National gazette. — Philadelphia [Pa.], 1793-06-12 00:00:00, page 2

Solemfl fr.ce is seldom to be -fee;i in open
<'ay among the refV of the feathered tribe-
At the fame time hosts of mercenary sy
cophants have been employed to blazo'i
forth in tile moil sublime drain- 01"pane
gyric, the exalted virtues, the jtidefci *ba
b!e perfeitioni or riicir jy-acieus fov.ereigu-
The unthinking multitude have seldom
failed t.) f.va.l" \ th- bait, and volunta i-
Jy to ratify * ;e ignominious deed ot their
gv i iricm. Thus '.live mankind ii:
■every a;e themlelves to be debafec!
b •ea:i' t.:e brute creation : for none ol
tliefe, 1 b::l:.-vc, ii*e (laves to an individua
of their owa speck ..
It is said that, at the present day, Amerie:
boafh of a more enlightened, and confe
que.itly a lets flavii'i generation of men.
but of this we mnl* judge by their practice.
Happy w 'l it be for thi'infelves and tot
pollerity if, warned by the fad example oi
■Other nations, they refufe to bend the knet
to Baal. and ad like men who cleferve to be
free. May they never forget that a super
ftitio'.is veneration of any one man is the
portico to the accursed temple of slavery !
May they, while they pay a decent refpet;
to patriotic men, venerate rectitude ot
principle only I and above all, may they e
ver aflert svirh firr.mefs the rdearell prero
gative, that of freely canv.lii >g public me;:-
fures, however popular, however tfxalted
in station their authors maybe. In th'r
way only can the sacred Hame of liber
ty, like that of the veilal virgins, be trans
mitted with undiiniuifhcd luitre, from age
to age.
The solicitude of a supreme inagTrtratt
for *h* happiness of his country fhouid keep
paco \v;th the high honours conferred or
him in being choferr to that place, and a
lrunly invemgation of public measures
o(ig!;t at ail times to be countenanced. Ii
confciertis of having atted well his part, hr
can have nothing to fear from the fevered
Icrutiny, which must rather turn out to hii
advantage, by placing his conduct in a re
fp'e£table point of view before his fellow
citizens. Belides in a course of free en
quiry, hints not unworthy of attention, art
frequently thrown out.
It every honest animadverter en what he
conceives to be abuses or error in the ad
ir.millration of government is to be (ilen
ced, without the fhadsw of argument, by
the hackuied cry, that he willies " to injure
the supreme executive," or, that his candid
are ** infultingto the President
of the United States I ' —lf to condemn mal
practice in ny department of government
fcs to ** iufult the Prefidenf'—if to deny, or
, even queflion the infallibility of a firll ma
gi Irate, be a political heresy of the deepelt
h —if the parregyrifls of governmental
nleafures ire eternally to silence the voice
of injured patr'tstifm, by crying out " The
government is in danger"—if all objeflions
are to be got rid of in this way, surely it if
time to al'c, in the name of heaven, tinder
what fort of government do we live—lf we
call ourselves freemen, the appellation rauf
be conftdered as a mere mockery, or at bed
an empty found.
- 'No one :aii fee insensible to what great
dangers the liberties of a people are expo
led, when the undue influence of one man,
whether funded on popularity or power,
is fu.t: e"t to carry down any public men
fur. 1 , and to (lifte all enquiry refpectirig
either itl jultice or expediency. The po
pularity of a supreme magiflratc has in ma
ny inltances served as a shield in the hands
of delig iug men to screen the authors of
all public measures indiscriminately; or
rather, as an opiate to lull the peuple into
feenrity, at timfcs the molt alarming. In
Head of watching over their own liberties
with an eye of patriotic vigilance, they ton
often fay, " our king, or our emperor, or
our president is at the helm, and there is
no danger."
