Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume], December 23, 1799, Image 1

About Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802

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1NB GAZETTE,
^_ _____________4»-4——— ._.....
* PUBLISHED BY EI.EZER ALLEY JCNXS, PRINTER OP THE LAWS OF THP. UNITED STATES, 1-OR THE DISTRICT OF MAINE.
[Number j};. Monday, December 25, 1799. *
Miscellany a
ACCOUNT OF THK
STRENGTH of AMSTERDAM.
J^Fre-nan Edinburg p’ptr, Sept. 2" ]
^T^HE attack whi'ly the Duke of Brunfwitk
JL made on Arcflerdam in the year 1787,
\v,is fuccefrfcl. and it efid infinite credit to his
-military genius, and t'ie promptitude with
which he ftined on and improved an over.'ight
in the defence of the republican party. The
recount which a most accurate and .'ble hifto
nan gate of the pofiure ol fhe country* and its
natural asw\ll as acquired fources et delencc,
will be interelling at this moment, when a
fetond attempt is to be made upon it by a
prince of the lame illuftrious himlc. The Duka
of Brunf*ick made his approach to it on the
fuuih fide. The duke of York proceeds in an
op polite direction ; but tlffe natuie of the coun
try is he fame on both tides. The writer of
the hilloiical part of the Anunal RegiJUr gives
» the following ftatement :
, “ The city of Anifttrdam, throogh Us peculi
arly inaccedible fuuation, its artificial Itrength,
with the courage and number of its inhabitants,
had, in the fevtre wars of the 16ih century,
riren fuperior to the defigns and genius, of Don
John of Au.'lria, and ihe duke of farina, the
■hgreatcll generals, and at the head of the belt
officers and troops then in the world. With
equal fortunes in the 17th century, it fnccefs
fully refilled the mighty power of Lewis the
fourteenth, then at its meridian height, and
baffled all the attempts of a Luxemburgb and
a Condo, fim'lar generals, at the head of fimi
Jar troops, but with greater armies. All at
tempts on it have accordingly been long confi
dered as impracticable and vifionary ; and it
> has been long held, that nothing lefs than ftich
**n frofl as would conjed both the lalt and frefh
waters of the country, could render it liable to
the approaches of an enemy ; who mud like
wife have a prefeience of the event, his prepar
ations nude, and his forces on the fpot to pro
fit of the occafion ; while a fudden thaw would
not only overthrow the defign, but poflibly be
the means of overwhelming th« invadmg army.
iklules the difficulties oppcled by a vety nar
row country, every where interfered with
dykes, and coninftnded by fluice* capable of
laying it fuddenly under water, it is covered
OH the eafl and north, anJ fhut in from the
ocean, by that admirable natural defence the
Zuvder fea, whofc fand*, (hallows, and narrow
inlet*, render it impratticable to the defigns of
an enemy, and barely admit the navigation
even of their own flat vefLls conflru^ed for
that purpofe. A long, irregular bianchofthe
Zuyder fea paftes fiom eaft to the weft ward,
untd it approaches within a few miles of the
German or North Sea, when fuddenly making
#n angle to the right, it paftes northward, and
terminates in the open country. Anfterdam
lies on the fouth cf this inlet, which is called
the Ye, and is not only effeftually covered by ;
it for feveral miles in the oppofite diredion,
but nearly, as we man lee, cioies up rue ap
proaches of it to the wcfl.—For the Hafrlemj
Meet, alike about 16 miles long, anti half as I
broad, lying to the fouth and fouth-wefl of that
city, the land which feparatcs that end of it
from the Ye, is in no part above three or four
miles over ; but in one place called from its
lituation on th; road to Haetlem, Half Wegan,
thefe two great bodies of wafer actually com
munieate ; and here, by the ere&ion of flood
gates, of an enormous fize, the waters of the
Yc, are prevented from being difeharged into
the Haeilem Meet ; an event which would
occafion a great part of the province of Holland,
to the diltance of near thirty miles, to be over 1
llovveJ, as the level of the fea at high water is
evidently above that of the lake, and of the ad
joining country.
The only roadhylmd to Hrerlcm.and the
■country to die weftwaref, is cariicj over thefe
>od gates ; and it will be ealily fern that
Half Wegen, f.-om its lituation, is capable of
b.tag rendered a poll of great ftrength, and
imn be of the greatefl importance with refpe«5l
to the fecurity of Amfterdatn. No pains were
.accordingly feared by the republican party, in
order to its being fortified in the belt manner.
