The Gazette of the state of South-Carolina — Charles-town [S.C.], 1784-07-17 00:00:00, page 2

passed) have a%jft all of them -petitioned the
• legislature: and have not all their petitions not only
been received bat committed, and attended to
' without# fugle excretion that I know of? In
consequence of this attention becoming a legisla
ture, have not numbers of petitioners' been relieved
in whole or in part? Can this be compared to the
unnatural, unfeeling treatment jhe repeated petitions
• ci the United Statesmen with? could we, or indeed
^l. America together, have prevented one tingle
member of the British parliament, however ob
noxious, from .being elected again and again in
every Succeeding parliament? Is that the case with
us now? -1 liis.Writer fays, " lie knows the .gene
rality.ortho, citizens despise the generality, of the
. members of this affemblv." Well then, will not
-the ^herality of the electors, ,at the next election,
k.vo at in their power to turn them atl out and
put in others? and.if they add behave Amiss, to
lend them too about their business two years after?
'Whatwould hisrhonor have more? Can 'there be
then anvvecafron for mobs or riots in such a fitu
"ation? I with the next election may Ihew that he
and his dupes know their own minds, and are then
satisfied toz fee that the Jack fonborough reHri&ive
regulations are no more, and that they may not
endeavour -to intimidate many of the very men
they ar^now^pretending to pity, from voting at all,
if they are not previously assured that they will
vote as they want them, in order to packman alfcm
hly to their mind, as they fcem to be aiming at.
After such long trying civdcommotions, could it
be expected, from the flighted acquaintance with
human nat me, tnat every thing would be fettled
again in a moment? The candid, the humane, the
benevolent, the generous, rejoice to fee the progress
already made towards that general harmony we
were formerly so famous for, and every good citi
zen longs to fee . again firmly cilablifhed. During
thf draggle feme dhtincEon might be ncceffary,
tha' of Vying and Tory asyood perhaps as.any;
but new the keeping these cant words afloat, can
answer no end but to keep alive old piques and
resentments, -make many ftimir.es unhappy and
1,) ; Igood neighbourhood; and L^+.s, give dex
l%tr.knaves and rational emiflaries, an excellent
opportunity of combining.-together, and playing
into each others hards, and us. one against another,
to t:,nr no fowl advantage indeed and sport; but
to cue ruin of tire community in general, -and
voicing the coarse proverb, while two dogs are
bghtmg for a bone, a third comes and runs away
with it; for believe me, myfriends, these knowing
landstare no more for either fide, than the fly.
dog did about the two .others that were fighting,
and only want, like him, to make the molt of our
e, ariels. The fooncr, -therefore, thole noisy mif
ck^fmaking names Whig and Tory, are consigned
to ybhvion, the better, and if the foange tfound,
NirOß, that like an ill-boding Comet, lias lately
been forced into our Hemifphcre, and made its
.appearance in our Horizon with such a ponderous
blazing.tal, would as faddenly disappear and keep
tn?n company, it would be better Hill. Never
d^.a.-.y people want fur union more than we do at
t s moment, and every true lover of the Hate,
amlof his funky, will do his utmost to promote it.
' lf this writer knows any " male-practices of pecu-
Jw'ouand corruption in any public officers," let
hn do the public often justice, .and not insult the
public understanding, and wound the delicacy of
every man of feeling, by Tabbing in the dark, the
b mor and character of gentlemen in the gross, by
such mysterious whisperings, and “ rascally" in
sinuations, left as it were on purpose, in terrorem
to reputation brokers, party tools, and election
Jobbers to make the most of, and apply occajionally
to any.officer of spirit and honor, that fees and
opposes their deep nefarious designs. The wit
about the word “ übfart" must be entirely loft to
any attentive reader; however, it shews how hardly
pretfed his honor must be to catch at such draws.
That word where it Hands, has clearly nothing to do
with birth or family, but merely relates to “ Ccn
fors:" and any man, he his genealogy what it may,
his fathers or mothers able to be reckoned up by
him or not, whether they be rich or poor, is a felf
created upstart Censor, whenever he exercifcs that
office without right.
