No. 31.
HALIFAX,. a FRIDAY, OCTOBFAi 23, 1824.
VOL L
THE "FREE PRESS,"
By George Howard,
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YOU THE FREE PRESS.
THE HOLY BIBLE.
The Scriptures contain, inde
penitently of a divine origin
more true sublimity, more ex
quisite beauty, more morality.
and finer strains of poetry and
eloquence, than could be col
lected within the same compass
from all other books that were
over composed in any age or in
any idiom. The two parts of
which the Scriptures consist,
are connected by a chain of
compositions, which bear no re
semblance, in form or stile, to
any that can be produced from
the stores of Grecian, Indian,
Persian, or even Arabian lcarn-
mirecta encircles Vespasian, the
triumphal arch of Titus, a bea
con to the universe, but he can
not call the last faint sigh of his
existence, and protect his tro-!
phics against the scythe of de
struction, bo, learn this truth
from the melancholy picture of
history: so, and moralize amidst
the ruin of Thebes, and ask
where are her hundred irates.
and her millions nf wrrmre?
Go, and learn wisdom from soli
tary Tyre, and ask where are
her. golden palaces and her num
berless natives? Go, and ask
Egypt where are her twentv
thousand cities, her temple of
why so many unbelievers in the na of party. The political dissen
world? The reason isohvinus:
it condemns sinful man. For
eign Bible Societies have, done
great things for the Redeemer's
The utility of do
mestic missionaries are the
theme of councils. T ntion.il
and state legislatures have con
tributed to this godlike excel
lence, i lie aborigines of Ame
rica arc become the participents
of this inimitable Book: "the
wilderness and the solitary
place shall be glad for them, and
the desert shall rejoice and blos
som as the rose." Isaiah xxxv.
And we have seen the miirhtv
sions which agitated the Union !
during and after the presidenti
al election in 1500, were carried
in Georgia to the greatest ex
tremities. A Republican bv
birth, by habit, and by reflec
tion, Mr. Crawford early es
poused the cause of the People,
and supported the election of
.Mr. Jeffersox with ardor and
fidelity. He was also particu
larly distinguished as an active
receipt, Mr. Tait was unable to
write an answer; he therefore
accepted it verbally, and as soon
as his engagements allowed, a
gain prevailed on Mr. Crawford
to bear a written acceptance to
Mr. Van Allen through Mr.
Tankersley. Crawford accor
dingly went to Washington,and
after calling at Mr. Tankersley 's
lodgings, found he had gone to
Columbia county. IIe there
pursued and lound him. Mr
and inflexible opponent of the i Tankersley informed him that
Yazoo faction. His command
ing talents, and his political an
firmness, exnosed him to the Mr. Van A ten who.-. n-i ..
. j, I " uuju un
1 u . r i L i 3 4C"
the sun, her oracle of Ammon, hand of Jehovah in the solitary I and he was often obliged to turn, he again passed thr ough
and her sacred fountain? There groves and the once howling, force his way. through opposi- Washington. In the mean ti
hp un sKinoo m, Mai i r i k l. L i .1 " -, ? t.v. , , , . . mean lime
the sun shines on a bleak wastn. wilds of the wovt nmv th nnn
the voice of the oracle hath been' secrated tabernacle of the Most
silenced for ages, and thn wild ; Hin-h. Whom tho T
weed hath long waved in the
bed of its fountain. Let Mace
don produce the trophies of her
conquering son; let Persia shew
the diadem of Cyrus, and spear
of Cambyses; they are envelop
ed by the oblivious pall, and the
mournful voice of history tells
only that they have been. So
it is with man and the works of
man; child of doubt and dan
ger, the spectre of uncertainty
bends over his cradle slumbers;
darkness pervades the warm
noon of his manhood, and ex-
compositions no man should tends his dusky arm over the
doubt; and the unstrained appli-; evening of his decline. He
cation of them to events long' walks forth in his majesty, the
subsequent to their publication, image of God and the Lord of
is a solid ground of belief that j creation; his path is on the
they were genuine predictions, j mighty deep, his footsteps are
and consequently inspired; I on the lofty mountain; he stands
This wonderful and inimitable! on his proud eminence, and
Book is now pouring its divine looks down on a subject world
,..1 . 1 1" . T "1
ing. The antiquity of those
his lonely dog in savage chase,
was heard the soothing song of
melody, the praise of Almighty
God. Where we also heard the
doctrinal truths of this Holy
Book judiciously and ably dis
cussed on the first Sabbath in-
tion both personal and political,
oi the severest and most malig
nant character. Two of these
collisions resulted in rencoun
ters, in one of which he had the
misfortune to kill his antagonist,
and in the other to be himself
severely wounded. The first
of these contests took nlace in
:the year 1S02 with Peter L.
