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ffrom the Boston Repett«ty.
The object of a writer in the National
Intelligencer is to shew that a war between
the United States and Grtat-Br'tahi, will
produce no very great evil to the former.
The author has however no sooner laid
flown this position than he goes on to ad-
roit, that one-eighth of our population will
be reduced by such an event to extreme dis-
tress. The wh'de tenor of the reflections
s'ie>"S that by this extreme distress nothing
short <&'total ruin is intended, and so far
we belieye he ic strictly correct. Without
inquiring for other evils, is it not that a
tremendous war, rire-very first consequence
of wich is to consign one-eigth of the
¦whole community to certain ruin > What
tuition ever, within the memory of man,
suffered more by war than this! But since
onr rulers reason thus, and consider the hap-
piness and dearest interests of two hundred
ann fifty thousand citizens not worth a
thought, not even to be taken into view, in
contemplating the evils of war, let our mer-
chants and our sea ports go to perdition ;
let us examine whether the consequences
upon those, wh^ni such reasoners think a-
lone deserving the care of government, are
duly estimated. In the first place it is ad-
mitted that the price of domestic produce
will fall ; for says this writer, speaking of
mechanicks and professional men, " they
vill be able to command with the reward of
their labor an abundance of domestic sup.
plfcs. Indeed the price of domestic produce
being in some measure diminished by the dimi-
nution of the foreign demand, the same pro-
portion of mechanical labor &c. will purchase
a greater quantity than usual." What does
be intend by a mere diminution of the fo-
*Wg« demand ? If the business of our
merchants is destroyed, and we are to carry
on a war by commercial restriction, the fo-
reign demand will be suppressed or the na-
ti. n, supposed to depend essentially on our
supplies will go on as usual, and we give
lip our navigation, by which we bring
wealth from all the world, fr nothing.
What advantages shall we reap by centuri.
6s of such warfare ? Shall we go to war
without a prospect of any good whatever,
should the bad be even light ? But the Far-
mer would suffer, & that greviously. Those
among ns who do not cultivate for themselves
receive now, of the farmer.all the domectick
supplies they want. They can take no more.
If provisions are ever so cheap, they will
purchase no more than they can consume.
What the farmer sells to his blacksmith,
his carpenter and his lawyer will fetch little,
owing to the abundance ; and all the sur-
plus, which he sold to augment his estate
and provide for his sons and daughters will
remain dead on his hands. Rich farmers
will not hire labourers to raise useless provi-
sions. Their wqrkmen will be dismissed.
What will become of the poor, the innu-
merable poor, in the country, who, except
what they scrape from a paltry patch of
ground, get support for their families, by
working and engaging their sons to work
a portion of their time for their more wealthy
neighbours. They must stay at home.—
They cannot raise more c rn they have
neither soil nor manure. They cannot in-
crease the quantity of their meet, or milk,
for thev have neither pasture, nor proven-
der. Thus, if the exportation of country
pr. iduce ceases, even if the wants of foreign
manufactures -would not produce distress, this
evil-would result from such a war ; the rich
farmer would become poor, because the pro-
duce of his farm, would turn to no account
—the poor and half dependent farmer would
beceme miserable indeed.
Thus much for the farmers of New-En-
gland ; it is but a feint sketch ; but wc trust
the farmers themselves, both rich and poor,
whose heppmess is at this moment in jeopar y
frofo. the ignorant and unfeeling calculati >ns
of political schemers, will pursue the subject
in their own minds, and let their re-
menstrances be heard, though their repre-
sentatives, from every quarter. Let them
charge their delegates, when they go on,
in October, to protest against the doctrine
in our national councils, that the distress
of war will be experienced by that proscrib-
ed part of society, the merchants, ahme.
Let them be coniured not to plunge this
flourishing republick into misery and po-
verty, from an adherence to an immaterial
point, which conceded or not, effects nei-
ther the honour nor the prosperity of our ci-
tizens.
But though the present Administration
i war, in which all might
unite."
Such, Americans, was the opinion of your
revered Washington as to a British war. It
appears to me to be prophetic, so applicable
is it to our present case.
For how are the circumstances changed ?
We are richer. We have more to lose, but
are quite as defenceless. Great Britain is
stronger, and her enemies weakeronthe ocean.
At that time, we had a host in Washing-
ton at the head of our armies and navies
Jefferson's greatest admirers will not contend
that his military talents.are equal to'"those of
the hero of our revolution.
ACCOUNT OF THE GREAT DISMAL
SWAMP.
