cgasettg*
P f/I.L A DEL P HI A,
WF-DNLiSDAV KVENJNG, fftPTEMBtR
For the Gazette of the United Stats.6.
t-IR. FEN NO,
THERE is a certain c'afs of people in
*ur country, who term therrtfelves " exclu
sive patriots''*—" true republicans." Some
of thefs men are perpetually railing at the
mcafures of our general government, and
abuling thole characters which have been
felefted by the citizens of the United State>
to fill the higheil ofaces. These people
have oftea talked of B itifii influence and
British gold. They have, on ail becafmns,
pt'oteftcS that a fhamcfnl prediledion sot
. the British government has infliienced the
conduft of the officers of the United' Stales,
From the account which these exclusive
patriots give of themselves, and of the men
cntrufted by the people, one would fuppofc
that none <sonldbemordmmaculate than they,
and none more treacherous than those offi
cers. Let us for a moment set the names ol
•some of the most difti'nguilhed exclusive pa
triots along fide some of th« names of those
Vi|e arilYocrats,' those treacherous servants,
as they have been termed. The people in
the cpuotiy hear the, words aristocracy,
-Britilh influence, British gold—odious terms!
—but they are sometimes at a loss to know
vtho applied to. Tell the people,
then, Mr. Fenn<i, in plain language, that
the mca whom they have entrusted for more
than twenty years past, have suddenly turn
ed traitors 1 tha,t these terms are meant to
el iminate Washington, Adams, Jay, Hamil
ton, Knox, Pickering, and men of like
character. Say to the public,that these men
r have abandoned the principles thfy efpoiifed
end advocated during out- druggie for inde
pendence ;—that after they had grown grey
in the service of their, country, they all at
c:ice prostituted the intercfti of that country
fbr the lucre of British gold ; —that those
vejry men, who, in 1776,br0ke and,trampled
on British chains, have, in 1796, offered
themselves to be slaves again. But when
you reaeat those charges; let it be known
whose language you have adopted. • 'Tis
the language of exclusive patriots. Pray
who are these citizens that claim this pre
eminent title to virtue and patriotism ?
Who are those men who admit no ether
men's claims to public virtue and integritv ?
How many proofs gf fidelity, "attachment
and ability, have they afforded their fellow
citizens ? * I b*ve heard that their virtue is
so d'ftinguijhed, that many of their a&ions
stand recorded on the archives of France.
N Allow mc to mention the names of a few of
the most dittinguifhed patriots, such as A(Jet,
Bache, • Blount, Dallas, Findley, Fauchet,
Gallatin, Genet, Giles, lieib, Livingflon,
Mifflin, M'Lean, M'Kean, Monroe', Ran
dolph, Smiley and I have men
tioned the names of Adet, Genet and Fau
chet, becaafe it has of late obtained belief
i ' *hat a Frenchman may be an American pa
, triot, and an Araeriaan a French patriot.
I shall not dare to fay any thing rcfle&injr
upon any of these gentlemen whose names 1
have mer/tioned; their merits are well known.
"Were I now speaking of Washington, or
Adams, I might fay what I pleased. They
are old servants, and acctiftomed to rough,
and what some term ungrateful, treatment.
But if I was to insinuate that one of the firft
Mentioned gentlemen, and the most zealous
exclusive patriot, was a French printer;—a
young rtan who was scarcely oiit of his lead
ing ftrj' n K s w hcji the American Cincinnatus
was fighting our battles:—that one of them
was detested in ♦ plot for whi<;h he was ex
pelled the Senate of the United States :
that some of them fomented tht western in
-furreCtion :-*-that one oT them was cashiered
for giving occafioh to F.",uchet to fay, " thus
thifr pretended patriots have their price —I
fay, were I.to even hint any one of these
charges, it would be treason. Wet£ Ito
fay that one of them, in the charafter of a
minister to France, bought ruined noble
men's palaces, and wanton'd there in luxury
and wealth ; b?and caressing those
men who insulted our government, and ruin
ed b?.!f of the merchants in America, it
would be a3 much as nrty life was wortr^: —
Therefore mind, reader, I profefs that I
lay at these mea's doors no charges of this
nature. These men'are-exclufive patriots.
