HALIFAX, N. a FRIDAY, JUNE 25, 1324.
F0L I.
THE "FREE PRESS,"
fy George Howard,
Is published cverv Friday, at
THREE DOLLARS per year,
consisting of 52 numbers, and in the
same proportion for a shorter pe
riod. Subscribers at liberty to dis
continue at any time, cn paying ar
rearages. Advertisements inserted at f.fty
cents per square, or less, 'for the
iirst insertion, and twenty-five cents
each continuance.
Letters addressed to the Editor
raust be fiost jiaid.
"communications.
FOR THE FREE TRESS.
"My business in this state,
"Made me a looker-on here in Vi
enna, "Where I have seen corruptions
boil and bubble,
"Till it o'errun the stew; laws for
all faults,
But faults so countenane'd, that
the strong statutes
"Stand like forfeits in a barber's
shop,
"As much in mock as mark."
Shaksjieare.
Mr. Editor:
It has been said by a great
political writer, that all the go
vernments that now exist in the
world, except the United States
of America, have been fortui
tously formed. They have
been altered, impaired, improv
ed, and destroyed by accidental
circumstances, beyond the fore
sight or control of wisdom.
Their parts thrown against pre
sent emergencies, forming no
systematic whole. That the go
vernment of the United States
emanates from a written Consti
tution, and is
a government of
c.necKS ana responsiunuius, aim ; wnere mere is any ming worm
is in theory the best that ever j striving about, such creatures as
existed in the world is equally; men generally are, will use in
true and incontestable; but whe-j direct means for obtaining it.
ther its administration is best, Human nature, it is said, sir, is
? v i :lm:: i
or whether the remark of Pope,
the eulogist of the British go
vernment, is about to
be vcri-iall
tied, that "that government is i
best which is best administer-
d," time alone will ascertain.
I will not say at present, that
the government of the United
States is corruptly administered,
but will not any attentive and
candid observer say with me,
that it has been for some years
past carelessly and negligently
udministered, bordering near
on corruption. How will you
account for the great and mon
strous sums of money which the
people of the United States have
sustained the loss of, thro' the
negligence, the inattention, or
malversation in office, of the of-
ficers of the government, whose
business it is to take care of the
people's money: sum after sum
is lost to an immense amount,
tind yet nothing is done by our
Members of Congress to prevent
this wide spreading mischief: it
is time for the people to rouse
nd inquire what is the reason
of this public calamity. Is it
not the bounden duty of our
Members of Congress, who
hold the purse-strings of the na -
nun, IQ
shameful
ruard
against these
and serious losses of
the
people's money
It is.
natural
ine boncrress is the
encck upon the wicked mea
sures of those who administer
government. The Members of
( ongress are the Grand Inquest
of the nation at large: it is their
duty, as the conservators of the
public, to be vigilant, and to
watch over the welfare of the
people; to sec how their money
is applied and managed, to cause
delinquents frequently to settle
their accounts; and to see that
the numerous officers of govern
ment, such as clerks, collectors
of the revenue, postmasters, na
vy agents, contractors, &c. and
manyother blood suckers should
give bond and security for the
faithful discharge of the duties
of their respective offices, and
the care of the public money:
but instead of which our mem
bers in Congress (with a few
exceptions) during the session
are seen prowling about the
streets of the city, wrigling in
here, and wrigling out there;
intriguing for offices for them
selves or for their friends; or in
triguing and caucussing for some
great officer of state to be the
next President; feasting sump
tuously at this man's table, fat
tened on the spoils of the coun
try, and finally, like Esau of old,
selling his birthright for a mess
of pottage. Such, sir, is a faith
ful, but melancholy picture of
the servants of the people.
Turn them out, fellow-citizens,
as unfit agents of the public;
and elect others who will be
more watchful of the public in
terest: there are no hopes of
many df them resigning when
they receive eight dollars a day.