Let us now proceed to a less cheerful
scene, the Dismal Swamp in Virgina, whose
gloomy recesses are not altogether unworthy
oi notice. It commences at nine miles from
Norfolk, and extends into North-Carolina,
occupying in the whole about 150,000 acres.
This great tract is entirely coveied with
trees ; juniper and cypress trees grow where
there i3 most moisture ; and on the dry
parts, white and red oaks, and a variety of
pines.
These trees grow to an enormous size, and
between them the biush wook springs up so
thick that the swamp in many parts is abso-
lutely impervious. In this respect it differs
totally from the common woods in the coun-
try. It abounds also with cane reeds, and
with long rich grass, upon which cattle feed
with great avidity, and become fat in a short
ipace of time ; the canes, indeed, are consi-
dered to be the best green food that can be
given them. The people who live on the
borders of the swamp, drive all their cattle
into it to feed ; care however is taken to
train them to come back regularly to the
farms every night by themselves, otherwise
it would be impossible to find them. This is
effected by turning into tfee swamp with them,
for the first few weeks that they are sent
thither to feed, two or three old milk cows
accustomed to the place, round whose necks
are fastened small bells. The cows come
back every evening to be milked ; the rest
of ihe cattle herd with these, following the
noise of the bells ; and when they return to
the farm, a handful of salt, or something of
¦which they are equally fond, is given to each
as an inducement for them to return again.
In a short time the cattle become familiar
with the place, and having been accustomed
from the first day to return, they regularly
walk to the farms every evening.
In the interior parts large herds of wild
tost on 1?eii:g 'firmed p to feed. Bearf,
wolves, deer, and otherwild indigenous ani-
mus are also met wih there. Stories are
coaiiuoii in the neighborhood of wild men
being found in it, win were lost, it is sup-
posed, in the swamp, vhon children. The
swamp varies much in different parts : in
some the surface of it is quite dry, and firm
enough to bear a horse ; in others it is over-
flowed with water; and elsewhere so miry
that a man would sink up to his neck if he
attempted to walk upon it; in the driest part,
if a trench is cut only a few feet deep, the
water gushes in, and it is filled immediately.
Where the canal that connects the water of
Albemarle sound with Norfolk, is cut, the
water in many places flows in from the sides,
at the depth of three feet from the surface,
in large streams without intermission ; in its
color it exactly resembles brandy, which is
supposed to be occasioned by the roots of
juniper trees; it is perfectly clear, and by
no means unpalatable ; it is said to possess a
diuretic quality ; and the people in the neigh-
borhood, who think it very wholesome, pre-
fer it to any other. Certainly there is
semething very uncommon in the nature of
the swamp, for the people living upon the
borders of it do not suffer by fever and ague,
or bilious complaints, as is generally the
complaint of those resident in the neighbor-
hood of other swamps and marshes. Whe-
ther it is the medicinal quality of the water,
however, which keeps them in better health
or not, has not been determined.
As the Dismal Swamp is so near to Nor
folk, where there is a constant demand for
shingles, staves, &c. for exportation, andas
the best of these articles are made from the
trees growing upon the swamp, it of course
becomes a valuable species of property. The
canal now cutting through it will also en-
hance its value, as when it is completed,
lumber can then be readily sent from the re-
motest parts. The more southern parts of
it, when cleared, answer uncommonly well
for the culture of rice f but in the neighbor
hood of Norfolk, as far as ten feet deep
from the surface ; there seems to be nothing
but roots and fibres of different herbs, mixed
with a whitish land, which would not an-
swer for the purpose, as rice requires a very
rich soil. The trees, however, that grow
upon it, are a most profitable crop and in-
stead of cutting them all down promiscuous
ly, as commonly is done, they only fill
such as have attained a large size, by which
means they have a continued succession,
for the manufacture of those articles above-
mentioned. Eighty thousand acres of the
swamp are the property of a company incor-
porated, under the title of " The Dismal
Swamp Company " Before the war broke
out, a large number of negroes were con
stantly employed by the company in cutting
and manufacturing staves, and th Fame, Captain Tolman, 51
days from Liverpool, coals, salts, crates,
&c. Left in co. with ship Gov Strong,
for Philadelphia- and parted < ith her July
23, in lat. 44. 26, 1 ng. 47, 46. Spoke
July 5, lat. 47, 18, long. 18, ship Maria,
of Newburyport, from Portsmouth, Eng-
land, for Boston, and saw her 12 days af-
wards.—July 18 lat. 43, 30, long. 43,
30, ship Bristol Packet, of Portsmouth,
fr m Philadelphia for Oporto, 13 days out.