In regard to America, it is happy for her
that some of her moll enlightened sons have
ilartcd back with horror from the preci
pice to which they had been nearly eon
dueled by a delusion of this fort; and have
founded a falutarv alarm among their fel
low citizens. The republicans of Philadel
phia have taken the lead on this glorious oc
cafion,and have acquired immortal honour
by a manly avowal »f this great truth, that
principles and not men, ought ever to be
the objects of republican attachment. To
the Britifli royalists in this country they
have resigned the slavish monarchical prac
tice of idolizing men. But hosv glaring
has been the insult to our present chief
magistrate by some deirotees to royalty in
Philadelphia, who, when met to eelebrate
the birth day of their king, had the pre
emption to toatl the Prelident after the
said king, their queen, and the whole roy
al brood of Britain I —They have placed
the President in the rear of a pretty train
indeed. A fmiilar honour was lately con
ferred on him by the St. George's society of
Charlelton —Snth are the men who atfect
to entertain a high refpeft for t]ie preii
dential character, who twelve years ago
would have exulted in hearing he had fi
■nifhed his career in the raolt infamous
manner-
But, were I to give utterance to my
feelings, this copious theme would carry
m? too far. My sole objedt when I began
thiseffay was to fliow the neceffityof can
vassing public measure» with a manly free
dom, without fulFering our judgment or
integrity to be warped by th» slavish influ-
ence of great names. If lr.y language
should be disagreeable to any in high itati
o.is. they will be pleased to remember it
is the language ot patiiatifin, truth, and
linccrity. Should: the splendour and im
portance of great names continue to be
h?!d forth by court- .vriters to deter indi
'iduilsfroma free investigation of public
uieafurei, I fliall have no objecVio-.i lore
fume my Dea, a id brint; unquestionable
argu mentsthat elevated station is no proof
of prelideatial, or any otker infallibility.
VER.IT AS.
Jnne to.
No. 11.
COOL REFLECTIONS relAtivetc
the FRENCH REVOLUTION.
Mr. Freneau,
T AM not one of those hackneved, c-olcT
*■ hearted politicians who think that go
vernments and nations have *-different rule
if action from individuals, that they ought
lot like individuals to follow the moral
:li£tates of the heart; but Ihould in all (mi
nions csft aside every confederation btu
mere interest and advantage. I never couli.
"ee that it was improper for the whole tc
Jo what it would be meritorious in eacl
me in particular to do ; or that nation
which are described as moral persons, were
,ot bound and would not in the end j,ain
by arting in every regard according to tin
piecepts of morality. Nor could my mine
ever comprehend how a nation could L<
bound to one moral duty and not to ano
ther. If a natioi) ought to be jufl, wlij
noc a!Co generous, grateful, btncfictnt, a»i;
charitable ; and this as well towards othei
ations *s towards its own members. Anc.
if honesty, as all hold, be the bell polic;
among nations, because it is so among indi
viduals, why is not generoficy, humanity
gratitule, &c. the belt policy alio ainon>
nations, feeing that the practice of thefi
virtues are as certainly the true policy ol
individuals, as the practice of jultice or ho
nesty itfelf. I conclude therefore that i
imi ft be the interest as it is the duty of tiu
United States to exejeife all the virtue:
[hat are praise \»orthy in private persons
aad confequelitly to pay the debt of grat:
tude, sympathy. and pood will, as well a:
the debt of gold or lilver, to all, whethei
i foreign nation or our own citizens, wlit
nay be entitled thereto. A contrary con
iuit would be as unwise as it would bc
mean; and would fallify all those magnaui
lious prot'eflions, and expanded principles,
which have spread afar the fame of our
neroes and statesmen, and given the cauft
if liberty, tirft cfpoufed by America, fuel!
Uuftrious merit in the eyes of mankind.--
The cralty and trickilh fnaxirns by whicl
kings and courts colour over the violatior
->r evalion of a moral policy, are growing
nto contempt even among theinfelves
through the experienced folly of them.
But here the queltion arises bttweer
America and France, whether the del to!
gratitude and friendfhip was contraftcil to
wards the French King or the French na
ion, I (hall try to conlider it with fair
:iefs and in as exatl a manner as breviu
will permit.
