pofition that Bonaparte would make fome facrifices to his love of peace, hoftilities were not expected to take place at pref ent. Twenty fhips of the line were on the flocks at Breft. The First Conful having determined to put St. Domingo in the fame ftate as before the revolution, 50,000 troops were to be fent there in the month of May.The nephew of General Rochambeau was at Havre ready to fail for the Cape. He will be the bearer of difpatches for his uncle from the First Conful, which it is faid contain orders not to pare any of the negroes taken in rebellion! Touffaint remained in confinement in the tower of Befancon! All the negroes found in France were arrested and taken on board the fhips at Breft. Egypt was evacuated by the British on the 10th of February. A fecret Senatus Confulta, it is faid, has increafed the allowance of the First Conful to the immenfe fum of thirty. fix millions of livres per annum. The veffels fitted out for the expedition to Louisiana were yet in the ports of the Batavian Republic. The British minif ter having declared that on their going out, the cruifers of his nation would take poffeffion of them, is probably the cause of their detention. They have been ready for fea more than five months. [Mercantile Advertifer.] WYSHINGTON, MAY 13. The following contents of letters received from Algiers, as late as the 21st of Febuary, exhibit, we believe, the moft authentic information: The fpecie fent by the Government of the United States to the Dey of Algiers had been rejected by him, and naval flores demanded, conformably to our flipula. Lions. The Dey threatened that uniefs this request was complied with, war would be declared against the United States. thousand dollars, as an extraordinary pre- || Half of the fum ftipulated to be paid by non. On the 9th of January the Dey declared war againft France and Denmark, and ordered the confuls of thofe nations to depart from Algiers but on the next day intimated to them that they might remain for fome time. The Dey at the fame time revoked the pacific arrangements made with France in Auguft laft, and demanded confular prefents and two hundred thoufand dollars. In confequence of thele meafures, all the French merchants had left the Regency. In July the Dey demanded one hundred One hundred and forty-five thoufand dollars is demanded of Great Britain for runaway flaves, without renouncing an old claim for 187,000 dollars. On the 30th of January the corfairs were all in port. On the 2ift of February there arrived at Algiers a Spanish trigate, and conful, with prefents to the value of 55,000 dollars, and fpecie to the amount of 100,000 dollars. Two corfairs were expected to fail on the 22d of February. [From the above statement it appears that the United States are comparatively well treated by the Dey; and that there is reafon to expect that either from motives of refpect or fear, he will refrain from difturbing our peace.] [Nat. Intel.] GENERAL ORDERS. ALBANY, APRIL 20th, 1803. The Commander in Chief fubmits it to the Brigadier Generals and officers commanding brigades to appoint the time for the annual reviews and infpections of their refpective brigades, in order that the convenience of the militia may be conGidered. By an at paffed the last feffion of the Legiflature, the Brigadier Generals, and fficers commanding brigades, are to attend the annual reviews and inspections of their different regiments, and corps, to give fuch orders as fhall appear to them beft ca'culated to improve the fyftem of ment to furnish them. We understand that the Dey poffeffes the right of demanding ftores; and that in confequence of the requifition effectual meafures have been taken by the Govern-military difcipline eftablifhed by law, and for improvement in military exercife and manoeuvres, and to give timely notice to the Major General of the divifion to which they refpectively belong of the times fixed for the annual reviews and infpections; to the end, that he may have an opportunity of reviewing a portion thereof every year. By the flate act, the commanding officers of regiments and bat tallions are to make returns in due form, of their refpective corps, to the officer of their respective corps, to the officer commanding the brigade, within one month after the annual review and infpection-together with a return of vacancies and other cafualties, naming therein the perfons entitled to promotion-from which laft mentioned returns the brigadiers are to form brigade returns, and tranfmit the fame to the Commander in Chief, on or before the first day of February, in every year, and as foon as may be to make brigade returns to the Major General of the divifion. As these duties are enjoined by law, and are effential to the public fervice, the Commander in Chief expects they will be faithfully performed. To prevent irregularities, and imperfections in returns, the Adjutant-General is directed to tranfmit blank forms to the different corps. It is indifpenfibly necelfary to regular promotion of officers, that their relative rank is afcertained; Boards of officers are therefore to be appointed in each brigade, by the commanding officer thereof, for this purpofe without delay. As appointments will in future, be