National gazette. — Philadelphia [Pa.], 1793-06-19 00:00:00, page 2

1. I
rit from this add.-ess , but a< coming Ir -
one wlO having defended t:ic liberties <>;
I U c vv 1 co intry in tils day ofdter calami
iy, wi hes the fame liberty to Me -a tilt
ha ua i race—A'id from one, who being a
Ainer'can fre#hoUL*r, if not To great a ma .
id m j v happy and independent thin tlu
F.mp-r ir of German'.' ; and wltilfl he ob
fe.'ve the la •. s of the land, his none ti
jua.ce mm jfraid. From Citizen
wm. wrtLcocKs.
N. .V Yo. k, June 9th, 1793.
For t'l, N 115-j 11 'iI Gazette.
Mr. FrtnisAU
TT WJV > b- i anient from (he city for
■* si \ lav'. i did it until this morniaj
j-erufe :i- piece figlie:i "A Friend t«
P•• i." I aci ire . r-s '.entleni m'j pe
i) f" i£i >i, and (iibfcribe cheerfully to hi:
j>->,tr cal e'd. I fe no propriety i
IV 'utin.7.>' t e conduct of p iblic officers
II i..vr.' mr)s much contention anr
ire.j'j uiy ,>r«»d ices a paper war—and a
:i 11 .v.i icons lent with repuhlicai
p i icip 'S, v ihould avoid every tiling o
the i<r ;d. K.* tide , ';>rivate citizens are Bo
com;) tenfjudges of tneir own good, an.
therefore ought to uitid their common as
furs, and not rt i ;rn li "hilelves with
public matters. Ilai n.>c i e " Friend u
Peace" i >!d us rh it tile brt ach of iufpicioi
jmi'i n the wafted toward; our prefen
aclminiftratibn, left it fhotiid coivulfe the
gov ime.lt. and occalion a l rchyand con
funj'i. Shall we then by our o.vn imper
tihe.it enq . iea into'tne cn unict of ad mi
liiltration, rrk fnch fatal c fecjuercei .
I hope not. — «iiit rather, a dir dhd by ti
abovementioned writer, look up to on
rulers With awe and reverence, end pre
fume not to place ourft Ives on a "lr»<
with them " It 'ii abl'urdt > I iy, that th
in ire frequently the principles of a repub
can government a e difculuil, and the be:
ter it is tmderftood, the greater will be ii
feciKity. No w I a;n of opinion, that the
more myfterioiis any thi ig is, the less it i
umlerftood and the more out of fight it i
kept, the greater u ill be the adoration paic
to it. Our adm'iliftration, like the king
-of F.ngland and ttie wild bealtsin tiie tower.
Should not be exposed to v ulgar eyes, and
only exhibited on particular occafioos.
As to our coilduft with refpett to the
powers at war, our writer has given us .
good leflbn, if we are wife enough to pro
fit by it. He has told us, thru as the French
are threatened with defirnftion from ah
•quarters, they mufl of course he fubdtied.
That it will therefore be our policy to dif
solve the friendly connexion that com
menced during ou i* own ftrugales for liber
ry, as the/ cannot no.v be of any mort
service to ;n. That gratitude for past fer
vices ought to give place to policy. And
finally, that the far of bringing on our
selves the wrath of thole omnipotent
princes, who are now wreaking their ven
geance upon the miserable people of France.
Jhonlil lead lis to difdaim all friendlhi
"With tint unfortunate nation. I amthemore
confident hat these truly patriotic lenti
ments will soon be the governing principle
in this country, as they seem already to In
adapted by Tome of our mlers and terrair
influential iharafters. What a dreadfu
Situation forns, if our foolii'n and inconfi
tlerate attachment to the French cau r e
Should involve ns in an open war witl
Great J.itainin particular I fay opei
wir became f >me pe pie are fowii enougli
to beiirve, th ■ t l!u even now d.f.overs a
h i jle spirit towards us by retaining out
we tern polls, and Supply- g the lavage
■withw it tike inlriimrnts lor the purpof.
of def il.iting our fron <--s. But has no.
the " Friei.d to Penc ' made known ti.
tis, that f.ie lias l'ufficient reaforis forth
detention ofthi.fepofti ? We ought tliert
fore i all coif.iencc l be fiti si don thi
liead, and ma no farth' r euq' iries about
the matter. I he devastation on the inhabi
tants of the 1 rentiers, is a circumOsnce w t
ought not to take notice of. It is only by
blocking up our f. a-ports, that a deadly
wau'id is inflicted. Then we mull bid adieu
to dear commerce, and all our iuture
hopes of wealth and grandeur. Can a
thoufind rives of our frontier inhabitrn'r
be put :n competition with this calamity ?
