J
Whole JVo. B87.
The "North-Carolina Free Press,"
BY (JEORGB HOWARD,
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B0B3ESSTSC.
(plt appears from the following
letter, that our statement relative to
the death of Joseph Rayner was par
tially incorrect.... instead of having
committed the deed "rather than re
turn home," it seems he had been at
home 3 or 4 day?. It is requested, that
the editors of all papers, who have
copied the paragraph from this paper,
will notice the error and correct it
accordingly.
Windsor, Bertie Co. N. C.
Jan. 10, 1332.
Mr. Howard: Dear Sir, tin
object in addressing you, is to
correct a paragraph which ap
peared in a l.uc number of your
paper; and be assured, that no
thing but a wish that justice
should be done to the memory
of my unfortunate brother, could
have urged mo to the adoption
of such a measure. 1 would
have preferred, that the shock
ing circumstances of his death,
should have sunk to oblivion,
and have been forever buried in
the same grave to which an un
timely fate has consigned him;
but as they have gone forth to
the world, and been so repre
sented as to create erroneous
impressions abroad, I feel bound
in justice to him and his survi
ving friends to place the mutter
in a fair light before the public
view. Your paper staled, that
pome difficulty having occurred
with the gentlemen with whom
he lived, "he adopted the dread
ful alternative rather than re
turn home." This, Sir, was
not the case. I will briefly re
capitulate the circumstances.
He had been living about three
months with the Mess. Hyans,
of Windsor, as clerk. He had
become very much dissatisfied
with his situation, and request
ed my father to take him home.
My father unable to appreciate
the cause of his dissatisfaction,
refused to do so, and endeavor
ed to reconcile him to remain
ing. However, a few days be
fore Christmas he returned
home, and informed my father,
that being unable to reconcile
himself to the idea of remaining
longer, he had communicated
his intention to Mr. M. Ryan,
who had consented that he
should return. My father una
ble to comprehend the nature
of his disaffection, reproved him
in a mild and parental manner,
spoke of his own misfortunes,
his inability to provide him a
better situation for the present,
and expressed some uneasiness
at his having returned. This
was on Wednesday, 1 believe.
For the three or four succeeding
days, his demeanor though se
rious denoted nothing like de
rangement. On Monday the
day after Christmas, after eating
breakfast, he retired to the pi
azza, and u servant girl soys,
Tarhorough, (Edgecombe County, JV. 0.) Tuesday, January 24, 1833
ordered her to bring his now
der, telling her to let no person
see her. He took a gun, went
on, ana in about halt an hour,
we heard the report of a gun.
Supposing lie had gone cut a
Hunting, we paid no regard to
it, until the evening, when my
uuner became somewhat unea-
sy. I5y the next morning, we
had become much alarmed, and
having sent to the houses of se
veral neighbors, and hearing
nothing of him, and becoming
convinced that some accident
had befallen him, we despatch
ed the negroes in the direction
in which we heard the gun
and they soon returned, inform
ing us they had found his body!
From the appearances, there is
not the shadow of a doubt, but
what the act was intentional.
He had deliberately unbuttoned
his clothes, and drawn away his
shirt, that there might be no ob
struction. As soon as us death
was heard of, the Mess. Kyans
were applied to, to know if
there were any peculiar circum
stances attendant on his leaving
them; and they both declared
that they knew of none that
le had been guilty of no impro
iriety, but had obtained leave
to return home by his own wish.
These, Sir, are the facts. The
speculations that have been ven
tured on them are various. To
us who knew his character, the
nature of his death will ever be
a matter of the most serious as-!
