Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume], March 05, 1822, Image 1

About Harpers-Ferry free press. [volume] (Harper's Ferry, Va. [i.e. Harpers Ferry, W. Va.]) 1821-1824

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£<to shew virtue her own feature, scorn her own image, and the very age and eody of the time, his form and pressure.’
VOL. I.
HARPERS-FERRY, VIRGINIA, TUESDAY, MARCH 5, 1822.
No. 31*
PUBLISHED, WEEKLY, BY
JOHN S. GALLAHER CO.
CONDITIONS.
The “Free Press” is published at two
dollars per annum, if paid in advance;
two dollars and twenty-five cents if paid
at the end of six months ; or, two dollars
and fifty cents at the expiration of the
year.
Notice must be given of a wish to dis
continue, at the end of the time subscrib
ed for, or it will be considered a new en
gagement.
No paper will be discontinued until all
arrearages are paid.
./.p' As payment in advance will serve
the interest of all concerned, that mode is
respectfully solicited.
%* Advertisements inserted three times
fo me dollar per square ; and twenty-five
cents for every subsequent insertion.
DATE FROM BRAZIL.
CHARLESTON, FEB. 13.
By the brig Fortuna, capt. Scott from
Pernambuco, which place he left on the
@th January, we have the following intel
ligence :
After a severe contest with the Eu
ropean troops, the Brazilians had succeed
ed in establishing the new constitution,
' and had compelled the European general
Don Louis de Rego, with,the whole of his
-troops, to embark for Portugal. An illu
mination took place in consequence of the
king’s having disappro'ed of the oppres
sive administration of the government, in
the hands of gen. De Rego, and the return
of the Patriot prisoners sent by him to
Europe. Tranquility was established,
•ana energetic steps were taken by the pro
vincial government, for the increase of
Mie patriot army.
A new general had just arrived, and af
ter hesitating- to land for a few days, his
'droops having fallen to leeward, his re
ception was a mockery of military pa
rade by the Brazilian troops. Every pre
paration had been made to resist the new
troops, (800 in number) on their landing,
or, if permitted to land, to retain them as
prisoners.
The court of Portugal had manifested
he most conciliatory disposition, to re
in the dependence of her trans-atlantic
^BBttlements ; notwithstanding which the
azilians seemed universally to desire an
emancipation from a yoke which had
hitherto held them in the most disgust
ing ignorance and oppressive bondage.
The press was about commencing its
operations, by tie publication of three
newspapers in the city of Pernambuco.
Emigration.—We perceive that a soci
ety called the “British Union Society,”
is now forming at Doncaster, by a num
ber of religious families, for the purpose
of establishing an agricultural colony in
the state of Illinois, in the United States.
A general fund is to be raised by sub
scription for the purchase of land stock,
&x. ; and a common store is to be kept,
from which the colonists will be supplied
with goods at wholesale prices. Reli
gious teachers will be appointed, and the
children will be taught useful learning.
Many other regulations are proposed in
the plan, with a view to ensure the suc
cess of the emigrants.
Real Gratitude.—The Legislature of
Alabama have passed an act, granting the
half pay of a colonel in the regular army,
to col. Samuel Dale, a citizen of Alabama,
in consideration of his services in the late
Creek war; the pension to be continued to
him during his life. The rank of Brig
adier General has also been conferred on
It is said in the trench' newspapers,
that no one was more surprised at the late
change in the French ministry, than the
-''ussian ambassador in Paris. When he
'.pressed his astonishment and regret to
Couis XVIII. the monarch replied drily :
I was desirous to see, while living, how
France would be governed after my death.’
A letter from a respectable source at
Richmond states, that the Virginia Court
of Appeals has decided that the debts due
to imchartered banks are not recoverable.
rif this decision goes the whole length of
establishing the general rule,without qua
lification, the paper of these banks, now
held by individuals, &c. to the amount of
(it is supposed) two hundred thousand
dollars, becomes as worthless as so many
dead leaves of the forest. It is probable,
ho wever, that the decision only applies to
debts contracted subsequent to the 1st
Nov. 1816, or rather to the period fixed
by a supplementary law, after which un
incorporated banking institutions were
outlawed by the statutes of Virginia.
