that was about to be committed. It is faid, that at last Reid hesitated to fige the death warrant, and that even M'Kean faultered; but Bryan declared, that, fhould an executioner be wanting, he would defcend from the bench, and perform the office himfelf! While the city was in this state of confufion and difmay, the death warrant was figned-the prisoners were carried to the place of execution, where Claypole, the fheriff, himself, became hangman, and put the laft hand to one of the most atrocious deeds recorded in the annals of Whiggifm. Yet, Sir, did all thele feverities, all these acts of robbery and murder, and all the apprehenfions and terrors they were calculated to excite, totally fail in making the Quakers forego thofe principles which they had profeffed at the beginning of the conteft, and the adhering to which had been the fole cause of a series of fuch unheard-of perfecution. They ftill remained refolute in their refufal to contribute, either directly or indirectly, to the carrying on of war, and not lefs refolute in their rejection of every teft, whereby they were to abjure their allegiance to their King, or to acknowledge the fovereignty or the independence of the States. That the Whigs could number amongst them fome perfons, who were Quakers before the rebellion, I acknowledge; but, the moment any one of their fociety took up arms, they not only expreffed their disapprobation of his conduct, but actually read him out of their meeting, that is to fay, excommunicated him. In their excommunication of Mifflin, the perfon whose conduct you have cited as an inftance of their inconfiftency, they furnished the most fatisfactory proof of their confiftency and loyalty. This man's apoftacy had rendered him extremely popular; he was formed by nature for a demagogue, and was far from being deficient in bravery; he was rifing high in command, and was, perhaps, the moft to be dreaded of any man in the state of Pennsylvania. Yet did they fet their mark of reprobation on him, and expel him from the fociety in which he had been born and educated, and which, for feveral generations, had counted his ancestors amongst its moft refpectable members: nor have they ever, either during or fince the rebellion, restored to their fociety, without a previous acknowledgment of his fault, any one of thofe whom they expelled for elpoufing the rebel cause. A fingular proof of this fact exifts in the city of Philadelphia, where the excommunicated Quakers, at the clofe of the war, petitioned the Legiflature to pafs a law, to take part, at least, of the meeting-houses and other property belonging to the fociety, from the Tory Quakers, and to transfer it to themfelves, feeing that they were joint owners thereof. The petition was plaufible; and whatever the propofition might want in point of law and of strict juftice, they, naturally enough, fuppofed would be fupplied by the inclination of the minds of the legiflators, with whom they had been engaged in a common caule, who had thared with them in perfe cuting thole against whom they now prefented their petition. But, the days of violence and injuftice were paffing away. The legislature heard the caufe pleaded before them, and, to their great honour, they decided in favour of the defendants. The Quakers who had abjured their allegiance to the King, not thinking it feemly to live without God in the world, formed themselves into a fociety, under the denomination of the Free Quakers, which, by the unanimous concurrence of their neighbours,, has been very aptly and farcaftically exchanged for that of Fighting Quakers. This excommunicated crew did, with fome difficulty, raise funds to build a meet ing-houfe; but, as mankind in general are not over anxious to ally themfelves with out-cafls of any description, and, as the expulfion of Quakers does does not extend to their children, a regular and rapid decline has been experienced in this new fangled fociety, the members of which have the mortification to fee their numbers daily diminish, their fons and daughters walking in the paths from which they themfelves have ftrayed, while their miferable meeting-houfe feems to have been erected as a monument of their apoftacy and rebellion, and of the faithfulness and loyalty of the followers of Penn. Here, Sir, 1 conclude this very long letter, which I fubmit to your difpo fal; hoping, indeed, that it will appear in your next number; but affuring you, at the fame time, that, whether it appears or not, I fhall still remain, what I efteem it an honour to be thought, Your fincere friend and most humble fervant, Pall-Mall, April 2, 1801. HISTORY. SUMMARY OF POLITICS. THE HE two prominent events, in the political occurrences of the month, and they are events of the first