The COLUMBIAN 66 HAIL SACRED POLITY, BY FREEDOM REAR'D ! Driginal Eflaps. Hither the products of your closet-labors bring, FOR THE BALANCE. HUDSON, (New-York) TUESDAY, JULY 26, 1803. in the French republic, who fired with the A POLITICAL CATECHISM. A. The works of liberty, which manifeft her existence, are very many and very wonderful to tell. In Republican France, above all countries, the works of liberty have appeared, in numbers and fublimity, fuch as to excite a moft pleafing aftonishment there a pretty proftitute, dressed in white, was enthroned in a temple as the reprefentative of the goddefs, and was worshipped by that enlightened people-There there was paid a due tribute to the goddess liberty; not of filver and gold, but of the lives of miriads of men, women and children.-How august was the fcene, when liberty, in the full exercife of her prerogatives, erected a thousand Baftiles; when blood flowed from guillotines, like rivers; when the 2. Since liberty is invifible, how is it groans and wailings of reprobates, met were difcoloured with blood and choaked Question. WHAT is liberty ? Anfwer. Liberty is an angel; fhe is the first-born of heaven; the is a goddess ; and all who refufe to worship her, are unworthy to breathe the vital air. Q. Is this goddess visible? A. She is always invifible to man in civil fociety; eye hath not feen her; nor can civilifed man fully conceive what the is. The Savage, ah, the Savage, only, knows her charms, and quaffs bowls of nectar from her hands.* AND A. Her existence is known by a fu "pernatural, or rather a preternatural affla. tus or infpiration ;-and it is alfo known from the works of her hands. Q. Have fome men been favoured with extraordinary measures of this afflatus or infpiration? A. Yes; there have been apostles of liberty-fublimated fouls, who panted with unutterable fervor for a near communion with the goddefs ;-fuch were the French philofophifts; fuch alfo were Robespierre, Marat, Danton, and hundreds of others, * See the writings of Rosseau, the Abbe Raynall, Godwin, &c. Balance, REPOSITORY. Q. What are your ideas of the of political opinion. BEATTIE. Q. What are the works of liberty,||litical opinion? which manifeft her exiftence ? A. I glory in it as the birth-right of every free-born American; it is dearer than life itfelf-ftripped of that, I should feel my felf a flave-a grovelling worm of the duft. Q. Wherein confifts the liberty of po A. The liberty of political opinion confifts in this, that every man, nay, that every woman and child, in the United States, have free permiffion to think as the leaders of the democrats think :-and I boldly aver, and will maintain it, that any act or edit, that fhould contravene this liberal conftruction of the liberty of political opinion, would be an act of "political intolerance," both " defpotic and wicked." Q. What are the peculiar privileges belonging to those whole political opinions are perfectly orthodox ? A. They are cherished in the bosom of our holy church; all their moral offences are blotted out, or covered with the mantle of charity; their follies and weakneffes are never marked against them: -to them exclufively belongeth the priviledge of eligibility to offices of all grades, from the highest to the lowest. A. They are to be excommunicated; they are to be anathamitifed ;-all their former fervices are to be buried under a torrent of holy execration against their alibertybominable herefy :-they are to be chafed from whatever offices they had held; and their removal from office is to be inflantly followed by gibbetting their charac ters. Q. What are the penalties to be inAlicted on thofe who fall into a licentioufness respecting political opinion, fo far forth as to prefume to think for themfelves? Q. Is fuch a "procedure" juftified by of reproach, or by wishes for their def respectable precedents ? truction-fuch as " antifederalifm trium- A. It is the republics, both in France and England; the reigns of the Edwards, and the Henrys,-of Richard third-of queen Mary-of the whole line of the Stuarts and alfo the records of the ftar an infamous tederal meeting," &c. &c.!! And furely it can never be forgot. ten, that Washington was the perpetua!, never failing theme of their reproach, cenfure, invective and abhorrence. Can the ty--precedents, which had been buried under the ruft of time, and are therefore venerable for their antiquity. Q. What is liberty of speech? chamber, furnish a variety of precedents of its chief magiftrate-in a word, of our A. It is the liberty of fpeaking well of the prefent adminiftration, (Mr. Burr excepted) and of all who have obtained, or fhall obtain offices under it, in whatever ways or by whatever means. • [TO BE CONTINUED.] Selected. FROM THE CHARLESTON COURIER. 