FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES. LETTER. No. IV. MR. FENNO, IN my lad I have dated the example of blacks, who mtermar ried by force of conquest with two European nations happy was it for the conquered, that their colour only changed on this account —however as we all admit full blood, three quaiters, and half blood, in our hounds and horses—it will not appear a para dox, if 1 lay it down as a general rule, that when m animated na ture higher orders intermix with lower ones, the original charac ter is gradually debated, and finally loft ; this leads me to an ex amination of what would happen if negroes were made freemen, living among us. ._ c Different notions have been held on the manumission ot negroes ——let us fcleit one, and suppose that it was granted on all lidcs, that the childien of the Oaves which will be born the next year, are to be free. As the law can, I believe, make no difference be- | tween citizens of the empire, ot what colour they may be, a giadiul intermarriage of the whites and blacks will happen of course: Where is, among our citizens, the mother of a family blelkd with beautiful daughters, who will not ihudder when Ine thinks, that there might be only a probability, that her great grand daughters Swill have black muzzles and crooked figures ; moreover this is but the smallest part of the bitter fruits with which black, citizenlhip tyould be pregnant—it would be uncloling Pandora s box Although I believe that the new black citizen would reel grate ful for his manumission, yet this sentiment will soon subside, and be fully cxtinguifhed in the next generation; the difference in corporal and intelle&ual qualities would be ielt by the black, the consciousness of his inferiority would extinguish gratitude, and iealoufy would be his prevailing paflion —(houldany invalion hap pen, the enemy would purchase the blacks on ealy terms, and without any foreign attack this jealousy would have the molt fa tal effetts, and cause constant dilturbances in the empire ; tranquil ity would fly from Columbia, and not be re-eftabhihed until inter marriage had dyed the nation nearly one and the fame colour . But then the original chafer of the nation will only stand re corded in the historic page, when it speaks of the times of their ancestors becoming renowned in the annals of mankind by repe ling tyranny, and assuming their independency with spirit; when by gigantic strides they role into consequence, and outlhonc even their originals in arms, in fcienccs and arts—when they crowned the liberty of the citizen by a uniform federal government : then genius was a native of this happy foil—and ihe foreigner gloried to be an American freeman. RUST ICUS. FOR THE GAZETTE Of THE UNITED STATES. MR. FENNO, I AM a Jheep-hairy negro, the son of an African man and woman ; by a train of fortunate events I was left free, when very young, and by the interposition of the most generous of mankind, 1 have received a common tnglifti school educa tion, and have been inftru&ed in the christian religion—l am master of a trade whereby I get a comfortable living: Myleifjre time I employ in reading, it is my delight, and I am encoliraged by several spirited, noble and generous American freemen, who are pleased to praise me for employ ing my time.so much more rationally (as they fay) than most of the white men who are in the fame ilation of life that I am : And do not consider me as the link in the creation by which the mon key hangs to the gentleman. 1 eftcem it among thebleffings of my situation, that by my industry :is a tradesman, I am enabled to purchase your interesting publication, and by my alfiduity as a student 1 am enabled to read it with profit : Bnt I fear alj my application has not made me equal to the irafk I have undertaken, of penning a let ter, which (hall appear to you worthy of a place in your next number ; the arduous talk of appear ing as an opponent to the philosophic Rufticus.— Had this philofophcr advanced anything new 1 should not dare to step forward ; but to his present hackney'd theme, I shall oppose the ar guments of such as have written against the idea of ottf inferior nature, particularly Mr. Clarkfon : The philofoplier'schain is arufty affair ; I fliall take'little notice of his bulls and wild ducks—l •would willingly come to the point: Rullicusgoes ■upon the principle which Lord Kaims labored very hard to establish, that the variety of colour, fea tures, &c. in the human species, proved them to be derived from various ftocks,andjnot as the otdfajbi cr.ed erroneous scriptures aflert, all the descendants of Adam. His next is the principle of links— in which if I mistake not his idea—he and his brethren of European extraction, stand or hang inferior to none but angels—to them follow the dther nations of the earth.—As, effeminate Asia tics—long haired savages of America—fheep hairy Africans—Africans with ivolfes muzzles— and next I suppose the various kinds of the mon key, &c. &c.