importance, are the death of the Ruffian Emperor PAUL and the defeat of the Danes by the British fleet, before Copenkagen. There never, perhaps, was a time, fince the days of CROMWELL, when fo much of the happiness or mifery of States depended upon the life of an individual, as at the opening of the nineteenth century. One of the indi viduals, whofe death feemed likely to have a material influence on the fate of Europe, was the Emperor PAUL. By his way ward and capricious difpofition he had been led to depart without reafon from a wife fyftem of policy which he had been induced to adopt without confideration; after appreciating the character of republican France, and devoting her to deftruction as a monster whofe voracious appetite would be not fatisfied until all Europe had become her prey, he fuddenly flew into the oppofite extreme, and, without any change of policy or of practice, in the republican councils of Paris, courted the friendship and alliance of the Ufurper whom he had vowed to punish for his crimes; forfook the great caufe which he had folemnly pledged himself to fupport; and declared himself the inveterate enemy of his most faithful friends. With a mind divided between schemes of revenge, plans of avarice, and projects of ambition, while he bafely violated his plighted faith with Great Britain, infulted her flag, and plundered her fubjects; he was preparing to affift the French in completing the difmemberment of Europe, and to effect the expulfion of the Turks from that quarter of the globe, by their united arms. Thefe gigantic plans, engendered by the genius of anarchy, would in all probability, have been carried into full execution, in the course of the ensuing campaign; and the deftruction of the Ottoman Empire would have led to a new series of revolutions the confequences of which, it would have been fcarcely poffible for the human mind to eftimate. At this critical moment, as if by providential interpofition, the death of Paul occurred; and all thefe ruinous fchemes were fufpended. He died in the night of the 24th of March. It is well known, that the death of an extraordinary man, at an extraordinary period, is always attributed to fome extraordinary caufe. The human mind has, at all times, a strange propenfity to feek for gratification in occurrences out of the common courfe of human nature; and, in this vain and unprofitable research, the most obvious caufes are frequently overlooked, and events are not fo much estimated by the real importance of their effects, as by the fingu larity larity of the caufes by which they were produced. And, here, of course, credulity has an ample field to work in. The French politicians have, as ufual, afcribed the death of their ally to the machinations of the English, naturally enough eftimating the principles and conduct of a nation of Chriftians, by their own; and a paper published in London, established and Supported by an English Baronet who is, alfo, a member of a certain affembly, as well as of the London Correfponding Society, had the daring profligacy to echo the fame fentiment, in terms little lefs qualified, by ftating the impudent falfhood, that the Emperor died half an hour after the English phyfician (whofe name is mentioned) had left him. The feceffion of Mr. PITT from the ministry had, most unfortunately, deprived the French government of their ufual refource, on great occafions, the gold of Pitt, to which more wonders have been afcribed, by the fages of the great nation, than ever were imputed, by Alchymifts, to the ftone of the philofopher, or, by children, to the purfe of Fortunatus. It is impoffible to eftimate the lofs thus fuftained by the French from the change of our miniftry. In the Petersburgh Gazette the death of Paul was afcribed to apoplexy, which is the common description of the cause of death, when fudden or unexpected. We believe the fact to be, that his conftitution was exhausted by indulgencies of a nature which we forbear to characterize; and that the lofs of his life, like the lofs of his character, is imputable, not to English gold but, to French connections. It would be prefumptuous, after feeing, in the courfe of the laft twelve years, all the foundest calculations of reafon and experience baffled and overturned by events, to speak with decifion of the probable effects of this occurrence on the political ftate of Europe. It has, however, been already pro ductive of one good confequence, that of fhaking the Northern Confederacy, (founded on falfhood for the purpose of fraud) of fufpending, at least, the invafion of Turkey, and of depriving the French Conful of one pretext for de lay, in giving a precife anfwer to our Government, on the question of peace. The new Emperor is known to poffefs an