The COLUMBIAN AND Balance, REPOSITORY. Driginal Ellays. Hither the products of your closet-labors bring, FOR THE BALANCE. POLITICAL SKETCHES. AN No. III. people will, in fimilar circumstances, gen- great charter; and there was a conftant ftruggle, during nearly a century, before it was completely established in this ftruggle, the people made no figure;the conteft was merely between the feveral monarchs, in fucceffion, and the nobles. It was not till the year 1295, that is, juft eighty years after the grant of Magna Charta was wrefted from king John, that there appeared in England the faint dawn of popular government, in the commencement of the House of Commons. Before that period, the Parliament of England confifled only of the barons or house of lords; and then it was, that the king, Ed The country of our forefathers' fepulchres, the British island, has, in latter ages, been a theatre of very important political scenes, which cannot be contemplated with too much care and attention, by people who enjoy freedom and wish to perpetuate the bleffing. English hiftory, till within the period of from two to three centuries ago, is comparatively but N abfolute defpotifm, however little interefling; for it was not till then, eftablifhed or modified, is as uniform in its that the people had any confiderable weight operations as it is baneful in its effects: in the government. The celebrated grant the will of the fovereign, or (what is ftill of English privileges, called Magna charta, which has been the conftant boaft of more intolerable) of a deep rooted and clofely combined aristocracy, moves and the nation, was obtained not by the peo-ward I. lying under pecuniary embarrassdirects the whole machine of government; ple, but by the barons or lords. In the while the part affigned to the degraded year 1215, a conference was held between people is only to ferve and to fuffer. The king John, one of the most ferocious of king John, one of the moft ferocious of history of nations, under fuch deplorable tyrants, and the barons of England, at the circumftances, affords much difguft with place called Runnemede; which this ebut little profit: but in mixed monarchies, vent has rendered extremely famous.and especially in free republics, the peo- The two parties (the king and the barons) ple unfold their faculties and qualities;|| encamped apart, encamped apart, like open enemies; and and human nature, through all the varities after a debate of a few days, the king of the grades and circumftances of life, is figned and fealed the Great Charter that developed. The hiftory of free nations. was required of him. The people, whofe is, in fact, the hiftory of the human heart, interefts were incidentally promoted and and is no less inftructing, than it is amuf- eventually fecured by the grant of priviing; as it supplies the best means of judg-leges, which was wrefted from the foveing concerning the operations and final if reign, had no voice, no agency in that bufues of various forms of government. In. finefs; but they were then, and long af deed no two nations, perhaps no two in- terward, mere vaffals to the barons. Mag-royal fummons to attend parliament was dividuals, were ever in precifely the fame. na Charta, the foundation of English libdeemed the impofition of a burthen, rather fituations; and therefore infallible con- erty, that contained a number of import- than the bestowment of an honour and a clufions concerning the future conduct of ant privileges and immunities, as well to privilege. nations, under free governments, cannot be the public in general as to the barons, was drawn from the hiftory of paft ages: yet obtained for the people, but not by them. there is a moral certainty, or a high de- As king John, fo his fucceffors, bended gree of probability, that great bodies of all their efforts to revoke and difannul the ments, fummoned reprefentatives and burgeffes from the feveral counties and boroughs, to vote him money. The Commoners in Parliament, at their commencement, and long afterward, were a fervile body, called together merely for the purpose of facilitating a replenishment of the royal treafure: they were ufed with contempt; they were kept apart from the barons and knights, who difdained to mix with fuch mean perfonages; they had no agency in the general bufinefs of legiflation; and all the part affigned them, was to vote fuch fums of money as the monarch, from time to time, demanded. In that, and in fome other fucceeding ages, a Several caufes, however, confpired to give the British houfe of commons a gradual confequence. The commons adhered to the monarchs as their only de fence against the oppreffive ariftocracy of the nobles; and the kings encouraged the commons, in order to deprefs the nobles, whofe turbulence