:h r GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
No IV.
MANY further similar illtiftrations .miglit be
made of ibe ex-fecretary'aphilofophical talents from
his note: on Virginia ; ttiefe may for the present fuf
fice. At a future opportunity, we may find lelfure
to notice his very extraordinary penal code, and his
whimfica) system of retaliation, his wife attempt to
refute the account of the deluge, (evidently stated
by Moses to be a miracle) by a recurrence to philo
sophical an<J merely natural principles ; and sundry
other philosophical ;ibfurdiiie«. His plagiary report
on weighs and measures will be adverted to under
another head.
After these specimens of his talents, these elaba
rate prodnfliors of his mind, we may fafcly ven
ture to vr'hbold from Thomas Jefferfon the title of
philosopher.
But we fhotild incur no danger in yielding tohi9
rlaim in ihe rullelt extenr, brcaufe it mill be obvi
ouc to tie plsineft twderftandings, and to men of
the fmallcft experience in public life, that of all be
ingi, a philosopher, makea the word politician, that
if an}- one circumitince more than another, could
difqiialify Mr. Jefferfon for thcJPrefidency, it would
be the charge of his being a philosopher. Not be
lieving him to possess any thing more than the majk
of my objeftinn to his election would
certainly not reft on that ground ; but as there tmy
be some, who, having read his works fuperficially,
may have been deceived by that character, which is (
fometicnes acquired, because no one has been at the
trouble to feminize and (trip it of its borrowed (
garb, to them 1 lepeat that, admitting him to be a
molt learned philosopher, such a character alone
creates his difquallfication for the Prelidency.
In turning over the-page of history, we find it j
teeming with evidences «f 'he ignorance and mif
manr.gement of philosophical politicians. The
great Locie was employed to frame a cojillitution
for Catolina ; but it abounded so much with regu
lations, TTTjrfpficaMe ttrthe (fate of things for which
it was designed, so full of tfuszclic wfumfiu, that
it was soon thrown aside. Condorcet, a particulrr
friend of our American philosopher, was a great
Frtnch philosopher, his constitution of 1793, con
tains more ibfurdities than were evtr before piled
up in any fyftesn of Government ; it was (j radi
cally defe£tive that its operation was never even at
tempted ; Condorcet's political follies, and the
wretched termination of his career are well known ;
ha bad philosophy enough to know how to raise a
storm, but not enough to avert its effc£i«. The af
fairs of France have lince been mure ably condudted
(except during the fliort arifloctacy of Robespierre)
by men who a« good politicians, but fortunately
for France, not philosophers.
Rittenhoufe was a great philosopher, but th« only
proof we have had of his political talents was his
fuffering himfelf to be wheedled into the Presidency
of the Democratic Society of Philadelphia, a fo
iiety wilh which he was even alhamed to associate,
tho' cajoled and flattered into the loan of his name..
Many other in/lances might be adduced.
The charaflereftic traits of a philosopher, when
be turns politician are, timidity, whimficalnefs, a -
■fcifpofif i'tri to f<H>m ceiiait) a lid~
not from the true nature of man, a pronenefs to
predicate all his measures on certain theories, fortn
■' fd in the recess of his cabinet,and not, as they ought
to be, on the existing state of thinjiß and circum
fiance* ; an inertness cf mind, as applied to go
vernmental policy, a wavering of disposition when
great and sudden emergencies demand promptness
of decision and anergy of aflion. If the laws are
eppofed and infurreflion raises its crest, the insur
gents will always calculate on the weakness [and in
dtcifionof the executive (if a philosopher) and they
will be juftific'd in their calculations, for he will he
sitate till all is loft ; be will be wandering in the la
byrinth* of philosophical speculations, moralizing
on the fin of spilling human blood, and Foolishly per
fuaditig himfelf that maukii.d can always be re
claimed and brought back to their duty by whole
some advice. His mind will be constantly attraft
td to his favorite purfnits, and his prefix en tial du
ties, of course, be postponed to more pleasing avo
cations.