64 45 WHAT Doctor Johnfon is related by Bofwell to have faid of Foote, the celebrated mimic, may be applied with fome truth to the democrats. If you get him pinned up in a corner, (faid the Do&tor) he "is ftill fure to efcape-he is fure either to flip between your legs or leap over "your head." Thus it is with them, when they find one line of conduct unpalatable to the people, they immediately af fume another, making up the deficiency of principle and wifdom with cunning, or as the old fable has it, eking out the lion's hide with the fox's tail. It must be remembered that the party to which we allude did, one and all, with their whole might oppofe the adoption of the federal conftitution: That after it was adopted, they inceffantly oppofed the perfons whofe wifdom and induftry had carried it through; That the head of that party, in a letter to a foreigner, ftigmatized it by the name of an anglo-monarcho ariftocratic government, and other terms of contempt and diflike-and that every thing the party dare to do has been done to fritter it away. It must be remembered that the name of Federalift, which the party endeavour to have confidered as a term of vilé reproach, was the name beftowed on the friends and forwarders of that conflitu. tion; and that the term Anti-Federalift fpeaks for itfelf, being affumed by them when they did not think it their intereft, as they do now, to conceal their hoftility to it. It must be remembered, for many months have not elapfed fince the words federal, rederalift, and federalism were never nien. tioned unaccompanied with the worl kind Communication. A READER of the Balance, in the fecond Ode communicated from Lee, (Mafs.) has remarked the following lines, the two laft of which he thinks to be very incorrect in point of fentiment. "See on Albion's boasted isle, "Sorrow heaves the breast of toil; Slavery there in triumph reigns, "Millions slumber o'er their chains." In this land of boafted freedom, there are nearly fix hundred thousand flaves, who are bought and fold like cattle: in the inland of Great-Britain, there is much poverty, much beggary, contrafled with boundlefs wealth and luxury; but there is there no flavery-the moment a negro flave lands on that ifland, he is free.The government of Great-Britain is part monarchical, partly ariftocratical, and partly democratical. The king himself is bound by fixed laws; and the people are not vaffals or flaves, as in an abfolute monarchy; but they are subjects, and are poffeffed of many invaluable rights and privileges. Would the writer with that the "millions" in the British island, who are "flumbering o'er their chains," fhould, as lately in France, arife in all their dreadful might, deftroy the prefent government, and become a democracy ?-Alas! they once tried this experiment, to their infi another Cromwell, or another Bonaparte, nite coft and if they fhould try it again, would foon fill the throne of George. In the end, however, they found themfelves miftaken, they found that they were going too far-that the people neither fell in with their opinions, nor fympathifed with their unnatural hatreds-that after all they loved Wafhington & the federal conftitution. Then what do they do? Why, like an army of well trained foldiers, they wheel abour, to the tap of a drum from head quarters" To the right about face! quick march," is the word-and the whole anti-federal line, from St. Mary's to St. Croix, in a forced march retreat and endeavour to push their adverfaries by furprife from the frorg holds of federalifm, and to take pofl there themselves. To fpeak lefs figuratively, they now affertonly refl:Et upon it reader! that they are the only true friends of federalism. And they alfo fpeak-readers again reflect upon it-and chatter about the wikednels of thofe (meaning the federalists) who would deftroy the federal conftitution--the con. illuftrious ftitution of the great and WASHINGTON-What a fet! that of the whole host of them who wrote publickly,ney-General was preferred, is extraordinary. Was there something which whispered the writer, that and privately inveighed against that favthe public were not satisfied with the mode in which iour of his country, TOM PAINE, aye reader, even TOM PAINE himfelf, is the the trial was conducted? The solicitude of this wrionly one who has the fincerity ftill to ater speaks a language too plain to be misunderstood. vow his for abhorence and contempt WASHINGTON. Thus then, tofs them up as you will, they will fill fall upon their legs, like that green-eyed, fpring-nail'd, velvet paw'd, demure, infidious, fourlegged brother philofopher, whom they fo intimately refemble in temper and difpo. IT is with reluctance that