Agricultural. FROM THE AMERICAN MUSEUM. ON THE CULTURE OF GUINEA-GRASS. 66 IN N the late fpring, through the goodness of my friend Col. Motte, I procured from Jamaica three half pints of Guinea-grafs feed, which I planted in the drills of one fourth part of an acre of very indifferent land; the feed fprung and foon covered the ground with grafs four feet high and upwards. Being defirous of faving as much feed as poffible, I cut but one bundle of grafs for horfes: they ate it all with great avidity. In Auguft, I took one of the grafs roots and divided it into twenty-eight parts, which were immediately replanted: every part took 100t, and the whole are now growing very finely and feeding. I am of opinion this grafs will make the beft paftures we can wifh for.-From former experience I have reafon to believe the Guinea grafs is perennial. It is eafily managed, requires but one good hoeing, after which it will take care of itself. I am informed a gentleman near Kingf ton, in Jamaica, makes upwards of £1000 fterling per annum by Guinea grafs hay." H. L. Monitorial Department. To aid the cause of virtue and religion. THE REVERENCE OF THE PRESENT RACE OF THE JEWS FOR THE BOOKS OF MOSES. 66 THEM permitted to put their hands upon it, &c. || This has the appearance of fuperftition; but the tendency and effect of it is to infpire an uncommon reverence for the book, and the law that it contains. They divide it into fifty-two parts, and read one of them every Sabbath, fo as to go through the whole every year. At the fame time they read certain portions of the writings of the prophets, and other canonical books. As foon as a child can fpeak, he is taught to read the fcriptures in the language of the country in which they live; and they are taught the expofition thereof, and the doctrine of their rabbins, as foon as they are capable of it.” Miscellany. FOR THE BALANCE. TO THE CITIZENS OF HUDSON. THE HE prefent difference in the expence between building houfes of wood and of brick is but trifling; and in a short time, it will be in favour of the latter. While the materials for wooden buildings are becoming fcarce and increafing in price, there are, in this place, peculiar advantages for an eafy and cheap provifion of fuch folid materials as are proof againft the ravages of fire. Befides clay enough and more than enough for the manufacture of brick, there are, almoft adjacent to the city plat, inexhauftible quarries of ftone, fuitable both for the manufacture of lime and for the foundation and nether parts of buildings. The breaking, drawing and fashioning of this ftone, and the increafing manufacture of lime and brick (provided the building with wood might be difcontinued) would give employment to a larger number of men within the corporation; and, in this way, would be a benefit to the place. Since therefore the band of nature has fpread around us and even under our feet fuch an abundance and variety of matter, which may be wrought and formed into folid and durable houfes, it is imprudent, it is almoft criminal, to neglect thefe advantages and lavifh money in purchafing perishable and combuflible materials from abroad. HE methods they (the Jews) take to intpire and keep up a reverence for the fcriptures, (fays a late writer,) are effectual. The Pentateuch (that is the five The terrible devaftations and horrible books of Mofes) is written in fair and diftreffes which they had formerly experilarge characters on a roll of parchment,enced by fire, as well as the fcarcity of fitted up in the moft ornamental manner. timber, have urged e Europeans into the It is put into a bag of filk, curioufly practice of building, efpecially in comwrought, preferved in a place of the Syna- pact towns, with brick and ftone. Many gogue fet apart for the purpofe, richly or- of their houses, built of fuch folid matenamented. When it is brought out, or rials which were manufactured and put tocarried back, it is done with great cere- gether in the best manner, have lafted fevmony, and the children in the place are eral centuries.-The houfe wherein Shake PROPOSALS have been iffued at Bofton, for publifhing, by fubfcription, a new and improved edition of the NewEngland's Memorial; firft publifhed in the year 1669. By NATHANIEL MORTON, Secretary of Plymouth colony. To which will be added, a valuable Tract, by the fame author, compofed in the year 1680, and which has never been printed. This Tract compofes part of the First Volume of the Records of the First Church in Plymouth it was intended to fupply many omiffions in the Memorial, and was compiled principally from the Manufcripts of Governor Bradford. Hiftorical and Explanatory Notes will be added by the prefent Editor, [Hon. John Davis] with a Map of the old colony of Plymouth, in which the Indian, as well as the English names of places, will be inferted. "The New-England's Memorial con. tains a faithful and interefling narative, relative to the fettlement and intant state of our Country. It was first published in London, and was received with