« and twilled, and tolled and whirled about " with every wind, you might as ydl have «no helm at all. If the fliip is to be ma il naged in this falhion, (he will never reach " her port but mud founder or be wrecked. « In a ftoriny leafon, do you want a wea " thercock for a public ship ? Of what pof ii fible use would it be in a gale ? At such « a time, a good helmfinan is what you " want and what you Ihould have. But as " to a weathercock, what teaman or what " merchant or what any body else before was ever so curCt with folly as to believe " that a (hip wants one ? Place your wea " thercock over a brewery, or over a didil " lery, or fell it for old brass, or give it " away lo some tinker, or do with it any " thing else, or nothing at all—but don't " have it (luck up a-board the (hip 1" Thel'e tailors, however, are a queer fort of men. \Vhen they have followed the leas for a long time and become familiar with every fail, and every piece of rigging, and every rope, and every block and have wea thered many .1 (lorm, and became acquainted with the different currents and foundings and head-lands, they a(Te& to believe that perlbns who have nJVer been on (alt water are not qualified tw irtflrudi them in seaman- As to the whole of your full-blooded American feainen, I don't remember to have teen one of them who deserved to be called a geinline, firll-ratr, metaphyseal, Coimopoli tical, French philofophcr, not one who knew even the longitude and latitude of the Salines which nfed to be lo tatal to the vafl cubic volume of the Ma-mmdth. Again, therefore, I lav, these fame ("earner, are a queer fort of men. One ot th?m would give away half his tobacco and halt his grog (lufT Cor the fake of an old friend; and, in cafe of need, would perhaps give away all his money to h«lp his friend cheerily 011 his way. If you fbouli trust one of them with a little child, who- perhaps would never do him any good, and that child (hould be rf danger, one of these very seamen, instead ot taking care of himfelf by running oft alone, would rather expose- himfelt to lave the child, and would fight and perhaps be killed, for its prote&icn. Have not several ot these fame seamen, who were proud of hav ing a good (hip under foot and of doing well for their owners, flood to quarters when of inferior force, and been (hot at by French corsairs ? and, what is worse yet, have not they (hot right back again and let out dreams of French purple, and beaten off the rare friends and allies, and come intp port with colours flying, nnd as proud as if the} were American heroes? Now, whether all this fort of thing, whether all this nolSon ot g«- nerolity and ftlf-expofure, and this fafhion j of fighting and beating the fraternally plun dering French fpouters of liberty and equa lity, whether all this fort of thing, I fay, does not. prove them a parcel of fools and saucy fellows? Is the que/Hon, which, with all due fubmiflion, I propose to have referred to the diflinguifhed secretary as sole arbiter. Yet, after all, there feeins to be reason in some of the notions of these fime old sea men, queer as they are; and, after what 1 have said about them, I am yet willing to acknowledge, if it is partly agreeing with them, that I do not fee much use for a wea thercock a-board (hip. Suppofc, however, that on this point, we (hauld r.lfo take the opinion of the diftingutlhed secretary! He avows" and avows it in the newspaper too, that the weathercock is the thing for him. And is not he a knowing man ? Let this item, then, be laid out of the account for the prelent! With the observations already made, so far as refpedls the mam quedion now pend ing about a governor, might we take leave of the greater part of the preceding objedli ons which have been publicly circulated againd the chief justice M'Kean. Ihe con fide rati on of his being a noto-ious weather cock in the political world, is the only one of them which is further proposed to be di re dlly infilled on. A reason for not laying this wholly aside is, that from this fadt an argument nray arise in support of an objec tion which is yet to be dated. Ihe objec tion is of a nature which Ihould be decilive wnh gentlemen of reputation, decilive with eletflors of honed hearts and independent minds, whatever may have been the jlace ot their birth, whatever may be their religious creed, whatever may be.their general senti ments on national politics. It is an objec tion which applies diredlly to the honor and the interests of Pennlylvania in particular. The charge is especially important as relative to the office of governor. If it is clearly sup portable, as I think it is, againd Thomas M'Kean, his advocates may place to his cre dit as many specious items as they dare (late