inch; two topmafts for 74 gun fhips; three leffer ones; feveral caps and fpars; 1000 fir planks; several knees, and fome oak plank; twenty tons of nails of all forts; thirty bolt of new, and about 400 yards of old canvas; fourteen Spanish pendants; blocks for the theers and beav ing hips down of ali defcriptions, with various other fmall articles. (Signed) J. Wooldridge.

Lieutenant of the Cormorant.

November 18, 1798.

Lift of Ships and Veffels found at Port

Mahon, and taken poffeffion of.

A hip of 540 tons, partly laden with cotton, gun. and drogs; a fhip of 200 tons, in billaft; a xebec of 60 tons, laden with horn; and four fmall trans. (Signed)

J. Wooldridge, Lieutenant of the Cormorant.

AMERICA.

[The following charge of the American Jude Rush, will be read with pleafure and approbation by every supporter of morality and religion.]

From the Philadelphia Gazette. Sept. 22. Charge, Delivered to the Grand Jury of Luzerne County, at the late Court held at Wilkbarre, by his Honour Judge Rush.

Gentlemen of the Grand Jury,

I congratulate you on the diffolution of the political ties that have been the means of connecting us for feveral years with the French nation. Thank Heaven the Gordian knot is at laft cut, and we are feparated, I truft, for ever. The 17th day of July, Congrefs, by law, difannulled our treaties with that country, and declared them to be no longer binding upon the United States.

It would take up too much time, and is foreign to my prefent purpofe, to go into a full detail of the numerous reafons that have long required, and now fully juftify this procedure on the part of our Government. From the date of our treaties with France in the year 1778, no event occurred between the two nations worthy of notice, till the commencement of the war in Europe. The interval between these two periods was highly beneficial to the French, by throwing into their hands the profits of an extenfive and lucrative commerce with this country.

Whatever might have been the view of America, no doubt can be entertained that France, in negociating the treaties, was actuated by animolity, and a defign to reduce the commerce and humble the power of a rival nation. The peace of 1783, which gave us complete and acknowledged poffeffion of national independence, at the fame time gratified the ambition, and extended the commercial views of France.

As long as the palpable intereft of that country was promoted by the operation of the treaty, to long an apparent cordiality fubfifted; but no fooner were the flames of war kindle: between the two great rival powers in Europe, than it became evident, the fole object on the part of France was to drag us into the conteft; and, failing of fuccefs, she has ever fince ufed all the means in her power to deprive us of the commercial advantages contemplated by the treaty, in the rela-, tive fituation of the three nations, which had actually taken place.

Hence our connection with France will be found, during the war between her and Great Britain, to be a history of altercation and complaint on both fides, and of aggreffion and plunder on the part

of France.

Notwithstanding an exprefs ftipulation in the treaty," that the goods of an enemy fhall be free from capture on board an American bottom," they have in a lawlefs manner made prize of property on board our veffels, though protected by the exprefs terms of the treaty, to the great injury of our citizens and interruption of our trade.

We cannot, however, Gentlemen, be furprized at this proceeding on the part of the French Government, when we call to mind the infamous pofition they have openly maintained, "that nations have a right to break treaties whenever they become inconvenient.' It is, indeed, a melancholy truth, that pations, in their intercourfe with each other, are too little reftrained by the most facred engagements; yet it is worthy of remark, notwithstanding their frequent infraction of treaties, they evince an anxiety to fa tisfy the world of the propriety of their conduct by a publication of the reafons and caufes that induce the violations, and, in their opinion, authorise it.

This decent mode in ufe among nations, when they have recourse to the violation

violation of treaties, while it manifefts the lente they entertain of their binding force, is a filent and honourable tribute to the caule of truth and moral obligation. It exhibits a foundness of principle at leaft, though the practice may not rife fo high or be correfpondent to it. The French are, I believe, the first nation upon earth that have publicly renounced the obligatory force or treaties, and alfumed he profligate pofition, that they may be broken whenever the circumftance of either party may require it. It is one thing to tranfgrefs the laws of truth and virtue, and another to maintain the lawfulness of the action. The very Algerines and favages would blush at the thought.

Nor has the law of nations been treated with more respect by theft ferocious innovators. Our government has been infulted with a charge of perfidious neutrality, because we did not forcibly resist the British in their fearches after French property on board American bottoms. No pofition can be more fully eftablished by the law of nations, than that the property of an enemy on board a neutral bottom may be feized and confifcated. Though this principle be as incontrovert able as the exiftence of the Sun in the firmament, yet it has met with oppofition from French cafuiftry; and the moft approved and enlightened writers on the fubject have been impudently ftyled musty and antiquated authorities, because they have not fanctioned their unwarrantable ufurpations. The first efforts of the French Government were defigned to involve us in a war with Great Britain. For feveral years this was the polar ftar of their conduct towards us; and the fcheme has been purfued, fometimes through all the windings of duplicity and falfehood, and at other times with open and undifguifed violence. Hence their agents have infolently dared to arm vel fels in the ports of the United States to Cruize against their enemy. Military pro motions have been iffed under the authority of the French Government, and diftributed among our citizens; and an attempt actually made to raite an armed force in our country, for the avowed pur pofe of forcing us to depart from our neutrality, and involving us in a war with Great Britain.

