s os o) y cxcsq
JVfc 13.
HALIFAX, C. FRIDAY, JUNE 18, 1324.
VOL I.
THE "FREE PRESS,"
By George Howard,
Is published everv Friday, at
THREE DOLLARS per year,
consisting of 52 numbers, and in the
fimc proportion for a shorter pe-
noti. buuscnoers at noerty to ais
continue at any time, on paying ar
rearages. Advertisements inserted at fifty
cents per square, or less, for the
first insertion, and twenty-five cents
::;ch continuance.
Letters addressed to the Editor
must be post paid.
COMMUA'ICATIOJfS.
FOR THE FREE FEESS.
CONGRESSMEN.
"A prophet has no honor in his
own land."
Mr. Editor:
In reading the celebrated let
ters of Wyoming, I was forci
bly struck with the truth of the
above aphorism. The writer,
:.ltcr some previous remarks, ob
serves, as to the speeches in ge
neral of the Members in Con
gress: "Who that has visited our
metropolis, docs not recollect to
have seen some dull and stupid
village Solon, great only that
Itccause under the limited hori
zon where he dwelt, there was
none greater that himself, rise,
rind in a drawling tone, sense
less thought, and despicable at
ritude, harangue for hours the
-mpty silent seats around him;
until fatigued and worn down,
he has given up the mighty self-
exertion, which few but himself
had witnessed; and yet in a few
days thereafter, aided by some
uind one, perhaps a Presiden
tial candidate, whose friend he
was, lo! and behold, in the pa-;
riers and in rounded polished
periods,
Comes forth some splendid effort
of the mind,
Like Phocion great, like Pericles
refined;
On through the States proceed his
weighty matters,
breaking the turnpikes and the
mails to tatters.
The people read the furnish
c 1 essay, and are surprised and
pleased;. those who view the au-
iior only as he is reflected thro'
his production, believe him "a
second Daniel come to judg
ment;" while those who knew
aim intimately, are astonished
now it is, that the splendor of
his intellect has so varied be
vixthome and abroad. The
japcr and the speech, however,
'TR taken as testimony; the cre
dulous imbibe faith; the doubt
ing pjive up their doubts; while
".lie knowing ones chuckle and
re silent, " at the same time
linking how marvellous it is,
hat lie who but yesterday,
"Mk-ht well have stood hefore the
" world a goose,
v;w passes for a Solomon let loose."
FOH THE FREE PRESS.
' Oh! that mine enemv would write
a bock!"
Mr. Editor:
When an individual submits
o the press a communication of
i character generally interest
ing, it becomes, "ipso facto,"
;he property of the public. And,
as such is open to criticism and
animadversion by any individu
al of the community, disposed
to occupy himself in this way.
This is mentioned, not because
it is supposed that either you or!
the public are ignorant of the
fact, but because it appears to
have escaped the penetration of
the sagacious Juma. Under
the sanction of this right, when
his first number appeared, it was
noticed by Callimachus, and
for the following reason: to con
tradict assertions unfounded in
truth. Hut let us follow him
through his last production.
Numa complains that the
friends of Mr. CRAWFORD
"do not stoop to" what he can
never soar to that is, "argu
ment." Is he so infatuated, as
to believe that phrases like
these: "I assert," "I again as
sert, without the fear of contra
diction," &c. will be received
by intelligent people as argu
ments? Next follows a strain
upon prejudice, which we would
say, if our memory does not
wofully deceive us, belongs to
another pen; if so, he should
have designated it as such. Af
ter this we meet an expression,
in which Callimachus and Nu
ma perfectly agree: "that the
present struggle is not a combat
of principle." If it was, Mr.
Crawford would certainly be
President cf the United States.
In the 1st number of Callima
chus, it was said "Mr. Craw
ford had been more consistent
in his political career than any
other candidate for the olfice of
President, Gen. Jackson, per
haps, excepted." I now make
the general no exception. The
public has been enabled to learn
the real sentiments of General
Jackson: by a perusal of his let
ters to Mr. Monroe on the sub
ject of making up his cabinet,
we there perceive that he advo
cates the utter annihilation of
republicans and federalists;
which is to be achieved by an
amalgamation of the two.