Let us suppose one ol these exploring and pro
found philosophers defied President of the United
States, and a foreign minister, on Ims firft introduc
tion inter hi* cabinet, surprizing hi|i in the aft of
infpefting the Ji'tn and the scars Jim of a black and
a white pig, in order to discover the causes of dif
ference which nature has in their «folour, j
or with the fame view anatomizing the kidnies and
glands of a Negro to ascertain the nature of his se
cretions ?. Would not the minister's firft observation
be, that the philosopher would be much better em
ployed, in-his retirement at home, and his second,
that such a President would furnifh excellent ma
t terials for him to make use of ?
What refpeft would the officers of government
. entertain for a president, whom they should find, on
waiting on him for inftruftions, that he wasbufily
engaged in impaling a butteifly or contriving with
assiduous perfcverancean*eafychairof newconftrnc
tion ? Would not an attention to these littlenefTes
make him the ridicule of the world ? The great
Washington was, thank God, no philosopher ;
had be heeu one, we should never have seen his
great military exploits ; we (bould never have prof
p"red urdei bis wife administration. There is ano
ther chara&eriftic tiarit in philosophers highly dan
gerous, namely, their extreme openness to fatterJ, ;
a ftarteier will be always sure to gaifc a phi ofophei's
affeflions; n philosophical president will be eonfe- j
quently most influenced by that nation which flat
ters n.ofl-; which that is, need not be mentioned :
if tbfir agents do not fail in this national qualifica
tion, such a president will be their most devoted
servant : he will also be perpetually surrounded by
.a (warm of domestic flatterers; and as they are
generally the hafeft of charaders, the companions
he will be attached to, and the meafu'es they will
promote, may without be predided.
* Who hasnot heard from the Secretary the praises of
h» wonderful' Whirligig Chair, which had the miraculous
quality of allowing the pt rfon seated in it to turn his cad,
without moving his tail? Who has not admired his fei*ile
genius in the production of his Epicurcaa fide-besrd, and
other Gim Krackery ? ]
1
5 B-tt althnu s fh I hare thus denied to Mr. Jeffer- !
son the title of a real philosopher, I am ready to
dllow that he poffefTrs the inferior cliarafteriHics,
and the externals of philosophy. To a mind, ana
>c bitieus of pafiing with the world for a philosopher,
T 1 the firft were easily acquired, the last as eaftly as
sumed. The inferior charafterifticras applied to
. e the science of politics, are a want of steadiness, a ►
18 conftitnticrtial tndtcifion and versatility, vifioriary,
° wild and fpeculalive systems, and rations other de
feflive features, which have been already pourtray
ed—lndeed so unsettled ,is the mind of n ivoifld ie
' philosopher, so capricious and vcrfatile are the prin
' ciples of these philosophical mimics, that they at
r tempt to reconcile the most irreconcilable theories,
and to juitify'the most incoafiftent ads by the fame
Itar.dard. Thiii you will find these pretenders to
P philosophy, at one moment, coolly juftifying the
itiAft attror-ious and far.guinary cruelties, provided
thev are means to a certain favorite end ; at another
S cautiously difiuading from vigorous, the necefTtiy
. measures, left they might fatal], iiTue, in the shed
ding of human blood. Condorcet and Briffet were
like Jefferfort, reputed philosophers; they set up
! certain wild and impra&icable theories of govern
j ment; among them, of course, the emarcipatioa of
the negroes in "the French Weft-Indies, an:), of
[ conrfe, the mafTasrc of tl* whites, and the defola
j of the colonies: this was reprcfented to
them, by a deputation lrom the colonies, warning
r them of the fatal confeqtiences of their principles.
' What was Philosopher Condorcet's reply ? Attend
' to it, Citizens ot the Southern States ! 1 He an
swered with ttue philosophic calmness, " Peri/h all
" the coltnifls, rather than that we should devia'e
one tittle from our principles." This is the enlight
ened Condorcet, to whom bis friend Jefferfon, Simu
lated by a sympathetic philanthropy, sent Bannc
ker's Almanac, as the highest proof of his admira
tion of the Negro's work This is the fame Con
dorcet who could, with calmnef*, fee the colonics
laid waste, and thousands of aged colonics and in
r.o„-cui «ad chililre:i maJTicred, and yet was
peipctually preaching up philanthropy *»d untver
fal benevolence. Brijj'oi was much such another
character, tiiay both dcfervedly met the fame fate.