and may e'drnwte them at any value within the utmotl latitude of decency ; the eftaltlifli ment of this charge, after all the credits which a partial friend ship may bring forward in his favor, mud, on a fair adjultment of the whole account, irretrievably doom him to political bankruptcy. Were it not related to this charge, there fore, the item about the weathercock might • now be disregarded, if any use, bearing any tolerable proportion to the expence, could be found for a weathercocK on board a pub lic (hip. But where lhall it be placed, or what (hall be done with it after it is a-board ? It will not anl'wer to have it placed at the foyal-mad-head, or on the round-house, or on the quarter-deck, or on the fore-cadle. It is not fit to be in the cabin. It is worse than nothing at the wheel. What then (hall be done with it ? Mud it be thrown over board before the end of the cruise ? Or (hall it be dowed away in the hospital room ? Or shall it be headed up in an empty wine cask or rum puncheon ? Or shall it be tumbled below for all hands to do with it as they , such a thing as a .weathercock a-board ship! ■and now dandby to fee what becomes of the brainless chanticleer! it flies lik£ feathers in a whirlwind. Neither of these plans, there fore, is quite fatisfadlory. I think of one thing' more which looks a little f;afibte and fee in 5 as if a weatherbock might be turned to some account on board a public (hip t It is, to cut up the weathercock tor flaps to cover the vent holes of the cannon. But, on a moment's re.fle&ion, it is clear, that a (beet of lead would be much cheaper and much better. This, then, is a difficulty which Inight puzzle almost any of the Phi ladelphia lawyers who iiave only such com mon minds as Tilghman or Rawle. But the big mind of Dallas is different from theirs. He fays, the weathercock is the very thing. Let him, therefore, point out its ule for, the ship! You can do many things, Mr. Dallas: But can yoft do this ? Whit, however, is this charge which is yet to be brought forward in obje&ion to M'Kean's being governor?—l answer, It is r charge, for which ho talent, no knowledge, no past service, no refpedl for moral or re ligious principle, ought to be admitted as a political compe'.ifation. It is a frailty ol pernicious energy, which may render all a man's other qualities ufelels or worse than useless for the public service. In a political view, it has the miMiievous a&ivity of art ful vice and the weakni'ls without the inno cence of folly. It may render talent and knowledge and office impotent to good Vut powerful for evil. The frailty is more fa tally deftrudlive in a'ckief magistrate than in any other civil officer. In him, without producing that marked sensation which points at folly the steady finger of general contempt, without exciting that impetuous indignation which drags to punilhment pub lic \icc, it it.ay be followed by evils rivalling tliofe of vice and folly united. Although the charafteriflic frailty to whick I refer is so fatally mischievous in a public man, and especially in a chief magistrate, it is a frailty ».hich no law can reach or adequately chas tise except the law of public opinion. It is an excessive vanity which facrifices personal honor and public duty. That the remarks as to this particular may be the better apprehended, permittee to mention one of flop's tables, the moral of which is so plain, that it may be felt and un derstood by a child ! It is that of the crow and the fox. The substance of the table may be dated thus—'" An hungry fox, pass " ing under a tree, heard a ruftfing over " head, and, looking up, fawacrow oil one "of the topmost branches. A favourite " morceau, which the crow was holding " within his bi."ik,'infh.ntly caugfit the eye, " and fliarpened the appetite of the fox. " This fox wa» an old one, and had been so " much in the world, that he knew the ob " fer.vations commonly made about the crow. " To Ileal the piece of food out ot the " mouth ot the cro\f when railed so high " above all ordinary reach, was the thing for " the hungry old fox to desire and attempt. " There was one frailty which characterized " the crow. The fox knew it well ; and the " llynefs of his nature, aided by prailice, " has rt-folved to take advantage of this " frailty, for acconiplifliing his oqjedl. The " conversation being introduced by his com " plimentary wilhes of health and happiness " to the crow, the fox goes on to accuse " common fame as a liar, and subjoins, by " way of proof, that he lias at length the " perl'onal fatisfadtion of knowing, from the '> evidence of his own len'fes, in oppolition " to common fame, that the beauties of the " crow are of superlative elegance and white - " ness. Finding this