Gazette of the United-States. — New-York [N.Y.], 1790-06-26 00:00:00, page 1

ADDRESS of the NATIONAL ASSEMBLY to the
PEOPLE of FRANCE.
February nth, 1790.
DURING the progrefsof their labors, the Na
tional Afl'embly receives from all quarters
the congratulation of the provinces, cities, and
communities, the teftlmonies of the public joy,
the acclamations of gratitude ; but it likewise
hears the murmurs, the clamors ofthofe who fee)
hurt or affiifted at the measures taken against
iintnberlefs abufes,intei efts and prejudices. While
engaged in providing for the happiness of all, it
concerns itfelf with the misfortunes ofindividuals
—it pardons prejudice—spite and injultice—but
it conliders it as a duty, to guard you against the
influences of calumny, and to deitroy the vain
terrors with which you are attempted to be sur
prised. What measures have not been taken to
mislead you—to snake your confidence ?—Some
pretend to be ignorant, and ask what good has
the National Aflembly done > We will remind
you. Difficulties have been thrown in the way
of what has been done, which we will answer.—
Doubts have been circulated, uneasiness has been
excited refpedting what will be done. \\ c aie
going to inform you.
What has the Afiemhly clone ? It has traced
with a firm hand, in the midst of fyftnas, the prin
ciples of aConfticution, which secures liberty for
ever. The rights of nun were forgotten—infill -
ed for have been re-established, in
favor of humanity, by that declaration which will
forever be the signal to rally against oppreihon,
r.nd the law of the legislators themselves. The
nation had loft the right of decreeing both laws
and imposts—This right has been restored to it—
and the trite principles of the Monarchy, the in
violability of the august Chief of the nation, and
the inheritance of the throne in a family, lo dear
tQ every Frenchman, have been, at the lame time
consecrated. Wc only ha 1 the States Central,—
You now have a National , which cannot
be raviffied from you. Orders, divided by necelii
ty and fubjecft to ancient pretentions, heretofore
dictated decrees, and could reltrain the Springs of
the national will—These orders exist no longer—
every thing has disappeared before the honorable
diftiu&ion of citizen.
Every one having become a citizen, it was necel
farv to have citizens for your defenders—and at
t he" "firft filial we have seen the National Guardaf
fembled by patriotism, and commanded by honor
every where maintains or restores order, and
watches with indefatigable Seal over the feennty
e ich, for the interest of the whale.
'unumerable privileges, irreconciliaWe ene
cs to the public good, com]iofed the whole of our
üblic rights : They are destroyed, and at the
voiceofyourAflbmbly, the Province mod jealous
of theirs, have applauded their fall—they have
pcrceived themselves enriched by their lols—-a
vexatious feudal system, so powerful even in its
latest ruins, fprcad over all France. You were
fubjefted in the Provinces, to the regimen of an
unquiet adininiftration,from which you have been
i«lieved—arbitrary orders, which encroached 011
the liberty of the citizens are annihilated.
You wsfhed for a com pleat organization of the
municipalities: This hasjuft been given to you,
and the creation ofall thelehodies,framed by your
j'ufrrages, presents at this moment, a 1110 ft linking
Spectacle throughout France. Ihe National Ai
fembly has. at the fame time, # coi>fuinmated the
work of a new division of the kingdom,which alone
can efface the last traces of ancient prejudices
substitute the true love of our count'y in the place
of the felfifh love of a Province —lay the founda
tion of a good representation, and fixat the fame
time the lights of each man, and of each Canton,
in proportion as they are connected with the pub
lic—a difficult problem, the solution ot which
has remained unknown till our days.