The article which follows has been cir
culated in some of the western counties
in the form of a hand-hill, and was trans
mitted to us by mail, with a request to re
publish it. We comply with the request,
because we think that every question of
interest to the community ought be fairly
investigated, previous to its being defini
tively acted on. Of the expediency of
the proposed measure, we will not pretend
to speak, but will leave it to the decision
of those whom interest or duty may invite
to the discussion.
REMOVAL OF THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.
To the People of Virginia.
This is a question in which every citi
zen of Virginia, however humble and ob
scure his station, is interested, and one on
which the people will, in some way or
other, be called upon to express an opi
nion.
io aid you in coming to correct con
clusions on this important question, per
mit one whose interest is identified with
yours, one who honestly and sincerely de
sires to see the integrity of his nati e
state preserved, and the happiness and
prosperity of its citizens promoted, to sub
mit you some reflections thereupon.
When the people of Virginia come to
view this subject in all its aspects, the
just and solid objections which apply
against the seat of government being con
tinued at Richmond, will be found too
imperious to be resisted by any man, who
will make justice his polar star.
The limits of an address, however, of
this kind, will not admit of my noticing
all the objections to Richmond as the seat
of government; 1 shall, therefore, lor the
present, content myself by calling your
serious consideration to one, which I con
sider most prominent; and that is,
That Richmond, in the event of war, is
too much exposed to the attacks and inju
ries of an enemy.
If I shall be able to satisfy you of the
correctness of this proposition, may I not
with some confidence ask, that you will
unite your efforts with mine in procuring
its removal to some more safe and central
position?
In our deliberations upon state affairs,
can we appeal to a safer guide than his
tory ? Misled by interest and prejudice,
we often view the affairs of the present
through a false and obscure medium ; but
it is the task of impartial history, to hold
up to us the contemplation of facts which
have existed, that we may profit by the
example or the errors of those who have
gone before us, and avoid the rocks upon
which they have split. Taking then his
tory for our guide, let us look to the facts
which occurred during our revolutionary
war, and see if Richmond is a safe or pro
per place for the seat of go'ernment.
Early in the month of December, 1780,
gen. Washington communicated to the
governor of Virginia that the enemy then
in New York were making preparations
for an expedition to the south, and admo
nishing him to prepare to meet the inva
sion. According to the prediction of your
beloved Washington, the enemy anchored
in Hampton Roads on the 30th of the
same month; and gen. Nelson, then at
Richmond, was dispatched for the pur
pose of raising the lower militia, for the
defence of the metropolis of your state.
On the 4th of January the traitor Arnold,
at the head ot 900 men, landed at West
over, 25 miles from' Richmond. During
all this time, we had been unable to col
lect more than between 1 and 200 militia,
(including those of the city of Richmond)
for the defence of the metropolis of our
state. And what is the. reason assigned
in Marshall’s Life of Washington for our
not being able to collect a greater force to
rep d the enemy ? “ That the country ex
tending from Richmond to the ocean is
unfavorable to the prompt assemblage of
militia, and the white population not nu
merous.” These reasons of themselves
are sufficient to prove that Richmond is
not a safe or proper place for the seat of
government. And as was to be expected,
from this state of defence, Arnold on the
5th of January entered the metropolis of
your state without, ! may say, the shadow,
of resistance. Fortunately for us, the pre
sent capitol was not then erected, or it
would, beyond doubt, have shared the
same disgraceful fate which the capitol
of the United States at Washington did
a few years since. The enemy, embolden
ed by their success, dispatched col. Sim
coe at the head of 400 men to Westharq,
about 20 miles above Richmond, to des
troy our public property and military
stores, which had been carried thither as
a place of safety. In this enterprize, Sim
coe succeeded without the loss of a sin
gle man, ©r the e&chai\ge of a single shot, i
And in addition to destroying our public
property and military stores, a great num
ber of our public records and papers were
burnt; yes, some of the very papers which
some of yo»u perhaps have so often sought
after in tire public offices in Richmond in
vain; the papers our revolutionary sol
diers have so often soughtafter to enable
them to obtain from their country that
bounty which their services and suffer
ings entitled them to, and for the want of
which many of them are now wandering
about “ without a shelter from the piti
less peltings ol the winter s storm.