frequently fhook the throne. The power of the cominons was alfo increased by their feizing every opportunity to avail themfelves of the pecuniary receflities of the crown. Edward the third had conceived the mad project of conquering France; and feveral of his fucceffors to the throne were fired with the fame abfurd ambition. France was invaded, from time to time, by English armies, and was laid waste with fire and fword; while England itfelf was greatly impoverished and weakened by thofe fruitlefs and pernicious expeditions: yet they proved highly favourable to English liberty. Their wars abroad having exhaufled the trealures of the English Kings, they were conftrained to have frequent recourse to the Parliament for extraordinary supplies; which the commons feldom voted, without wifely bargaining, at the fame time, for fome enlargement of the national privile. ges. Thus it happened contrary to the common courfe of events, that the Englifh nation obtained fome of the most important conceffions and grants in favour of liberty, from fuch kings as were fired with ambition and diftinguished for their courage and talents; who, had they not employed their reftlefs minds and wasted their ftrength abroad, would have been the moft difpofed and the best able to have eftablished a system of abfolute defpotism at home. It may with juftice be further remarked, that the English houfe of commons acquired a great increase of ftrength and confequence from the spirit of commerce, which began, about two centuries ago, to pervade the nation. The difcoveries of Columbus which gave accels to the mines of South America, and thofe of Vasca de Gama which opened a road to the vast riches of the Eaft, changed entirely the face of Europe. Several of the European princes, feizing the advantages of the . confequent increafe of their revenues, formed and fupported large military eftablifhments; by means whereof they enlarg ed their boundaries and enthralled their own fubje&ts but the fpirit et commer cial enterprize, which the aforementioned difcoveries had awakened in England, was, for fome confiderable time, highly fav. ourable to the nourishment and growth of English liberty. Commerce encouraged and invigorated agriculture and manufactures, fo that many among the middling claffes rofe to a condition of great wealth: --a circumftance that added greatly to the weight of the houfe of commons, in which the people were reprefented, and which derived luftre and influence from the people's riches. Selected. [We observe, with pleasure, the enlargement and improvement of the ULSTER GAZETTE." Its appearance is respectable; and, for a specimen of its politics and editorial character, we refer the reader to the following extract :Edit. Bal] good words-fine beguiling fweet words are the thing, and they have been in fafh. ion ever fince the the deceiver made fuch fuccefsful ufe of them to our first parents. Thefe go a great deal farther now a days that plain honefty and fair dealing-and when a PATRIOT can be made by word of mouth merely, when any creature in the country can become a good republican, by juft, calling him felf fuch, it is no wonder they are as thick on the body politic as vermin on a beggar. Here is a fellow if you please that wants an office, and tho' his heart is as hard as any flint, and his charity flone cold, yet he talks as feeling. of what the poor people fuffered under Adams, and how happy they ought to be now, as if he had ever fhed one fingle drop of oil into the bofom of affliction, as if he had ever wiped one folitary tear from the cheek of mifery. Whip me fuch pat. riots. ATTENTIVE obfervers of men and things, muft long fince have been convinced, that in ambition and intrigue the lead. ing democrats are fecond to no creatures in this world; and that whenever any one individual has it in his power to engrofsly ever fo many offices, neither his fenfe of decency, nor a feeling of juftice to his fellow laborers in the vineyard are able to check his career while the difappointed grumble to be fure in fecret, but ftill perfevere in the old courfe in hopes that "every dog will have his day." It is diverting enough to hear the plans which are laid and the intereft which is courted for a certain office which for the prefent fhall be nameless-and if a certain excellent old man fhall have many years added to his life, and we earnestly pray that he may, it will be the means of feeding many a panting office hunter with hopes at least. We mention no names; if we chofe howwe could a tale unfold;" all we fhall fay now is, that we hope that this of-a fice may not find its way to the fhoulders of a certain gentleman, who appears almost weighed down with thofe which are already impofed upon him-poor fellow ! ever But then the taxes-that inexhauftible