Driginal Eflaps. HUDSON, (New-York) TUESDAY, AUGUST 9, 1803. Hither the products of your closet-labors bring, FOR THE BALANCE. A POLITICAL CATECHISM. [CONCLUDED.] Question. WHAT is the standard HAT is the ftandard of freedom by which the prefs is and ought to be guided, as it refpc&ts the character and measures of Mr. Jefferson ? Anfwer. As it refpects that auguft perfonage, the excommunicated "fea" is, as yet, allowed a very licentious indulgence; inafmuch as no previous restraint is laid on the prefs, by binding federal printers, while unconvilled of crime, to keep the peace and to their good behaviour. A great apoftle of liberty, who contemplates the beauties of the goddefs, with ineffable rapture and daily kneels at her altar and kiffes her fhrine, in vain attempted fuch a previous refraint. Mortifying defeat! Ah, the blindnefs of certain judg es! They had not far ehough advanced in the "march of fentiment" to perceive the neceffity and falutary nature of fuch a measure. Q. On what ground was the previous reftraint attempted? A. It was attempted on the ground of the ftatute of Edward third, a great and worshipful king of England; who lived nearly five centuries ago-indeed long before any printing-prefs had been known. A moft luminous period that was, when all lifhed on a firm and immoveable bafis : Q. Is then the inviolability of Mr. ble truths against the administration, without incurring punishment ? A. No fuch an indulgence would lead to the moft fatal confequences, and is not to be fuffered in a free country. It would open a door for intolerable licen tioufnefs; it would tend to proftrate gov. ernment, by bringing it into contempt; it would expofe the faults of great men to vulgar eyes, and might wound their feelings. Truth is fharper than a ferpent's tooth; it ftings and irritates an elevated mind, ten-fold more than falfhood. Therefore our wife ancestors, fome seven or nine hundred years ago, established it as a maxim, that "the greater the truth, the greater is the libel." Q. Do you then approve the British government ? fpeedy downfall: Yet the English common law, as it relates to libels, is, under prefent circumstances, an excellent weapon wherewith to defend the rights of the people; 'tis exactly fuited to the condition of this country. A. None can approve it lefs, or de. teft it more; it is a fyftem of intolerable A. It is, in a manner, (tho' alas! too oppreffion and flavery; it is a mass of feebly,) fhielded from thofe vile caitiffs, by rotten inftitutions. To call it a free govthe British Common Law.-Printers have ernment is an infult upon the human unthe licentious indulgence of publishing derstanding; every good republican is what they please concerning Mr. Jeffer-bound to execrate it, and to wish for its fon. They are laid under no heavy bonds for their good behaviour: no commiffioners have been appointed to give a previous licence to political publications. Indeed, they order things better in France," that dear land of liberty. Printers here, I fay, are allowed to publifh whatever they please on politics; liable merely to fines, bonds and imprisonment, if they prefume to publifh aught, that may tend to diminish the character of our auguft chief, or of the other officers of government, whom he delighteth to honour. 66 Q. In cafe that Mr. Jefferfon fhould betray and facrifice the deareft interests of the nation, and that the facts relating to his perfidy fhould be capable of being fully fubftantiated by proof ;-might they not be published with impunity ? 4. Such a thing is impoffible.-The 2. May not printers publish provea- English have a maxim, that "the king can do no wrong" 'tis ftupid to say this of a king; but Mr. Jefferson has more wisdom, more virtue, more honour, thar all the kings have put together, who reign in Christendom.-He betray and facrifice the intereft of the nation! The fuppofition is blafphemy. Q. Inafmuch as the angels of light became foul apoftates, it is furely not impoffible that even Mr. Jefferfon may err and do wrong; and if fuch an incident fhould exift and the public fhould thereby be greatly endangered, ought not the peo. ple to know it? A. It would be best that the people fhould not know it: the publication of fuch intelligence would light up the torch of fedition; it would diminish the people's confidence in their chief magiftrate, and would eftrange their hearts from his facred perfon. Q. Should a printer publifh any fact of this kind, together with fubftantial documents in proof; what must be the confequence? A. The prefumptious wretch must be indicted, and punished according to law. Q. Should he produce in court twenty fubftantial witnelles, in proof of his allegation, would not this circumftance tend to effect his acquital? A. If he should