we again mention the trial of the junior editor of this paper. A communication in the Bee of last week, must be our apology. One great object of the writer of that communica tion seems to be, to convince the public, that the trial of Croswell was impartial. Why that point should be so much laboured, before any impeach. ment either against the Chief Justice or the Attor Gtion. Balance Closet. THE REIGN OF TERROR. For ourselves, we frankly confess we dare not speak all the truth. We dare not say what we think. We scarcely dare to give a correct history of this trial, lest it should be the occasion of a new indictment. We are well convinced, that the author of the communication in the Bee, is determined on the destruction of the Balance; and that in future, as heretofore, he will personally and officially use 1. the means in his power to effect this darling object. And as he has thus far succeeded in establishing the doctrine, that TRUTH ITSELF IS A LIBEL, it is natural that we should take a view of our situation, and not court impending ruin. And if hereafter, even upon subjects peculiarly interesting to the general welfare, we speak with some degree cf obscuri. ty, we entreat our friends not to condemn us— When they are informed that every word we print, is carefully examined, and that if it will bear prosecution, an indictment is sure to follow, and that the truth will operate as a strong inducement to prosecute, we trust they will not withdraw their patronage, if they do not always see vice in office pourtrayed in its disgusting deformity-if they do not see tyranny stripped of the stolen garb of patriotism, and set with its tools before the public, for just indignation-in fine, if sometimes we seem to forget that oppression is covering us like a mist, let it be remembered, that we have families-that we have children; and that to cherish that noble independence which was once the boast of an American press, is now closely allied to disgrace, destruction and misery. It is one of the most salutary convictions (says the Bee correspondent) which has at any time taken place." We are well aware that no pams will be spared to produce a belief that this declaration is correct. But when the public is informed, that the charge for which Croswell was tried, had been made in almost every federal paper on the conti. nent, and acknowledged in various democratic ones, before it was mentioned in the Wasp--that in Virginia, where it was first made (but where the TRUTH may be given in evidence) the Jeffersonians have been openly and repeatedly challenged to try the truth of the charge in a court of justice; and that no prosecution has ever been commenced there -they will at once see why the prosecution was begun in the state of New-York. We cannot speak plainer. The hand of persecution is raised aloft.The vengeance of power is thundering over our beads. " It is not for us, in the present state of things to enquire what the law really is. This it is the pecuKar province of the Supreme Court to investigate. We await the issue, under a confidence that the members of that Bench are devoted to justice and Liberty-have really and in truth left their party feelings at its foot-stool; and will at least besitate before they lay the liberty of the press prostrate in the dust. But let us hope that no indictment will follow, if we should speak with truth of the motives, which have influenced a resort to a law which, according to our adversaries, adopts this principle, "that the greater the truth, the greater is the libel." We will, for argument sake, suppose this doctrine correct. Let us here then entreat those who have memories, to recollect what was said three years ago against the Sedition Act. That act differed from the common law, under which Croswell was tried, in three material points. First. It permitted the truth to be given in evidence as a justification. Secondly. It limited the discretion of the judge as to the amount of the fine. Che Balance. Thirdly. It limited his discretion as to the term of imprisonment. This act was bitterly condemned by the very men In consequence of the false and unfai: statement in the Bee, we shall commence an impartial history of the trial in our next. "The freedom of the Prefs, the great palladium of our liberties--may the ty rants that dare intringe it, meet the execration of all good men. 3 cheers." "The prefs free from any tyrannic clogs, may the only touchitone by which to try its merit be the fupport of freemen. 3 cheers." Another of the same sort, from an eastern de, mocratic paper 235 loaded with the difhonor and refentment of the American people. 3 cheers." "The liberty of the Prefs, made facred by our conflitution-may it never be violated.' 