dWtfe
[No. LXXVII.j
THE TABLET.
No. LXXVII.
<t j4 n ignorant people cannot long pre/erve freedom."
HOW then are savages free ? They are
so by nature. The liberty of a lavage,
and that of a civilized man are essentially differ
ent. Civil liberty implies both restraint and pro
tection ; but a lavage is neither protected nor
reltrained. Where there is no government at
all, men are literally free ; but from a want of
law, they cannot enjoy their freedom. Where
there is a defpoticgovernment, the people, though
they are politically slaves, are not in a worse con
dition, than savages who remain as free as nature
formed them.
There cannot, ftriiftly speaking, be any ration
al freedom, without fixed laws. There can be
no such laws, where there is no civilization. As
an ignorant people cannot be called civilized, they
will not have the protection of law, and therefore
Ihould not be deemed free.
Intracingtlie decline of States, wearepre
fenced with a melancholly picflure of human weak
liefs. The splendor and pageantry of courts, the
opulence and artifice of a few individuals, in an
arbitrary government, dazzle the ignorant mul
titude, and create a glare of civilization, while
themafs of the people are too unenlightened to
be called civilized. No nation deserves such an
appellation, where knowledge and property are
confined to a few hands ; any more than that de
serves to be called a learned nation,in which a few
individuals have made eminent attainments in
science. The prevailing cast of chara<sler, among
the people at large, is what should conftiuite the
national character.
As an ignorant people must either be (laves or
barbarians, we conclude that a well-informed peo
ple can be neither. The mofl conspicuous ad
vantage of difFufive knowledge through the com
munity is, that it puts the citizens on their guard
againlt the blunders oft he weak, and the intrigues
of the artful. It mull: be owned, that ambition
and avarice prevail in an enlightened society, as
well as in a barbarous one. But where the people
have so much knowledge that they can fairly cf
timate characters and measures, they will not ea
filybe duped by falfe profeffions, norintimidated
by bold menaces. They will bear what ought
to be borne, notwithftaiuling clamorous men may
try to blow up sedition ; and such people likewil'e
will refill: what ought to be refilled, notwithstand
ing arbitrary rulers may charge them with rebel
lion. The public opinion will be julfc and ref
peiflable. It will controul, not so much the exe
cution, as the formation of the laws.
If the people of any country are generally un
informed, they cannot adt in concert. They will
judge differently of men and measures, and there
will be no method of producing a union of senti
ment. A bitter spirit of party will inevitably
attend such a fitvtation, and public liberty will
expire in the rage of fadlion. This difafler can
never happen in a community where there is ge
neral information. The attempts of turbulent,
or intriguing men will be comprehended, and
their views defeated, before any dangerous ef
fetfts are produced.
EUROPE.
VIENNA, Odober 8.
AN officer, dispatched by Field Marflial Prince
Potemkin, 011 the 16th of Sept. lias brought
intelligence to the Ruffian Ambaflador here, that
the vanguard of the army commanded by Lieut.
Gen. Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg, had attacked
and entirely defeated a body of Turki/h Caufcan
a Ihort distance from Bender. The Turks were
under the command ofHaflan Pacha, who com
manded as Seralkier near Rahaja-Mohifo, in the
last campaign. The Pacha, with several officers
ofdiftincftion, and upwards of toomeii, made
prisoners, and about 700 left dead on the field.
The enemy's camp,and three pieces of cannon fell
into the hands of the vidtors.
The fame officer also brought a confirmation of
the nen'sof the victory obtained by Prince Rep
nin, a few days before, nearTodak, in Beflarabia,
over Gazze. Haflan Pacha, late High Admiral, and
now Seralkier, who was attacked and defeated in
such a manner as to be obliged to abandon his
camp, with his cannon, to the conquerors, and to
retreat, with the reft of his troops, towards If
mail.
A courier who returned some days ago from the
army of Marffial de Saxe-Cobourg, brought the
news of the Ruffians having taken the port of
Akierman on the Black Sea, and made 1 JOO priso
ners there.
W EDNESDAY January 6, 1790.
I FRANCE.