produce in court an hundred witneffes, it could no wife avail him. The bench would not permit them to be fworn common law forbids it. Q. If Mr. Jefferson fhould perfonally appear in court, and acknowledge the fact alledged against him, might not this exculpate the publisher ? A. It would in no manner tend to his exculpation, but would really aggravate the offence: it would prove that the allegation were a great truth; and confequently, that it were a great libel. Q. Is this then the perfection of liberty? In answer to this pitiful attempt to defame, it might be fufficient to prefent a fingle fact-Mr. Hamilton was certainly more than any man able to calculate very early on the confequences of funding the Debt, and it will eafily be feen that he might, directly or indirectly have availed himfelf of his knowledge, to extend his private fortune to any nameable amount. It is well known, however, that an incef. fant diminution of that fortune was the refult of his going into the Treafury, and eventually rendered it neceflary for him to refign his fituation and return to his profeffion for a fupport. forded him the means of viewing every thing on a larger fcale than thofe who had only divifions and brigades to attend to:who knew nothing of the correfponden. cies of the Commander in Chief, or of the various orders to, or tranfactons with, the general Staff of the army. "Thefe advantages, & his having ferved with ufefulness in the Old Congrefs, in the General Convention, and having filled one of the most important departments of gov. ernment, with acknowledged abilities and and made him a confpicuous_character in integrity, has placed him on high ground, the United States and even in Europe. To thefe, as a matter of no small confideration, in the line of his profeffion is his moft cer may be added, that as a lucrative practice tain dependance, the inducement to relin. quifh it muft in fome degree be commen. furate. By fome he is confidered an am. bitious man. That he is ambitious, I fhall readily grant, but, it is of that laudable kind which prompts a man to excel in whatever he takes in hand. "He is enterprizing, quick in his preceptions--and in his judgment intuitively great: Qualities effential to a great mili tary character, and therefore I repeat, that his lofs will be irreparable." Now then let the malignity of age dictate and boyish vanity endite--here is the tel timony of one who could not be mistaken, and who was incapable of deception. Balance Closet. RETOR T. The civilized and the savage man have opposite modes of warfare: the former stands erect in the open field, and bares his bosom to his adversary : the latter lies in ambush; and the corroding wounds, which he inflicts, proceed from an unseen hand. If But instead of difputing with a pert and faufy jackanapes, whofe impudence is only equaled by his malice, one of thofe egregious triflers, whofe vanity fcruples not to facrifice truth to the rounding of a period, we fhall, as a fatisfactory refutation of this abufe, prefent the impartial opinion of one who will be allowed full credit One whofe attribute it was to fee more deeply into real character than almoft any other! man, and who was intimately acquainted pursued to his hiding place, he speeds his flight to with Mr. Hamilton for a long courfe of time both during the revolutionary war and fince. Two years after his retirement from public life, WASHINGTON thus expreffed himself in a letter to Mr. Ad. ams : Extract of a letter from General Washington to Prefident Adams, dated MountVernon, September 25, 1798.. A. It is the quinteffence, the very marrow of liberty; it is the facred touchflone of orthodoxy.-Whoever does not believe with all his heart, that to publish all manner of evil against the ex-officers, and allo against the fecond magiftrate in the nation, is highly meritorious; and that to publifh aught against Mr. Jeffer fon, (tho' true,) is a damnable fin ;-whoever does not believe that the Sedition Law, which admitted the truth in evidence, was an a&i of horrible oppreffion and tyranny ;-and that the common law, which punishes truth as feverely as it does falfhood, is the beft poffible fecurity for the freedom of the prefs;-whoever does not believe and openly profefs, without any equivocation. or mental refervation, all and every of thefe cardinal points of republican faith, together with all the fubordinate doctrines and principles, which have been now de-nities, as the principal and moft confidenclared in this catechetical creed—is an in "It is an invidious tafk, at all times, to draw comparifons, and I fhall avoid it as much as poffible: but I have no hesitation in declaring that, if the public is to be deprived of the fervice of Col. Hamilton, in the military line, the poft