Balance,

REPOSITORY.

To the Public.

THE

HUDSON, (NEW-YORK) TUESDAY, JANUARY 4, 1803.

HE fecond volume of the BALANCE, that is now commencing under the patronage of an increased and very refpectable lift of fubfcribers, we fhall endeavour to the utmost of our power to render interefting and useful to all claffes of our readers. The columns, which had heretofore been filled with advertisements, will in future be devoted to articles of general conren: and, in the mean time, our advertifing friends, on whofe continued favours the fupport of our eftablishment in no fmall degree depends, will be furnished with an extra sheet, that, in the present, and, as we hope, increafing circulation of the BALANCE, of which this Advertiser will be an appendix, and which it will al ways accompany, cannot fail to give their notices a very extenfive publicity."

T is a folemn fact, that the practice of duelling has, for several years paft, been

faft increafing in this country; and it seems at length, by the general patronage of the im-higher orders of fociety and thro' the tacit

With his hands recently imbrued in blood,
he is freely admitted to the focial circles
of gentlemen; and enjoys, without abate-
ment, the wonted greetings and benignant
fmiles of the fair fex. He
He may still bafk
in the fun-fhine of public favour, and the
wilful homicide, that he has committed,
is no bar to his rifing to any honours
or offices in the flate. In fhort, the time
may quickly come. when by a natural
and eafy tranfition from the prefent flate
of things, the honour of having flain or
maimed a fellow creature in a duel will be
eflected a neceffary circumftance to com-
picat the character of a gentleman; and
when the fafhionable part of our nation
fhall nearly resemble the Tartars, who at
their public entertainments drink wine out
of the fculls of the enemies that they
have flain in battle.

It is not, however, fo much my design to reprefent the atrociousness of duelling and the mifchiefs flowing from it,-a fubject already become trite, as it is to inveftigate the caufes of the rapid increase of this horrible practice in our country.

Any friendly hints for the further provement of our paper, will be received confent of the civil authorities, to have with gratitude and will meet with becom- obtained a kind of honorary establishment. ing attention. Decent and well written In this inftance, Europe is not followed, effays on interefling fubjects; literary and but is outstripped. There is not a country Whence is it that the grim idol Moloch other useful communications; hiftorical in all Europe ;-there is not perhaps a finin all Europe ;-there is not perhaps a fin-has been erected in this land of light, and and biographical sketches; accounts of me- gle diftrict upon the whole earth, where is worshipped, as of old, with the facrifichanical inventions and improvements; duelling is fo much tolerated and honour- ces of human victims-with ftreams of articles on agriculture, commerce, naviga-ed as it is in the United States. If a man blood poured around his accurfed altars ? tion, geography, zoology, botany, minero-Is there a native ferocioufness in the ralogy, aftronomy, natural philofophy, ehearts of the people of thefe ftates ? Are thics, political and domeftic economy; they, more than the other tribes of the and indeed on any fubject whatever, that earth, deaf to the wailings of woe-to the may tend to enlarge the fphere of useful groans of the widow and the orphan? Is knowledge and to multiply human comrelentless revenge their ruling paffion? forts, will be thankfully acknowledged Are they prone to feaft their eyes with and promptly inferted. fpectacles of human mifery ?—No.Thefe horrid traits do not belong to our national character. The people of this coun

The best expreffion of our gratitude to the numerous patrons of the BALANCE

robs another of a little cafh, he is con-
demned death or to perpetual confine.
to
ment and hard labour; and is generally
viewed as an enteaft from. fociety and as
an object of contempt: but the man that
robs another of his precious life in a duel,
and thus brings irreparable mifchiefs and
inconceivable diftreffes into the abodes of
peace and happiness, has, forfooth, acted
honorably. The law fleeps over his crime.

try, it is believed, have as much of the milk of human kindness as any other na. tion, that exifts under the canopy of heav en. They do not ufually behold the public execution even of the worft of malefactors, without fenfations of anguifhBy what a ftrange concurrence of circumftances has it then happened, that among a people enlightened by the chriftian religion and in the infancy of their political exiftence-a people too, who generally speak ing, have a deep-rooted abhorrence to the hedding of human blood unneceffarily, the murderous practice of duelhing fhould become fo ftrongly eftablished as feemingly to defy all attempts to fupprefs it?

In my next communication, I fhall attempt to answer this important question, by pointing out fome of the fatal caufes which have given rife and growth to a practice, that fets at defiance the laws both of God and men, ftains our national character and poliutes our land with blood.

ANTI DUELLIST.

Political.

THE MESSAGE.

This last lullaby production cf our worthy president has made its tour through the union. Every body has read it-and every democrat, from the highest to the lowest, has, as by instinct, applauded it. In a measure only, has it answered the object of its author. It has not, perhaps, gulled a single candid or moderate man into a belief that our present rulers are an atom more wise, more upright, more economical, more attentive to the interests of the people, than were the former ad ministrations. It has (like the former message) furnished a theme for the fulsome praise of de. mocratic printers-and that's wil.-The editor of the N. Y. Evening Post has commencǝd an able and spirited examination of this Message, from which we shall make a few selections for this, and some future numbers of our paper.