As ignorant people are often imposed upon by
an appearance of philosophy, those, who have am
bitious designs, tcadily alTume its externals • these
consist in a ridiculous affeftaton of limplicity and 1
humility in a thousand frivolities, and little puerile ; 1
tricks, whirhalways render the perfotmer contempt- ! '
ible in the eyes of discerning people, who soon dif- j
cover that under the afTutned cloak of humility, ,
j lurks the most ambitious spirit, the most overween- ,
\ ing pride and hauteur, and that the externals of fim
. plicity and humility afford but a- flimfy veil to the
interna/ evidences of ariftociatic splendor, sensuality
j and epieareanifm.
g Mr, Jefferfon has been held up and cbarafler
_ ized by his friends as " the quiet, model! retiniig
philosopher—as the plain, simple, unambitious re
publican. He shall not now, for the firft time, be
' regarded as the intriguing incendiary—theafpiring
turbulent competitor, unless fa£ts (hall warrant the
, fuggeltion : of these an enlightened public mull
, j"^e-
I What, if a quirt, raodeit, unambTiicgs phijof >•
} plier at a delicate crisis, withdrawing himfelf from
a post of duty, from an alledged attachment to phi
t lofophical pursuits, and a ttrong antipathy to pub
lic honors, should immediately devote his hours of
reti'#ient /» mature his schemes »f concealed amliti
in, and at the appointed time, come fotth the indif -
■ giufed candidate for the highejl honors, and for the
f most arduous station to which ambition can aspire ?
Would not this trait alone fufSciently m3rk his
character and his views ?
To some few of his fellow citizens, this inay per
haps be thefirjltime his real character has been dis
covered ; but let tLem recollect that there is always
T " a firfl time," when aharafters Uudiou9of artful
* disguises are unveiled, when the vizor of ftoiciftn is
plucked from the brow of the epicurean, when the
, plain of quaker fimplirity ia stripped from th«
concealed voluptuary, when Crfar, coyly refitfin* the
proffered diadem, is found to be Csefar rejeSinf the
r trappings, " but tenaciously grafptng the substance
of imperial domination." PHOCJON.
i Philadelphia,
'f WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 19, 1796.
d
I The brig Molly, Captain Medlin, arrived yesterday
from the Weft-Indies, caught on fire last night, and
i considerable damage was done before? the fire could be
got under.
From the Aurora.
Ia the City, though the republicans hare not proved
able to carry their several tickets, yet the popularity of
John Swanwick, acquired by his firm opi'r.fition to the
Eritifh treaty, has ft cured his re-cle<9ion, notwithstanding
the arts and induflry employed against him, in this center
of British influence and ariifocratic corruption.
E X T R A C T.
" In the old worlds if the inhabitant of the
north be compelled, by a decayed frame, to seek in
foutbern climes, under a more genial fun, a shelter
from the rude wintry blasts ; or the debilitated native
of the south require the bracing of the northern air ;
each must retinquilh the government, laws, religion,
and habits, to which he has been actuftomcd from hi»
youth, and expose himfelf to all the •snbarraffments of
an alien society and an unknowa dialetft: But here,
the citizens, bordering on the St. Mary's or the St.
Croix, on the Atlantic or the Ohio, may mutually in
terchange their homes, and Feek the benefits of a more
friendly clime ; arid each shall find, in every region,
equal liberty and just lav#, a fofteriag government,
the fame people, the fame language, the fame reli-
J'oa." Oration.J
MILITIA MUSTER.
FRIDAY the aid inft. heing tne day appointed for !
the sth regiment of the Philadelphia Militia to mutter, 1
the Officers and Soldiers thereof are requested to parade
accordingly on that day, with their arms and accoutre
i ments, at the Centre Square, at ii o'clock at noon:—
] fhouli apy of the regiment be in want of arms for the
occafiofl, the commanding-officer will, on a timely appli- ;
cation, procure a supply.
. WILkIAM NICHOLS, Lt. Col.
Philadelphia, O«2obcr 17
, £5" THE First Troop of Horse, will parade at the !
