[No. io6.—Vol. 11-j THE TABLET « Thefuffrage of thofc who arc shy and backward in giving p.aifc, is attended with an additional rel.fh and enjoyment. MY last number offered fonte remarks on the caution that should be used in the choice of confidential friends. It is of nolefs importance to be flow and diffident in bellowing commenda tions on persons or anions. There is no species of indiscretion that men oftener hr-.-e orcafion to repent of, than pnffing to. hasty a on the charadlersandincidents that areprelented to their view. One inconvenience of falling into an habit of judging prematurely is, that it ren ders an opinion suspicious, even in those inftan ces, where it may be well-founded Applause, conferred by a person who speaks much and thinks little, affords no delight to a man of a found un demanding. We cannot reafonablybe plealed •with approbation, unlel's we are conscious of de serving it; and when it conies from a man who is rash and unguarded in his expressions, it does not brighten our reputation, and should not gra tify our feelings. When men are cautious of wjvLng praise, if they are likewise modeftin their censures, we muftafcribe it to pi udence and de licacy. This kind ot reserve may sometimes re sult from a cold heart, but whatever may be the cause of it, the person who poflefles it, will com mand attention and i-efpetft. Prudence, by no means, requires a forbidding afpedi in our man ners ; but it prohibits a forward, impudent one. A stem demeanor is better than a frivolous but both should be avoided. That mildness of behavior that makes men amiable is not incom patible with the ftriifteft propriety of conduit, gr with a most cautious reserve in giving opinions. Mirth and gaiety may be indulged ; but there can be no weight of character without reflection and (bbiiety. Those tliouglitlefs men who condemn where there is 110 fault, and praise whete there is no merit, will gain little confidence in the world. Ccnfurc as w»JI as applaule, to have any effect, must not appear to be indiscriminate. It should aim at a particular point, and be directed by juit views. Ifto avoid a charge of ill nature a man becomes insincere, he betrays weakness ; and if a delire to {hew an independent spirit makes nim censorious, it is psrverfenefs, No man will wifli the applause, or fear the censure of him, who is accuflomed to bestow extravagant encomiums 011 indifferent adlions, or to heap reproaches on inno cent ones. Modefl men are those whole praise has a charm, and wliofe reproof has a fling. Bold, afl'uming characters are never highly es teemed by any ; and people only treat them with civilities to avoid tlie trouble of a quarrel. r once knew a lioify, impertinent coxcomb run into extravagant applause. at the performance o a fiddler. A discreet by-ftander, obfervmg such profufe compliments thrown away 011 so trifling a rharatfter, said, " what encomiums might not a man of real excellence expert, when a low mufi eian is praised so lavishly ?' CONGRESS. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MONO AY, MARCH 22 Itrtsr'l of the Committee on the Memoriall of the people called Qua her under covjidcration. MR Boudi not faid,altho' hemoftheartily approved of manv of the arguments and doftrinesof his lion, triend from Pei nfvlvam»,yethecouldrotgo all lengths with him- H e t OU R'' •with him, that our time had been taken up, and great labor had been used in arguments that no wife related to the merits o e oueftion before the committee, but he could not agree t m e clause in the constitution relating to the want of P°wer 10 " eref% "to prohibit the importation of such persons, as any or the States new cxiJHng (hall think proper to adm.t, priorr to the vear ,8„8, and authoring a tax or duty on such >mport a t,°n, no. exceeding 10 dollars for each person, ' did not ex en g (laves.— Candor required that he Ihould acknowledge tl.at this was the express dcfign of theconftitution, and thcretor^° ng '' coulj not interfere i« prohibiting th« ■mpoitatioe or promoting '*»T3r "3 or duty of 10 dollars, was provided infteaa o t e5 p valorem, and was so exprefslv understood by all part.esm the Con ventioni That therefore it was the interest and duty of Cong.ef. 1 10 imyofe this tax, or it would not be doing justice 0 done equjlizingthe duties throughout the Union. t lS^ ; \ u j merchants might bring tjTe.r whole capitals into thi. b rMehrf tiade.and save paying any duties whatever. Mr. Boudmo.had hoped, that the great lengths which the hon. grnt cman -mile, fylvania had carried the argument, would have c ° nv,n^ ltv 0 f the men in the op pofitian, of the propriety, if not t e ncc y . rcfblutions ontfie table. Is it not prudent now, w i _ of the trainers of the constitution is well known, and w 1 information can he obtained, for Congress to declare t cir it, on points which the gentlemen fay involve their yea a icntial interests, efpccially when the gentleman from Penn > PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 9, MAIDEN-LANE, NEW-YORK. No. CVI. SATURDAY, APRIL 17, 1790. gives so