lire Italian name.” No.!
it is impossible that any thing so bungled could have
been presented. Yon were deceived in the coin
menrerttent, and for tbe twofold purposes of com
mercial and pofthca/speculaltun.
That immense sums were made by them in the
ttcrel is well known, and it is now whisper, d in the
most knowing circles at Washington, that the poll
Ural ohjert was, 1o bring you into disrespect with
the ruling parry, so that a way might be opened to
tbe election of one more unequivocally Napoleonic
than yourself. The secretary uf stale is now consider
ed since the vice presidency has been set aside by «n
act of conspiracy, as the “ Heir apparent to the
Throne!”
I say you were deceived :f Mr. Erskine’s mstruc
tions were not made known to you in their fullest
extent by the secretary of state. Before him the
British minister emptied his Fort-Folio and turned
his pockets inside eot. Whether he did this in a
grave or gay mood, whether t» said, or sung, or
whistled his instructions, certain it is, that he dto
communicate them jn the most comprehensive man•
ntr, ana without any sort of reserve. Call your Se
cretary “before you and put the following interroga
tory : “ Did not Mr. Erskine enter your room one
morning in a gay, meiry mood, whittling and sing
ing, and with a frankness well suited to the orrasi
on, lay before you, in exi.ensu. every communicati
on whatever from .Mr. Canning, touching the nego
tiation you were theu engaged in ?! I” Let him,
without prevarication, iinswer'ihis question. If he
replies in the negative, which he will hardly ven
ture to do, a few short months will delect him.—
When Mr. Erskitte’s letter to the English minister
of foreign affmis immediately after the arrangement
(which letter will l>« laid before parliament) shall
be received in this country, when thedebales in that
assembly shall be niad" public heie, and when Mr.
Erskine’s own confessions under his signature shall
appear, then will youi Secretary be covered with
confusion. Touched, as it were, with the spear of
Ithurial, he will start up in his true shape, and stand
before yoo a confessed deceiver.
Why the same full and unreserved communication
which he received from the British minister, was
not mads known to you, the Executive Chief Ma
gistrate—the Government,—he is called upon by
Ins country to account. For, it should ha recollect
ed, that, in all this controversy, the knowledge of
^Ir. Erskine s instructions is denied in very equivo
cal terms. The phrase is, “ they were not made
known to the government" But if is no where in
sisted on, that they were not made known tu the se
cteUry of slate, Mrl. Hubert Smith.
I repeat then, why were they not made known to
the Executive government ? .Mr. Jackson in his cor
respondence, till he was contradicted, presumed
that they were, and surely the presumption was
fair and uatural.
But you, air, have declared that they were not,
and aa I repose the moat implicit faith in what you
Bay, the conviction flashes like lightning iu my face,
that you were deceived.
Why need I press this fact? You yourself have
proclaimed it—“ totiilem xtrbit.” You directed that
alt further verbal conferences with Mr. Jackson
should be discontinued, and discussions in writing
only admitted. For what reason ? Because_hav
ing been once deceived—you now resolved not to be
deceived again, but to conduct the negotiation your
self in the latter, which you could not do in the for
mer mode. The letters of the secretary, from this
epochs; assume a »c» shape, and acknowledge kit
paternity in nothing hut the signature.
The vast solicitude which this gentleman has
manifested to identify himself with the government
still further corroborates his guilt. Have you can
vassed for votes in favour of Mr. Giles' resolutions Jt
No! Sir, yon have scarcely opened your lips. Have
you writteu la yuur friends in the different states to
re-echo these resolutions in the state legislatures ?
No! from my long and intimate acquaintance with
your virtue and prudence, 1 can venture to say you
never have. Can your Secretary say the same
thmg 1 Can he say that be has not written to A.
B. C. D. E. and F. and so on, to the end of the al.
pi.abet ? Can be say that he did not write to a gen
tleman it\ Kick mood, and inclose t« him a sketch
of the tort of resolution* he wished the legislature of
fsat state to adopt ? Can he say that those resolu
tions, a little modified for vanity’s sake, were not
put, by that gentleman, into the hands ofnyoung
member and ultimately passed? In a word—Can
■ho say that he Ium 'not beep intriguing, upon Ibis,
occasion, all over the United States?
