Ny pe> r.nal happincfs is interwoven with the utiof the American
?u * hence it i» that I claim indulgence for the solicitude 1
n jiT' '? l" m r ,ef P cftj yo« fWd ast no w'/er than we hav
idted here, or Ufs wifely than you might.
Since I Jett the United S-atson this viflt it has given m<
pain to recollect the surprising facility with which you udi.pt a/.
our faihi'ins, mojt of our cußoms, and font el our word opinion!
and prejudices—prejudices which in certain afpefts are futopoftc.
to be ult tul here, but which in cv. ry view of them must be injuri
ous among you. I wl (h you wou | d nn „ c of our viccs or
errors to bt naturalized, but be faiisficd that those which are
pioperly your own will be more than enough. Undoubtedly
you ought to profi by our experience—but is this to be done only
by an jndilciiminate imitation of us? Does nothing depend on
circumstances ? Nothing on local situation and relation to other
otates On extent of territory and population ?On the manners,
habits, character and occupations of the people ? Instead of no
ting depending on these circumstances, does not the good or
ill policy of public measures depend principally on them ? And
»ls not 85 important, and at the fame time as difficult, for
you to know what to avoid in our conduct, as what to imitate ? 1
hink you will admit that it is.
'! The astonishing increase of wealth and power of the British
nation, within the last 200 years, cannot be contemplated without
suggesting an enquiry into the origin of this prosperity. To enu
merate the causes which incidentally have contributed to the mass,
■would far exceed the bounds of my letter, even if I had the ca
pacity to do it; but I take it to be certain that tnglilhrnen are in
debted principally if not solely to the comparative exccllence of
their government, as the primary and substantial cause of theirJu
ferior opulence.—This has given them advantages over other na
tion} that no other advantages on their fide could counterbalance.
In this country the people produce, consume and enjoy more than
other Europeans—because here persons and property are always
more fafe : here the weak and the poor are defended by the laws
against the rapacity and oppreflion, not of the rich and powerful
only, bat even of their rulers themselves.*
" An unreserved and habitual confidence in the individuals
♦' that they (hall be completely protested in the free exercise of
their talents, and that the fruits of their honest labors will be
perfectly secure to them," is all that seems necessary to give full
scope to their utmost powers :—this is fufficient to enable them
to an naturally—mi in doing this they will ast well for society ;
for it is evident that the Parent of our race, with infinite kindl
ness as well as wisdom, has implanted in our nature a principle
■which, while it stimulates the individual to the most ufeful in
dustry and the (everest exertions for the particular good of him
felf, provides also by this very operation for the general good of
the species—the good of the community or state. This provident,
this guardian principle, uniform as inftinft in the end it proposes'
but varying its means aicoriing to the voants of others, does more
toward the subsistence and comfort of everv society than the
■wisdom of the witeft governments of earth can even comprehend
flill less accomplish. Ought we not to be cautious then how we
touch with rude hands this exquisite part of the original design ?
for my own part, I know of no better way to judge of the Gene
ral merits of public regulations and laws than by their tendency
to strengthen the natural ties of public and private good. With
out a conftar.t refoorce tothi» in social arrangements, there will
often be an incompatibility, where there ought to be a coinci
dence of interests—there will be a disappointment of the public
and private hopes, in cases where the true objects of both might
have been well attained.
"I make no apology for giving you these desultory reflf flions
jujl as they arise in mind, because I presume not to inftruft you
but only at provoking you to examins for yourfelf a little more
minutely the theory of commerce and the progress of wealth.