flattery acceptable, the " fox fxpreffes his high admiration of good " fudging, and, in a flyle of profound " refpeit, intimates a wilh to be personally " fatisficd whether the crow excels in charms "of voice much as in other acoomplilh " ments. Open gapes the crow 's mouth to " ling. Out drops the favorite piece, and " is in the mouth of the fox, who turns up " an eye, laughs at the crow, and trotting " oft" with his prize, has left the iilly thing " to feel tht reproach and the loss occalioned " by vanity." If Thomas M'Kean is railed to tlie ele vated fitiiat'^on - of governor, he will be the ruftlmg political crow of Pennsylvania ; and his favorites of the moment will beintereft ed flatterers. The pjrafites are the foxes, to filch from his vanity whatever is precious within his JpuWic power; and the public honor and treasure will be their sport and their prey. . Gan this be denied ? Where is the man who will lay, that exceflive vanity is not a chara&eriftic frailty of the ( honorable Tho mas M'Kean, Esquire ? Whence is it that he, the chief jurtice of Pennsylvania, hasfo far disregarded his personal honor as to be come notorioully a political weathercock, ex cept from thatexccflive vanity wjiich prefers the language of flattery and the glittering tinsel of office, to the manly consciousness of merited approbation ? Alk judges and lawyers and jurors and witnesses and suitors and fpe&ators, refpe&- ing his demeanor on .the bench'! Will they not attest, that decilions have been obtained from his vanity,' which could never have heen obtained by solely addressing his inte grity as a man, or his impartiality as a judge? Yet if there be on earth actuation where man Ihould not permit the semblance of flattery to approach his foul, is it not when he appears on the bench as the prefid .ing minister, as the chief priest, in the tem ple of justice ? Aflc, if 'i'homas M'Kean, high and honorable as he is, when appear ing under this venerable chara&er, has riot permitted himfelf to be addrefled in terms of the molt obvious adulation ? Alk, what has been the effeft ! Alk, if he has pot decided the point for the flattering advocate without once hearing the opposite party in reply ! In smaller quel'tions, fmallei praise may fuffice him. His vanity is tickled ; his mouth opens ; and out drops his judgment. More important queflions may require more deliberate arrangement. Ask, however if it is not uniformly the cafe that, when the fubjeft of his own admired felf is co vertly introduced, and gradually difplsyed, he will eventually rtlifti flattery vvhofe palpa ble grcfsnefs is as difgufling to bthers us it is grateful to himfelf! Ask, if fce will not thus rtiifh his own praises when he fliould forget himfe.f and atttend solely to the cause before kim that lie might judge righteous judgment! Ask, if, at such time:;and in such places, the utmost profufion of flattery, pour ed forth upon the threat Thomas M'Kean, like an inundation, tymbled in cascades over a mountain of flint, has not been borne with unmoved coiwpoftire !, Mark this fame chief juftire, displaying hirnfelf in the walks of private life ! There, is it not one of the eafiett of human efforts to make him speak his own praise ? Ask those who know him, if, when invited and uninvited by the turn of converlation, he will not dwell on the darling tlieme until his hearers feel for him those blushes to which his felf-admiration is a stranger ! Mention in hispre'fertce events in which he is known to have had some part, and alk about the importance of the Ycene in wfeich he afted ! Will he then, be silent in his own praise ? Intimate the number of places which he has at any time holden, and enquire it the weight of multiplied business #ras not opprelfive !' Alk about his conduft as a military officer | during the war of the revolution, and about j general Washington's conventions with him ot about him? Ask about his having betn in Congress, and about the difficulties of .pad times.! Will he not instantly fly at. th£ lure, and devour his own fame ? •It is not from a with to detraft from the reputation due to his public services, what ever they may in truth have been, that he is now charged with an exceifive vanity, fp in compatible with public duty and with per sonal honor. May my arm fall from the' shoulder, may my tongue be paralysed, and ilia me burn my cheek to cinder, sooner than I oe dilpofed to deny the meed ot me rited fame to the great men who, during the revolution, di(J many great and worthy deeds for our nation ! At the name of Waftiing ton and of great men like him, what Ame rican does not iow Tn refpe&ful 1 gratitude for their eminent achievements of patriot ism ? But where is the American who will presume to