'Sic t’
’ examine both,ends sf this man’s wallet,
and ytM V'Ul he surprised to find—
tirk*
■ "Htntkxt fitojinttrfoct/n]
i I £* W • ' ;d: vtnim.li .ppieim
' l mis&i **» i* .«?.**** **’!»■*
rl
jtffajfr
iasisufVJti.,
V* I>«rt c(ut«r attention of the legislature tin,
ft»r ■ few d*y» part. We* occupied in the diseassi
: mi of the prior iptet of the report on ovr notional
djltii uitiei, submitted to their consideration on
1 harsd.ty the 13th instant. This subject was de
bated at considerable length, and resumed on Fri
d»y, and finally derided at midnight, in favour or
the restitutions, by the unexpected majority of one
hundred and nine. We are precluded, for want of
room, Irom inserting the yeas and nays ou ihislitgb
ly interesting question, but ibe derision evinces ve
ry clearly, that the arguments of the federalists,
who pourtrayed the lamentable picture uf our coun
try s danger, in the most vivid colours, had w pow
erful influence upon the minds of some of the re
publicans. By uniting with the federalists, in or
1 der. to avert, if it is nor yet loo late, a 'war with
; Gr -at-Brimin,' they deserve not only the thanks
and applauses of their constituents, but the appro
bation of the whole nation.—The fedi ral speakers
were Messrs. Multby, Bigelow, Cutler, (of N- Yar
mouth) Jackson, L> .na, Dutton, Whitman, Sumner,
Bates and Sullivm. The democratick speakers
were Messrs. Sprague, (of S .lem) lUoiht, (of W
Stock bridge) Rev. Mr. Foster, (of Littleton) Rev
i Mr. Stevens, (oi Stone ham) Dunn, Fox Taft, More
1 loti, Moody, Martin, &c. We shall ofler no com
inent upon the relative merits of these gentlemen
we are willing to lest the respective abilities of tin
parties, l y the result t>f the debate—a federal taajo
rity of loy!
Y£AS 254-NAYS 1+5.
Our Canadian papers furnish us with tire speech
of ger. Craig, the govvrnour of Lower Canada, to
tbe Ptovinfi I parliament delivered on the ‘2d ult.
I lie lot lowing are the only parts of it which con
cern the United States.' Fed. Iltp.
“ VV itfi respect i« our relations with the Ameri
can government,. 1 am concerned to have to slate
to you. that far from that amicable settlement of
‘ the differences between ns, to which the arrange
ment that had been agreed on ly nis may; sty's rni*
mster led in to look lorward, the circunistan eo
that have since occur,red, seem rather to have wi
den*d the hrtach, and to have removed that desna
hie event, to a period that ran scarcely he foreseen
hy human sage-tty. The extraordinary ravrls that
have heed made ivith a succeeding minister— the
eager research that could d svover an insult, which
i defies the detection ot »!; other penetration—the
consequent rejection of further rniumun • atioo «uh
that minister, and indeed every step ol an inter
course, the particulars of which are known by an
tnentic documents, evince so bale of a conciliatory
' disposition, and so much of a disinclinfctic.n to meet
' the honourable advances made hy ins majesty’s go
vernment while these hav-been further manifested
in such terms and hy such conduct, that die conti
nuance of peace between us seems now to depend
less yn the high sounded resentment of America,
tbau on the moderation with which his mejrsty
may he disposed to view the treatment that be has
met with.
“In lay ingbeforeyon this pictureofourartual situ
ation, I am confident 1 do not deceive myself when
I led it to be unnecessary to uigeyou to be prepur
*<1 for every event that may arise Irom it, In the
great points of our seruiity and defence, I persuade
myself one heart and one mind will actuate ull.—
On his majesty's part should hostilities ensue, 1 fee]
warranted'in assuring you of the necessary support
of regular troops; in tbe confident expectation of a
cheerlul exertion of the interior force of tbe coun
try, and thus united, f trust we shall be fouud e
qual to any that can he made on os. Animated
by every motive, that can excite them to resistance,
our militia will not be unmindful of the courage
they have displayed iu former days, and the br .very
of his majesty’s army has never been called in
question.”
Extract of a letter from an American svpercargo
at St. Si bastions, dated the 1 jtk of Die. 130»>.
“ Our friend Mr. Gernon, of Bordeaux, has just
sent me a letter from Mr. -, dated Fans, the
8th inst. of which, if I haveieisure, 1 shftlUrnns
mit y*>u a copy by this conveyance. He men
tions that in consequence ot large supplies nf cot
t*m having been received Irom the Levant that
cottonwool had experienced a great reduction iu
price. He states likewise that the stock ol aye
woods was very much exhausted in Kr nee; anj
that very serious mconveni. uee was felt all over
the continent, in consequence of the scarcity of su
gar, which is an indispensihle requisite for the pre
servation of the fruits, win-, 6tc. These rircum
stances had been slrongly represented to She empe
ror, who had intimated that some relaxation wouio
be ordered, with respect to those pat tit ular articles.
