National gazette. — Philadelphia [Pa.], 1793-08-31 00:00:00, page 2

Trance he!<l up to the't- enraptured eyes,
in the not distant perfpeftive of futurity, a
brilliant, a rav.iibi is>; crown—so captivating
a crown! which, far, better than die vul
gar 1 mrel, bejljived by the*people, would
have nodded over the mijsltic
eye-brows of-cne weli-borii ot th- United
!
Wrapped a}>in this vifton, they
were 1 forward to the acco/nplilU
ment of their glorious scheme, wnde the
•' fwinilh multitude". enbraced the mere
lhadow of independency.
Ye b.ife calumniator-, of that people, who
yiii vjh.it y*u are, how ca 1 ye, tor a
moment-, suppose t-jat thecitizens ot Ame
rica are so far degenerated "as to pals cArer the
hiltory of your corruptions, withqut no
ticing them ? You have the wenknefs to
fuppbfe that your dark intrigues will ever
remain unferutinized. Miltake not, how
ever ; they wkl'kuow them will uot fufter
it—they will pull off the remnants of a
tattered mask, aid present a likenefs —the
image of yonrfeives —a picture, that, line
the fabled head ofMedufa, shall chill your
fouls with horror at the refeiriblauce.
But why is it that you endeavor to avert
your eyes from the real injuries we sustain
— why -are you purposely mifco-nftruing,
and emhitteiiilg the minds of the unin
formed againlt the pure tokens of friend
ship ottered by the gredteft power oiieartJi.'
In wh it inllaivce has the French nation in
jured America? Was it they *tha:kindled tlu
periodical torch'- oi war a -d burnt to alhe?.
the new raised cot-nges cr our unfortunatt
brethren in the weflern \vlicit rnefs ? Wert
those Ueltrjiitive poignanb, that annually
spill the b'iood of our frontier inhabitants,
forged in France ? Ivit France that ex
cites the blobd-thirfty Creek Indian u
deeds of horror and unqualified murder
does (i-.e influence the sanguinary confede
ration of Miami ? Tl.efe are the real
■wrongs that ought to kindle your refent
jnent. If you had the interefls of youi
country at heart, as much as you pretend,
why not cry oat aloud againfi TfcePu uic
faith of Great B.itain, the country thai
now ho'ds i.i her hands the very keys oi
our fecurity---Why not raise your voice
figainlt the (li.iaiefnl yoke imposed upon
these lt.ites ay the vile, dejenerate Span
iard, who squeezes a merciless excif'e iron
.an infant branch of our profperity—*why ft
im te oil so material a part ot our interelf .
Avh re ".rant ofpowr to resent, certain >
cannot be the motive for acquiescing ir
their repeated infringements?
But li. t in turn our eyes to another quar
ter. a id we (hall observe a like pnfiUanimi
ty of conduct Forty American velfeli am.
at this moment det: ined in F.arbadoes -
I'jfty have been carried in, and treated a:
captured bottoms, at Jamaica. A fleet oi
them are lyi"g in that, -v/orte 'than i urk
j'h Algiers -->f America, 'the iiland ot We v. -
providence, lfby the laws of nations, at
enemy's propeity is feizable on boaic
neutral veifels, the vessel is hy no means tc:
be involved ill the seizure. Well I our (hip
are notwithstanding (fill under detention,
our Tailors fmpi ifoned, in irons, or farcet
to turn pirates upon the commerce oftneit
country—Our fllperrargoes have been
dragged on board the vefiels of the Britifl
lea "tyrants, tied hands and feet, and the
very Spaniard, (who would believe it ?)
extorts from our captains an equivalent in
money, for every (hot-he illegally difcharg,es
at their vefleH ; in this, at once aiiing the
part of arobbtr and an afi'aflin.
