The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-07-23
On the Politics of the Day.

CTbe tol57ying il fran a a Jsriet Of Letter. htety
Pa5Ebea IL tbs albany Cmtiael, 44ddrl9:d 70 tie
Ps9Pt.
L HE French revolution, tho not #
fe6fing the exiRence of the United States, 70 d.
realy and Immediately as that of The European
governments, has yet proved. in fome refpecs,
peculiarly, and il many refpeas, efentially, in
tereiting TO our Happiness and PEACE The warm
emotions OF fymPathy excited here, by the view
q 8 eat nation tIuggling to break its chains,
and 20 reto.m the monI,rous atufes # arcient
dePotfm, though natural ard iut II heir con.
cePtion, and Honorable e. III human hea ttend-
ed, unfortunately, 20 involve u in painful ana
FerPleKing embarraIments. This national FEN
tImcnt Ike =xcefs of charity, two hcneR md I'M
dilcerning to discriminate its orjeas, qualify is
views, or calculate It's own tendencies, was re-
ceved by Face as fu pledge of perlonal de-
votion, and as equivalent to a tender Of national
terviccs This PetluatiCn in the French govern
ment was great leading caule Of all our t-cu-
bIes This It was, that gave flch bold and
i1tolent ahurance TO her miniQer Genet, in his
correfPond7nce with The Prefdent-To hlv. the
Pto, le in favour Of liberty, was. il the view Of
that vain zea.or, to have 'hsm in favour Of
France, with al her fcllies, "a urdites and
crimes, "To me-" faid Re, " it aPpear, incon-
cevable that all the enemies Of tyranny, thar all
vrtu0us men, do not march with Us 10 the com
bat" TO him, alto, ii was equally income -v-
able, that tie mobs lhould no, peak The vci
OF the people, and that he PrehJeat lhould not
obey the Vol cf The mobs.
Tie laboious and tying 1rurgle we have
futansd, 70 20 eSt our ii ghts, al maintain our
neutrality, i. the dear trib t. we have paid and
are It'll paving 70 the indulgence Of this gene.
rous, but nilsuideI national lentime0t.
The current Of the popular feelings, If left to
its own nature al OPERATION, would loon have m Ade
tlnd, when i was diCcovered that Tie obi &
which excited was no Longer worthy OF III m
when il was perceived, that the genuine cauf- Of
liberty and reform was abandoned tur vili,nary
fPecu ions, fwallowed up in the vortex OF civil
conyulfOrs, or outraGed and trampel on by
lawlefs and criminal ulurPdtion But powerful
artificial caufes contributed to keep up he tide
and iwell thele emotions into 4 b4uoheI and
OCULAR patton. Thy began to ope ate at
the comm cncement of the war etW en- France
and Gre ibri.a'n. THIS war, involving the in
tefeis # our commerce to a great extent, and
turnlih ng a convenient talk ng horle ID the m
bition Of our parties, eaGly aud naturally in
preAed lis own i'm &c on the face Of our af
fins Many were willing 10 embark us, on one
Gde or tie other, in this great controversy iome
from lel iaterett, fome f ON ambti AMI OH
els from mere ve-knsls and lily. 10 deter
mine the timplet mea.ures Of me1ic Pc icy,
topics Of argument were drawn from the diaen-
tons OF Europa. Parties we { not alh med u
5
the livery Of foreign factions. Oar ancient pre-
JUDGES againG one nation, and cur ienti.rents
Of gratitude 10 another, were collected & excited
with zeal and ardour, and formed INTO irleirlg
able arguments TO juGify or eIcule the fol les
Of puertle politicians, and the atrocities Of bloc
dy ufurPers. Thank Cod that amidt tie
wild vagaries Of cur part es, the policy Of our
government, tho agitated, has been pure that
while molly mobs have ihcuted the Praile7, and
claEored for the rights of French fraternity,
the privilege Of plumber and the guillotne;
the true fpirit Of American independence and
liberty, always moral. always rational, & for
ever finn, tho Till, not extihguihsd, depiing
little cares and idle camors, but ever ready for
great occafons, has Readily prevailed, and f,ll
animates the hearts Of he American people.
When We take flrvey of our peculiar Itua-
ton during the laR fix years, when we conGler
what powerful means Of influence that Gtuation
has afforded The pariizans and agents Of the
French fl Aem in this coutry, and with VIII At zeal
and addrefs they have applied them when we
confder the indulgence with which they have
been laened to, and the lberality with whi.h
their intrigues have Seen tolerated, it's lubjett
Of furPlilc, thar this government and this people
have not fulF-re1 fill greater entertainments.
a Gtuation more angular or more critical cannot
be conceived. Two powerful nations were en-
gagged in 4 violent conaa To one, We were