The American herald of liberty — Exeter, N.H., 1795-03-14 00:00:00, page 2

^‘e prefert day*, hi Will find,that implaca
ble anniiabfide^ bndue influence, and an
archy, dr final ruin have n thejefuk. ‘
Tkeje Jocitfru are dangroui from 'the
number if tbtfr , J ;
In this light they jHaDueb more to bi
dreaded tKau the ariftocracs of Eur6pe.~
They conhft mb illy pfWdwidigy!/ forming
no conftitueat part of Government-^they
are not organized aflofiations thd’ru thia the
peerage’ot Great-Britain, are Something of
an exception. are comparatively fewin
number— 7 hey upon individuals—Z/’/y
make no ipecificd combination either for,
or against the Government—Their badges
of diftinftion are the reward of merit, or
of favoricUm. Our focietiea on the con
trary already perhaps comprehend lome
thousands. In one week, Or a flay, they
may inftal thousands more—and it is to be
fuppflied they will al Way! eleft those of
their own principles, and best calculated to
answer their designs. And the ostensible
deflgns are to interniedflle with the affair*
of our commoh Government, and with the
constitutional representation of the nation
—a profefled objed also; is the diffufion
df knowledge. To infbfe this knowledge,
they ffiot therilfclvd up By night, and (hut
©tit their fellow citizens, who would be
glad to get inftruftion. Why do they not
keep open doors, and oblige their Presi
dents who must be imagined learned men
to give leftures upon political fUbjefts, or
jnftituto foren'fic debates—This Would look
as if they were fincerc in their engage
ments. Their conduct faifes rather a sus
picion of the wisdom or purity of their
firft eftabliffiment, both as to principle and
design. Whai may riot be apprehended
from thousands of men, combiner and
^fcipli from one end ol the continent
to the other ? Whit could they notaccom
plifh, or what m»#ht they ftpt attempt j
who can affurs us, they Will always be di*
rented by the calm iign s of mild phdofo
pky—•Who does not know/what raifehiefs
have been brough upon the human rale,
by the exertion of a finite individual of
tifice a fl ..mbitfln ? Who dues not k uw
how fdbpft the people are to deception
how freq" ent 1 y they without thought, are
made the v flrumerits of tae most unwar
rantable purf»i«s, and become thcmfclves
the vi&irtJ? or their raft* credulity towards
artful fycophaiits, or wealthy desperadoes ?
It is idle to 6y, our felf-con ft Ruled demo
crat* are good Whigs and dbuld never har
tdbr designs unfriendly to their country,
Wha; bai been may be again—ls the gov
ernment, or .their proscribed fellow citi
zens (Mould mterleih wida them; a conreft
must ensue—Who can sty how it would
proceed, or where, or when, it would be
terminated ? E&pe gUe* wfief, but
wdll grounded fear, obliges me to conclude
from thefeconCderanans; these focutiu art
dnngerout at leaf, . #
These societies are real arifloCracier/and
id this view dangerous of course.
What it atiftocracy ? A fit of men hav
ing, or sflhming privileges, and a fuperlori
tyoveV their fellow cteent ’Tia true
our' focictici are not incorporated, or
knbwri'irf the la#—but they have created
to themfelves 5 rank; diftlnftionl superior
merit, exclusively of others. Theta rights
gnd powers are undefined and unbound
ed. Had- they befetr eftablifited" by laW,
they would be’ mote tolerable. because
then, the community might have madh
iome terms, and cirtumlcnbcd their jinif
dtdion. They have not as yet chimed
hereditary fucceflion—but\h , eymay be per
petual by eleftive iucceffion—They have
not as yet, assumed a badge of diftirfftion j
dr established funds but who can lay what
they may, or may not do. By the fame
au^Mbrity, they exhibit ihemfelves as the
only or most worthy democrats in Ameri
cr j they may aflume any other preroga- ,
lives. If they chute to-morrow to pass a
decree, ttact they Ciall be ftiledthe order o f
democrats in North America ; that their
members (ball wear the ih^tia of the or
der at the button hole, and receive ppm-.
pans diplomas of their fraternization, who
/hall gainfy or preventit? ,
Names are not essential; ’Tit princt-
D ]es which constitute real ariflocracy—tie
tattfoic inrtMteri‘l***« »b«y •« c.l
-of >b« Order of St. L«wt»,
theHdyG*«*. « M.lt.-or
THtOiuH of DaMocnncr. The
claim of exclude power, privilege, merit
TA fimeriority conftitotea the elfcnee of
inftocracy.
banks who can re
^dwhob.tth.a.W.e.ai^tf/PPl'e;,
*,*. . A horrid ccnjedure!!
wth* Liflature interfere.th-y woold rom
„d bellow lor.h to the pwpte. the
too muchprolli oted-oeme
sn their fellow-citizens should
.J^r 10 reprMs them, they would
taLe vou what might be the refuh;
fcr ftfewcf. betw«n
the iinSituted uutboritieh and the jelfcreated
nffemb^. In (hort, thyre is no£ a (ingle .