he was deftined to fill will not be eafily fupplied; and that this is the fentiment of the public, I think I can venture to pronounce. Although Col. Hamilton has never acted in the character of a genaral officer, yet his opportu another dark retreat; and plots to ensnare the enemy, that he dares not meet on open ground. A like difference of characters is observable in the warfare of the pen. Some wage it in an open manly manner, and scorn to shrink from an avowal of any thing they write. Others prefer a bush-fight: in anonymous publications, or under the cover of fictitious signatures, they can, with cool and deliberate malice, commence unprovoked attacks. They can secretly feather their arrows, dip them in poi son, and aim them, with an exertion of every nerve, at the heart of their marked victim. In their hid den recess, they grin horrible a ghastly smile," at the wounds on character, which they have se curely inflicted If challenged to avow themselves, they plunge still deeper into their thicket; if vigo rously pursued, they are like the scuttie fish, that, to conceal itself, fouls the water with which it is surrounded ;-if dragged into open light and dared to a fair combat, they instantly cry, “murder."—If their insulted, incensed foe make a free use of the tial Aid of the Commander in Chief, af-goose-quill, and repay them, with interest, in their own coin, they roar aloud against "philippics;" and virtually confess a conscious inferiority, by throwing down their gall-dipped pen, and flying to the tangles of law. This is all the reply, which the Senior editor of the Balance is, at prisen, disposed to give to Mr. Spencer s late note in the Bee. A long article appears under the editorial head of the last Bee, concerning the trial of Croswell, but Helt, we are satisfied, was not the author of it. It does not bear those legible marks of stupidity and dullness which distinguish the productions of that hireling editor, from those of a certain bonourable correspondent. The editor of the Bee is in fact, a mere stalking horse. He is used by men who dare not appear openly as the "bare assassins of reputations." Incapable himself of rendering satisfaction for injury, he lends his name to cowardly slanderers, who feel sufficiently secure, when secretly intrenched behind his rotten editorial reputation. But the author of the article in the Bee 13 well known. His writings cannot be disguised, until they are divested of that malignity and sophis try with which they so much abound. The charge of wilful perjury, which this writer has made against the junior editor, is too serious for newspaper discussion. He will be called to answer for it in a court of justice. No law will be resorted to, which prevents the truth from being given in evidence. On the contrary, the writer will be chal leaged to prove his charge, and if able to do it, will e. cape the penalty which must otherwise await him. The writer says, "We again repeat it, that the objec"tions to the act of congrefs called the "fedition law did not arise from any idea that libellous publications ought to ef cape with impunity and to go unpunished, but they were directed to the inter"ference of congrefs at all, on the "ground of a want of conftitutional ju"rifdiction." This is altogether false. There was hardly one democrat in an hundred that objected to the sedition law on account of its supposed unconstitutionality. That was the least objection among democratic printers; and more than half of the people who clamoured the loudest against the law, are wholly ignorant of every article of the constitution: Indeed, it is very doubtful whether one in twenty of them ever read the Sedition law itself. But we will appeal to higher authority. We will turn to the proceedings of the Virginia assembly, and then see what reliance can be placed on the above assertion, The assembly condemned the sedition law, "be"cause it was levelled against the right of freely examining public characters and measures, and of free communication among the people thereon." 46 " Not a word is here said about the constitutionality of the law. The principle which restrains the right of "freely examining public characters" is condemned. In the report, drafted by Mr. Madison, it is declared that "the security of the freedom of the press requires, that it should be exempt, not on"ly from the previous inspection of licensers but from "the SUBSEQUENT PENALTY OF LAWS" Now if these sentences do not contain an "idea that li ་་ This assertion has, several times, been made by democratic printers, and at least once before now by the Bee; but we considered the misrepresentation so gross and ridiculous, as to be totally unceserving of notice. Since, however, it is again repeated, it may not be amiss