Mr. is of opinion that Havana sugars, and
none other, will be admitted, and he recommends
his friends in America to ship that commodity and
dye woods, in preference even to cotton or tobacco,
as it seems the French government are hent upon
giving aspring to linen and woollen manufactures,
the materials for which the country oossrsses with
in ttself, and of course preserves the money in the
country, that would go to pay for cotton wool. Su
gar, I understand is very scarce ait over Spain, as
well as France—in fart, it is the only artii Is that
will sell here currently at present; ?nd in order to
gel rid of other articles, many persoi.-r, make a poiat
of not selling sugars, unless the purchaser lakes a
proportion cotton, tobacco, See. &c. with it."
Although the subject which produced the follow
ing speech is of a Ideal nature,, and more particu
larly interesting to the citizens of a sister state, yet
*• **'» p»pw has an extensive circulation in that
state, and at a similar subject has been agitated iu
this and other states, we have thought the excellent
observations of Mr. Gaston might bo acceptable to
our loaders.
Somolttile introduction may Le requisite—A bill
«aa brought into the house wf commons of North
Carolina, for suspending execution on judgment*
obtained al bw, until Otember HJfo.
Cbaa%f4Wtt >m* w»HI
‘tKr ]
«M rtferirfore, torom. dually uijp*
owt^ th^ lact, W mowi ti, i»jkt
coact
.112 ci*o«*. ■i^:,• v t
Mf. G<un>n wcoaded tli* ipetum—ft
tsmly proper first to settle the princ'mft ft
into details. The committee to wbom;thitfMM>ject
W*5,.fe1, f reportSi “'^g upon which the home
roura directly net. This brN wan first received be
the house, who referred it to the committee, jmd
they again returned it to the house, unaccompanied
with any report, and without offering any ©pmlefw
—and we iramediatt.lv go into the discussion of petty
amendments, when after exhausting at! our ingenuN
ty, and petjhurps spending days in the discussion,
there may be, as I verily believe there is, a majority
ofthe house utterly opposed to the whole p.u&tf?.
1 therefore approve of the course pointed out by the
gentleman from Pitt, and hope hie motion trill, are.
vail. "■
We are constantly presented with one-solitary
reason—one standing pretext for withholding the
tights of creditors—ft is the embargo upon our earn,
merce. Great as this evil may be itr fact—great aa
gentlemen may be disposed to represent it { it dwin
dies into nothing before this tremendous of all era.
bargees, an embargo of justice.
- If gentlemen should entertain a conscientious an^
as I trust they would, a well founded heUrC thbt Wp
-rSKhtt0 ,pB'*late upon this sub
SB^c,ent to procure the rejection of
this bill, whatever opinions may be entertanied of it a
expediency in other respects ; for 1 have a firm
conviction that they have too much respect for tha
sanctity^. :i o»th,and the obligations af patriotism,
to give countenance to principles and measures at
variance with the letter and spirit of our constituti.
°£ the Uni{ed States is the «U
^eVv?-’5 ,aW ot 1 ‘?d’ paramqua* to the constitution
ot thw state and to its laws, mu! which we have all
solemnly sw rn to support. In this increment ItH
declared, that no state slid! emit bills of credit,
muke any thing but goid or silver .tender in payment
of debts., pass any bill of attainder on ex hen facia
law, or law rm/miring the obligation of contract*.”
Tuis clause of the constitution was me* to meet
precisely such a case as the present. Before the a.
uoptiou of the constitution, some of the states, not
yet emerged from.t,hedifficulties imposed by there.
vohJtionary struggle, had, from very mistaken idea*.
of policy, undertaken to ameliorate the condition of
|»WJC\\ Undertaken n.-. -_j;.*_tr
their citizens by such expedient*as this clause of the
constitution goes expressly to prohibit. In some o£
mr”*v was issued to an amount be.
ym d thetrabuavto redeem ; in others contract,
were altered by making that a tender which the wr
co«trhrl"^'e’-h'ld -BOt •• “Utt in other*
conti acts were impaired in the obligati.., by mak
ing that p-.yment at the distance of a year? which.
