National gazette. — Philadelphia [Pa.], 1793-07-06 00:00:00, page 2

"Che cafe, with what horror mud every good
•citizen regard a funding (yftem, by which
a great proportion of the labour of ufefull
and indudrious citizens becomes due to a
preceding generation in their graves, and
becomes payable to a few iilelefs charac-;
ters of their own day, whose Wealth and
disorderly lives tend to corrupt the govern
ment, and undermine the liberties of their
'country.
The reform of modes bf government are
bleff:;igs only in proportion as they promote
the liberty and happiness of the people. To
fatisfy the ambition of one class of men and
the avarice of another, the Americans have
Submitted to afecond revolution, by which
they have bjrtered their domedic right!,
liberty and equality, for energy of govern
ment and the etiquette of a court. After
having wreftea the feeptre from thehand of
a British tyrant, they have fuff'ered it to be
assumed by a monied aridocracy, where it
will be found more oppreflive and more in
jurious to the people. The excise law of
Congrefi, which viola*esthe domestic rights
of the farmer, and the incorporating decrees
of the Ita'e legislatures, by which the pro
perty of the farmer is wantonly f.icrificed
to a rich monied interest, are alarming ex
ertions of this power.
The more a nation is compact and the
power of government left in the hands of
the people, the more we (hall find that love
for the public good, that general edeem
for virtue, and that difuitereltednefs whicn
are held in light edimation by the fupport
crs ofa grand and extensive empire, where
public councils and emoluments of the (late
are wholly in the handa of the few, and
where the people are neglected, despised
and opprefled.
To ihe People c/Tennsylvania.
TTAVING palled my time lately in the
Uack country, where I could not be
favoured with the current news of the day,
I have been prevented from either feeing
what has been written on the fubjeft of
Canals, Turnpikes, &c. or ofgiving my
opinions thereon.
My sentiments may, perhips, by Tome, '
be considered worthy of attention, by others
neglected ; however they may be received,
I think it my duty to defend, to the utmod
as my ability, every poor man, against the
lawless power of the rich, whose arbitrary
encroachments upon the jull privileges oif
man, are now alarming.
Several acts have palled rn this ar well as
in other Hates, which have a direst tenden
cy to annihilate that confidence which in
dividuals were wont to place in their re
presentatives.Some atls are pro tempore, &
according to their evil tendency will fooo
er or later be annulled or corrected. There
are other acts which do not seem so imme
diately toWffect, but their future agency is
more fatal.
Legislators are not merely elected to
preserve the exiding laws, to extend them,
to ena£t others according to the original
spirit of the conflitution, but te guard the
publicrightsfrom trespass, as well as the
individual. How far the legillators of this
state have aSted confidently with their
milt we (hall examine.
It will be nefcelfary to premife-'-
ill. That the legislature has no power j
' to give away the public property.
2d. The legislature has no power to in-'
fringe private property without the plea ef
necejfity. and for the public good.—
These premises cannot be denied—But
the public property has been given by the
legislature to t private company (which is
the fame as to a private individual) in ma
ny instances, and particularly in the high
way to Lancaster. It belongs to the pub
lic, and in spite of all the sophistry of iaw
quibblers, cannot be ceded to individuals—
This power has never been delegated to
the legislature, and to afliimeit is tyranni
cal!
It may be urged by those who desire ac
commodation at the expence of privilege,
that if the power of amending, and draw
ing a profit from, the high ways, were not
veiled in a private company, it would not
be executed at all. I do not grant this, for
as the Hate is free from debt, and capable
of placing i n anunneceffary bank(edabli(h
ed for mere oppofition&private accommo
dation )fo large a funi of money as they have
lately done, what difficulty would there be
in directing a portion of so large afum to
the making of public roads, especially if
neceflary? Were this done by the date,
the tolls might be so regulated as to pro
duce twenty or ten percent, according to
its general or partial use. The people
would willingly pay to support a road
which belongs to them, because though the
tax were heavy, it would make other taxes
lighter; for whatever is gained by the
public at large, is gained by every indivi
dual. If the expellees ofthe road brought
in a large profit, the slate would be enabled
to extend the public works on every fide ;
and though it might, at firft, seem to iiu
pofe an unneceffiry tax upon that part of
the community which is too remote to
feel the benefits of a local improvement,
the tax is already collected, and the interest
might be so high, as to latisfy the molt dis
tant members of the date that the public
money was well applied. If the rights are
ceded to individuals, where are the bene>-
fits to the community ? They are fuffered to
accumulate interest upon interest, while
the national moitey is deposited in a bank,
where there cannot be so high an interelt,
nor so fafe a deposit 1 —
I will fay a few things concerning the
Can»l which is in embryo.