to give it a moment's attention. The vice president of the United States performs no official act, except in the capacity of president of the Senate. As president of the Senate, he be. longs to, and is subject to all the rules and regulations of that house. When the sedition law was in force, the president of the Senate (Mr. Jefferson) was just as much entitled to its protection as Mr. with which it closes, is base and detestable. Of the case of Frothingham, we are not sufficiently informed to enter into a controversy about it at this time. We have no doubt, however, that the Bee-writer has given it his usual share of false colouring. [OMITTED LAST WEEK.] No recent event has given the democratic editors a better chance to exercise their talent at misrepresentation, than the trial of the junior editor. Afraid to let the world know the truth concerning this affair, they have spared no pains to discolour or suppress the facts. Not one of them, to our knowledge, has yet dared to inform his readers, that the truth was not permitted to be given in evidence. Here follows the account published by Cheetham, of New York-every sentence of which is incor 66 Chief-juftice Lewis prefided. Eight federal Lawyers were employed for Crofwell against the Attorney-General, and the Affiftant-Attorney, Ebenezer Foot, Efq. 64 Coleman owes his prefent enlargement to the forbearance of the Attorney of this District. How far he is entitled to the clemency of Mr. Riker, to that of the republicans at large, thofe who have been in the habit of reading his libellous sheets, cannot be at a lofs to determine. Coleman and Harry Crofwell have been guilty of the fame crime and ought to fhare the fame fate. "We hope Crofwell's example will be productive of good; candid and liberal in. vefligations are of ineftimable value to the ftate, but the licentioufness of federal preffes ought not to be tolerated.” We copy from the Evening Post, the following reply to the above statement : It is the fingular fate of this fellow, Cheetham] that when truth and falfhood be both before him, and the former will anfwer juft as well as the latter, he invariably prefers the latter; one of thofe wretches who are fo habituated to lying, that he lies confidently, where truth would anfwer as well. It is falfe that an action of flander was brought against Mr. Crofwell; if there had been he might have giv en the truth in evidence, by way of defence but the method taken by the prof ecutor was by indictment at common law, where it is held, in the very teeth of juftice and common fenfe, that a man is equally guilty of having maliciously and wickedly published a falfhood, although every fyllable is ftriatly true. Again; It is falfe that "the flander confifted principally of the bafe and unfounded story about Black Sally." Altho' one indi&tment contained five charges, and a fecond indictment a fixth charge, the story of Black Sally is not hinted at in either. We do not repcat the charges here, because it is our intention, after having obtained a correct statement of fats, to take up this "Some time fiace, the Attorney Gen- trial again, and to make a ftand upon it, eral of this ftate brought an action of flan- and to call upon every Federal printer in der against the noted Harry Crofwell, Ed- the United States to join us, and make a itor of the Bilance and a little malignant bold ftand againt TYRANNY. For the paper entitled the Wafp. paper entitled the Wafp. The flander prefent we fhall only fay, that we are not confifted principally of the publication of fenfible of owing our exemption from the bafe and unfounded' ftory about profecution to Riker, or Spencer, or any black Sally, originally invented by Callen- other democrat ; we fhould defpife the der and circulated with great avidity by impunity due to fuch a fource- permit us his friend and correfpondent Coleman. but to juftify by giving the truth in eviTh The Attorney General, Ambrofe Spen-dence, and we afk no more. Guarded in cer, Efq. much to his credit, thought fit this manner, we challenge the whole hoft to bring an action of flander against Crof- of democracy to take fue with us on well, for publishing the infamous calumny what has been from time to time advanced on the President of the United States. in this paper. It falfe, let us fufer; if The caufe was tried on Friday laft at Hud- true, there is yet good fenfe and fpirit efon, and by private letters yesterday recei.nough left in the community to uphold ved we are informed that the attrocious libeller was brought in guilty by an im partial jury. rect: and protect us. At any rate, we fhall venture to place a reliance on this opinion, and act accordingly. Agricultural. FOR THE BALANCE. ON PRESERVING CIDER. THE Political. FROM THE EVENING