An Twer me, ye who delight in spreading
among us that discordant spirit, the traits
of vv Inch appear on every countenance, are
you not negociating at this moment with
the Britiih and SpanHh courts, in order tu
obtain Iroin one what/lie of right ewes to
us-, and from the other a certain grant,
which by the laws of nations .{being our cvjh
property) we *-:/ght not to Jo icitasa favourr
But is it one of the clause» of this rumouret
compact, that America is to become a par
ty in that violent hatred of George the jd,
againlt the French nation, and a participa
ter in the fanatical turpitude of Charlec
the 3d, in his conduit towards the fame
power ? This is, indeed, a new fort ofpo
licy whieh forfakes and infuits an old
friend, in order to ceurt the friendlhip oi
thieves and robbers. If we descend to
purchase the advantages just mentioned by
such infamous conduit, I ranee it iseert3iu,
■will with her returning tide ot profperitv,
despise our advances. If honor was the
iimple criterion of our conduit, we fhoukl
have refrained offering injury to France till
ilie wai in a situation to resent it—We
'*e\ze the gloomy hour of her misfortune
to dishonour and affront her ! According
to my conception ot things, nothing is (o
base and dastardly as to insult even a fal
len enemy. What sentence, then, will
impartial pofteriry pronounce upon Ame
rica, should they read in her iftoricannal ,
that Ihe insulted anunfortunate friend?Ko
language could afford an expreflion to cha
raiterize such a degree of national baseness.
Except among the ancient Perfnns, a law
never exilted to punilli inflances of irigra
titude between man and man —but in the
process of human affairs, we find, fron
the long records of antiquity, that national
ingratitude (be the cause what it may) is
rarely or never fuffered to puss without
severe, and signal reprehension from Him,
that is the fupreine and abloiiite disposer
of all eve.nts.
Aug 28.
For the National Gazette.
Fellow Citizeni cf Pennjylvahia,
t*7HILE you have been watching the ad
*'• infiltration of tiie i'occieral govern
ment, with a vigilance in the highest degree
jealous and ftifpicious, as if your liberties
were alone vulnerable from that quarter,
you appear to be perfectly indifferent to a
late open and daring violation of your con
ftnirtion by your it-ate legislature. As ii
tyranny in « fniall ft-tte, was not more for
midable a;id oppressive and conl'eqneritly
more to be guarded against, than in a large
onr. The truth is, tuat both the general
and (late governnu r.t ought equally to
lliaTi our attention. While you are wrang
ling about the interpretation ot treaties
and the conduit of the ambassadors.you
are incouliderately and absurdly (uflerinj
vonr own constitution to be trampled upon
with impunity and unconcern : and yci
vour constitution is the only security (u:i
---lc! < a civil war be expeitcd) you have a
iramlt the horrible inroads of defpotilm.
By the Bth article ot your excellent con
stitution the members ot the general af
(Vmbly &c. shall be bound uy oath or aJir
inatio 1, to support the constitution of this
Commonwealth, and to perform the duties
of their respective offices with fidelity.
In the 9th article, are enumerated those
powers, which, the people or convention
diti not think fife to delegate.
In the 17th lection 01 the 9th article, it
is expresily provided that, no Expojt-facto
iaw, or any law impairing contract?
(hail be nude; and the words in the lail
fectian of the fame article are intended U
guard against violations of the high power:
ilien delegated to them, we further de
claring that, every tiling in this article not
expres'ly delegated, is excepted out of the
general powers of jroverniiieiit and dial,
tor ever remain inviolate.
The general affenibly met the firft Thurf
day in December 1 sit, took their feats, and
a£ted nnder a known law (which was cer
tainly an affciit to it and became a contrail
011 fheii part to comply with it untili alter
ed, whicl alteration could only regaic
their fuaire services) for about 3 months
at 2 dollars per day, when tkey palled ar
Expoftfacto law to pay th.-mfelies 3 dol
lars per day from the commencement c;
their fitting. Mow an Expofl fatlo law i
a law, which '1 Triads to operate ai;d pr< ■
dace effetts prev'oujly to the t'vie of its be
> j) enacted: as the one now alluded to
which wasjnadeto have the force of lav,
or 3 months orthere about before it wa:
palled. But two laws, interfering with,
and contradicting each other cannot botl
be i i operation at the fame time. It 1
admitted on all fides that the si. ft law
which entitled the members of the alleHibl;
to 2 dollars perday and for which they ac
tually did fei-ve their coiiftituents for abau:
3 months, was in as fail force as any otliei
law whatever, untili altered or repealed
And not withstanding this rational concef
lion, without which no government coulc
exist the aflembly absurdly, feifi;h:y, incieli
cat- y and unconstitutionally pals a law
which they decree fiiall operate to pa)
themfelv 3 dollars per d y from the be
ginning c*.he session; that is to alter 01
repeal a law three months before it coulc
be altered or repealed—But if they can dc
this for 31110 Whs they can for 3 year*—and
there is no end to the absurdity.