There are two parties, founded
on principle. The success of
the one secures the independen
cy of the States; that of the
other, utterly destroys it: and
the amalgamation of the two
produces the same effect. Tho'
Mr. Monroe refused at the time,
to act upon Gen. Jackson's sug
gestions, he afterwards did, and
the consequence is visible. We
have around us a multitude of
nominal republicans, whose ev
ery clfort is exerted to under
mine the Constitution, by giv
ing to it a construction the most
extensive and dangerous. And
what was so much dreaded by
thc honest republicans of 'SS, is
coming thick upon us; and we
shall at last find ourselves but a
contemptible atom in the huge
mass of a consolidated govern
ment. Is a man who advocates
principles of such a tendency a
lit person to be President of the
United States? Gen. Jackson
docs!!! To show the honest,
honorable consistency of Numa,
contrast these two expressions:
"in- 1798 we find him (Mr.
Crawford) congratulating Mr.
Adams on the passage of those
hateful acts, the alien and sedi
tion laws;" in the last number,
when this had been contradict
ed, and a document referred to
in proof of its incorrectness, we
find it thus: "he (Mr. C.) did
congratulate Mr. A. on his ad
ministration of the govern
ment." The difference is great !
And the document referred to
above, will shew that Mr. A.
was congratulated onlyon a par
ticular part of his administra
tion. But Numa had not the
honesty to avow this: he seeks
protection under a shameful
quibble, leaving the mind in
doubt whether it was "on the
whole of his preceding adminis
tration or not, and evidently
wishing the worst construction.
Numa wishes to know "where
Mr. C. has displayed such migh
ty talents?" In answer, he is
referred to his conduct as a Se
nator, and the discharge of the
duties of some of the highest
offices in our government. He
remembers but one: his mode
for civilizing the Indians. If
he will look around him, he will
discover that the only genuine
nobility of the United States is
thought to be that which is de
rived from that kind hearted
squaw Pocahontas. And there
arc those, whose keen investi
gation can discover that their
great-grandmother's cousin was
perhaps related to this celebra
ted personage: and to support
the claim of relationship, they
will wralk erect, wear their hair
long and lank and name their
children after their savage pro
genitor. So that we find here
and there, cither a Pocahontas,
a Powhatan, or some other In
dian name. To civilize the In
dians, and, in conformity to his
truly republican views, to de
stroy this aristocracy that was
growing; up among us, Mr.
Crawford proposed his plan. If
carried into execution, our pro
geny will have a chance of hav
ing a little touch of the Indian,
and then they will all be of the
"noblesse," which will produce
the same effect as if they were
none.
"Mr. Crawford was opposed
to the war." The proof! the
proof! It is one thing to be op
posed to the war in principle,
and quite another to be opposed
to the time when it should be
declared. But this is, we fear,
too nice a distinction for the
comprehension of Numa! We
have now come to a sentence
which is too much for us: "that
war, which since the sea has
rolled a wave, or has been a
field of carnage, there never was
such fighting and such achieve
ments as were done by our na
vy." What has "that war"
done in this sentence? filled up
a space in a period, which Nu
ma, no doubt, thought sounded
very prettily.
Numa has signed his own
death warrant, "by way of con
clusion," when he says, "the
only way to arrive at truth is,"
among other things, "to obtain
a full knowledge of facts and ar
guments." These are what we
have before and again do now
require of him. If he has them,
let them be produced.
CALLIMACHUS.
GEN. JACKSON.
The late investigation of the po
litical principles of Gen. Jackson,
has brought again before the pub
lic the following letter, which ori
ginally appeared in the Knoxville
(Tenn.) Gazette, of Sept. 30, 1801.
The above paper was forwarded to
the Editor of the Philadelphia Co
lumbian Observer, by a correspon
dent, with some remarks on the
letter of Gen. J. from which we
have extracted the following:
"By giving the public a view
of the General 's letter to Dr.
Dickson , you will place before
them his early principles, and
if he has undergone a political
change, for one, I want proof.
"To the Editor of the Columbian
Observer.
Mr. Roulstone The public
mind having been led to believe,
that the political sentiments of
Dr. Wm. Dickson (who is now
a candidate for the honor of re
presenting this State in the Con
gress of the United States)
were doubtful. This consider
ation induced me to write the
Doctor the following letter.
For the information and satis
faction of the public, I request
you to give it a place in your
paper. I am, sir, your most
obedient servant.
ANDREW JACKSON.
Knoxville, Sept. 29, 1801.
Knoxville, Sept. 24, 1S01.