Edit. Bal.].

eca, Onondaga and Cayuga Indians were prefent, we can hardly think there is much caufe for felicitation on account of, the good affection and harmony of our Indian neighbours.

Prefidential fong, "our burthens are lightLaft of all, comes the burthen of every ened" that is to fay, the taxes are taken off, namely, from loaf fugar, pleafure carriages and whiskey, in preference to laffes, tea, coffee and falt. What a favortaking them off from brown fugar, moable adminiftration is this for the middling and poorer claffes of fociety?

fubject of a memorial from the State of ||
Kentucky to Congrefs?" 'Tis true the
the
Prefident has not taken any notice what-
ever of this fubject in the meffage, and yet
there are many who think with us, that the
welfare of this large and refpectable body
of our fellow citizens quite as interefting,
and ought to command as much attention
as that of our affectionate, strong Indian
or negro neighbours,ot which he peaks fo
much and fo often-Again; Is it a mark
of friendship abroad, that another powerful
nation has, without confulting us in any
fhape, bargained for an important tract of
our continent, immediately to colonize it ;
which will render her an object of jealousy The above are enumerated by the Prefi-
and continual apprehenfion to the Southern dent as compofing the more ordinary pleaf-
States;-Once more; How does it being circumftances under which Congress
peak extraordinary friendship abroad that
in fome parts of Europe monopolizing
difcriminations have been adopted, which,
in the form of duties, tend effectually to
prohibit the carrying thither our own pro-
duce in our own veffels ?" That fuch is
the fact we are affured in this very meffage:
nay, it is complained of as an injuftice,
which if not removed by friendly difcuffion,
will call for legiflative interference.-
Finally; we find it stated by the fame au-
thority, that a naval force will still be ne-
ceffary to reftrain the Tripoline cruifers,
and the uncertain tenure of peace with fome
other of the Barbary powers, may eventu-
ally require the force in the Mediterranean
to be augmented.

Such then being the actual ftate of things abroad, with what face can Mr. Jefferfon attempt to make the people believe that we are uncommonly bleffed with the peace and friendship of foreign nations? But it was thought neceffary to prefent a pleafing picture, and to adhere ftrictly to truth would have been to facrifice the portrait.

As to "law, order and religion at home," the firft, I fuppofe, is proved by the deftruction of the Judiciary; the next has been fhewn in the warfare which has been made on one half the community, who have been driven from their bread becaufe they would not renounce their prin. ciples; and for the laft, what doubts can reinain of Mr. Jefferfon's love of religion after the invitation to Tom Prine and his placing him at his own table?

meet; but the most extraordinary one is. referved to finish the climax: "We rewark, with Special fatisfaction thofe [circumftances which refult from the skill, induftry and order of our fellow-citizens, managing their own affairs in their own way, and for their own ufe, unembarraffed by too much regulation, unoppreffed by fifcal exactions."-So ABSALOM fole the hearts of the men of Ifrael.

On this curious fentence a few quefticularly meant by "managing their own tions present themfelves. What is "paraffairs?" Did they ever attempt to manage the affairs of other nations ?" in their own way" too. What are we to underftand by this? Is it intended to convey the idea, that the people are no longer under any reftraint from Government? If this is not his meaning I am at a loss what is. is. "And for their own ufe." Have they not then always managed their affairs for their own ufe ? Unembarraffed by too much regulation." What in the name of propriety does this mean? Too much regulation, or, in other words, too much. law: our fellow-citizens then are to blefs their ftars that they are unembarraffed by too much law! We confefs we should have been utterly unable to comprehend this, did we not fortunately, recollect a paffage in Mr. Jefferfon's Notes on Virginia, which comes in aid of our conjectures juft at the moment we were giving the thing up, as being beyond our reach. Speaking of the favage ftate of certain Indian tribes, Mr. Jefferion there fays

"This practice refults from the circumftances of their having nevér fubmitted themselves to any laws, any corrective power, any thadow of government. Their only controuls are their manners, and that moral fenfe of right and wrong, which, like the fenfe of tafting and feeling, in everv man makes a part of his nature.

ernment and our Indian neighbours, or.
Whether there exist between our gov.
Meffage, our ftrong neighbours, that de-
as they are called in another part of the
gree of affection which tendered it proper
to place it among the bleflings of the paft
year, we all not be very pofitive; but
if the account in the fouljern newfpapers
be correct, as to fome late tranfactions in
that quarter, or it any reliance can be plac-offence against thefe is punifhed by con-
ed on what took place in a council held at tempt, by exclufion from fociety, or,
Canandarqua, laft Auguft, at which the
principal Chiefs and Sachems of the Sen- der, by the individuals whom it concerns.
where the cafe is ferious, as that of mur.

An