When \ye refieft that, \\e have in rea
ality to support the b:irt)ien and expence:
of two governments the foederal and state,
we cannot be too severe in our strictures,
upon fnch a felfifti mifappiication of tht
finances of the state.
But it is not so much the expence ol
this additional dollar, however extrava
gant and confequeiitly, cenfureable it ma)
be in itfelf, that we ought to dread : there
ii a rauch more formidable danger to be ap
prehended and against which we cannot be
too much upon our guard. It is immate
rial wii'-ther any particular violation 01
the constitution be in itfelf trivial and un
important. Every part of the conflitutior
claiming its inviolability from the fan;<
sanction viz. the authotity of th; ptoplt
there is 110 p«rt ot it more lacred than tht
reft. If the legislature violate it in an)
one instance, they may with the f?me pro
priety in any other : inafmuthas they-It
but violate the fame fanftion aud trample
upon the fame authority, to which the)
are indebted tor their power and for theii
exiltence.
The members of Montgomery county, i;
b true, alledged that they voted against tht
law. lam afraid that they gave it but t
feeble opposition, and that they were toe
willing to be overpowered. VVhy else di<
they not enter their protest against it ? 1
have already proved that this pretendec
law was unconstitutional. andthatit woulc
have been equaiiy so, whether it allowed
them lor 20 dollars per day. But they
i oted against it—Did the y vote against it ai
the Tieafury ? they equally with its advo
cates, pocketed the 3 dollars per day from
i heir firft fitting, although they had but a
little before lolemnly contended that it
was unconstitutional, or at least {for they
11111 ft hpve founded their eppofition upon
one of these realons) that their services
to the public would have been fufiiciently
nd amply compensated by the former
law.
But uo doubt they and the reft of the
minority, thought it,their duty to fubrnitto
the majority : and I may faftly fay, that in
no i-liance was this good maxim molt
rigidly or more wiifingLy adhered to.
But, my fellow citizens, if what 1 have
Hated appears to you to be true, rnd 1
hare reason to think that you agree witii
nfe in opinion, you have at least one reme
dy in your hands.—No longer trust thoft
men, who have had the temerity to abuff
your confidence, and trample upon the
constitution, the only bulwark of your li
berties.
A Montgomery Farmer.
P, S. I am informed that a motion has
been made in the Afli'mbly, to repeal this
law, and a committee appointed to re
port upon it. II ihey do repeal it, do you
imagine it will mention any thing about
refunding?
No—No—That would be clearly ejepoft
facto and unconftitutional —Be not deceiv
ed ; it is merely an electioneering ma
noeuvre.
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
The ship Adtiana arrived here on Wed
nesday lali from Liverpool, which port Hie
leit the 12th of July—The following brief
Librati of advices is made from Liverpool
and London papers, received by the Adri
ana.
Additional inftruftions were iflued by
the Britilh court on the Btli of June, em
powering liiips of war and privateers, un
der the Knglilh flag, to flop all vcfiels laden
in whole or in part with corn, Hour, or
me. 1, and bound to any port in Francp. to
fend them to the molt convenient poi ts, tw
be unladen of Inch corn, flour, and meal,
to be purchased on behalf of government,
and then the Pnips to be released, after al
lowance for freight—All veflels found at
tempting to enter any blockaded port in
France, were to be made prizes of, except
veflels belonging to Denmark and Sweden,
who arc to be prevented entering on the
firft attempt, and on a fecoiul to be sent
for condemnation —A convention had been
entered into between the Britilh and Ruf
lian courts .the fubllante of which is, a
mutual engagement to afliit each other in
the course of the present war ag tinft
Fr mce from England and Russia, or from
the friends or allies of those powers. They
also agree to renew, provilionally, the
treaty of 1776, except a few alteration';,
cheifly relative to commercial intercourse.