Certainly not. Awaken then my country
men, or ra.iier brother speculators, to a
fenO of your danger. Gonciliute the minch
of the all-conquering Britons, by adopting
their principles, which are surely moi\
conge.nil with the spirit of our Govern
ment, than the French. Formerly'an at
ta.hmdnt to otir country, and an abhor
rence of EngliOimen, was a ruling principle
in this country—but the cafe is altered. A
Sympathetic congeniality ot sentiment be
tween fo-.ne of our great men and Britifii
emiff.iries, has happily done awav ail ani
molity, except among a few hot headed
republicans. I (hall now mention one
more reason, why we should renounce the
French, and cultivate the friendfhip of the
Englifli. It is the difference in the forma
tion of their respective frames. There is
a peculiar excellence in the contexture of
::n Englishman's body. The blood that
flows in his veins is of a Superior quality to
any other nation, more especially the
.French. The former, confciotis ofhisfu
ncriority, manifeffs the utmoQ contempt
r ~nr m 1
ft' f-fimicienry,arrogs cy and preemption,
may be found in the lo a eft as w»ll as the
iugneft orders of tli :tpeo;>le Heme »
c.) jjifd faibor, as '.veil as his fu-perior ofli
er% think, lie hai on indubitable right t<
mfult a Frent .mail wherever he meeis
nm. An.l I cV-isiot hel|> r»martd;ig. thn
::ie toleration of this act, in several in
tmces. lately In lie republican city of
Philadelphia, li an indub:t.:ble proof ol the
growth of my opinions. A> I mean to con
inue this fubj.'fi at another time, 1 fha.l
close for the present.
MERCATOR.
June 17th, i 793.
.. .. *r-rauJU »■ 1 »—
Mo. IV.
COOL REFLECTIONS kfi.Ativeto
the FRENCH REVOLUTION.
'pHF. more I on the princip'es am
temper ol the people of America, an;
hear the sentiments of that cI«G which is
the fa ire ft fiir.ple of the great bedv if our
.itizens, the more I discover < f the pre
vailing eager good will to the French re
volution, aiid that in the nature oi thing?
it could not be otheruife. In pirticula:
irciei and pi ices, particular canfes may
produce dif.itfeftion and hatred to France ;
nit \\ hen these.particular iauies curre t<
ie examined and underfteod, thev will hi
;ound to be inimical to liberty and repub
can government in general, and confi
dently to prove a contrary fentimeut ii
;lie body of the people who are attacheifti
liberty aiid republican government in gene
1 ,d. If lam a lince. e friend to freedom ii
.iy own country, 1 cannot help will ling t<
eit spread intu other countries So the
nan ulio is an enemy torepub:ican govern
nent etfewhere, cannot be attached to fuel
a government at home. This is ag
•o the uattue of man and the retiton o'
hings. And on this ground, if I had n<
. 1. tii ulnr evidence to guide my judgment.
I (liould be Aire that the cause of the Frencl
evolution muff be popular in general, anr
unfitfhionablein pnriictilar places. Let an;
man, whoby talking, and hoping, iff
ng, has brought himfelf to believe that tht
general sense of the people is again!! tl <
French revolution, make the trial by quit
ing his part'cular c rcle. and harangu'u
before a city meeting, or a cotinty elec
tion, 111 the I'.mr ft rain he uses in hi; focia
>r confidential hours ; let him tell the peo
pie he hopes the duke ol Brunfwick will dc
better this campaign than t e lalt ; that the
nerceiury armies eng ..;ed 111 the cause o
kings will fncceed againlt the' citizen troop.