amiable difpofition, and conciliatory manners; and the fteps which he has already taken, in the liberation of the British prisoners; in the recall of thofe Minifters whom his father's violence had unjustly expelled from his Councils; and in the communication to Count Woronzow of his determination to restore him to that share in his confidence which he formerly enjoyed in the confidence of his father, afford reasonable grounds for believing that his conduct will be rendered confonant with the principles of juftice and of found policy. No Prince, on his acceffion to the throne, ever had it in his power to do more good, or to prevent more evil. We fhall wait, with anxiety, for the means of afcertaining, whether the will be equal to the ability. The conduct of this Prince will neceffarily influence the conduct of the other powers of the Continent; on him will depend the ability of the KING of PRUSSIA to complete thofe monftrous projects of aggrandizement, thofe fchemes of ambition, founded in avarice and fupported by plunder, which were originally fettled by his Majefty and his regicidal affociates, at the treaty of Bafil,-Schemes of which no language can afford an adequate defcription; but which the heart of every honest man can appreciate, and which pofterity will endeavour to characterize. The manifefto, iffued by the King of Pruffia, in justification of his seizure of the independent Electorate of Han over, which he was folemnly pledged, by the treaty of armed neutrality, to protect from invafion, is at once fo falfe and fo foolish, the pretext for this unprincipled act is fo weak and fo ridiculous, that to attempt a ferious con futation futation of its affertions-for it does not contain a fingle argument--would be an infult to the understanding of the public. It is a paper which carries its own confutation on the very face of it; and need only be read to be con. demned. The fate of the other nations of the Continent ftill remains to be fettled by the mandate of the Corfican Ufurper, who, unless the Emperor of Ruffia interfere, will become the fovereign arbiter of their future destiny. It was, evidently, the intention of this man not only to weaken the Emperor of Germany, by the dismemberment of his dominions, but to fow the feeds of perpetual diffention in the Empire, by a feparation of its component parts, and to aggrandize the King of Pruffia, at the expence of other Princes, with a view to give him a preponderance in the Empire, and, ultimately, perhaps, to place the Imperial crown of the Romans on his head, which, of course, he could wear only fo long as would fuit the pleasure and convenience of the French cabinet. In a fhort time, we fhall be able to ascertain what profpect there is of the accomplishment of these notable projects. Meanwhile the fignal victory which our fleet has obtained over the Danes, a victory which reflects immortal honour on the HERO of the NILE (who, without an hyperbole, may be termed the pride of Britons, and the admiration of the world) and on all his brave companions in arms, has ftruck a panic into the fubordinate members of the Northern Confederacy, and, had we been as skilful in negociation as we were brave in action, might, we conceive, have produced an immediate diffolution of it. On this occafion, without detracting, in the smallesft degree, from the merit of older officers, we must lament that the chief command was not given to LORD NELSON, in which cafe, we are perfuaded, though the action could not have been more glorious, the issue would have been more decifive. The armistice which has been fince concluded appears to us to be highly impolitic. Our object, in the expedition, was to make the members of the confederacy renounce the principle upon which it was formed, and to forego that arrogant and falfe pretenfion, which aimed at the destruction of our right to fearch neutral veffels bound to an enemy's port, a right which we have enjoyed for centuries, which originated in the plaineft principles of equity, which has been recognized, at different periods, by all the nations of Europe, and which, as his majesty oft truly declared, in his fpeech from the throne, involved the dearest interests of the country. This object has not been obtained by the armiftice, which merely provides for a fufpenfion of the treaty of armed neutrality, on the part of Denmark. Though, furely, in no fituation had we ever a greater right, or a fairer opportunity, to prescribe terms to an enemy; and fuch terms as would have accomplished the object of the war should furely have been enforced. Where, however, officers fight fo well, the nation, while they admire their bravery, will overlook, their want of fkill in the difficult art of negociation, in which even our