great approbation by the people of New England, and by all who felt interefted in the great and magnanimous enterprize which it records. Some of the fift characters in Church and State, gave their teftimonials of the merit of the Work; and in every fucceeding generation, it has been perufed with pleasure and impovement. "To the fecond edition, published in 1721, there was annexed a Summary, by another hand, bringing down the Hiftory of the Colony, though in a brief manner, to its incorporation with Mallachusetts in 1692. "It is a Work that principally relates to the Colony of Plymouth; but the Author frequently adverts to tranfactions and events in the neighboring. Colonies. It has long been out of print; and it is hoped, that a republication, in the manner and with the improvements contemplated, will be acceptable to all, who reverence the characters and inflitutions of our Anceftors, and who indulge a liberal curiofity in tracing the firft lines of their Hiftory." Mr. Rofs rose and faid, That altho' he came from a part of the country where the late events upon the Miffilippi had excited great alarm and folicitude, he had hitherto foreborne the expreffion of his The above valuable and interefting fentiments, or to bring forward any meafwork will be comprised in a volume of aures relative to the unjuftifiable, opprefbout 400 pages, which will be delivered five conduct of the Spanish government at to fubfcribers handfomely bound and let New-Orleans. He had waited thus long tered, at Two Dollars. A fpecimen of in the hope that fome perfon more likely than himfelf to conciliate and unite the the type, page, and paper, may be feen at the Balance-Office, where fubfcriptions opinions of a majority of the Senate, would opinions of a majority of the Senate, would will be thankfully received until the first have offered efficacious measures for their of April next, at which time the fubfcrip- confideration. But feeing the feflion now tion paper must be returned. We folicit drawing to a clofe without any fuch propthe patronage of our friends and the pub-lence either to his own fenfe of propriety, efition, he could not reconcile a longer fi lic. LORENZO DE' MEDICI. or to the duty he owed to his conftituents. He could not confent to go home without making one effort, however feeble or unfuccessful, to avert the calamity which threatened the western country. Prefent Meffrs. Bronfon and Chauncy are happy appearances, he conteffed, but little juftito announce to the fubfcribers and the pub-fied the hope that any thing he might prolic, the publication of the first volume of pofe would be adopted; yet it would at Rofcoe's Life of Lorenzo de' Medici. leaft afford him fome confolation hereafter, The fecond volume will be ready for fub- that when the ftorm was approaching he fcribers in a few days, and the laft will had done his duty, by warning those who foon be completed. The embarrassments power in their hands of the means they which were created by the fever, retarded ought to employ in order to refift it. the work, and prevented its earlier appear had He was fully aware that the executive of the United Sates had acted--that he had fent an envoy extraordinary to Europe. This was the peculiar province, and perhaps the duty,of the Prefident. He would not fay it was unwife, in this flate of our affairs, to prepare for remonftrance or negociation, much lefs was he about to propofe any measure which would thwart negociation or embarrass the executive. On the other hand he was convinced that more than negociation was abfolutely necellary: that more power and more means ought to be given the Prefident, in order to render his negociation efficacious. Could the Prefident proceed further, even if he thought more vigorous measures proper and expedient? Was it in his power to repel or punish the indignity put upon the nation? Could he ufe the public force to redress our wrongs? Certainly not. This must be the act of Congrefs. They are now to judge of ulterior measures. They must give the power and vote to vindicate, in a becoming manner, the wounded honour, and the best interefts of the country. Mr. R. laid he held in his hand certain refolutions for that purpose, and, before he offered them to the fenate, he would very fully explain his reafons for bringing them forward and preffing them with earneftness as the best fyftem the United States could now purfue. It was certainly unneceffary to waste the time of that body in flating that we had a folemn, explicit treaty with Spain. That this treaty had been wantonly and unprovokedly violated, not only in what related to the Miffiffippi, but by the moft flagrant and deftructive fpoliation of our commerce on every part of the ocean where Spanish armed veffels met the American flag. Thefe fpoliations were of imn. magnitude, and demanded the most fer. as notice of our government. They had been followed by an indignity and eft infraction of our treaty relative to the Minippi, which bore an afpeƐt not to be diffembled or mistaken. To the free navigation of that river we had an undoubted right from nature and This right, and the right of depofit in the from the pofition of our weftern country. acknowledged and fixed by treaty in 1795. ifland of New-Orleans had been folemnly That treaty had been in actual operation and execution for many years. And now without pretence of abufe or violation on our part, the officers of the Spanish government deny the right, refufe the place of depofit, and add the moft offenfive of all infults by forbidding us to land or touch their fhores, and fhutting us out as a common nuisance. By whom has this outrage been offered? By thofe who have conftantly acknowledged our right, but now tell us they are no longer owners of the country!!!