Kis honor sneeringly asks, “ what idea they affix
t< the words good citizens?" I'll tell him' what
ida I have of them, from a'tranflation (in a note
on Mr. Pope's works) of an unexceptionable author
a id lover of mankind, of more than two thousand
years Handing,
Whose honors with increase of ages grow,
As streams roll down, enlarging as they flow.
Po?E.
'A he citizen (fays Flato,in his sth book of laws)
who does no injury to any one, without question
merits oar efeem. He who, not content with being
barely just himfelf, opposes the courje of injustice,
by trofecniing it before the Magistrate, merits our
edeem vahly more. The firft discharges the duty
of a Jingle citizen; but, the other does the office
of a body. But, he whose zeal ftoos -ot here
but proceeds TO ASSIST THE MAGI
STRATES IN PUNISHING, is tie
most valuable hleffmg of society. This is the moH
perfect citizen to whom we should adj dge
th’prizeof virtue;" now which of thele three
degrees of go d citizenfrhp has his honor's condu&
exemplified fence his return amongt us? Has it
cme no injury to ary one? Has it been visible in
(.poling the course of injustice before the magif
tate? <)r, has it shewn itfelf in a/F^in, th magi
•hute in punching, us the ^ag^traty CQ unity
punish according to lay? Or, has it been glaringly
in hired opposition to all three? We a.e alkcd,
~" Is it not injurious to any Rate that imports more
valueDhan they export? When this is the case inuft
not the 1 balance be always unfavourable" ? I answer,
in.a proportionable degree, as the citizens of the
Hate may be the importers, it.muft be detrimental
to such citizens, who are and ought to be but few,
in comparison of the whole Hate; but in our iitu
ation at present, and as it is likelyto be for feme
time, I deny the luppolition altogether; indeed, I
think 'tis quite the^reverfe, for let foreigners im
port as much as/they will, the more the better,
(unless perhaps of a few articles th at'may be thought
ferniaous, which may be restrained 'by particular
ads:) certainly the more goods at market the
-cheaper we may get such articles.as we want, and
beiidcs, the more importers tire more purchasers we
shall have for our own produce, and thereby reap
another greater advantage, by getting abundantly
n.oie for our years labour than we otherwise
should. I grant it may not fait private fchemcr^,
who wish to gralp all they can to themselves.
In my lall I had laid, " what foreigners will
trade with such mad men, not only regardlcfs of,
but even insulting their own legislatures, &c." To
which is replied, “ foreigners are not, nor
will net be disturbed, and it :s plain they know it,
as apj cars by the vast quantity of foreign goods in
tile city, and Hill coming in with every tide."
d be ,/aiureafon here given by this great favourer
and /richer for mobs, may be alledged as a much
plainer, that many foreigners did not know of those
mobs, or at lead, were hopeful that they would
soon subside, as they knew we had had time to cool
and relied upon the many ill confequeneesu/iaooiu!-
ably attending them. However, this we know for
.certain, thatleveral were adually difeouraged, who
had heard of ourlaft year's riots, the number of
which, the longer we countenance fucli disorderly
doings, must increase, till at length we may be
looked upon, in the eye of foreigners, as incurable,
and the character of a mob government, not more
disgraceful than diHrefling, indelibly fixed upon
us. But this is not the only place where his honor
seems to think.# little mobbing, now and then, a
ufful expedient, and may prevent over-importati
ons, “ causing a balance of trade ag^inft us, and
gradually finking us into extreme poverty, when
*we cannot import at all." For my part, in cur
situation, I look on all this as a mere chimera, and
-that this Bug-bear of a balance of trade, Should it
happen, will be, generally speaking, against the
over importing merchants, and them only, who
alone will be accountable for the consequences.