For this ptirpnfe they committed the place into
the hinds of a French officer of fome dillin&icn,
who Ji.id the charge of conftruefing the warks
and* batteries which he was finally to defend.
Vary befiJes rendered the appro iclv.s on the
Hacrlqm fide as diiiicult as poflible, by dc-ftroy
jng the bridges, cutting down trees, making
<lc'-p ditches acrols the road, and laying the
’ country uu ler water ; lo that ad acceis to
Amsterdam on that lidc was held to be tttlcily
Impracticable h'ewcvnr bold or formidable the
til my.
The country, td*;he f- ti'h wefl, foiv.li, and
I douth eafl of Amfl r 'am wes generally com.
^Hipfi-d of lovtf, rich meadows, fiirrounded and
, ’cifeA-d by numberl, fs wet d t i.es; and tin 1 -
1 Aiie.nlows being lower tha i «l»e lutf.tce of tin.
■opining water*, v.*e e e idly ovctfliv.cj by
1 #< caking the djkcs ol the Am thv be.-' t,
and th- Now Moer. Though thefe inundations
were not in general very deep, yet liny ferved,
through the number of undiicovrrable ditches
which tliey conceded, to render-the mendows
totally impaffible to an army. In lids fituaiion
of the country, the only pollible method of ap
proaching Amllurdain was along the roads
which run ou the top of the dykes ; but even
ihefe fc med in a great meafure imptamicable
to an airay to advance in the face of an enemy ;
for, befides, the witer was nearly in many
places on a level with the dykes, they were in
stenetal fo narrow that very lew men could
match ahaeaft, and nor, above one, or at the
m. ft two p'eces < f ordnance could any where
be brought to bear at one time, upon the
Jefentiv$ batteries.’'
This narrative will Ihew our readers, that
his my l high Heft the Duke of York, though
commanding an array of near 50.000 men, lias
a mod arduous talk to accomplifli, and panic
nlurly as the f.aihn moll unfortunately favors
the natural defences of the country. He has,
however, the advantage of the Zoyder fen open
ro him, and he may undoubtedly collect an
immenfe number ot flat bottomed boats, by
which to approach the city on that, its mdl
vulnerable fide. Here, however, be will have*
to encounter all the ability ot the bell French
engineer?, who have bad time to ertil batteries
and to prepare for luch an attack.
_ 4 . . . n r •
ikk even II /imnernam muu mu ujc j’cu umua
flioulJ fall, it is to be ct nlidered what further
mov melts our army cruld make at tins fegfan
of t!:e year. The French, then defperate,
might t ’tally inundate the country. The wri
ter whom we quot'd above, deferibes their
power of doing lb in th? following parage :
“ It can fcarcely pals iinolfervcJ by thofe
who know' the nature of the country, that
Atnfterdam upon this occaftun palled over one
fource of deter,ce which w<m’d have cff«.£tuul!y
fecnred them from the immediate deligns i t
their enemy, 'litis was no other than render
ing the inundations perfect j for by letting the
watets of the Ye into the Haetlcm Lake at
Halt Wegen, the dykes as well as the fields
w nld have hcea laid under water in fuch a
manner as to tender all Ipproach xo the city
impolhble. But as this was the laft, To would
it have bc/a a mod defperhte refcurce, and
fuch as cci'd lcaicely be warranted by duty
thing lefs than the approach of fo barbatious
an enemy, that exte;ruination, or niaifacie were
the opened coi'fequi.nces ol his luccefs For
a veiy great put of the province of Lolland
would not only have been rmueJ for the prcfctit
by the inundation, but the beggary would be
cntaileJ f>t foate years upon the people, thro’
the length of time, and the very great cxpence,
which a lecond rccov ry of the land froui the
dominion of the watei w nld occafion. Such
a n.eafurr would iikewife exafpera’c all otders
of the people to fi> great a degree, b th in the
towns and in the country, all lufTeiing feverely
under the common cilnmity, that the republi
can party could fcarcely hope after to exill
among them From tbefe cattfcs anJ from a |
fecmingly well founded reliance on the fccurity |
afforded by their prefent barrier, Amlferdam
did not yet rclort to this lait and difmalex-,
tremitv.” •
- - ——■— ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■
EXTRACTS.