The second part of what was premised
includes two confederations—'The plea of
nccejfity ar.d public good. —
People of Pennf) Ivania, beware '.
Is it neceflary that the property of an
individual flull be taken away to enrich
another individual ? The canal company
is a private company, and the legislature
hai no power, whatever, to force any per
Jon into a cejjinn of his land, for the emolu
ment of another, Upon any pretext! They
seize the land, open a paflage, and desire
an appointment of arbitrators—The peo
ple have submitted—perhaps many from
an idea it may be ufeful to them,in thefeca
fes they make private agreements; both par
tiej are fatisfied,& I am fatisfied .But if the
company pretend, in virtue of any powers
derived from the date representatives, to
enforce a compliance with their willies, it
becomes an uncotiftitutional and unlawful
a£t. The plea of n?ceflity cannot be taken
here, for no man is endangered by the
want of a canal. If the idea of public
good be resorted to, the public cession of
the turnpike road, to a private company,
is a direit denial of what is urged ; for, if
the public do not think it of diffident con
sequence to induce them to undertake it,
the reason is plain ; viz. it will not pay
the expence, without laying toto great a
burthen upon them ; and if it will not be
productive,that is, if it will not exceed the
common interest of money, without bsing
oppreflive to the people, how Jhall it be
productive of ten or fifteen per centum,
without a molt opprellive and injurious
toll ?—lt is in vain to recur to the firft ob
servation, of its being left undone, if not
executed by a private company—because,
though the date may not at tAis juncture
consider itfelf fufficiently rich, to advance
money on public works, the time cannot
be distant, when that objefrion (if admit
ted now) can have the flisdow of validity,
tffpecially when we consider the many
taxes, duties, and imposition ,; under which
we at present groan 1 I 1
Every man whose land is trefpafled up
on, by either the high-way diggers, by or
der of a private company, or by the canal
makers in the fame predicament, has an un
doubted right, t» takehis mnfh't and defend
his property; unless, uninfluenced by the '
fear of an arbitrary law of the state, he t
has made a private bargain With the com
panies.
Every man arriving at a trunpike-gate,
eftablilhed by a private company, 1 has a
right to force his paflage, tt armis;
as he a£ts only against hlghu<ay-vi;ii, who
contrary to the constitution ol the coun
try, prevent his progress I
A Servant of the People.
Philadelphia, June 28, 1793-
''For the National Gazette,
Mr. FreneAU,
T AM fully convinced that the generil
; principles of your Gazette differ totally
from my own ; notwithflanding which, a*
I vailing inyfelf of democratic generosity,
I flatter myfelf you will afford these few
reflections a place in your paper (how in
differently soever they m*y be written) to
the end that the ntblejfe of America as
well as my own countrymen (of equal dig
nity with myfelf; may lend their aid in
support of the common catje.
In the escape which I luckily made from
the late unfortunate Trench court, I loft
all my feudal property, of immense value
which had descended to me from my an
cedors. I was an excellency by being
duke of A. Marquis of B. and count of C;
and, infhort, lord of the whole alphabet.
All this I fuffered with the magnanimity of
a man, as. far as my own interests were
concerned/but I will candidly confels the
fevered blow I experienced was the un
timely exit of my once gracious sovereign
Louis the sixteenth. TofpHl that blood
by the Guillotine, which was tlfe feed of
all nobility, and pure as the (Ireamj that
flow from the gardens of paradif'e, how
hard, how cruel an affront, how greatly to
be resented 1 It was undoubtedly a viola
tion of one of the mod: (acred duties of
mankind ; they ought to have remembered
that, enlightened asihe world has become,
there is still an immense diltance between
the king and the vuffal, the master and the
slave. The perpetration of this sanguina
ry act was therefore atlealt equal ill enor
mity to the crime of that traveller who kil
led a thief on the high way merely because
he had robbed his father.
You will all', me, perhaps why I fliould
take so warm an interelt 011 this queftian,
as I do—but please to observe. Sir, that al
tho' wholly unknown to Joseph or Leo
pold, the prince o.f Pruflia, or the queen
ofthe two Sicilies,! have notwithltandiftg
had the honour of being for some moments
the brother in law of personages as impor
tant as them —and this is one reason for
the invectives I utter.
At the present juncture the new govern
ment of France pretends to be mild, jult
and fugacious : but that will aot ato:;e for
its having aflcd on a late occasion at once
against found policy, nature, and religion.
