1800.

March 4.

Address at

tion.

Edward Rutledge, governor of South Carolina, at the age of about 50 years; and Artemas Ward, major general in the revolutionary war, at Shrewsbury in Massachusetts.2

1801.

THOMAS JEFFERSON was chosen President, and Aaron Burr Vice President, of the United States.

The president, in his Inauguration Address, summarily stated President's what he deemed "the essential principles of our government, Inaugura- and consequently those which ought to shape its administration: Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none; the support of the state governments in all their rights, as the most competent administrations of our domestic concerns, and the surest bulwarks against anti-republican tendencies; the preservation of the general government in its whole constitutional vigour, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home, and safety abroad; a jealous care of the right of election by the people, a mild and safe corrective of abuses which are lopped by the sword of revolution where peaceable remedies are unprovided; absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of republics, from which is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism; a well disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace, and for the first moments of war, till regulars may relieve them; the supremacy of the civil over the military authority; economy in the public expense, that labour may be lighty burdened; the honest payment of our debts, and sacred preservation of the public faith; encouragement of agriculture, and of commerce as its handmaid; the diffusion of information, and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of the public reason; freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of per

1 Ramsay, Hist. S. Car. (Biograph. Sketches) ii. 519-523. Mr. Rutledge resembled his brother John Rutledge, in his patriotism; and rendered important service to his country. "The talents of few were estimated equally high; the virtues of none attracted a greater proportion of public love and esteem."

2 Eliot and Allen, Biog. General Ward was educated at Harvard College; was an active and useful member of the general court for several years; and one of the provincial congress of Massachusetts in 1774. When the revolu tionary war commenced, he was the first officer in rank, and commanded the troops at Cambridge till general Washington arrived. His residence was at the house now occupied by the writer, where, at the memorable time of the battle of Bunker Hill, the general held his military consultations; and it was from the very apartment in which this account is now drawn up, that his orders were issued on that day. In April, 1776, he resigned his military commission; and though, at the request of Washington he continued some time longer in command, he afterward devoted himself to the duties of civil life. He was a man of incorruptible integrity, and of Christian principles and character.

message.

son, under the protection of the Habeas Corpus; and trial by 1801. juries impartially selected. These principles," he subjoined, form the bright constellation, which has gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation." Congress declared war against Tripoli on the 10th of June. The president, in his message to both houses of congress on Dec. 8. the 8th of December, expressed his sincere gratification, that he President's was able to announce to them on grounds of reasonable certainty, that the wars and troubles, which have for so many years afflicted our sister nations, have at length come to an end, and that the communications of peace and commerce are once more opening among them.-"Among our Indian neighbours also," he subjoined, "a spirit of peace and friendship generally prevails;" and he was happy to inform them, "that the continued efforts to introduce among them the implements and the practice of husbandry, and of the household arts, have not been without success."

continues

into the

To this state of general peace, with which the United States Tripoli were now favoured, there was, he said, but one exception. hostile. Tripoli, the least considerable of the Barbary states, had made demands, founded neither in right nor in compact, and had denounced war, on the failure of the American government to comply with them before a given day. The president, on this The presioccasion, sent a small squadron of frigates into the Mediterranean, dent sends with assurances to that power of the sincere desire of the Ameri- a squadron can government to remain in peace; but with orders to protect Mediterraour commerce against the threatened attack. It was a seasonable nean, to and salutary measure. The Bey had already declared war. protect our His cruisers were out. Two of them had arrived at Gibraltar. The American commerce in the Mediterranean was blockaded, and that of the Atlantic in peril. The arrival of the squadron dispelled the danger. One of the Tripolitan cruisers, having fallen in with and engaged the small schooner Enterprise, com- Tripolitan manded by lieutenant Sterret, which had gone out as a tender, cruiser was captured, after a heavy slaughter of her men, without the taken. loss of a single American. The armament being not authorized to go beyond the line of defence, the captured vessel, which was disabled from committing farther hostilities, was liberated with its

crew.

commerce.

suls at Tu

nis and

The consul of the United States at Tunis, by a communica- Instructions tion from the secretary of state on the 20th of May, was in- to the constructed to take due pains to satisfy the Bey, that the United States are desirous of maintaining peace with all nations, who Algiers. are willing to live in peace; that they have given abundant evidence of their disposition to cultivate the friendship of the Barbary regencies, and of himself in particular; and that if the flag of the United States should be engaged in war with either of

1801. them, it will be a war of defence and necessity, not of choice or provocation. Similar instructions were given to the American consul at Algiers.1

Indiana.

