Huntingdon Gazette

              TheHUNTINGDON GAZETTE
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Vol. 8^
HUNTINGDON fPennsyhaniaJ -.Vn iute n bv JOHN M'CAHAN.
MONDAY, April 18,  1808.
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[S 2 per Annum
"^' [No. 6.
[by request.] • From the Commonwealth.
TO THE EDITOR.
Belkfonte, {Centre count f) March 24, 1808.
S1R....Y0U mast remember that when "The Commonwealth" was first estab¬ lished, a number of persons in this coun¬ ty subscribed for it. You must also re- liiember that we complain«d ofthe irre¬ gular manner in which it came to hand— .sometimes we did not receive the paper for two, three, four or five> weeks—and then they came all at once, that were due, when, like an old Almanack, they were out of tlate. You assured us they were put in the post-office regularly, ex¬ cept a few weeks in 180G, when you happened to be out bf paper, which we thought nothing of. We were well satisfied with the principles of the paper, as well as with the manner in which it was executed; but beciiuse ofthe irre¬ gularity with which it was received, wc tlropt it one after another. For my own part I should not have disconliiiued it hau it came regularly to hand ; apd I have reason to believe it would have gained ground considerably in thiscoun-
ITie committee of cgrrespondence aj)- poinlcd by the republicans ofthis coun¬ tv, to procure and disseminate informa¬ tion respecting die ensuing election for governor, conceived it woirid promote the object of their appointment, to re¬ ceive The Commonwealth, and ordered their president to subscribe for it,\vhich lie immediately did. Some considera¬ ble time after, two cafne by one post, one of the 1 Tth of February, the other ofthe 2d of March, that ofthe 24th of Februaty was not received, and the last ])Ost brought none. This is precisely the manner they came before. It is likely that some two or" three weeks hence we shall receive three or four numbers together, when all the impor¬ tant intelligence contviined in them will be received through other channels. The blame ofthis must either rest with you or with the post-masters on the route. It appears to me to be your in¬ terest to forward y<)ur paper regularly to subscribers ; you best know whether you neglect it or not—if you hwe done so hitherto, I am desired to request you not to neglect it in future, so far as the committee is concerned. If you forward them regularly, would you be so obliging as to use jour utmost endea¬ vours in assisting to discover the post¬ master who thus detains the papers. We shall do'bur best to punish him, if it can be done ; if not, we shall Expose him
We haye our suspicions who he is, but as we may be mistaken, we Vvould not wish to poiot out any individual un¬ til we are well assured ofdie fact. One thing deserves to be oliserved: I am in¬ formed that Mr. Scull's Gazette is re¬ vived in this county very regularly— its politics, however, I understand' are t'fan opposite character to those of The Conomenweal%. If we were not coin- fellcd by so many repeated instances to believe it, tive human mind could scarce¬ ly credit it, that there existed a wretch «o profligate as to debauch his consci¬ ence, aad violate the awful oath to God, forthe paltry consideration of depriving jiis political opponents ofa few weeks intelligence.    It is true, his party  m^y
•Jiccasionally carry an election by it	
hut ifhe has any faidi in what he swears lie must feel conviction that he performs 'lis part at the risque of eternal perdi¬ tion. But these wretches have nothing cfthe fear of God before thdr eyes. Ifi the present case could we but disco¬ ver the catiff, we should endeavour to ¦^^ke him regard men.
One ofthe. Cori-(:.<ip9nd}.ng drtinij/ee.
Jn reply to this communicadon, we have only to say, that " Thc Common¬ wealth" is foiw'arded v idi the utmost punctuality to nil subscribers indiscrimi¬ nately. We w gret that any . post mas¬ ter should descend tothe meanness of detaining newspapers, either from party or other motives. But as such conduct is likely to jji-ove prejudicial to this es¬ tablishment, we shall do all in our pow¬ er to discover the delinquent, and pre¬ vent a repetition ofthe abuse. In the mean time we request such of our sub¬ scriber."* as do not receive their papers regularly, to givc us information there¬ of, in order that we may apply the re¬ medy. As we are unacquainted with any of the gendemen who ha^'e charge of the mail on ths route to Bellefonte, we cannot undertake to mention any in- dividual-^-iand we sincerely hope no complaints will be made in future, und that they will be influenced with too much ofthe spirit oiiiiipariialityto give a preferenc«: to the conveyance of fede¬ ral and quid over democratic papers.— And with this admonition wc drop the subject for the present.