They did not act with policy, bccanfe it
was certain the ast of taking away the
king's life would unite all the Catholic
& protestant powers against them in a ge
neral war, which would be a fad draw
back to the fpcedy elevation of the repub
lic, and would be the cause of utter ruin to
all such democrats as Aiould fall within the
reach of their pernicious claws. Secondly,
they infalted religion because the inajefty
of France was the mo ft C"hriflian in the
whole world—lt was (thirdly) unnatural,
because they did to Louis, what not a sin
gle member of the convention would have
chofeu to have had done for himfelf.
What anfvver can be urged tothefeun
anfwerable reasons—Where is the learned
patriot that can give me a categorical re
ply ?
Another great source of my disquiet, as
well as of several other deserving Ameri
can friends,is in the word EQUALITY.
Would toGod I had applied niyfelf a lit
tle more to fiudy instead of wafting the
prime of my clays in riding the great horse,
dancing, caroufin-g, and frothy coaverfati
on. In that cafe every writer would have
vanished before my fuipendous abilities—
nature has been profufe to me in mental
gif ts, but for want of attention, practice,
and observation, I fcarccly know how to
write in a Itile above contempt. Now,
indeed it would star.d me in some stead,
and alter having been concerned in giving
laws, I might find it to my interest to give
some leflons To tell the truth, I w»ih the
very thoughts cf niy former elevation an
nihilated.
How unpolite the praflice of the mecha
nics and low people in this country to
walk the streets without taking off their
hats and bowing to gentlemen as they pass!
Is jt repugnant to one's feelings to'fee a
ma 11 who I would riot choose for my foot
man, pretending to be rry equal ! My
philofopby subscribes to no such thing.—
My birth, character, and flatinn have con-'
vinced me that there is a prodigious differ
ence between me and a tayior. However,
it is too true that the u orld goes all on the
wrong fide of the question. Even the co
lour of things is changed, and of late the
blue, white,and >edfairly fick-.iin:y organs
of vilion.
0 then dear, ancient court of France !
once the delegable and brilliant!—but it
is now all over, and dismal mourning has
spread its midnight mantle over the beau
tiful and splendid fun of royalty. Religi
on itfelf is no more. Lords and dukes are
metamorphosed into vagabonds. A tho
rough change seems to have taken place,
and every article of former belief is thrown
a fide ! Ye gods ! I do not deflre you to
change water into wine ; far the 1 rench
have already enough of it. However, two
or three dozen of miracles might not be
-.ifilels at the present time — Nay, it is pos
sible they might re-convert the people to
their tow discarded creeds.
1 will coafeft to you. Sir,that were Vin
cent Ferrers* alive (eventho'he should
have advanced his former price) I would
freely hire him to perform as many mira
cle-- as would thoroughly frigh'teu the
whole- assembled convention for what they
I have done„and warn them in future never
to put a king to death again.
1 shall conclude with acquainting all our
dear- cro[[td chevaliers and gentlemen,
French and American, that a plan is now
drawing up for constituting a new arilto
cratical society, at the head of uhf.ch is tj
be a great secondary character in America
who is so xealous, acbive, and learned an
advocate of ourdoGrines that he has com
pletely and entirely confuted a noted de
mocratic writer, now in.Francc, and pro
ved his opinions to be wild and absurd in
the extreme.
Some Americans may with difficulty be
brought to believe it. but we kno.v, to a
nicety, who are our friends in this country,
in the name of whom 1 am authorized to
faythat aristocracy.a mocie of government,
so hated and proscribed by some, is Tweet
and delicious to those who are permitted
to have a taste of it, and fuffer me to hint
that it is at this momenf riling where no
body thinks of it, and will go on prosper
ing as the people become more and more
converted to its beauties.
AN ARISTOCRAT.
July 3d. 1793-
* A Catholic faint who wrought mira
cles with such wonderful ease, that the
father confeffor forbade him performing
any more under penalty of cxconununicu
tionfrom holy mother church.
For tie National Gazette.
Mr. FreneAtj,
tT is the wife man's interefl: to be seen
■•■The foul aid ofmafkedduplicity carcalone
be ufeful tothe votaries 0 f fraud, diican ,
fycophanc/, and delign. Tlje public ' -
vants in republican government*
ever to be distinguished by fimr-licity and
rectitude of conduct. This being the cafe,
why then the outcry of the mock " friend
to peace of the long-winded unintelli
gible " freeman" too contemptible to be
noticed ; or of " Pac si *;s," more artful
than both, and of cor.il'j mere dangerous,
in the Rivi/sgtonian and court gazettes,
agninft a fair and impartial examination of
the principles, ami official condu£t of an
exalted chara&er ?
Unless there bejomething rotten in the
Ante of Denmark, official reflitude and re
publican integrity iland not in need of tcry
aid, or rented logic. I repeat, it is the
wife man's interefl: to be seen.