■ MidHle-Ferry, nnvMonday next, at two o'clock in the
-1 afternoon : the attendance ol every gentleman is ei-i !
peiied. Oil. 19.
C V"
r-. ELECTION. j
° A true ftitemeittoef the votes for a Senator for the tity
i, and county of Philadelphia, ar.d
county of Delaware.
Newlin. Pc2rfoH.
[" City of Philadelphia, J4*4 959
County ditty, 1146 lz\i
0 ( County of Delaware, 4;;8 261
' 3008 2432
2431
; 576 majority for Newlin, j
rtifteid cf >27, 29 has been published.
RETURNS,
l > FerLANCAiTSR Borough and County.
f Governor. Thomas Miffiin J7jß
1 Congreft. John W. Kitten 1679
c William Webb 77 I
i Senator. Matthias Barton 953
r Alexander Scoit 879 I
Afiembly. Richard Keys 17519 t
Jeremiah Brown 1419
Abraham Carpenter 1442
Thomas Boude 1003 1
3 John Hopkins 943
Samuel Boyd 765
f James Rofs 739 <
f Abraham Witmer 707
/ . Caleb Cope 481
Dar.iel Buckley 341 1
'r Patterfon Bell 177
> John Eckman 351
Cotnmifiioner, John Hambright 958
The following gentlemen, then, appear to be duly J
■ elected.
' Governor. Thomas Mifflin.
: Conp-efs. John W, Kittera. <
Senator. Matthias Barton.
Afiembly.
Richard Keys Thomas Boude
Jeremiah Brown John Hopkins
Abraham Carpenter Samuel Boyd.
BY THIS DAY's MAILS.
BOSTON, October 14.
r ATTACK O.N HALIFAX.
An arrival on Wednesday lafl at Cape Ann, 6 days
y before foil it; with a French fieet of it fail of the line
" and 6 frigates, from France, bound on an expedition
c against lla\».ax. They were then about to leagues weft
d j of thatplase, *nd detained the above A-efiel 6 hours,
r ! examiniug I:«r very closely, during which time the
i captain had the fulled evidence < f their being French,
f i and of their force and destination- Halifax has been
lately ftrehgthened in its force, and has a trained mili
' tia and two or three regiments of regular troops (in
• eluding a provincial.) Prince Edward commands
- th_ere. The naval force, which wiil probably be at
e the place, rauft be iHconfiderable. The)' have a weii
y finifhed magazine cii naval and military flores, and a
fuperU yard at the above place. ,
Capt. Atwood, from Shelburne, in 5 davsjyearnt
thereof the landing of the French on Newfoundland
s —but heard nothing of any French fieet near Halifax.
'• A rumour was circulating yefterc'ay, that the French
c were repulsed at Newfoundland with great slaughter.
a Our belt exertions couid not trace this rumour to any
e authentic foiirce.
,1 It is laid a gentleman from Nova-Scotia, informs,
that admiral Murray's whole squadron, confifiing of
(hips, was at liaK lax, lalt week. If fo,it will ena
' * UUaUe Jlritifli lo niilt® a. c«;n&4vraUl.; -cUf&nc* against
n t!te French, who are fu;pofed to luvi attacked the
i. place; though the acqivfition will be more important
if it finally iu'rrenders to the republicans.
,[ '
j. NEW-YORK, Oaober 18.
- The followng are the claims by which the Spaniit
court ju/lify their invsfion of Portugal.
? I. Jure primitive donatio*!!—By right of the firlt
deed of gift from Alj.honfo, king of Arragon, who
s had furniihed Henry, the baitard, of Lorrain, with an
army to conquer Portugal, on condition of marrying
. his daughter.
f„ 2. Jure fuccejftonis—As the right of fuccefilon is
pretended (in the law language ot Spain) thence to be
, indefeafible.
3. Jure pojterieris dsnationis —By right of a second
IS gift, when the cardinal Sebaftun's brother re delivered
e it to Philip ll.—He and his lon Philip 111. ;henee held
e the crown of Portugal, till it "Was wrested from them
c by the revolution of Braganza.
e Such is the state of Porlu gal, which, while we are
writing, is, two probably, in the possession of the French
and Spaniih arrr,i.