different a conftrufl-ion to it, from wliat the geutlemei from the southward think right. Is it not advantageous to th iouthern States to have an explicit declaration calming their fears and preventing unnecrtTary jealouGcs m this fubjeft. Can llier 3eany foundation for alaim, when Congress expressly declares hat they have no power of interference prior to the year 1808 Jut gentlemen fay that they hove been charged with impropriety >1 conduct, in dilcovenng so much warmth and earnettnefa, on ; übieft with which their dtareft interests are so intimately con iccted—That all men are led oy interest and they are juftified ii lurfuing the fame line of conduct. Mr. Boudinont declared far his own part, he never blamei hem for flandingforth for what 'hey conceived the true interest if thejr continents—but is was th ' inner in which this hat wen done, that he complained tfr. . On resolutions declaring that Congrefj had not power to prohi lit the importation of flaws into any state, or intcrlcnng 111 then mancipation or internal govt rnment, l<>ng arguments had beet ifed and much precious time had been spent ; to prove the law ulnefs of the African trade in slaves. This indeed was an ardu .us talk in this day of light and knowledge—an author said to bi if reputation, was brought forward to prove the state of that un iappy country, but it turned out to be in the 15th century , thi: ould be of little avail—an hour was taken up in reading the la. lorsof a newspaper writer in the illand of Jamaica. This write: ppeared wholy mifintormed as to historic facts relating to th« inferable Africans, and as ignorant of the principal arguments a ainft the slave trade. It was nectffary for him to deny the au. hority of Anthony Benezet, who had published some point" afls on this fubieft. Mr. Benezet was a man of the ftrittelt in egrity and of the best information-a man that was an honor tt lis country and an ornament to society. Mr. Boudinot had beet veil acquainted with him and spoke from personal knowledge .e had examined into the facts from captains of Guineamen, ant person who had lived twelve years in that country, and he coult ay with confidence, that Mr. Benezet's account had been ge 1 orally confirmed. Not only the praftife of ancient nations, ant hat of all modern Europe had been brought into view, but eve. he fat-red fcripturcs had been quoted to juftify this iniquitoustraf ,c It is true that the Egyptians held the Israelites in bondage or 400 years, and Mr. Boudinot doubted not, but much the sam rguments as had been uied on the present occafian, had bee. rged with great violence by the k.ng of Egypt, whose heart, it> xprefsly said, had been extremely hardened, to (hew why h hould not consent to let the children of Uriel go, who had nov iccome abfoluteJy neceflary to him—but said he, gentlemen can lot forget the consequences that followed-they were del.vere. >y a ftiong hand and stretched out arm, and it ought to be re □erabered that the Almighty power that accomplilhed their de ivecance, is tbe fame yelterday, to-day and forever. The ncv eftament has afforded a number of texts to countenance this doc rine, in the gentleman's opinion : One would have imagined a he uniform tenor of the gospel, that breathe, a fpir.t of love an. miverfal philanthropy to our fellow creatures—that command .ur love to our neighbor to be measured by our love to ourselves hat teaches us that whatsoever we would that me., (hould do tt ,s. to do so to them, would have prevented urely the hon gentleman dm ' r " j" „T, vhere he foretells, that among other damnable heretics, Through oveteonfnefs (hall they with feigned words, make merchandize ° f Annotation from a modem author of great not. in the f philofo >hical world, ha. been most ungenerously made by ih ewfpaper writer before referred to—l mean ( r0 ™A* he famous Mr. Paley, whose treat.fe on moral lira the greatest credit-a Gngle sentence or two «taken!irom i thi »ork, without regard to the connexion, to brand him with thi harge of countenancing slavery Mr. Boud.oot he book and read the passage, wherein it appeared that Mr Pa Ly hid down " the obligation of slavery to arise * r ° m " aptivity and debt-That the slave trade oo the coaA: of AlFnca i lot excused by these principle.. That no q«ft.OD S »re tlKre aftj d relative .o the juft.ee of the vender', t.tle-butths.. thejea rime with which this traffic ,i charKaole—TKenat, vejareexc d to war-with this the wickedneT. v«y from parents, wives, childien, jro*" l r aretranf unions, their fields and flock., then home and <^ ntr V- "f «™» f ,a. never been proved that > revo i ution „ he present fituatioo of the United a«ie». e . , . mftitution replete with human misery, ,n empire themoft extensive that "er age^ quarter of the world. He then (hews . h :/^L n j lv appeared the civil constitution of most c°L ore f,iy condemnor pro and the reason that it. precept, did not «pref.lyconae . hibit slavery was, because soliciting adm ™ 0 f any xhei ibftained from meddling with the ClV ' wr iter That the dil follows the paffcge quoted W the waftert> which ; iharging of slave. from all obligatio , r i wou id have n< he clnfequence of pronouncmg the other setter effefl than to let loose one ha f of whicl s'avet would have been tempte would hardly have beet .