The Wilmington Centinel

              vol i the i7 wilmington centinel and general advertiser wednesday june 25 1788 miscellany .$.*$. . pafs i have no mind to affront no body ; but let^yery body do as 1 do and they'll d right j let eni be peaceful 9end quiet and contented and happy in their own mindc and they'll never go to aft fuch joolifh queftions ; they h find it within ; th-t's my notion some porter bring foaie porter bere and o here's your health mr prcfidcnt and let the mxt fpcaktr better what i've faid if he cjh were equally honeftj and fhould you favour this blunt addrefs by making choice o me 1 can add for your co.ijtbrt that you will be the firft woman up n record from the creation to the prcfent fiuur who ever loved a man tar leiiine her the truth tbcf*'-'<*»'"ig fpucb it hid t taw been taken dtwn at me of the % reaufi freaking or difputing clubs in london as theft are biaces wbtrc all pirjons have ajmittame at a very moderate extence it is not to hi wandered at if there i gstat divtrfity in tht charter s and manners of tbejptaktrs i n madam your's see r t c^-p^32^3 q^^i3 3 queftion tf happinefs be in our power in what late of x life is it mort eafily acquired ? mr prtfident ivbcre it that tbtre thing called bappinefs to be fund that's the queftion or at kaft the meaning ot it where i you don't know nu how hould ou till you're told it ? i^i me alone and i'll refolve ycu why fir everywhere wbtrt h that there thing called happinefs to befvund that's the queftion you don't know no to be'fur how hould you ? let me alone and i'll refolvc you why fir no where every where and no where ! very ftrange you'll be apt to fay but fo it is fir no where and every where 9 every where and no where that's my opinion now fir this in my mind is plain enough of itfclf but for the fatisfaclion of the gentlemen prefent i'll go about to prove it to you ; and in order for to do fo mr pi tlident i'll afk you two or three quef tions choice of a husband by a gen tlewomaa of prudeuce resolves of congress 1"*0 meet with a man perfectly agreeable though the pcr fon.'s lea j f ° b « re 5 rd * } may le a yik ef frme difficul ty to a nice and difoe ning wow.an .-.., quahhctlons muft be great to recommend him : but 1 halt e*er fofflfc particulars which if obferved may contnbutc to a vood choice and are worthy cf elcftion though feldc „ to be met with in one per ron firft ; t is neccft.ry that he be a man of v.rtue and mo rality having a large fture of natural knf and icquired know ledge proceeding from a liberal education j tliat he be well read and a man of con rlatijn.foas to have a general know ledge of men and things ; to be pretty much if not entirely matter of his paflions but not without coura s e tkoueh with d.lcreticn to ufe ; naturally yood humouri and loving hut not jealous nor a.tanly fubniilfive ; one net a perfcft aranecr to vice but has fcen nough of it as to h ve a right notion of the folly and fatal tend-ncy ol it he may be moderately addiitcd to all decent pbafur and manly iiverfions ; love his friend and bottle a little but fo as not to dra.v c ff his affertion from his wile j to be a m*n of n annet though by no m«-ans foppifto enough to ob|,,je and civilly trtat perfons oi all tempers f not to be t o profufe b«t have condeft enough net to live beyond hiscircurnftances and application enn eh to hi s own bufmcf to keep the world from anpoli:g upon him bytbtvnited s7 atesi congress rfm bled may % t i t l j on a report of the hoard of t?eafury to whom was re ferred a motion of mr carrinjton : kefolved that congrefs proceed to the defu n of two com miftioncrs for fettling the accounts of the five great d<p4i t u.-nts to continue in office one year ordered that the commiffi oners of accounts for the quar ter-irafter's commiflry's hofpital marine and cloathiag de partments wi'h the approbation of the board cf treafury com mence fuits in behalf ot the united states againrt ail perfons in any of the faid departments who ftand chargeable with public monies computed from the prs'cnt date ; and that this order be publiilicd in the fcveral ftutes for th period abore-raeoti oncd do you know who i am that's jwaking here ? no you don't how fnoulct you ? let me alone and ill refolvc you i ar.i a man that is my own maftrr and wor:h a good round com ; 1 won't fay how much j that not thequeftion i an't before a court well ! and what wai i before in old times when you were a fnivelling boy going tofchool mr president what was i then pray ? you don't know no to be cure how hould you ? let me alone i fay and i'll refolve you why i was a fervant not worth a hilling not worth a groat no 1 lie