'[ f-nsrt Dfeourfte in Davita.]
This mournful truth .every where confef.’J,
Stone rifee Worth vy Poverty Jeprefe'J.
TF we attempt to antlize our ideas, full fur- |
ther, upon this fuhjeff, we fh ill find, that
the expreffions we have hitherto uled, attention, i
confideration and congratulation, comprehend with
fufficicnt accuiacy, the general objrdl of the
paflion fox diflinftion, in the greater put of*
mankind. There are not a few, from him who
burned a temple, to the multitudes who
plunge into low debauchery, who deliberately
feck it by crime? and vices. The greater num
ber, however, ftarch lor it neither by vices ntjf
virtues : But by the raw s which, commat
fenfe and everyday's exp tier,ce Shows, are the
moft lure to obtain it ; by richei, by family re
cord*, by play, anJ oilier frivolous perfonal ac
complilhnjents. ' But there are a few, and God
knows but a few, who aim at fomething more ;
They aim at approbation as well as attention 5
at efteem as well a? c. (ideration: And at
admiration and gratitude, a? well as congratu
lation and wonder united. This laft Jcfcription
of perfous is .the tribe out of which proceeds
your pntrio's and heroes, and moft of the great
benef-tftors to mankind. But for cur humilia
tion, we inuft ft'll remember, that even in thefe
tfteemed, beloved anJ adored charters, the
p.tlfion, although refined by tire purelt moral
fertimetvs, and intended to be governed by the
belt principles, is a portion ft ill: And thcic
(o’e like all other hitman dcfircs, unlimited and
iiifatiahlc. No man was ever contented with
any giv:n (lure of this human adoration.
When Gatfar declared he liad lived enough to
glory ; Csefur migh dece:ve himfclf, but he
mild rot deceive the woild, who ft"- his de
claraiintt contruciiifted by every adlhn of his
fiihf.-qiieut life. Man conftantly craves for
mr re. even when he ha> no rival: But when
he Kt- another polished of more, or drawing
away from himfclf a pa*t of what lie had, h<
feels s mortification ai ifing from the lofs of t
good lie thought lii-. own; His clfhe is dif
appointed: 'ihe pain of a want untatisfied, is
increafvd by a reftntment of an injuftice as he
thinks it; He acufcs his rival of a theft or
rokbety, and the public of taking away, what
was Lis property and givim. it to another.
Theft feelings and refcntentmcnu, are but
other names for jeaioufy and envy ; and alto
gether they produce fome of the keen ft and
inoft tormenting of all fcniinierits. Thefe fer
mentations of the paftions are lo common and
MtT well known, that the pe'pie generally pre
I Anne thru a pedon in fucli cirtuinft mces, ii de
| prived of his judgement, if aot of Ids veracity
| ,nd reafon. It is too generally a fufficient an
f ver to any complaint ; to any faA allcd^ed ;
j or ar advanced, to fay that it conies
from a^iifippoioted man.
There is a voice within us, which feems to in
timate, that real merit ihoiild govern ihe world :
And that *en ought to be rclpeded only in
proportion *> their talents, virtues and fer
vices. Unt the qnefti m always has been, how
can this arrangement he accomplifhed ? How
(hall the men of merit he difeovered ? How fh ill
ihe proportions of merit be afeertained and gra
duated ? Who (hill l>« the judge? When the
the government of a great nati >n is in queflion,
fhail the whole nation choofe ? Will fucli a
choice be better than chance ? Shall the whole
nation vote for fenalars ? Thirtv mill’ins of
votes for example, for each fertator in I’rarce !
It icobv’mis that this would be a lottery f
millions of blinks to one prize, and tha’ the
chance of having wi Adorn and integrity in a
fen itof by hereditary defeenr would be far bet
ter. There is no individual prrf 'naiSy known
to an hundredth part of the nation. The vot
cis then ir.u.t be exp«r.d to d caption. from in
trigues .*nJ manoeuvre*. wi hoot, number, that is
to r«3_. from a'l the iliicar. ry, iropoQtues and
fai'l«K'ds imaginable, vi hfcarce a poflib.lityof
piefening teal merit. Will you divide the na
lion into d ft. >ci-, and let eaih Jillritf choofc
a fenfttor ? This is giv'ng up the iJea ol merit
and annexing th* lion r and the trufi to an ac
cident, th.it oflivi g «>n a piricui-r fpot. An
bundled or a thoufand men of the tirft merit in
a nation may live in one city ; and none a't all
in fcveral whole provinces. 1'cal me;it is f .
remote from the knowledge of whale nations,
that weremcgillrates to be thof.n by that crite
tion alone, i nd l>y an univerfai fuifr ire, d ffen
tinlts and Ttnahty would b* eodlcfs The diffi
culties arifug fiom this fou.ee are fo obvious
and univerfai, that n. tions have tried all fom
of exptrimeat* to avoid them.