—Now if I can prove by the aflift ance aforementioned, that thefirft is a falfe prin ciple, and that Europeans, Asiatics, Americans and Africans are all the descendants of Noah— The second principle will fall of course, at lead so far, that because I have a black skin (tho by the by my skin is already whiter than niy father's \vas) flat nose, thick lips and sheep-hair, I fhalj not be hook'd on at the lower end of the chain of human beings It is really amusing, not to fay laughable,to fee ■vith what eagerness Lord Kaims pursues his fa vorite difcrim'mating plan : I will instance one of his proofs that there are different species of men by nature totally d';flinll Jrom each other. " The Gia gas" fays this great critic " a fierce and wand ering nation in the heart of Africa" (only notice what a fruitful and convenient foil Africa is for monftcrs) " are in efFedl land pirates at war with all the world. They indulge in polygamy, but bury all their children the moment of birth, and chufe in their stead the most promising children taken in war. There is no principle among ani mals more prevalent than afFedtion to their off spring : Supposing the Giagas to be born without handsorfeet, would they be more difttngiufhable from the reft of mankind ?"•—So blindly did the Author of the elements of criticism pursue his fa vorite system, that he never considered that 11 the Giagas destroyed all their children, and a dopted the children of various strange nations, of course this diftincft species of men were ex tind: after the firft generation, and all the various nations that they incorporated with themfelyes, were precisely of the fame extraordinary, distinct and monstrous nature. —So idle are the specula tions of the wisest men when they wander from the pure light of reason and religion. I shall now bring forward in as concise a mm- I ner as pofiible, a few of the arguments made use of by Mr. Clarkfon, in opposition to the main principle of Rufticus. The firft argument by which it is attempted to be proved " that the Africans are an inferior link in the chain of nature," is the supposed in feriority of their capacities—The argument is so weak it does not deserve notice, neither would it become me.—The second is drawn*from color and featutes, nay, " even the hair of their heads is brought into the account"—My parents born in Africa, have not the white skin, therofy cheek, the prominant nose and black teeth of Rufticus, therefore are not only atliftindt, but an inferior species of animal : The worthy author before me (Mr. Clarkfon) fays " It is an universal law, observable throughout the whole creation that if two animals of a different species propagate, their off fpring is unable to continue its own species. By this admirable law, the different species are preser ved diftind:. Now if we apply this law to those of the human kind, who are said to be of a di ftimft species from each other,it immediately fails. The mulatto is as capable of continuing his spe cies as his father ; a clear and irrefragable proof that the scripture account of the creation is true, and that " God, who hath made the world,hath made of one blood all the nations of men that dwell on all the face of the earth." This law of nature will not suit Rufticus—who fays, " na ture gofcs not from one species of animal abruptly to the next: There are beings who separate one fort from the other and partake in their form and habit something of both ; these I call intermedi ate beings"— Nature knows no such intermediate beings—the animals Rufticus enumerates (such of them as we know to exist) are diftin<ft species of animals, and are divided by the above menti oned law. If mankind are from one stock they conse quently had but one colour, and was that white ? No—We have every reason to believe that it was a dark olive.—Then is Ruiticus as far from the original colour as I am. It will now bealked what has caused the various appearances of men atprefent—l answer from my book " a co-ope ration of certain causes, which have an effed: upon the human frame, and have the power of changing it more or lei's from its primitive ap pearance, as they are more or less numerous or powerful than those, which a<fted upon the frame of man in the firll feat of his habitation."—Cli mate appears to have the principal fliare in the variety of colour—Anatomical experiments have established it as fa<ft, that the feat of colour is the corpus mucofum, which is found to vary with the climate throughout the world. I must refer my reader to Mr. Clarkfon's eflay on the slavery and commerce of the human spe cies for a ftatementof fadis, and arguments that will remove every doubt on this fubjetft, and con vince him that our colour is no proof that we are an inferior link in the great chain of creation. I fear I have already made my letter too long— I hope Mr. Fenno wili correct my inaccuracy (if he thinks my attempt to vindicate those of my colour fit for the public eye) and excuse my art less arrangement of my fubje<st.