:h .t are fighting the battles of the Frcn: I
rpublic, that al]go.id Americans are boulit
iy gratitude and policy to wilii fcr tht
lownfal of the republic, tire re-eftablilh
uent of the th on; 1 , and the bringing bad
.he people, by tlie point of the oayonet, 1111
r ler the yoke of monarchical government
let him be lilly enough to try this experi
ment, and he will not he long in discover
ing how much he has been out in his reck
oning. There is indeed a fe:ret confei
oufneft of the general sentiment ol tiie
country on this fubjefl, in t.'ie mod zealou
enemies of French republicanism, whir'
their conduct fully evinces ; for wheneve'
(except ill a few u guarded cafe-.) the)
vent their doflrine to the public thro' th
newspapers. they do not speak tlieii mean
in; in direst terms, hut go to work col-
Mterally by a ft ting of faOs, oi
touching the firing of compaffien for rh t
iate king, or setting out in Orong colour:
particular evils blended in lr.eafures ami
vents good in themselves ; thereby hiding
is far as they can, from the reader, thai
.lie true contest at present in France is be
tween liberty and tyranny ; between re
publicanifin and royalty—or, in one word,
lietween the people and the enemies of the
people.
I n order to Comprehend fully the com
.lexion of America in relation to the af
fairs of France, we must attend to three
everal forts, or characters of people found
among us. The firft fort is that which 1
lave all along spoken ips as the great nia r s
0 the community, friendly to the French
revolution from principle, from sentiment,
from interest, and from habits of mind
formed under our republican governments.
It comprehends the landed interest at large;
merchants, for the molt part, who are A
mertcan or Irifli by birth and also in capital,
together with the generality of tradesmen
and manufacturers. The class opposed to
the French revolution with decrees of ma
lignity varying according to' circumstances,
II made up principally out of the following
defcriptions—Nativesof monarchical coun
tries who have not llrength of mind to re
nounce their prejudices—Natives of Ame
rica, educated and travelled abroad, who
have been weak enough to contract preju
dices contrary to the spirit of their own
country—Americans trading on foreign ca
pitals—Such as are attached to the Britifl:
form of gnvernment, and are grieved to
fee the republican form in their own coun
try fortified by the eftablilhment of a limi -
lar government in France—The generality
of the holders of the public debt, who (by
whatever cause it is to be accounted for i
1 observe, are (with laudable exceptions
however) bitter againlf the French revo
lution—LalHy, a proportion of the men
holding lucrative or durable offices in go
' '
morti/yi f, tooo r «. ve how loon men \\iu>
1-vcli" on thcvpL.'b - bej'in to f parate them
felv>g in their-feelings'and views from the
common mass i»f oitfeens,, and to beioni
ct f rflTiin i:e advocates for power
for every rtieafure ot government whate
ver, as if they were appointed and paid no.
r .o serve their couir ry, but w ere enHAer
into a particular corps, having axHftinft a <
eparate mterelt to defend ag.ai.Jit the pto
ile as a common enemy- I have seen so
1111 ch of this weaknef> in many Teeming!}
?ood and refpeflable men, and such change
" t"e language and opinions of invn, 011
eing put into lucrative polls, as have ; fto
ilht d me ; and ied me Co refieit, if Inch
>e the cafe in filch a country and govern
ment as ours, what must be the spirit of
government and office, where the people
lave neither agency nor influence therein I
There is a third fort of people, who vi
brate between the other two, according
:o reports and intelligence from Europe.
Their mouths are open or flint, their
:ongues let loofc en this or that tide, just
icc®rding to the new's at the Coffee honle.
Kvcvy lliip that arrives influences their
principles. Whilst Amiterdam v\astrem«
iling at the advance of Dumourier, they
iv illii il to be talked to as the friends of li
berty and France. On the victory of the
prince of Saxe, they stalked abroad the
iooniy prophets of perdition to France,
;nd i:dled off towards the enemies to her
.aufe. This description is more numerous
:han could b. wilhed, for the ho.iour of our
:i u try, arid indeed, of human nature;
ho' 1 trufl and believe not fu'fficieftt to givt
iiui.h v eight to the ciafs of enemies to
rench liberty, when put into that ft ale.
I Ilia]! only obfeive at present refpefting
this flu3:ii itiag ft of men, that they may
etivid d intotwo k rds : c ue of which i"
; ovfrned by a natural timidity of temper,
aliich inaKC3 tliem a'moft involuntarily fl) 1
,o 11.e par:y that has the cry of victory on
rheir fine. The other is dirciled by a li.or:
lighted time serving policy, that always
I'quares its principles to its intere!!ec
hopes, and thci'e to every momentary (late
of things.