there j i was worth ten pounds and a few killings in the woni of times but let that pafc 1 aa'c before a court so enough aid rcfolved that thefaid commiitioners be direfled to continue tselr onrcniitted attention to the final adjttftment ol all accounts which have arifen in the fald departments and to the recovery of all fumi for which foiia may he commenced ; and that at t termination of theremmiflion they rftpofit with the r gi'ter of the tretfury all the bocks and papers of th<:rr rtf^c<f v < cs together with a general abftiaftof thelums due ire n ind.v.du als in order tlsat immediate meaiures may be aacptcd tor the recovery of the fame a love letter from an officer in the army to a widow whom he had never feen charles thompson secretary pnhough i never mahim had the hapninefs to fee you i no not fo ir.uch asi pifture and confcquencly oan no more tell what compltxion you are of than one w!,o 1ms in the re^tert part of china 1 am neverthelcfs pafficnately m love j and this afflclion has taker deep root in my heart that on r,y confclcnct ! i could die a nur tyr ior you with as much chrtulnefs as thoufands have done for their religion who were as ignorant of the truth for which they died as i am 0 youi jad;fliip this dedaratjon madann may perhaps furp-ifc you ; but you will ccafe to wonder w hat it was that not only gave birrh to my paflion but has efftrtually confirmed it laft creek having occafion to ride into iurry ah ut fome particular bufmefs 1 noticed not far from the toad a mc ma«;n.ricent fear my curiofity was inltant.neoufly raiftd to know the owner of fo beautiful a pile } and being informed it belonged to your lady fhip 1 beg;an that moment to have a rtrange inclination for you when therefore 1 was further informed that aoco acres of the belt ground in england appertained to this noble fabric to gether with a line park delightful gardens variety of fiih ponds and other ielirable conveniences i then fell cp to the ears in love and refolved toenlirt myfslf among the number ot your humble fervants and fincere admirers . " hie owner of fo many fine things faid i to myfclf mult needs be the fined woman in the world what though he may be old her trees aregresn vvhat though he may have loft the allies and rofes in her cheeks me has enough left in her garden ! vv hat though flie ftiould be barren her fields are fufliciently fruitful with thefe thoughts in my head i alighted from my horfe and at once became fo enamoured with your fcdyfhip that i told my paflion t every tree in your park ; and by the bye they are the talleft ftraiteft lovelieft and fineft ihaped trees i ever beheld in my life i now appeal to your lady/hip whether any lover was influ enced by m©re folid motives than your devoted humble fervant 1 hofc who are wholly captivated by beauty will infallibly find tneir paflion decay with the tramitory charms which flrft attracted their regard } and th.fe who preteod to admire a wo man merely for the qualities of her mind muft confider her foul as abftrafted from her bedy , but he who loves not a wo nnn in the flefti as well as in thefpirit is only fit in my opi nion to make love to a fpeflre i whereas my paflion the fin centy of which you cannot poflibly doubt is built on the fame foundation with your hcufe grows with your trees and will daily increafe with your eftate for any thing l know to the contrary you may be the hand fomeft woman in the kingdom but whether you are fo or not is,nct material while you have fortune enough to fix my ait«£ri on i am a foldier by profeflicn an as 1 have fought for pay by heaven's blcfling i mean to love for money ! all yo«r other f u itor will fpeak the fame language if they united states in congress assembled may 22 17s8 th e committee confift'ng cf mr dane mr william fon mr irvine nir hamilton and mr brown to whom was referred a motion of mr dane relative to public and unfettkd accounts having reported that on carefully examining the fubj ■& re erred to them they find that during the late war and efpecially in the early periods of it many millions of dollars were advanced by the united states to fundry perfons of the expenditures whereof proper accounts have not been rendered j and though the per fons who have been entruft-d with public monies havs been frequently called upon to fet'le their accounts by the acls and officers of congrefs yet in n.any cafes they have not produced or exhibited to the proper officers any documents or vouchers on which regular fettlements can be made that feveral ac counts of very confiderable extent have been taken up and fo farpafled on that balances appear to be ftated generally and in fume