i 
: 
: 
$4 State of Public Affairs in January. 
Ocean, has had all the fuccefs which could 
have been expected. They have traced the 
Miffouri nearly to its fource, defcended the 
Columbia to the Pacific Ocean, afcertained 
with accuracy the geography of that intereft- 
ing. communication acrofs our Continent, 
learnt the chara€ter of the country, of its 
commerce and inhabitants, and itis but juf- 
tice to fay that Meffrs. Lewis and Clarke, | 
and their brave companions, have, by this ar- 
duous fervice, deferved weil of their country. 
The atiempt to explore theRed River, under 
the divection of Mr. Freeman, though con- 
_ ducted with a zeal and prudence meriting en- 
tire approbation, has not been equally fuc- 
cefsiul. - A ter proceeding up it about fix hun- 
dred miles, nearly as far as the French fettle- 
ments had extended, while the country was 
in their poffeiiion, our geographers were 
obliged to return without completing their 
wok 
Very ufeful additions have alfo been made 
to our knowledge of the MifiJippi, by Lieu- 
tenant Pike, who has afcended to its fource, 
and whofe journal, and map giving the de- 
tails of his journey, will ihortly be ready for 
communication to both Houfes of Con grefs. 
Thofe of Mefirs Lewis, Clarke, and Free- 
man, will require fiigehier time to be digefted 
and prepared® ihefe important furveys, in 
addition to thofe betore potlefled, furnifh ma- 
terials for commencing an accurate map of the 
Mifiiffippi and its weftern waters. Some 
pupcipel rivers remain yet to be explored, to- 
wards w'ich the authoriz-tion of | Congrefs, 
by m.derate approbations, will ve requitite. 
J congratul«te you, felluw citizens, on the 
appro:ch of the period which you may inter- 
pofe your autaority conititutionaliy, to with- 
draw the citizens of the United States from all 
further oe sation in thofe violations of hu- 
man rights, which have been fo long con- 
tinued on the unoffending inhabitants of 
Africa, and which the morality, the reputa- 
tion, and the beft int-refts of our country, 
have long been eager tv preferibe. Although 
no jaw you may pafs can takesprohibitory effect 
till the firft day of the year one thoufana 
eight hundred and eight, yet the intervening 
period is not tow jong to prevent, by timely 
notice, expevitions -which cannot be coim- 
letzd berore that day, 
The receipts at the treafury during the 
year ending on the SOth day of September 
laft, ‘have amounted to near fifteen hundred 
millions of dollars; which have enabled us, 
aiter meeting the current demands, to pay two 
millions fev-n hundred thoufand dollars of the 
American claims, tn part o; tae price of Loui- 
fiana; to. pay, of the funded debt, upwards of 
three millions of principal, and nearly of in- 
tereft, and, in addition, to eoeihicatens in the 
courfe of the prefent month, néar two mil- 
lions of five and a half percent. tock. Thefe 
payments and reimbuarfements of the funded 
debt, with thofe which had been made in the 
tour years and a haif preceding, will at the 
[Feb. 1, 
clofe of the prefent year, have extinguithed 
upwards of 23 millions of principal. 
The duties compoling the Mediterranean 
fund will ceafe by law, at the end of the pre- 
fent fefion. Confidering however as they 
are levied chiefly on luxuries, and that we 
have an impoft on falt, a neceflary of life, the 
free ufe which otherwife is fo important ; I 
recommend to your confideration .the fup- 
preilion of the duties on falt, and the continu- 
ation of the Mediterranean fund, inftead 
thereof, for a fhort time after whic that alfo 
will become unneceflary for ssid purpofe 
with'n contemplation. 
When both of thefe branches of revenue 
fhall in this way, be relinquifhed, there will 
ftill, ere long, te an accumulation of monies 
in the treafury beyond the inftalments of pub- 
lic debt, which we are permitted by contract: 
topay.—They cannot pay them,w.thout a mo- 
dification, affented to by the public creditors, 
be applied to the extinguifhm sent of this debt, 
and the complete liberation of our revenues, 
the moft defirable of all obje&s. Nor, if our 
peace continues, will they be wanting fir any: 
ther exifting purpofe. The quettion, there- 
fore, new comes forward to what other ob- 
jects thall thefe furpluties be appropriated, and 
the whole furplus of impoft after the entire 
difcharge of the public debt, and during thofe 
intervals when the purpofes of war hall not 
call for them ? Shall we fupprefs the impott, 
and give that advantage to foreign over do- 
meftic manuiaétures? On a few articles of 
more general and unneceflary ufe, the fup- 
preifion, in due feafon, will doubtlefs be right; 
but the great mafs of the articles on which 
impoft is paid, are foreign luxuries purchaied 
by thofe only'who are rich enough to aftord 
themfelves the ule of them. ‘Their patriotifm 
would certainly prefer its continuance, and 
application to the great purpofes of the public 
education, roads, rivers, canals, and fuch as 
other objets of public improvement, as it 
may be thought proper to add to the confti- 
tutional enumeration of federal powers, By 
thofe operations, new channels of communi- 
cation will be opened between the States; the 
lines of feparation will difappear, their faxet 
refts will be identified, and their union ce- 
mented by new and indiffoluble ties. Edu- 
cation is here placed among the articles of 
public cere, not that it would be Propoted to 
take its ordinary branches out of the hands of 
private enterprife, which miana es fo much 
better all the concerns to which it is equal, 
but a public infiitution can alone fupply thoie 
{ciences, which though rarely called tor are. 
yet neceflary to complete the circle, all the 
pants of which contribute to thei improvement 
of the country, and fome of them to its pre- 
fervation., The iuljeét is now propofed to the 
confiderution of Congrefs, becaute, if approved 
by the time the State Legiflature thall have 
deliberated on this extenfion of the federal 
trufts, and the laws thalj be pafled, and other 
arrangements made for their execution the 
neceilary 