Having in vain endeavoured to drag us into the vortex of the European war, they have fince fyftematically purfued a plan for the extirpation of our commerce. Hence it was that four years after the

commencement of the war, they fuddenly and without notice, while the fea was covered with American veffels, feized them for want of certain papers never contemplated by the treaty, and condemned veffe and cargo. Hence, too, they have pretended to pass laws for the confifcation of our vefl-is, in cafe goods or merchandize of the growth of the Britifh poffeflions are found on board them. In the fituation of the United States, it is not conceivable that our commerce could receive a more fatal blow.

After having thus in a manner annihilated our trade, the final scheme for our deftruction has at length been fully unfolded to view. We have been injured, we have been infulted, we have been robbed of millions; and on application for redrefs through the medium of our Envoys, have been told (inftead of doing us juftice), we muft fubmit to pay whatever sums of money their ambition may prompt them to demand; to which our Envoys objecting, they were coolly told to look at Venice and other countries they had fubdued, and take warning by them. With respect to the justice of their measures, they difcovered all the impu dence and candour that highwaymen often practice. They admitted they were about to rob us, and urged the fame plea in their defence their extreme want of money, and their power to extort it.

Thus the mafk is completely taken off, and the bold experiment is to be tried of reducing us to the ftate of conquered provinces-for to this fate we fhall certainly be reduced, and be so considered by the world, if we but fubmit to pay the fums required, or even a farthing. Thefe and other obfervations of a fimilar nature, we may prefume, occurred to the legislature of the United States, and may be fuppofed to have induced them to refcind our treaties with the French nation.

But whatever motives of a political nature Congrefs may have had (a few of which have been briefly ftated), there are various other confiderations that cannot fail to render the event highly interefting to every virtuous patrio-to every friend of religion and norality.

The nation that now menaces us with conqueft and deftruction, always equally ambitious, refileis, and intriguing, has been enabled, by overthrowing her mo narchy, nearly to realife the romantic projects of Louis the Fourteenth. The change in the form and appearance of their Government has not produced the

Blighteft

flightest alteration in the effential character of the people. On the contrary, it has given a new fpring and energy to all thole qualities by which they have been ever nationally diftinguished. Their endless intrigue, perfidy, and thirft of power, which under the monarchy could only find vent through their King, as the legal organ and head of the government, have been difplayed to the world with a tenfold accumulated force and mischief, by their tumultuary and popular affemblies.

Whatever doubts may have been once conceived of the defigns of the French reformers, we apprehend fubfequent events have authorized us to affert, that they never intended to refiore freedom in France, but their fole object was to aggrandize their own country, at the expence of the liberty and independence of their neighbours. In the progrefs of this vaft enterprize it was an indifpenfable part of the plan to corrupt and enflave their own country, thereby to inereafe the means, and to facilitate the fcheme of reducing and defolating the reft of the world.

The revolution in France originated with the philofophers and politicians, and in the accomplishment of the grand work they went hand in hand. It is a well known fact, that that kingdom, previous to the disorders which now diftract it, fwarmed with Atheifts, who dignified themselves with the name of philofophers; with the fame propriety and juf tice as if a gang of robbers fhould affume the character and call themselves, "The friends of peace and order." However, fince they have gone by the name of French philofophers, for the fake of diftinction we fhall admit the title. Thefe men, who had been educated in the atheistical school, that had been publicly taught for half a century in Europe, by Voltaire, D'Alemberte, and the great Frederick of Pruffia-combining their influence with the politicians, happily, or rather unhappily, united irreligion and ambition in the attainment of the fame object. This noxious race of infidels, by extinguishing all fenfe of moral evil and of a future ftate of exiftence, prepared the nation for the diabolical purposes to which the politicians intended to apply it. Not that the politicians had the leaft regard to religion; but they were not actuated by the fame zeal and malice against it that influenced the atheiftical junto. It was equally the wifh of both to fee the most licentious priuciples

infused into the nation, and fo far these two parties perfectly agreed, and never thwarted each other in their revolu. tionary movements.

Infidelity having got poffeffion of the power of the State, every nerve was exerted to efface from the mind all ideas of religion and morality The doctrine of the immortality of the foul, or a fu ture ftate of rewards and punishments, fo effential to the preservation of order in fociety, and to the prevention of crimes, was publicly ridiculed, and the people taught to believe that "Death is an everlasting sleep."

They ordered the words "Temple of Reafon" to be infcribed on the churches, in contempt of the doctrine of revelation. Atheistical and licentious homilies have been fubftituted in the churches inftead of the old fervice, and a ludicrous imitation of the Greek mythology exhibited under the title of the "Religion of Reason." Nay, they had gone so far as to drefs up a common ftrumpet with the moft fantaftic decorations, whom they blafphemously ftyled "The Goddess of Reafon," and carried to church on the fhoulders of fome Jacobins felected for the purpose, escorted by the national guards and the conftituted authorities. When they got to the church, the ftrumpet was placed on the altar erected for the purpofe, and harangued the people; who, in return, profeffed the deepest adoration to her, and fung the Carmagnole and other fongs, by way of worshipping her. This horrid fcene-almost too horrid to relate, was concluded by burning the prayer book, confeffional, and every thing appropriated to the use of public worship; numbers, in the mean time, danced round the flames with every appearance of frantic and infernal mirth.