August 6 lat. 42 20, lone;. 57, bri? Ru-
by and Eliza, 26 days frcm Cadiz for New-
York.
Schr. Caroline, capt. Patridge, 25 days
from Havana, molasses. The Regulat-
or Meed, had just arrived from Portland,
40 days, had lost her top-mast. Spoke off
the Moro, brig Ann, of Warren, from Ja-
maica for Havana.
Schr. Venus, Hutchings, 17 days from
Charleston.
Signal at the fort for two brigs—one
said to be from Rotterdam, 60 days.
Yesterday sailed brig Hamlet, captain
Geity, for Liverpool.
(Via quarantine) schr.^Dolphin, of Ken-
nebunk, capt. Wells, 28 days from Gre-
nada. Left, ship. Kaziah, and brig Rolla,
of New-Haven ; brig Dolphin, of Ports-
mouth ; brig-------, Fernald, of do.
(Via quarantine) brig Harriot, Wells,
Matanzes, cargo sugar and molases.
By the Fame, from Liverpool, arrived
yesterday, we received some of our missing
numbers of Sounds List. Extracts follow ;
Passed up, May 23, Brutus, Blunt, of Ports-
mouth, Petersburg; 24.|Hepsia& Jane,Man-
tenby, of Beverly for do. Neptune, Arnold,
of Providence, for do ; John, Bulleck, do.
do. Miranda, Wadsworth, of Portsmouth,
ditto ; 25th, Pocahonts, Howland, from
Charleston for Copenhagen ; 28th, Gene-
ral Hamilton, Page, of providence for Pe-
tersburg : Lion, Aldon, of Portland, do ;
29th, Rose, Gardner, of Philadelphia, do;
Aurora, Swett, of Boston, do ; Hannah,
Bicknall, do do ; 30th Weymouth, Gard-
ner, of Boston, for Copenhagen.
Quarantine List.
13th, ar'tved brig Alert, Herrick, from
Martinico, 21 days; schr. Leander, prince,
Havana, 20 days ; Commerce, Gardner,
Jamaica, 23.
NEW-YORK, August 19.
Arrived, the schooner Betsey, Chase, of
Newbern, 15 days from I'oint-Petre, Gua-
daloupe, with sugar and coffee. Left, the
schooner Sally-Ann, Cluunming, to sail
in 3 days ; brig Peggy, Teubner, in 10 ;
brig Ann and Alice, Rogers, in 5 ; and
cattle are found, most probably originally ship Julia-Ann, in 5 days, all for New.
York. Sailed in co. brig William, for
New-York. Lat. 30, long. 63, spoke
brig JouaK, Cabot, 5; days from Antigua
for Boston. On Friday, spoke brig Ata-
lanta, from Antigua, for New-York.
The schr. Friendship. Evans, 4. days
from Baltimore with flour, cotton, cocoa,
sugar, dry goods, &c.
The schr. Enterprize, Yellowly, 9 days
from Nassau, N. P. with salt, and specie.
The Elk, with the schr. Fox, of Baltimve,
was going in. The schr. Little Joe, Fair-
weather, 30 days from Bridgeport for Anti-
gua, indistress; andslocp Molly, Bockius,
26 days from Philadelphia, had just arrived.
Passengers, Mrs. Robert Wilson and fami-
iy- '.. -
The sloop Betsey, Bissel, of Edenton,
28 days from Port-Mirant. Jamaica, with
rum. Left, no American vessels, was
b iarded by 2 British cruizers, and treated
politely.
Th- sloop Sally, -----------, 11 days from
Savannah, with cotton, and rice. On
Sunday night, sp kesloop-------, Grisworld,
fr. m Jamaica for New York.
The schr. Sidney, Etheridge from Ocro-
cock, with turpentine.
The schr. Betsey, Terry, from Curituck,
with staves and shingles.
The schr. Harriet, 15 days from Porte-
Cavello, went up to Perth-Amboy yesterday
m rning.
Cleared, ships Liberty, Young. Amster-
dam ; Mars, Richards, London; brig Har-
lequin, Dickins, Madeira.
Capt. Fair eat her. of the brig Maria,
(arrived at Nassau) on the 2d July, in lat.
37, long. 26, spoke brig Sally of Philadel-
phia, and a ship and brig in co'. bound to
Barcelona.
COURT OF GENERAL SESSIONS.
A young woman of very prepossessing ap-
pearance was put to the bar, by the name of
Rebecca Talman, charged with having stolen
one gown, several other,-articles of female
wearing apparel, two pair of gold ear rings,
a gold thimble, and sundry trinkets said to
be of considerable value, the property of one
John George Fitzgerald. At the mention
of this man's name a general curiosity ap-
peared to be excited, and the court inquired
who he was; but not receiving an answer
to its inquiries, the trial was permitted to
proceed.