As no appetite in human nature is more uni
vefal than that f*r honor, and real merit is
cviiflne l to a 'try few, the numbers who third
for refptiS, ate out of all proportion to tfoic
who feek ii o"ly by merit. The g est m.ijoiity
trouble thcmfelves little about met it. but applv
ihcrr.felves tof:ek for honor by which they fee
they nyll more eaftly and certainly obtain it;
I by difplaying their taltc and .iddr-Ts, their
wealth and magnificence ; their ancient parch
1 tnents, pictures, and ilatues, and the virtnes of
their ancetlois; and if thefe fail, as they feld 'm
have done, they have recourfe to artifice, dif
fimulation, hypocncy, Mattery, impoitute. cm
piricifm, quackeiy and bribery. What chant e
has humble, tnodeft, obfcure and poor merit, in
furh a fcramb'.e ? Nations, pe ceiving that the
Hill fmall voice of merit was drew -ed in the
infolcnt roar of fitch impoftnres ; and th it they
were conftantty the dupes of impudence and
knavery, in national elections, without a pof
fibility of a remedy, have fought for fortiething
more .peima.ient than the popular voice to de
fignate honor. Many nations have attempted
to annex to la'id, prefuming that a good eftate
would at le ad furmfh the means of*a good
r/ucauoft; and have relolved that thofe who
mould poircfs certain territories, ihould have
fe.tain legiflative, executive and judicial pow
ers. over th: people. Other nations have en
deavored toconnctfl honor with offices ; and the
numes and ideas at baft of certain moral virtues
and intelltftual qualities have been by latv an
nexed to certain offices, as veneration, grace,
excellence, honor, fertility, majefty.—Othei na
tions have attempted to annex honor to fa mi
lies, without regard to Jands or offiices. The
Romans allowed none but thole who had pof
fcflcd curule ‘ Tires, to have ftatu** or portraits,
lie, « ho had images or piSares pf his anceftors,
was called noble, lie who h id no flattie* or
pictures but Ills own, was called a new man.
Thofe who had non: at all, were ignoble.. O*
then nations have united nil thofe inftitutions :
connected lands, offices and families—made
them all defeend together, anl honor, public
attention, conlid.ration and congratulation
along with them. This has bce i the pohey ot
Europe; and it is this inft'tution winch fh
owes her fupeiisuty, in War and pe tee, in leg I*
latioh and c -mmeice, in agriculuire, bavga
tion, ar's, feiences nnd manufaftures, t-> Alia,
and Africa. Thcfe families thus dilling'ffhed
by property, honors, and privileges, by dtfend
ing thcmfelves have been obliged t<> delet'd >he
people againft the encioachmcn.s of detpotifm
racy have been a civil and political rut itiu,
conllantly wat-hing the lUnJmg avmic* and
courts ; and by defending their own rights, li'j.
j erties properties and privileges, they have been
| oblige J, in fume deg'e, 'o defend thofe of ihc
people. But there were fever.il eflential defers
in this policy : one was that the people tot k
no ra’ional meafures to defend themfclves, ei
ther agairft tjiele great families or the courts.
