The

COLUMBIAN

Balance,

REPOSITORY.

"HAIL SACRED POLITY, BY FREEDOM REAR'D!

"HAIL SACRED FREEDOM, WHEN BY LAW RESTRAIN'D !"

HUDSON, (NEW-YORK) TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 1804.

It does not prove, that to reward a villian who had flandered and defamed the It does not prove that it was perfectly best men in our country, even the great right to expend 32,000 dollars in repair-Washington, is either a good, virtuous, or ing the Berceau.

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of their vice-prefident, that they feem un-1] willing to allow the federal editors to give their readers the most common information concerning him. The two fubjoined paragraphs have appeared in the federal prints, which the Aurora (and the Bee copies, it) fays, are fiend like, cold blooded, daft ardly, malignant and cruel."-We cannot discover in what respect they are fo. They are expreffed in the feweft and fimpleft words poffible. At any rate we cannot reconcile it with our duty, to omit the publication of facts which every reader is anxious to know. We live in a pretty land of liberty, to be fure, if we cannot in this decent nanner, ftate a plain fact..

Mr. CHARLES PRENTISS, former editor of the Baltimore Anti-Democrat, propofes to purchase the establishment of the Washington Federalift, and to enlarge it -to publish it three times per week during the fittings of Congress, and twice per week between the feffions-price five dollars, per annum, payable in advance. The following is an extract from his profpect.

Us:

"The principal object of the paper will be political; but between the feffions of Congrefs, and as often as a paucity of ftate affairs or of news will admit, its columns will be devoted to original literary fubjects, moftly of humor. of fatire of poetry and morality.

calumny if true. Are the hiftorians of
Harry VIII. calumniators? Are the bit-
ter fatires of Juvenal calumnies on the
reign of Nero? Then will white robed
truth when from the immortal colors of
her pallette fhe fhail paint the character of
Jefferson for the pained eye of pofterity,
be juflly denounced a calumniator..

I never did, and I never will while edi
tor of a paper give a falfe ftatement, or
falfe coloring to any ftatement, knowing
or having reafon to fufpect such falfhood
at the time. It is impoffible however not
to be fometimes in error, and he is base in-
deed, like an ever deteftable Duane, who
will not retract when convinced of his er
ror. It must be a bad caufe that needs fuch
means. It is true that by thefe means, the
prefent adminiftration has broken open
the doors of honor & confidence;" but
a continuance of these means will not, can-
not continue their illgotten authority. It
is not with me a belief, for belief is loft in
knowledge, I know, and every unpreju-
diced man, well acquainted with the con-
duct of the leading democratic characters
for years back, muft know full well, that
meanness, corruption and faifhoods bare-
faced and innumerable, have humbled the
virtuous and exalted the base, have

Broke open

The locks o' th' Senate and brought in the crows
To peck the eagles.

There are many influential democratic characters, who are fully aware of the groffnefs of that conduct by which they have been deceived; there are fome who have already acknowledged it, and fhame only fecretes the acknowledgement on the part of many others. There are many influential democrats whom intereft has made fuch; there are many whom ambi. tion has made fuch: if the houfe of reprefentatives has not feveral of this laft def cription, they libel their own understandOn the fubje&t of defaming public char-ings. For the worfe or for the better, a afters it is neceffary to offer a few remarks; change muft and affuredly will take place. becaufe thofe very perfons from whom This change muft arife from one, if from have iffued calumnies, falfe as the fire of no other caufe, from the ruinous, and long lies and malignant as the throat of hell, a- ruinous if long maintained principle, of gainst the brighteft ornaments of virtue, changing all the public officers with a from the great and good Washington, from change of Prefident. It was a good reAdams and Pickering, to thofe in lefs ex- mark of Louis XIV, that in every appointalted spheres, are now ready to cry out, ment to office he made one man ungratewhen they hear the voice of truth and the ful and twenty difcontented. The loaves reproaches of merited reprehenfion, that and fishes will operate a change and in the federal preffes tecm with calumnies this coming change, it is the duty of fedand fcurrility. Once they were grieved eralifm to Aruggle, to labor that it may be that the freedom of the prefs would not in favor of virtue and genuine republican. fhelter them from the punishment of falfifm; that the mangled conftitution may hood; and now they complain of the lib. erty of the prefs and are ready to perfecute for the promulgation of truths fufceptible of the ampleft proof. Slander, calumny, defamation, all fuppofe the utterance or publication falle, but however fevere any expreffion or publication may be, it is no