stant, or third day of our late Van Alen, then solicitor
Camp-meeting at Pierce's. Pul
pit or Bible eloquence surpasses
every species of oratory in the
world, and particularly to the
soul that is hungering and thirst
ing after righteousness. It
eral of the western
Georgia, but a native
state. It resulted, as
gen
circuit of
of this
is well
known, in the death ot Mr. Van
Alen.
ter of this affair have
The origin and charac-
been
so
cheers the dormant powers of grossly misrepresented, especi
the soul, informs the judgment,! ally in this state, that a devel
edifies the mind, concentrates: opement of circumstances, over
4i. . a 1 f . ; . . . . ... 7
uiu meniai lacumes, ami renders; which it would be otherwise
the heart susceptible of divine desirable to cast a veil, is do
impressions, and beholds God i manded in justice to Mr. Craw-
1 1 .. .... . .
in an 111s works oi creation.
rays into me regions ot the ra- iook once again, and where is
gan world, and enlightening the he? The mysterious fire of his
vast wilderness of the East, existence is extinguished, the
PlIILO.
by request.
From the Albany Argus.
Sketch of the life and charac
ter of
WM. II. CRAWFORD.
ford. 1 he following statement
has been derived from the most
authentic sources and may be
relied on as implicitly correct.
Mr. Van Alen was an active
member of the federal and Ya
zoo parties, and was somewhat
distinguished lor the impetuosi
tv of his temper, and the vio
lence of his personal quarrels.
The uncommon industry and At a court held in the town of
Kc.vnmnnn ...NK ...U:U M T ,1, '. rWIII,.
The brilliant star, that guided cold clod nrcsses on his bosom.
the wise men to the Babe of the dull worm banquets on that
Bethlehem missionaries, audi brow where once sparkled ge
the wise men of the west have'nius and bcautv. and fho nhnr-
1 j 7 k . - a nuyj ti nmuoii y xwii
a similar liodit tbo. ro n kont nel shroud fnwmns flnt
- o r w.m. iwiiii jx.itKiut.iv liiun iMi. asijiijiuuij, LiiK5.cu. v eor-
meteor, the herald angel that! where once glowed the star of Crawford devoted himself to gia, in" the beginning of the
great divine St. John saw in honor and the purple of domi- the attainment of his profession,, year 1S02, a difference arose
I'atmos, the everlasting gospel, nion. bince, then, instability is i were equally exemplified in his; between him and Mr. Tait
is now rising 10 inn meridian oi inncrent in inn vwr ni Hm n honm notoco iun.nn r .... n .i i
.w.jr ..ufuiv, m vuuuuti, j u 111 11 y ti , u. uii; iiiiiu a iiaciiiii lawytT, (JUL
made him conspicuous at the bar ! afterwards a Judge of the supe-
to winch he ca-ned a high char-, nor court ot the state, and Sen
actor for talent and integrity. In ator in Congress) in which tin
the year 1800, he was appoint-i latter considered himself to
ed, with two others, to revise, have been grossly insulted
and digest the laws of the state, i Mr. Tait determined to demand
1 he task was principally dis- satisfaction, according to the
charged by him. and the man- custom of thetimos. and nnnliArl
the eastern hemisphere, and ere
long will beam her radiant glo
ry over the benighted world:
man, and spreads itself over all
his works, it is the best criteri
on to judge whether the Bible
then will the "sun of righteous-' is a cunningly devised fable,
ness arise with healing in his; the work of man, or the work
wings," and usher in the great
millenium. The time is at hand:
of God. The sacking of fW-
.
inth, the destruction of Jcrusa-
the great day of accounts is ve-; tern by Titus, the burning of
ry properly termed the day of the library of Alexander, de-
i t i mi n i " i .1 i . i .
