[No. CIII.j
THE TABLET
«'An uublemithed charaflcr gives great weight to the arguments of
a public fpcaker."
A S the main design of public speaking is to
ii. convince an audience of" the truth and impor
tance of what is spoken, men frequently Itrive
to effect this purpose by addingfome adventitious
force to the intrinsic merit of their speeches. It is
commonly supposed that the best method to make
forcible imprellions on a public assembly, is to
display an elegant, spirited elocution. Senti
ments may be decorated with such brilliant,ner
vous expressions ; arranged in a manner to
give such a fine harmony of cadence, and pro
nounced with such grace and energy, as to in
spire the mind with all the fafcination of music.
But the powers of persuasive oratory belong only
to a few. And even where a person poliefles
them in the fulleft extent, they will not always
procure, much less preserve a substantial influence.
A graceful elocution may retaiffits charms, and
excite applause, long after the orator hiinfelf has
ceased to be viewed with relpetft, and loit all his
weight of reputation. It is one thing to be amu
sed, and another to be convinced by the allure
ments of rhetoric. Men do not fufficicntly con
template that it is better to be believed than ad
mired.
The success that attended the l'peeches offome
of the antient orators is generally afci ibed to
their extraordinary powers of eloquence. This
is an opinion that deserves examination. Itfhould
not too hastily be concluded that those speakers
derived their influence, solely from the superior
excellence of their oratory. The popularity
which mere eloquence begets can have 110 long
duration, unless itis supported by avirtuouscha
rafter. Virtue renders an eloquent man irrefu
table. Themoft celebrated orators of antiquity,
it may be presumed, were not less diftinguiflied
for levcre morals, than for splendid eloquence.
They excited a general belief, by the uniform te
nor of their condurt, that they were actuated by
the mod generous sentiments of patriotism. It
cannot be doubted but the aftoni/hing effects of
their oratory were owing very much to the
honest zeal, which their acftions discovered for
the honor and welfare of their country.
Purity of principles, both in public and private
life, is the bed foundation on which to ere<ft a
public chara<fier. This will not perhaps attract
l'o much notice, or meet with so much flattery, as
eloquence ; but it will gain more real influence,
and inspire more confidence. Splendor of talents
may be gazed at, and admired, but unless they
are united with unblemilhed morals they will not
long be refpecfted. I hose whose opinions are
molt regarded,and whose advice the mod pursued,
are not men of the nioft captivating abilities.
(/i avity of temper and sobriety of manners will
lender moderate talents ufeful and refpeftable.
It niuft be confefled that the art of oratory is
highly worthy of cultivation, and an accomplished
speaker has an advantage over those whose elo
cution is imperfect and diiagreeable. But perfec
tion in eloquence should not make men indiffer
ent to solid attainments, and ufeful virtues. No
force of capacity, no glare of acquirements can
compenlate for a stain 011 tlie moral character. If
an eloquent man shews a levity of deportment,the
hearers may to be sure compliment him for speak
ing charmingly, but they will declare, he does
not hirufelf believe a word of what he is flying. If
his principles are fufpe<fted, or his manners licen
tious, his eloquence may still be applauded ; but
those who hear him, will express their fori ow,
that a man who can speak so well, Jliould ast so per
vet fly. In fhortjtlie world will learn 10 be guarded
against the seducing effetfts of his rhetoric ; and
it will afford much amusement, while it can pro
'luce 110 convi<ftion. Personal influence muftgive
man Jiis principal weight in public life; and
no one will long maintain personal influence,
Without a fair, unblemished character.
FROM THE CONNECTICUT COURANT.
Mefl'rs. Printers,
T Observe a correspondent of yours ivho appears
A in the Connecticut Courant of March 22, that
Icem& ro be a well meaning man, and judges pret
ty well so far as/he is well informed ; but I think
ieis illinformed, or at least uninformed, as to the
icception our Reprefenratives metwith when they
•'ft returned. I thought it was very agreeable;
pei haps it might be othervvife in his circle where
they were uninformed. I think Iliad it from good
PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS m
>°" N FWXO, No. g, MAIDEN-LANE, NEW-YORK
No. CIII.
WEDNESDAY, APRIL j 7go
authority that our Aflbmbly gave our Represen
tatives under the old Constitution the fame which
bHmr"°T V - C '- a ? d lfit isto ° m,,ch > charge the
blame where it,s due. I believe it would bet new
thing under the fun, atleaft in this State, for the
Afl^bi? rV3nt V° givC themselve s less than the
on rhp t ? aVC £^ m ;- As CO the salaries bellowed
on the Judges, I oeheve the people in New-Enjr
land in general think them too high—He should
observe that the Western and Southern people are
not so near upon a level as we are in New-Ene
?r t a l| eilC n a^ fe ,- h those hi S h appointments.