Ku ^,pttHed’ sh' u!d be poid within »
m-mth. By then* regulations, the pnhlic distresses
V^u H deKree* ,he confidence' of
indiviou ds in e. rb ..they and in the constituted so.
thuritie* was so greatly impaired, that to apply s
remedy t. these accumulated evils, was a great and
t!ue f',rn,ation of the federal coo
f’ .' ' ":* ■ U,‘^ ,helr circumstances, withal! these'
facts existing before the eyes of the convention, w*
4 cei.soo k>> this Clause of the constitution that
cannot possibly oe mistaken ; and which, was there
any ambiguity ;he expression I have just quoted*
muht be safety trusted for an explanation. But the
language oi tlwi constitution, dictated by the purest,
of motives, and by the wisest of men. is so very clear
and explicit, th .t it mast stand obvious to all, an in
supcrahlt bar to the passage of this bill.
- l'“"’nSV, wi UMbUUi,
„!* "* 'v,',e told Ulst ^ passing this bUl we should
not die contract itself, but deprive
con,r!‘ct itself, but deprive one«f the
p .rtiei of the opportunity of enforcing it, if the in
dignation we should feel at the attempt to quibble a
.Wh*V,rr!.hrIS mi'.nIno,‘ thf provisions of oar hallowed
character would permit, we should smile atthe weak.
that wfB^Ilh.a.-mr*erable su'1,t'T,0Se* It «* a quibble
that would satisfy no man’s conscience, nor con
vineeany man's understanding ; for how can a co£
tract be more effectually impaired than by taking «.'
way the power to enforce it—a power that may ri
oted TiT11'6'! f°ria time’ wby ,he *Hm* Pfinci- ’
pie, pi rather abandonment of principle, be sus.
pended forever. If you can delay *
one year, yo« may do it for two year, ;..,d "f y^
can for two years, you can with equal right delay it
for hrty or a hundred years. You do not in express'
terms say, thata debt of twenty pound, shall be dfc
charged by the payment of ten pounds, or that it
shall never he paid ; but by deUimgthe payment
you may produce an effect that will reader the fact >
substantially the-same.
itis ridiculous worse than ridiculous—to mr
'ssmfu! to seek, for a sulve tothe p»6Bag*
of this bill under the pretext, thnt instead or inter*
fering Willi contracts, we are merely regulating tli«
crurttc 1 no object and the effect of the KguUtioa.
give the character to the measure.
Dose other |f the leRish>ture may inter,
p se otbei terms than those agreed upon by the Bars
ties, and give advantages to the one,. awloperatiBe
dhTnn/ori If Cr i>y ,n«rpiwing condition^which
. ■ Btii'illy exist. You alter, you impair, you
de- tre) it. 1 omy understanding you would, by such
a measure, directly and essentially violate the cm.
stuution which we have sworn to support; and with
this conviction, which 1 as firmly believe as an*
|PnstiS'intornmv ' ^ lUy Pr«*P*
instilled into my mind hy parental instruction, I
^»°h d *? 112-riT.e t0 mvselfi » crime of thedSn.
est dye, to suffer this bill to pass without opposing^
o. «">y uKe‘ 1 d° not cx:end tW* observation to
If '*5y “nu can P°ssiljIy ‘hint it constitute
onai, he may without crime, rive it his summit
provided he takes care to eolig&cn hi. undem«£ -
mg on the subject; for to vote without inquiry, is as
censurabie as to vote against conviction. *
I bis, to me, would be enough to influence n» de
cided opposition to the hill. But even
no prohibitory clause in the constitution, iMt «m
considered only in the abstract , m«urerf •
cy and expediency, 1 should, on that ground, nUobe
decidedly opposed to it. I believg the law of the last
rhdU^.h“ assravated d evils it was intended t”
thi. h,he 6 *en,,nJents 1 firmly believe a majority of-* >
this house heartily concur ; and l will go vet fiuWiev
and say, that the suspension law of the last session
was carried through the two houses by public cl*-f
mour, againw the sober judgment of the majority^
Many firmly believed they were doing more mUchieK
than good, but they considered it their bounden duty
l£obey what appeared to be the voice of the pecpl?
Then wishes were to be indiilred -hr,,A A ->
issSmSssA
«r . !th ,h* experience which this law W
“•ring the year of i,s emSlJS^LtS:'
knowledge of what must be the inevitable closet
silence, I believe* yet greater majority rrgret that"
h ever was passed. Yet possibly 4a«y ffXw •
vote for its revival hi the- bill now beferr toe UI**
Sa2Jd*ierSS^h*»' l*0aw* **■*«’
ffla'gf** *****£1(8888?
it PWMgtt*# tdfcdged infsveur of th*
op act, that the embargo made ft n*ei^ry ;*§3|*
stoo