--They have given it away! And because they have no longer a right themfelves, therefore they turn us out who have an undoubted right-They difpoffefs us of that in which they difclaim all right themfelves. Such an infult, fuch unprovoked malignity of conduct, no nation but this would affect to miflake :-and yet we not only hesitate to take the courfe which intereft and honor call us to pursue, but we bear it with patience, tamenefs, and apparent unconcern. Whom does this intraction of the treaty and the national rights of this country moft intimately affe&t? If the wound of national honor be not fenfibly felt by the whole nation, is there not a large portion of your citizens expofed to immediate ruin by a continuance of this ftate of things? The calamity lights upon all thofe who live upon the Wellern waters. More than half a million of your citizens are by this cut off from market. What would be the language-What would be the feelings of gentlemen in this houfe, were fuch an indignity offered on the Atlantic coaft ?What would they fay if the Chefapeake, the Delaware, or the bay of New-York were shut up, and all egrefs prohibited by a foreign power? And yet none of thefe waters embrace the interefts of fo many as the Miffiffippi. The numbers and property affected by fhutting this river, are much greater than the blockade of any Atlantic river would extend to. Every part of the Union is equally entitled to proteion, and no good reafon could be offered why one part fhould be leís attended to than another. will not be thought reasonable to exact im- It may be faid, that this is an overcharg- Mr. R. faid that was far from his intention, and he would now examine that fubject, because to his mind the remedy was obvious. Fortunately for this country, there could be no doubt in the prefent cafe. Our national right had been acknowledged and fecured folemnly-the treaty had been in a ftate of execution. It was now violated those who declare they have no right, at the moment they ftrip you of yours ?When in poffeffion, you will negociate with more advantage-You will then be in a condition to keep others out-You will be in the actual exercife of jurifdiction over your whole claim-Your people will have the benefits of a lawful commerce.--When your determination is known, you will make an eafy and honorable accommodation with any other claimant. The prefent poffeffors can have no pretence to complain, for they have no right to the country by their own contelfion-The western people will discover that you are making every effort they could defire for their protection. They will ardently fupport you in the conteft, if a contest becomes neceffary-Their all is at and neither their zeal nor their courage can be doubted. In the last year, goods to the value of more than two millions of dollars had been carried into the Weftern country-Thefe goods were purchafed on credit.-The confumption of that merchandize afforded a revenue our treafury of more than three hundred thousand dollars-The fale of western public lands was calculated upon, as producing half a million of dollars annually Large arrearages of internal taxes were due from that country-The people had just emerged from an Indian warThey had overcome the moft frightful obftructions which had ever prefented The experience of all time has proved, themselves in the fettlement of a new that with nations as well as individuals, country; and although yet in their infan-fubmiffion to aggreffion and infult uniform-flake, cy, we might promife ourselves honorablely invites a repetition and aggravation of and vigorous manhood, if they were pro- the mifchief. To repel at the outfet is tected as we had led them to expect. Af- more eafy, as well as more honorable for ter a little while their ftrength and faculty the injured party. of felf-prefervation would be complete; certainly however they yet needed the kind foftering hand of their parent ftates. But if that be now withdrawn, where is the revenue on which you calculate? How can they pay for your lands? How can they difcharge arrearages of taxes? How are they to meet your merchants of Baltimore and Philadelphia ?