Such a study must furnifh many valuable- lessons—it will teach
you that the accumulation of property in almost every nation has
been in an exa& ratio to the freedom and security of the citizens
in acquiring and enjoying it—that as these advantages have been
unequally distributed, fc have their natural effects been produced
■with a proportionate inequality—it will teach you that in the bed
governed couutries the legislators have seldom been willing to
trust the furc and beneficent operations of nature in the mod
fimplc cases, but like officious midwives have prefered their own
skill, and thus have frequently injured and fomelimes destroyed
both the parent and the offspring. In your researches you will
discover in the policy of ouranceftors much to admire and not a
little to condemn. You will join with those who celebrate our
Navigajion Ast as an txcclUnt fuppsrt of natal power, and in this
lefpeft you can hardly give it fufficient praise—but you will per
ceive also, that its true merits are totally mifundeiftood by those
•who consider it in any other view as favorable to the landed or
manufa£turing interests, or look to it as a fonrce of pecuniary
gain to the nation : -On the contrary, you will be convinced that
although it has extended our navigation, yet it has operated as a
heavy tax upon trade and industry—which however has been
cheerfully borne, because ejential to the national defence. That
mod of our lawgivers, as well as some of our ablest writers have
not supposed it to be favorable to commerce or beneficial 'to the
People in any other refpefls, may be inferred from the motives
and circumstances which have occasioned the forming this extra
ordinary law. After the flight provisions maie in the time of
Richard I Id. you will find the firft regulations of sea-carriage
■were in the time of Elizabeth, and that these were made expre/f
---ly with a deflgn to" increase and maintain the navy;" that about
90 years afterward, in the time of Cromwell, the more sxtenfive
outlines of the plan were drawn " partly from a jia/oufy of the
Dutch, and partly to punijh the Colonijls in the Sugar Islands who
lided with King Charles ;"andtho you will discover that the Re
storation Parliament in filling up the outlines have attempted to
combine other purposes with the original intention, yet you will
fee that ihzfrfi oijeff has been the only one attained, and that the
expectation of aiding commerce by such preposterous means has
been, as it always will be, disappointed; yon will discern that
the English, with all their success, have acquired less than they
might have done-and that by grasping at shadows they have
sometimes loft the substance; that by systems of exclusion and
monopoly, they have raised prices artificially above their natural
level to the prejudice of the comfumers and loss of the trade to
the nation ; you will be convinced that " cheapness in a fair com
petition is the befl Cecurity of any b'anch of trade," and that in
some cases it is the" only one ! and you will find that the Bri
ti!h Government by defpiftng this maxim have in fact loft some va
luable parts of trade which, if they had ,efp e £led it, they m i e ht
have retained A review of the effefls of her system will p.ove
to you that it has occasioned to Great-Britain the final loss of
nearly all the carrying trade flie once enjoyed within the Medi
terranean and Archipelago, and on the Atlantic coasts of Europe
and that in reality she has now remaining very little carrying
trade, except what ts properly her own.
* With, the exception of imprejivg seamen, and a few other cases.
(To be loncludcdin our next.)
N E W - Y O R K,
Accounts from Boston, informs us, that a large
double decked brig, was seen off St. George's
Banks, with her fails all handed, and the crew
dead on the quarter, supposed to have been kill
ed by lightning. She had four feet water in her
hold, and on her stern (part of which was niif
iing) \*ts wrote the Betsey of St. John's.
May 10,
FOR THE GAZETTL OF THE UNITED STATES,
O D
ODE 111.
YET OTHER HINTS TO REVIEWERS.
UPON my word—do what I will,
This trouHefoine, and restless quill,
Will scarce pernit my fingers to be dill.
My foul too, urg;s, to pursue
The Hints that Ihave promised you,
And all engagenents lo fullfil.
Come then thou Spiri, whose extended reign
Shall draw Mefliah tothia Earth again,
Heavenly Compajjon hight!
Tho thy mild fcepte ne'er inclines
Where the reviewing} goofe*quill (hines,
Yet, to my bosom kindly prefs'd,
Thou art an inmate of my brcaft,
When Fancy's hand upon my foul imprints,
This tho't—Reviewers stand in need of Hints,"
Come heavenly Sprite, on airy wing,
And, sternly moving, with thee bring
■« f- 1 f- 11 : L.;_
/ (j7
Advice, whose grey, and falling hair
Wakes to scar the sons of care.
Let him lift his squinting eye,
Wide fancying earth and sky ;
Stretch hij logic-bcaring hand ;
Strain cut his wisest hem and haw ;
With earrefl chin o'er-bending fland,
And fo'th his budget of ideas draw.
