Gazette of the United States and daily evening advertiser. (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1794-1795, December 03, 1794, Image 2
CONGRESS. HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES. Thursday, No/ember 27, 1794.. Delate on Mr. Dayton's motion to re- Jlore the tuorJs " fclf-crcaUdfgdrtiet and," nihuh had teen in the ail drift to the Prrfident in anfiver to his Speed]. „ Mr. DEX TER rose ill reply to Mr. Madison. He said that, if he stewed the fubjeft as trivial hi some gentleme 1 appeared to, he would not trouble the lit, ufc with any further remarks, ifur having lo lonjr detained them White in committee ; if he viewed the amcn.l -raent proposed as dangerous to the moil perfect freedom of expreffi ig political opinions, as the gentleman seemed to who was lalt up, he would be the lalt to fupp-.jrt it. He said that the molt certain way to cieltroy this freedom was i" encourage an unlimited abuse of it, and the <vay 10 rendtT a fiee prels nle lels was to proltitute it to the base pur poses of party and fJlchuud, until wea ried With coidiant impoiiiiuus the pub lic wpuld jejvqi all irtfo.i'rtialion Jrum that fouice as uncertain and delusive. Ho said that thefttuftfiKcelsiui Weapon tiled by the enemies of civil trecdoin ever had been, to p,i(h iheideas of 1 beity to iuch wild extrcmt-* rs to render it im practicable and ridiculous, and ttuis to compcl the sober part of the communi ty to (übmit t«. usurpation as a leli evil than u:ter infl-ciirity and anarchy} he adced, if America loses her liberty, this will be the instrument of her de struction. We poflefs, he said, greater equality of property and information than any other nation ; the means of fubliftence ait so enfily obtained that no minis neceUanly dependent on the will of another; troni thele circumltaiices our countiy is more fit than any other, for a republican forrh of .government ; if we fail iu rj)aiitainiiig it, we (hall be fairly conlidered to hive made an expe riment iu>t only for ouifelves, but for the world, which will prove that the beautiful theory of civil freedom is not practicable by man ) that ambition and envy, aided by ignorance, are naturally j tno (trong for patriotifni. Mr. D,-.<ter i said, that the nature of civil freedom is uioreobfcure thnn its real friends could [ wilh ; that it confilts rather iii what it forbids than in what it allows, that man ; was free before he became a member of society, that the jrest object of afjpci- j Bting was not to obtain fieedom, for that was polTelTecl before ; b.ut to guard .i id the abuse of it in violating the ' rights of others. My liberty*- he said, I is that all other citizens are lellmined from violating my rights, and the liber ty of each one of them is, that 1 and all others are equally rertrained from viola ting his rights. Rdiraint then is ne ceflaiy to conltitute civil librrty, and the unifoimity of this reflraint, as it ope rates equally on allclafleS of citizens, is equality, i know Sir, that a do&iine very different from this has been hofden by some falfe ap v o(tles of liberty, and t':tt theafpiring, tlif vicious, the defperaltf and the weak have flocked to this stand ard ; by them the power to violate the rights of others, and ilidurb the public peace with impunity,has been prophane lv called liberty, and»the universality of tins has been called equality. Cap I be a freeman, Sir, if the government, vhich is my only security for all my rights, may be invaded with impunity, and my reputation the dearelt of all pof* feflions, and the bed reward of virtue, blaftid by the foul breath of flarrder and falfehood ? When tills (hall be admit- 1 ted as • principle in the American code, i we, (hall call that freedom which will be 1 our mifcry ; we shall cease to deserve 1 liberty; we (hall need a matter. Let men meet for deliberating on public 1 matters ; let them freely express their 1 opinions in conversation or in print, but ( let them do this with a deceit refpcCt ; for the tvitt of the majority, and for the t government and rulers which the people \ have appointed ; let them not become a c band of coufpirators to make and pro- ! pagate fnlfeh'iod and slander ; let them j not instigate to the highelt crimes a- 1 gainst society ; and, Sir, if any have so ( done, let not us .