Gratitude implies that advantages have
seen conferred or intended, and the degree
ihereof ought to be proportioned to tin
7,reatnefs of the advantage combined witl
the benevolence of the motive. To deter
mine therefore, who it was, whether the
cing or the nation of France, that had the
mod claim to our gratitude, it mtift be con
idered which of them, principally, contri
buted the aids we received, and which wa:
-rned by til.' purelt motives of goof
will. Now this is i point that every grate
ful candid mind would fain decline, becetifi
-t i» the temper of gratitude to think fa
vourably of the bencfa£tor, and candour i:
jver ready to prefuine a good motive to t
jjood deed, where nothing appears to the
contrary. But in the orefent cafe as dif
ferent and clalhing claims are set up, we
,re compelled to examine and compare
them.
The advocates for the merit of the king
tell us it was he that made the treaty ol
independence ; he supplied us with money ;
he it was that sent out fleets and armies to
fight for us. It would not be unfair to
alk here whether he adopted these raea
fures as the magistrate and of the
nation, or merely of himfelf, without re
gard to the fenl'e and inclination of the na
tion ; for on the Jalt fuppolition iE ii im
possible to approve his conduit, tho' we
happened to g>-t fomethlng by it; and on
the other fuppoiition the nation will be let
in for the principal lliare of the merit. I
will not however purine this argument on
account of the difficulty of fettling the cx
aft relation between the king and the na
tion, under the old government ; but pro
r°ed to observe, that as to the pecuniar;,
supplies from France, they w ere nil in fac<
contributed by the nation, .and not by the
king. The money came out of the pocket?
of the people : it was made out of the la
bour of their hands and the sweat of their
brows. It is even true, (tho I take no
pleasure in the remark, nor would make it
if not-called for by the occalion) that not a
livre sent us, as I have ever under!.ocd,
was spared out of the sum appropriated to
the accommodation of the king (if it had,
[ it was dill money drawn from the pockets
of lite ptop'e) Lilt so much taxed as an ad
ditional burden on the nation. And as to
i,he bloodifhed ia our behalf. whose.was ii ?
Surely, not the king's. His little finger
never acted, nor was a hair of his head in
danger l>y reason of the war. Those who
fought for us were a part of the nation,
the foils, and brothers, and fathers of the
French people. They were fed and cloath
ed and lupported at the expence of tin
people, cheerfully afforded as we have good
reason to believe. And, excepfingperhaps
a pari of the officers, they are at this time
fighting on the fide of the naticn agaijift all
its royal combined enemies. Surely then
die benefits received by America from
France are to be set down principally to
the nation rather than to the king.
Next, for the motives—and these may be
analyzed into three.: 1. A hatred aguinft
Great-Britain on paftfcores.—2. A jealou
-7 of future danger from her incrtafing
iuwer and refourcis.—3 A good will to
wards the people of America in the caufo
»/ liberty w.herein (he had embarked.
Now, as to the tirft motive it was doubt
iefs felt ffrongly both by the government
nation of France. The second was in like
manner a motive with both, as we may 111-
turally suppose, in proportion to the atreti-
Lion given to the dangerous growth of the
Britillj empire. But it is the third and 1..1t
motive only which America is to regard li
the true and laudable object of her grati
tude. And does it require a moniert's
confederation to determine that there v. as
more of diltinjuillied cordial fympatby v. ith
lis, whilst for o;;r.; ; jlus a:.d li
berties, in the people of France, than in
:ie king ? If ~iiy man in hi; could
ji er have supposed otherwise, \ • null! now
be convinced by fails and events. For the
Irencb nation is now at war ag; hilt the
uhole world, a; it were, in that very cuife
•ii liberty and humanity in which they a.dcd
iiid befriended America ; and the unfortu
nate Louis has fallen a aielancho y victim
to his apoltacy therefrom.
PHILADELPHIA.
June 8.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
In addition to that given in our la ft and
'receding number, several letters appear
11 the European papers, written by Dll
- other officers, to different per
ons, on or about the time of his defer t.o 11.