me ioru, as you win una re- sirovea every Historical work
:ordcd in the last chapter in the
Old Testament. This book has
stood the test of ajres: kingdoms
have arisen, flourished, and fall
en; the work of power, the ada
mant of human greatness have
crumbled; moral earthquakes
have dashed in ruin the strong
est and fairest fabrics of human
greatness; the Bible yet re
mained, in the midst of confla
grations. If we examine the in
stitutions of man, we shall find
them all partaking of that muta
bility which characterizes his
own strange, fitful and feverish
existence. Perishable himself,
how can he confer eternity up
on his works? He erects his
f-tatue of brass, the colossus of
ages triumphant time! thou
h'irlest it to the dust. True, he
can ascend the enduring temple
of fame, and circumscribe the
offeit arch of renown, and there
deposit his statue: each impost
vad key, with incipient day, in-
ribes his venerable name: the
Uttering bead and golden cim-
611
then extant in the world except
the Bible, which was miracu
lously preserved by a superior
power, which the skeptic must
.11 X i I . i
aiiow. it nas resisted nvprv
change and braved every tem
pest; it hath stood firm and be
held the wide spreading pine of
Assyria strewing the earth with
its branches in vast and gigan
tic ruin; it hath seen the rising
flood of mighty hosts desolate
imperial Babylon; it hath seen
the starry throne of the just Ila-
roun broken down; it hath seen
the majestic eagle of the Ro
mans extending his dark form
over battle-fields; the hand of
desolation hath spread its folds
over palaces and temples; the
fierce storm of war, and the la
zy moth of luxury have united
in this work of destruction, and
the impetuous wave of time hath
ever been chequered by the
fragments of glory and the
wreck of magnificence, floating
alone in teartul and melancholy
rum. It this be the iact, then
ner in which it was performed,
was highly approved of by the
to Mr. Crawford, who was hi
personal friend, to bear the chal
prolession and the nublic. Dis- lensre. to which the l.ittpr sfn
dainim; the humbler walks of the! uouslv obiccted. and rndpnvnr
profession, he placed himse lf in ed to dissuade Mr. Tait from
' 1 4 1. t r i ll i , i
nit; miuM ui mij muM povvriui uie measure, DUt without sue
competition, which at that time! cess. By great imnortunities
existed in the state. His com-1 he was prevailed upon to bear
peers and adversaries were men the challenge. Io the aston
C . 1 I' . j . ..i .! r ii
of the first reputation at the bar;
but his ambition prompted him
to enter the lists with the fore
most of them, and his vigorous
intellect, his great professional
zeal, and unremitting attention
to business, enabled him not
only to reach the eminence to
which he aspired, but to main
tain it without a rival. The
concurrent testimony of all who
knew him in Georgia is. that.
white at the bar, his reputation
as a lawyer was unrivalled in
that state. And his professional
attainments were accompanied
and adorned by an irreproach
able moral character, and by
manners the most frank, plain,
and accessible.
ishment of all persons acquaint
ed with the nartios. Mr. Van
j j .
Allen refused to accept, on the
cliquey in me atiair was at
end, as Mr. Tait had not met
Mr. Van Alen, who resided
near that place, had ascertainpd
that Mr. Crawford U-,f
' -uii
there, and had scone in nursnih
of Mr. Tankersley, from which
L was easy to infer the nature
f his visit, and although no
personal difference existed be
tween them, he determined to
challenge Mr. Crawford. As
soon, therefore, as Mr. Craw-
lord entered ths tavern of f.nT
Villis, at which he stopped orl
nis return, ne was met by Mr.
Van Alen, insulted in terms tho
most gross, and immpd'mtnh,
challenged. It was well ascer
tained that Mr. Van A In,, KnJ
cen instigated to this course
his political friends, and as Mr.
Crawford had originally declin
ed making the auarrpl r AT.
Tait his own, it was nrohnhhr
supposed that he would decline?
the challenge, and in that way
expose himself to insult and
contempt. In this they were
mistaken. Mr. Crawford, satis
fied that his antagonist was the
instrument of his political ene
mies, ana mat through him an
attempt was to be made tn de
stroy his character, or his life
accepted the challenge, and the
unfortunate Van Alen became
the victim of his own violence
and folly.
Iirom this statem
facts, it will be seen that Af
Crawford, so far from forcing ari
ui.ui.uiuiug man into a contest
of life and death, as his enemies
in this quarter of the Union
have frequently asserted, was
himself foreod into the quarrel,
and however much we may re
gret the issue of the duel, no
candid man will deny that there
was on his part every circum
stance to palliate, and nothing
to demand peculiar animadver
sion. In the other case, (the af
fair with Governor Clark) he
was also the challenged party;
but as his conduct in that con
test has never, so far as I can
learn, been made the subject of
censure, it is unnecessary to say
any moiu ui u, man barely to
ground that his opponent was remark, that it was forced un-
deficient in respectability
this would have atlorded M
Lrawtoru a fit onnortunit.v to
have "called out" Mr. Van A I
en, had he been dUnnspd to
seek a quarrel with that gentle
man; but having no disposition
of that sort, he declined doing
so; for which, with the more
punctilious devotees of the idle
honor, he was exposed to some
animadversion- Subsequent!'
to this, and probably in conse
quence of being posted by Mr.
Tait, Mr. Van Alen challenged
that gentleman by a Mr. Tan
on him by the bitter and unre
lenuiig i osuiity oi his anta-o-nist
"s much for the duds
in which Mr. Crawford has been
involved-the clamor in regard
to which I cannot .but consider
as equally illiberal and unjust.
I am neither the advocate nor
the apologist of. duelling; on
that subject my sentiments are
in unison with those entertained
by the great mass of our popu
lation. Justice, however, requires us
not only to weigh well attPnr
ling circumstances, but also to
ly In the mean time, he had ta- kersley, of Washington, as his j bear in mind the actual state of
on ken a decided stand in the arc- friend. At the moment of its 1 public opinion in the Souther