•ncourage them in tbefe t outrages by calling them the exerciteof e the inviolable rights of freemen. To c fuffer misrepresentations of government f to gain credit among the people, is gi- 1 ving a blow to the weakelt part of our c government. It would be a molt im- \ portant political acquisition if means j; could be devised to scatter thr'o' the u i nion true ideaspf the measures of govern ment. The bell intentions cannot now t guard the citizens from being deceived a by the cunning and depraved ; some j improvement on this fubjeft fevms ef- v fentially neceflary to perfect the system i j of political freedom. Scattered as our j i • \ countr) men ane over an tmraenle coiin try*, and employed in ufeful indultry, ! perhaps this -is rather to be wished for •thurt expaEtrtl 5 but wc can at least take ii»eifiiies to prevent the moll fatal ef fects fr >m misrepresentations and scan dal. Mr. Dexter said, he had made these remarks as being applicable- to molt of tire reasoning againll the propo- I fed and particularly to that " uF the gentleman from Virginia who lc l.ill fat down, (Mr. Madison.) Pie was no mote inclined to infringe r. rights which the people had rcferved d than that gentleman, but he did not 1 Know aiy ariicle or principle of the ie corrltitu ion by which the people had .1* reserved to tY mfelves tho precious right n of vilifying and mifreprefeui ing their 1- own government and laws and exciting II treason and rebellion with impunity. »1 However inestimable the right of fre« o difcufiion of public "matters and of a It free press might be, and no man valued it them more highly than lumfelf, he is thought that when they were'fo almfed t, as to bccoift'e holtile to liberty and threaten her deltruftion, the abui'es - ought to be corrected, and he argued 1- from the principle of felf-prefi rvationf - that the government of every country ti mull have the right to do so. Unk'f. ■ ■ thofc are more frcred than the very li n tieity they are designed to secure, this r cannot be denied. Mr. I), obfetved 0 that Mr. M. had dated as a principle, 1- from which to argue and on which al u m-ilt all his deductions were founded, a proportion so doubtful in it felt that 1 it ought rather to be proved, than -as- 1 e fumed as a firlt principle frgrfi which to , reason, vie. that we cannot rightfully - 'ntermeddlc in any way with a iubjcdt, 1 r which we cannot regulate by law. Ad- I 1 mitting it to be a tnieaud fclf evident 1 f proportion, however, he said,' it eon • 1 eluded nothing againli the amendment.' I For it would It ill remain to be proved, 6 which it never coiild be, that the legif- 1 r. lature had no right torcftrain such a- 'i ; buses by law. He did not think it ne- | 1 -* j cefiary or expedient to make any law on J I - ■ the fuhject, he hoped ;t never would | 1 r bs; but he did not doubt the right to i' : forbid such flagrant outrages on social I £ order and all arts tending to produce ' 1 them. There can be no better proof, ■ rI he said, that such .laws may be made ' r ' than that they now exilt. Mr. M. had I 5 mentioned religious societies as not to I ! be piohibited by law; as such Mr. D.. < laid they clearly could not be, no more < 1 , could harmless di feu (lions of political * ! (übjeCts by individuals or aflociations j 1 j but would any man doubt, when under 1 ' the pretence of the of these > rights the blacked crimes were inftigat' ' ed and that the law had a J 1 I right to punifti J The clubs have waged c war not only with the government which a the people have inflituted and the rulers f which they have appointed, but they a have counteracted all the mod efienti- t al principles of rcpublieanifm. They, (3 being a (mall minority, have attempted f to controul the majority; to ufuip a si power which the people never delegated ( to them, to aCt as censors nay con- z troulers of the government and laws ; fl they are refponlible lo nobody for the *' exercise of it, and are to continue in n office as long as they (hall pleafc. Such " l societies hfive all the properties, except I the power, of absolute despotism; yet . 1' these tyrants prate about liberty and j prophane the name of republicanism. Mr. D. adverted to Mr. M's obfervati- t on that the censure intended mud be a puniflimerit, and that the House had 110 ll conltitutional right to conviCt of or pu- ft nifh for crimes. If, the proposed a- t r mendment.be a punilhment, he said, it P is of a singular kind ; it is punishment f l in the abftraft without an objedt punilh- 31 ed. It fays that ccrtain felf-created so g cieties have trefpafled, Can this be ni called a (ligma on all such societies ? ™ The word certain forbids this condruc- o! tion. Which society is puni(hed ? None tc unless conscience or public opinion (hall a ' designate the object. The Ptefident in another part of his address has lamented that certain citiV.enshavefhewnthemfelves at capable of an insurreCtion, and we have P ( done the fame in our answer; is this a C( digma on all citizens ? It had been re peatedly said, that the measure is un necellary, because the danger has sub- c fidcd ; but he a(ked, is it not neceflary inform the people from whence the evil arose, to guard agrinft a repetition of it 1 Can we always presume on the fame prompt patriotism of a future Executive; or the fame public conii- of dence in his