Chief Justice Ty/eFs Address
To THE
BLASPHEMED.
FROM THE VERMONT CENTINEL.
Mr. Editor,
During the present ferm of die ho- norablt» supreme court, in this town, one Eli Hamilton, of Jerico, was in¬ dicted of blasphemy. The indictment was founded on the common law ; the petit jury found him guilty. In pro¬ nouncing the sentence ofthe law, the honorable chief justice Tyler made the following elegant and appropriate re¬ marks. The gendemen of the bar pre¬ sent, believing that they you'd be of use to the community, requested of his honor a copy for the press, which he politely furnished, and you are request¬ ed to givc them publicity in your pa¬ per.
Burlington, Jan. IG, 1808. En Hamilton,
You have been indicted by the grand jurors of the county  for the  crime ofl blasphemy ,• to which  indictment  you • have plead not guilty, and  put yourself on the jury of your coQntry for trial.— : After a long, patient,   and  impartial hearing, as well of the testimony on the part of the state, as the  arguments  ad¬ vanced hy your counsel, the jury  have found you guilty. J
You now stand convicted-of a crime, seldom perpetrated in the christian com munity, attended with such aggravated circumstances as are not paralleled in the history of our jurisprudence. j
In proceeding to render the sentence ¦ of the law ngainst you, the iourt deem it necessary lo make some remarks, for i your own benefit, if you are  wise, and | for the advantage of this nunierous as¬ sembly ;  bodi to recdfy errors  which you appear to have unhappily imbibed, and to obviate certain principles advanc¬ ed by your learned   and   respectable counsel, which this court would charitab¬ ly impute, rather to the zeal of a faith- tul advocate, than to any conviction in his own mind of their truth ; which er- \ rors, the  court are  led to apprehend,' have been too hastily adopted by num¬ bers of our imreflec|ing citizens. (
In the first place, we observe that we j have no doubt that the offence of which i x'ou are convicted is a crime, of awful j magnitude,  against   the   Majesty of. Heaven, and a most ungrateful  return ibr the sufferings and  expiatory sacri¬ fice of the Lord of life and grace. Yet, we ?it not here to avenge,  by  human punishment, the indignity offered to the Supreme  Being—-or—as creatures of ihis po^?r,. and bsljevers in his reveal¬
ed word, we can only refer you, for ptinsihment, to the tremendous day of his final judgment, or for pardon, through the intercession of that bene¬ volent Saviour, whom you have so contumeliously reproached.
In the second place, we observe that we sit not here to sentence you for any religious tenets you may hold, any creed you may profess, or any opinion you may entertnin, however heterodox, ab¬ surd, or bold. The benign letter of our bill of rights secures to all the citizens, the right of conscience, of private ojii¬ nion and the liberty to worship their Creator In the mode consonant to in¬ dividual failh ; and even diese rights h^ive been liberally extended by con- strucdon ; for thc same constitution which secures to the pious worshipper the ui^contrpuled exercise of his reli¬ gion, has by general consent protected die impious—the deist, and even the atheist, if such a monster exists, in the fidl enjoyment of their particukir tenets.
In our excellent and free gwcrnment we have no religious test to - disqualify the infidel for office, no courtof inquisi^ tion to coerce the cidzens into hypoc¬ ricy or martyrdom ; but the correction of error in matters 0f faith is left exclu¬ sively to the influence of the pious, and the arguments and active zeal of the gospel ministry. And it is to be hoped, that without thc aid of government, tjhought so necessary by European statesmen, that all error w ill be finally dissipated ; for wc know that the time will come, when every knee shall bend and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord ; for great is the Christian truth and it will prevail, and firm are the foundations of the revealed word.