POST. MR. LIVINGSTON'S MEMORIAL. THIS evening we conclude the Memorial, which has been faid by fome of the ny, without the props of wealthy and in- 66 You can be at no lofs as to which of Doctor Hitchcock, in his "Domeftic dote. "An old military gentleman, who was eafe; and without any previous intimation We have received fome private letters on this fubject which would go farther to elucidate the point, were it fuppofed to be material at this time to have it fettled, Difmiffing all conjectures of this fort, we fhall beftow a few remarks, on the Memorial itself. HE juice of the apple, were the beit methods used in expreffing and preferving it, as well as in forting the fruit, night perhaps be rendered almoft equal to the juice of the grape. The following method of preferving cider is mentioned in Dean's husbandry. "An experiment, fays a valuable correfpondent, in the county of Suffolk (Mafs.) was made in the year 1764. Some iron bound cafks of cider were placed in a cellar which was always In the first place, it would feem, if Mr. fo full of cold fpring-water, as to keep Livington's judgment and information the cafks conftantly covered, with the wamay be relied on, the acquifition of Lou ter running upon them continually. As ifiana is really of very queftionable value, the water was at all times equally cold, it to say the best. He fays, the cultivation kept the cider not only from the influence. of "this hot and infalubrious climate is of the air, but fermentations in liquor. to be carried on by flaves; of course then, In which place it continued from O&to. the flave trade is to be forever fupported ber to May following. It was then drawn and encouraged by our Government, off into barrels, and was pronounced to Let the friends of humanity reflect upon be the best of cider, by very good judgy expiating the folly which had brought this. But he goes on to prove, that the thither. At this hideous spectacle, At this hideous fpeftacle, labour of thefe flaves will not, after all, fo offenfive to all the fenfes, the young produce any profit to their employers, at man grew fick. "Go thou wretched debauchee, faid the father, with a fignificant leaft for many years." On their arrival look and emphafis, follow thy loofe incli-employed in the barren occupation of fel at Louifiana, (fays he) the flaves will be nations; it will not be long before thou ling the large forefls with which this inwilt think thy fell happy in being admitted into this place. Or, prehaps, a victim to menfe country is covered, a labour but little fuited to flaves, for it requires being the most infamous fufferings, thou wilt long accuflomed to the ax, and force and compel thy father to thank God for thy activity are feldom found in flaves; they death. Thefe few words, joined to the af- must be cloathed, fed and maintained dufecting fcene before him, made an impref-ring whole years before any pofit can be fion upon the young man, which time could never efface. Condemned, by his profeffion, to spend his youth in garrifons, he chofe rather to bear the raillery of his companions than imitate their vices," es." He adds, "In this manner the famous Falernian wine, fo often mentioned by the Latin poet Horace, was kept, being funk in the river Tiber, which washed the walls of Rome." Bonitorial Department. To aid the cause of virtue and religion. FOR THE BALANCE. derived from them." "Who then (he afks) will cultivate Louifiana with flaves ?" Here, firft Louifiana can only be cultivated by favesnext a question is put implying that it can never be fo cultivated. We contefs we do not very well comprehend what the Honourable Chancellor would now be at In the courfe of the Memorial he affens that the pains, expences, and lefs of men, which are infeparable from new fe climate; the invafion of Indians; the intlements in a mar fhy country and a burning conveniences united, are enough to flop furrection of flaves, &c. &c. all thefe inan undertaking and ruin a fettlement. If fuch be the true estimation in which Louifiana is to be held, we repeat it, we are fource of fecurity as this. It is true, to have with them as little political con"It must be unnection as poffible.' 66 wife in us to implicate ourselves by artificial ties, in the ordinary vicifitudes of her politics, or the ordinary combinations. and collifions of her friendships or enmities. Our detached and diftant fituation invites and enables us to pursue a different courfe." 