Dec. 20, 1800) for the United States senate. He succeeded Timothy Bloodworth, and had Jesse Franklin, of Surry, as colleague. Both were Republicans. St. Sebastian, a Spanish port on the Northern, or Biscay, coast. Joseph Gales, of Sheffield, England. Gales edited the Sheffield Register until 1796. Pitt's Treasonable Practices Bill and Seditious Meetings Bill of 1795 tended to curb the rights of the press in voicing the discontent of the English masses who were suffering from the burdens of the government's war against the French Revolution. Gales in consequence came to America and set up his paper at Philadelpnia in 1796. Nathaniel Macon in 1799 induced him to come to Raleigh where he set up the Raleigh Register which at once became the organ of the Republican party in the state. The aggressiveness and the ability of the editor soon made his paper the leading journal in the state and greatly strengthened the dominance of the party whose cause he backed. Macon and other Republican leaders, in order to insure the permanence and strength of the paper, saw to it in the fall of 1800 that Gales was chosen by the Assembly, now Republican, as public printer over the Federalist Hodge, who had had the public printing since 1786. The Federalists fiercely resented and resisted this "abuse of patronage" by the Assembly but were impotent to prevent Hodge's deposition. 'Probably Colonel John Willis, of Lumberton, Robeson County, a Revolutionary patriot and commander of militia in the operations of General Greene against Cornwallis in 1780-81. He was frequently the representative of Robeson in the Assembly, in both houses. between 1787 and 1800. DR. BROTHER, HALIFAX, Sept. 18, 1800. Your letter of Aug. 26th I received last night, on my return from Martin Court. You complain that I do not write regularly to you, yet I cannot recollect that I have neglected to write you a letter at the time appointed for some months past and then my failure was owing to absence. You request to know the author of the Law character's speech, at New Bern. It is principally Mr. Shepperd1 who is the Federal candidate in that District for Elector, tho' several other persons had their share in it. Citizen Hodge could not help adding a little, as far as relates to the subject of British Debts. The "Affair at Brantley" and "Anticipation," which were in the succeeding journal are to be ascribed to Mr. Hodge. The "proclamation" in this day's paper is Mr. Brown's, and "the further particulars of the late Battle at Raleigh" is mine; thus you have a general account of authorship2 which you will use, I am certain with prudence. Mr. Baker was on a visit to Prince Edward in Virginia to see his wife's relations, and went at least thirty miles out of his way to receive a beating at Raleigh. I expected that the colouring in Boylan's letter was high, but on comparing it with the representation of indifferent persons it appears altogether moderate, certain it is the attorney betrayed a most dastardly soul to receive four or five blows on his back without facing the danger. Mr. Sessums, his own champion, says he shed tears in the street before he got clear of the field of battle. Mr. Schenck, his friend from Tarboro says the Attorney was so dismayed at the first blow that he did not once raise his loaded whip. All condemn. Boylan is a very young man, about my height, but heavier and is much less than B. Baker. He is nephew to friend Hodge. I hope your part of the State will do everything possible to secure Mr. Hodge's election as State printer. The Jacobins have two great objects in view at the next general Assembly, one to elect B. Baker Senator of the U. States. He is a kind of Martyr to their cause. The other is to give the patronage of the state to a printer of violent anti-federal principles. As to the first, it is to be hoped that Blake's own stupidity, folly and cowardice will prevent their wishes. Never did a man lay himself open to so much merited censure as he has done by his late conduct. It ought to be published every where, and spoken of by every tongue. It only requires to be known and understood to be detested. Our republican neighbours, the Virginians, have lately almost experienced the same blessed effects of their outrageous democratic whims.3 The negroes in Richmond and its neighbourhood had combined to make a general slaughter of all the white males and elderly women. The younger were to be preserved for their wives, they had a bold adventurer at their head who was to assume the name of Buonaparte. They had prepared a vast number of pikes and fabricated arms of different kinds out of scythes, sickles, etc., which were concealed in their cabins, had provided funds, from which they in several instances gave as much as four dollars bounty to (torn) or enlist a fellow in their service. The plot was discovered only three days before it was to have been put into execution. The whole city was in arms, a great many apprehended. Several have already been executed. Buonaparte by the last accounts had not been taken, but had fled to the woods in a complete suit of regimentals. Tho' nothing of this has transpired in the papers, it comes in a way that cannot be doubted. I am, dear brother, Mr. Robert W. Harris, Most affectionately yours, Salisbury, N. Carolina. CHARLES W. HARRIS. 1 Probably William Shepard, Esq. of New Bern, father of William Biddle Shepard, member of Congress 1829-1837, and of Charles Shepard, member of Congress 1837-1841. 