For the Gazette of the United States.
Mr. Fenno,
I beg leave through the channel of
your paper to enquire of the Physician
who reported to the infpe&ors of heal:h
lad Friday, thfi\ the yellow fever had
again made its appearance in this citv,
but that it was not at present contagi
ous what could have induced him to
make filch a report ? No benefit can a
rise to the public from a knowledge . f
such a fa£t, admitting it to be as ftateo,
but a great deal of damage: btcaufe
such reports cannot fail of alarming and
filling with dread, the minds of thoie
who arS not pufieftcd of the Doc
tor's fine discernment and capacity of
splitting diseases into grades, sub-grades
end lemigrades ; therefore such a report
will not only rendfir multitudes uneasy
and interrupt the usual course of buli-
' tiefs, but injure the interest and reputa
* tion of the city in several other icfpeiSb.
If tile disease really exiited, it would
be commendable to found the alarm—it
would be criminal to be silent ; but if it
is not in the city, or if being in the city
■ it is not contagious, it is the height of
cruelty to create utclefs terror and alarm
in tke minds of the citizens.
But Mr. Fenno, is it not very extra
ordinary, if the disease is in the city,
and the Physician alluded to has had 26
cales of it since June, that it has ap
peared to none of the other Piiyfrcians,
not even to those who attend the Dif
pertfary, which I am assured from the
bed authority is the cafe ?
A Physician who has great weight
tmh the credulous and ignorant, has
already attempted to ruin the reputati
on of this flourifliin? and delightful city,
by pubHfhing an pinion that the late
' pcftiletitial fevtr waj generated in it }
and that its situation and climate is fa
vorable to the generation of the ifcilt
malignant maladies. If such an opinion
was not every man who
knows erf that Physician to
be a t° fuppoft a mis
taken t Jt proceeded from
a rage etieemed the most
learned Universe j the au
thor would in a few years have the di
vine fatisfaSion of feeing this populous
and prolperoua city <4eierted by all its
opulent inhabitants, and become a so
litary waste where he might fit alone
" smiling ghastly o'er its ruins and en
joying the fruits of his Angular opini-
Ah"
Jf the opinion of that phyflcian was
founded in fas, Mr. Fenno, luch would
be the bliiflcd consequence; for who that
has any regard for health or life, would
venture to miuih in a city notorious for
generating plagues which put life in perpe
tual jtoplrdy?
This however, fortunately i« not cred
ited, and the city, in spite of the reveries
of Philosophers, Pibyficians, and Conjur
ers, will fipurifh for ages yet to come; and
•9, hen all all the sources of flagnant water
in its Juburbs come to be removed or cor
fefttd, If Will be one of the most healthy
fituatiorts in A:nerir ~ Open on every
fide to the dddefs of the winds—with 4
tlry foil—ih-eets favourably arranged—the
inhabitants, industrious,, cleanly, and well
informed; —it cannot in the nature of things
be unhealthy. Compare its bills of mor
tality With those of Baris, London, Edin
burgh, Vienna, or Stockholm, and you will
at once be convinced how much rhore
healthful it is than cither of those.
Be under no concern my fellow-citizens,
the Yellow Fever is not in our city, nor is
it pofiible for it to be generated in it, in its
present fituStioh.
WALTER QUCERIST.
front the Salem Gazette.
NtR. GUSHING*
I SEE in the Centinal a nqmber of
iowns mentioned, and Salem as one of
them, which will soon, of have already
begun a contribut ion for our unfortunate
brethren of Boilon, the late fufFerers by
fire. This is truly laudable and praifc
worthy; and I feel that it is my duty
and thu duty of every other person, to
give on such occasions, our feafaring
brethren excepted. At iirft fight it
may apipenr strange that any exception
should be made ; but I believe upon a
little confideratiort the reasons against
their giving will he thought good. I
will suppose one of my neighbors, father
of a large family, goes to sea for their
maintenance, and takes the little he
has, fay 1501. and embarks on a voy
age ; but a few days after he fails, the
vefiel finks; he and his (hip-mates are
taken tip by fom<? othrr vefiel, and he
gets home with a few old rags on his
back : those who knew him fay to him,
"I am sorry for your loss." How far
this will go towards feeding his wife and
children, every one fnatt know. I will
now suppose another of my neighbors
gets his liviog on the Ihore, as the sailor's
pliiafe is ; has a small house, fay worth
150 I; but it so happens that it is burnt
downs this is no great loss to him; for
the ciiftom is for the inhabitants of the
town in which he lives (and by the
fame ciiltom he has liberty to go to other
towns to make his complaint) so con
tribute to makeup hislofs, anil tie often
gets more than he loft: and here the
lcaiaiiiig man mud contribute, or be
iligmatized as an unfeeling) inhumane
wretch. For heaven's fake why should
he, since he is uot helped the fame or
some other way \ How such a cuilom
became eltabiifhed, or why such dif
ference was made between neighbor and
neighbor, is what I, as well as many
others, wish to know. Perhaps some
good re&fon might be given, and I will
wait patiently to hear it.