"What is a Washington compared with a
M'Kean ? The latter has always be?n true
to his principles. He never changed his
party in his life; —he never 'was a violent
eonftitut;«nalift —then a fedcralift, and upw
an anti-fedcralift ; —he never was more afraid
of doing tight tf)an of going home. Would
you think of comparing Washington with
Randolph, or Adams with Blount ? Can
the names of Washington, or Adams, be
mentioned at the fame time with those of
your Burrs, your Beckleys, your Gallatins,
your Livingftons, your MifflinS, yourSnii
leys and your Swanwicks. None of these
men gamble all night, and in the morning
preach up patriotism and national grajitude
*jn the councils of our country. For instance,
what man can be more pun&ual, more honest,
ir.jfie charter more sober, more choice and
exaft hi his company, than Mifflin ? What
man ever more punctually paid his debts
than Livingfton ? He is not one of your
people who can go to jail and fettle off all
accounts with five shillings in the pound, and
then talk unblufhingly of national faith and
private Integrity.
I think Mr. Fenno, it w.mld be a good
tiling ti» have noted in the dire&ories to be
found in our principal cities, against the
name of each citizen his political profeflion ;
which mioht be done with the addition of
a single lettur. Suppofc the letter Dto
iland for democrat, and the letter F for fe
dcralift: ; a man might then form not an in
accurate opinion of the relative virtue of ;
the two parties, by comparing the private 1
characters «f,the different partisans; Peo- ;
pie may fay what they pleafc about princj- 1
I '
pt« and fc;iti:n-ntt fupportlng themfclvea
but I do not fnbfcrihe to their opinion.—
Could much edification be expe&ed from
lefttire on 'nonefiy read by a pick-pocket, c
irom an e.ffay oa sensibility written by
hangman ? There are two parties in cu
country. Tell me which of those parties ;
'• cotnpofed of the greatest number of hone
men, and I will be of that psrtyr I woul
begin to examine the private chdt'a.&erj of
11 few men to whom many looked up for d
■ reftions and advice. It I found them dt
•- fictent m ever)' qualification neeeffary t
form honest men, I {hould be apt to fufpei
the reft of the fame party. To begi
n with thi/ firft chara&er on one fide, of th
15 (lueftion : I mean Mr. AdaaV- If I foun
<■ him honest, sober, punftual amiable in h
ilo'lhf ftic ;\s well as public character, it woul
'» be an argument with me of some weight i
r favor of that fide of the question. Suppol
c a governor &f the mo ft r.efpeftable state c
the Union Ihould at any time be at th
e hea'd of a political party, and I was to b
I told that he was as unamjable in his privat«
e as in his public character ; that by prodi
• 1 gality ar.d expence, he had become almol
" a bankrupt ; that lit was daily in a state c
f: intoxication, and could swallow at a fittinj
- as much wine as we are told Alexander did
c that he paid no regard to the charters c
i those whom he admitted to his board ; thi
II his country vilta and his town house afford
> ed perpetual scenes of riot and debauchery
• God forbid that I (hould ever hear this fail
v of a fuccefTorof Wm. Penn, but were I t<
> be told this, I ihould shun this man ami hi
1 party. PLAIN TRUTH.
£ • ■
[ rh'.s writer might, to evident advantage, hav
extended the implication of his fubjedt to evir
J country where th«re is a degree of lreedom whicj
- , enables fad ion to exalt its clamorous throat. Lool
e to England, and what a ciifgufting piSare of I u
1 mm def* vity and de' afement do her exclusive pa
t iot plefcnt to thp sickened fight ! £xamine inn
the anions of her Ra; üblican fa<stio«, tfieli whi
- would fain dupe the people into a belief chat the]
j , the sole guardian« of their right#, monopolie
t ; of the spirit of freedom, aiui that all public virtu.