How comes it to pass, sir that
during
the administration of
General Washington that not a
cent of the people's money was
lost or misapplied? Have we
in a few years become so dege
nerate or so corrupt as to lose
millions? I know that it is dif-
ficult
to exclude corruption;
i - j i ji . ,i
evcry where alike; it is the same
in all ages, at all times, and in
countries; it is only the ope-
ration
of moral and political
causes
that makes the social
character different. The undue
influence for offices prevailed at
Rome so early as the 458th year
from the building of the city,
which occasioned the making a
law to prohibit canvassing for
votes. The difficulty of exclu
ding corruption is no reason for
giving over all endeavors to
abolish it; we must resolve to:
be virtuous, however difficult it
may be, or we are undone as in
dividuals; we must root corrup
tion out of the United States, or
we are undone as a nation; and
finally the Constitution will pe
rish; "Have not Rome, Lace
demon, and Carthage perished?
It will perish when the Legisla
tive power shall have become
more corrupt than the Execu
tive." Who that lias visited
the metropolis of the United
States, during a session of Con
gress, does not recollect to have
seen hundreds of candidates for
fame and for fortune swarming
in the streets of the city, crowd-
iing our public places, hangin
on Members ot Congress, seek
ing and intriguing for offices,
contracts, places, &c. and which
it is to be lamented too many of
these caterpillars obtain, by un
due influence, and without any
honor or profit to the United
States. It would astonish you,
sir, to see mere Clerks in our
offices of government, riding to
their offices in the most splendid
carriages, and from thence to
their dinners; white drivers and
a white servant standing up be
hind the carriage, sometimes
upon one leg, and sometimes
upon the other, like a fiying
Mercury, aping the manners
and customs of corrupt and de
generate Europe. To support
these gay and costly equipages,
it requires great sums of money;
where does it come from, for a
Clerk's pay is not sufficient to
support him in this lordly style?
From the sweat of the people, I
will answer. Depend upon it,
sir, "there is something rotten
in the state of Denmarkt"
NtMA.
(Circular.)
HENRY CLAY.
Washington, May 25, 1821.
The friends of Mr. Clay adopt
ed him in consideration of poli
tical principle, public service,
and distinguished talent. Upon
a full consultation, with a per
fect knowledge of the facts, and
a just estimate of all the proba
bilities connected with the ques
tion, they now determine to ad
here to him steadily to the end.
T. 1 1 . 1
ii is aue to mm, to nis nu
merous supporters, and to the
respectable States by which he
has been nominated, to make
this declaration.
They were prepared to make
any sacrifice, the country, the
cause, or the occasion, might de
mand. But his withdrawal
now could produce no result, as
his inends, m the electoral vote,
would divide; their weight!
would be lost, and perhaps in
crease the doubt and uncertain
ty. The election must, in any
and in every event that can be
anticipated come into the House
of Representatives.
He is now sustained by a
weight of influence equal to that
of any other candidate; he has
more personal and political po
pularity, and they believe' can
compete successfully with any
man in the nation.
They now offer to the consi
deration of the people the fol
lowing candid statement of the
relative strength of the parties
ilrom Winch they will be able to
muge correctly ol me views
herein taken. It is useless to
disguise or misrepresent the
facts. It is due to the subiect
and the People to state the
truth; and all other means are
disdained:
It is believed that Mr .4 dams
will have six states: Maine,
Massachusetts,New-IIampshire
Rhode-Island, Connecticut, and
Vermont, 51
Mr. Crawford will have three
states: Virginia, North-Caro
una, ana Ueorgia, 48
Gen. Jackson will have four
states: Pennsylvania, Tennes
see, Alabama, and Mississip
Vh 47
Mr. Clay will have six states
Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, II
linois Missouri, and Louisia
na, 46
It is believed that New-York,
New-Jersev, Delaware, Mary
land, and South-Carolina, have
given no decided indication,
and that in these the question is
entirely open. Mr. Clay is
known to have numerous influ
ential friends in each of these
states. His chances are equal
to any, and superior to some of
the candidates.
They will not speculate upon
the probable votes of those states
the changes that may happen,
the. combinations that may be
formed, and the events that may
intervene. But, after the most
dispassionate consideration of
the subject, they are candidly of
opinion that Mr. Clay will be
returned to the House of Re
presentatives. To the wisdom
of that enlightened body, if it
be unavoidable, they with con
fidence submit his claims.
Entertaining the highest re
spect for the other candidates,
they will not indulge in any in
vidious comparisons of their
strength. But it may perhaps
be assumed, that if from any
cause, Mr. Crawford should not
receive the vote of New-York;
if General Jackson should not
receive the support of some of
the doubtful states or if Mr.