measures, "if.d compliance re with his requisitions ? Or on the-fame P J good fortune in reclaiming or fubiugat ing the disobedient? There was a time when the infurrec- ro tion was truly formidable ; it rose like m a waterspout threatening to annihilate m gravity and throw the Ocean to H.ea- Pi ven ; as that by force of the general w principle of attrarftion returns again to " jts former level and mixes <rith the fur- fp ' ■r' a * . " y » v ;* rounding wat<rt, so this civil tumult has , been overcotre bf the energy of the laws; but it is folly to incur future : evils prefumitgon iimilargood fortune. The heavy iand of delpotifro nuy forveably holddown she scale which pre ponderates, aid preserve public ordei ; > ';ut in free :ftablifhments like ours t .vhere the scales arc nicely balanced, • the smallest breath diflurbs the equili- j i brill m. i A gentleman from Virginia, (Mr. j Giles) has ccmpaitd the amendment to tlie denunciations of France. I hole .vrre not uttered by the organs of the public will; dey were denunciations of individuals or felf created societies a- ; galntt individual", wheieas this is neither. This is only flying a fad for public in formation. Tie fame gentleman and many ;<Jthers have, said that we have no (Efficient evidence of this fait. We : know fir, that resolutions of filch focie ; ties encouraging rebellioji were made and published ; we know that their na tural esseS did take plage. Knowing then both the cause and effect, can we doubt of their connexion ? If I fee a iirelock pointed at a man, hear the dis charge, Tee the man fall, I on infpedlion find a ball lodged in his body, can 1 doubt as to the cause of the death of the man, because I could not t:e the ball pafa from the muzzle; to the man ? Mult we fee things in their nature invi sible, before we believe ? The Prcfident has' been present at the scene oi infur re£tion, we lrave his testimony on the subject, and other official communica tions r.'.e not wanting. We have the pointed teftfmony of tlie member from Pennfflvania, (Mr. Scott) who was an eye witness. He teHs us that the club there dire&ed the infurrettion, that the famd men were leaden iq the club and in the field, and that the)' corresponded with other clubs. The gentlemafi from Virginia, la(l alluded to,' has said that difconteat and diflurbance exiffed there prior to the eftablifhmetrt of clubs. But does it follow from this'that their mea f fines when' cftablifhed did not encreafe j the evil, and, by deceiving the tnalcon i tents as tothe principles and condutt of the Government and the disposition of the people,' encourage them to take aims ? The dubs declared they spoke the opinion of the people and the de luded Irtfurgents believed tbem. The fame gentl 'man has said that the Prvfi dent addrelfes the public, and not us, on thi* fubjed,' and therefore does not expect an answer. Why fir (hall not we join in the address, if it be true and ufehil? The Senate have done it ; if we do not, we seem to coYitraditl it. If we do not, we create a dangerous disa greement between the different branches of Government, dititatt the public mind, and encourage disorders. If the mem ber from Peonfylvania is to be credited, and no rilan will dispute his teltimony, the clubs are more criminal than the deluded insurgents; yet we have cen fured the latter without refervc.—Why fir, has the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Giles) criminated so severely our zeal on this question ? Why has he con demned the oratory it has excited, when he often gives us such handsome fpeei mens of it? If liberty and Our country | are in danger, it is treason to be cold. 1 From the gentleman's censures on the , look reasoning and warmth in favor of i the amendment we were led to exptd , from him the mod dispassionate demon- ' ft rat ion, yet the gentleman appeared in ] some of his reasoning more ingenious j than solid ; it was too fine spun to be strong. The strength of his understand- r ing, like the intense heat o ( the fun, t produced a vapour to obfeure its own t effulgence. One plain diftiixftion is an ( answer to mod of the reasoning of 'this gentleman and his colleagues. We do r not contend sot controulingor even aniA r madverting on the rights of opinion or , of publilhing opinions. We wi{h only , to call the attention of the public to the abuses of those rights and the crimes such abuses have produced, which en- t danger the existence of those very rights, r and Mberty in general, in order that the t people knowing the evil, may themselves c corredl it. Debate to be Continued. f Foreign Intelligence, i NATIONAL CONVENTION. Sept. ii, Carnot, In the nime of the committee of public fdfety, presented the following a report on the events that preceded, accom- I; pamed and followed the furrenderof Valen- T