:T nder the date of April 1, is a letter b)
lim addressed to general Mia2.in(Ui,inf orm
rig him of his having arrested the comnnfi
iners, and ordering him to march inllantly
igainft Lisle, to lake pofieflion of the ua
■,onal treasure theie ; to proceed trom
hence toDoiiay. and arrest general More
en—then to advance to Can,bi>.y, Sec. and
(during him that the whole army was de
cided for the restoration of mo.iarchy.—
Another letter appears from Duraonn-.-r to
:iie Adminiltrators of the Department of
he North, dated April a, giving a horrid
jicture of the anerchy at Paris, the cruel
jeifecutions set on foot by the Nation-.'
Convention, &c. expressing the strong at
:achment of his army, upon the strength of
which lie had seized the commifiioiiers, and
with wiiich he meant immediately
march towards Paris, to crown the dau
jhiu,'to put an end to riiforder, Ei:d to
naintain the conftitutionas adopted in 1 791,
ic. &lc. —A third address is alio publiihed
from Dumourier's adjthant-geiieral i.'Or
•ery, to the commanders at the town: and
iorts 011 the French northern frontiers,
lated St. Aniand, April 5, in which,
•!ecryine,& er'-ir ent
if' France, hetacill-y recommends to them a
participation in the treason of Dumourier
ind himfelf, and to give up the polls in
heir keeping to the Auftrians.—A letter
was also published trorp general Cuftine, to
Che French minister at war, dated Worms,
March 30, detailing some disastrous events,
jarticularly the loss of the post of Bingen,
iwing principally to the cowardly or trai
o: 0113 condutf of several battalions. Gene
al Poire was left the commanding officer
it Mentz, and other inferior officers in
whom he could repose confidence : Ctif
:ine himfelf was preparing to cover the
entrance of the departments of the Rhine.
—In addition to these there is published
mother letter, or rather proclamation,
: rpm Dumourier to the French nation,
inder the Paris head of April 9. —It is as
"ollows.—
"At the time I published my fiift pro
clamation I had founded the sentiments
f all my corps of the army under my com
mand, and all of them seemed penetrated
•vith the ir.iferies which an anarchical ty
ranny, exercised in the name of the Na
;ional Convention, had entailed on our
ountry. All of them acknowledged un
equivocally that we could not live without
aws, and appeared to agreein opinion that
:he re-eftablifhmcnt of the confiitmion
would restore us to peace and good order,
-.-cithout which is was inipoffible for us
longer to exist:
'■ I had not as yet reason to expect that
there could be the least wavering from an
L'j inion so well founded, ai d which also
puffed unanimous; and, indeed, who
Lould have conceived that the generals
rhemfelvcs would have fought, through
their ambition, or by a fpirir of infatuation,
to alter the refolujion of the army 5 Danj
p!errev SteteiiliofF, la Mcrliere, Rofcre,
Chancel, f'errand, lra\e ccnfpirfd agaiuflj
their country, againlt a good eaufe, agaiiiit
their companions in arms, and again)! me,
to whom tliey made repeated aflinances
that tl ey entertained the fame pri::riplcs
with ourselves. I ihali not reproach them
with ingratitude—ll■ e.r conuientes "svi! t
one day punish them fufficitndy, but (hall
confine lryfelf to this obiervation, that
neither of them esteems the niifcreanta
whom tiny now i'trve—The Jacobiss
will, in their blind lurv, cXcrcife ven
geance on them—for feteral of the
number are of the peiTei nre'd feft; ancf
the anar'hills will mptue to them the dil
afters that cannot fail to accompany th<r
raili and fan; tiinary plans w kich that afiem
blage 'of factious criminals w ill oppose lo
the regular plans of attack ol the combined
pi« ers.
'• The revolt arranged by these traitors !::is
for a moment changed the face of affair
whilst the commiffionersof the Conventic
afiembled at Valenciennes and Lisle, have
employed measures worthy of themselves
to milk ad the army, and llifie the pretend•
ed confpitacy which we all regarded as a
neccfi'ary aii'of virtue, finee it is trie only
means *f laving France : They have em
ployed the arms ol mifereants and cow
ards.