(Terted their right to freedom-maften, u £™J ority . th( >erfuaded to consent to claim. r,nilt raicht probably havi noft calamitous of ' i rnfutd to the reproach, if not the-extmtuon or 3e then assert. that of civil government Movifroni of laws and under the protean o ;hnft.amty can only operate a. an in[cn( . bl , ufion of its l.ghts and cnormltic> wh i c h folly, wick "" v set forth than I ld this unnatural traffic, o But when gentlemen wemp J advert to the gen o prove thelawfulnefs of slavery , tney i revo i ut j on . B< us of our government andthe p,nc.jrfes of Iter he declaration of Congref. in' >'75. u 5 possible for m« teceflity of uk.ng up arms, author of ou PRICE THREE DOLLARS PR. ANN mination never rightfully rrfilhble however severe and oppretlive, the inhabitant's of these Colonies, might at leait leqUire trom thj parliament of Great-Britain, lomc evidence thai tins dreadful au thority over them, had been granted to that body." And by the declaration ot Independence in Congress declare, We hold these truths to be felt-evident : that all men are created (-* qual; that they are endowed by their creator, with certain una lienable right! : that among these arellifte t liberty, and the pur suit of happinefi." This then is the language of America in the day of distress. Mr. Chairman, I would not be understood, to contend the rigfct of Congress at this time to prohibit the importation ot slaves, whatever might have been the principles of the revolution or the genius of the government •, by the present confutation we are hrrby artd pofiti**f!y restrained till the year 1808, and I am lure that no gentleman in thij commiitee would have the moll distant wish to wound this ittftrurrleot of our conneftioh But there is a wide difference 1 between jitftifjung this ungrner cms traffic and supporting a claim to property, verted at the time of the Constitution, and guaranteed thereby. Besides it would be inhumanity itfelf to turn these Unhappy people loflfe to murder each other, or to perilh for want of the tteceflaries of life. I ne ver was an advocate for so extravagant a conduct. • Many arguments were pointed against the dangei' of our emanr cipating these Oaves, or even holding up an idea that we had a power so to do—and much time has been taken up to disprove this right in Congress. As no claim of this kind is contended for, and, the resolutions already pa (Ted ex.refsly contitdift it. I thall make no farther observations on them. But the characters of the signers of theft memorials are called in question, as an argument against the adoption of the rtfolutioft on the table. One of these memorials was signed by the society of people called Quakers ; the other by Dr. Franklin, as President of a private society in Philadelphia. The lndifcrimiaau: abufc that has been thrown out agamft the Quakerj without diftiuftion, has not comported with the honor or dignity of this haute. Not only their characters, but their very names have been called upon, and private anecdotes relating to individuals been mentioned on the floor. Many of the Quakers 1 have long lived in In habits of friendfh.p with, and can teftify to the refpeftability of _ their characters and the regularity of their lives. Their conduct in the late war has been arraigned, and they have been condemned in the lump. 1 have known many of them during the war, and im partial iuftice requires it from me, to give the committee some o - fecial information on thefubjeft; I had the honor of ferrmg the United States at the commencement of the war, as Coi&miUary General of Prisoners. Congress not being able to afford ihem Cupplies, those unhappy men in this town, were reduced to the «rv depths of distress, without food or raiment, without blan kets or firing, they fuffered every thing that human nature could i>ear In thfs (ituation many of the Quakers of this city, exerciU •d such humanity towards them, as did honor to human nature. The miserable prisoner, not only telt the happy effects of their ixertions in his favor, but participated of their money, their food ind cloathing. Nay,fuch were the jealoufics created by thiscon* lust in the British army here, that an armed force entered the louse of one of them, feited hir books, and though a man of ■reat property and large commercial drahng., on finding mat '■ad loaned large sums of money to our distressed prisoners, he vasturnedo.it of their lines, and with his family was ai retugee luring the whole of the war afterwards, separated from his bel iefs and property. . . To whom was the care of our prisoners in Philadelphia com nitted ? To a Quaker ; and 1 have been witness to thejutt tribute ,f gratitude and thanklulnefs paid by great numbers of our unhap iv fellow-citizens to that gentleman, for his kindness and huma nly And is this indiscriminate charge, without the r