FHILADF.LPHUS.
June 14.
-'-'11=1' < ■ •
For the NATioNAt Gazette.
TT is an observation of ancient date, thai
i a weak or qirbbling advocate is oftei
more injurious to the cause he effoufes
than its mod formidable ()•
.his'f.'e have a recent iiifiance, in " A frienc
•op :iee," who. in his vcrbofe answer it
' \ -.-rit thews himfelf to be totally de
void of .tfndoor, and endeavov.i s to thri v
'ult in the eyes of the public, by fcrft ir.if
reprefvnting the molt clear find cxpl.ci
ihfervations ot his antagoailt.and then wa
ging war, not with the arguments oropiu
ions of Veritas, but with those whic'J < ri ■
in his own diftortcd imagination
Now what is this butto acknowledge, tha
he letters of Veritas co ntained unaufwrr
ible truths; truths which could not other'
wife be overset. than by the molt baft' arti-
Sees of nf.freprefer.tation ? So farisths
piecc lignt d A Friend to Peace, fro 11. beinj
n anfsver to the letters of \'eritas, that 1
think he might as w ell have addrelled Isii
observations to t!ie man in the moon as tc
that writer.
Vt ritas complains that ouf treaties witl
France are not recognized in the procla
mation ; that this omission, together with
liie general tenor of the proclamation, hsd
indiK. il many to suppose that theft; treaties
were no longer to be regarded ; and fug
belted that it would be prudent in the ex
;cutive to compose the public mind, by
giving filch explanations as appeared n cef
fary, on this, u.terefting f.ibjeft. Healfo
observed, that it could not be confident
with our duty or interest, to violate our
plighted faith, a .4 thereby involve our
selves in a war with Fram c:—What an easy
matter would it have been for the execu
tive to set this bulinefs in its true light I —
Had proper explanations been given, on
the appearance of Veritas's firlt letter, cr
on the publication of the numerous eifays
»n this fubjt ft, which had appeared i 1 \a
rious parts of the union, how much iinplea
fant altercation might have been avoided !
Hut such condejccnjlori, it seems. ought not
to be expeiled by the " iwinifli mul
titude""
Those who have perused the letters of
Veritas cannot but view with astonishment
the effrontery of his adversary in. publicly
hazarding the following aflertions—" Tiie
only apparent tendency of your letters is,
to intimidate the executive into some act
that 111alI infringe the neutrality of our na
tion, and involve us in a war, 011 the fide of
France, against all Europe." And again—
•' The evident tendency of your letters is
for war, and you are not contented with
giving j ir own opinion on the fubjett, but
fay it is iue decided opinion of the union."
These groundless charges are contained in
r. lengthy exordium : after which thU
writer comes to "argument," as he calls
the subsequent part of his curious per
formance.
But how are we disappointed, when, in
stead of arguments tending to prove the
coniiftency of the proclamation with the
treaties between France and the United
Sfstes, v. e and the n?"t coltirr'i orrrp 3
w tli jiii c\ afive digrefiion on the v.ut.e fub
lifting b' twcen nations. The w ritcr mij-ht
have lin ed himfelf much troub'e, by tranf
ribing a page on this fubjeft from Grotius,
Puff. ndorl, or Vattell ; of his knowledge
i which authors he m sket a moll pedantic,
l.fplav. Fe then proceeds (diffulVly e:i
>uj*h, God knows,) to f!:e\v that we are c.t
r?eace with Great-Britain ; and. co.pfe
qnently, are as much friends to that nation
as to V ranee. He proceeds to ct rrbat the
lydra of war, created by his ov, n i:r i la
;ion ; and concludes with a variety of. co
lons to AijJ'uade us from hiking up ar::. f. . I
;\nd fncli is now the conduct of every fyco
l>hantic or aril'ocratic scribbler in Ameri
ca, whenever any tiling is (aid in tavour of
France, or refpefting the obligation of
trca y j as if it were impofhble to W'llifuc
:efs to France, or to pit a*l for the faithful
performance »l" our treaties, without be
ing disposed to go lo \v r.