He should recollert if he ever knew k, that when
■ve firft began to oppose the Britons by arms, the
lern and Southern people complained of the
wages of our rank and file, and laid rather than
comply they would fight it out without us ; but
when they considered that our young men of fa
mily were much superior to their g.ogfters, who
would be likely to desert when the grog failed,
and which really happened, they contended
themselves with .aifing the officers wages.
As to Ins i egretting that Congress should assume
the state debts, 1 think he is as ill-informed a
bout th it matter as any other, 1 mall not set him
right by public information. Let him enquire,
anJ he will fi„d that it is bell for alj the Hates,
and til 15 in particular, that CY.,g ,f> aouldalfume
all the liar a debts, without ;.e is one ot them
that would have the state cheat their creditors,
and drive thein to complain to Congress, which
they certainly will do it the stare goes on as they
have done, about which 1 fhr.ll forbear to mention
particulars at the pjefent.
LQMDUM.
HOUSE of LORDS,
January r6.
The Lords resolved to proceed in the trial of
Warren Haltings, Esq. on Monday the lit of Fe
bruary.
Javuary 21.
This day his Mujelly went inftateto the House
of Peers, and opened the bufineli of the present
session of Parliament, by the following molt gra
cious speech from the throne :
My Lords and Gentlemen,
Since I last met you in Parliament, the contin
uance of the war on the Continent, aud the in
ternal condition of different parts of Europe, have
been productive of events which have engaged
my most serious attention.
While 1 fee, with a just concern, the interrup
tion of the tranquility of other countries, I have
at the fame time great fatisfaction in being able
to inform you, that I receive continual afluran
ces of the good disposition of all foreign powers
towards these kingdoms ; and I am persuaded
that you will entertain with me a deep and grate
ful sense of the favor of providence, in continu
ing to my fubjetfts the increasing advantages of
peace, and the uninterrupted enjoyment of those
invaluable blessings which they have so lono- de
rived from our excellent conltitution.
Gintlemcn o fth: Motife of Commons,
I have given directions that the estimates for
the present year should be laid before you, and I
rely on your readiness to grant such supplies as
the circuinftances of the several branches of the
public service may be found to require.
My Lords and Gentlemen,
The regulations prescribed by the act of the last
feflion of Parliament, relative to the corn trade,
not having been duly carried into effett in several
parts of the kingdom, there appeared reason to
apprehend that such an exportation of corn might
rake place, and such difficulty arise in the import
ation of foreign corn, as would have been pro
duttive of the most serious inconvenience to my
fubjetfts. Under these circumstances, itappeared
nbfolutely neceflary to take immediate and effec
tual measures for preventing the exportation, and
facilitating the importation of particular forts of
corn ; I therefore, by the advice of my Privy
Council, illued an order for that purpose, a copy
of which 1 have directed to be laid before you.
I have only further to desire, that you will con
tinue to apply yourselves to those objects which
may require your attention, with the fame zeal
for the pubjic service which has hitherto appear
ed in all your proceedings, and of which the ef
fects have been so happily manifefted by an in
crease of public revenue, the extension of the
commerce and raanufatftures of the country, and
the general of my people.
The waited upon his Majesty
with their address, which was as usual the echo
of the speech, his Majesty was gracioiifly pleased
to return the followinganfwer :
AN OLD FREEMAN
uus,
PRICE THREE DOLLARS PR. ANN"
" My Lords,
I receive with great plcafurfe your dutiful
and loyal address.
" 1 lie firft objert of my wishes being the prof-
P . e^ U -y. ot '"X l' e ople, I cannot but express iny fa
tK fart ion at receiving fucli strong affbrances of
your disposition to apply your attention to thoftf
important objedts which I have recommended to
your consideration."
HOUSE or COMMONS,
! . January 22.
Mr. Wilberforce gave notice that he would, on
Monday, move the house to resolve itfelf into a
«««»«« of the whole house on the slave trade,
and that m such committee he would move for
the appointment of a felecfi committee to take ex
aminations above stairs:
Thursday a commiflion pasTed the Great Seal,
appointing Lord Kenyon, Speaker of the House of
1 eers, 111 the absence of the Lord Chancellor, in
rr r ° om . Earl Bathurfl, whose great age and
disorder in the eyes, woUld not permit him to
continue the office.
