Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser
1807/07-1807/12

msa_sc3722_2_6_2-0171

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Federal Gazette & Baltimore Daily Advertiser
1807/07-1807/12

msa_sc3722_2_6_2-0171

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From the Barton Ripertoiy. The object'd a writer in the National Intelligencer is to shew that a war between the United States.and'Great-Britain, will produce no v.erj great evil to the former. The utith V has however no sqoner laid down this position than he goes on to ad- mit, that one eighth of our population will be reduced by site!: an event to extreme dis- tress. . The whole tenor of the reflections shews that- by this extreme distress nothing ort of, to!;jl ruin is intended, whole? er.ports of the United..Staffs. All lost on feeing trtrnud in to feed. B#2T*i this must /ie.rish on tht'-cuRiirift''*'* hands*, j wolves, deer, ,u:d other wild indigenous ani- Will this produce no distress ? Will it not : '- — -'"¦ ruin the planter ? Will the stilling of whis- key' or the raising of additional rju mtitii':' of pork, of which other parts of the country can raise enough to gnptrly themselves, in- . SI ____________ and so far vie believe he is strittiy correct. Without inquiring for Other evils, is it not that a .tremendous war, th*-«rry first consequence of -- ich is to consign oue-eigth of the ¦whole cornimrnity *o certain ruin ? What nation ever, within the memory of man, differed m.-vi-e by "war than this ? But since ehr rulers reason thus, and consider the hap- piness and c -arcst interests of two hundred and fifty thousand citizens not worth a thought, not even to be taken into view,.in contemplating the evils of war, let our mer- chants aid our sea ports go to perdition ; Jet us examine whether the consequences upon those, wham such reasoners think a- Ivne deserving the care of government, are duly e more absurd. On tiit> .con vary,.the wealthiest landholder wiil rind it barely possible to obtain the means of supporting life. What he raises and cannot consume is lost. His hundreds of slaves will become, an incumbrance. Their provisions they can raise, but they ca mot manufacture cloathing, yet they must k" clad. Thus, confining our views to the conse- quences of the supposed destruction of com- merce and oppression of our exports, we find that the evils of a war, which, it is ad- mitted will produce these effects, wrill extend from Maine to Georgia, and pervade the interior of the country, as well as the chan- nels of its business, the sea-ports. From the BOSTON GAZETTE. The language of V/ashimrt'm as to a British •war, and at a time 'when Great-Britain had not attained her present tnaratime su periority. This language may be seen in a letter ad- dressed from the executive department to Mr. Munroe, dated September 12, 1793. See Monroe's view of the conduct of the executive. Mr. Munroe, like his Virginia friends, who nonv direct the National Intel- ligencer, was in favor of war, and recom- mended our engaging in it against Great- Britan, or at least urged arguments in favor of it. Washington directed the secretary of state to reply. " Howjpreposterous is that policy which requires us to abandon and destroy the -eery object, for the preservation of which hosti lities are to be commenced ! It may not be amiss, he adds, to enlarge on the conse- quences of our engaging in the war against Great Britain. " I. Seeing she has the command of the sea (and appearances indicate strongly that she will maintain that command) (excellent judgment president Washington possessed, as events shew) "our commerce might in one year be annihilated, and thousands of our seamen be shut up or dying in jaUs and prison ships. In addition to her fleets now in commission privateers would swarm, as soon as objects so alluring and so assailable as American commerce should present. " If we look back to the two last years of our revolutionary war, a judgment maybe formed on this point. A striking defect in her naval arraupements in preceding years, left our ports open for the entry of com- merce, for the equipment of privateers, and the introduction of prizes. A different ar- rangement in the latter part of the war, to tally changed the scene. The small priva- teers were hauled up, as unable to cope with armed merchantmen, & the larger privateers were taken. Our shipping fell at the same time a sacrifice to the vigilant operations of the British navy. " At the present moment ( 793) her naval power is extended beyond all former exam m*nstrances be heard, though their repre- sematives, from every quarter. Let them finaTgo their delegate*, 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, alone. 