111 oj>pol)tion to the opinion ofVer*ta%
'that the citizens of thffe dates, from one
extren.iiy of the Union to the.other, are
'irmly attached to the caufe'ot France —
it is laughable enough to be told, in lub
tance, by the Friend to Peace, that this as-
Vrtion is coiitradiiled 1 y the proclamation
jf tlie only executive officer, who ha« eon-
Vituttonal authority to speak the ftrCof
he Union ; and that the prelident mud be
ight, lince his opinion lias been apj rovrdby
i number of merchant? and traders in Phi
adelphia and Baltimore—ha ! ha ! ha 1
But what ft ems molt provoking to this
a ritcr js, the declaration of Veritas, that,
lowever " the little buz of the ariltoirauc
"ew and their contemptable minions, of
pecu'atars. tories. and hiritifh cmifTaries,""
nay be raife<l against the glorious cause of
France, the general \eire of America is
otiri in her favour, Ah, Mr. Friend to
Pear*, does the jippeiiation of tory touch
,'ou in a tender part ? No wonder, m.-,
;hatone who was ininiit.il to the cftablif -
nent of American independence flui.ld'
jerfevere in his tory principles. No won
ler that you are so eloquent in wlvocating.
:'ie il.rvn of Great-Britaiil to rur friei d
lip. equally with France; i':>d mat. not
svithftai.tl'ng )-ofir hypocritical rants, and:
p.ffeScd feeling for the d.ffrefies of Fra* 1 * e,
,ou '"fee no relief for her. furrourt'd
file is by myriads o- enemies, and d'ffraftee!
within by f.rfliorts." But Mr. Tory, (for
iuh I am well afflired you are) you oight
:o rectolleff, that while America bad my
riads of Ibr 'ign enemies so c read with,,
he had alfb traitors in her bofoiv,. Frajic e
iow has : .yet America triumphed, and
io ie, vjho ivith well to France, ard conli
ler her great refourres. rr.d the animating
jiTCrgy Impacted tt> all her Tons b> the
reat ol j ct lor u l:Uh they are c r i tending,
i!i yet despair of her being equfliy tri
imphant.
This tory fyrophar* has the rffrontf; y to*
*#pCat one of the vileli Panders that has
i.en raised againf! the l ren<h nation—
amely, that " with the fall ot France li
berty v ill receive a fla'n, because (he n>'-
ectjfdrily e , tered i ti foreign n ars. whin
her ptoper bufmefs ai to organize her
owd affairs.'' 1 wool, f all the flander
prs, tories, anci tools o' defpotifin, in Ame
rica or el If where, what are their
:hnt France entered into untieceffrry
wars, or that she could ir'vp avoided any
of the wan in whi* h Hie i engaged? Af
ler many fruitlefs ndeavonrs to preserve
I'ease. firft Anf'ra and Pjiifii.', and
ince irh Gi ? t Brii in ; when thefepow
ers not only leiuf* »l to liegocia'e. bnt were
preparing to attack her, was it not high,
time to consult for herown faftty f Sure.y
it was. -Whatman, who taw the arm of
i rrfrian uplifted againli him, would pal
ive ly w ait the event of the menaced blow,
rather than endeavour to avert it. and fe-
L iire his own fufety by knocking down the
ufijilaut.
GBSERVATOR.
June 17th.
Foreign AfTairs.
Amsterdam, .April 15. General Cll (line
is polled uit .1 his army between Landau>
and YVifl'onbourg ; according to authentic
intelligence, it confilbs only 0t'24,000 men.
General WurmCrr, at the head of 12,000
Autfriaus, and 4000 troops of Helie Darm
liatlt, whoclofcly pnrfue'l them ai far as
(jemerftieim, has his advanced ports at
Vergzabern. As General de Hohenloe is
approaching through the deiiies of Durk
heim, on the lide towards Newlladt, the'
French will find theii)feive« between tv\o*
fires, and be prevented bo'Ji horn throw ing
up entrenchments, an,; from procuring,
allitlance.
Bruftels, April 13. A rapid movement
made by our army again)! Conde, gave rife
to the premature report of its being taken.
Notwithflanding the defeition of gener I
l.umourier. the French (till -eem determin
ed to oppose the efforts of the combined
arm'es. The position which they have ta
ken is as follows : A conliderable body of
their troops will occupy the entrenched
camp of Maubeuge. to core- the hollow
v hich is between that place nnd Givet.
Another body w iilform a can p. at Famars,
between V alenciennes and in order
to "ive fufcour if necefTary to the formef