'Tis our true policy to steer clear of permanent alliances with any portion of the foreign world." Conftantly keeping it in view, that it is folly in one nation to look for difinterested favours from another; that it must pay with a porOf the fame nature is the expreffion afterwards made ufe of; "Two people form- may accept under that character; that by tion of its independence for whatever it condition of having given equivalents for ed to affft one another." If we are form-fuch acceptance, it may place itself in the nominal favors, and yet of being reproached with ingratitude for not giving more. There can be no greater error than to expect or calculate upon real favors from nation to nation. Tis an illufion which experience muft cure; which a juft pride ought to difcard." therefore, charitably difpofed to believe in all her difficulties and embark in all her Paris into that of a petty chapman, and by quarrels, as the loving democrats once Having difpofed of the commercial part of this far-famed memorial, we shall finifh with a few remarks on its political fenti ments. But here we beg permiflion to oppofe to and whom every federalift is proud to re member was once our Chief. It is a let- "BRETHREN, "We are glad to fee you, and are forry "Woolen articles and hard-that fuch reports difquiet you. The Engware (fays he) are the only articles which lifh do not intend to hurt you, or any of America receives from England; but your allies. This news, we know, must have France fhall furnifh not only all thefe, but been forged by the French, who are conher agriculture will gain by the fale of her ftantly treacherous; afferting the greatest wines, brandies, and oils. Thofe advanta- talhoods whenever they think they will ges (adds he) that is, the fale of wine, bran turn out to their advantage. They speak, dy and oil, have exhibited France as the and will promife fine things, but all from natural ally of the United States, to the eye the lips outward, whilft their heart is corof those who have confidered, in the ex- rupted and full of venomous poilon. The tent of her power, a new pledge of the fe- English, your real friends, are too generous curity of their commerce and their fatare to think of ufing their allies in this mantranquility." As we have to confefs our ner." ignorance of what is meant by one nation's being the natural ally of another, we cannot undertake to fay, but that fuch an alliance, if it really exiits, may as well be produced by the fale of French brandy as by any other means, and therefore, for the Exceffive partiality (fays he) for one prefent, we let this pafs. But who thofe foreign nation, and exceffive diflike of anpatriots can be, who confider the Ameri-other, caufe thofe whom they actuate to fee can commerce and tranquility as depend- the danger only on one fide, and serve to ing on the fecurity furnished us by the exveil and even to fecond the arts of influence tenfive power of France, we know not; on the other." "The great rule of con. for curfelves, we should be among the laft duct for us, in regard to foreign nations, to place any great reliance on fuch a is in extending.our commercial relations; And this mention of the venerable Washington, fuggefts another prominent fentiment, which he has been at great pains to inculcate in his affectionate farewell Addrefs to the people of the United States. 66 Thus fpoke the fage Washington in the laft address he ever penned-an addrefs breathing genuine patriotifm in every line, fraught with good fenfe, and dictated by the moft earneft folicitude, in "the purest of all poffible hearts," for our welfare; an addrefs containing "the counfels of an old and affectionate friend," to which he flattered himself, his countrymen would "now and then recur to moderate the fury of party fpirit, to warn against the against the impoftors of pretended patrimitchiet of foreign intrigue, and to guard olim." But the American miniiter at Paris holds a very different language-According to him we have a permanent alliance with France, for it is formed by nature herfelf; there is "no point of collifion between" us; we are two people formed [exprefsly] to affift each other." From France we are to look for the moft"difinterefted favours," and are, of course, to lofe no opportunities to confer "difinterefied favours" on her in return. 66 Had Mr. Livingston flopped even here, though it would have evinced that "exceflive partiality" to France, againft which Wathington fo ftrongly cautions us, it would have been lefs objectionable, on the fcore of prudence and propriety, than the "exceffive diflike" which hẻ afterwards betrays towards England. "I am incapable (fays the Chancellor) of conceiving the ridiculous idea of threatening a government, which has feen all Europe bend the knee before its power." It can hardly be fuppofed this is very palatable to Ruffia or Pruffia, or calculated to call forth the good will of England towards us. But this is not all. "I have obferved (he proceeds) that France and the United States are in a respective fituation, fo fortunate as to have no point of |