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 tho.ngh the present Ulmir.istration ever profess a most hearth h regard for the Agricultural part of the community, it ap pear from a perusal of this exposee of their sentiments, that though the whole agricul- sural proportion of the community is incud od in the geneial classi 'cation, this was on- ly to make the mercantile class appear com- paratively small When we examine how the interests of the cultivator are considered, yfe lii'd that northern fanners claim no more attention troajp their commercial brethren. It is argued that the surplus grain of the southward can be converted info spirits, to supply the place of those we import. That whiskey may be substituted throughout the ii'-ior, for brandy and the other liquors.— That another portion of the surplus grain may be consumed advantageously in rairing greater quantities of pork. But contracted and partial as is this view of the agricultural interest, ii i^no less fallacious than the former. The southern planter will find himself no k'SS affected by war than the noithern fisher- man, merchant and firmer. Let us advert a moment to facts. The whole exports of the United States may be stated at 4 J 000,000 dollars. Of this whole amount, the article of cotton is above 7,000.000, tobacco above *i,O00OO0. This we take from official re- ports. Those two articles alone, produced exclusively in the southern srates, and con- stiatmg almost the whole of their t sports, bv he sale of which planters subsist, amount to about J4,0OO,0O0, just one-third of the cial interests would suffer beyond all calcula "tion. Agriculture, above the supply of our own wants, would be suspended, or itspro- duce perish on our hands. Tlte value of our hinds and every species of domestic proper ty would sink. J< 3-ily. The sources of revenue failing, public credit would be destroyed, and multi- tudes ofcitizens involved in ruin. The peo- ple at large would be plunged from the sum- mit of prosperity into an abyss of ruin, too sudden and too severe to be patiently heme. To increase their calamities, direct taxes must be levied to support the war ; and it would be happy for us if we could contem- plate pnly foreign 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 ihoi'e to lose, hut are quite as defenceless. Great Britain is stronger, and her entmies •weaheronthe 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 tnat his military talents aie 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 rxcesses are not altogether unworthy of 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 covered with trees {juniper and cypress trees grow where there is 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 brush wcok springs up so thick that the swamp in many parts is abso- lutely impervious. In this respect it differs totally from th* common woods in the coun- try. It abounds also with cane reeds, and with long rioli £rass, upon which cattle feed with great avidity, and become lat in a short space of time ; the canes, indeed, are consi- dered to be the best green hod 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 lie impossible to find them. This is effected by turningintothe swamp with them, for the first few weeks that they are sent thither to feed, two or three old milk ccrs accustomed to the place, round whoso necks are fastened small bells. The cows come back every evening to be milked ; the rest of the 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 ah inducement for them to return again. In a short time the cattle become familiar with the place, and having been accustomed from tue first day to.return, they regularly walk to the farms every evening. In the interior parts large herds of wild cattle are found, most probably originally mals are also rne,t with there. Stories are common in the '.neighborhood of. wild men being found in it, wiio were lost, it is sup- posed, in the swamp, when children. The swamp varies much in different parts : in ~~ ine the surface of it is quite dry, and firm ough 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 de< p, 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 jumper trees ; it is perfectly clear, and hy 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, and as 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 ; 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 fell such as have attained a large sire, 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 hy the company in cutting and manufacturing staves, and their affairs were going on very prosperously ; but at the time that Norfolk was burnt they lost all their negroes, and very little lias been done by them since. The lumber now sent to Norfolk i? taken principally off those parts of the swamp which are private pro- property. [Weld.] BY THIS DAY's MAILS. BOSTON Aueust 17. ^rnvr-o. iv.,..r,„nfr. rri-i.1, 0M1V; ,>,,,„. cord, Homer, Windsor, 3 days, with plais- ter. Brig Enterprize, Lovell, 29 days from St. Croix, with rum, sugar, &c. The brig 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 mg. 47, 46. Spoke July s, lat. 47, 18, long. 18, ship Maria, of Newburyport, from Portsmouth, Eng- land, for Boston, and saw her 12 days af- wnrds.