ableft Statesmen have generally been duped by the fuperior skill of the enemy. At all events, the government, who were not, in the first inftance, refponsible for this convention, difplayed their judgment and their wisdom in giving their fanction to it, after it had been concluded. And, we truft, a radical change in the politics of the Court of Petersburgh will have fuch an effect on the cabinet of Copenhagen, as to render a renewal of hoftilities unneceffary, in which cafe every man must heartily rejoice that a ftop has thus early been put to the effufion of blood. The Danes have exulted in their defeat even more than the British have exulted in their victory, and have been echoed by the French Journalists, in calling the day of the battle, a glorious day for Denmark. Not to be depreffed under misfortunes is certainly one proof proof of a great mind; and the consciousness of having done its duty is the greateft fatisfaction which a nation can enjoy in the hour of calamity. That the Danes fought courageously no man is difpofed to deny. But when they boaft of their exertions and reprefent their defence against a force so' Superior as an unparallelled inftance of bravery, it becomes proper to check their arrogance, and to expofe their falfhood, by a repetition of well known facts, and by a reference to the records of hiftory. The British force under LORD NELSON, destined to attack the Danes, on the 2d of April, confiíted of eleven fail of the line, (the largeft of which carried 74 guns) one 50 gun fhip, four frigates and three floops, befides fome bomb-veffels and firefhips, of which very little ufe was made. One fhip of the line (the Agamemnon) was prevented from taking any fhare in the action; fo that Lord Nelfon had only ten fail of the line, one fifty-gun thip, and four fiigates. The Danes had fix fail of the line, eleven floating batteries, mounting from twenty-fix twentyfour pounders to eighteen eighteen-pounders, one bomb fhip, and several fchooner gun veffels, in the line; they had, belides, four fail of the line, moored in the harbour's mouth, and formidable batteries on the Crown Iflands, mounting eighty-eight cannon. We apprehend that it will clearly appear, from this ftatement, which is taken from the Gazette-account of the refpective forces, that the vaft fuperiority of the British, which is mentioned in all the foreign journals, exifts only in the imagination of their conductors. Admitting that the eleven British fhips had a fuperiority over the ten Danish fhips of 74 guns; and allowing forty guns for each of our frigates, that would make 234 guns; to which the Danes had to oppofe their floating and fixed batteries, containing 330 guns, taking, for the floating batteries, the medium between 18 and 26, which leaves 22 guns for each battery. This, it will be perceived is a loose calculation, and no account is taken of the fmaller veffels on either fide, but it will fuffice to fhow the falfhood of the French and Danish accounts. The Danes had, morcover, been long employed in making every poffible preparation for their defence; and the British had all the difadvantages to encounter which attend an intricate and dangerous navigation, by which they were prevented from placing two of their fhips of the line in the position in which they wished them to be placed. The Danes, it is known, were completely beat, and the whole of their fleet taken or de Atroyed. Now let us fee, how a British fleet, placed in a lefs advantageous fituation, received the attack of an enemy, really fuperior in force. On the 15th of December, 1779, Admiral BARRINGTON was attacked at the mouth of the Cul de Sac at St. Lucie by the French Admiral Count D'Eftaing. The Affailant had twelve fail of the line, and thofe fhips of great force and metal," befides frigates and privateers. The Britifh Admiral had, for his defence, one 74, one 70, two of 64, two of 50 guns, and three frigates; and two batteries on fhore. Here the fuperiority was manifeft and decifive on the part of the French. The English, too, were in a manner taken by furprize, and had only one night to make their.preparations, having no notice of the approach of the enemy, until late the preceding evening, when they made their appearance off the island; and the French had no one difficulty, in point of navigation, to encounter. D'Estaing made three fuc-' ceffive attacks on this fmall force in the courfe of the day, and was each time repulfed with lofs, and was ultimately obliged to retreat, with his fleet in great confufion! From thefe comparative ftatements of the different conduct of the Danes and British, under circumftances fomewhat fimilar, we may fairly infer that had their fituations been reverfed, on the 2d of Auguft, the fate of the |