On tiie 12th of June a body of 10,00 c
French troop Hiade ail attempt to dislodge
tlie advanced ports of the Sardinian army
near Nice, and alter an engagement o! Ji
hour* were repu fed (fay the I urin ac
counts) with the loss of about Soo men
killed anc! 1500 wounded, and a number
tak- n p ifoners.
Bowileai.\, June 16. All the fe&ions of
this city have declaied theivfelvesto be in
a state of infurrecVion, and delegated t ie
exercise of their rights to the conliituted
authorities of Bourdeaux. They after
w arfs gathered in a body under the title oi
the •• POPULAR, commission of the pub
lic we.il."
An army of the insurgents under genera!
Gafton had taken the two towns, Saumur
ind Angers in the province of Oriean:.
The accounts of this affair are various and
.ontradiftory. The artillery and men or
dered from Paris to reinforce the troops
igainff Gafton, let out on the 16th of June.
General Biron with 12OCO picked men
".ad advanced so as to cover Nantz and to
lem in the Britanny infiu gents on the only
quarter in which they could have pulhed
heir conquest with hopes of success. O
:her accounts fay, that Nantz was in the
ireateft danger, being besieged by two in
'urgent armies, one of 50,000 the other 01
50,000 men.
The town of Valenciennes, on the
French frontier, continued to be besieged
ay the Auftrians : mult of its buildings
were destroyed by bombs thfown in by the
but it was thought it might hold
jut till Augult. The beliegers on the lali
jf June had not opened any battery nearer
:hail 360 yards, but were preparing to he
jin a third pamliel. The ci
:adel had not fuifered any material injury
jy the befiegcrs : the Auftrians, provoked
~jy the obstinate refiltanee of tl>e belieged
w ere determined to storm the place, and
irince Cobourg had taken meafureb for
.hat purpofe—Conde was expe£ted to fall
iu a few days.
The Auftrians in an engagement with
"ome reg'meuts of Freirch near Arlon, had
ieen beaten, with the loss of {500 men,
:heir baggage and magazines. On the 1 jth
jf June a detachment of 400 French march
;d against the Aultrian polt; at Faha, Siniz,
ind Keipling. At th ; s last plate they took
bis imperial highness the arch duke Joseph,
as Auftris, with five dragoons. Every ef
fort was made to recover the archduke,
nut in vain. The prince of Waldeck had
Jeen mortally wounded aiot'.t the f. me
:inie in an attack on a body of French
iroops near Verwick. The capture of the
ii ch duke Jofcph, is however contrajiified
,11 one or two London papers.
In Savoy the French had surprized the
imporlaut polt of Affiette, ard by that
means eliablilhed a communication be
tween general Kellermaun's army aad thai
of Nice.
The fate cf Fjialitf (la's t'like cfCrleansf
was 4 iil in n i an. viti. ihtlf accounts
eft Furcpe. I f hi <1 ir.c'irjfii a long
txaniii aiinri ai Mtr.'trHes ,i v 1-c I I e ;,o
litiveiy denied hll counter let < lutiti ary
intentions. It was tlcijjnr ] reel would
be wanting for capital u rv fiicn.
Gen. Cufttue. ttjsoi afi n 11.or: frrm the
national corxcr.tu n. 1.; (1 left his am yat
Memz, awl reuilcd Jisri: on the 2(1 h of
June. The convention virt it tr< fane
time delibeiatii g on tie late ot Fr'fint
and other nun bent urdir arnll, aou!cd
ot plotting ac<in t< r tt\ o linen. Ihe re
mit had not trarfpir«d. One account
alieits that c n Jvne as thtrev ck rilitutic 11
was concluded at Paris. ;i.<i decreed a
midfl the loudest 11 plaule. Alt ot the
lame time the new shm reached Park that
[lie ihfiirjjenc am y under Gallon had beiii
defeated by general B.ron. with the loss
i'f -coo hit 11 011 the part of the iufurgeuts,
ihe-ir baggage and artillery.
The follewii g artie'e appeared in a Lon
don paper of Juiy 4.