" On the 3d of this months, fix fanatical
volunteers c. me to-St. Amand to poignard
'me I protee'ed them from the fury of
the foidiers, and feiit tlieni to keep com
pany with the four commilSoners—they
will augment the number of hostages.
" On the 4tb. three battalions of national
volunteers deserted the c.mip, without or
ders, and threw thenfehes into Valen
ciennes. I met them on tiieroad between
St. Amand and Conde, at the distance of
about half a leagne-from tl-e latter place.
1 was then without eleort, as a father in
tile midlt of his children, (lor fitch was
the tender name the whole army had be
llowed on me.) I had. at the 1110 ft, fifteen
or eighteen pcrfons with me on hurfe
baci.—when tile battalions were To daf
tartHy as to afiail me with a dilcharge of
inufquctry. They killed several of my
(elite, as well as several horles.
•' They cvt offthe ro.id to the camp to
which I wifiied to return; and 1 was
forced to lave U:yfelf, v ith a part of the
officers who accompanied me, by crofliug.
the Scheldt in a* boat to repair to the tirlt
imperial poll. As i: was not our intention
to emigrate, and as we were allured that
the army expressed a strong indignation
against tliefe afiaflins, as well as an attach
ment to the re-sihiblifliment of peace and
good order, we repaired at day break to
the camp. Therft, however, amkiiS. . cite
rated protestations cf atcaeinnt'i'H 10 the
principles that determined u», we remark
ed a mute aid ftiiiea agitation, which
mi.de us judge that ffr.arge diflentiuns of
opinion prevailed. 1 acldreiiecl each corps,
and from each corps received a reply tan
tamount to that made 0:1 the preceding
day.
•• Wishing, however, after the remarks
we had made; to repair to the head-quar
ters at St. Amand-, «e learned the corps of
artillery formed tlie detifcji cf conveying
their great park to Valenciennes ; & that the
plot of the radio as men who mi (lead them,
was, 10 seize on us, to convey us thither,
and to make a merit of facr licing us to the
vengeance of our tyrants. "We had then
one expedient o:ny left, ili.it of repairing
.to the Jnipei-'SI army, which we ought to
regard as our ally, ■ tier tlie frank and 110-
oW pro. .. ...irion o£ tire general i» chief by
'.\|:olll'i! -11 <1 e <1. I
St v. of ■ utlery have already
o ned us leve.al cands ol infantry hate*
done the Mine ; av:d a* loon as. the Impe
riafills limit hav« entered '.he territory of
Fiance, not a-- vanqnifkers. and willing t»
ilucate laws, but as glorious allies, who
come to aid us in the 1 e-c-ltablifhing the
constitution, which can alone day the pro
gress of the crinreiand calamities thatme
nace France : many other corps will re
pair to unite Uiemielves to their brothers
in arms.
" I know the disposition of the army,
and more elpeeially that of the troops of
the line. Their principles are, at the bot
tom, pure. They may for. a moment allow
themselves to be hurried away by the ex
aggerated opinions incnicaitd to them ;
but as the invincible coin ; they have
dtfplayed during the present war, mil ft
nece'll-.rily be accompanied ,cy the desire
of poflefiiitg the law-, they crntjot find, un
lets in the conftittition. which will dtftrpy
the odious tyranny ot anarchiils, they will
be jealous of the public eiirera, . Thet
will blush at having, even for a moment,®
been capable of anr.exin?; their colours to
those of criminal licemiotvfiefs. They
will rally I" lid' the brave troops whohave
only accompar.ir cf- me in .my momentary
retreat to re-emer France wi, Itin two days
at fartheft. a: el tojut ;:i »::d to the vile
diforclers vV'hicli cover a!! 1 ranee with
mourning and terror.
" I fwcnr, in the name of my compani
ons, that Me will not lay de-v:i our arms
Until we liiall have fiuceed».d i.r our enter
prize ," • rd our fc>!e delign i-s, l" ce-eftablilh.
the conilitufion and roaftitmiosial
—Th.it no . 1 11: mer.t, no rair.r after ven
geance, no ambitious IV.OLvc, Iways our
j irpoi'e a j that ro ci flsall in