Can gold be rendered less pure by the
repetition of the firey ordeal ? No. Truth
will not shrink from the most rigid scruti
ny. But, Mr. Freneau, what arf we to
expect, when we observe one of the prin
cipal chara£ters in our federal government,
attempting to juftify, nay applaud, the
hellish combination of European tyrants
against the infant liberty of France. The
condudl of this votary of despotism fuffi
cently proves the truth of the refleaions
contained in my former paper. This Au ■
tomedon of prelidential agency, in order
to crulh forever all remarks concerning .
our solicitude for our generous allies, now
struggling for doubtful liberty,fays, " there
are prudential reafenswhichdifl'uadefrom
going largely into this examination, unless
it (hall be rendered neeeflary by the future
turn of the discussion." Foul and scanda
lous insinuation ! O ! abettor of Cartha
ginian faith, blush ! Can you for a mo
ment suppose that the hearts of tie yeo
manry of America are become chilled. and
infenlible to the feelings of intuited human
ity.lrke your own ? Can you think thiitgraj
titude.the molt endearing difpefition of the
human heart, is to be argued away by your
dry sophistry ? Do you suppose that the
freemen of the United f.tates will (ir.tii
gated thereto by duty and interefl) pru
dently thumb over Vatell, Puffendoff,
Lee. Molloy, &c, to ascertain tile sum and
substance of their obligations to the.r ge
nerous brethren the French! No, no.
Each individual will lay his hand upon h:»
heart, and find the amount there : he will
tliere find that manly glow both -of grati
"tudeand io»e which animated his bread
when aftifted by this generous people in
qfiablifliing his own liberty, and iliaking
oS" the yoke of Britilh despotism.
T I M O N.
■•4th July t793.
PHILADELPHIA.
Saturday, Jaiy 6. *
Thurf'lay last, the fourth of July, being
the anniversary of the Independence of
the United States ok America,
was observed here with particular attenti
on and various demonllrations of joy—At
c>ve!"e o'clock a salute was fired, the bells
of Ghrift church continued ringing through
out the day; feverai of iheniitttTa corps
paraded and went through their exercil'es
and firings; many public companies and
private parties aifembled to celebrate tha
day, and in the evening there was a brilli
ant exhibition of fire-works at the upper
end of Market-flreet.
(Prom Paris, April 16.J
After the arrival of the contmiilioners,
-dispatched by the convention to Chantilly,
they went immediately to the Chateau of
the late prince of Cciide, ard having exa
mined feverai of the apartment-, one of
the company remarked ccrtain liitie tur
rets, neatly enough contrived, and wal
led up on everj'fide without tiie lealt aper
"ture ; they were conflrucn-d c-f hewn '.tone
of the..thicknefj of the walls. Finding
that when fir irk. upon, they founded hol
low, they were ordered to be opened, and
within were difcorered a large number of
pieces of artillery, quantities of mufqnets,
culverins, carronades, bluuderbuS'es, bags
of ball?, -buckshot, iron wedges ; linen
rags, velvet carpets, eiubroidercd tillc
cloathes, watches, about three hundred
bundles of paper, air ong which ".. ere ob
served all the genealogy and family tides
of the house of Clermont. Besides all this
there was a number of rich jewels, feme
books of natural hi ft cry, &c.
Mention is made in the Baltimore even
ing polt of July 1. of intelligence being re
ceived by way of Norfolk that the 1 n-lilh
had taken the French ill; nd of St. Lucie—
and that Gen. Dampierre nad defeated the
Auftrians under Saxe Coboufg and Clair
fayt, near Valenciennes; having killed
<1000, and took 1706 prisoners. I>y another
account,directly to this port, v., hear that
the Britijh hi attempting to land a nuniler
of troops on the illand of Martinique, 'ad
been repulsed and driven oh", with u.e
loss of 200 men.
Capt. Lindfey, of the brig Molly lately
arrived here from CapeErancors, informs,
that he saw capt. Brown of Philadelphia,
who told him that he was boarded by ; :<i
Englilh privateer who examined hit pape: s.
Capt. Brown told the captain of the pri
vateer that he belonged to America-.. The
captain of the privateer ordered captain
Brown and his men to the forecaflle ; af
terwards went into the cabin with his
men and ordered his boat under the cab 11
i window, where he plundered everything
he could leize#—fent his boat off, and or
dered n prize mailer en board of a raia
frown's veft'el, to t»e immediately ■Cent to
fam.v'ca. A few days afterwards, falling
i.i with a French 7 j., the Englilh pr;v£[e^£