Ths only evidence called to prove the fe-
lony, was a Mrs. Barron, with whom nearly
two years ago the prisoner lived in a state
of sarvitude. Mr. Fitzgerald and the witness
had occupied apartments in the same house ;
a tender attachment, originating probably in
sympathy (their acquaintance having com-
menced in prison) had fur some time subsist-
ed Iwtween them, and the witness stood high
in his ¦confidence. He is a trader from this
port to the West-Indies. Previous to.his
last voyage he deposited his trunks in the
care of Mrs. Barroa. They had not bee,
long in her possession before she began to
su:pect that one of them had been opened,
aluough no marks of violence appeared on
it, and the lock was uninjured. She knew
not why these suspicions v\ ere entertained ;
and still less why she fastened them upon
the prisoner, Whom she had always found to
lie' very honest, and whose fidelity she had
often rewarded. To satisfy herself, she pro-
cured a blacksmith to open the trunk, when
her suspicions were confirmed ; she missed
the ai tides mentioned in the indictment,
although Mr. Fitzgerald had not given her
a.i inventory of what the trunk contained
nor had she an opportunity of knowing whe-
ther these articles weie ever put into it. Mr.
Fitzgerald soon left New Yoik for the W.
Indies ; but Mrs. Barron had not communi-
cated to him either her discovery or her sus-
picions, lest it might embitter the moment
of separation, of itself sufficiently afflicting.
The services of the prisoner being no longer
necessary after Mr. Fitzgerald's departure*
she was discharged without her wages, and
at the time of trial Mrs. Barron continued
in her debt. In due course or. time Mr.
Fitzgerald returned. On the day of his ar-
rival tie flew on the wings of impatient love
to console her widowhood. In a tew days
afterwards, when the first transports of plea-
sure were beginning to subside, Mrs. Barron
related to him the adventures of the trunk ;
but the prisoner had then left the city, and
no intelligence could be had where she was
to be found.
A few weeks ago, as Mr. Fitzgerald at
the door of Dyde's hotel was enjoying the
beauty of the neighboring scenery, the pri-
soner, (secure in her own innocence) pas-
ssed by him. ne seized her, took her into
the hotel and accused her of felony. She
direcied him to the place where her boxes
had been left, and he took an officer with
him ar.d made search, but none of the
goods* alledged. to have been stolen, ex-
ceptingtwo goldrings, werefound inherpos-
session. She acknowledged to have been
at the house of (ive believe^ a Mrs. Hardy,
who also gave her testimony ; and on exa-
mination a handkerchief, containing some
" little bits of callico," a piece of un-
wrought muslin, a small slip of gauze, and
a lew other articles of equal value, was
picked up. No marks being upon any of
them (except Y. Z. upon the- handkerchief,
which Mrs. Barron s-ore Was Mr. Fitzger-
ald's private mark) they could not be identi-
fied.
Mrs. Barron in the c urse of her examina-
tion gave her testimony with a masculine
confidence, and endeavi red to enrich it
u ith highly wrought figures of rhetorick
and all the embelishmentsof a
" saucy and audacious eloquence."
The counsel lor the prisoner sarcastically
supposed she had been reciting poetry : for
his own part, notwithstanding all the atten-
tion he paid her, he confessed she was a-
bove the level of his understanding ; and
he immagined the court & jury were not a jot
wiser than himself. He explained as well
as he was able, the circumstances she had
related ; and, in summoning up to the jury,
presented an odious picture of the moral
character of the witness and the prosecutor
and the probable m.tive by which they
were actuated in the prosecution ; drew a
comparison bet veen the witness and the
prisoner, very much in favor of the latter ;
; appealed t> the judgment of " twelve dis-
I creet men" whether they could consign to
the state prison at hard labour for a term of
years such a woman as the prisoner at the
! bar on evidence so exceedingly weak and so
palpably malicious.
I The jury by their verdict manifested their
opinion that a person who enters a court for
the purpose of seeking justice, ought to do so
I with clean hands. Without a minute's
consultation they pronounced the prisoner
" Not Guilty."
Whenthis verdict was recorded, the young
woman claimed all the articles produced as
the property of her husband, and the court
ordered them to be restored to her.
PHILADELPHIA, August 20.
Arrived, brig Freelove, Hughes, St. Baits,
22 days, coffee, sugar ; South Carolina Ser-
rill, Charleston. 6, co tort, rice; schr. Eliza,
Rendols, Laguira- 22, coffee, indigo.