After the 'relation of these facts, I would
ask any man who has a regard for the ho
nor, the interest, or prosperity of Virgi
nia, whether if he had been about to fix on
a place for the seat of government at that
time, he would have selected Richmond.
But to prove my position need I stop
.here; no, subsequent events go still strong
er to shew that Richmond is not safe
from the injuries of an enemy. After the
warning which this visit of the enemy to
Richmond had given us, to prepare for
the defence of the metropolis of our state.
After five months time given us, to make
that preparation, the enemy again appear
ed upon our coast, and finding no force to
oppose them, a second time entered the
metropolis of our state, and gathering
fresh courage from their success, Tarlton
is dispatched with 250 men to capture
our legislature, then sitting at Charlottes
ville, eighty miles above Richmond, and
actually succeeded in taking seven of
them. Incredible and strange as these
facts may appear, they are nevertheless
true, as will be seen by a reference to the
4th vol. 8th chap, of Marshall’s Life of
Washington. And to use the language
of a late eminent historian, “ What little
remained of the vitals of resistance were
still left in this exposed region of the
state, instead of being all collected and
transported over the Blue Ridge, our near
est security.” And the consequence was,
our public stores were again destroyed.
I might adduce to you other facts,
which occurred during our revolutionary
war, to support my proposition, but I
deem it unnecessary, and will now come
to a time, not long gone by, and which is
fresh in the memory of every man, and
with which is associated many a painful
recollection. The last war. Who among
us was itr that did not entertain, and
justly entertain, fears for the capitol of
our state—was it the citizens of Rich
mond i1 Yes, people of Virginia, while
you were receiving the parting benedic
tion of your parents, and tearing your
selves from the arms of your distracted
wives and weeping children, they were
| hastening with theirs, (as it was natural
I and perhaps right they should do) to a
place of safety. Was not the money of
their banks sent off; was not the public
property, or such of it as could be, re
moved ; was not the public records and
papers packed up and sent off, (and ought
the public records and papers ever to be
in a situation in which the public cannot
have free access to them ?) Do not these
facts speak the fears and alarms of the
people of Richmond for their safety ? Do
they not prove to you that your capital
was threatened*—was in danger? Did
not your patriotic governor call upon you
in the most earnest manner possible to
repair to. the capital of yGur state to de
fend it; yes, such was the danger that
threatened it, that he even invited you to
come singly—and did you not, like the
mountain torrent, rush to its defence.
But with all your expedition, all your pa
triotism, you could not have sav ed it, had
the enemy moved with as much celerity
to attack it, as they did during the war oi
the revolution.
Will you, people of Virginia, after all
these warnings and admonitions; warn
ings I had almost said sent from heaven—
be content to permit your public proper
ty, your public records, the records of
your land titles, to remain in this expo
sed, this dangerous situation ? Will you
fold your arms in security, and say, we
are not now engaged In war ? that is true ;
but how long we shall enjoy the blessings
of peace, He who guides and governs
the destiny of nations alone can tell. We
must expect to suffer the changes and vi
cissitudes attendant upon all human af
fairs. To contend against their appear
ance is folly, but to be prepared for the
emergency, a duty we owe to ourselves,
and our posterity. In peace we must pre
pare for war.