With such aTiftance, do ye think,
Most nobe pluckers of the Gander's wing,
My spirit fr«m the task will shrink ?
My tongic neglect to sing ?
My dear, deir Sirs ! pray reft assured
No such misfortune e'er (hall happen.
Sublime I fit with thinking-cap on—
Sage Cap ! vith much address procured.
—Whene'er You wish in ridicule to (hine,
And with Your Wit toftrike an author dead ;
Ne'er mind the clipping off of one peor line,
Or more ; they're never read.
But take two periods from a different page,
Place them togctVer ; and, exulting, cry—
u To make this fcnfa Creation we defy."
Then, tho the Auth>r ftiould run mad with rage,
Or boldly write spirited reply,
Severely provingthat You roundly lie;
No matter —laugh—Your purpose is obtain'd :
Or, you may anfwe— u Nothing good is gain'd
il By all this ; and a point we make it
" To (hun news-oaper wars with studious care,
" Where W <*, wk> judge of Books, are ne'er used fair ;
" A good resolve, aid we will never break it."
A fine Reply becaue contempt it lhows,
And lifts You gr«atly o'er the vulgar throng;
Beside, it screens Ycu from an Author's blows,
And bears Your vit triumphantly along.
—Again, with mrlaicholy voice, I cry,
To you, terrific S)ns of Science, ah! adieu !
Once more to ftrikcthe Jew's-Harp I may try,
Sweet, long-ear'd Judges ! I may try for You.
JOHN.
For the GAZETTE of the UNITED STATES.
TO E L L 4.
ALIGHTED from the azure sky,
A Seraph stood before my fight,
And checked awhile the anxious sigh,
And pointed to the Realms of Light.
Celestial Youth his Features fired,
His Eye theßreaft with Hope inspired,
Virtue's own Hand his Temples crown'd,
And Glory shed her Day aronnd.
'Twas Ella ! —wrapt in awe I stood,
And thrill'd with joy the Vision viewed.
Soft as the gentlest shower descends,
His soothing accents flowed,
And, winding thro' the maze of Song,
In playfdl eddies poured along,
Till Nature sighing—sinking bends,
And Life a pause bellowed.
Cease, Ell a, cease thy 'witching Song,
Nor lure me from the earthly throng ;
Too frail to (hine in Virtue's Train,
Too weak to wake the heavenly Strain,
In vain with borrowed Art I soar,
For fickle Fancy smiles no more.
The feeble Meteor's transient blaze
Unnoted finks in Night;
But Nature lives in Sol's bright Rays,
And Nations bless his Light.
7he address oj David Gampbt 11 y one of the judge/ of
the Weft em Territory of the United States, south
of the River Ohio, to the Magistrates of the said
Territory.
Gentlemen,
"PREVIOUS to your qualifications, I beg leave
A to make some preliminary observations. In
the firft place, permit us to bid his excellency a
hearty welcome to the exercise of his govern
ment in this county. His appointment as chief
magistrate over a free and magnanimous people,
inhabiting a fertile country, is Angularly agreea
ble to us, who have had the pleasure of being
acquainted with his great merit. To you who
have not had the happiness of being personally
acquainted with him, let it be a fufficient re
commendation, that he was appointed to his
high office over us, by George Washington, Esq.
Prelident of the United Statesof America, whose
merits are above all praise, by and with the ad
vice of the illuftrioasfenate, who are his Counsel.
While I repeat those strong motives to induce
the attachment of this country in general to the
person, and interests of his excellency. 1 should
do mjullice to my own fellings not to acknow
ledge in this place,his friendly interposition and
aid to individuals in this country in a very cri
18
E S.