flatter the commander in chief of the patriot army of the revolution ? Shew me the man who dare adventure on the ex periment of making that accomplished gen tleman and hero speak his own various ser vices, and depift himfelf as the sole hero of. the tale ! Mod afluredly, I have not _intended TO cast reproach on the military leader of the American revolution.in mentioning his name so near to that of the honorable Thomas M'Kean, Esquire, and speaking of the ge neral in chief of the American army, 9s completely contraded to the. chief judice of Pennsylvania. As to this fort of great man, this chieftain on the bench, legally honora ble as he is, ask thole who now support his vain pretentions to the chief magidracy, whether they have not done so, and whether they are not at prefcnt doing 10, agpirvft thtir own individual judgment ! Aik, whe ther they have not I'ubmitted to this pro ceeding, againd their own personal choice, because he infilled on being crowded for- ward as the candidate for the chair of gov. ernmeut, and because also they knew hisob ftinate and unforgiving and vindi&ive vani ty, and thus knew that he >Vould exert againd them, with his utmod energies, all his powers and all his resources of influence, if they did not submit to his overbearing wiflies for office ! The evidence of this unequivocal charge might doubtless be dated in detail. But is this procedure necessary to edablilli it ? Let application be made to afty man of any par ty who is a person of oblervation and has had an opportunity of knowing the chief ju llice of Pennsylvania! Is there to be found among them all one man of tolerable preten tions to reputation who will have the face to deny, that, of all the public men hi the commonwealth, this chlcl judice i* one of the mod exceflively vain ? This charge, then, i>f rxceffive vanity, is too true to be denied, too notoriously tVue to be evaded. Let it not, however, he imagined that the present obfenfations are meant to convey the idea that eve-b the honorable Thomas M'Kean, Esq. may be acceptably flattered at all times and in all placet, and upon all fub je£ts! This would be too much for the ut most capacity of human vanity. After all his praises of himfelf, Thomas M'Kean is dill but a frail human creature The flattery, which is expefted to be' well reliihed by this frail being, ihould have in it foir.ething like fpecioufnefs anfl fomethinj; like regard to in cidental situation. If you wifli, at fume fa vourable time and in fomc favourable place, to make an experiment upon him, praise him, if you please f#r personal for ele gance of manners, for celebrity as a lawyer, for general cleversci's at various employ ments ! praise him for military genius, *for extent and profundity of legal "knowledge, for general fcicnce, for political ikill, for multiplicity ef public truth, for magnitude of public fervkes ! Praile him, if you please, for almoftany thing and every thing wffich can be thought ue lire able and praiseworthy, except the dignified decorum with which he supports his personal authority in.his own family ! In a favourable moment of sunshine, the glofly ftifFnefs of the craw might be prais ed as emulating the delicate beauties, the elegant contours, of the l'wan. The crow too might be flattered for imagined charms of a real voice. But this prailing the crow f®r a fine finger, was doubtless bad enough. To praise a certain very pralfeable personage for the superlative excellence ofdoiuelVic gov ernment, might be thought too bad. Such flattery might be pronounced, like his vani ty, too gross and palpable to sense. N lt might be doubted whether his repository for flattery, even if its digestive powers rivalled those of the Ostrich, wonld digest such ex traordinary food as this would be. It would be like deSring a man to swallow a loaded little pistol' with a spring-trigger, while you held a silken Vord to fire it off within his stomach. No ! I think, the man, whoever he might be, would not be filly enough to take such a thing down with his eyes open and with his lifual ierifes about him. Before agreeing to it, li : s eyesl mult be sealed and he must take a different enemy into his mouth to Ileal away his understanding*. ~ Some praiw may be too outrageous to b e relished even in fable. In general, it might be thought carrying matters vefy far indeed, to praise a Crow as equalling the Eagle of the western mountains in elevation and force of character. This might be too much for moral fable : but, to fublerve the oaufe of their inconceivable patriotifm'j lome of she old dealers in political fiftion, after giviryj ■ their consciences a parting kick, might fay, that it otight to pass not t>nly as poflible but as absolute truth. It would, however