made in the order that the returns of vacancies are received, it will be interefting to the officers that thofe returns be promptly made; and it is earneftly recommended, that they be forwarded to the AdjutantGeneral's office as early as the firft of Jan. uary, fo that time may be afforded for completing the appointments and iffuing the commiffions in the courfe of the winter. The Commander in Chief conceives it to be a peculiar duty, at this important crifis of public affairs, to exhort the militia to ufe every exertion to provide themfelves with arms, and for their improvement in military difcipline and knowledge of tactics. Government relies upon them for national detence; and from the opinon the Commander in Chief entertains of their patriotifm, he flatters hinf-If it will be their first pride to render themselves eminently worthy of the high confidence repofed in them. By order of his Excellency, THE following anecdote of Sir Sidney Smith is related by a Gentleman who attended him in Egypt: At that important moment, when the French were driven from the walls of Acre, the Pacha, in the first paroxifm of joy and furprize, exclaimed," Sir Sidney Smith fhall be King of Acre." That gallant officer, feizing the opportunity, claimed the fulfilment of his promife, by requiring the reins of Government for one day only. This request was granted, and Sir Sidney devoted that day to opening the prifons, and liberating a number of unhappy victims of Turkish barbarity, who had long languished in those loathfome dungeons. A FEW years fince James Malone, Efq. Mayor of Cork, imagining, if he could trip the beggars of the miferable and fickly appearance they generally made, he fhould diveft them of the firongeft claim to the charity of the humane, came to the following agreement with one Geoghegan, one A CERTAIN gentleman (who has not of the conftables, who was by trade a bar-been long dead) was fo entirely refigned to, and dependent on, the will of Providence, that whatever accident happened to him, he not only faid but thought it was all for RESIGNATION. ber, viz. He directed the barber to feize faved. General, and offered to ftand godmother to him. Peregrine, Lord Willoughby, hav ing the gout both in his hands and feet, received a challenge from a perfon who was fcarcely his equal in point of rank, and which, being fent at fuch a time, could not be deemed the lefs impertinent. The high fpirited nobleman was greatly exafperat ed; and to prevent a poffibility of his cour age being called in queftion, or his nice fenfe of honor or propriety being doubted, he offered to meet the perfon with a piece of a rapier between his teeth :-The matter of courfe dropt, and the challenger was regarded with contempt by the whole court. TERMS OF THE BALANCE. To Country Subscribers, who receive their papers A handsome title-page, with an Index or Table of Contents, will be given with the last number of each volume. Advertisements inserted in a conspicuous and handsome manner, in the Advertiser which accom panies the Balance. Complete files of the first volume, which have been reserved in good order for binding, are for sale -Price of the volume, bound, Two Dollars and fif. ty cents-unbound, Two Dollars. The whole may be sent, stitched or in bundles, to any post-office in the state, for 52 cents postage; or to any post-of fice in the union for 78 cents. PUBLISHED BY SAMPSON, CHITTENDEN & CROSWELL, The COLUMBIAN Political. FOR THE BALANCE. 66 HAIL SACRED POLITY, BY FREEDOM REAR'D! 66 HAIL SACRED FREEDOM, WHEN BY LAW RESTRAIN'D !" THE DESTRUCTION OF LIVES BY THE PREDHOME, a zealous revolu tionist and jacobin, who, as he was no inconfiderable actor in the horrid cruelties of the French revolution, can no wife be fufpected of exaggerating thofe bloody fcenes, has in a late publication flated, that the victims of the revolution in fix years and about four months, that is, from June 1789 to October 1795, amounted to the number of two millions twenty nine thousand fix hundred and fix that twelve : AND HUDSON, (NEW-YORK) TUESDAY, MAY 31, 1803. Holland, Flanders, Germany, Switzer- - : hundred and fixty five women and children were thrown into the fea at Toulon that nine hundred thoufand perished in La Vendee; fifteen thoufand of whom were women, and twenty two thoufand were children: that thirty two thousand were adjudged to death at Nantes, by Carrier; among whom, five hundred chil dren were fhot to death, and fifteen hundred were drowned; and two hundred and fixty four women were fhot to death, and five hundred were drowned; and that a hundred and twenty four thousand whites, including women and children; and fixty thousand blacks and people of colour, of each sex and all ages, were deflroyed at St. Domingo. France, during several years of the revolution, refembled an immenfe Volcano that difgorges its lava upon the adjacent territories. Her armies poured over and laid waste the neighbouring countries of Balance, REPOSITORY. BEATTIE. ceffity; and his character was eulogifed and exalted to the ftars. In fact, it feemed to be an established principle that the French neither did nor could do any wrong. This implicit confidence in Gallic equity and generofity continued unfhaken and