r centers in them. Hear them cry aloud in tieii
1 convei.t>cles and in the highways, ag-infl the cor
= , ruj)t aitminift ration, their designs againlt p'lhlicl:
1 be'lJf, and their attempt? on the conllitution
1 Pu-fue them into their private walks,and you ihul
j firtd them i'.eots and knaves—drunkards, deb&u
t chees, gamblers, atheifls, diiturhcrs of th« publii
peac, Jnd violator* of all law, human and divine
s Turftyourcyo- to that other land, called «f-li
I hcrty, where evory thing i» sophisticated,"and ftofh
ing is any fonger reevgnifed by its right name—
where all th-; diftinotions between virtue and vice
honesty and villai' y, *are cor.fr undsd, obfeured
and obliterated—where anarchy with the endow
ments of Mohammed's angel, employs them to ;
t purpefe wh-r&ly the revcrfc—Look at this' ghaitlj
. den of human monsters, and furvev the !ou'.l aae
, : forward champion! of liberty ! Read the life ol
I Orleans, the history of a Sicycs a Barras, or aRq
WcColerre— Continual fcc'Bcs of riot, debauchery
afld i,Eliminations ef the most brutal kind, difgufl
t j the f.nfes, antt draw down involuntary curs t or
| | th: fa-r Goddess herfisM; in whefo name, by impi
ous profanstion, lueh .munllrtiii enormities have
' been perpetrated
' The norm* iuict 7.Hit talis, held in veneration by
the goalikefages and heroes of every age, from
early days of Greece, and through the eventful
xra of the Roman Republic, down to o*r own
: rime; this invigorating watchword, this name of
fweet< ft found, tranfmi::*] vrith/acred zeal irom
l.ytargus to Solon, and from iolua to the Bruti and
the Cat»« of Rome, and thence through later ; g-< j
• comes, inthefe lucter day., Wlfgritt.ully.'from tht
mouths of excluHve patriots, a mere nc.Ntn indeed
—O ! 1 iberty how haft thou been sported with !
thy naine in the mouths of Cannibals, and th«
guardian (hip of thy temple cntrufted to thydeai
iieft foes! tan rude Ignorance hear thy illuminat
ing torch through thj,«!ark rtfllms of Gothic dul
tlefs ? O ! GoJdef, ! be c»er preftnt with thy A
nierican republic, i;i thy true and defined form';
and-let not not unbound, J liberty or unbounded def
potifm, twafad extremes whicb meet, bear down
'with torrent-like force, all the Corinthian pillars
of a society, apparently deftinedfer the lift refuge
of pure, wholesome and temperate liberty.]
[The following elahorate production from the
pen of B/nj. F. Bache, who maybe jtiftly called
the •' glafsof fafhitrti and th • mould of form" to
all the fec'udary printers of the is p«blilh
ed a- currcborative of the afTertion that a verycon
fidera 1 le decree of weaknefc i 4 a ncceflary recjuifite
to form an ohftinate and malicious adherent to the
government-hating faflion.
I will vraturt to affcrt that th»ie is not a vulgar
pedagogue in the State, who would not ferule a
boy, that, ftould offer a coinpofiti.'ii couchej in
such vulgar, empty and unmeaoiog terms. Yet
this autlior is the great oracle of fadion. Dark,
dark. indeA). iholl be the ißTelleAj of tthoje vota
riis who can be beholden to such
el for the leadingarticle* of their faith.
1 befeerh th*e, t'tar Bache, if thou beareft any
ldfre caufe of liberty and equality, to r"for!
to some abler engine, than thine own bunghng 6ft,.
or that frowning (bade by which thy cause has so
long obumbrated, will finally iarten it entirely out
of exigence.]
To THE NjrirK jIMiKICAN.
IT is neither from the force of your ar
guments, nor a diminution on my fide of
the pleasure of confuting them, that, my
answers have been rather dilatory for some
tifie past. Circumstances of a private na
ture may ftiil continue to male our corrJpon
dence to but you IViay reft aiiured
that I will perform my promise, and that
your letters to the Chevalier d'YrujotfiH
be duly answered.