of the fouthern and of the western states, have been told, times without number, that Mr. Adams was determined to introduce Monarchy, that Washington was a legalifer of corruption, a curfe to his country; that the fderalifts wifhed an beredi. tary Senate and Nobility; that Mr. Pickering had robbed the Treasury of hundreds of thoulands; that to screen their iniquity, it was probable that they had set fire to the War Office and the Treasury; with hundreds of falfhoods of fimilar im. port. Such diabolical falfhoods were read and were believed, for half the readers never faw a contradiction. Yet the editor of this paper lives to breathe the air that honeft men breathe; nay, becomes a table companion of his patron, of the Prefident of the United States, and receives the bounties of government as a reward for his labors. And feeing these things, will the friends of their country, of their conflitution, the friends of morality, of rehgion, will the friends of their own wives, of their children, of their pofterity; will they fold together their arms, and unmov. ed fee public and private virtue gathering

ap

their garments to fall with decency: If fuch be not their apathy, let them wake: let them encourage and fupport, as the moft powerful engine for the purpose, the circulation of publications, all the aims of which fhall be "their Country's, their God's, and Truth's."

So various are the views and the taftes of men, that to render a paper generally acceptable, a variety is neceflary in its dif tribution. Serious candid reafoning is declared by one the only effectual weapon, by another, a long piece of found argument or political difquifition will not be read if unmingled with humor or ridicule. There are fome men on whom the foundeft arguments have no effect, who fhrink at the dread of being held up to public ridicule. Satire is a weapon of the higheft utility in virtuous hands; when it is employed, as it ever ought to be, againft vice alone. When ignorance makes pretences beyond its juft claims, when wickednes wears the garb of honesty, when it is the principle weapon of an antagonist, Satire may become a fhield to Truth and a fword to Virtue.. Though to the high characters who are the daily fubjects of the imbecile fatiric attempts of a Duane, fuch attempts may be as unfelt as the bite of an ephemeron on the end of the finger nail, yet when truth demands and juftice directs the fpear of ridicule, it becomes a juftifiable, a be restored and long continued. The prefseceffary inftrument: but knowingly and has been the caufe of the evils we fuffer, wilfully to ftart a tear in the eye of innoand the prefs must be the principal, as it cence, is the part of a fcoundiel. furely is the most potent means of obtaining a redrefs. What has not a fingle prefs, the Aurora, effected? In that paper, and in its copyits, the people at the middle,

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While the bounties of the adminiftration are fo freely fhowered on the National Intelligencer and the Aurora, the two far moft influential jacobin pa pers in the un

ion, their editors are not cramped from want of funds, their publications extend far and wide, and delinquency or lofs by diftant fubfcribers can but little affect them. Not fo with the federal papers; not fo furely with this paper, which is even now embarraffed by fuch delinquency and loffes. There are execurions against this office yet remaining of 1000 dollars, and tho' the debts due, would if paid, cover nearly a dozen fuch claims, the collections are fo tardy that the weekly receipts fcarcely a mount to the weekly expences: hence a neceffary ftep must be put in practice, and the paper of every fubfcriber who shall be delinquent on the first day of January next, fhall abfolutely be ftopt, and the speedieft methods taken to recover payment."

paper.

We folicit patronage for the above

Editor's Closet.

GUN BOATS.

In our prefident's late meffage to Congrefs, he tells of the "obftacle to naval enterprize which gun-boats offer for our feaport towns;" of "their utility towards fupporting within our waters the authori ty of the laws ;" and finally, he talks of a time when all our important harbours, by these and auxiliary means, shall be secured against infult and oppofition to the laws."

Before this meffage had been out of the prefs long enough to get dry, an account arrives, that

"Commodore Prebble has bombarded

Tripoli; and deftroyed 3 and taken 3 GUN-BOATS and one Xebec, and done confiderable damage to the forts and town."

Never was a fine theory more complete. ly knocked on the head by plain matter of fact. That Commodore Prebble's little fquadron, fhould deftroy more gun-boats than No. 1. and No. 2, put together, augurs rather unfavorably for Mr. Jefferson's "obftacles to naval enterprize."-The bashaw of Tropoli, it feems, like our prefident, had calculated much on the protection of his gun-boats. He undoubtedly thought beft to defend his harbors by "the