--They cannot go to market-They have no refource but the produce of their farms-You fuffer the Spaniards to lock these up-You tell them their crops may, nay muft rot on their hands, and yet they must pay you their debts and taxes. Is this juft? Will it be fubmitted to? Thefe men bought your land in confidence that the Spanish treaty would be maintained. Al, or nearly all your fales are fince the date of that treaty. Now you fuffer a wanton violation of it, without an effort to remove the obstruction, and yet call on them for payment! This cannot be expected. It would not be the rule between honeft individuals, for the feiler of an eftate, fuffering an ejection of the purchafer, when he might and could prevent it, would not in confcience be entitled to receive the purchase money. If it comports with your calculations of intereft or convenience to fubmit tamely to this outrage, and to witnefs the ruin of one part of your country for the lake of peace in the refidne; furely your ideas of juftice will compel you to abfolve the western people from all obligation to pay what it would ruin them to advance. Will you profecute them in your courts? Will you fell their little all by public officers? Will you not be content with the lofs of all the lively hopes they had entertained, of get ting a new fortune, and another name in the will but aufpicious new countries of the weft? Is it not enough that their day is darkening and closing at noon? Sarely it and denied without provocation or apolo- invite thofe who have an intereft at flake Why fubmit to a tardy, uncertain negociation as the only means of regaining what you have loft? A negociation with Look at the memorial from the legiflature of the Miffiffippi Territory, now on your table. That fpeaks a language and difplays a fpirit not to be mistaken. Their lives and fortunes are plighted to fupport you. The fame may, with equal truth, be afferted of Kentucky, Tenneffee, and the western people of Virginia and Pennfylvania. Is this a fpirit to be repreffed or put alleep by negociation? If you fuffer it to be extinguifhed, can you recal it in the hour of diftrefs when you want it? After negociation has failed; after a powerful, ambitious nation fhall have taken poffeffion of the key of your weftern country and fortified it; after their garrifons are filled with the veterans who have conquered in the Eaft, will you have it in your power to awaken the generous fpirit of that country, and difpoffefs them? No.-Their confidence in fuch rulers will be gone. They will be disheartened, divided, and will place no further dependence upon you. They must abandon those who loft the precious moment of feizing, and forever fecuring their fole hope of fubfiftence and profperity. From neceffity they muft then make the best bargain they can with the conqueror. It may be added, that the poffeffion of the country on the eaft bank of the Milfiffippi will give a compactnefs, an irrefiftible ftrength to the United States; and in all future wars, we shall be more dreaded, and of courfe more courted and more refpected, than we can ever hope to be without it. Suppofe that this courfe be not now purfued. Let me warn gentlemen how they trifle with the feelings, the hopes, and fears of fuch a body of men as inhabit the western waters. Let every honorable man put the queflion to himfeif, how would half a million round him be affected by fuch a calamity, and no means taken by the government to redress it. These men have arms in their hands-the fame arms with which they proved victorious over their favage neighbours.-They have ample means of fubfiftence-No market for those means-and they have men difpofed to lead them on to avenge their wrongs. Are you certain that they will wait the end of negociation? When they hear that nothing has been done for their immediate relief, they will probably take their refolution and act. Indeed, from all that we have heard, there is great reafon to fuppofe that they will, or, perhaps, that they inay have already acted-They know the nature of the obftruction--They know the weakness of the country. They are fure of present fuccefs-and they have a bold river to bear them forward to the place of action. They only want a leader to conduct them, and it would be ftrange, if with fuch means, and fuch fpirit, a leader fhould not foon prefent himself. Suppofe they do go-That they do chafe away the prefent wrong-doers--That you give them no fupport-and, that in the end they are overpowered and defeated by a ftronger foe than the prefent feeble poffeffors. They will never return to you, for you cannot protect them. They will make the beft compromife they can with the power commanding the mouth of the river, who in effect has thereby the command of their fortunes. Will fuch a bargain be of light or trivial moment to the Atlantic ftates? Bonaparte will then fay to you, -My French Weft-India colonies, and thofe of my allies, can be fupplied by my colony of Louisiana with flour, beef, pork, lumber and every neceffary. Thefe articles can be carried by my own ships, navigated by my own failors. If you on the Atlantic coaft wish to trade with my colonies in these articles, you must pay fifteen or twenty per cent, of an impoft; we want no further fupplies from you, and revenue to France must be the condition of all future intercourfe.