2 The titles so liberally interspersed in the above letter seem to refer to articles by the several gentlemen named, which doubtless appears in Hodge's Raleigh paper, The North Carolina Minerva and Raleigh Advertiser. The editor hasn't access to the paper of the dates upon which they probably appeared. Most or all of them were doubtless of a controversial character and Harris' contribution; "The further particulars of the late battle at Raleigh," must have been an account, colored in the interest of the Federalist, of an encounter between Blake Baker, the Attorney-General, and William Boylan, nephew of Hodge and co-editor of the Minerva. From the context it seems that the trouble grew out of the struggle over the question of the public printing, which the Minerva had and was about to lose to Gales of the opposite party and editor of the Raleigh Register. Boylan was a very partisan and aggressive Federalist and moreover had a financial interest at stake. 3 Harris attributes every ill that affects the country to the rising tide of democracy. The reference here is to a slave rising in and around Richmond, planned by a slave named Gabriel Prosser, self-styled "Bonaparte." It was to have taken place September 1st, 1800. The rendezvous of the negro troops was to be a brook about six miles from Richmond. The force was to comprise eleven hundred slaves, divided into three divisions, and marching upon Richmond from as many sides, was to deliver a surprise night attack. The arsenal was to be the common objective point of the three divisions. Success here was to be followed by a call to arms of their fellow-slaves and friends of humanity throughout the continent. This well-conceived plot proved abortive. Gabriel was hunted down and captured in hiding on board the schooner, Mary, four miles down the James, September 23, 1800. His execution followed shortly. MY DEAR BROTHER, HALIFAX, Oct. 5, 1800. I have lately received several letters from you, the last dated Sept. 23rd. I feel myself much obliged to you for your attention. You have not for some time given me an account of your health. Whether you yet weigh your 190 pounds, as for myself I still linger in my dull way sometimes recovering sometimes complaining. I have for three or four nights past been troubled by what I may call an ague and fever, but it has no very uncomfortable attendants, except that it possesses me with an invincible aversion to sleep. Besides my professional engagements,—I am employed in repairing the lots and grounds which Mr. Brown and myself purchased sometime past, and in forming plans to accomodate myself on better terms in future, am sowing wheat and clover for pasture, building a kitchen, and so expect within a very few weeks, to have a boy and a negro woman on our lots. This will reduce the pain of our washing &c and the expense of horsefeed. It is right, and the only way to make life comfortable, always to be engaged in some plans. A few days ago I made a visit to Colonel Haynes,1 an acquaintance of mine in Northampton, and uncle to Mrs. McCoy; he is now some years older than any of his family for some generations past have been known to be; he is of a weakly constitution, and has been lately reduced almost to a shadow by an indisposition which has lasted some months; he never had a child. After dinner he nearly exhausted himself walking through and explaining a large elegant building which he now has upon the stocks, this room he intended to make more elegant than any in the county, that would be a fine, cool summer retreat, a third would be an excellent dining room; here he intended to plant a tree to shade a window, there to set out an arbour,-in short he planned and explained everything as if he had the most perfect assurance of living there for three score years to come, or felt the blood of youth warm and active in his veins. Poor man! I am certain, that instead of living to occupy his palace, the first mansion he will remove to, will be his coffin, instead of enjoying the shade of his trees and arbours. He will never live to see them put forth their first leaves. Yet I do not blame him, life by such castle-building is dragged on with some comfort, when it might otherwise be entirely insupportable. Last evening letters were received here from General Davie dated as far back as June 14th. As usual they contain nothing that respects the mission of the envoy, but it is ob served in one, that he expects to arrive in America, nearly as soon as the letter. It has had a long passage, perhaps the conjectures printed in Hodge's paper of tomorrow are not altogether unfounded, that the tardiness of the negotiation. proceed from some view which the French government has to the ensuing election of President.2 Our friend Hodge is not yet returned from New York. I expect he will be here within three weeks. I received $10 by Colonel Ashes for General Davie. I am, dear brother, Most affectionately yours, My respects to Mr. Torrence and family. Halifax, N. C. Oct. 6th, 1800. Mr. Robert W. Harris, Salisbury, N. Carolina. 1 Probably Eaton Haynes of Northampton County, member of the 4th Carolina Provincial Congress, which met at Halifax the 4th of April, 1776. 2 The Federalists generally suspected the French government (now the Consulate) to be wilfully laggard in its negotiations with our Commisssioners with the view of influencing favorably the Republican party's fortunes in the November election for president. This no doubt did enter into the consideration of First Consul Bonaparte to some extent. 3 John Baptista Ashe (b. 1758, d. 1802), son of Governor Samuel Ashe (governor from 1795 to 1798, 3 terms). John B. Ashe was a resident of Halifax and had been a distinguished Revolutionary patriot and soldier. He had fought at Alamance in the Regulator War of 1771; he was a lieutenant-colonel under General Greene at the battle of Eutaw in 1781; he was a member of the Continental Congress in 1787-88; a member of the 1st and 2nd Congresses under the present constitution, and elected governor of the state in 1802 but died before he assumed office. DEAR BROTHER, HALIFAX, Dec. 5th, 1802.1 I received not long since your letter informing me that you had become postmaster.2 I shall duly attend to its contents as often as I am at home. It gives me great pleasure and no small degree of pride to hear that my nephew Charles3 continues in good health and grows apace. I am confident that |