They IiaJ m aJequate reprefentation of thern
felvcs in the fovereignty. Another was that
it never Was determined where the fovereignty
refide^—generally it was claimed by kings »
but not admitted uy the nobles. Sometime,
every bar-ou pretended to be fovereign in his
own territory; at other times the lovereignty
was claimed by an afiemhly of the noble,, un
der the names of States orCoitev. Sometimes
the united authority of the King and the
State? was tailed the fovreigntv. The com
mon people had no* adequate and independent
fhare in the legislatures, and found themfelves
harralfed to dlf over who was the fovrei. n and
whom they %ght to ob y, as much as they ever
had been or could he to determine who had tlic
mofl merit. A ihoufind years of 13aron’ wars,
canting univctfal darknef-, ignorance and bar
barity, ended at lafl in dimple monarchy, not by *
expref ftiptilati u, but by tacit acquiefcence, in
alnioll all liurope ; th • people pref rring a cer
tain fovereignty in a finale perfon, to cndlefs
disputes about meat and fovereignty, which
never did and never will prodnee a vtbiog but
ariftocratical anarchy ; and the noble content
ing then.felves with afeemity of their property
and privileges, by a government of fixeJ laws,
regiflereJ and interpiiieJ by a judiiial power,
Wiliich they called fovetc't'n tribunals, though
the legation rnJ cse>.ution were in a tingle
perfon, In this fyflem o controol the nobles,
the Char Ji . joined the Kings and comxnoh
people.
iheprogrefs of rcafim, letters and fcieace,
ha* vveakeneJ the church and (frcng'hcd the
common people; who, it they a’ehoneftly an&
prudently conduced by thi !e who have t'htir
cor.fi 'ef ccj will moll iuf.llibjy rbiain a (hare
in every leglfiatuie. Bui if thee rnm^n peo
ple a t advifed to ai;n at cnij.fting the whole
loveeignry in (ingle haiional aflembiie*, as they
ate by he Dune Je la Rochelcuc ittlt 'and the
Marquis of C rndorce: ; or at the abolition of
the Regal execut ve authority ; dr at a Jivilion
<>t the executive oower, as they are by a podlni
mous publication of th A by de Nla' ly, ibi y
will l4i] of their defiied I berty a* Certainly as
emulation and rivaliy are founded inhuman
nature and u lcjiaiabir from ci»i! aificiis. I: it
not to flatter the putTio.i, of the ptfopre tu be
(tire, nor is it the way to< obtain < prcf.nt cn
thufiadic popularity totc’l them that in 1 tingle
airembly, they will as arbitrarily and tyran
nically as any detpor, by it is a facred truth,
and as demonllrable as any propofit on what
ever, that a fovereign'y in a tingle aff mbly
rnuft nccelfari y, and wnl ceitainiy e exereffed
by a majority as tyrannically as an. (overeignty
wits ever exrrcifcd by Kings or Nobles. Ana
if a balance of patfionsand in.ere t is not feien
tifically cone .rted, the prrfent (haggle in Eu
rope will be little beneficial to mankind, and
produce nothing but another thoufand ycais of
I feudal fanaticifat under nctv and ftrange names.
DR. JOSEPH PR/E STEP,
hts lat ly pu'jMheJ a volume containing letter!
to ihe inhabitants of Northutjibei land, &c, iA
delen-eof his chualler; The following is a
i^anfeript from the table of contents, namely i
Letter I, of my (itnalion as an alien : 1. 2, ot
my French citizeofhip, and French prin< ip’es :
1. 3, of my right 10 treat ot fnbjefts of civil
policy, and the advantages I have had for
acquiring knowledge ot this kind ; 1. 4, of what
i have done with rel'peS to the policy this
countiy ; 1. 5, of the intercepted letters and of
the French revolution ; 1. 7, fli nty religion ; a
defence of Mr. Cooper and myfelf, in nnfwcr to
a m'freprcfenution of an application to thl
Prefident.
rsf. ——• -■ —L_ -L
ACROSTIC
On President Adams.
TROUD of her theme, the nittfc entwines frefh
Re-tunes her ly 1 e to tiiy immortal piaifc.
Engag'd from carlicft youth in Freedom's caufe,
Stern foe to arbitrary men and laws.
In modern lore well read, with autieAt bll’d,
Beep in the politics of Europe flei I d |
Enrich'd with talents vaftand unconfin'd,
Noble thy mannert,, funf’e, yet renn'd.
The Patriot's Jj>irit w.th ihe Statesman's miii.
Juft Heaven ! can fuch R charaiftrr hare foes /
Or o»e be found his nieifures in oppi.fe ?
1{m PredeccITor, glorious, good and great,
Nor even an Angel could efcape this fate.
' * *
Adams! proi cd, to tSy lovM country true.
Orfcnd her rights ; her filtered* lb I purlue S
\ fme reward thy arduous toils tlvill c. own,
More durable than tfmpor.il renown.
Stable *■> fate ; and hi'd as heaven's high threw t