Western Sun, Volume 1, Number 8, Vincennes, Knox County, 22 August 1807 — Page 2

r-nrt r-e .-... .fonn:P to the practice in moft of lli? Ur.itcd;p!c chnn.fiercliics xvh dinmrjuiflies the OriTuest: at 12 Vc rir- Governor mt&l:olr ci.iKliidersiiKl punilli bigf-Jcitizens oi a free gox crmm-nt , Imni tbeTub.ww r JLisature in the Re- a4)m,l okenee. The facility witli jects of a cielrotic ore, is ihc nrdit oi keep. prcsentUMcs Chamfer and ciphered tle nu,v be procured,, and tiling amis, ar.d that any V1-;;,1 jah'-JL-iri wantoi authority 111 the pi rlon who iffucs neglect, to avail hmiiclioi tins valuable pi u SPEECH ther. , to edk a lingle qu'ftin of the appli- viSedge, manifefts a f upinem fs, which is cants, fcems to invite to the cfvnrhiffioii oi ' hiriily ccnfuruble. It is poiTiblc gentlemen,

Lecislativk Council ajj offence, which is deemed fnff: -I.-itiv hei. that .he moment isncl f-r dillant, v. hen eve

i'iious. to me? it the punihmv nt oi death. It ry capable man will be cJicd upon to a flu me lis C :ert:isilv ! ettrr when it nr-'-MiciMp r.-iiriif rhnrnrter nfa fokhcr : i itC ilUiutioJl of

rev ent crimes, in reciiLirnnisi . vhirh tiu- nu-iour aitairs on tne Atlantic coaif, as w ell a

F i L L 0 "f CIT'ZM.NS OF THE

AND iieU5 OF HfraiSENTATlVII.

JL ii exillence oi difficulties in the pyc'D

cu::ou oi' our revenue law, w hich could rioUTwopted and w icked cannot evade, than on this frontier, makes it neceiiai y that there be overcome but by the interpolation ot the bl the infliction of puniflmient. An amend- fliould be no delay in preparing ourfcives legislature, has oceafioued your Convention nt to the law inqueflion, wdneh ihould di- for tire worft that may happen. A reftlefs at an earlier period, than that which was . ai-keltthe applicants for licenfes to give bond & and dilfatisfied difpotition has manifefted itfinned by the prorogation w hich terminatediMiirity ii a fmall amount of their legal abil-jfelf among fome of the neighboring tribes.

your lati meeting, i regret the mconvemenceiiryto marry, would probably fare manv un- ar.d a tew individuals are believed to De ce-

. .. t- . K l-r .-w- . . I . . U 1. I I i 1 It . . I A. Ll I I i I i.i

wiiii.!! i wis iiiudiuic nab prooaoiy occaiioncd to lome of you, gentlemen, but the public exigencies could not, in my opinion, admit

ot delay and I was moreover nerfuaderi.

- - i

liifpeclinff females, from beins made the

victims or their credulity. Qmnetled in fome meafure with this fub-

Ije6t, is the law authoriiing the general and

that you w ould think with me, that the callsjcirctht courts to grant divorces. The pro

uiaciai ouiy, were paramount to every private or perfonal contideration. 1 have directed the auditor to lay before you, gentlemen, a ilatement of the caufes, which have, produced the embarrafsments in the collection of the taxes for the preient

j car , which win enaoie you to determine

applied. An amendatory act to the one

w men is now in lorce, may anlwer for the

preient ; out nothing leis, m my opimoo, than a total change in the whole fyftem, will

lave -us in future trom the diiagreeable confequences of a deficient revenue, nnrl nn

empty treafury. The defe&s in the prefent

jyuem were early loreleen,and at the opening of the laft feifion, 1 ftrongly recommended to the two houfes the adoption of a different plan. The combination of fo manv rir.

cumltances, fuchas this law requires, mult always render the execution of it unrertnin

and precarious it appears to me, alfo, that

n is oottomed upon an improper principle ; the quantum and ratio of the tax ihould be

nxeu Dy tne iegillator alone, and not by an

executive oiUcer. 1 his important fubject, gentlemen, claims your earlielt attentention ; it w ill require the excrcifc of much induftry and patience, to remedy the evils which have arifen from the prefent unfortunate fyftem, and to provide one which lfiall give certainty and liability to your revenue. In affairs of this kind, experience is the beR guide which the lccillature can foilow he will

feek out cafes that are parallel to the one, on

which he is called to act, and will thus pof. fefshimfelf of fure land marks, to iruiile: him

toll's obiedt. In the Drefent infta nee their?