unabated till Bonaparte feized the reins of the government and feated himself on the throne of the Capets. It was no longer ago than the year 18co, when a writer under the fignature of "A Citizen of New-York," fpoke the fentiments of his party in the following eulogy on the policy, conquefts and mafiacres of the French. It is not forgotten that thofe fcenes of fied all the cruelties and enormities of ot over heaps of flain, laying wafte the without the ftrongest provocations? No! ever magnanimous, the fair and imnutable principles of justice have been the faithful guardians of her conduct." Nothing short of infatuation or a partial derangement of intellects could have led men of any degree of honefty thus to bef "The plains of Europe, fays this writer, are whitened with the bones of innocent and guilty millions. The fatherless and the motherlefs are bewailing their lofs in this fanguinary war; but yet the purchafe is cheap. Providence has authorifed it, and ages of happiness and liberty are defined to fucceed centuries of mife depreffion and fervitude. "Furnish an inftance in which the rev. olutionary government of France has departed from any folemn ftipulations with her neighbours. Has he violated the laws of nations in that grofs and dishonourable way that diftinguifhed the cabinet of St. James? Has he made power the measure of her juftice and the umpire of her differences? Has fhe yiolated the MARASASKAN MALAY tow unqualified and unbounded applaufe on all the doings of the rulers of France, during the tremendous tempeft of its revolution. Future generations will read with aftonishment an impartial hiftory of the political phrenfy that feized half the people of thefe flates; and will render a juft ribute of honour to the memories of Washington and Adams, by whofe prudent adminiftrations, with the aid of the whole phalanx of federal republicans, it was checked and repreffed; and the coun try faved from anarchy and from the tangs of the French. FOR THE BALANCE. REMOVALS. | nefs is arrayed in the garb of fanctity. nefs is arrayed in the garb of fanctity. Deceit always approaches us in the plainnefs of fincerity; and ambition is unfufpected in the furious declaimer for public liberty and the rights of man. To diftinguilh, therefore, accurately, between the true patriot, and the mere office-hunter, is effentially connected with the welfare of the Republic. That there is danger will be the Republic. That there is danger will be readily conceded, when it is confidered, how eafy it is to appear a patriot-and how great the inducement to hypocrify is, in a country where we muft neceffarily ruft much to profeffion. Thefe reflec tions are intimately connected with the fubject I propofe to examine. MUCH UCH has been faid upon this fubject. Many have been irritated by the violence and rapidity, with which they have been made; and many wounds have been inflicted which will not probably be, healed on this fide the grave. It is an unhappy reflection that fo fruitful a fource of animofity fhould have been opened; and fill more unfortunate is it, that any portion of the people fhould have been perfuaded, that the general intereft is confalted by removing individuals of one party, merely to make 100m for individuals of another party. The reflecting men of all parties perceive in this opinion ground tor unaffected lamentation. It is an opinion inculcated by, and altogether pleafing to, those whole patriotifin is ambition, and whofe love of the people is proleffed to conceal their luft of offices. After all that has been written on the fubject, have not yet feen it treated in what I deemed the proper way, and am therefore induced to offer a few obfervations to the thinking part of the community;-for 1 do hope there are yet many who have not renounced the interefts of their country who have got adopted the notion that the democrats can do no wrong. This principle is fundamental in the British government as regards the king; and when in America it fhall be adopted with respect to any party, our liberty is gone. Removals from office may be confidered to be made either on account of incapacity or delinquency in the officer, in which cafes they are of public benefit; or elfe they are made on account of the political opinion of the removed; and in this cafe are of moft pernicious confequences. I am not a modern philofopher. I look around me, and do not fee that mankind are approaching to angelic excellence; and my fellow-citizens must pardon me, if I am fo ungracious as to confider all the defcendants of Adam to be nothing more or less than human beings; having many good qualities, and fome pretty bad ones-capable of noble actions. -capable of the most criminal. I cannot blafpheme fo much as to bellow out continually, that their voice is the voice of God; at the fame time that I believe they are very fit to govern themfelves, as long as their paffions do not govern their reafon as long as they take care that no perni-ufes cious notions are fuffered to grow into cious notions are fuffered to grow into fundamental principles. And that the great body fill mean right, and will still judge fairly, I believe, or affuredly, hould not fpend my time in appealing to their judgments I ufe that term, becaufe with their paffions I hold no I con verfe. Whenever removals are on account of incapacity or delinquency, the public good incapacity or delinquency, the public good is promoted. This is fo plain a propofi tion, that the reader fhall not be infulted with proof; but it is neceffary to my purpofe that it fhould have due weight in his mind. | must be because the exercife of his reafon is controuled. In a free country, where the right of fuffrage is enjoyed, it would be called the worst of all tyrannies to put a citizen to death for voting against the prevailing party.