HENRY.
tical moment. Any man who can fn A'c
edly serve, nay, I may fay, ft™ "J*"'?*-
venture to fay poffefles a "greatness of f Ol l WUI
proaching the last llage of human l- 8p "
All who are friends ro our present system 0/'°"'
vcrnment, are under equal obligation, ' f 0 "
excellency, who early patronized' our cause f r
tered it in its infancy, a „d concluded it br hi,
friendly aid to a happy i(Tue. J
The enlarged prol'peds of'happinefs in s uch .
country, so fortunately circumstanced, O uo ht
fill our minds with gratitude. Now is th c °ti„
to give fnch a tone to our territorial governinZ
as will enable it to answer the ends of its inftirn
tion It is his excellency's earnest wist, t0
folidate into one, the different interests of dir
cordant parties. Let me encourage you , 0 ur«
such a pacific and friendly difpofitior, amon e t£
people, as will induce them to love order and iu
some inflances to facrifice their individual' advan
tages to the interest of the community.
Let your hearts be inclined to cultivate a f D j
rit of subordination and obedience to the laws"
You may take this as a certainty, gentlemen that
the public can never have a firm existence u'nleft
all the different ranks of men co-operate to it*
preservation, not faintly, but with the utmost
spirit and energy.
We are now under the immediate guardian-
Ihip of Congress, who in all their tranfadtions
manifeft a great degree of magnanimity and jus
tice, let us then in our public and private cha
racters, unite with them, and with his excellen
cy our governor, in making this country great
and flourifhing.
As your court is approaching, you may be at
some loss about the admitting- attornies. It is
neceflary, I suppose, they should all obtain new
licences. The law and ordinance have directed
the mode. I would remind you of the necessity
of confining the attornies to special pleadings.
It will be your duty, gentlemen, to communicate
to the people at large, the principles of our new
mode of government, as far as they have, or
shall come to your own knowledge. Any person
who attempts to counteract so valuable an insti
tution, will merit the punishment, that awaits
him, and the feverell censure from the people.
Let me conclude with urging you to cultivate
harmony, to love order, and do the law.
LONDON.
MONSIEUR Mirabeau lias declared his inten
tion of producing an answer to Mr. Burke's
celebrated pamphlet. It will be, at least, a work
of eloquence, and may prove what is proverbially
denominated, lightning before death.
Madame delaMotte's return to Paris forebodes
no good She has been several times in the com
pany of Mirabeau. Some fay, she was sent for
thither by M. Orleans, in order to depreciate the
Queen of France's character on the famous neck
lace bufinels, and to fix that tianfadtion wholly
on her Majesty. For this purpose, she has pro
duced five letters written to her by that per
sonage.
The real cause of her visit it is difficult to as
certain. She surely cannot have gone to Paristo
have the Fleurs de Lis imprefled on her ftoulders,
erased by a decree of the National Aflembly.—
But (he has been offered ioe,ooo crowns as the
price of her absence, and (till refufes to depart!
The Cherokee chiefs having made us an offer
of 20,000 men, gratitude obliges us to make them
some acknowledgment, whether we accept the
offer or not. We can very well spare them the
members o"f the Halter Club—all our house-break
ers, highwaymen, pick-pockets, and swindlers,
Faro and Eo table keepers, and all their accom
plices, to aii amazing number. Such a colleiSion
would be a truly valuable present. Among them
are found difperfedly all the qualities of able ge
nerals, Ikilful financiers, able negociators, adtive
citizens, and men highly expert at a Coup de
Main,
Were Mr. Burke to appear in Paris, the French
would probably honor him with a lantern, for the
light he has thrown on their revolution.
Lord Kenyon's refufal to grant au information
for a libel, to a plaintiff who complained that a
defendant had published a hand-bill reflecting
011 his character, does that learned Lord the high
est degree of credit; and his directing the in
jured party to apply to a grand jury by way of
indictment, proves that he does not consider, as
other judges have done, that informations are
constitutional in all criminal procefles. Wewant
a few more such men as Lard Kenyon to fit upon
our benches in Weflminfter-Hall—Men who re
f'pedl a jury, and who consider them as the pro
pereft judges between man and man. Informa
tions were intended for the benefit of the fubjeft
—that is, in cases where the prejudice of grand
juries refufed to find a bill.
An authentic miniature of Mary Queen of Scots,
painted by liaac Oliver, from the beautiful and
unfortunate original, has been recently disco
vered. It isfaid to be in wonderful preservation,
as well as an admirable piece of workinanfhip.
The Theatres at Naples and Milan are said te