is no ncceffity ofa recurrence to foreign or

muani examples tne neignoonng itatts alfordingprecifely what we feek. A people

niiiuar in manners, m naoits, and in the Uatt of information, raifinrr their revenue from

the fame object. Notwithstanding the em1 r ..... a

oarraisments winch have hitherto attended our financial operations, gentlemen, there is

one conlolatory circumltance, which has

been luiiy estabhlhed that a revenue equal

to ail our nccemties can be railed, & that too, without opprcflion vp inconvenience to

lilt people. The organization of the inferior courts,

which was adopted at the iiril (cflion, contin uesasfarasl am informed, to produce all the good effects, which was expected to flow from it. No fefllon of the court of chancery has yet been holden ; whether the blame is attributable to the chancellor, or to the legiflatnre, in not providing him a eompenlation, I (hall not attempt to determine it is, however, a Aate of things, which cannot but produce great h.convenieee and dillrck to the fuitors in that court, and ,i fpcedv remedy ought certainly to be applied. If in the re lie w Lrfntlemen, which you fhall take of the other parts of the judiciary lyflem, it fliould ap. pear lulceptible of improvement, in the important points f)f f aeilitating the operations ol jullice, and leffi ning the burdens to its attainment, the adoption of it, would no doubt be grateful to your conUituents. The law which was pa (Ted at the laft frffTioii of the legislature, for regulating mar. riages, floes not authorize the clerks who if. fue the bciiifes, to demand fecurity of die ap. plieaia , tint there exifts no lawful itnpediment t( the propofed union. This omiffio.,

viucn iiuppote was accidental, oceahons

priety and policy of a law of this kind, hab

oecn ltrongly contelled in many parts of the United States ; audit is believed that the principle has been every where condemned, fa ve jn one or tw o Rates onlv. It cannot be

denied, that the fuccefs of one applicant for

a divorce, has always the eftect of producing

more correctly on the remedy that is to be others, autfthat the advantages which a few

individuals mav derive from the dinolntion

ofthisfotmn contra6T:,aretoo dearly pufchafed by it injurious eflecls upon the morals of the ComVinnitV. 'J he fcenes which ;ire fre.

quently

xhibited in trials of this kind arc

lhockiudto humanitv;the ticsof confaiuriiin-

ireareioolened: tne child is brought RimnnV'I10'lifl. the narfnt nrrnfi

dence atl aifclion are deRroyed : family fe-

uicis uji;juicu, auunuman nature is exhibited in its worR colours. In the time of the Roman republic, divorces micht be obtain-

i- (- -

ed by a timmary and eafy procefs, but fo

1 1 W mmT mx

great wtf? the

found ti take advantage nf the nrivilfhr

which thlaw allowed--but when their manners becnlne corrupted by luxury, divorces were fo clmmom that'annlieatinnc were fre

quently ilade to the college of Atigurs to af-

very giaiing inconfiRency in our code con

Wedlock J A few vears airo there were Imt

two inRaiices on record in the (latc-of Vir.

ginia of applications for di vorces ; one only ofthefe had been fuccefsful, and although

mat was acknowledged to be a cale which had as Rrong claims to indulgence as any that could happen, it was neverthelefs oppofed by fome of the mod enlightened patriots of the Rate, upon the principle, that it was better for, an individual to fufter fome inconvenience, than that an ev.

ample ihould be eRablifhed. fo inhirion

(as they funpofed) to the morals of the com

munity, ihere ought certainly, however,

to be iome tribunal ior grantingdivorr.es; but I am decidedly of oninion. that thi;mv.

er can no vhere be fo properly lodged as

u mi me icgiuaiure. The perfection of the militia fyRcm, gentlemen, is an obieft of the firR iinnortanece

To render it an efficient and competent protection to our country in time of war.it is re.

qulite that its organisation Scdicipline Ihould

be attended to in tunc oi peace. I iear, howev

er, that our progress m theie elfential txmth.

will fall far lhort of the nublic cxneclatinn.

and my willies : unlefs the.Rate of our trea

fury will authorize the difluirfcmcnt ofa J.r .

lmall nun as a eompenlation lor a Raft officer in each county, to attend to the difcipJinini. the men and regulating the returns. It gives me plenfure to Hate that fome degree of military fpirit begins to manifcR itfelf in fcvcral