-What fay you to this? It will be vain to addrefs your western. brethren, and complain that your revenue dwindles; your commerce is ruined, your commerce is ruined, your condition defperate. They will reply-you came not to our affiftance at the only moment you could have ferved us-That you then balanced between fordid intereft and duty -That you fuffered them to be borne down and fubdued at a time when, for a trifle, you could have fecured the Miffiffippi. Now their intereft must be confulted, and it forbids any affiftance to you when following in the fame train of ruin which overwhelmed them. If the evil does not immédiately proceed the full length of abfolute difunion, yet the ftrength, the unity of intereft will be gone, we are no more one people, and reprefentatives from that portion of our country, in our public councils, will partake of the fpirit, and breathe the fentiments of a dif- 11 tinct nation. tinct nation. They will rob you of your public lands-They will form a girdle round the Southern flates which may be denominated a foreign yoke and render that whole country very precarious as to its peace and prefent connexions. Indeed, peace and prefent connexions. Indeed, every afpect of fuch a ftate of things is gloomy and alarming to men who take the trouble of reflecting upon it. But, fir, faid Mr. R. I have heard it fuggefted that there is another mode of getting rid of this crifis in our affairs. If we remain perfectly quiet and paffive, fhew no fymptoms of uneafinefs and difcontent-If we give no of fence to the new and probable masters of the Miffiffippi-May be they will fell!!! To me it is utterly incredible that fuch an effect would flow from fuch a conduct. They might probably fell if they found us armed, in poffeffion and refolved to maintain it-They would fee that even conqueft would be a hard bargain for so dif. tant a country. Our poffeflion would be evidence of a fixed refolution. But when we have no army, no military preparation, no femblance of refiflance, what would induce them to fell? Sell, fir! for how much? Why, fir, although there is no information on that fubject before this houfe, yet I have seen it ftated in a newspaper that thofe who claim that country may perhaps be perfuaded to fell by diftributing two millions of dollars among certain influential perfons about the Here Mr. Wright of Maryland called Mr. Rofs to order, and faid that he thought it improper to debate upon confidential information which in his opinion ought to be kept fecret. Mr. Rofs knew of no confidential communication to that house on this fubject. The Vice Prefident faid there was no confidential information about this bufnefs before the fenate that he recollected, and that he perceived nothing improper or out of order in what had been faid. Mr. Nicholas faid he hoped the galleries would be cleared. It appeared to him that the gentleman was about to difcufs points which ought to be kept fecret. Mr. Rofs hoped not-and would give his reafons. Mr. Nicholas objected, that it would not be in order for the gentleman to give rea fons. Mr. Wells inquired whether it was in order to interrupt a gentleman while fpeaking and to make a motion while he was in poffeffion of the floor. The Vice President thought that in fuch a cafe, where a Senator thought that the fubject repuired fecrecy, it might be done. The doors must be clofed at the requeft of any Senator, and afterwards the Senate would determine by vote whether or not the bufinefs fhould proceed with clofed doors. He then ordered the galleries and lobby to be cleared. The doors remain ed closed for fome time, when they were again opened, and the Senate adjourned. Hudson, March 15, 1803. Ticket No. 11,508, in the Lottery for the encouragement of Literature, has drawn the highest prize, 25,000 dollars. We learn, that the amount of damages sustained by Mr. Stebbins, in the destruction of his store at Hillsdale, falls but little short of $6,000. His papers and books, containing a great number of unsettled accounts, were all lost. With an alacrity, deserving of the highest praise, the neighbors of Mr. Stebbins have raised a new store, and it is said, intend to volunteer their services, until it is com. pletely finished. The Hon. TIMOTHY PICKERING, Esq. is elected a Senator of the United States for Massachu setts, in the place of Dwight Foster, Esq. resigned. THE SECRETS. With which Congress has so long been in labour, were safely brought into the world three days previous to the closing of the session. They are two acts-one named Diplomatic Shill-the other Economy-One appropriates TWO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS for carrying on the negociation with France and Spain-the other appropriates two thousand five hundred dollars for extending the external commerce of the United States." While Mr. Ross's Resolutions (inserted in the Balance two weeks