rnisfor^ne attendant upon the artflocracies
of Europe, which doesnot apply to our fo
eicties: only with many, and great differ
ences against the latter. . They tel them-
Selves up as the sages of the country—tfie ,
Roman patricate—a fclf-created kind of no
bility; t A minority in the community
undertaking to aft, (peak, judge, and dic
tate, for majority ; and even attempting
to controul the national Representation,
which being eleftive, should be independ-;
ant and unbiaffed. ■.. J t
For shame my fellow-democrats —You
must be sensible df the ihconfiftency and
impropriety Os all thi|.. Th^re are feme
few among you who Would wi& to keep
up the delusion. because it is a ladder. for
preferment. But Jam confident the most
of you will (hake off this delusion, and on
trammel your minds of prejudice, and the
artful deceptions of interested leaders.,. If
twenty men gav| a power of attorney to
half a dozen, to tranteft ctrtaib bunn?fs.
Would it not be deetied very aNbrd, oft
ficiom and offenfive, if i^o of : the twenty
/hould hold private meetings, and (huuing
their doors against the others concerned:
undertake exclusively, to judge* censure,
and direst their agents : And yet such is
precisely the conduft of our democrats; .
Who then are the aristocrats of Ameri
ca ? it can’t be that imneenfe class of citi
zens who are content with being upon an
e^ual fcoiing with their fellow ciiizena—
being fatisfied that they are of the common
family of national Democrats^ ax contem*
plaited by law ?—lt can’t finely be our Re
ptefentatives of Congrefsr or other officers
: of our government^? It would be absurd
■ and cruel indeed^ for us, firft to create of
ficers,' and abule the poor fellows we put
into those offices, as being ariftoersts, be
cawfe'the'y are in these offices? No, in
plain thglifh, if there ca^ be such § thing
‘as sriuccracy in this conn try,. bL-mbere
of ths Democratic Metiet art the only jirif
toerdts in i4mereial [ f
And yet 1 don’t believe nine tenths of t
■: the members have any such Conception or
: intention. lam perfraded very few have '
(enoufty reflefted upon the nature, truede
. sign, and hazatdods conleqbences of these
institutions; much lets/ searched the re
cords of history-—or even dHptffionately
Contemplated passing fcene c of the French
Republic. ? Wm. WItCOCtS.
New York, Feb 4 7, 1795.
CONVENTION/
DECEMBER 4.
Onpeace^ and its principle ande^
je£ts in France.
MERLIN of Douai, in the
nante of the Committee of Public
Safety.?
** I come to Fay before you’ a
nother intrigue of our enemies >
but whatever success they may
have promised themselves from it,
to point it out is fufficient to ren
der it abortive. You have’ ob
served with what rapidity rumours
of peace are circulated ;■ you have
marked their fotirce and detected
the contradictions with which
news-writers transferred- into plen
ipotentiaries,' make us conclude
peace, sometimes with one of the
allied powers and tome times with
them; all. Call to mind with what
affe&ation thef publish;- nbcwith
ftanding we will not accept peace
with any neighbouring nation, till
that nation mall have formed it
felf into a Republic call to mind
all the writers who are paid here
to circulate, and the oratory to
give countenance to this miserable
opinion, and to reprelent you as
> Violating every principle; Their
; principle objed is to alienate other
nations from you, and to alarm
them with refpea to our inten
tions. But nations have been
fpecdily informed refpe&ing com
J trivances Wd inlihuattons 1 whTch*
never existed but to tome heads
, thar have fallen dnder the fwW
of the law. Our enemies have
changed their fyf&m. They no
longer reprint us.aS the conquer
ors of the world, or the destroyers
FRANCE.
of all government; To hear the
cabinets of London and Vihrnsi;
‘W^arc B^bqi the tjhoft ardent
idolators of peace.—Never was a
people so easy Jt negociatioil as
we, never was the olive-branch bK
sered & accepted with more eager
ness. AH these rumours are invent
ed to annihilate the ardour of out
armies, arrest their progress, disor
ganize them', and (tide our energy.
We must assure ourselves of the fb
lidity of the ground on which we
have confolidiated the foundations
of the glory and happiness of the
Republic. We must, therefore
examine it to a great debth, and
not trust t to deceitful appear
ances of a calm, which perhaps/
may be soon followed by the most
fatal tempest. Our triumphs anef -
* otif principles' permit us at once
CO wield and to fay aloud what
ever we please ; our jnftice (ball
be ever ihfeparable from our glo
ry; Yes, we desire peaces but
we dtfire it guaranteed by bur
own prpper sored, and by the in
capability of ouf efleritfes ever to
hurt us. . ( ..