"Mr. Thomas Paine has now loft his
.haraiter and popularity in France. His,
nan e is inlerted in the minutes of the con- )
mention among the otlier fufpec'W d mem 1
jers. His fullome flattery ot the king and
;\ueen of France ;.nd bis cruel and illibe
al reflections ay i>nit Krd George Gor
don, in " the Rights ot Man," fiift induced
rregoir a d Roberfpiere to ftifpeft him of
jeing fecretiy pensioned ; and his late con
duit in the convention, by attaching him
"e 1f to the parry of petion and Bt fibt has
:<mfiriued his disgrace. Heme followed
.lie late refutations o; his conltituents, the
ieputies of the iix fettions of the town of
Arras, to adhere to the decrees paflett
incethe 31ft of May and ttieir deck. ration
:hat " Thomas Paiile had ioft their confi
dence."
Gen. Dumourier paid avifit to the bank,
as London 011 or about the middle cf June,
tnd transferred a part of the nionev veiled
;i the Englilh fnnds in his name. He fail j
sdfor Oftend on the 19th, where he is
" id to be under a sentence of arrelt. Pur
ng his fiiorc (lay in London he received fe
deral challenges. One gentleman Sketched
:he figure of the Guillotine 011 a letter, and
left it at Duinourier's lodgings, with his
iddrefl'es eilcloted w and others had declared
:hey would spit in his face wherever they
r.et him.
The troops actually engaged in the (lege
as Valenciennes, are in number 18,500.
The covering armies undtr prince Cobcurg
and the d tike cf York are 80,000 men; ;<
mall army blockades Qiiefnoy, and 4000
[new are employed in the liege of Conde.
Tile liege of Mentz w as carried on with,
rigour by a part of the combined forces.
Nothing decilive however had taicen
.slate as the «ilt of June, n®r had the
whole fire cf tfie besiegers effected any
sreach in the works. The fire of the gar
'ifon was at Wait equal to that of the be
ieger , who had fuffered considerably
herefrom.
PHILADELPHIA.
Saturday, Augufl 31.
A letter appears in he CliarleftonState
jkzette of AugutV :e, ackireifed from capt.
VlarlU.ill, to the printers of tiiat paper, apo
ogizinj for his conduit in arming a HritiiU
rellel in that port, under his command,
iid bound for, Jamaica. It appears that
: aptain Marshall's velfel was threatened to
le taken from him, as soon as hepa&ed the
>ar,by a French privateer, then in CharleN
on harbour, which was the reason of li s
uming. He denies having opened a.iy
•endezvolis for privateerfmen, or having
;-en concerned in any step of ths kind,
ind "hi pes his coadiift, upon examination,
■vill prove ftich, as to extenuate the elifgul't
:hat may have taken place between ih?
-.itiztns of America and his fellow Jttb
:ecls."
The American brig Grand Sachem, si orri
Hifpaniola to H1 him ore, was taken July
u. in the bite ol Leogane by a i .iti',. pri
vateer from N. Providence, who ordered
lor for thai place, after taking poifellion.
Fiie brig, however, was afterwards reta
ken by tlie crecv, and the Providence priva
eerfmen l>nt <ir in a boat for their own
(land. TWo American veilels were fe>-n. iis
iiiitslHon of Providence privateers, unjer
.he lee of Crooked i(land.
Adnnral Gan.bis, of the French i'quadron
it New-York, lia< publifiied.his d« :ial t;f
:ertain charges that have appeared «ain(l
liim in the pulsiic prints ; particularly,
■' that the company of the Jupiter have on
just grounds of suspicion arretted the faitl
Admiral Carnbis"—and, "that the men
accuse Cambis of being the cause of the
troubles at the Cape."—" The connexions
(fays lie) that I have been tinder a nccefiitjti
us maintaining with Galbaud, are of a na
ture so fcandalotis, for a man whopreferves
any esteem for himfelf, that 1 anj less foii
citcus to lay them before the public than
to verify them belore the tribunals appoint
ed to take judicial cognizance of them."
About the middle of July last, the state
ment of the western army under general
Wayne, Itood as lollows : 3 lieutenant co
lonels, 8 majors, 35 capta ; ns, 59 fubalterrt
oflicers, 206 sergeants, 206 eorporals } 3.304
privates.