be car rying flattery to an extreme too in ad mi Ali ble for moral and political fable, to represent a crowas rivalling the elephant fultaining the castle of imperial power. Or to put the cafe so as to explain the idea yet moreclearly—lt would be outrageous, to fay, that a crow plaeed in the chair of state in Pennfylvpnia would rival, in personal authority, the fa mous Aurengzebe borne aloft on his war elephant and contending for empire in the plains of Hindouftan. To fay this of the honorable Thomas M'Kean and to the honorable Thomas M'Kean in proper person, might embarrass the high-toll front of the exotic secretary as well as the circumlocutory gentleness of the calculating Pilot. To save their embarralT ment, therefore, Ifet it be waved, although it is plain to common sense that a man who has not capacity for government is not fit for a Governor! Shall, then, the honorable Thomas M'Kean Esquire be the governor of Pennsylvania ? The charge of exceflive vanity being clearly fattened upon him, what would be the effects of this charafteriftic frailty under his admin idration ? The chiradler of Pehnfylfania abroad, its internal henor, and particular interells. all are concerned in the event. . "What's the name of that Open-mauthad crow who governs Pennsylvania ? is a ques tion, which no man who values the general reputation of the state would wifli to hive aflced by Grangers who might know the charafler, without kiowing the' person, qf the governor. If you would avoid the pub lic reproach of such a question—Beware of choosing the Crow, to govern. - Considerations, however, far more inte refling to Pennsylvania are involved in the choice of a Governor. Among the numer ous civil and military appointments which may for years depehd on that magidrate, what will ha the conlequcncc if the appoint ments are to be conferred on parasites and the friends ofparafites ? Where are the men of exalted honor, where are the men of ta lent, where arc the men of virtue, where in a word are the men eminently qualified for public bufmefis who wbuld submit or qefire their friends to submit to the base compli ances which would secure appointments un der such a fydem of favoritism ? If men thus capable of advancing the public ijrtercfh, if men thus meriting the public confidence, if men thus formed to benefit and honor their country,-are to be excluded from the Gover nor's appointments, in what hands is the vain man to place the affairs of the (late ? Will not appointments obtained by difiio norable means, by paralitical alts, be also Concerted to dilhonorable purposes ? Shall lips of fnlfthood and tongues of deceit be j charafteriftic of your public officers ? Ami will; not their hands be as polluted as their lips, as frauchiltnt as their tongues ? Would not such be the confluence of such a sys tem of paralitical favoritifm ? But>if you are willing to discard from of fice whatever is honorable, whatever is man ly, whatever is dignified, if you are willing to discard all thole qualities which fortify and adorn the independent (pint of virtue, are you also willing to abandsn to inlidious (harpers the pecuniary tre:.fures of Pennsyl vania ? Confidcy the lecal provisions intend ed to facilitate the mean- of transportation and conveyance by land and water through out the commonwealth! Gonfidrr all your variou* edablifliments of public police ! Con sider how much the didribution of the large lums wifely dedined or to be dedined for these extensive purposes mud depend on the pleasure of the Governor! Confidt-r the va rious opportunities of artfully mifdireding or mifappiying them ! Will not the favored paiafites procure them to be dire fled as may belt answer their own iilterefted views ? Con sider how much m:y be expended in impro per places, while those which are proper are wholly di (regarded or but partially noticed! Consider how much may be fquaiidered from being intruded to incapable hr.nds ! Consider too, if honed men'can form edimate on such a fubjeft, how much may disappear, because intruded to hands worse than inca pable ! What fairnels in the didribution, what judgment or fidelity in the application, of the public treafui'es, ought t-o b» expeiled, if such iS to be the general charailer of ex tensive appointments and management ? Under such a fydem of individual degrada tion, of public weakness and of intereded ar tifice, where ate you to find those equal be nefits, that general improvement ai d proi perity and wealth and honor, which have been projected with so much celebrity and with such prospect* of success for Pennsyl vania ? Tliis excessive vanity which is the prey of flattery, this vanity which makes a public mail the pity of his friends, the fcora ct his enemies, ai;d the tool of knaves, is an evil full of deadly poison to the ftatc. Let all good men -coivfider whether the body politic of Pennfytvania flioivld be destined to fufTer the incalculable evil,s cf this infidicus and ferocious poison ! Let r,II men of ftnli*, who dare to look at tlv fu'ojcft with a fkacly eye. eflecl andj'ju-Jge whether fuc'h -will not be ts tlcft'iHy if Thomas M'Kean is appointed its Governor! Widely different from bifh is James Rol's of Pittflaurgh. One of t'nefe two men is to be the Governor the Commonwealth.