fource of democratic flourishes. Indignant as we feel at the hollow, hypocritical pa rade of unprincipled demagogues, we shall reftrain our emotions, but we fhall not conceal the truth-we fhall (peak what the country ought to know; and then we shall at leaft have done our duty. During the late fruggle which terminated in the fuccefs of the democrats, it was re. peatedly told the people that during Mr. Clinton's firft adminiftration the taxes were low-during that of Mr. Jay they had encreafed, and now it was confidently faid, now put Clinton in once more, and your taxes will be low again. The magic Among all the candidates however who of this rhetoric was irrefiftable-men were hate and fear, and guard against each other, not in a temper to examine the fubject not one can be found who dares yet to cooly then; perhaps fcarcely yet; but we murmur at the inequality which can be fo will try what a little plain truth and fair plainly difcovered in our prefent joyous reafoning will do; we will try to convince our readers who will take the trouble t reign of equality. There is not one of them but talks as nicely of economy, that think a little that even Mr. Clinton does not poffefs the power of paying the pub charming word of witchcraft which enchants the multitude-there is not one of lic expences without money, and that the them but can make as delightful a contrast money with which he does pay them real between the taxes of Jay's time, and thofely and truly comes as much from the peo of Clinton's time, as if he was cock-fure ple as if it was raifed from them by taxes of an office. Indeed it is no wonder that they don't juft at this time feel it as much thofe whofe mouths water for fome fweet-but ftill they may fately rely upon it crumbs from the ftates table fhould have a mighty parcel of pleafant ftories to tell their credulous fellow-citizens, about the economy and plainnefs of the prefent day, and about that good pure man Jefferfon and his affectionate friend Pain, and that man from Geneva, Gallatin, who can't fpeak, plain English yet; but who is entrufted with the care of all our money, as if not an American was fit for the talk. O they can tell you many pretty things-and rely upon it if you believe but one tenth part of them, you are in a fair way to hate all honeft men as long as you live. But impofure is the order of the day that every penny of it comes from their property-Mr. Clinton is neither gener ous enough to pay it from his own pocket nor is he alchimist enough to make it out of fiones. Mr. Clinton then in his first reign foll the greateft part of our weflern lands in en ormous tracts and altho' it was fooled at few pence an acre, yet there were fo many acres, that the treafury was naturally is receipt of more money than wanted. So our taxes were low. But what mighty witchcraft or even fuperior talent was dilcovered in this we have always been too ftupid we confefs to perceive-Nay we our affairs-Renegadoes, disappointed tools the folid fources of the ftate, entail the even think that if the greateft fimpleton || Now however the time was come for clamorous demagogues-for reftlefs office hunters-every little thing-yes, every creeping thing in the ftate was in motion. See now they fay this Jay has loaded you with taxes, making many believe that high taxes were really of perfonal advantage to Mr. Jay-fly once more to the arms of your Clinton and you will not have to complain of thefe abominable, odious taxes. The refult is known. The doors of honour and confidence were burst open. Noify, reftless, ignorant beings now took the management of Balance Closet. [OMITTED LAST WEEK.] Holt, in his last Bee, has been guilty of a little more democratic meanness. Finding that he cannot answer our publications as they stand, he has taken it into his head to mangle and misquote them. He gives the following as a paragraph which had appeared in the Balance :— 66 66 The Balance is enclofed in white paper, while the Bee is covered only with printing paper, and that is the "reafon the former reaches its deflina"tion fafely while the latter is loft on the " road." To show how much our meaning is distorted, we re-publish the original sentence : 66 The Bees that are fent in the mail, "are carelessly rolled together, and have no "other protection from injury than a piece "of flimfy printing paper, flightly paft"ed round them. The Balance, on the contrary, is carefully enclofed in white. paper, and then fecured by flout wrappers and ftrong twine. Now let the rea. "der judge which of thefe papers, after being carried fome hundreds of miles 66 66 66 66 66 on horfe-back, expofed perhaps to rain "and fnow-ftorms, are most likely to ar"rive safe at the place of their deftina"tion." A man with half a grain of understanding could not