The unfortunate Louis XVIII. rejected and expelled
: from all the territories of his relations, has at I*H found
an asylum at filandenburgh, in the dominions of the
duke of Brunfwick, where he arrived 011 the 17th of
August.
'1 homas Macdoiia'd, eft} councellor at law, has been
appointed one of the tvra con.miffioners to come to
X America, on the of his Britannic majefly, pursu
ant to the late treaty with the United States.
Ie By a meflage from the dsre&ory of France, it ap- j
pears, that a Handing army, in times of profound peace,
j mull be maintained, to the amount «f 170,000 men.—
j- This, force, and the eXpence, arc arranged acording to
c the following estimate :
„ Men. Livres.
r Infantry ico.ooo 35,000,000
Horle 4*, 000 30,000,000
Artillery and engineers, 16,000 20,000,000
f Gens d'armcs 6,000 6,000,000
n Veterans 5,000 2,000,000
r Guards of the lrgiflative
e body and the JirerfUry 1,000 3,000,000
Stajf, commandants, and
commiflarits of war i,oco 3,000,000
, Allowances 1,000,000
,f Military police and inftruc
; tioa 1,000,000
170,000 100,000,000
e 1 HifMM
> . v
> GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE LIJT.
'
PHILADELPHIA, OSober 19.
ARRIVED. Days,
r Ship John Hodfman, prize to the Frcnch
■, Brig Amelia, Houston Cape-Nichola-Mole 15
e Molly, Meddlin Port-au-Prince 21
Polly, Monk tlavannah 32
Saily, Guyer Gonaivei 26
e Liberty, Di-ur St. Kitts .14
" Sch'r HatJiian, Jerem/e 32
Dove, C ; 'in de. 33
Hawk, Hunt St. Croix 12
Nancy, Davidfon Miraguane 32
e Sloop Hope, Foster da. 29
e CLEARED.
Ship Roebuck, Shewell Hamburgh
Jaoies, Garret Halifax and France
t TK' trig Polly, Kye, from Kavanna to Philadelphia,
[ ptt into Norfolk in diftlefs.
The fcliooijcr Betsey, Pendleton, from N. Orleans to
this port put into Noitolk
Capt. Wroth, from Port-au Prince fell in with the
schooner Mary, capt. Nichols of New-York from Turk's
Island, in diflrefs, having carricd »way her sore-topmast,
sne had one man waihcd overboard in a gale. Captaii*
Wroth took her in tow, and left her below Rheedy Is
land with a pilot on board the i6thinft.
New-York, Oflober 18.
Arrivalt at this port.
Brig Queen, Balwee Briftcl
S«hr. W'afhington, Burrell St. Bartholomew*
Huntress, Watson Roclilort
Sloop Hiram, Bay of Honduras
£xtrx£l from the log-book of the Clip Jiitifis, Capt.
Conklin, i* days from and 19 days
from land's end.
Sailed from the Downs the 19th September, In com
pany with the following ibips; Ship JSanfero, Capt.
Smith, boußd for New-York; S»jperb, of dofton,
bound i'oi L.Ajon ; Kofe, of New-York' for Charlel
ton.
September it.
In the channel, was brought to by the Britilh frigate
Bonne Citoyen, treated politely and fyffered tepafs.
September 15.
Spoke the (hip Britannia, of Boston, bound to Brest,
out fix weeks, all Well—in long. 19, W. and lat. 47.
O<s>ober 9.
Spoke thefchoonei Rainbow, from Greenock, bound
to Wifeafiet, in long, si, lat. 43, out 38 day», alt
-well.
List of Prizes and Blanks in the Wafhingto*
Lettery No. 2.
cßih Day's Drawing, Oft. 8.