ago) were under consideration in the Senate, Mr. Breckenridge moved an amendment, by striking out the whole of the original, and inserting others-authorizing the president, whenever he shali judge it expedient, to require of the executives of the several states to organize, arm and equip, and hold in readiness to march at a moment's warning, Eighty Thousand militia-for appropriating money for their payment, &c. and for erecting works of defence on the western waters. -The amendment was agreed to--and the resolutions passed the last day of the session. --- Mr. Monroe has sailed on his mission to France and Spain. It is very doubtful whether the much injured people of the western country will patiently wait the issue of his negociation. The Spaniards at New Orleans are daily growing more insolent; and it is understood that the French are to take immediate possession. A gentleman at Natchez, writes to his friend at Lexington, under date of Jan. 20, as follows:— "I trust 700,000 persons will not wait for Mr. Jefferson to go through all the forms, ceremonies and etiquette of the courts of Spain and Bonaparte, before they determine whethor it will be best to drive the miscreants from their waters or not. I say, start and drive them with the Spring flood, and then negotiate. We can now get the whole province without the loss of one drop of blood, but let the French get there and it will be otherwise." Two fathers and two mothers follow'd on, "Et dulces moriens reminiscitur Argos."* Its fpirit was caught by Romme, a man of letters and victim of Robespierre. While in prifon, a painter attended to draw the portrait of the unfortunate bard. He fent it to his family with four lines, of which the following is a tranflation: tho' inferior to the original it is a happier effort of eloquence, than all the republican harangues fince the affaffination of Louis." "Wonder not, objects of my fondest care, * A fond recollection of absent friends and his native country occupies bis dving moments. A LEAP DOWN THE CATARACT OF NIAGARA. SOME few years ago, an Indian lying afleep in his canoe, (a few miles above the tremendous cataract,) was, by accident or defign, fet adritt, and floated down within the current till he was awakened by the roaring of the rapids, where the water first burfts into a cataract. He then rofe and extended his arms with aftonishment and horror; but remembering that dignified refolution with which it has ever been the pride of his countrymen to meet death in the most dreadful fhapes, and having covered his head with a blanket, he compofedly fat in his canoe, glanced down the rapids, and was plunged into the tremendous abyfs." A GERMAN officer, who served under Suwarrow, in Poland, mentions the following fingular anecdote. "The evening preceding the decifive attack on Ifmael," Suwarrow faid, "Early to-morrow morning I fhall rife an hour before day-break, drefs and wafh myself, fay my prayers, and then I fhall crow like a cock at hearing which, ftorm the place according to the difpofition made for that purpose.' And he did rife an hour before day-break, dreffed and washed himself, prayed and crowed like a cock-and the Soldiers, according to order, attacked and took the fort by ftorm." A CLERGYMAN, in New-England of the name of Bryant, falling in company with an Irishman lately come over, obferved to him, that he himself defcended from the O'Briens in Ireland, and afked him whether O'Brien was not a high name. "In troth, replied the Irifhman, the O'Briens are a high people. I have seen many a one of them when he was dying, tofs and dangle his feet in the air, full fix feet high from the ground." Advertisement, copied from the Monagham paper, Ireland: Whereas John Hall has fraudulently taken away feveral articles of my wearing apparel, without my knowledge, this is, therefore, to inform him, that if he does not forthwith return the fame, his name fhall be made public. A Dublin Apothecary advertises, that he has removed to the corner of St. Peter's Church-yard, where he will let apartments, cellarage, and other conveniencies, underground, on moderate terms. TERMS OF THE BALANCE. To City Subscribers, Two Dollars and fifty cents, payable in quarterly advances. To Country Subscribers, who receive their papers at the office, Two Dollars, payable as above. To those who receive them by the mail, Two Dollars, exclusive of postage, payable in advance. A handsome title-page, with an Index or Table of Contents, will be given with the last number of each volume. Advertisements inserted in a conspicuous and handsome manner, in the Advertiser which accompanies, and circulates as extensively as the Balancé. Complete files of the first volume, which have been reserved in good order for binding, are for sale -Price of the volume, bound, Two Dollars and fifty cents-unbound, Two Dollars. The whole may be sent, stitched or in bundles, to any post-office in the state, for 52 cents postage; or to any post-office in the union for 78 cents. PUBLISHED BY SAMPSON, CHITTENDEN & CROSWELL, |