mistake our meaning. We plainly stated that our paper was "secured by stout wrappers and strong his choice. "One good turn deserves another." We find, by an article in the Evening Post, that "Richard D. Croucher, who was convicted before a court of Oyer and Terminer, held at the cityhall of the city of New-York, on Tuesday, the 8th day of July, 1800, for a rape, and for which crime he was sentenced to the state prison for life, but was afterwards pardoned by his Excellency Governor Clinton, has found his way to Virginia, and, as appears by one of their last papers, has become a man of considerable standing in society." -Thus has our humane governor given sister Virginia one good democratic vote; and the governor of Virginia cannot better return the favor, than to release a few convicts from the prisons of that state, and send them to New-York. Indeed, this project of playing into each other's hands, might be carried so far as to leave the prisons of both states entirely empty; and this would save much expence, and greatly subserve the cause of democracy. Whether the governor of Virginia really thought of this plan, when he delivered his condoling and sympathetic address to the state prisoners in the penitentiary, we know not. Mitchell deems it a little curious," that we should, when speaking of him and his productions, make use of such phrases, as "graceless vagabond -wretch-abominable falshood-villain," &c.— However "curious" it may appear to him, we can discover nothing remarkable in it. We have ever been accustomed to make use of plain language. When we concisely speak of a beggarly,unprincipled fellow, who wanders from place to place, and has no certain residence, we call him a "graceless vagabond." A miserable, depraved, pitiful creature, we generally term a "wretch." A scandalous tale, without the least foundation in truth, we pronounce an abominable faishood;" and when we have occasion to mention Isaac Mitchell, the word "villain," is certainly the best adapted for the occasion. If this is not " polite, elegant and decent" enough for the Barometer editor, we cannot help it. Proposals have been issued for a democratic paper at Portland (Maine.) Some opinion may be formed of the modesty of the editors, from the fol lowing passage in their prospectus :— "All those who love their country"all thofe who prefer truth to falfhood"all those who wish to encourage politic"al orthodoxy-will unite in patronizing "the Eastern Argus." Who ever saw a better imitation of the stile of a patent-medicine inventor? agricultural. FOR THE BALANCE. FRENCH METHOD OF STACKING WHEAT. A GENTLEMAN who had noticed the modes of agriculture, on the banks of the Rhine, in Flanders and in France, has remarked that the people of thofe countries commonly ftack their wheat and leave it in the field. 1 heir manner of ftacking is as follows: " they fet one fheaf upright, with the ears uppermost, and round that place a circle of many other. fheaves with the ears uppermoft, inclining on the firft fheat; and when so placed, they look like the figure of an extinguifh er. Then they lay an horizontal circle of fherves, with all the ears in the centre, and cover thofe ears in the middle with a loole fheaf or two. Thus placed they are protected from all wet, and may remain fix weeks or two months, as safe, as in a barn." Harveft-time is the most bufy feafon, with the farmer, in the whole year: by flacking his wheat and other grain in the field, he can finish his harvest sooner: he may cart the fheaves in at leifure-times; and by reafon of their expofure to the air for feveral weeks, they threfh much easier, than fheaves which, immediately after binding, are housed in a tight barn. The writer remarks, that this French and German method of ftacking has been adopted in fome of the Southern counties of England, to the great benefit of the farmers and the public. 1 EXTRACT. GOOD CIDER AS EASILY MADE AS BAD. To make Cider of early or late fruit, that will keep any length of time, without the trouble of frequent drawing off. TAKE the largest cafk you have on your farm, from a barrel upwards; put a few flicks in the bottom, in the manner that houfe-wives fet a lye cafk, fo as to raife a vacancy of two or three inches from the bottom of the cafk; then lay over chefe flicks either a clean old blanket, or, if that be not at hand, a quantity of the fwindlings of flax, fo as to make a coat of about a quarter of an inch thick when it is well preffed down; then put in fo much clean washed fand, from a beach or road, as will cover about fix or eight inches in depth of your veffel; pafs all your cider from the prefs through a table cloth, fufpended by the corners, which will take out the pummice; and pour the liquor gently upon the fand, through which it must be