Arrived at the Lazaretto, ship Lydia, IioS-
seter, Belfast, 82 days, passengers ; brig Au-
rora, Pickle, tlavanua, 22, sugars ; schrs,,
Olivebrancli", Huston, Porto Rico, 14, coffeu
and sugar ; Deborah, Jester, Nevis, 18, ruin.
Below, ship Andrew, Wing, Isle of France
via Antigua, (released without trial.)
Cleared, ship Sally, Naghel, Kington, (J.)
Ship America,-------, of Kennebunk, from
Boston, is lying ia Old Kiln roads, waiting
for orders.
The brig Mountaineer, Gaylord, sent into
England, on her passage from New York to
Tonningen, has been liberated, each party
paying their own costs. The Mountaineer's
cargo was mostly prize goods imported from
the Isle of France, and expoited by the im-
porters.
Captain King, of the Brutus, left at La-
guira, 29th July, schrs. Juliet, Risbro, and
Ranger, Maffett, for Philadelphia, soon ;
Richmond, Hart well, ditto,r.uncertain ; Ama-
zon, ------, N. York, ditto ; Juliet, Seymour,
ditto, ditto ; ship Thomas Wilton,---------,
Baltimore, ditto ; brig Polly and Betsey,
Selby, Philadelphia, ditto ; Aspasia,--------,
N. York, ditto!
The three masted schr. Jason, from Nor-
folk, at quarantine.
Schr. Rising States, for Georgetown sail-
ed two days before.
WILMINGTON, (Del.) August 15.
The legislature of this state, convened
for the purpose of passing a militia law, to
enable the gov to comply with the requisi-
tion of the president of the United States,
by furnishing our quota of militia, adjourn-
ed on Thursday last, after enacting the fol-
lowing laws.
An act for the better organization of the
militia of this state.
An act appropriating a certain sum to en-
able the governor to arm and equip the quo-
ta of militia required ot this state.
A supplement to the act entitled1, an act
incorporating a company to erect a bridge
over Christiana.
A resolution, authorising the chancellor
to settle certain claims therein mentioned.
No copy of either of the above laws has
been received. Wj learn that the militia
law is very lengthy, and met with conside-
rable opposition. It was wished to frame .,
the law so as to allow the militia to elect
their own officers, who, upon application,
I. ere to receive commissions from the go-
vernor ; but this would have been con-
trary to the constitution of the state, which
expressly declares that all officers of militia
shall be appointed by the governor. The
governor is very anxious to put the militia
on a respectable footing, and wished that a
law could be passed that would in no w ise
be exceptionable on that scoie. He has,
in a large company, expressed his determi-
nation to proceed »¦ ithout delay to the apoint-
ment of officers ; but at the same time, his
willingness to commission such persons as_
volunteer companies may elect for their of-
ficers. As all former militia laws are now
repealed, the commissions of all officers
appointed by virtue of them are ot course
no longer valid. Many young men in this
town have declared their willingness to form
themselves into volunteer companies, but
have been shamefully remiss in enroling.
Now is the accepted time, if they wish to
manifest their patriotism and be commanded
by officers of their own choice. Our quo-,
ta is 814—the legislature have appropri-
cted 10,000 dollars for the purpose of equip-
ping them. The fine lor non-attendance -
on muster days, we learn is two dollars.—
The number of artillerists required in our
quota is 40—the legislature have declined
making any appropriation for ordnance un-
til their next session, which will be iri Ja-
nuary.
NORFOLK, August 17.
We received by last mail from Nassau, N. -
Providence, papers to the 29th July ; their
contents are without interest. They are
chiefly filled with accounts of the late oc-
currence, copied from American papers, from ¦
the account as originally published by us,
proceedings of the committees, Douglass's
letter, the mayor's reply, president's pro-
chmation, and other matter on the same
subject, but all without one single remark.
Our private correspondence says, that
they do not wish to go to war with us, but
that they fear from our temper it is una-
voidable.
Salted provisions in American bottoms are.
prohibited ; other articles as before.
LONDON, June 26.
Wednesday last, being St.. John's.day,
the fraternity of free and accepted masons
of England, of whom the.duke of Athoii
is grand master, celebrated their anniveisa-
ry at the crown and anchor tavern in tir-A
Strand. There were the representatives of
between 40 and fifty lodges, pa-sent, and
after the 'masonic business of the day, .they*
dined together, his grace being jn the chair.
This is the fraternity which, ahjiie. m Eng-
land maintains the ancient, institution.-; of
masoiu'y, and which is atone acknowledged
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