For a long while you have wished for theabo
lition of the venality of the Magistracy: It lias
been pronounced. Yon experienced the want of
a reform, at le-aft of a provisional one, ot the pi 111-
cipal faults ofthe criminal code : It has been de
creed, until a general reform can be adopted.—
Complaints, demands, and claims have been ad
drefl'ed to ns from all quarters ot the kingdom
which we have Satisfied as far as it was in our pow
er. The multitude of public engagements terii
tied us : We have confccrated the principles, on
that faith which is due to them. Yoa feared the
[No. 22, if Vol. ll.j
TRANSLATED
FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY #)HN FEN NO, No. 41, BROAD-STREET, NEAR THE EXCHANGE, NEW-YORK.
power of the Ministers : We have imposed a law
011 them, securing their responsibility. The im
port: of the Gabelie was odious to you : We have
mitigated ith) the,firft instance, and have pronii
fed to do it away intitefy—for it is not enough,
that Imports are indifpenfablj*. neceflary for the
public exigencies—they ought also to be juftifia
ble on account of their equality, their wisdom and
their mildness. Immoderate pensions, frequent
ly lavilhcd without the knowledge of your King,
ravished from you the fruks of your labors. We
have in the firft instance considered them with an
eye of severity, and we are about comprehend
ing them within the limits of ftriift justice. In
fhortthe finances required immense reformation
seconded by the Minister who has obtained your
confidence, we have labored at them without ces
sation, and you will soon enjoy the benefit.
j (To be continued.)
Order is Heav'nsJirft law—and this confeft'd,
Some arc, and mujl be, greater than the reft :
More rich, more wife —But who infers from hence,
That such are happier, /hocks all common fevfe.
THE world is sensible of the neceiiity of sup
porting their favourites under the firlt on
fetts of misfortune —left the fall should bedread
ful and irrecoverable —for according to the great
Mailer of Nature,
'Ti* certain -reainefs, oncc fallrn oiil Willi fortune,
Must fall out with men too : What the declin d is
He shaN as soon read in the eyes of others,
As feel in hi* own till : For men, like butteiflies,
Shew not their inealy but to the summer ,
And not a man for being tingly man,
Ilath any honor ; but's honor'd tor those honors
That are \a ithout him, as place, riches, tavor,
Pm-as ot accident as oft merit.
Mankind are so sensible of these things, that by
a kind of inftinft or intuition, they generally sol ■
low the advice of the fame author.
Take the instant way
honor travel so narrow
Where one but goes abieaft : Keep then the path,
Foi l.mulation haih a thousand tons,
That one by one pursue ; if you give way,
Or hedgoatidc from the direst forth-right,
Like to an entci'd tide, they ali rush by,
And leave you hindmost ;
Or I ke a gallant horse, fall'n in firft rank,
Lie there tor pavement to the abject rcai,
OVrrun and trampled on.
The inference from all the contemplations and
experiments which have been made, by all na
tions, upon these difpofit.ions to imitation, emu
lation, and rivalry, is cxprefledby the fame great
teacher of morality and politics.
Degree being vizarded,
Th' unworthicfl (hews as fairly in the mafic. ,
The Heavens themselves, the Planets and this center,
Obfervc degree, priority and place,
Infilhire, course, proportion, fcafon, form,
Office and custom, in all line ot order :
And therefore is the glorious planet Sol,
In noble eminence, enthron'd and fpher'd
A mid ft the others; whose med'cinable eye
Corrects the ill afpe&s of planets evil,
And ports, like the commandment of a King
Sans check, to good and bad ; but when the planets
In evil mixture, to d.forder wander.
What plagues and what portents ! what mutiny -
What raging of the sea ! Shaking of earth !
Commotion in the winds ! 1 lights, changes, horrors,
Divert and crack, rend and deracinate,
The unity and married calm of dates
Quite from their iixure ? O, when degree is (hak d,
Which is the ladder to all high designs,
The enterprizeis Ack ! how could communities,
Degrees in fchoois, and brotherhoods in cities,
The primogeniture and due of birth,
Prerogative of age, crowns, sceptres, laurels,
But by degree, iland in authentic place ?