The objeft of your last, is to prove " that
the arming on the part of the Spaniards was
not merely for the purpoft;of felf-defence."
To this end you think you find in Mr.
Blount's letter the refutation of every thing
the minister has advanced in his correspon
dence ; you fay that it is absolutely itnpof
fible during the interval between the firft of
December and the 27th of February, when
the Chevalier d'YYujo the firft notice
to the Secretary of State of the intended ex
pedition, there ihould have been fufficient
time to examine and 3gree 'upon the plan to
fend the fame to Canadn, and to raifi the
forces v'-hich he supposed to have'marched
towards towards the lakes. To this I an
swer that / cannot Jelk-oe flint this project
was communicated to the Brit if !i minister the
firft of December for the firft time ; this is
an arlitrcry choice of dates, upon which it is
easy to build plausible argument;, and I
will add, there are powerful reasons to in
duce me to believe that the firft idea of this
expedition was conceived for a feng tirac
previous to the epftch 1011 have tho't proper
to select. I will not fay that the fi.n ori
1 J gloated »a Philadelphia.. tn the month of 1
November such an attempt was - :
a ken of at Montreal, and if the governor oP :
Canada was the author of this project, Mn
a Lifton arid his aflociates, might easily have
i' r received their imlruftions in tiirte to co-ope
rate on their pirt. An expedition of this 1
■ft nature has long been a familiar idea in that •
]d British po(Te!Fion. When Miranda escaped
a from the Spanifli colonies, whether from
h- fentment or vanity, he not only suggested
e- this plan to federal very refpeftable people 1
t( > in the United States, but also laid it before
ft the cabinet of St. James in England ; and 1
in it is probjble that being in-pofleflion of thele ]
data, the court of London gave orders, as ;
id soon as the war had been declared, to its a- 1
"3 j gents here and in Canada, to endeavour to 1
Id i carry the plan into effefl. From Blount's 1
in t letter, it evidently appear!! that the expedi- t
'fe 1 1 ion had beea in contemplation long before '
of ; .Chilho!m was' for while Blount 1
ie i on the one handj was of oplhion, that Chif
be, holm would return through Carolina to mix 1
among the Indians, he allures on the other, 1
li- that a person had already gone to England to t
'ft , hurry the business : this letter, with equa? 1
of evidence, that the firft design of this expedi- i
|g tion was of a long standing, as there had f
1 ; been time enough to form a plan, whence 1
of ; probably originated the movements denoun- r
it. ced by the Spanilli Minister, and afterwards f
i-; to alter it to another more vast and exten- 1
; five. The expreflirns of Blount leave ijo t
id j room to doubt of this wheo, speaking to )
0 Carey, he fays, " that the plan tv'tll be on a v
is { more extensive f ale than was at flrjl intended." t
| These circumstances prove even to demon
re j ftration, Mr. Native American, (hat the arbi- v
y | trary choice of dates, upon which you want to \
£ | found an argument has«not the lea ft weight, r
j and that Blount's letter, under which .you f
j. endeavour to fhclter yourfelf, of pre- v
:o fen ting to your friends me3ns of defence, h
totally cocfounds and destroys them. You f;
J j afterwards proceed to cenfnre the Spanish y
1 ■ minister for his observations on the speech e
; r of a member of Cangrtfs, who, he fays, is o
r | generally jenown to be the of admin
> nid ration ; and to enforce this censure, yon f
|| bring to your afliftance, that it is consider- o
ed in England as a high breach of privilege to si
l c criminate a member of the Hcrnfe of Com- n
:. mons for what he utters in rliament ; you
likewif* fay that it it declared in the confti- d
tution of the United States, that no mem- ii
her of ekltr houfefball be quejlioned for any ei
1, fpeeeh of debate made therein any other place : tl
but thl* is to be nnderftood merely as it res- 1
a peels the refponfihility. If the members of ti
>, Parliament or Congress, have the liberty of /
speech, the public likewise have a right, if
both herein a in England, to form an opi- ft
f nion ttpon their opinions. I will agree with I
1 you, that the minj,fter of Spain has deviated tl.