A friend to all, without exception,
EQUALITY.
From the Boston Ckntinel.
Mr. Russel,
THE great attention of people, of
late,* to building bridges and ftraighten
i»g the roads for public travel, has put
me upon enquiring What great advan
tage can be expected by attending so |
much to this matter; and this may be i
known by observing the quantity of
travelling on any given road.
Suppose the value of 20 teams, paf
fiiig per day on an average, allowing
300 days in a yearj at 12 cents per
mile per team, amounts to a saving of
two dollars and 40 cents per day for
every mile that isfaved, and 720 dol
lais per annum ; which, rating the in
terelt at four per cent, requires a fund of
18000 dollars to raise it; io that saving
one milt's tiaval on such a road, is
equal to establishing a fund of 18000
dollars for the public ; and every rod so
saved is worth two and a quarter dol
lars per annum at that rate, and is equal
to eilablifhing a fund of fifty-fix and a
quarter dollars.
Suppose a itevv road of 18 miles is
required in order to save one mile, and
the laying out and making it colt iodo
dollais, at three dollars and 1 i and an
half cents per red, (and the making
rbads will not cost more than half a
dollar per rod in this (late, extraordina
iie» excepted) : so that the road sup
posed, will, when made, be worth
more than fix times what it coll to make
it; and in cafe it be laid out and made
so enfy that 20 hundred weight may be
carted at a load, with a teaul which
can cany only 18 hundred on the old
road—this (as far as it refpefts'carting
heavy loads) is double the advantage
of the above-mentioned Ihortening—
and is supposed to be as great an im
provement : lo that where both these
improvements happen together; the
road supposed, is worth more thaii
twelve times what it cost to m::ke it.
lnthis view it is that the public might
be greatly served, by takrfig up the
matter on a large scale, and laying out
the public roads the nearest and best
way pofiible, even if the expence of
opening them through enclosed fields,
&c. should be great, and at present in
tolerable. In tliis cafe a load might
be very ferviccable for winter travel for
many years before it could be fenced
out, and would be better before
than after on account of snow
drifts and might be used ill summer
with gates, and until the owners of the
lands could conveniently fence it out.
By this means the road would be in
view of the public, and plans would be
laying to forward it People would know
where to work at the road so as not to
lose their labour, and where to set
their buildings, fences, See. and it
would be obviously a very gicat advan
tage to pofteiity, and posterity would
no doubt be sensible of it.
A New Hampjb'irt Farmer.
From the American Daily Advertiser.
To the People of the United States
LETTER IV.
!j.THE prediction mentioned in my firlt
letter begins to be fulfilled Fteflj fymp
toins every moment appear of a dark con
spiracy, hoflile to your government, to
your peace abroad, to your tranquility at
home. One of its orators dares to prosti
tute the name of Franklin, by annexing it
to a publication as insidious as it is incendi
ary. Aware of the folly and the danger
of a direiSt advocation of the cause of the
Infurgents,lie makes the impudent a tempt
to inlift your passions in their favour—by
falfe and virulent railings against thofewho
have heretofore feprefented you in Con
gress. The fore ground of the piece pre
fepted you with a bitter inventive against
that wife,- moderate, and pacific policy,
which in all probability will rescue you
from the calamities of a foreign war,
with an increase of title dignity and
with additional lustre to the Ameri
can name and character—Your Repre
sentatives are delineated as corrupt pu
iillanimous and unworthy of your con
fidence ; because they did not plunge
headlong into meafutes which might
have rendered war inevitable ; because
they contented themselves with prepar
ing for it, inilead of making it, leaving
the path open to the Executive for one
lait and solemn effort of negotiation—
because they did not display either the
promptness of gladiators, or the bluf
termg of bullies—but a (Turned that firm,
yet temperate attitude which alone is
suited to the Repretentatives of a brave,
but rational people—who deprecated
though they did not fear it—and
who have a great and solid interefl in
peace which ought only to be abandon
ed when it is unequivocally ascertained
that the facritice is absolutely due to
the vindication of their honor and the
prefervatioa of their effentiitl rights
—because iii fine; your Representatives
wished to give an example to the world
that the boa I ted moderation of republi
can government# was not (like the pa
triotilm of our political barkers) an
empty declamation, but a precious re
ality.