Take but degree awav ; untune that firing
And hark ! what discord follows ! each thing meets
In meer oppugnancy : the bounded waters
Should lift their bosoms, higher than the Ihores,
And make a fop, of all this solid globe :
Strength should be lord of imbcciiity,
And the rude son should strike Irs father dead :
Force ftiould be right ;or rather right and wrong
Should loose their names, and so OioulJ justice too.
Then everv thing includes itfelf in power,
Power into will, will inro appetite ;
And api eti:e an univerlal wolf,
Must make per force an univerlal prry,
And left qat up hmfelf.
This chaos, when aegree i: fuffocate
Follows the choaking,
The General's disdain d.
By him one step below : he by the next;
That next by him beneath : so every step
Examplcdby the firft pace, that is Tick
Of his fupenor, grows to an envious fever
Of pale and bloodless emulation.
Troy in our weakness stands, not in her ftrcngth.
Molt wifely hath Ulyfles here discovered
The Fever, whereof all our power is sick.
DISCOURSES ON DAVILA.—^ —No. XII
FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES.
SATURDAY, JUNE 26, 1790.
501
HOUSE Or REPRESEN TA ; IVES.
TUESDAY, MAY 2;.
Mr. Gerrv's motion the affvrrrption of the S*tdte <l-:bts y whic/i was
injzrted in this piper o) the 26* '?, under cons
(\lr. BOUDINOT's Speech concluded.)
'""INHERE is no connection between my debt agair.ft t!".e prrlon
X who may become my security to another, and the creditor
to whom I owe a debt of my own contracting—Stfppofe in coin
mon dealing A. owes B. 100!. but being unable to pay, C
(who owes him money) as his security to B.—Before the debt is
paid, C thef cuiity becomes insolvent, and A retrieve* his affairs
and is able to pay—would any man think A in his lenfcs, to rc
fuf» payme nt to B. because C. was unable to pay the debt due to
him. But it G. had paid the money to B. then thedebt was chang
ed and C. would have a right ro charge it ag3inft the debt he owed
to A. So, whenever the State has discharged a debt by
Congress, tothe indiidnal citizen, and has t'ie evid nee of it in
heftreafury, such Stace has no right to demand a repayment* 'til,
by the fcttiement of her accounts with the United Starts, it (hall
appear.that a balance is due to her. This is every day's practice
between man and man. But both the equity and policy of th ; s
measure have been denied. As to the firft, let it be a iked, are the
fads above set forth true, " that the debt was originally that of the
United S:a:er, an .1 that the creditor has never received any fatis
faCtion for it ?" If so, where is thejufticeor equity of making a
difcrimnation among our creditors ? Can any man assign a real >n,
I why debts of the fame nature, under the fame contract and for
the Gime fcrvices, (hould be n;e£ed and treated as of no force,
merely because they have been fettled and vouched by different of
ficer*, imder the fame authority. What will the veteran foidier
and the respeCtable ipilittaman, who, under ev.ry discourage
ment fouiht your battles, and nfqued their lives for your preser
vation. .it wt\\ the,pati iot farmer, who* Inrnifhed ypu w;th
Topples 1.1 the day i>*f cUrknefs and diltrefs —What will t!ie citi
zen. from whom you forced, perhaps that on which he depended
for the support of hirfamily, at the bayonet fay, when
they are told, that alt r waiting ten years in Vain for tlu.ir jult
it itnaw inequitable to pay their demand, because it was
fettled by tht government, agreeably to the directions of
Congr£is. # There Tliufc be the greatest equity in appropriating that
treasure, supplied b.y the union at large, tothe pa)meu£ of tito/e
debts contracted for their common dcfence. A fait argument I
(hall offer to ihew the equity of this measure is, that we are 111
jaofieflion of the very means from which alone the States could pay
thefedebts, if their obligation to it was ever so clear.
I now coineto the policy of the measure—As in private life, so
in every government, 1 am fully latisfied, that honcfty will ever
be found to be tTie best policy.