Paris, Oc r t. 23.
MR. NECKER's STATUE.
ON its being known, that this statue was or
dered by the city of Paris, the Sculptor to
the King, sent the following letter
To the ASSEMBLY of the REPRESENTATIVES
of the Town oj PARIS.
" Gentlemen,
" YOU add to all that you have done for the
happiness and glory of your country, in decree
ing a Bull to the most deserving Minister of
France. You have ordained, that this bust shall
be placed where you are daily and nightly occu
pied in attempting to promote the happiness of
your fellow-citizens. Permit an artist, full of
refpeift and gratitude for your patriotic virtues,
to claim the honor of afliftingyou by making the
bust of M. Necker. M. Houdon has already
had t he honor of making those of WASHINGTON
and of that young HERO, the friend of Wash
ington, deflined to be thedefender oflibertyin
the two worlds. M. Houdon demands only a
piece of marble ; and he shall feel fufficiently re
compensed if the Commons permit him to dedi
cate his poor talents to the celebration of a great
man, and of those who have acquitted their duty
to the public, in decreeing M. Necker an honor,
which no Minister, before him, ever received
from the town of Paris.
(Signed) M. HOUDON."
This address has been fuccefsful, and the wish
es of M. Houdon are accomplished.
PATRIOTIC DONATIONS.
Lift of the names of those who sent the greatest
quantity of silver to the French Mint.
* Marks.
The King, in gold 230 3
Ditto, in silver, 9442 2
The Queen, ditto, 3607 3
Monsieur, ditto, 2401 o
The King's Aunt, ditto, 1334 7
Madame, ditto, 1 31 5 2
The Queen, a second time, ditto 144S 5
Cout Montmorin, ditto, 1236 7
Duchis, a Notary, ditto, p- 6to 7
Marshal deContades, ditro, * 522 2
Vandenyver, a Banker, ditto, 1
Duke de Noailles, ditto, 545 6
Count de la Luzerne, ditto, 528 4
Marquis de la Taluro, ditto; 477 3
Prince de Beauveau, ditto, 1
M. Necker, ditto, 5
Count d'Eftaing, ditto, 44 1 2
Marquis de la Fayette, ditto, 418 2
Count de St. Priest, ditto, 4°7 4
Mole, a President, ditto, 2
Keeper of the Seals, ditto, 1
DeParfcoal, ditto, 296 5
Marfiial de Segur, 258 2
Countess de Maurepas, ditto, 1 43 7
* The value oj a Mark, in fiver, ii about 9 dollars.
In times of public diltrefs, sumptuary laws
were imposed in Rome, and even the fair (ex
were prohibited from wearing costly ornaments.
A Censor was always appointed at such times,
who was invested with the highest restraining au
thority. The elder Cato strove to restrain the
luxury of the times, but corruption and an in
flux of foreign wealth and plunder, in a great
measure prevented his endeavors. When the
Statewas in distress, all ranks and denominations
of people exerted their utmost endeavors to re
lieve it, by public fubferiptions, and giving in
their jewels, plate and rings to the treasury, as
the French are doing atprefent. Tliediftrefs of
that republic arose not from debt, the funded
fylteni not being then pratflifed, but from the ca
lamities of war, as when the city was taken by
the Gauls, or during the war with the Carthagi
nians, when Hannibal commanded. The Empe
rors, however, laviflied their public treasures,
which the Consuls dared not to do, and then the
coffers were filled with confifcations and wanton
cruelties.
Sunday, o<ft. 26.
If we may judge from the quiet of the capital,
the Martial Law has already had so good an effec r t,
as not only to have difperled the large bands of
rioters, but to make people a little more cautious
in giving their opinions publicly, and fomenting
disturbances. _ r
The King and Queen with great tenderneis,
sent the Duke de LTancourt to condole with the
poor widow of the Baker, and offer her a present
of 6000 livres, to enable her to carry on her bu
siness, and that if this sum was not fufhcient, lhe
should have more. .
Their maiefties remain at the Thuilleries,as be
fore, they stir out but little, the King now and
\Publifhed tin Wednesday ami Saturday.
then takes a walk in the Gardens bat the Queen
is never seen out of the Palace.