Dear Sir Through life I
have held it a sacred duty I ow
ed to my country and myself,
never to give my suffrage to a
candidate for a seat in the Con
gress of the United States, un
less I was convinced that his po
litical sentiments were congeni
al with those he represented,
and that he would speak and do
the will of his constituents; and
being now informed that you
are a candidate for the honor of
representing the citizens of the
state of Tennessee in the repre
sentative branch of the federal
Legislature believing, as I do,
that any citizen who does ob
tain the suffrage of the freemen
of Tennessee, must be a charac
ter, the composition of which is
virtue, talents, and the true
whig principles of seventy-six:
In short, sir, that he must be a
Republican, and, in politics, like
Caesar's wife, not only chaste,
but unsuspected.
The first two component parts
of this character I know you
possess; the latter, as to myself,
I have ever thought you did.
But, sir, the public mind has
been lately led to believe, that
your political sentiments are
doubtful, and some have held
you up as an aristocrat. These
reasons have operated with me
to call upon you to answer the
following interrogatories: First,
are you, and have you always
been, a true admirer of the whig
principles of seventy-six? Have
you always been an admirer of
the Constitution ot the United
States, friendly to its adminis
tration, agreeable to the true li
teral meaning of the instrument,
and banishing the dangerous
doctrine of implication? Have
you always been, and are you
now, opposed to standing ar
mies in time of peaqe? Are you
now, and have you always been,
inimical to a standing naval ar
mament? Are you now and
have you always been, opposed
to foreign political connexions?
Are you now, and have you al
ways been, opposed to the ex-
I T s n rf ni'flntiti'rn rn f v-n o OTP ?
Have you always been, and arc
nrlvnoitP for free-
dom of religion and freedom ot
the press? Are you now, ana
have you always been, friendly
to economy in the public dis
bursements, and an enemy to
the system of Joans? And, last
ly, are you a real Republican in
principle, and will you be a Re
publican in practice?
The above questions are nut
to you by a sincere friend in
nnvate lite, and one who is ve
ry much disposed to extend to
you his little political support.
He expects, however, that these
questions will be answered with
your usual candor on otnersuD-
jects. This letter is not confi
dential, nor will your answer
be viewed as such it is as well
for the gratification of inquiring
mends as myself.
Accept, sir, of my respects,
and believe me to be your most
obed't servant.
ANDREW JACKSON.
Dr. Wm. Dickson.
Mammoth. We understand
(says the New-York Patriot)
that a party of gentlemen from
this city have lately returned
from a scientific excursion to
the eastern parts- of New-Jer-sey.
In the course of their tour
they discovered, and succeeded
in disinterring, an almost entire
skeleton of the huge mastadon,
or mammoth, as it is sometimes
called. The party speak in the
warmest terms of the attentions
and facilities afforded by Mr.
Wm. Croxson, the respectable
owner of the farm 'on which
these remains were found. We
are pleased to hear that the ske
leton will, in the course of z
few weeks, be placed in the
magnificent cabinet of the Zy
ccum of Natural History.
Ship news. Among other
lists of cargoes, in the Nantuck
et Inquirer, of Tuesday, we find
the following: Arrived, sloop
Henry, from Falmouth; passen
gers, 4 ladies, 3 musicians, 1
lion, 1 lama, 1 Shetland pony, a
monkey,a baboon,and 2 lawyers.
Massachusetts. In the Le
gislature of Massachusetts, to
give all possible effect to the
vote of that State in the Presi
dential election, an act has pass
ed to choose the Electors by a
General Ticket.
New- York. The New-York
papers, of the 5th inst. contain,
the proclamation of Gov. Yates,
of that state, convening the Le
gislature on the 2d of August
next, for the purpose . of consi
dering whether the privilege of
choosing electors of President
and Vice-President, which is
now vested in the Legislature,
shall be restored directly to the
people.
The other day an emigrant
from New-York, met an old ac
quaintance in one of our streets,
(says the Detroit Gazette,)
"Halloo !" said his friend, "what
under the sun has induced you
to quit New-York?" "No
thing," said the emigrant, "but
her d d politicks; things have
o-ot to such a pass there, that I
can't tellwhich side I belong to."
Military Jlcademy. The
Gridley Farm, as it is called, in
the vicinity of the Military A
cademy at West Point, has been
purchased by the United States
for SlO.000. the amount appro
priated by Congress at the last
session, rossession w ux ttt
ken in Mav next, when the
house, which has been occupied
as a tavern, will be converted
into a Hospital-