The Tallies of a momentary ferififcility,
roused and stung by injury were eicufa
ble—lt was not wonderful that the
events of war, were under the firil irii
preflions heard from goad, and even
prudent men—But to revive them at
this late hour, when fadts and reflection
unite to condemn them; to arraign a
conduct which has elevated the national
charadter to-the highest point of true
gloiy—to hope to embark you in the
condemnation of that conduit, and to
make your indignation againit it ufeful
to the cause of lufurredtion and Trea
son, are indications of a wrong-headed
nefs, pervei fenefs or profligacy, for
which it is not easy to find terms of a
dequate reprobation.
Happily the plotters of mifchief know
ye n<j* —They derive what they mistake
for your image, from an original in their
own heated and crooked imaginations—
and they hope to mould a wife, reflect
ing and difjiailionate people, io purpc
fes which pre-fuppofe an ignorant un
thinking and turbulent herd.
But the declamation against your Re
prefcntatives for their love of peace—is
but the preface to the main delign—
That delign is to alienate you from the
support of the laws by the fpeftre of an
"odious excise system, baneful to Li
berty, engendered by corruption and
nuitured by the Instrumentality
(favoured word, fruitful fourcc of moun
tebank wit J of the enemies of Freedom."
To urge the execution of that system
would mariifeft it is said an intemperate
fpirii ; and to excite your disapprobati
on of that couife, you are threatened
with the danger of a civil war, which
is called the confumtnation of human
evil.
' To crown the outrtge upon youi un
derflnndings ; the Insurgents are repre
sented as men who understand the prin
ciples of freedom and know the horrors
and diftrefies of anarchy, jind who,
therefore fiiuft have been tempted to 1
hostility against the laws by a radical
defect either in the government, or
in those entrusted with its administration.
How thiifthe partition which divides the
infinuatiort from the afTcrtion, that the
government is in fault,and the insurgents
in the right.
Fellow-Citizens ; a name, a found
has too often had influence on the af
fairs of nations; an Excise has too
long been the fudcefsful watch-word
of party. It has'even sometimes led
astray well meaning men. The experi
ment is now to be tried, whether there
be any fpdl in it of fufficient farce to
unnervirthe arm which it may be found
necessary to raise in defence of law and
order.
The jinglers, who endeavor to cheat
us with the found, have never dared to
venture into the fair field of argument—
They are conscious that it is easier to
declaim than to reason on the subject
They know it to be better to play a
game with the pafiion* and prejudices,
than to engage seriously with the under
flanding of the auditory.
You have already seen, that the me
rits of excise laws are immaterial to the
question to be decided—that you have
prejudged the point by a foletnn consti
tutional aft, and that until you shall
have revoked or modified that aft, re
finance to its operation is a criminal iii
fraftion of the social compact, an in
verfioil of the fundamental principles of
Republican Government, and a daring
attack upon your sovereignty—which
you are bound by every motive of duty,
and felf-prefervation to withstand and
defeat. Tha matter might fafely be
fuffered to reft here ; but I (hall take a
future opportunity to examine the rea
sonableness ot the prejudice which is in
culcated against excise laws—and which
has become the pretext for excrfTes
tending to dissolve the bands of Society.