)arts ol the territory, and that there is i probability that we (hall at leaR hnnifh

our quota of volunteers, to ferve nnon the

terms of a late a6t of congrefs. The deii-

ciency ol arms and accoutrements, throughout every corps of the militia, ishoweer. truly alarming, and difrraceful men in e.ib

circumltancesare not ailiamed to appear up on the parade w ithout a firelock, or bearing one which would be more harmiefs to an e nemy, than the Ricks carried by others Whilit we fliould pity, and endeavor horn the public purfe to furnifii thofe w ho are un able to fupplv thtmlehts, thole who an able, J:, r.cgiea to equip tl.t mlelve, fl.ould

beoenied the honorable .appellation of di

eiflerllv hnRile. It crives me oleafure. how-

- . m- - - cj ' ever, to Rate, that I .have within a few days, received from two of the tribes, tne moR pofitivc aflurances of friendfhip, and their un-

alterable determination to fubmit themi felvesentirely to niv direCtion. Thefe aifu-'

ranees, although in my opinion iincere, , ought not entirely to be relied upon ; and the preparations ought ftillfor defence to go on, until the real difpolition of all the tribes is perfectly afcertained. Although the agency ofa . foreign power in producing the difcontents among the Indians cannot be queltioned, I am perftiaded that their utmoft efforts, to induce them tn take un nrms wmdd be un-

availing, if one only of the Jnany perfoiis, who have committed murder on thir peo

ple could be brought to puifmnent ; whiht w e ricoroullPxaCl of them the .delivery of

every murderer, cf a white man ; the ne

glect on our part to punilli iimilur otfenco, committed on them: forms a Rroncr -md iuft

ground of complaint, for w Inch I can offer

no excuieor pahation A powerful nation, rendering iuRicc to a oettv tribe of favaRes.

mmr mw w m W V is a fublime fpeCtacle, worthy ofa great re-;

thefe enl trhtened ner.nle. thnt in vt rifriMft rf themfelves a; vnlinnt in vnr n in nnee rrinH "

1 1 " f . 11 1 a. 1 r 1 ' " 1 : t '-

iivcuuuuicii years, out one penon naa been

erate and forbearing. I do not know gentle

men, whether it will be in your power, to remedy the evil complained of, as tiie defecls feems to be not fo much in the laws, as in the execution. But if anv means can be a- .

dopted which would infure the execution of ' m- m m m. . "'

certain tlc father of a child bom in 'legal jufticem any cafes hi w hich the Indians are

fenders of their county. One of the prinei-

concerned i-thoTOlurn jvynld refieft honor on ypurfelves, and be of -'unUpUtnettlr

vantage to your country. - - . ; The fale of the nublic lands in -the diftrir-

of Vincennes, Rnce the laft iefiion of the le

filature, and the preparations for openmgother land offices, gives us a nearer profpeCt of the accompliiluncnt of our hopes and wiflics, by the formation ofa Rate government. An event of fo much importance to the profper'ty and character of the country, ouglit to be cctileratcd by every means "within ouiv reaqh. . I Should hotdojuRice to my own feel'ngs, and perhaps difappomt your expectations, gentlemen, Ihould I negleCt on this occafion to mention a fubiedt. which has nreatlv n-

gitattd our country,' and called forth the w armeR expreffions of patriotic ardour' frnro

every clals of its citizens. 'Jlie United4

htates, true to thofe principles, hch ouglit to prevail ineveiy republic ; preferin happinefs to fplendor. and lafetv to ciorv : have

endeavored to abfiraft thcmfelves from the

entangling politics of Europe ; and bv prac- ": nfmg the moft oerfeet neutrahtv to' I:mi"

clear of thole bloody wars which have fo

long dcioiated the hneft quarter of the globe!

ihcjumce and impartiality of 'her. cxnuuft towards the belhnerents. has not however

been reciprocated and from one of thofe powers, infult and injury have followed each other, in quick (ucceflkm ; and prt m (Id fatisfaClion i;een anticipated Lv lurdar out-

n.ge l 1 he thps of our mere bant!; purfuii.g

hcrmI commerce, upon that ocean, to which dl have an equal ri;;ht : have been rrtnrerl

plundered, and their men impreiftd to fexe i foreign tyrant, and Ihcd their bhvd in baffles m which thev have no intn.a V,r

thefe agrcflions, our government without nvnglmg with its polities, thofe pjflions. u hjch agitate the brcaRs of monarchy and w hich produce the greater part r.f thofe wars which ovci whelm their unhrppy fijbjrfts, wuhm.fery and imn : have denuuuh-d re'Ifl ll' I . . I I rt . . . .1 .1 ...

'.nu, uui navv ucmaJUh'd viilil A il

dilating, however, upon tla

ex'hei.oe

oi a

brticr (I'i)o1itic.n,o l);lrt oi' th- powuwlvcli had M.juiaiu.l Ii Lst v.Wch