The policy of this meafdrc arises from numberless sources. —It
isfuppoiting t'be pybliC faith.—As-our present conduCl {hall be,
so will be the conduCl of others towards us, whenever we shall
need further loans for public lei vice—A tew hundred dollars sa
ved now, may heieafter cost us more thousands —Our condtiCfc on
this occaiion will be narrowly watched, and not forgotten in ma
ny years. — Good policy requires one uniform rule of paying our
public debt, as well as the like uniformity in the arrangment and
collection of the public revenue.—Another source of the policy of
this measure arises from the propriety of fupprefiing all tempta-
I tions to unneceflary party zeal and collision ot opposite interefls a
-1 mong the citizens of the fame government. Let gmtlemen con
i fider the operation of a contrary mtafurc.—Will the citizcns ot in-
I dividual States fee with complacency the produce of'fo heavy an
1 impofl, expended in partial payments of the debts of the general
government, while their demands, funded in the (In Cleft
are wholly disregarded by those who are bound to do equal justice
to evcrv citizen. It should not be forgotten, that the colleChon of
a revenue in such a country as oqrs, deprndsjgreatly upon opinion.
If, by our public measures, we once make it reputable to defraud
the revenue, it will be out of the power of all your regulations
and penalties to secure its due colleCtiqn. At present there is a u
niveifal prejudice in your favor. The patriotism of your citizens
is a greater fccuVity than your utmost force. They think that the
government is in their own hands.—That they are truly rcprcfcnt
cd here, and that theii contributions, are faithfully applied to their
best interests. Cherish this spirit, by the mod impartial jufticc
.ind equal dealings to every citizen. -If once it becomes a habit to
depart fiom the path of virtue, it will be more than difficult to
tread back those steps again. It is policy, to prevent by this
means, one State from pre)ing on the neceflities of another, by
which jraloufy, feuds and animosities. so dangerous to every go
vernment, are often promoted. Aliho' I am in general averse
from bringing into view on general questions, the local circum
ftancesof a particular State, yet in the present cafe, I beg leave to
hold up the circumstance of the State from which I have the honor
of coming, because I am best acquainted with her real situation.
It is well known to this committee, that in the beginning of the
war, she was deprived of many of her citizens, who went off to
the enemy. She prcfented her whole sea coafl as a frontier to the
British troops.—She was invaded every few months, for fcveral
years of the war.—Mer militia was almost continually in the field.
—Her towns were cleferted—Her houses were burned—Her pro
perty plundered, and her faithful citizens carried into captivity.—•
For several years, both the British and American armies were tile
greatest part of the year within her borders.—As if these evils
were not fufficient, at the end of the war, an import, for State pur
£ofes, was eftablifhcd by the two adjoining States, from whom
(he was obliged to receive all her imports, whereby (he was bled
at every pore. During this whole time, the req 111 fit ions of Con
gress were made on her, without any allowance for her peculiar
circumstances, the other States had fharcd a milder fate. As fai;
as it wasin her power, she complied faithfully with them—and
in addition to her exertions, she has relieved the diftrelTes of her
citizc ns, by paying the intercft due to them from the government,
without refpiCl to the species of debt. In this manner, (he has
draggled with difficulty, nnder anopprcflive burthen, 'til the pe
riod arrived" which she thought, proimfed an alleviation to her
di ft rcfTcs,
The ability of the new government, (he fondly hoped would
have eased the burthen, and calmed the minds of her citizens, who
were daily leaving the State to find a happier cliipate to the north
ward and the westward, where heavy taxation would not reach
them. I hold up these circumstances of an individual State, to
(hew that she cannot go much further; every citizen she looses,
leaves the incumbrance the greater on those who remain behind.
At this moment, fir, in one town(hip of that State, there are be
tween 2 and 300 cxecu.ions out for the arrears of Is it not
CONGRESS.
[Whole NO. 126.]