23 More still-from the Centinel of Freedom "The Piefs-may the fpirit of freemen fupport its liberty, and the frowns of public opinion correct its licentioufnels." 4 "Freedom of speech, freedom of the prefs and of religion--downfall to all thofe who oppose them." "If 'twere no treason," we could hardly refrain from giving it as our opinion, that the following is one of the best Epigrams we have lately seen. It is copied from the Middletown Gazette. "EPIGRAM-On the celebration of the 4th of July "While our Feds take the field and your skulking holes scorn, "That the Demos, who bluster as how they'd prevail, "One by one, like Deserters, steal off to the jail? "Pray, shipmate, unriddle this wond'rons affair"Nothing plainer (says Tom)-balf the party live there." A very respectable paper, has recently made its appearance at Newburyport, Mass. entitled the "NEW ENGLAND REPERTORY" Dr. John Park is its editor. It bears every mark of federalism. White paper-new types-accurate workmanship, and ed. itorial talents, shew clearly that it is a work very different from those black webicles of still blacker politics, the Jeffersonian papers of the day. We trust, the people of New-England will not be backward in supporting the Repertory. Agricultural. FROM THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. ON SHEARING LAMBS. THE HE following fact is recommended to the attention of farmers: a few weeks fince were fhorn in the town of Stratham, ftate of New-Hampshire, from nine lambs, twelve pounds of wool-a good part of which would make yarn fit for almost any use. Did this practice become general, it would, while it relieved the animal from a cumbrous load, be to the owner a valuable faving. In the state of New-Hampshire, there are, on age, one thousand lambs to each town: thefe lambs, if fhorn, would yield, at the above rate, about fourteen hundred pounds of wool; that wool might make two thoufand eight hundred yards of cloth, which would be worth nine hundred dollars. an aver Philadelphia, Aug. 18, 1803. MENU, the fon of Brahma, thus begins mis addrefs to the fages of the Eaft, who confulted him on the formation of the world. fince they are the offspring of Nera, and There are cogent reafons, exclufive of the teftimony of the Sacred Book, to induce a belief that the East was the cradle of man, or that he there begun his exiftence and the foregoing Indian account of the creation, which had been derived from immemorial tradition, bears a refemblance to the following paffages of fcrip ture. The first of Genefis," than which a A NUMBER of years ago, there was publifhed, at Philadelphia, the following account of experiments actually made on the mineral waters of Saratoga. "The world, fays Menu, was all dark. nefs, undifcernable, undiftinguifhable, altogether as in a profound fleep; till the felf exiftent, invifible God, making it man. A young turkey, held a few inches a ifeft with five elements and other glorious bove the water in the crater of the lower forms, perfectly difpelled the gloom.-fpring, was thrown into convulfions in He, defining to raife lefs than half a minute; and, gafping, various creatures up by an emanation from his own glory, firft fhewed figns of approaching death: but created the waters, and impreffed thein on removal from that place and exposure with a power of motion; by that power to the fresh air, it revived and became was produced a golden egg, blazing like lively. a thousand funs, in which was born Brahma, felt exifting, the great parent of all rational beings. The waters are called nara, vulfive motions-made to pant for breath -and laftly to lofe entirely the power to cry or move; when taken out, he was too weak to ftand; but foon, in the com. mon air, acquired ftrength enough to rife and stagger away. A trout recently caught, and brifkly fwimming in a pail of brook water, was carefully put into a veffel juft filled from the fpring the fish was inftantly agitated with violent convulfions, gradually lost the capacity to move and poize itlelf, grew ftupid and infenfible, and in a few minutes was dead. DR. BARROW, in his excellent Ef fay on Education, remarks, that in "Sherdan's lectures on the art of reading," is a compliment to the English language f juft, fo claffical, and fo confonant to b own fentiments, that he cannot deny hitfelf the fatisfaction of quoting, nor the rea er the benefit of perufing it. On enqu ry, it would be found, fays he, that prob bly in no language in the world, have the A fmall dog, put into the fame cavity, vowels, dipthongs, femi-vowels and mutes, and made to breathe the contained air, was been fo happily blended, and in fuch due in less than one minute thrown into con-proportion to conftitute the three great |