n in this as to the point of form, But he has bi
e certainly been very in point of fa 3. It
To fay that Mr. William Smith was not the a
y organ of the will of administration, and that
<j thi* has not been the.meansof obtaining for
him the employment of minister to Portu-
I gal, would be the fame as to doubt of Mr. ; t
, Fox being at the head of opposition, or that
1 Mr. Ryder, Mr. Canning, Mr. Jenkinfon,
; and others, acrenta of miwiilerial will
; j in England, .
1 You insert in your letter a defence of Mr. f\
, Lifton, which is not at all to the purpose ; £
r but on this point I refer you to the solid and a ]
- nicll 'grounded remarks made lately by the ta
editor of the Aurora I! ! y
After having, as you thought, left the
British minister spotless, as ermirit, yon fay, q{
i that you afyftain fipm making any comments J-]
s •' upon the rhetorical Jlourifhes of the che- ; n
e valier .d'Yrujo's letter, refpe&ing the ltn- ( ,f
preflments of American soldiers, the cap- ; n
. ture of the French frigate La Modefte, in ft,
i the port of Genoa by the British, theic us
> having entered Trinidad with drums beat- if
ing and colours flying, of Mr? Pickering ol
" having fought in the glorious cause of A- ra
. merican independence, and of British hu
manly in the eonrfe of our war." All
these teftimonie3 you aflert are presented
1 to fedwee the minds of the ignorant ; but,
Mr. Native Amer(can, can you deny the
truth of all these assertions ? And can you on
. give the name of feduflioo to the reprefen- hr
■ tation of fafts, as notorious as they are un- at
just, and the exposition of the duplicity of th
a nation, rn whose minister Mr. Pickering I '
put fnch blind
, American people judge of the defender of St
Mr. LMon, and of the secretary of slate, ou
when he dares to consider the just rernem- or
brancc of this conduft lile a snare to seduce fui
ar.d inflame the minds of the ignorant. 1 cu
VERUS. in
'7 he foljo w;ngparticular/ refptclirtg the lajl mo- ou
merits of Louis XI. are extraHed fro/n a we
colleflion of notes found aniongfl the papers of pu
the refpeßable bnt unfortunate Maleejhrbes, thi
one thethree council <who ajjyled that un- Fr
happy monarch on his trial. ma
"No sooner had I obtained leave to visit ed
the king in hi 3 prison, than I flew there.— the
The instant he perceived me, lie left a Taci- wii
tus which was lying open On a small table the
before him-*—h* prefled me in his arms —his mo
eyes moistened—mine filled with tears ; an<
and he said, this facrifice on your part is so pei
much ths more generous, as you inevitably on
expose your life and cannot save mine. I ere
reprefenttd ta him.thst my days were not in on
danger, and his admitted of a too success- \va
&il defeitci for •iiis to be: he replied, lam wb
lure of it—they will make me die ! they lite
have both the will and power. But no mat- fch
ter—let us attend to my trial as if tve'could car
succeed—but I will fucsed, for I fliall leave got
behind me an unfiillied reputation an,d a in 1
spotless name. - the
"He daily worked with us in analizirig hiit
documents and refuting the charges, with fpei
a presence of a mind and Jincerity which his we
two defenders and myfelr received vyith ad- tok
miration ; they profifted of his temper to .yet
take notes, to elucidate and thrtjw light in- Th
to the'meanß of defence. Trouchet, who fhoi
was naturally of a cold disposition and who and
was the more so by prepofTeffion, was afF- had
efted by tlie cindor and innocence of his twe
f client, and terminated with tender affect on,
% a" lud ua-Wi&a will* fevi
>f rity.