Adams should not receive the
vote of New-York Mr. Clay
must be returned to the House,
without calculating any of the
contingent or probable events
that may render that event cer
tain. If, contrary to all probability,
Mr. Clay should not be return
ed to the House, his friends,
having done their duty, will be
able by concentration to control
the event they will hold in
their hands the balance they
will determine between the op
posing and conflicting interests,
and secure to the country a Re
publican administration.
Under All the views taken, it
is determined to recommend to
his friends to adhere to him
steadily and to await with con
naence ana patience me issue
now pending before the people.
ANDREW JACKSON.
Virginia. At a meeting of
the Fredericksburg Correspond
ing Jackson Committee, held at
the Town-Hall, on the 14th of
June, 1S24:
Communications were read
from the Corresponding Com
mittee at v mchestcr,&c. propo
sing that a Convention be called
for the purpose of framing an
Jtiiectorai iicket, anu naming
the town of Fredericksburg as
the place for holding such Con
vention.
Whereupon, it was resolved
that those persons in the differ
ent Electoral Districts in this
state, favorable to the election
of Gen. Andrew Jackson as
President, and John C. Calhoun
as Vice-President of the United
States, be requested to appoint
Delegates to a Convention to be
holden in the town of Frede
ricksburg, on Wednesday the
29th day ot July next.
Signed by the Committee.
As a full meeting is desirable
and it may be inconvenient for
some of the Delegates to attend
the Committee respectfully sug
gest to such, the propriety ot
appointing proxies to act for
them.
It is with much pleasure the
Committee inform the friends of
their Candidate, that they could
immediately form a Ticket com
posed of some of the most re
spectable and enlightened citi
zens of the State; butthey deem
it best to lay before a Conven
tion all the information they
have received, and by concert
form such a Ticket as may em
phatically be denominated the
People's Ticket:'
The different Editors in this
state and the District of Colum
bia, are requested to publish the
oregoing.
TJie Committtt.
Important decision. The
Court of Appeals of Virginia de
cided on Friday, in the case of
Brooks and Hobson, that the
securities of an executor are not
responsible for the proceeds of
any lands of the testator, sold
or otherwise disposed of by him
or his executors, under the au
thority of the will of the first
testator And that securities of
the first executor are not liable
for the acts of his executor, al
though the will ol the first exe
cutor may have directed that the
second executor should give no
security. Enqu irer.
New- York. The Mercantile
Advertiser of Friday, says:-
"It is stated to us, by gentlemen
who have made particular en
quiries, that there are now erect
ing m the Eighth Ward of this
city, about one thousand houses;
and it is computed that the
whole number of houses built
the present season and now
building in the whole city, will
exceed three thousand.
Western Commerce. With
in the two last years, no less
than 10 steamboats have been
built at Pittsburg, Pa. and there
is now one on the stocks.
Their tonnage was as follows:
240, 230, 120, five of 100, 80,
and GO.
Navy. -The trial of Mid
shipman Barney, for the alleged
muruer ot a sailor, on board ot
a vessel of which he was mate,
terminated at New-York on the
3d inst. Barney was acquitted,
the jury considering it an act of
justifiable homicide, while in
the discharge of his duty. ,
Catholic Religion. A Ger
man paper says, "The Pope has
made an additional grant of
524,000 annually, de . propa
ganda Jidc, lor the special pur
pose ot encouraging the pro
gress of the Catholic Religion in
the United States of America."
La Fayette. A New-York
paper states, that this distin
guished patriot has declined the
invitation to come to America
in a national vessel; and that he
would shortly embark at Havr
for that port in one of the Jins
packet ships.
Execution. Jones, the co
lored man, convicted of murder
committed on board the brig
Holkar, was hung on the 11th
inst. on Ellis's Island; near
New-York. The place was sur
rounded with steam, team, sail,
and row boats, filled with peo
ple. He was reconciled to his
fate, and to his last moments
confessed his guilt, and the ius-
tice of his punishment.
Ship-building. Cotton sails
and leather bottoms will in a
short time be substituted for
hemp and copper. We have
seen almost satisfactory evi
dence in favor of the change.
Economy and durability are
certainly in favor of cotton and
leather," if correct conclusions
have been drawn from recent
experiments.
Petersburg Intellig.