ciennes, Conde, Le Quefuoy, and Lan drccKs. v " Your committee had resolved to fur- ' roond the enemy, and cut off their com- 1 mnmcation. Jourdon executed this deter- ruination on the banks of the Sambre, I ichegru <>n the banks of the Scheldt. It *3 , nC , tem ""y to retake the fortreffes of which the enemy had obtained possession, and in order that it might be done more ipced.'y it was resolved to adopt revoluti- a onvry ineans ; the decree of the 16th , Mefiidor ordered, that such of the £ar [ rifons should be put to the sword as refufed : to surrender within >4 hours after being ' summoned. Nevertheless it >vas not for - ' gotten that this law might become a ter rible weapon agaiaft ouri'elv&>, by infufing ; despair into the minds of the foreign troops. The committee felt that the con vent ion j did 1 not mean ;o pass a da.cree of ' j carnage, but to save the country. They j therefore fuffered the generals to jife their j own prudence, with relpecfl to executing • (or not executing the decree. The four 1 garifons were restored to tiie republic in : less than four decades. " We fourid ill Valeucieinus, 3 milli • ons of florins, in specie, iix nnilions and a half of livrcs. LanJrecies did not ' chtife to wait till her forrificari'ons fliculd be injured. Le Qtifroy and Cond■? made still less resistance. i'he comni?ndcrs of fucii of the places as did not obey the decree within 24 haurs preTcrTTitu, were arrefieiT and rendered responsible for the non-exe-. cution of the decree. DeFpots are the on ' ly persons whom the convention would pu i nifti, and not those who have the misfor tune to he their slaves. (Loud applaiifes) ' » Notwithilandiiig the perfidy i i Kobe ' fpierre, who gave it a: hia advice, that each of the places (hould be aiTaidted, tho' he knew that each aflault would cost us at least 6000 men, notwithfiand'ng the hopes of that monster who waited only for a , check on th< part of our for the purpose ofaccufing his colleagues , Valen ' ciennes, Conde, Quefnoy, Landrecies, and Newport, coil little blood to the republic, ere they were reftorred. The garrisons fuirendered at discretion, and France triumphed by her gencrofity and cqurage. "In rcniembrauce of thefc blifsful e venfs, Conde has received the name of Nord Libre ; and under the walls of th at fortrefs we found 190 waggons of llorts, provisions, and ammunition of all k.nds. " The emigrants taken in the different garrisons, have been delivered to the mili tary tribunals. The national representa tives on mifiions, have taken proper steps to restore to those fijur communes thi usu al activity in their commnii, primary schools and authorities." The report was received with great ap plause, and the Convention immediately decree that, 1. It Oiould be printed and sent to the armies, the popular societies, and conflic ted authorities. j. The convention approve of the mea sures taken by the committee of public fafe ty relative to the furrenderof the four gar-* rifon», and the decree of the 16th Mt . dor. 3. That f'X copies of the report should be delivered to each of the depu'tics. LONDON, Oa. 3. Twenty Bylanders,loaded with flores belonging to the Britilh ;irmv, have been taken by the enemy tn passing down the Metife. The PriK'hmation for the further prorogation of the Parliament to the 2 Kof B<fxt mimth,- is cxpccKtl to ap pear in the Gazette of to-morro\v even ing. Yefterdav, a patent palled the Great Seal, appointing Lieut. Gen. Sir John Vaughan, K. B. commanding general of the troops in the Weft Indies, in the room of Sir Charles Grey, who is on his return to England. Orders are given for all the troops in British pay to be withdrawn from the Dutch Fortresses. The combined Svvedilh and Danish squadrons, confiding of 12 Ihips of the line, 4 frigates, and 4 cutter?, failed 011 the 14th ult. with the Prince Roval of Denmark on board the Admiral's (hip, on a cruise in the North Sea fur a month* The Prince Roystl haslandedßt Elfinem, but the United fleet is to keep at sea for a month. I he mifundei Handing Between Den mark and this country, is so completely done away, that the Danish Underwa ters have again begun to .take influences on ships. The Ruffians defeated the Polilh Ge nera) Chliwinfki, on the 2 1 ft, of Augufl near Olika. The Ruffians took the whole Polish camp, lix pieces of can non, and killed 200 Poles. October 4. We understand that the difference be tween a Great Perfjnagc and Mr. Pitt, no longer lubfifts. The parties have been leconciled through the interference of Mr. Dundas, and the Duke c.f Port lan.l It is now fettled, if His Roy al Highness the Duke of Yoik, is pre vailed upon to surrender the Command ' ofthe British Army to another General, that the resignation of the Earl of Chat- ' ham, as ftrft Lord of the Admiralty, ' immediately to follow. ' 1 Otlober 3. Yellerday afternooiuthree mefiengers 1 and two mails reachcd towr from Hoi- ' land. The mefiengers v.