1 he last letters from Stockholm bring an ac
count of an action having happened at Avolax,
in Finland, on the 9th ult. between the corps un
der general Stodingk, and a body of Ruffians.
In the firft oiifet the Ruffians made themselves
mailers of the two batteries belonging to the
Swedes ; but they afterwards not only retook them
butdrove the Ruffians off, who loft too in killed,
40 wounded and prisoners; among thelatter, are
5 officers. The Swedes loss is 13 killed and
wounded ; amongst the latter are two captains.
One subaltern officer, and two of their artillery
were taken prisoners.
The National Aflembiy of France have resol
ved, in opposition to the motion of M. de Mira
beau, that no member of the National Aflembiy
lhall hold any place in the adminiflration, dur
ing the present session.
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.
October 2,
The archbiffip of Aix made an offer to the na
tion, in the name of the clergy, of the greatest
supply that ever was voted at one time, by any
body of men to any state, 011 condition that the
clergy Ihould not be difpoflefled of the church
lands. He offered to raise on the security of the
church lands a supply of thirteen million sterl
ing, which the clergy were willingto facrifice to
the public, Exclusive of this temporary aid, he
offered to charge the church lands in perpetuity
with the payment of two millions of livres per
month,or one million sterling a year. This tempt
ing offer was reje<sled by the National Assem
bly ; and the resolution was palled, which, if
carried into effedt, will be the greatest blow ever
given to the power of the clergy, whom it will
render dependant upon the state, after having
been so long a terror to it.
October 6.
M. de Mirabeau, in a long speech on the scar
city of money, and the discredit of the public
funds, endeavoured to point out the causes from
which they had originated, and the mischievous
consequences which they had produced. To the
discredit of the public funds, the great reputar»»**
of Mi Necker had very materTany contributed ;
lor the public feeing a Minister of such talents
obliged to have recourse to the expedient of sus
pending payments at the Caifle d' Efcompte, im
mediately concluded that all other resources were
loft. Hence, every man, who got poileffion of
specie, either hid it in his strong box, orfent it
out of the country, to be invested in foreign
funds. From the scarcity of specie, and the dis
credit of paper currency, had arisen, in a great
measure, thefcarcity of corn ; because the farmer
chol'e rather to keep his corn, than to fell for bills
with which he could not pay his servants. As a
means of alleviating this latter evil, he suggested
an expedient, which, though distant, might never
theless be highly beneficial. '• We have," said he,
<( advanced conliderable sums to rescue the Ame
ricans from slavery, and we have cemented the
edifice of their liberty with our blood. They
have grain in abundance ; and are bound by every
tie of justice, every sentiment of generolity, to
pay in provisions the interest, and at least part ot
the principal, of their debt to us. He came
next to speak of the want of a proper underiland
ing between the Aflembiy and the King s Mini
sters. "In this last memorial," said he, '' they
renounce a refponfibiliry, to which they gi\e an
absurd and difrefpetffful interpretation. They
are not bound to answer for events ; but they
are bound to prove they have employed the
means which the Aflembiy has entrusted to them.
They complain that they have 110 regular anddi
re<sfc correlpondence with us. Let us call them to
fit among us. Hence their evasions, their mis
takes, their equivocations, will be instantly de
tected. At present, we are obliged to confer
with them by means of our committees. But out
of the Aflembiy, a member is 110 more than a pri
vate individual, from whom it is easy for a minis
ter to escape. In what place can they combat
with less advantage, than in an aflembiy where
all kind of knowledge are united ? To this un
ion of the legislative and executive powers, is the
fate of the empire, perhaps, attached." He con
cluded by moving. .
" That his Majeftybe requested to fend imme
diately, trusty and able persons to the Umtct
States to insist 011 the payment in corn of the
capital and interest of the debt due to France.
"That the Committee of Finance lhall pre
pare with all possible speed a plan for a National
Bank, to give security to the public creditors,
liability to national credit, and gradually dimin
i(h the public debt. , _
" That the King's Minilters be invited to lit