S. Carolina.

College.

The value of the exports of the United States was upward of 93 million of dollars. The tonnage of the United States was upward of 900,000. The amount of duties received by the United States was upward of 20 million of dollars; and of drawbacks, paid by the states, toward 8 million.2

Indiana territory was, by act of congress, erected into a temporary government.

There were exported from South Carolina nearly 65,000 barrels of rice, and upward of 8 million pounds of cotton. The number of vessels which entered the harbour of Charleston, exclusive of the coasters of South Carolina, during the year, was 1274. The exports from the state, exclusive of rice and cotton, were 8502 pounds of indigo, 5996 hogsheads of tobacco; and the value of the entire exports was 14,304,045 dollars.3 By an act of the legislature of that state, funds were appropriated for establishing a college at Columbia, to be named the South Carolina College.

University A place was fixed on for the University of Georgia. The of Georgia. Senatus Academicus resolved that it should be in Jackson county. A committee, appointed by the board to select the scite, fixed on a height of land near the north fork of the Oconee river. The honourable Mr. Milledge purchased the land for 1000 dollars, and presented it to the University; and the committee proceeded to mark the spot where the buildings were to be erected, and named it Athens. Josiah Meigs, late professor of mathematics and natural philosophy in Yale College, was chosen the first president of the University, which soon commenced operation.5

Conn. Aca

demy. Synod.

Charity

schools.

The Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences was incorporated. The Associate Synod of North America, composed of seceders from the old church of Scotland or Antiburghers, was constituted at Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Society for the establishment and support of Charity Schools went into extensive and successful operation.6

3 See 1792. The cultivation of rice in South Carolina has of late years been diminished; that of cotton, increased. See TABLES.

4 The corner stone of it was laid 18 July, 1803.

5 Sibald's Account of the State of Georgia, 1801.

6 This excellent institution had its origin in the voluntary meetings of a few young men, in 1799, for the instruction of indigent boys in the evening. By public encouragement the society was enabled to open a day school. In 1801, an increase of funds secured its permanence, and extended the sphere of its activity and usefulness.

A digest or compilation of the statute laws of Georgia was 1801. completed.1

The United States Navy Yard at Philadelphia, containing an U. States area of about 12 acres, was purchased by the government for Navy Yard.

37,500 dollars.

There were now printed in the United States about 200 news- Newspapers; 17 of which were printed daily; 7, three times a week; papers. 30, twice a week; and 146 weekly.2

Jonathan Edwards died, in the 57th year of his age; 3 Bene- Deaths. dict Arnold, memorable for his bravery and his treachery in the

1 Griffith, iii. 429. It contained the laws from 1755 to 1800.

2 Miller, ii. 485. Dr. Miller supposes the whole number of newspapers circulated in the United States, at a moderate computation, to be twelve millions. Mr. Pemberton, in his MS. Chronology, A. D. 1789, says, according to an estimate lately made, chiefly from actual accounts received from the several printers, it appears that the number of of newspapers, printed in the United States weekly, is 76,438; annually, 3,974,776.