As

fmallest force competent"-xebecs, gun.
Befides, friends, they make us pay for our
bread and butter more than ever. Flour
boats, and fuch trumpery; and these he
probably expected would" fupport with.
that was 28. is now 56/. a hundred, and
butter is raised from to 2/4 per pound.
in his waters the authority of the laws" and Still the twelve fhillings for our paper is
"fecure them against infult and oppofi- only an hundred and fitty cents yet, and
tion." But, alas ! how was he deceived. that wont buy a decent load of wood. And
The finalleft navy that floats on the ocean,
we tell our landlord, too, that you dont
has not only infulted him, violated his laws,
pay us, but he charges as much rent as
though you were never fo punctual.
demolished his gun-boats, and played the
for the paper-maker, he fwears he would
devil with his xebecs; but has alfo damag-
not give a fhilling for an hundred dollars
ed his forts, and battered his town about not paid, or an hundred and fifty that we
his ears. Well, if the little remnant of
cant get. And our good friends at the
bank are fuch admirers of punctuality
our little navy, could make fuch havoc
that fifty next weeks wont pay the dif
with the Bafhaw's obftacles," what in
count on forty dollars-I'll call again dont
the name of common fenfe is to become pafs with thefe gentlemen. The country-
of our No. 1 and 2. fhould England, men, alfo, wont take Wait a few days, I
France or Spain, fend fome of their frig-fingle chicken, or a flick of hickory-and
have no change, for a bufhel of potatoes, a

ates and fhips of the line to infult us, and
to infringe and oppofe our laws? The de.
mocrats will answer, They can flee to the
cornfields, and our lord high admiral to
the mountains. Sobeit.

The laft papers inform us that Commo. dore Preble, has been fuperceded in the command of the Mediterranean fquadron. We are not informed whether this is merely because the commodore is an eastern man; or whether his enmity to gun boats, evinced in his late enterprize against Tripoli, has given umbrage to our governpoli, has given umbrage to our government. But this is immaterial. He is a brave officer, and a good citizen. Then, why need we feek for farther reafons for his removal?-More on this head next week.

ART OF DUNNING.

the hills are white around us, while we fhiver to think of it. Yet the money comes flower than ever, and a dollar, is as great a rarity to a printer's eye as a rainless review at Claverack. It would feem as if we lived in a land of promife-but promifes without performance are like clouds without rain, under which the land perifheth, or flowers without honey, upon which the Bee muft ftarve and die-which Heaven forbid, and you prevent, before John Doe and Richard Roe go collectTHE PRINTER." ing for

Although we think that this Dun, taken together, is about as ferious a peice of pleafantry and wit, as we have ever feen,

ftill we cannot give it our unqualified approbation. There is one paffage in it, which is certainly very obfcure. What will diftant readers fuppofe the editor of the Bee means by "a rainlefs review at Claverack ?" Perhaps it is not univerfally known that Holt has obtained a captain's commission In no fpecies of writing has our neigh--that though he cannot perfuade a single bor Bee discovered any extraordinary ingenuity and wit, except in his Duns; but in these, we confefs, he has excelled every body. It may be faid, that " practice makes perfect" or that neceflity is a whetstone which gives wit a peculiar keennefs. Be that as it may, it is certainly true, that almost every Bee that has appear. ed in Hudson, has contained a dun, fcarcely two of which have been alike. The following appears in the laft Bee :

perfon to enlift under him, he neverthelefs attends punctually at Claverack at every military review; and that it has frequently happened to rain on those occafions. We think the fentence might have been greatly improved, thus :-" A dollar is as great a rarity to a printer's eye, as a Spark of wit in the Bee." Every reader would have acknowledged the juftness of this comparison.

Correspondents.

A second piece from "LEANDER" is received, and shall have a place next week. Our objections to the first were grounded on particular passages. Political topics are not less agreeable than others.

Agricultural.

FROM THE WILMINGTON MIRROR.

Experiments in Agriculture.

EXPERIMENT IV.

A

a

for those whom we must quickly follow;
when I fee kings lying by those who de-
pofed them; when I confider rival-wits
placed fide by fide, or the holymen that
divided the world with their contests and
difputes. I reflect with forrow on the lit-
tle competitions, factions, and debates of
mankind; when I read the feveral dates of
the tombs, of fome that died as yesterday,
and fome fix hundred years ago, I confid-
er that great day, when we fhall all of us
be contemporaries, and make our appear-
ance together.

Miscellany.

FROM THE PORT FOLIO.

THE BRITISH SPY IN BOSTON.

LETTER II.

| and comprehenfive view of each circum. ftance, and his judicious arrangement of the whole, obtained for his client the extraordinary fum of one hundred and fix thousand dollars, which has almoft made me a convert to the opinion of the great Frederic, upon the propriety of fhackling or reftraining the afcendency of genius, nor permitting that to influence the decrees of justice. A mere flatement of facts, given in common-place terms, would probably have beftowed on the plaintiff his forty thousand dollars, and prevented the infolvency of the poor heir at law. Refpecting Mr. Parfons, I find it a general fentiment to anticipate fuccefs, wherever he is engaged, and to confider the palm of victory as decidedly his due. Hence, moft fortunate are they, whole alacrity shall firft poffefs his affiftance: and hence, the multiplicity of his employments, and the honourable affiduity, with which he devotes himself to the intereft of his client, would infure him a princely fortune, were his difpofition rapacious, or in any degree avaricious. But, liberal in his temper, and moderate in his defires, at the head of his honourable profeffion, his fees are faid not to be proportionate to his individual importance, and extortion of every kind a ftranger to the character of his practice and his propenfity.