Surely, Gentlemen, if any thing can ftrike the mind with horror, it must be to fee the reprefentatives of a whole na tion in the act of denying the existence of the God of Heaven, and with every circumftance of deliberation, withdrawing their allegiance from the Lord of Nature and Parent of the Univerfe. This scheme, though deep laid, and accompanied as it was with mufic, and every species of parade and pageantry that had a tendency to make an impreffion on the minds of the illiterate clafs of mankind, must have done vaft mifchief; was, in all probability, of but little avail, when compared with the infinitely pernicious confequences of abolishing the Chriftian

Sabbath

Sabbath, and fubverting the inftitution of marriage.

Totally to eradicate all regard to a ftate of futurity, is, perhaps, not within the power of men, where the mind has received an early tin&ture of it. The obfervation of the Sabbath, and the law of marriage, as they are inftitutions of a pofitive nature, may be much eafier banifhed from fociety, efpecially when we reflect that fome of the ftrongeft propenfities of our fallen nature countenance and favour the defign.

The inftitution of the Sabbath is unqueftionably of Divine authority, and bears the most evident marks of its high origin. It should never be forgotten, that man was made for immortality, and the period of human life is that ftate of probation on which depends his hap. pinefs or mifery beyond the grave. Deftined to live for ever, it feriously behoves him to fet apart fome portion of his time to ponder his ways to look backward and forward, and to prepare for that unchangeable fcene to which he is rapidly haftening. Our infinitely wife Creator knew what was in man; he knew the tendency which the inceffant cares and bufinefs of life would have, to banish all thought of himself and a future fiate; and therefore to prevent this, and at the fame time to keep alive a fenfe of their existence and reality, has enjoined us to appropriate a certain part of our time for the fole duties of piety and devotion. "Religion," fays the celebrated Dr Johnson, "the rewards of which are diftant, and which is only animated by faith and hope, will glide by degrees out of the mind, unless it is invigorated and reimpreffed by external ordinances, by ftated calls to worship, and the falutary influence of example." It is the opinion of some wife and good men, that Chriftianity will ftand or fail as this day is obferved or neglected; of which it feems to be the main pillar or palladium. To the ordinances of public worship, and the knowledge and impreffions received by means thereof, we are indebted for that good feed which produces daily such abundant crops of peace, order, and virtue in fociety.

If thefe obfervations are well founded, and we believe they cannot be well controverted, what mighty havoc-what inconceivable deftruction on the morals of a nation must be the refult of abolishing the Sabbath. It was certainly the most

effectual means ever devised to promote the notion, that death is an everlafting fleep, and confequently to remove all i reftraint from vice. Even Julian, the apoftate and philofopher-the cool and infidious Julian, with all his rancour and malice, was but a type of the Briffots, the Dantons, the Condorcets of France. How happy would he have been to have lived in their day, to have seen the fruits of their labours-the churches fhut upa ftrumpet worshipped-Sunday abolished-Chriftianity overthrown-God dif honoured.

Vain and impious mortals!" He that fitteth in the heavens fhall laugh-the Lord fhall have them in derision-he fhall break them with a rod of iron-he fhall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Ceafe, ye vipers; ye moral vipers, ceafe, you are biting a file. The very gates of hell fhall not prevail to exterminate our holy religion. The fame Almighty Being that at firft fet bounds to the ocean, will in due feason arreft thy greatnefs, thy wickedness, and thy madness-and fay unto thee, "Hitherto fhalt thou come, and here thall thy proud waves be ftayed." The religion which ye perfecute, shall triumph over all your machinations, and flourish ftrong and fair when ye are dead and forgotten; or if your names be ftill remembered, it shall be only to proclaim, like that of Julian, the impotence of human malice againft the caufe of Chriftianity. [To be concluded in our next.]

BIRTHS.

Nov. 30. The Lady of Lieut. Col. Hunter, of the 48th regiment, a fon, at Gibraltar.

Dec. 16. The Lady of the Right Hon. Dennis Brown, a fon, at Ayr.

23. Mrs Maclean, wife of Colonel Maclean (Breadalbane fencibles), a fon, at Inveresk.

25. Mrs Maitland, younger of Rankeilour, a fon.

27. Mrs Gregfon, wife of Thomas Gregfon, Efq. Cefsford, a daughter. 29. Mrs Hogarth, wife of Mr David Hogarth at Lennelhill, a daughter.

Mrs Hathorn of Castlewigg, a

daughter.

Jan. 1. At Barroch Houfe, Mrs Sinclair of Barroch, a daughter.

6. Mrs Hay of Drumelzier, a fon at Duufe Caftle.

11. Mr: Buchan Sydserff, a daughter. MAR