tonishment. He was a youth of,
sober habits, it could not then
lave been intoxication. Whe
thcr it was the result of preme
iitated intention, or whether I
it was the sudden impulse of j
direnzy, is a matter which will
be veiled in the most profound
mystery. For myself, am in
clined to believe it was the for
mer. Hut what train of reflec
tion, what connection of ideas
what disposition of feeling could
lave urged him to the adoption
of such a shocking alternative
whether 'twas sorrow, that we ; he would say, that he had calm
were Unable to appreciate his ly and dispassionately examined
motives, or that misfortune (as jthe principles on which the
he supposed) had taught him; claim was based, and as God
the world contained nothing was his judge, he believed it to
worth living for is a mystery bo as just a claim as was ever
towards the elucidation of which ; preferred before this House,
we have not the least clue. But j This claim was once before the
there is one fact, that will ever i Committee on Claims; they had,
afford us some relief that is, Jin a very elaborate manner,
the conviction, that 'twas not submitted their views to the
remorse he felt 'twas not the House; that report was now in
pangsof a corroding conscience possession of the House, where
for crime committed, that impel-ithe gentleman from Massachu
Ied him to the deed but 'twas 'setts can, ut-his leisure, exam
the result of some sore and ine it. For his own part, he
heartfelt distress, some keen jdid not profess more than an
and agonizing conflict of mind,! ordinary share of understanding
which led him to the Roman re-jin relation to the duties of corn
solution of trying the realities! mittens; but so far as he had
of futurity, rather than longer j been able to comprehend them,
"bear the ills he had." Your the duty of a committee, he
error principally consisted in , thought, was to enquire into the
the statement, that he commit- j truth of facts connected with
ted the deod "rather than return any proposition before the
home" whereas he had been ; House, and to submit the same
at home three or four days, in detail. This, he repeated,
Having now, as I hope, rescued j
the memory of my brother, trom
any imputation which an unjust
representation might impose
thereon. I take leave of this
distressing subject, hoping that
for the future, it may remain as
still and undisturbed as the tomb
which now contains him.
Yourobed'nt serv'nt,
Kenneth Rayner.
Co?igres$...An the House of Rep-
'esentativcs, on the 5th inst. the bill.al obligation."
or me adjustment of the claims o
the State of South-Carolina for reim
hursement of certain expenditures
maue lor delence udnng the late war,
was taken up. Au animated debate
arose on the motion to refer the bill
to the Committee on Claims, in
vhich Messrs. Adams, M'Duffie,
Speight, Kverelt. &c. narlicinated
I he motion was negatived with
out a division. In the course of his
remarks Mr. Adams having express
ed a wish that this bill miht go to
that Committee.. ..that the Committee
may, after a full examination into tha
facts, make a report to the House in
its favor as the Committee on Military
Affairs have done.. .and stated that the
Committee on Claims may be justly
denominated ihe Committee of moral
obligation
Mr. Speight rose, and com
menced, by observing, that but
for the peculiar situation in
which he stood, he should not
lavo troubled the House with
any remarks on the question
now before them. Having the
lonor to belong to the Military
Committee, who had been char
ged with the examination of
this subject, he felt it his duty
to reply to some of the remarks
which had fallen from the gen
tleman from Massachusetts,
(Mr. Adams.) Mr. S. said, lie
tnew it was not in order to
charge the gentleman with in
tending to impugn the motives
ol the Military Committee;; but
he appealed to the House, and
every gentleman conversant
with the meaning of words and
dirases, if such was not the ef-
feet of the gentleman's remarks.
What "moral obligation" he
asked the gentleman, Was it,
that bound the Committee of
Claims, that did not with equal
force apply to the Committee on
military Altairs! it is true,
that two of the members of the
latter committee are from the
State of South-Carolina, but he
assured the gentleman, that no
thing like sinister motives had
governed a single member of
the committee in reporting fa
vorably to the claim. For one,
had been done first by the
Committee on Claims; and se
cond, by the Military Commit
tee; and if the honorable gen
tleman could point out any
new fact, the elucidation of
which would throw any new
light on the subject, then he
might, with propriety, urge the
necessity of sending this claim
back to his favorite ordeal,
which judges o)i"attcr3 an(i
things under the force of "mor-
Sir, this claim
has been purely and impartial
ly examined; the report of the
Military committee is the result
of an honest conviction of its
justice and equity, and he repu
diated any idea or remark which
goes to impute a different course.
How was it, two years ago,
when the Massachusetts claim
(based on similar principles to
this,) was presented to this
House. Did that go to the gen
tleman's committee which acts
by force of "moral obligation?11
No, Sir, it was referred to the
same committee which has. been
last charged with the South-
Carolina claim, who, after a pa
tient investigation, reported a
bill favorable to it. For one, he
had never doubted the justice
of a large part of the claim, but
the circumstances under which
it was passed, was such as to
compel him to vole against it.
It was called up at the very heel
of the session, when we were
dothed in midnight darkness,
(as the Journals would show)
and passed. He, for one, voted
against it, because time was not
! given to examine its details.