While his Majesty was this day going through
St. James Park in the state coach, a man drefl'ecl
111 icarlet, with an orange cockade, threw a (lone,
with intent, as is supposed, to llrike his Majesty,
ut which fortunately only struck the pannel of
the coach ; he was immediately seized and taken
to i lr. s office, where he underwent
an examination of four hours before Mr. Pitt,
Lord Chatham, the two Secretaries of State, and
Sn Sampson Wright, who committed him to pri
son. He proves to be the fame person who a
bout a fortnight since stuck up in the Court-yard,
at St. James s, a foolilh libel on his Majesty, fitrn
ed " John Frith, Lieut, of the firft Regiment of
Royals.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SATURDAY; MARCH t 3 .
The following /hovld hne preceded Mr. Girry'sfpeech in ourhjl.
ATr. Am ls : The word irredeemable is made the fubjeftof ob
-IVX jection. It isfaid toconveyadifagrceableidea.and to tend to
excite popular prejudice against the debt, as it implies that the
public agrees to be saddled with a prrpetiial burden of debt. Irt
a land of ignorance, where the people are not in the habit, and
have not the capacity to reason, it may be proper to pay regard to
this objection. I have too much reverence for the sober thinking
people whom we reprelent, to believe, that the mere found of this
word will work mifchief, when their own enquiries willconvmce
them that the substance is not only unexceptionable, but highly be
ncncial. ® 7
Making the debt redeemable will not redeem if. It puts not a
farthing iri the creditor's pocket: Making it btedeemaile is no re
straint upon the present or probable capacity of the public to re
deem. It will not prolong the evil of a public debt a Angle day,
but rather the contrary. All the money that can be provided for
paying off the debt may (till be employed for the purpose, th'o the
niedeemable quality should remain.
1 he proposal to make the debt irredeemable is founded on the
supposed gradual reduition of interest. But until the reduaion
has actually hippened in a fhorler period, or in a greater degree
than is calculated, the paper will not bear a higher price than 100
per cent While the debt is at par, or below par, the creditors will
not relule to receive their money, the public has also the right
to redeem at the rate of one per cent, against their will. But the
value will not rifeto par while the rate of intercft keeps up : The
government will therefore have full employment for all itsfurpluj
revenue to buy up the paper at a discount, Surely, the govern
ment will not squander the public monev to redeem the debt at
per, when it is to be purchased at a discount. The latter is even
more advantageous to the creditors. Buying at the market price
in latt raises the price, and benefits those who do not fell. The
greater the discount, the more paper a given sum will buy, and take
out of the market. This not only raises the price, but increases
the security of the unfold part; In these three ways, there is full
excrcife forthe power of redemption, nor can it be supposed, that
the redeemable quality of the debt will increase the capacity of the
public to redeem, or fhotten the duration of the debt. The con.,
trary may be proved by attending to these facts.
The government in consideration of makingthedebt irredeema
ble is allowed 19 per cent. 100 dollars are to be lent; and 81 only
to be iunded, The aggregate of the sums saVed to the public by
this 19 per cent, linear 13 millions. The public is therefore paid
beforehand tor not ledecnvng; The right renounced is valuable
to the creditors, as it has been formerly shewn, but of no value to
the public. For the right to redeem is worth nothing, if the pub
lic has not the means to redeem j and if money can be found, it
appears that it can be better employed to buy up the debt than to
pay off. The capacity of the public is laid under no restraint. So
tar trom it, 13 millions will be already redeemed. Perhaps in a
dozen years the public would not pay off that amount; and if it
Ihould prove able, it will have 20 years according to the principles
ot the Report to buy ftodc on better terms than paying off. Those
who fay we can redeem fader, and will not be fatisfied with the
argument I have jull urged, will pleale to remember that by mak
ing the entire debt redeemable, we ihall have more to redeem
with an imaginary increase of the power will be an actual increase
ot the talk to be performed. But will any one soberly assert that
the public will probably have thc.connnand of more money than
■t can find perlons willing to accept tor their Hock; and unless
this is alfcrtcd, and really believed, I am sure the word irredeema
ble will not be ftruckout.
If then it is no burden to the public, is it any disadvantage to
the creditor ? If the debt is below par, the public will buy stock,
and will not pay off the capital. It at par, the creditor will not
thank government to do what he may get any individual, and in