FIELD of fifteen aeres, light loam, was in April 1784, fowed with barley and clover; the produce only 20 bufhels to the acre, the ground not having been fufficiently manured. In 1785 it produced a good first and a tolerable fecond crop of clover. In 1786, the first I CONTINUED at the fupreme court crop but tolerable, the fecond very indifof judicature, liftening and obferving, unferent, & therefore paftured. In the fpring til the important jun&ture, when Theophof '87 I wished to try it Gypfum would ilus Parfons," THE GIANT OF THE LAW," not renew the clover-in the month of as he is aptly denominated, opened his imApril the whole field was covered with preffive argument. To a mind, naturally Gypfum, fix bushels to the acre, except acute, comprehensive, mighty, and origin, the width of 20 feet through the middle of al, he is faid to unite a memory fo retenthe field. St. John's wort, mullin, and tive, that what he has once added to the Theophilus Parfons has been announcother weeds had taken fuch poffeffion of rich store of his understanding, no lapse of ed, by fome faftidious foreigners, as the the ground, that although the manure pro- time, no preffure of occupation, can ever only lawyer, in the genuine, and moft ex. duced a great luxuriancy of grafs, yet be arreft. This treasure of profeffional knowl-tenfive fenfe of the term, that America has ing full of weeds it did not anfwer for hay; edge is the inexhauftible fund, whence the produced. This is faying too much-He is, and therefore was paftured till O&t. 1788, unlearned, and the indolent obtain their indifputably, the first the most learned in authe whole was then ploughed eight inches daily fupplies of precedent and authority; thorities, the most powerful in argument, deep, with a strong three horfe Dutch-tor he imparts his intellectual wealth, with of the greateft ingenuity in foiling his opplough; in April 1789 it was well harrow- the liberal indifference of one, who feels. ponent--Of a wit, impromptu and farcaf. ed, and crofs ploughed four inches deep the unrivalled afcendancy of his own at- tic, while his aftonishing mind, always at with a light two horfe plough, leaving the tributes and acquirements. I had the home, now plunging into the deep and infod at the bottom. pleasure of measuring, with all the facul tricate receffes of unexplored jurifpru. ties I poffefs, the proportion of his mind dence, then lightly fkimming round the with the management of an intricate caufe, flowery fields of fancy, ever fuperior, and brought for the enormous fum of four never trivial, even in trifles, with a heart hundred thousand doHars, against the heir of benevolent feelings, untainted by ava, of the late lieutenant governor of the com- rice, and unwarped by ambition, a mormonwealth. I found the general opinion, ality unimpeached and unfufpected, and a previous to the opening of the cafe, against temper marked by forbearance and good the probability of the plantiff's recovering humour, that difarms enmity, and turns more than thirty or forty thousand dollars, afide the arrows of profeffional envy and and under an inferior genius, it is to be rivalfhip, it were to be prefumed that refprefumed, fuch would have been the a- pect and affection, like handmaids, would ward. Never have I found greater legal attend, and honours would court his acability, nor more profeflional faithfulness, ceptance. This is not found, and why it than were difplayed by Mr. Parfons, upon is not, weld, to a merely fpeculative unthis interefting occafion. The oppofite der ftanding, appear abfurd or nugatory, counfel were the attorney general, and Still, for a man, thus endowed, thus dig. Samuel Dexter, men of diftinguished tal-nified, there remain private refpe&t, indi ents, and refpectable flanding but com-vidual affection, and univerfal applaule. pared with the brilliancy of his mind, all Were this a world of angels, it might be other vividnefs appeared dim, every glow thus: but Theophilus Parfons, with a of the imagination faint and colourless. mind, in which the amiable, the great, In fine, the pre-eminent powers of this and the good, are blended, has confitu man, his laborious research, his trong tional negligencies, characteristic peculiar.

The field was fown with fpring barley; at harvest the difference of the crop was aftonishingly great in favor of the part, where Gypfum had been put two years before.

Monitorial,

To aid the cause of virtue and religion.

EXTRACT.

W

HEN I look upon the tombs of the great, every emotion dies in me; when I read the epitaphs of the beautiful, every inordinate defire goes out; when I meet with the grief of parents upon a tomb flone, my heart melts with compaffion when I fee the tomb of the parents themfelves, I confider the vanity of grieving

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