cafes payments made though it do-s not app.ar that the proper ftatements were made of the articles which compofed thofc accounts or that the regular vouchers were produced to fupport the charges in them accounts thus impcrie&ly mated and unfupponed the committee conceive are juhly liable to re viiicn and particularly fo as it does not appetr that the parties have at any rime comiderec them as finally fettled that irora a general view ot this fuhjeft the committee are induced to think and believe that the united sra es have already fuffercd very great inconveniercies by inexecfabh negligence and u«au thorifed delays in perfons cntrufted w.th public monks in not rendering and fettling their accounts , and that it is become highly expedient that decifive meafures be fpeedily adopted for clofmg all the unsettled accounts or the late war ; and therefore the committee are of opinion that the board of treafury be di re&cd to caufe fuits to be commenced in behalf of the united spates aganft all perfor s who hand charged with public mo nies or other property ; and that they caufs the fame to b<s com menced within three months from this date againft all thofe perfons who havj been already fpecully required to fctt'.e their accounts by the proper officers and who hall not within that time adopt and purfue me;.fures efft clual in the opinion of the faid bo4rd for fettling the fame ; and within five months from this date againft all other perfons fo charged and v.ho fhall not within that time adopt and purfue like meafuies : and th.tt when any material queftions hall arile cencerning any doubt ful or partial fettlements of accounts which may havs been made or concerning the operation cf any particular fuits the faid board be directed to ftate to congrefs particularly the cirewft ancesof the cafe with their opinion thereon refolved that congrcfj agree to ihe ia;d regoit well mr prcfident now come to the quertion jvbert it tbatth l ingcai . tj bappinefir isuinafinglclife or a mar icd life ? is i t in a wgh ftal i on or a jow ftatjon ? ig u jn r«lickndsor in>-\h ? in riches or in poverty ? is it in blck fine g.lt coach > no fir it is n't i where is it then where is it then ? you don t know no how mould you > let me alone and 1 ii refolve you why lir it in all rhefc and in none oi ihcfe it may be with em it may be w.th wichoet en it has noth.ng at all to do with em h.ppinefs it fur here fir laying hit hand on his breaft in a contented mind aud a kood confidence that's my notion why fir what did i fay ?— what did££ay > why j faid mr prefijent that i was a fcrvantonce..m^^sluik 1 was ; i am not alham'd to own it j^b bnilh d my m.rtefs clojths comb'd hiswa f^well whit then ? why i was haf py j fevell ! then 1 came to have fervants uftdj eble comb'd my wi s s and brulh'aw c!q „? well ! i'm happy now ry b jfi g i wasa(in-lemanwhenr\vas atell ! i was happy very happy i tool flln r was happy then us happy that is well after fpmt years ihe died die a fingle man j^gain • wei ! i irji^mh^br ' r^y ww things with afl riead but one and that one's 31 hr s po^r 5 he died t'other tfgijllhe gripcsmwried for him too.-^but enough faid let thills i've nupt child now well ! i'm happy now very hftfl^j vusformerl^hat when mud not ovc^ten pounds a few ftgfegs well ! i fence 1 h«pe—the prefem company w r s always ex cepted but i think i couldui thinkm ly notion - well ! what then ? why i'm happy nm ibfaannv ex ceeding happy never happier in my life kl there's the thing i had it here mr m bng his hand on his breaft i was contented w?j ki an ] never wifli'd for what i hadn't when arfl k go od came to me your humble ferrant faid j^^jheipkiul ; thankful d'ye fee when i got out of fervice when^i 9t up a ftc pf and a recovered my liberty ; thankful d'ye fee wh my wite went the way of all flelh and i recovered my liberty a fe cond time was my own man again but never pined never grieved always contented that's my notion never owed no man a milling j paid every man his own ; lived upon what j had httle er much all's one for that there's happinefs lor you every where and no where as i faid atfirft $ in no par ticular ftation and yet in every ftation j becaufe it is in a man's own heart in a man'i own mind and follows him every where what is he that gave you this here queftion ? ivbtre is that there thing cslltd bappineft t to be found ? yo don't know where he is — how fhould you ? let me alone and i'll reiolveyou why the man that gave you that there queftion is--n matter what he is — j was going to call him fool and f becaufe he is ore and a d d fool too but may be fcesprcfent therefore \ won't do no fuch thing fo let that