-ere MefTrs. ' Hunter, Caviza and Major. The latter, 1 who came last from the armv, left it on the 26th. His Royal Highness the Duke of York had changed his ground. No action had taken pi ate. J 1 From a London Pupcr of the ±th ' Ofiober. \ \ THE SPECIAL COMMTSSiOM. The Special Comwiflion for the trial of < V h those eonftflgd - m tflf To _ r- [of High Trtafon, wa« vcluS ii at tiieiSefllont-Houfj * °raio g Ihe Cofteniffionen were , E i ,* d 4 r es» Julhcc of the Common 0* - Chief Baron of the Exrh.„ hc W, S g» ii Mr. Baron Hotham. er > md - Tiieir Lord&ips ai ha'f ->f* ; r iuing y jeant s Inn, whence -4iev we, r iion to §mithfield, ' I ; .by the county officers. *' r tlicm to H i , .". 1 ' i was lined uv.hc iKulr. ii. the court acd t! - aliooft innumerai' i Their Lordships t J places oil the bench, the '& 11 " 1 fion was read. The ■ f'l to the Appointaient of a i when out of thelegal onmW r ' ncl were i'elccted tlte ioliov •,» . r viz. Denj. Winthrop, Forum; , ; - John Henry Svnedet Geon-c , ' • Tdward Ironsides Joseph La'uufta I Bejamm Kenton Thomas Cole ' ?l wf ° n Harberton Robert Wi'kirfou John Eyres George g Milk Williafn Pardoe Allet Henry Wri 'h John Perry John HaW& ** i Samuel Winflow Rowl. Stephen!™ Henry I'eter Cuffe John Campbell Samuel Hawkins and John Hankey Tho. Everett Efcr'i The Chiefjufticeaddrefledthe grand jwv and concluded with a humane admonition in favor of life. « It is" said he, « your bu'nels to stand forward in protection of your fellow-fulijedts, if innocent. If you (ball believe them, by the evidence to be laid before you, not guilty of the heinom crime with which they stand charged, it is your duty to ignore the bills, Li not fubjedl them to a trial for their lives. " But at the fame time you ought alio, if a fufficient ground of accusation f! 'l appear, to take care of our grac out So vereign, anu the preservation of our hap py and itioft valuable conftilution. The gtaud jury having retired, thirty fix witnefles were fwprn to give their evi dence on the firft indiiTiruent; after whitk the jury piopeeded in the examiution of witneflfe, and afterwards adjourned till ten o'clock this morning. V UNITED STATES. FREDERICK- TOWN, Nov. to. On Friday last came to this town, fix perfou-i, amongik them the celebrated cap tain Hoffher, w'th high treason a gainst the and laws of the 0- nited States: they wer arretted.fpmetime ago, in the county of Waflungton— thty left this town on Saturday morning escort ed by a suitable on thei- wiy to * Annapolis, to take their trial at the gene ral court, now fitting in that city. HAVERHILL, Mass. Ndv. »i. On Tuesday last, that noble -llruo tlire the BRIDGE ovtr Merrimack river, was opened for Pafleilgers (a work liupendous, and which was tho't by our ancestors impiafticable bui by the genius of the worthy Prefi deut and Directors, in its orgination, will be the wonder and praifeof ofpof terity :) At fun rising flags were dif- i played and cannon dilcharged from the feveraj arches : At three o'Clock, P. M. the Prelident Vice President and Dirc&ors, Aitificeis and Labourers eacli with fume tool emblematical of their profeflipn, walked in proeeflinn over it, from this Town to Bradford shore, followed by the Clergy, Civ! and Military Gentlemen, the School Mailer with his Scholars and other? which col ledted upon the occasion, to tht number of about 2000 —On the verge of the river, a Collation was pidvided for them hy the proprietor?, and the whole invi ted to partake.—At fuu ftfting the flags were ft ruck at the discharge of the cannon on the bridge, and the company fcparated—The regularity • and order that was observed among fueh a large colledh'on, w;.a very remarkable. The strength, elegance, workman ship, and situation of this bridge, is not equalled in America, and perhaps not excelled in the world : it is feet lon£, 34 feet wide, with three arches 182 fret each in length, supported by Stone Piers and Abutments. BOSTON, Nov. 22. John Hejuy, of the American The atre, who died not long since, on h s | palTage from New-Yotk to Newport, ! iiad too much meiit to quit the flage '' this world, without foroe txpreffior* .>r applanfe for having performed well tRe part of an honest man, an agreeable companion, a genuine philambrorw, i and a sincere friend. He was educa 'ed at Trinity College, Dublin ; firtred u ' der Gen. Burgovne in Portugal, and was for fowe time in the faniuv of Duke of Northumberland, when I "d Lieut, of Ireland. He came to A .nc rica in a dramatic charadrr, 2ino has not onlv been admired a* •'■'■''h, highly esteemed for the quat'iicio 'i| heart. He had conversed much the world, and had palfed throug * great variety of fcencs in the trn<i | comical farce of thi* life. When we