Sir, the gentleman has thought
proper to place, this claim on a
footing with one rejected the
other day, in relation to the no
torious Gen. William Hull, a
name which is held in just ab
horrence and contempt by eve
ry republican and friend of his
country. What, Sir, are we to
be gravely told, that a "sove
reign" State, who gallantly step
ped forward to defend the lights
and liberties of the country in a
moment of great peril, is now
to bo placed on a footing with a
traitor! What, Sir, did the
State of South-Carolina do!
A fter you had plunged the coun
try into a war, without the!
means to prosecute it, an incen
diary enemy hovering on your
coast, and in sight of land, with
every probability of burning one
of the most populous towns of
the State, South-Carolina gal
lantly stepped forward in de
fence of her invaded rights, and
called her militia into the field.
And now, Sir, we are here at
tempting to adjust her claim
with all the rigid scrutiny appli
cable to a penal statute. That
State, Sir, which, without re
quiring a call from the General
Government to defend the
country, is now to be cavilled
and quibbled with about the pi
tiful sum of $7000, which was
expended in the purchase of
blankets for her soldiers. This
is the principal cause of opposi
tion to the bill, as though it was
not as important to the soldier
to have a blanket as a coat.
Sir, 1 repeat again, that no un
due influence has had any
weight with the Military Com
mittee in their decision on this
claim. We acted in relation to
it as we believed the merits of
the case required. We believ
ed it based on principles of equi
ty and justice; and if we are un
der no force of "moral obliga
tion" we are of patriotism; and
such claims, when presented to
this House, should always have
his support, let them come from
what quarter they may.
The Speaker remarked to
Mr. Speight that he understood
the gentleman from Massachu
setts, (Mr. A.) to disclaim any
thing like imputations ; of a
Vol. VIII Xo 23.
dishonorable character to the
Military Committee.
Mr. Speight remarked that
he had not accused the gentle
man of directly making the
charge; he had only spoken of
the effect of his remarks, and he
presumed every gentleman who
heard him, understood his
meaning.
Salt. It was stated by Mr.
Benton, of Missouri, in some
remarks on his motion in the
U. S. Senate, to repeal the du
ty on Alum Salt, that "salt
made by boiling, no matter from
what water, was unfit to cure
fish, beef, pork, bacon, or but
ter, for a Southern market.
Artificial salt would not answer;
crystalized salt made by solar
evaporation alone would do.
It alone was pure. It alone
would answer for curing provi
sions for southern consump
tion, for exportation or long
keeping."
Died, on Friday, the 23d
Dec. at the residence of Wil
liam Green, Mecklenberg coun
ty, Va. Dorothea Ripley, per
haps the most extraordinary
woman in the world. We need
say no more than truth of her
she was born at Whitby, Eng
land, in the year 1767 her pa
rents were pious Methodists,
her father one of Wesley's
preachers. She was impressed
very young with the necessity
of religion, and underwent a
most awful and tremendous
conviction, and joined the Me
thodists, to which Society she
remained attached' for some
years but it appeared sho
would have to become a public
minister, and hs they did not
encourage their women to
preach, she left them and made
several attempts to join the So
ciety of Friends, to most of
whose rules and regulations she
strictly adhered -but as she was
much in the habit of travelling
in the ministry without leave
from the Society, contrary to
their rules, she never was able
to obtain admission as a mem
ber. She has crossed the At
lantic 19 times, 11 of which
since the beginning of 1825
and has travelled no doubt more?
than any other woman in the
world, perhaps a hundred thou
sand miles has preached to
hundreds of thousands of near
ly all classes under the sun, and
to the great comfort of very
many. It is requested that pub
lishers of newspapers through
out the U. States will give this
notice an insertion, particularly
in the Northern States. She
has been heard to speak of sev
eral trunks, etc. which she had
left at different places persons
in possession of such articles,
will please forward any inform
ation of them to John Maddox,
Richmond, Va. that it may be
communicated to herncicc, Mrs.
Green, of Mecklenburg county,
Va. Richmond Comp.
Stuttering. It is said, that
among the numerous cases of
stuttering, few, or no instances,
have been known of females
being afflicted with the unfor
tunate malady. Their hap
py volubility of tongue, and uni
versal strong inclination to lo
quacity, break down di impediments.