-It would be equally defpotic to banish him-or to confifcate his property, or to deprive him of the right to vote, or to inflict any other punifhment. This will not be difputed.Measures of this kind would be called by no other name than perfecution. But the degree of punishment makes no differ. ence furely in the effence of the crime, It is the quo animo that conflitutes the nature of the offence. The deprivation of an office is equally perfecution with in. ftances I have mentioned; not fo difa!. trous indeed, but fiill it is perfecution; and by how much the lefs the public in dignation is likely to be excited by the act, by fo much the more cruel and barbarous in the perpetration. We will take the cafe of Mr. Henry, late Comptroller.Had he been what is called "a Republican," there is no doubt he would have remained untouched. He had not been in an unreasonable time; for if that had been a real reafon, then Simeon De Wit, Surveyor General, appointed daring Mr. Clinton's first adminiftration, would have been removed. It could not be (the' that was alledged by Mr. Spencer) because he paid fome attention to his profeffional atfairs, for that was not prohibited by law; and the Attorney-General himself, tho' pofitively prohibited by law, is fill in the fame ftyle of practice as formerly, tho' he another's name, for form fake. I could not be, becaufe Mr. Henry was lefs capable than Mr. Jenkins. Shewing the reafons which could not have operated, it i follows that Mr. Henry was removed for his political opinions nav, this was ftated in the Council by Mr. Spencer. And that the public might be at no lofs on the fubje&t, it was flated in a labored per formance at the time, that Federalism was the people had infcribed this dreadful fen the crime. It was even pretended that tence on the ballot boxes- Turn them out, they are unprofitable fervants." This the members of the Council chofe to fancy, altho' the removed officers have fince, in many inftances, been elected to important trufts. But it is unneceffary to confume ink and paper on this point. It is well-understood on all hands, that the removals made by Mr. Jefferfon and our flate Council were on the ground of inproper political opinions held by the offi cers, as they alledged, and as they faid the fubject in a true light. Now, to my people had decided. This is placing the mind, whether a man is guillotined, disfranchit ed, or removed from an office which be would otherwife have been fuffered to en joy, merely en account of his political Many and powerful arguments may be In a free republican government, there urged against removals for opinion fake, in are two prominent objects of purfuit. a free government. I fay in a tree govThe one is the profperity of the republic; ernment; becaufe in a monarchical one, the other is, the gratification of ambition. depending as it does on force, the monTo purfue the firit is always honorable ; arch is fupreme, and every deviation from to be known to purfue the laft is always his will neceffarily weakens his ftrength. ignominious. Whenever a vice is con- But in a free republic the people are fueeled, it is always under the appearance premie; therefore univerfal, unchecked of its oppofite virtue. Thus the knave exercife of opinion is the vital principle forever affetts honefty, In countries (our of the lyftem-it is the right of a free own being unhappily no inftance) where man to enjoy and perfift in a wrong o religion is the grand defideratum, wicked-pinion, because if he has not this right, it tenets, it is equally perfecution; in either cafe it is the power of government punifhing opinion, and the degree of the punishment forms the only diftinction be tween the cafes. But it is thus that perfe cutions begin. The public mind is first accustomed to the leffer kind, and is made to follow, ftep by step, as the perfecutors may venture to proceed, till the country where liberty of opinion and its concomitant bleffings once flourished, feals the deftruction of her rights, in the exaltation of a Cæfar, a Cromwell, or a Bonaparte. Indeed, it is aftonishing that free people who had foftene 1 the punishment of the wort of crimes, fhould choofe that period for the introduction of the punishment of opinion. And to that part of mankind, which we deem enslaved, we do certainly prefent the curious fpectacle of a nation, whofe government avowedly refls on the freedom of public opinion, permitting our immediate agents, thofe to whom we have given the most power, to perfecute others whom we have made inferior, for a difference of opinion! I do not mean that there is any thing peculiar in Mr. Henry's