But here irtmay not be unpleafentto remark, by the
bye, that if this writer is furious here, which 1 much
question, is he not coming into my opinion, and
as it were unawares confeffing, that mobbing and
riot have a natural tendency to cramp and narrow
trade? And^this veiy probably may have been the
defgn of the promoter of our mobs, like a juggling
Sharper, toeramp and narrow our trade as much
as poflible, to himfelf and friends. Attend, my
good reader, to the following quotation from my
paper, strangely mangled, interlarded, and mod
villainouily tacked together,—" But to counteract
'the law of the land," fays this immaculate writer,
(meaning me) “ is Locking and infufferable, as it
endeavours to counteract our Ariftocratical designs of
ruling by a few: But not so formerly, when our
Open Republican and his colleagues were very
active in pulling down Kingly rule, to set up their
own domination. But opposition to a few tyrants,
he fays, is 46 capricious, retail tyranny," &c. “ a
gnawing worm of malice and resentment, to bite
individuals". If I thought a writer, capable of
penning such gross falffiood and perversion, could
feel, I should certainly pity him, but supposing it
impoJfble, I leave him entirely to the reader; who
is intreated to turn to his paper and mine, and
when he has compared them together, he will
scarcely be able to for bear concluding that the man,
dejirous to palm such barefaced imposition on the
public, must be capable of any other infamous at
tempt whatever, that may fait his ambitious or in-"
terefted designs. Another quotation cannot be
passed by unnoticed; 'tis much mangled, curtailed
and transposed, but with abundantly more art and
slyness than the preceding, as the reader will fee by
my real words and his quotation, placed in oppo
site columns, and the parts trariifed upon, distin
guished by a different character.
My words are, “ 'tis
to be wished we had
made an example, if ne
cessary, after a fair and
candid trial, of three or
four of the moH notori
ous delinquents, of rank,
of the highest authority,
and univcrfally known,
whose weight and influ
ence mtf have been of
the moH pernicious con
sequences, and then pas
sed a general amnesty."
Let me now firft ask this honefl quoter why are
my words “if necessary," left out, are they not
efatial? That it was not my meaning to make an
exam} le of any, unless necessary, appears plainly,
not only from th f words, as well as from my whole
conduct, but allo frem another pa&ge in my paper,
a few line's below them, which is thus exprefled,
“ a refpe&able and fatherly government will com
migrate at l its fubje&s, overlook all it can, con
fifleut with the fafety of the gate, punift with
His quotation runs thus,
The Heady andopen Re
publican fays, “ thatwe
should have made exam,
ples of three or four of
the moH notorious delin
quents, of rank, of the
highest authority, and u
niversally known, whose
weight and influence
have been of the most
pernicious consequences
after a fair and candid
trial.
rriudance, and when obliged to pumin : ., do it with
spirit and propriety; always shewing itfelf i%u,
to protest the peered citizen, and not afraid of toe
.highest.", Again, the critical reader will oHerve
mot a lithe management in leaving out my word
“ must," however, that we'll phs b,; but why
are my words " after a fair and candid trial,"
Ihoved from their own place in the beginning of
the elaufe, and placed at the end of all? Was'this
manoeuvre in order to leave out, with a better ? racc,
these words, 46 and then pufo a general am^fy?
which ought to have occupied that very foot,'to
Ihew the end intended, that if it fhould' urove
mecefary, and the Hate tie obliged to punish, or make
a few examples, then an amneHy passing immedi
ately thereafter, would tend to fatisfy and quiet the
minds of the citizens, tnat there would be no more
examples, but that every thing was over and done
with. , I his writer fays, that " in confecuence of
such aavice" (that is what he made me to jay, not
what I aflually did fay) Gen. W. was pitched upon
to be tlie Scape Goat, that 13, at any rate, nece-i
---fary 01 not neccflaiy, " as he had no relations or
friends, but what ^is money made for him ;'' AJ hat
a fly and dap insinuation! This tnvenomed arrow,
is it thrown ogynnft particular members, or the
whole body of the legiilaturc? Gen. W. had his
own time to prepare himfelf, before his trial; had
the must patient and candid attention paid him
during that trial, of any perlon in the confifeation
lift, and the house have decided upon his case in
the most favourable manner: Why then any more
said about him? 1 with every body acquiesced as
perfefy in this decision of the house as I do, and
have ever done in all their decilions? Our Dupe
KiaHer General rauft certainly have fomemyferivac
reasons for the tete a tete he had with the General,
a very few days after this, up the rath; that, per.