“ W<h refpeft to the greater
part of cur enemies, if we nhay
judge of them by the effect which
the feeling of present evils ought to
produce, and by the fears of. the
future, with which they ought to
be impressed, there is reason to be
lieve that they desire a speedy
peace. Afluredly, the time can
, not be far distant, when enlight
ened by the Republican thunder
’ which has burst upon all of them
• at once, fcveral of those govern
rtkhrs, excited against us by En
gland may look upon, without
■ fear, the abyft/ into which that
odious power hoped to precipitate
. them. When Spain,' for exam
l pie, will open her eyes oti its pro
jects, when fbe will remark .the
perfflvering" afiiduity with which
that government examines the
.South Sea; all the pains it takes
to cohfolidate its power in india;
thence to contrive by fteakh a
route towards America, fall in the
rear upon Mexico and Peru, so
" long the objeds of its ihfatiable
’ cupidity, and make themselves
: matters of them by open force, as
soon as-it can do so without dan^
J gerwhen at length, perceiving,
her true interests, (he will perceive
: thkt Englands her true and'only
; enemy, and of all the dangers
which theater? heri there is hone
mori formidable than those which
; may Ipring from^ her confidence
(in so perfidious ah ally.
; This very moment ought to
; be that when, Ungrateful towards
• the nation to which (he owes her
■ liberty, the ftatd perhaps, which
. ought the most to applaud the
rearing of a great Republic on
the ruins of a monarchy, whose
treaty of ryy^igave foch addkion
al ftrengrh to the house of Austria,
when, unfaithful, even to liberty
itfeif, Holland lamenting, but
perhaps too late,her fatal delusion,
will dread feeing her treasures, her
’ (hips; her eftablifoments in both
Hemispheres, fattiheo the hands of
those tyrants of the feas^wholh au
dacity foe formerly restrained.—
Pruflia, doubtlefsr will soon con
clude, by perceiving that it is in
afolid peace with and anr
intimate union 7 with the neigh*
bouripg powers of the North, that
he can find the only principles of
his duration,the only forw which
notwithstanding the political of
his cabinet; and the tadics of hi^
armies,he can rfeafobably oppose to
the devouring Ambition, of Rufila.
“ With re^ed to our other en
emie?, whether volunfarjly jo th^
coalition by their vanity, or
dragged into it agajnft their will,
in confequenee of their weakness,
they have all equally and long
since (hewn that they were j /^ary
of iG by their regrets and their
murmurs, and.,all pant, for the
moment when they may brea< its
bonds.. Several of them, juftiy
terrified at the defpak of the prin*
cipal belligerent powers, leem at
length to feel the hecefTity cu «u :
niting with one another, to pre
vent the partition of their territo^
ties; a partition which they welt
know to be projected by their al
lies, as a means of paying them*
(elves in part for the expenctsof
the campaign. »
“If we are asked in t;he mean
time, what are the difpofit ions, of
the French people i Organs of >
their will, we will answer, that al
ways just, always magnanir£)us,
always as jealous of their honor as
of their liberty, they, will distin
guish their enemies, and the mo
tives of their aggreflion ; that ev
en in the law^ which their vido*
lies give them a right to djdate K
they will not confound the ridicu
lous pretenfiops of weakness & of
vanity, wkh the intradable pride
and perfidious power of tyranny i,
that above all they will regard the
situation of those whom fear & vi?
olence have compelled to march in
the train of the chiefs of the,league;’
and finally, that in tracing with
their triuphant but generous hand,’
the limits within which it will be
proper to confine themselves, |hey;
will rejed no offers compatible
with their interests and focir dig—",
nity, with their repose and fccuri-,
ty,.—Such is their policy. Their?
proceedings are open/ like the
glow of their arms. With their
enemies they will treat, as they .
have fought, in (he face of the *
universe, whom they call to be •
the witness of their justice, as it.
has been the witness of their vic-;
tones. L , x . ; ...
This is what may be p.ublifh
ed and bejiyed of our. intentions,,
for it is whit we always avow anti
never change. Let us therefore
speak it here, that the whole. Re
public my resound, and our brave
armies of the North, repeat k in
emulation.' ; ,
° No, Frenebineb, no; you will
not forget the cause that induced
you to take up arms and the only,
conditions upon which you can
lay them down.
“ No; yob have not advanced
so rapidly in this glorious career^
to (top at the moment when you
are just at the gaol; and when,you
are io near receiving the prize of
your vidories, you wjll not luffer
it to escape you.— Let not our
enemies exped it. We w ill prove
to them by new efforts, and by
new triumphs, that we wilh for
peace; but peace worthy of our
defenders, and worthy of the
French people; and in a word^
when the people (ball confider war
as nio longer necessary to repair
outages offered to its dign'ty, or*
to preserve themselves from new
insults, then only will they put a”
curb on vido^y, then only wilßhey
didatt peace.”
[This report was often iatanuptid bp
loud ■pplaufei.]