3 The Rev. Dr. Edwards was a son of the eminent theologian who was president of the college in Princeton. He was born at Northampton in Massachusetts, and when but six years of age, his father removed with his family to Stockbridge, which at that time was inhabited by Indians almost solely; there being in the town but 12 families of whites, and perhaps 150 families of Indians. Here, while at school, he learned the language of the Muhhekaneew or Stockbridge Indians so perfectly, that the natives frequently observed, "he spoke exactly like an Indian." He told the present writer, that, while a boy at Stockbridge, "all his thoughts run in Indian." This language he retained, in a good measure, through life, and wrote valuable remarks upon it, entitled, "Observations on the Language of the Muhhekaneew Indians; in which the Extent of that Language in North America is shown; its Genius is grammatically traced some of its peculiarities, and some instances of Analogy between that and the Hebrew are pointed out." These Observations were communicated to the Connecticut Society of Arts and Sciences, and published in 1788. When he was in his 10th year, his father sent him among the Six Nations, with a design that he should learn their language, and become qualified to be a missionary among them; but on account of the French war he continued among them but about six months. In 1765 he was graduated at the college in New Jersey, and was afterward a tutor in that seminary. In 1769 he was ordained pastor of a church in New Haven, and continued in the ministry there until 1798, when, by mutual request, he was dismissed; and the year following he was settled in the ministry at Colebrook. In 1799 he was elected president of Union College, in Schenectady, and commenced the duties of the office, to which he devoted his attention and talents until his death. He was indefatigable in study, and allowed no time to be lost. It was his custom, at New Haven, when collegiate students were in his family, to propose some question for discussion at his table; and if, on abstruse subjects, he sometimes failed to convince, he always seemed secure from refutation. In the argument called by logicians reductio ad absurdum, so masterly a disputant seldom appears. "He was an able metaphysician. Few works in the English language discover more penetration than his book on the Liberty of the Will. On the reputation of these two American divines," the father and son," the character of our country, with respect to metaphysical science, may honourably rest. The father, considering the circumstances in which he was educated and spent his life, was truly a prodigy of talents. For acuteness and extent of comprehension, and fervour of piety, he has had but few equals belonging to any age. The son very much resembled his father, in talents, in piety, and in the circumstances of his life." Miller, ii. 453. Preface to "Observations" &c. Allen, Biog.

1801. revolutionary war, in London; Ebenezer Cobb, at Kingston in Massachusetts, aged 107 years; and Orono, chief of the Penobscot tribe of Indians, at Old Town, an island in Penobscot river, aged 113 years.2

Louisiana

ceded to France.

Oct. 18.
Decree

1802.

LOUISIANA was ceded by Spain to France. By an order of the king of Spain, dated the 20th of July, the Intendant of Lousiana was informed, that his Catholic majesty had ceded to the French that province in all its extent, and as it was held by the French when ceded to his majesty; and was instructed to make the necessary arrangements for its delivery to the French commissioners.

The Intendant of the province of Louisiana published a decree, by which the Americans were no longer permitted to concerning deposit their merchandise in New Orleans. That port was also shut, the same day, against all foreign commerce; which could only be carried on by Spanish subjects in Spanish bottoms.3

N. Orleans.

Convention

A convention of the government of the United States with between the the state of Georgia was ratified by the legislature of that state; Georgia. in consequence of which a repurchase was made from the Creeks of a part of the Talassee country. In this purchase was comprehended a part of the lands within the fork of Oconee and Oakmulgee rivers. Attention was paid to the settlement of boundaries. boundaries between the Indians and the United States.

Indian

The

boundary of the Choctaw nation was partly fixed this year. The governor of the Indiana territory concluded a treaty with

Treaty. the Indians at Fort Wayne, by which two millions of acres were ceded to the United States. In that part of the Indiana territory which includes Vincennes, the lines settled with the neighbouring

1 He exceeded the 107th year 8 months and 6 days. Mr. Cobb was born in Plymouth 22 March, 1694; and was ten years contemporary with Peregrine White, of Marshfield, the first son of New England, who was born on board the May Flower, in Cape Cod harbour, in 1620, and who died in 1704.

2 Allen, Biog. His wife died in 1809, aged 113 years.-Orono inculcated upon his subjects peace, temperance, and religion. During the revolutionary war he formed a treaty with the American government, to which he faithfully adhered. The Penobscots profess the Roman Catholic religion, and have a church. A benevolent association at Bangor is endeavouring to civilize and improve them.- -The Passamaquoddy Indians, in Maine, are also Roman Catholics, and have a church; but they admit a Protestant missionary to instruct their children in English learning. The Rev. Mr. Kellogg has acted in that capacity among them for several years, employed by the Society for propagating the Gospel among the Indians and others in North America. By a grant from the United States, a school house has been built for them; and the State of Maine has encouraged and assisted them in the cultivation of their lands, and furnished them with the implements of agriculture.

3 American State Papers, iv. 186-188.