—l will conclude by anfv/ering the last queition of Rufticus. No human law can by intermixing species overthrow . the fixed order of nature—but the American and the African are one species—The law of nature declares it—And I, a flieep-hairy African negro, being free and in some degree enlightened, feel myfelf equal to the duties of a spirited, noble, and generous American freeman. AFRICAN US. LATE EUROPEAN NEWS. SPAIN. ESCURIAL, Nov. 9. His Catholic Majefly went on Thursday last to Madrid, to dismiss the Cortes according to the usual form. Nov. 16. His Catholic Majesty was pleased to declare, on the 12th inft. the civil promotions made on the occasion of his coronation, the pub. lication of which was deferred till the Cortes had finilhed their deliberations. Each of the Mem bers of that Afl'emblv, which consisted of feventy four persons, lias received a mark of the Catho lic King's favor, according to his rank. Amonll other numerous promotions, are, the creation of eight grandees of' Spain, ninehouorary grandees, five knights of the golden fleece, one of whom is M. de Norohna, the Portuguefe-Ambaflador here, ten knights of the great cross of Charles 111. two -372- counfellars and four honorary counsellors of state, and twenty-two chamberlains. LONDON, Dec. 31. Tl)& official account of the capture ofßruflels, pnblifhed by the Patriots, is as under. It is dated the 12th of December. " At length, notwithstanding the ai iniilice, and every other pretence, 500 brave Patriots of Bruflels have dared to engage in battle with 6poo Auftrains. The adtion commenced yellerday af ternoon, at four o'clock. The firft attenpt was to make prisoners of all the soldiers who guarded the Mint, and those who were quartered in the different converts. General D'Alton did his ut most from fix o'clock in the morning to negociate an armistice. About seven o'clock, 800 men of Benden-D'Aloft entered the city with two pieces of cannon, which they planted on the Grand Pa lace. About ten o'clock General D'Alton thought proper to fend a large detatchment in order to release, by forcible means, the officers and pri vates made prisoners in the Baileville. This was the signal for a new engagement, which will be ever memorable for itsvic'tory. The Patriots no longer able to contain thenifelves, routed the whole detatchnient. To the number of 500, at the utmost, they invelled the great market, and after a most obltinatc conflict, they made them r selves matters of the Coros de Garde, and two pieces of cannon, and took oboiit 400 Auftrians prisoners. Aboutthe fame time the engagement re-commenced in all quarters of the city ; and, in less than two hours, the Patriots made thenifelves 111 after of the barracks of the military and of the magazines, in which they found near 2,000 mus kets, besides cartridges, ammunition, &c. To wards noon, they attacked the Park and the Pal ace Royale, where the greatest body of troops were concentered, with 12 pieces or cannon. After a very heavy firing 011 both fides, D'Alton perceiving that the place was no longer tenable against so much bravery, capitulated for the im mediate retreat of his whole gerrifon ; and the requelt having been acceded to, about one o'clock they departed, with great precipitation, through the Porte de Nainur. But as all the soldiers are not equally inclined to follow hint, at the mo ment this is writing, they are squabbling among themielves, without the city. Already, we have got more than 3,000 prisoners ; buta few killed, and 110 lioufes plundered. Authenticitatcm tejlor, (Signed) G. B. A. SCHELLEKENS, GREKFIER." The llave trade is abolifhedin Bengal. Lord Cornwallis has just ifliied a proclamation, and which has been published in the difterentlan guages of the country, declaring, that all per sons who may hereafter be found, either dirertly or indirectly, (concerned therein, lhall be pro secuted in the Supreme Court. A reward of ioo Sicca rupees is offered in the proclamation, and fifty rupees more for every person delivered from slavery or confinement by the discovery. WHITEHALL, Dec, 19. The King has been pleased to constitute and appoint Thomas M'Donough, Efq, to be his Ma jesty's Consul in the states of Maflachufett s Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut and New-Hamp fliire. The King has also been pleased to constitute and appoint John Hamilton, Esq. to be his Ma jetty's Con fill in the state of Virginia. WHEN the late Doctor Rock, of facetious me mory, used to publish his medicines in the mountebank style, and was once extolling their virtues on Tower-Hill, he obferveda Porter, who had attracted part of his audience to a separate circle—This not being very agreeable tothephy fical orator, he enquired what the fellow was do ing ? " Why, Dodtor," said one of the croud, " he tells us he remembers the time when you " was a porter as well as himfelf."—" It is very " true," replied Rock, " but you fee he is a PORTER still !" Wanted by the Editor of this paper, a Houje that " commodate a largefamily, and the printing bufmtfs—jrom thefrji oj May next. WILLIAM TAYLOR, Has for Sale, at his EAST-INDIA GOODS STORE, No. 4, Burling-Slip, A General Attornment of EAST-INDIA GOOD Among which are the following Articles: BOOK.Muslins 8-4 6-4 5-4 || HUMIIUMS, Jackonet do. j| Long Cloths, Hankerchiefs,of various kinds,|| Cartas, Chintzes, || Seersuckers, Ginghams, || Boglapores. A Variety of handsome painted MUSLINS. With many other Articles, which will be fold by the Piece or Package, low for caih. nnM And a few pair large handsome Cotton COUN TERPANES, much warmer than Blankets. January 9, 1790. - ' " ~ To be L E T, . And pofTeflion-givcn the lfl of April, for one or more years, v miles and half from this city, on the Greenwich roac,) XHAT New TWO STORY HOUSE—four Rooms on a floor ; with fix fire placcs; a new Bain, an Well of excellent Water ; a young Orchard of fruit Trees, vv- » 7A acres of Land, themoft part Meadow. For particulars enq at No. 7, Maiden-Lane. Ktw-Yerk, February 2c. ANECDOTE.
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