—July 18 lat. 43, 30, long. 43, 30, ship Bristol Packet, of Portsmouth, fr r» Philadelphia for Opoito, 13 days out. August 6. lat. 42 20, long. 57, brig Ru- by and Eliza, 26 days from Cadiz for New- York. Schr. Caroline, capt. Patridge* 25 days from Havana, mula.,ses. The Regulat- or Meed, had just arrived from Portland, 40 days, had lost her (op-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 tobeTrom Rotterdam, 60 days. Yesterday sailed brig Hamlet, captain Getty, for Liverpool. (Via quarantine) schi.^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-------, Femald, 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; «4,|Hepsia& Jane,Man- teuby, of Beverly ford. Neptune, Arnold, of Providence, for do ; John, Bulieck, do. do. Miranda, Wadsworth, of P rtsmouth, ditto ; 25th, Pocahonts, Howland. from Charleston for Copenhagen ; 28th,' Gene- ral Hamilton, Page, of providence for Pe- tersburg : Lion, Aidon, of IVtland, do ; 30th, Rose, Gardner, of Philadelphia, do; Aurora, Swett, of Boston, do ; Hannah, Btcknall, do do ; 30th Weymouth, Gard- ner, of Boston, for Copenhagen. •Quarantine List. 13th, arived brig Alert, Herrick, from Maitmico, 21 days; schr. Leander, prince, Havana, 20 days ; Commerce, Gardner, Jamaica, 23. NEW-YORK, August I0. Arrived, the schooner Betsey, Chase, of Newbein, 15 days from Point-Petre,. Gua- daloupe, with sugar and coffee. Left, the schooner Sally-Ann,, dramming, to sail in 3 days ; brig Peggy, Teutmer, in 10 ; brig Ann and Alice, Rogers, in 5 ; and i;;-Ann, in 5 day£, ail for Ntvy, York. Sailed in co. brig Willhni, for' New-York. Lat. 30, long. 63,. spoke brig Jonah, Cabot, 9 days from Antigua for Boston. On Friday, spoke brig Ata- lanta, from Antigua, for New-York. The schr. Friendship, Evans, 4 days were actuated in the prosecution ; drew a, comparison between the witness and the prisoner, very much in favor of the latter ; appealed to the judgment of " twelve dis- creet men" whether they could consign to the state prison at hard labour for a term of from Baltimore, with flour, cotton, cocoa, years such a woman as the prisoner at the 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 Baltimore, was going in. The schr. Little Joe, Fair- weather, 30 days from Bridgeport for Anti- gua, in distress; and sloop Moliy, Bockius, 26 days from Philadelphia, had just arrived. Passengers, Mrs. Robert Wilson and fami- The «loop Betsey. Bissel, of Edenton, 28 days from Port-M rant, Jamaica, with rum. Left, no American vessels, was boarded by 2 British cruizers, and treated politely. Th- sloop Sally, -----------, 11 days from Savannah, with cotton, and rice. On Sunday night, sp kesl op-------, Grisvvorld, from 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 Poufa- 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 veather, 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 Taiwan, 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. The 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 Servitude; "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 for some time subsist- ed between them, and the witness stood high in his confidence. He is a trader fron 11 port to the West-Indies. Previous to his last voyage be deposited his trunks in 1 e care of Mrs. Barron. They had not be n long in her possession before she began to suspect that one of them had been opened, altuough no marks oi violence app<'area on not »v<^«.JArJf-jK|ftjrany were entertained ; and still less why she fastened them upon the prisoner, whom she had always found to be very honest, and whose ndehty she had often rewarded. To satisfy herself, she pio- cured a blacksmith to open the trunk, wnen her suspicions were conrirmed ; she missed the articles mentioned in the indictment, although Mr. Fitzgerald had not given her an inventory of what the trunk contained nor had she an opportunity of knowing whe- ther these articles were evei put into it. Mr. Fitzgerald soon left New York for the W. Indies ; but Mrs. Barron had not communi- cated to him either her discovery or her sus- picious, lest it might embitter the moment of separation, of itself sufficient}), 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 Of time Mr. Fitzgerald returned. On the day of his ar- rival he flew on the wings of impatient love to console