• " When Dcf-ze had fmtftied his defence,
e he read it to us. I never heard any thi%
more pathetic. Tr«ncli« and I were mov
is ed to tears. The King said, «*. mvfl f u p
it prtjs it—l do not <u;Jh to ajfeE! their feelings' .
d " Otrce when we were alone, the Prince*
t- feid, one ciicumftailce troubles much my
d mind Defcze and 1 ronchet o\ye me no
e obligation, and yet they devote their
e their abilities, nay, perhaps their lives, to
d me : How can I repay ? I have nothing
e left me—and were I even to bequeath them
:s a legacy, it would not be difcba'rged. Sire,
i- their consciences,. Europe and pofterily,
o will reward them : you can grant them one,
s which will overwhelm them with fatisfac
- tion—Which is that ?—Embrace them,
e Ihe next day he prefled tlrem against his
t heart, and they both melted into tears.
1- "As the day of trial was drawing nigh,
x he told me one morning :—my sister has in
•, formed me of a good pried who lias not
o taken the oath, and whose obscurity may'
if hereafter Hiield him from persecution ; here
I- is his directions ; I beg you will call on him,
d speak to him, and prepare him to come as
e soon as they will have granted me the per
- million of feeing him : lie added, this is a |
3 flrange errand for a philosopher ! for I
- know you are one—Was youabout fufFering
0 the pangs of death as I am, I would wish
j you ppfTefled the fame fentimenti of religion,
■t which would console you much more effec
' tually than philofcfphy.
" As I returned from the Convention,
- where wc had asked the appeal to the peo
j pie, and where we had all three spoken, I .
, related that in coming out of the hall I was
1 surrounded by a great number of persons
- who had allured me he should not die—at
, lead not till they and their friends had firft
i fallen. ,He changed colour and said, do
i yon know them ? Return to the affembly—
i endeavour to rejoin them, to meet some one
i of them, and declare to them that I will
- never fqrgive them, if a fmgle drop of blood is
i fpdt for me : I refufed to cause the spilling
■ of any, when, perhaps, it might have pre
> served both my throne my life, and I
• never repented I did.
i " It was I &ho firft him of the
- decree of death palled against him : he was
in the dark—his back turned to a lamp plac
i ed on trie chimney—his elbows leauing on
• the table—his fa<;e covered with his hands.
The noile I made started him from his medi
tation—he looked at me—rose and said,
For two hours I have endeavoured to recoiled,
, if in the whole course of my reign, I have de
■ served from my fubjeSs the lea ft reproach, and
i I swear to you, Mr. de Malfherbts, in all
[ the truth of my heart, as a men going to appear
i before God, that I have ever 'and ctn/lantly wil
-I{J the happinrfs of the people and never formed
a wish of the leaf} injury to them." -
Remarks of the French Editor.
And thia is the last tyrant of the French!
This is the sanguinary despot whose blood
it was necelTary to spill as the price of liber
ty ! Ah ! tether fay, he was their last fa
ther : and iu hirn what a father have they
not 101 l !
Nevertheless, an impious horde daily in
sult his memory j but the homage of all
Europe and the majority of the French of
all parties revenge his manes from the_ at
tacks of the unjust and patricidal gang ; his
bjood has rebounded on their beads ; and
their countenances bear the blasting marks
of disgrace. The son of St. Louis is in
Heaven, where his pure and celestial fdul
implores of the Almighty that forgivenefs
of his enemies, which he befeeched for them
in his last prayers on earth. The monsters
(hudder with rage, when they thus percdve
us speak the language of posterity. But,
if they have had the power to tear him from ,
our luve and divide the spoils, they cannot
ravish from his manes the tribute of our tears.
Annal£s Universelles.
NEW-YORK, September 25.
Sailed from Bermuda Sept. loth, 1797,
on board the febooner Lucy, Loudon Bai
ley, mailer, for New York; on the 14th,
at 2 P. M. was called up and told that
there was a schooner cloCe on board of us.