cafe; but having pointed to him, we will, for the fake of clearness adhere to him as we proceed. It is granted he is removed on account of his political opinions, and it is faid that this is fair, because he was appointed for the fame reafon. Let us puríue this reafoning and fee where it ends. The people were Federalifts, and therefore appointed a Federalift. Mr. Henry then was appointed by the people, (or their agents who our adverfaries fay are the fame) becaufe he was a Federalift, and then, he is removed on the very ground on which he was appointed. This is making the fovereign commit a complete fel de fe. It is making him as capricious as a child. Yet this is not all. He is made guilty of breach of engagement. If Mr. Henry was appointed becaufe he was a Federalit, it must have been unjust to remove him for the virtue which exalted him. And the fovereign is eftopped (as the lawyers call i) from hewing that he thought at the time like a fool. And, befides, if the demo. crats are right in faying that the voice of the People is the voice of God, then furely it can be no more nor lefs fo at one time than another. [REMAINDER IN OUR NEXT.] Descal Balance Closet. To those of our distant subscribers, who have even seen a single number of the Bee, and who have thus become in some measure acquainted with its quality and character, it may seem surprizing that we should deem it worth a moment's attention. But, let it be understood that the Bee, destitute as it is of truth and honesty, has to boast of high patronage-that it is cherished and supported (after a fashion) by some of the leading democrats of this town and county-that it is forced and crowed into the hands of farmers and mechanics by the underlings of faction as a correct vehicle of political infor mation, &c. When these things are considered, it will be admitted on all hands, that it is our duty to detect its falshoods, expose its baseness, and correct its misrepresentations. The Bee has attempted, by various methods, to divert our attention from these objects; but, unfortunately, it never has yet fallen upon the right plan. It has abused and blackguarded the senior editor-it has boasted, and bragged and threatened-it has affected candor-it has twisted into all the curves of an expiring eel-it has quibbled and evaded-it has, in short, done almost ail but the right thing. But it has never yet thought at to tell the truth, fairly, candidly, and uprightly. When it will do this, we shall permit it to rest in peace-Until then, we shall take the liberty to point out its deformities, and endeavor to arrest the pregress of its errors. The Bee of last week requests us to answer pub. licly the following question: "Are you fatisfied that the letters on "the fubject of the election in Litch"field in September laft, of which ex trafts were published in the Bee, are "authentic, and written and figned by "men of fubitantial characters ?" If we could be convinced that it would be of any Soon after the last fall election in Connecticut, bout," &c. &c.-Now, we would ask, what kind "There is nog so bad that it cannot be made to answer sonie good or convenient purpose," sail an old man, tearing a leaf from Tom Paine's daz of Reason, and rolling it in his hands. The obrervation was correct, for he wanted the paper to light his pipe. Even the "Bec," which, every bedy knows, is bad enough, may not only be used to light a pipe," or for other "convenient purposes;" but may also afford a moment's diversion. Take the following for proof :— After the election was over in this county, we stated that certain dishonorable means were used by the democrats for the purpose of furthering their election; and we hinted, at the same time, that the affair might be made the subject of future remarks. At this hint, the Pee took the alarm, and began its usual blustering. It was about to strike us dumb by inuendoes. It had concealed, behind a curtain, or in some other sly place, a most frightful bugbear We were threatened to be torn in pieces by this terrible animal-to have our eyes put out by "federal grog." We were told that "the federalists would not thank us for touching on so delicate a subject"-that we should "rue the day in which the hint was suggested;" ard, finally, to wind up, that " People who live in houses of glass should never begin to throw stones at those whore dwel lags are made of iron." ! !—Was not this dreadful? Alas! What could the offending editors of the Balance do? They had disturbed the Bee in his " iron" hive-and were every moment expecting to have their "glass house" battered about their cars! What was to be dore? Did they crave pardon? Did they retract? Did they remain silent? Ch, no! Presumptive men! They thrust their hands into the bear's mouth. They challenged investigation.— They even attempted to provoke the Bee to the combat-all armed as it was with "sting and honey."-And what was the consequence? • Why, the consequence was, that, last week, the Bee was "willing to consign the history of federal greg to oblivion."-"It's a trifle (says the dronish insect) we won't differ about."So much for the paltry arts of a paltry editor.-Ard now, reader, what do you think of the "iron house" of the demccrats ! |