fuffered to filter gradually; and as it runs off by a tap inferted in your veffel in the vacancy made by the sticks at the bottom, it will be found, by this eafy method, as clear as cider can be expected, after the most laborious procefs of refining; and all the mucilaginous matter, which caufes the fermentation and fouring of cider, will be fo feperated as to prevent that difagreeable confequence. N. B. Other methods may easily be invented for paffing the cider through the fand, which is the only effential part of the above process. Monitorial Department. To aid the cause of virtue and religion. [An Oration, delivered by a graduate in the arts, in the University of Pennsylvania, on the 29th of July, 1789, and lately republished in the Philadelphia Gazette, contains the following affecting story, which is earnestly recommended as a solemn warning against the common and murderous practice of duelling. Edit. Bal.] Two y WO young gentlemen of amia. ble characters and manners, formed a moft intimate friend hip for each other during their ftudies in Trinity College in the city of Dublin. After they had taken their degrees, one of them invited the other to his father's in the country, where he became ftrongly attached to the fifter of his friend, a young lady of great beauty, and many fine accomplishments.-Equality of rank and fortune, invited to a match on both fides, and after a few vifits, the day was fixed upon for their marriage. The evening before this event was to take place, the young gentleman who was to be mar ried, invited the brother of his intended bride, and a few more gentlemen, to a neighboring izvern, in order to take leave (as he faid) of his bachelor's life. At fupper, a difpute took place between the two friends, upon a trifling fubject. This difpute arofe gradually to fuch a height as to intereft their pafions. The reft of the company, as is too often the cafe, were filent lifteners to the controversy. At length, the intended groom contradicted his friend in a tone of voice, which one of the company interpreted into giving the lie. The friend would have paffed it by, but the company infifted on its being an affront, and with one accord, faid it re. quired fatisfaction. He was forced to challenge him-which he did by throw. ing him a glove across the table. His in tended brother-in-law, returned a glove, and feconds were immediately chofen to fix the time, place, and weapons, for adu el. They met the next morning at fix o'clock, at the place appointed. The feconds examined and loaded the piflols, and afterwards marked the distance from which they were to fire. The two friends are fixed by their fe. conds ten feet from each other. The word of command, to FIRE, is given.But no difcharge of piftols is heard. A second time they are commanded to fire; but a folemn filence ftill continues. At length, one of the feconds cries out, 66 Cowards, both by- ," mentioning the name of the Supreme Being A third time they are commanded to fire.-The piftol of the intended groom was alone difcharged, and unfortunately lodged s contents in the breaft of his intended brother-in-law. He saw him fall, and ran to embrace him. He preffed him to his bofom-he received his laft look, full of anguifh and affection-and felt his breaft beat for the laft time, in his arms -The agony of the miferable furvivor, could not be described. He attempted feveral times to put an end to his existence, and was with difficulty prevented from doing fo, by the interpofition and pious advice of Dr. Berkley then Bifhop of Cloyne, By the advice of his friends, he was pre vailed upon to undertake a voyage to England, in order to be out of the way thofe fcenes, which kept alive the anguifh of his mind. of But the diftrefs of this duel did not end here The lady to whom the furviving friend was engaged to be married, was fo much affected by the death of her brother, by means of her intended husband's hands, that the loft her reafon, and ded foon after in a mad houfe-her afflicted father and mother died in a year after her, from broken hearts. The miferable au thor of their deaths was no lefs unhappy in this refpect than either of them. He lived twenty years afterwards in obfcun ty, in the city of London; and declared to a friend not long before he died, tha he had never put out his candle a finge night after he went to bed, without fan cying he faw his bleeding friend, his tracted miftrefs, and their heart broken parents, around his bed, all reproach g him with being the author of their raferies. Miscellany. FOR THE BALANCE. AN INDEPENDENT GRAND-JURY. U at their first meeting, will take the matter Were grand juries, in fome other states, to act with the fame honefty and noble inNDER the old confederation, dependence, which marked the conduct of the