I hope from these remarks, and the re
lation of these facts, I shall not be under
stood as in the slightest degree question
ing the bravery or patriotism of the peo
ple of Richmond and the lower section of
the state. No, far be it from me—L know
they are not wanting in love of country,
or in bravery'—they nave afforded many
n
bright examples of the truth of this, not
only during the revolutionary, hut the last
war. Yes, many of them have sealed
their demotion to country with their blood.
But, unfortunately for themselves—unfor
tunately for their country, they have with
in their bosoms an enemy that is more, if
possible, to be dreaded than an open and
public enemy—an enemy that deals in
secresy and midnight darkness—and I
would appeal to the candor of the people
of the lower section of the state, and ask
if this very consideration has not prevent
ed thousands of them from flying to the
standard of their country, to the defence
of the capital of their state ? Yes, when
| your country was invaded, nave you cot
| appealed to your brethren of the North,
of the South and West, and said, will you
my brave, my generous brethren— sk
that we shall leave to the mercy of this
most dreadful enemy, our aged parents,
the tender partners of our bosoms, and
the children of our affection l Let the
bleeching bones of our sons around the
sandy plains of Norfolk and Richmond
answer the appeal you made to them.
Permit me to suggest one further con
sideration, and I have done. As long as
your capitol remains at Richmond, as
long as your armory and other public re
cords, and the records of your land titles
remain there, so long do you hold out an
inducement, and a strong inducement to
an enemy to attack it. Remove then to
some more safe and central position, and
you lessen the inducement of the enemy,
and promote thereby not only the safety
and interest of the people of Richmond
and the lower section of the state, but the
convenience of a large majority of the ci
tizens of Virginia. a Virginian,
MORE PIRATES CAPTURED.
CHARLESTON, FEB. 14.
The U. S. sch’r Grampus, (12 guns}
lieut. corn’d Gregory, from a cruise of 4
months in the West Indies and along the
Spanish Main, arrived at our port yester
day morning,last from Santa Martha. She <
has brought in three pirates, viz : James
Maxfield, one of the crew that robbed
the Orleans, of Philadelphia, and Charles
Owens and James Ross, who robbed a
Portsmouth schr. of §>2000 in the Bite at
Leogane. One of these daring freeboot
ers was delivered up to Lieut. G. by the
Governor of St. Bartholomews, and the
other two by the President of Haytu fop
trial by the U. States. The Grampus
boarded several privateers during hep
cruize, and traversed a space of 9000
miles, spreading terror among those
wretches whose impotence is equal to
their atrocity, and who only require ac
tive pursuit to frighten them out of visi
ble existence.
We learn by the above arrival, that the
inhabitants of Portobello and Panama had
expelled the Spaniards, and declared fop
the Patriots. About two thousand men
had embarked at Carthagena, the middle
of January, to garrison those places. A
fleet, with two thousand men, sailed front
Santa Martha during the same month for
Maracaibo and Porto Cabello, and it was
confidently expected that these places
would surrender upon the first summ ns.
The Grampus touched at Cape Tiber
oon,(Hayti.) Seven thousand men had
marched for the City of St. Domingo—it
was reported that the advance had taken
possession of the city, and that the whole
island was completely in possession of the
blacks. This information confirms whaff
we received a few days ago, via Savannah,,
On the 1st February the Grampus ;
boarded a vessel off Cape Cruz, which
informed that they saw the day before an
American brig of war with a schooner a
prize its company. The U. S. brig Spark
touched at Cape Tiberoon, middle bf Jan'*
uary with a schooner a prize in company^
CHARLESTON, FEB. 13.
Protection to Commerce.—The United
States’ sch’r Alligator, lieut. comma? d
ant Stockton, will proceed forthwith from
this port to the West Indies, for the safe
ty and protection of navigation from pi
rates. The time of service of the crew
of the Alligator has expired, but upotj
being told by lieut. Stockton of the cruise
on which their country wished them to
engage, to employ them three months,
they gave their commander three g beers,
and entered to a man.