I had no sooner got on deck than the Jeter, j
hailed us from whence ? we answered from
St. Thomas's ; he ordered us to hoist out .
our boat immediately and come, on board 1
or that he would fire into us ; in the con- 1
fufion and having a heavy boat it wasdifß- ;
cult to get up tackles ; took up Come time, j
in which he hailed us several times with 1
threats for our delay; after having got „
out the boat, capt. Bailey and two hands*
weht on board ; the people were- instantly I
put ifi irons and the boat sent back with <
three of their crew, who proved to be '
Frenchmen ; they immediately took com- a
mand of the teffel, and the privateer order- *
ed them to (leer S. by W. for that night ; J,
the people who were sent on board behaved 2
with decency'towards us all that night, and «
the privateer kept'clofe by us. In the !
morning following sent her teat on board,
and ordered me on board with all my pa
pers ; he then ordered the people who were
on board to come with me, and left the r
crew who came on board in their room $,
on my arrival 011 board of the priva'teer, c<
was ordered into the cock-pit or the place
where the capt. kept, who received me po- _
litely and allied if I was the owner of that
(chpoiler ; I told him that I was the super
cargo of her; he then told me that Iyas a 11
gobd prize* and it was his orders to carry ''
in every vciTel to or from English ports : he.
then told me to be c and is! with hitii and tell
him what I had on board, which I did re
fpetling the cargo, and as I fpeke French 'ij
we entered into a familiar discourse, when he
told me that although I w ( ns a lawful prize,
yet he would let me go upon conditions. s
The conditions he proposed were, that he r '
Ihould have a calk of- rum, a barrel of sugar "
and a calk of w>ater—underft'anding that I
had if viral turtle that I fhottld fend him g',
two of them—but by begring with him*
k
n» sr.J leiu s hi,,; of my miifcrtttne} l,y be'n>
z ~, ftipwreclceJ but a ft.-*- moHtfis ago a ':.d loft
J my ail, be wis (atisfied with a demijohn of
?, ruin and fifty wt. of sugar, with two of the
ig heayicil rartle, a cask of water, & c . we
v- having ualy one iremaining ; then he told
P~ that 1 ir.ilit tike the men on board
~j wUm he had-as prisoners, which I could
:e not deny, although I told him J was fliort
iy ' of water and provisions ; he told me that I
10 j woul.l be daily meeting with 'velfels who
e_i < wop »' give us a supply ; I thin enquired
:o j the name of the privateer and his name,
g i which he give me in writing, certifying
in j that he had viiitcd me and put to many pri
i, , foners on board. ■ The privateer's name he
called I.'Efpicgle, captain's name Le Ear
ry> from Porto Rico ; he then let me go.
on board again, and ordered his people to
J. come back, and sent the male of the {Era
is Andromache with ei;Sff men or. board, and
told us that we might go, but when I came
!, ( to examine "th; they had plundered
i- : every thing that they ccftlil % their hands
>t j upon, 200 dollars in cash, and to the amount
yj of iOo dollars *in different other articles;
e but to do the capt. justice I believe it was
i, unknown to him, for he sent me back a
is new coat whichfthey had taken, but altho'
•- I told his lieutenant of the loss of my mo
a ney, he told the mate of the /hip that it
I was more than his life was worth to make'
them return it, so was glad to get quit of
h themfo. Friday 15th, 'spoke the /hip Eli
1, za, capt.*Neal, from Plymouth (Eng.)
bound to Charleston, 49 days out. We
hoisted out our boat, and the mate of the
i> (hip who was on board with four hands
- went on board of her, the capt. let him have
I a hundred weight of bread and part of a
s harrel of pork in paying him all the money
s he hap, which was three fourths of a dol
t Jar; it was. very lucky for us, as we must
t have been in diftrtfs had we not got that
a ample.supply. Capt. Barry told me that
- there was a sloop and a trig cruifmg on
e the coatt from Porto Rico, and it would
1 be likely I would fall in with them, there
s .fore he had given me the certificate of hav
> in PT visited me ; he had taken three prizes,
- and said he wanted only ohe'more then he
I should return to port.
GEORGE BROWN.