ftate-legiflatures had the power of ethe jurymen of the district of ninety-fix, in mitting paper money, in as large quanti-expofing by prefentment fuch legislative ties as they pleased: and, in fome inftan- meafures as fhould evidently be defigned ces a moft villainous ufe was made of to aggrandize a few at the expence of this power. Intriguing knavifh men in many, it might tend to check the crooked the fate affemblies, leagued with others policy of artful demagogues. who were in the high departments of government, emitted fums of paper money for the purpose of cheating their creditors. After the paper was in circulation, they were among the first in attempts to depreciate it; and when it had funk to a tenth part of its nominal value, they paid off their specie debts with it, at par. By this fyftem of legalifed iniquity, the hon. eft, the fimple, the widow, the fatherlefs, were robbed of their property by their republican rulers. In the year 1788, while this deteftable farce was acting in South-Carolina, the grand jury of the diftrict of ninety-fix, in that State, had the honefty and boldnefs to present the legislature itself. An extract from this extraordinary prefentment is in the following words. "We prefent as a grievance of the greatest magnitude, the many late interferences of the legiflature of the fate, in private contracts between debtor and creditor. We fhould be wanting in our duty to our country, and regardless of the obligation of our folemn oath, and the high truft at this time devolving upon us, did we omit this occafion, between the expiration of one legiflature and the meeting of a new legislative body, to express our utter abhorrenee of fuch interferences.We feel ourselves in duty bound to fay, that the many acts of the legiflature, fcreening the debtor from the juft demands of his fair and bona fide creditor, have had a very pernicious influence on the morals and the manners of the people. They have operated as a check to boneft industry, and have given birth to a fatal delufion, that perfons by making purchases of prop erty on a credit, and again difpofing of fuch property, would be fure to amafs fortunes; and the pernicious influence of apparent fuccefs in a few, has drawn from labour and the purfuits of mechanic arts, and others their proper and profef. fional callings, a great number, who are now preying upon fociety, and heaping ruin on the credulous, unwary, honeft, and imple part of the fociety. "We therefore hope that the legislature, SATYRICAL ADVICE TO YOUNG LADIES. I F kind nature has bestowed its en chanting gift of a voice, and you can fing IT is a general practice in America, te have many windows in habitations and cellars; and to leave them open in hot weather for letting in the air. When in fuch weather there happens to be a breeze, fome benefit is received by the few perfons who can fit close to the window. But as the air from without, when the fun fhines, is full 20 degrees hotter than within doors, the air looked for brings with it that increase of heat; yet concentrated in a stream, as it rushes through the windows, it relieves perfons on whom it ftrikes with fenfations of coolness. But if the house is fhut up during the hot funup-fhining part of the day, the family feels Are your teeth white? Shew them Be fure to abuse the drefs of every friend, more coolness and comfort than when the windows are open for letting in the wind, which is actually hot. And how is it in the time of calm? The having a few apertures in habitations is advantageous both against cold and heat. Cellar windows are improperly left open during the whole time of the hot feafon, for letting in cool air; when in fact the air let in is heated above 20 degrees more than the nearly flagnant air in the cellar. up The following attentions would be preferable to the common practice : Shut the cellar during the hot feafon, from May till October, night and day; or open the windows after fetting of the fun, and clofe them by fun-rife, it it be a wet cellar. From the firft of O&tober the win If any gentleman fhould tell a remark- Do you wish to be in love? Vifit your fmall air holes open immedi be left may ately under the joifts of the first floor, for preferving fome degree of motion as the life of air, and for a paff. ge to the mufty vapours of the cellar. The lefs the cellars under habitations, the more healthful Whenever you are in company with the family. For a few purposes a small ladies, endeavour to fhow your learning. cellar may be here. For other purpofes Ufe as many hard words and learned phra- in the country, have them under fome fes as poffible; it will excite great admi-detached building. In trading towns they are in too great demand to omit them ration. Should the conversation happen to get any where. |