Fellow-citizen*—You are told, that
it will be intemperate to urge the exe
cution of the laws which are refilled
what ? Will it be indeed intemperate in
yotii Chief Magistrate, sworn to main
tain the Constitution, charged faithful
ly to execute the laws, and authorized
to employ for that purpose lorce when
the ordinary means fail—will it be in
temperate in him to exert that force,
when the constitution and the laws are
opposed by force ? Can he answer it to
his confcicnce, to you not to exert it 1
Fellow-Citizens —Civil war is un
doubtedly a great evil—lt is one that
every good man would wish to avoid}
and will deplore if 1 virable. But it
is incomparably a less evil than the def
trudtion of Government. The firit
brings with it serious but temporary
and partial ills—the last undermines the
foundations of our security and happi
ness—where (hould we be it it were
once to grow into a maxim, that force
is not to be used againit the seditious
combinations of parts ot the communi
ty to refill ihe laws ? This would be to
give a Carte blanche to ambition—
to licentiousness ; to foreign intrigue;
to make you the prey, of the gold of
other nations—the sport of the paflions
"and vices of individuals among your
selves. The Hydra Anarchy would
rear its head in every quaiter. The
goodly fabric you have eitablifhed would
be rent afuuder, and precipitated into
the dust. You knew how to encounter
civil war. rather than fui render your
liberty to foreign domination—you will
not hesitate now to brave it rather than
furrendei your to the tyran
ny of a fart ion—you will be as deaf t»
' the apollles of anarchy now, as you
were to the emiflaries of despotism then.
Your love of liberty will guide you now
as it did then—you know that the Pow
er of the majority and JLiberty are in-
Crparable—Deftroy that, and this pe
rishes. But in truth that which can
properly be called a civil war is not to
be apprehended—Unless, from the adt
of those who endeavour to fan the
flame, by rendering the Government
odious. A civil war is a contest be
tween two Great parts of the fame em
pire. The exeition of the strength of
the nation to suppress refiQance to its
: laws by a sixtieth part of itfeif, is not of
that defct iption.
After endeavouring to alarm you
with the honors of civil war—an at
i tempt is made to excite your sympa
thy in favour of the armed faction by
' telling you that those who compose it
i arc men, who understand the principles
' of freedom, and know the horrors and
J diftreffet of anarchy, and mull there
j fore have been prompted to hostility
' againit the laws by a radical defedt ei
! ther in the government or in its admi-
niftratioa.
Fellow-Citizens ! For an answer to
this you have only to confnlt your senses.
The natural consequence of radical de
fed in a government, or in its admini
stration is national dillrtrfs and fufFering
—look around you—where is it ? do
you feel it ! do you fee it ?
Go in quest of it beyond the Alleg
hanny, and inftcad of it, you will find
that there also a scene of. unparralleled
prosperity upbraids the ingratitude and
madoefs of those, who are endeavour
ing to cloud the bright face of our po
litical horizon, and to mar the happi
est lot that beneficent Heaven ever in
dulged to undefcrving mortals.
When you have turned your eyes
towards that scene—examine well the
men whose knowledge of the principles
of freedom is so emphatically vaunted—
where did they get their better know
ledge of those principles than tliat which
you pofl'efs ? How is it that yeu have
been so blind or tame as to remain quiet,
while they have been goaded into hos
tility against the laws by a radical de
fed in the government, or its admini
stration ?
Are you willing to yield them' the
palm of difcemment, of patriotism or
of courage?
From the Gene, a I Mvertifer
Authentic account of the Jiege of Grand
Terre (Ouadaloupt) By the Britijh
forces the beginning of July.
Jervis having colle&ed all his forcet
from the several islands, appeared off Point
a Petre with fix (hips of the line, one being
a three decker, twelve frigates and fixtecn
transports. The troops landed at Gozier
without difficulty, and began by entrench
ing themfetves very strongly, though im
mensely superior to the French. The fort
of Fleur d'Epee was their main object;
tho* iiumerotm as they were they could have
stormed it, the bold invasions »f the French
evinced an heroism which they thought
more prudent to harrafs and attack by re
gular means. They dire&ed their force
against Morne Mascot, a hill which com
mands Fleur d'Epee with advantage, and
which the French had evacuated on
account of their numbers being too small to
preserve it. live batteries were ere&td
oa Morne Mascot, with much precaution
and labor ; one of five mortars of 11
inches, another of five 36 pounders, ano
ther of three howiuers, a fourth of eight
pieces of lefler weight, ar.A the last 0 ? rhr.-e
16 pounders, and 2 Three
large gun boats were ftationeu abreast of
Fleur d'Epee.