her widowhoed. In a few 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 hutel was enjoying the beauty of the neighboring scenery, the pri- soner (secure in her own innocence) pas- ssed by him. He seized her, took her into the hotel and accused her of felony. She directed him to the place where her boxes had been left, and he took an officer with him and 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 hou^e of (we believe; a Mrs. Hardy, who also gave her testimony ; and on exa- mination a handkerchief, containing some " little bits of cailico," a piece of un- wrought muslin, a small slip of gauze, and a few 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. Filzaer- bar on evidence so exceedingly weak and so palpably malicious. The jury by their x..'diet manifested their opinion that a person who enters a court for the purpose of seeking justice, ought to do so v, ith clean hands. Without a minute's consultation they pronounced the prisoner " Not Guilty." Whenthis verdict wasrecorded, the young woman claimed all the articles produced aa the properly of her husband, and the court ordered them to be restored to her. PHILADELPHIA, August 20. Arrived, brig Freelove, Hughes, St. Barts, 22 days, coffer, sugar ; South Carolina Ser- rill, Charleston. 6, co ton, rice ; schr. Eliza, Rendols, Laguira, 22, coffee, indigo. Arrived at the La/.aretto, ship Lydia.Ros. seter, Belfast, 82 days, passengers ; brig Au- rora, Pickle, Havanua. 22, sugars ; schrs. Oli/ebranch, Huston, Porto Rico, 14. coffeu and sugar ; Deborah, Jester, Nevis, 8, rum. 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 in 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 exported by ,the im- porters. Captain King, of the Brutue, left at La- guira, 29th July, schrs. Juliet, Riabro, and Ranger, Maffett-, for Philadelphia, soon ; Richmond, Hart well, ditto, uncertain ; Ama- zon, ____¦, N. York, ditto ; Juliet, Seymour, ditto, ditto ; ship Thomas WiLon,---------, 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 1 5. The legislature of this state, convened for the purpose of passing a militia law, to enable the guv 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 cum to en- able the governor to arm and equip the quo- ta of militia required ot this state. A supplement to the act entitled, an act incorporating a company to erect a bridge °"er Christiana. j\ resolution, authorising the chancellor to settle certain claims therein mentioned. No copy of cither of the above laws has been received. We 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, were to receive commissions fitm the go- vernor ; but this would have been con- trary to the constitution of the state, which expressly declares that all officers of miiilia shall be appointed by the governor. The governor is very anxious to put the nii'.iua 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 theapoint- 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 oi course no longer valid. Many young men in this town have declared their willingness to form themselves into volunteer companies, bit 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 for non-attendance on muster days, we learn is two dollars.— The number of artillerists required in quota is 40—the legislature have detlj making any appropriation for ordnance un- til their next session, which will be in Ja- nuary. NORFOLK, August 17. We received by last mail from Nassau, N., Providence, papers to the aSfh'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, Dougbs/s aid's private mark) they could not be identi- ! letter, the mayor's reply, president fied. ^^^^^ Mrs. Barron in the course of her examina- tion gave her testimony with a masculine confidence, and endeavored to enrich it with highly wrought figures of rhetorick and all the embelidunentsof 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 thecourt 6: jury were nota jot wiser than himself. He explained as well as he wa* able, the circumstances she had cl.unation, 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 25. Wednesday last, being St. John's day, the fraternity of free and accepted masons, of England, of whom the duke of Atholi is grand master, celebrated their anniveisa- ry at the mown and anchor tavern iu the. Strand. There were the representatives of between 40 and fifty lodges present, and. after the masonic business of the A6y, they dined together, his grace being in the chair.- related ; and, in summoning up to the jmy, presented an odious picture of the cioial character, of the witness and the prosecutor 1 i- • "¦ * 1 .1. ~v -- . - •, - -» , !T , ,,, - , c f! . , land maintains the ancient institutions of and the ptobabie motive by which they nusomj, an.d which is alone j.clsiwwledg.-d Sl'a