No. Dph. No. Doli. JV«. Dolt. 2V». £>Jt,
439 10 11024 *3437 375)6
739 46« 47° 38^54
74 2 . 858 697 10 74 6
823 12822 »4 6 i9 *® 934
s 122$ 907 jij©6o 29 -7®
3" »353' 779 586
959 697 b6*°» b st
3015 10 3°6 9'S
040 333 3'7 404 11
434 34« 684 568
685 394 «739° 4'74 6
409S 4/8 10 42053
170 6 80 10 88588 3^o
I 3 fei 19 B*7 t>o 1 i* tt,s>
s*4® 9 U 10 74S »• 89 s
'43 '*'99 «® 77' 45° 1 4
373 543 9*9 >3,4
385 6oi 29384 & ti
53S 604 564 bfao
6072 10 741 10 30246 737
074 849 25 314,3 10 Sod
71 '* 979 3 JI SI 48183 i*
337 i6otß 703 ie 181
371 10 S'7 " 708 265 j #
41 1 i* (>45 9°6 10 284 1*
866 933 2 5 33°°5 672
8000 10 *7*58 397 8 9j
273 18 70 i» 506 47 1 a a
300 190 345 i" ,*S
bit io 19892 10 091 ie 871 j*
9'93 *0006 10 893 20 94a 19
267 486 $84 48240
664 641 35''3 Bss
1005& 946 444 49354 »»
674 siigj 45S 40,5
767 644 742 jQf | 9
916 to , 780 10 3^994
924 10 92640 20 3710.
29th Day's Drawing—Monday, O&ober i«.
No. Dolt. N». Doit. No. Dolt. No. Dolt,
*44 '33 11 34427
844 3>B 10 25641 0 ?
1301 35' «• t>6B 100 36099 is
ti2> 46$ 10 7•< 6 320
203 864 8 o 895
611 i* got 16164 jo 3805 cl 9
t 3247 '6914 87020 io 165
599 10 548 10 « 7 7 j 9 o 4S i»
45.2 27123 r si fc6; i 0
It 5090 ie 446 «Bcbi , 55 1(
0 5«o 899 186
II 6458 ißßio i« 459 40354 ie
g 7.08 19096 973 19
*77 099. 890 1979
s 845 a 296 30216 41^61
e 9056 *1068 315 1
543 10 749 10 52214 885
781 g*i2s Si ß 10 43741 IO
" 10526 10 700 928 50 45127 A co
893 718 34020 46H9 !•
d 11124 »37« 6 »o 7'l 594
n >3446 K 99 35016 676
943 *4°73 «'9 47245
e 14443 'O 604 416 4904S
|j 959 618 10 414 S S
Error in the 26th drawisg—— Inflead of 18277 read *
d 18877 20 dollars.
d In the 97th days drawing—lnftrad of 7049 read 7149;
e and instead of 24t8t read 2428., both blanks.
-f
THE PANTH£ON #
And R/cketts's Amphitheatre,
For Equestrian and Stag* performances, Corner of
Chefnut and Sixth-streets.
1 HIS EVENING, Wednesday, Ovilcber 19,
Will be presented,
A variety of pleafingEntertainments.
Equestrian Exercises'—by Mr. Ricketts, Mr. F. Ricketts,
0 Master Hutchins, and Mrs. Spinacnta.
0 Clown to the horfemanlhip—Mr. Sully.
0 After which will be presented,
0 A COMIC BALLET DANCE,
0 Composed by Mr. Dtirang,
called
0 The Country Frolic ;
0 Or, Til Mtrry Haymakers.
0 William, Mr. Duraag.
Rustic, Mr. Sully.
0 Father Frank, Mr. Tompkint.
Old Man, Mr. Coffie.
3 Rofina, Mrs. Tompk'qts.
Dorcas, Miss Rot infon.
And Phoebe, Mrs. Durang.
EQUESTRIAN exercises.
By Mr. KicTetti and Mr. F. Rickctts, on three Horses,
who will carry Mailer Hutchina and Master Snider on
their ihoulders, as
Flying Mercuries.
And, for this night only,
Th« whole to conclude with a Comic Pantomime, called
J .VULCAN'S GIFT}
1 Or, The Bower of Hymen.
6 Harlequin, Mr. Sully.
i Pantaloon, Mr. Durang.
1 Sportsman Lover, . Mr. Tompkins.
3 Gamekeeper, Mr. Coffie.
2 Pierrot, Mr. Spinacuta,
1 Fille de Chambre, Miss Robinson. and
9 Columbine, Mrs. Spinacuta.
VuWan, (with a Song)' Mr. Sully.
Ii Cyclopes, Servants, Cooftabics, Go&ler, &e. by the reft
e of the Gompany.