But as the supreme judges of the state, we sit here to sentence you for an offence agulnst the common law of the land—an offence which directly tends to disturb the peace of society, to interrupt domestic happiness, to corrupt the rising generation, to violate the leelings of the great body of a believing people, and to destroy that political de¬ corum which is the basis of a well or¬ dered government. That you uttered the blasphemous expressions charged in the indictment was not denied by your counsel. In your defence, on tri¬ al, it has been urged, that blasphemy is not a crime against the common law, cognizable by our courts of jusdce, since ' the repeal of a certain statute law, e- nacted against it ; but we find, upon in- specdon of the authorities, that oar En¬ glish ancestors took cognizance of this crime in the common law cou-'ts,. as a breach of thc law of the land ; and it is wdl understood that the statute alluded to was made in the afiirmance of the \ common law, and merely enacted to modify the punishment; and thc crime and the punishment novv rest on the common law—that law, which is not enrolled in parchment, but which is readily collected from thc sendments, manners and habits, and written in in¬ delible characters ou the hearts of a virtuous community—that law, which, without the aid of thelcgislature, would punish a man who should intrude naked into a worshipping assembly, or commit a crime against the order of nature, has called you to an account, and will now sentence you for a sdll greater breach of public decency.
Ithas been urged in your defence, that iu uttering thifc^blasphemy you merely expressed a speculative opinion —an opinion entertained by nken the most respectable and wise among us— as to the respectability of such men, we make no remarks ; ot their wisdom, greht doubt may be rationally entertain¬ ed. It has been further urged, that there is a socicU' of christians who dis¬ believe in the djviuity of our^AvjOtfR;
this is true : I am personally acquaint¬ ed widi men of apparent piety of that sect, and can assure you no men would more shudder at blasphemy—no men spAik more reverently ofthe Mediator of die new covenant. But if this was a speculative opinion, can we not reason,- without outraging the best feelings of others ? Can vve not discuss points of faith, widiout blasphenvy ?
It has been more strangely tirgcd in your defence, that the legislature, by the repeal of certain secdons ofan act,^ enacted for the support of the Gospel, have taken all restraint from the flagiti¬ ous, and sanctioned a latitude for the blasphemer* The tenderness which this court ever exercise towards the ac¬ cused, 09. trial, alone prevented the re¬ prehension of so bold an assertion on tlie spot, and it is even no\v astonishing how so hardy a posidon could ha^ been advanced by your correct and learned advocate* We willingly impute it to the ardor of thc forum ; for we know that the stream of eloquence, like those of oijt^inountain rivers, while confined within its natural channel, cherishes, invigorates and beautifies ; but when •uddenly swelled into a torrent, spreads deformity and destruction in its, rapid and resistless course.
But let us enquire—-^vas thc object o f that act to restrain blasphemy ? Does its pardal repeal countenance it ? Is it not well known that the act alluded • to haa been long considered by good men as entrenching upon our bill of riglits? Had it not long been complained of as giving a jireferunce of one denomination of Christians over others I Wasnot its repeal moved for by men professingthe most ardent attachment to revealed re¬ ligion ? And was it hot eventually re¬ pealed in part, to case the tender con¬ sciences of tho most -iealous of our re- •*»., ligious professors ? And does there not yet remain unrepealed irt the act, sufficient to enable the pious to support public worship by voluntary association and contract ? Although the ingenuity of counsel might assert, can even the absurdity of tlv; blasphemer imagine, that he can shelter his horrid follies un¬ der the partial repeal of diis act ?
But an intelligent and impartial jury have, by their verdict, stamped their true value on such positions as learning and ingenuity have been constrained to advance in your defence, and you now stand convicted by them of a flagrant crime against the common law of thc land. It is not a crime highly aggra¬ vated ? Does not language like youri directly tend to disturb the public peaqe ? Docs it nnt directly tend to subvert good gov-jrnment f Why have the le- gi.dature, by the form of th^ oath ad¬ ministered to witnesses, reminding each one that hc swears in the presence of God i" Was it not to add the fear of his judgment to the penalties of the law inflicted upon perjurors ? Is there not a great propriety in adding this solemn obligation I Do not all we hold dear— our rights, our properdes, our reputa¬ tions, our liberties, and even life itself, depend on the testimony of witnesses in our courts ofjustice ? By the obli¬ gation of an oath, our chief magistrate and alf subordinate officers in the state are bound to a faithful discharge oftheir duty: Is it not apparent then that the man whose language tends to lessen, in the least degree, our reverence for God» is doing a fatal injury to government f Even the careless and common swearer, if any such are present, should reflect on this—Further, does mtsuch language as yours tend directlv to break up the tender foundation ot famtly concord ^ Be persuaded to look at those few fa¬ milies among us who indulge, in the execrations of infiijJeUty and blasphemy ; are they familids vrhose happbess h'\m