S No fubje&s are more interesting in a free
- commercial country, than that of bauk
-1 ruptcy and | imprisonment for debt. The
. difficulty of framing a fyftcm of laws that
- shall do justice to creditors without fub
> jesting unfortunate debtors to wnnecefTary
' r igor, is an obstacle that has not yet been
- surmounted. But" laws for this purpose
i ought to exist, and a humane legislator can
'/ oot quietly negleft to frame them.
In a free country, it is a maxim that no
- .Tiari should be permitted to redress his own
1 Wrong*. It is the prerogative of the body
politic to punifli Why then do the tar.-s
permit imprisonment for debt ?
; This imprisonment is to be vindicate*!
1 only on one of these principles—either as
. the means of iecuring the person of the
. debtor, that he may riot leave, the country
, and evade the laws—or as punifhmfent for
fraudulent con^utS —or a ccrr.pul/ion todif
. close seCreted property. In all which cases,
! wh « n proved, imprisonment for debt is
f doubtless juftiiinble.
But I contend," that this species of pp.
: nifhment, in the two last cases, should not
be left to the will, caprice or revengeful
, passions of the creditor. The cases of frauds
should be proved to a court of justice, and
the length of imprisonment {hould be defin
ed by law—or fixed by the of
the court. If appears to be a great defeft
in our laws to leave it in the power of a
creditor »o this species of punishment
at his pleasure. Even where the debtor
r has been really guilty of unfair conduit,
the creditor ought not to pronounce his
fentence—:t is permitting an individual-to
exercise a right that belongs to the legisla
ture, and giving very improper latitude ta
human paflions and frailty.
But when the debtor has not been guilty
of frauds or unfair dealings, it is not only
hard, but extremely unjust, that he Ihouhl
be in the power of a mercdefs creditor.
The law should never p •irrit one man to
give another undeserved pain, or to deprive
Jiis family and his country of his services. *
The inuocent {hould be legally diftin
gll ifiled from the guilty. The puuiflmient
oi the guilty {hould be defined and limired
by law, and the innocent {hould not fnffer
at all. These things are not well ordered
in our country. The laws are deficient
and ought to be amended. [Minerva.']
Eank of North America,
September Btb, 1797.
0 M Mon<! *y tbf No-.ce» for all Notes ft
Bill? payable »tthls.B:ink.whjrhifa!lducPnt~hat
aid the ciifmn f (> days", will be fcrved on. the Pay.
ers;.,-'nd the like Notices on every Monday, ,tiH
fh- further ordrrjof the t'L-eilors—Perfon- wi<K
ivg to iVrcfit Nerttor BiiJs for Collr&tW, w! i\h
are to fail due within the Wfek.Vuft tfemf.lve*
undert .ke to five riot'ee n the Payer* dtf
I nfuranee Compan\ oftlieSrate
of Pennfylvaaia.
rllF Office will ho kept utitii further notice at
the School Hotife in nanroiyn- 'M e
Company till rcta'n the room in Chel'-nt, aUove
■Seventh((ret, t et, where a per lon will ».tt n.l to rc
c< iv ?nd -give aii'\versC.-:iypficatioQii, svery
from uritil t o'lkiock.
g| '" r ]
1 he Hcolili-Oftice
H rer rved to the City-Kail, and j« kept open
n:£l<tand day, wr.ere pt^fonshaving htifi 11 f< may
a rp'r-. W-.M. ALLEN, Heilth-Offi;cr.
' 'H' 1 ■ U'f
An elegant Houfc in Arch SlrectT*
TO be let and enterfd on immed'ately a
and elegant fco'jfe at the Corner of Aitfc in 4
Ninth Street. There are two drawing room*
and one dmiHg room-the
16 —ant! two are so eon 11 silt J by folding doors
3to make but one.* A'fo. .five t.e<i rooms, be
etles 5 in th? parret, well finl'h.-d so- I'r' vants.
lfliere are {lables and a coach hrw<fe, with e v
convenience for a family. Enquire at No. 29,
m North Seventh street, or at No. aiß, Arcli,
Street.
A V S' *s' WW3W.
* 'Aug. 15.