— Refleft with the .dignity of free citizen?, and clioofc between them !- Is, then, James Rofs, or is Thomas M'Kean the man whom you will delight to honor with your fuffrag'cs ? What shall be the armorial bearing of your political (land- - ,j ard ? At this question, does a blufliing re collection of the pad make you hefiute to avow your purpose for the future ? Then, Sir, congratulate yourfelf on that blufli 1 It is the glow of honorable fentinient. In dulge the full return of thole manly, princi ples which are yet precious to' your heart I The indulgence will be for your interest as it is to your honor, Resume, then, your - noble felf, and decide as becomes the resec table character of a free American ! You may then smile at an electioneering weak ness which no longer afflifts you, and may promptly aufwer 'Without that dread of reproach. The inquiry, therefore,, is now repeated. What shall be the armo rial bearing of your political standard ? Shall 'it be the American Eagle, or an open moytbed Crow ? What shall be the charac ter of your political navigator ? Say which of the two you will have, a complete Helms man, or a complete Weatlaercock 1 FONTAINE. dsa3ette &3armt %its. Port of Philadelphia. Brig Gayofo, Remington, from hence, has arrived at the Havanna. Schr.' Snccefs, Johnson, from hence, has arrived at the Havanna. The above vessels were not allowed entry the 18th August. No arrivals at the Fort. The following vessels of war are ftatianed off the Havannah, viz. Ship General Greene, Perry. Brig Pinckney, Heywood. South Carolina, Painej Ships Woodrop Sims, a fid Birmingham Packet, Kelly, from hence passed Gravefend July 3- Ship Kiogfton, Hodge, Cape Francois, has arrived at New-York in 13 days. Brig Paragon, Houston, Barracoa arrived at Port Republicain. City Hospital Report, For the last 24 hours, ending this day at twelve o'clock. ADMITTED. "fv Hannah Carney. 77 South street. Mary Golden and Child, Race between Front and zd street. Jamei Sneathan, 4th near front street. DIED. Maria Lockwood, admitted with black vomit and hcemorrhage« from the nose and stomach, George Bowen, John Rittenger, Elizabeth Sneathan, John Wynkoop, Balt zer Speicer, John Parrifti, John Fogey, Mary Bary. Remaining in the hospital 54, twenty one of whom art convalescent. The number of Interments in the different Burial Grounds of the City, for the lafl. 24 hours, ending this day at 12 o'clock, is 1 Adnlt 5 Children 6 Total. Interments in th« City Hospital Ground, since last report From the City Hospital 9 From the City and Suburbs 8 17 Total number of Interments du ring last 24 hours SAMUEL PdTTER, Wm. PAGE, AND THOMAS PRICE, HAVE removed to Gfrmantown, between the livg and fix mile stone, where they have syr l'ale, a general aflbrtment of DRY GOODS, a great part of which they have just received by the (hip Boync from London, via New York. N. B. Letters (Per PoftJ addrefied to them Philadelphia, will be regularly forwarded. Sept. 3,1799. dtw&tuthfa tf FOR SALE, The brig Mary, Capt. John Tarris, Now lying at Marcus Hook—a live oak. and cedar veflel—will carry zooo barrels, and has been newly sheathed. She is armed with 10 four-pounders, mnlkets, pistols, cutlasses, boarding-pikes, tc. For terms, apply to GURNEY & SMITH, sep. 3. cots WAR DEPARTMENT, Trenton, September '2, 1799. ALL officers of the firft regiment of Artilleries ami Engineers, and of thi firft, second, third and fourth regiments of Infantry in the fcrvice of the United States, who are, Irom whatever caule, absent from their commands, are requires! with all pofliUls expedition to report themfeWes by let [#r to Major General Alexander Hamilton. The efificers thus sailed upon, will be held amenable for any avoidable delay in reporting themfelyes, and those who do not repcrtin four months from t!:e date of this notification, will be prefumedto have retiztied their commillions. 6 JAMES M'HENRV -- The Printers iu the fev. ral dates, who publ'ifhed the proposals for the Supply ®t rations during the year 1800, are reqatlUd to insert the above oncc'a week in their papers, till the :irft of January Bext. n - « .1 w ) • V s A3 a 3 X• V / • < ■ • k
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