The town of Point a Petre, on the
other hand was commanded by two cairns
potted on two hills, where two refpedUl lie
batteries were also credted.
The French had to oppose Ihefe for
midable preparations, fori of Fleur d'
Epee, whose artillery was well served
The two frigates who brought ;he troops
from Europe they had difniautled, and
with their cannon had eftablifncd leVtial
batteries to counteract thole of the enemy.
The Uritifo kept up for many dav« a
molt tremendous cannonade. The town
was almost reduced to ruin. The Com
missioners had hardly a house to remaiu in.
The (hipping which the French had taken
amounting to ninety fail, was much in
jured by the fire from the floating batteries
and so were their two frigates. Advan
tageous terms were heldforth by the British
commander, the Sans Culottes rejedlid
them, determined to fee the town r.nd
Clipping reduced to ashes rather than iiib
mit. Such adlive corps as the commission
ers could spare were employed in harrjffmg
the camp of the enemy, so that the British
did not leave their entrenchments.
At latt the Republicans refolred no
longer to combat with an enemy who
kept always at a distance, and alked to
be led against the British oil fort Morne
Mascot. Preparations were according
ly made: Two column* of 250 nun
each were marched out, one of which
did not reach the place of attack by
the perfidy os-its treacherous guides.
The only one which arrived began the
attack against 1800 men, and climbed
the almost inacceflihle trenches of the
enemy. The Republicans had made
themselves masters of two pieces of can.
non ; but at lad overpowered by num
bers, they retired with the loss of 110
men killed, none prisoners. The ene
my loft according to their own avowal
250 men. An armistice of four hours
was agreed to on both fides in order to
bury the dead. The Britiih commander,
while the French were performing their
own service, could not abstain from be
llowing the highelt eulogiums on their
undaunted bravery.
On the 30th of June the French
feeing that the enemy were adding from
day to day to their works, it was refoly
ed that a general attack fliould be made
against them. As few men as poflible
were left in the post, and a sortie effec
tuated to the number of Boq men against
Morne Mascot. The adtion was bloo
dily fought 1 The Republicans had al
ready rushed into the enemy's entrench
ments, when their rear was thrown into
tonfufion by some crying " we are cut
off by the British 1" The enemy rallied,
and came on with frefh troops ; the van
of the French made head for a time a
gainst an enemy ten times their number,
but at length fell back in good older.
Three hundred of the Republican troops
were killed or wounded; none were
made prisoners.
Elated with this fuccef9, the British
redoubled their fire in the night of the
Ift of July. Shells and balls were in
cessantly poured into the town, inso
much that it becamc untenable, and a
bout 3 o'clock in the morning the Bri
tish in theii turn bore upon it in two co
lumns, The out pails of the French
were on their guard, and their army
retired in good order to a neighboring
hill, called Morne of the government.
The enemy puihed into the town 2000
strong ; the Republicans were threaten
ed with military execution; one of their
Generals was coward enough to lament
their lituation, and reproach the com
missioner that he was going to deliver to
death such brave and generous soldiers,
The litter mod publicly declared
their utter abhorrence of so base a con
duit, and warmly applauded tHe refec
tion of the commiflioner. The attack
began ; a molt tremendous fire was kept
up for several hours: The French fought
like the three hundred Lacedemonian*
of the Thermopylce. The heat of their
fire, and particularly the judgement
which directed it put to flight the re
mainder of the British, a major part of
whom'were killed in the town. The
enemy fled after a most obstinate en
gagement from 3to 11 in thefoienoon ;
a great part of their artillery was left on
the ground, 250 were made prisoners.
Gen. Symes was mounded, Gen. Gowi,
and Capt. Robertfon who commanded
a corps of 500 sailors were killed with
30 officers of less note, and their total
loss amounted by their own account t<»
860 men ; the French were occupied
two full days interring the British, and
more than two hundred yet remain in
the woods without sepulchre.
TULLY.
In the night of the 2d, notwithstand
ing their defeat, the British refolveci to
make an attempt on fort J leur J' Epee;
a (lorm of bombs and cannons, more
terrible than ever, seemed to threaten !t
with utter deftru&ion. Many republi
cans fell; every one however performed
his duty with eagerness, the batteries of
the foit were inceflantly lined with men,
and answered the fire of the enemy with