haps, may come to light by and by' . That, and all
this more than ordinary be-Jlavering, must appeal
very extraordinary; the more so, as last nights
virtuous address sets him down as " a caitiff."
Has ourSempronius found him refractory, and isafraid
he will not answer his purpose next election? But to
return, if where offenders are numerous, and it be
necessary to make examples or Scape Goats, (if this
writer will have it so) which must be taken fomh
where: Jliwicewin you take them? From tbelowgt
or middle ranks? Would that answer the end, fa
probably and surely as from the highest? Besides,
would it not ihew a wretched, timid, 'indecifivefee
faw spirit in any government to do so, and be 4
great encouragement to your high, restless fpark^
to begin new commotions, thinking the state was
afraid of them?—ln Ihort, if in consequence cf
fach advice as mygenuihewerds import, if necessary
-three or four “ after a fair and candid trial," wexe
to have been made Scape Goats of, and then an
end put to our unhappy civil diffenfions^ a general
amnejiy. In consequence of whose advice were the
Scape Goats by dozens unnecessarily pitched upon,
and without trial? To answer what end? Had not
their federal cases been already determined upon by
the legislature of the land, and what was though t
necessary, with regard to each of them, ordered
and fixed? I lay, after such solemn determinations,
what can be designed by such fly insinuations but
to insult and affront, in the most open, and in the
grossest manner the whole state, in the persons of
its representatives ? Notwith flanding the “ no
other" (or only) “ view" which the great man
himfelf tells us that the Marine Anti-Britannic So
ciety have in their “ undertaking" yet I confefs
many faffs and dates (besides last night's) so noto
riously contradict this assertion that I cannot help
being of opinion that this “ only view" is only a
mere specious pretence, preconcerted by him and his
peculiars IN THE SECRET to be held up in or
der to dupe the uncautious undergoing man withal,
when the real end plainly appears to be to raise a
POLITICAL PHALANX to be ready at his beck
on all favorite mob or electioneering occasions, and
I am lure if the public are to judge of what may
happen hereafter by the precious furetafle they have
already had from this pretended gracious fountain of
benevolence, it must much dread that all its future
tender mercies will be bitter cruelties indeed.' Our
great leader, in his usual manner, has made me fay
of the Carolina frigate, that fie “ had a wretched
bargain made for her, and from which more evils
sprung than from Pandora's box ; and then, by way
of comment, asks me, “ what better foccefo had
the Proffer and other Hate vessels, &c." If the
reader will be at the trouble of comparing my
words with this twifed epitome, he will find no
frfs at all, laid by me on the faccefs, but merely
as my words (hew “ on the wretched bargain made
(net "for her" but) for us, only in the bare hire of
one single frigate; and the reverfionarv legacy, or
new thing introduced to us piping hot from her,
" which reversionary legacy or new thing I was
afraid would prove a far worse concern than even
the frigate itfelf, a mere Pandora's box." The in
tent of this twist is so eaftly seen through, that it
would be insulting the reader's understanding to
print it out.
When the public at large, (as net unlikely ore
d.v they may) come to be fully acquainted with
the exalt and genuine hiflory of the bare hire ( I fay
now only of |ths) of this frigate, and the moH
enormous sum it has amounted to; the situation foe
was in when hired, to be get to sea at our rift and
expence; to be manned, maintained, and fitted cut
in all her cruises, and to be returned to Fort
L'Orient, in France, at the expiration of three
years, wholly at cur expence also: hew urfuitabk
£hc W 43 to our bar; and how it could pembly Q