Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1813-03-19

ana regular report made 40 che wear l7QI
by the lords Of the British priog couacI
to the king Of Great Britain. on .fmeri.
can politics, Eooeramsnt and trade. in
which those lords expressly declare tAat "a
british party sras formed IN 4faericc.o
However questionable the authenticity of
this report may be, will examine il as If
1t was indisputable. This report is stated
to have been made in 1891, when General
Washington had been only two years at the
head of the government, and consequently
he must have begun Immediately and with
out any occasion to manifest a oartial,tv for
Great Britain. The revolution in Fra,c.
had commenced, but no collision with
England had then marked its progress
treaty existed between US and France
and although we had no treaty of com.
merce with England, friendly intercourse
OF trace was earned on with her. Tho
western posts We're still in her possession.
and few instances of searching our ships
for her seamen although but few) had pro-
baby occurred and no single circum.
stance had presented an occasion to di.plav
any foreign partiail,ies except the reyoln-
ton IN France, for whose liberty and han
piness, no men in this country were more
ardently DESTROYS than the federalists No
man in America had done more to secnrc
the liberty of his country than Washins.
ton, from motives neither of ambition or
avariee for il is pretty certain. that If hi.
detection in favor of England during the
war could have been purchased, the Ex-
chequer would have been almost emptied
into his lap. These lords therefore, could
have had no possible Foundation for their
report, except the general opinion of the
| greatest men In America at that time. that
| agriculture and commerce ought to be the
| predominant pursuit Of the States; as il.
was much better for them to send their
raw materials to the manufacturer, than to
bring the manufacturer to the materials.
Of this opinion was Mr.. Jefferson in 1882
when he wrote his notes on Virginia his
reasons for changing il in the course of p
few years, are obvious enough, when il Ia
considered that he was Virginian, ana
| opposed to the constitution
On the charge of British influence will
| here give an extract of letter written bv
General Washington in 1906, in answer Ia
one he had received from Mr.. Jefferson ex-
| onerating himself from the suspicion of
giving publicity to some papers, which was
before known only to the members of the
cabinet To this | may add, and very
truly, that until the last year or two / had
no conception that parties would or could
go the lengths have been witness to nor
did believe until lately, that it was with
In the bounds of probability--hardlv with
IN those of possibiity--that while l was
using my utmost exertions to establish a
national character of our own, indepen-
dent as Tar as our obligations and Justice
would permit, ofevery nation of the earth;
and wished by steering steady course to
preserve this country from the horrors of
a desoiating war, / should be accused of
being an enemy to one nation and subject
to the influence of another; and TO prove it.
that every act of my administration would
be tortured, and the grossest and most in.
sidious Misrepresentation of them be made.
by giving one side only Of subject. and
that too in such exaggerated and indecent
terms as cosld scarcely be applied to Ne
ro--to a notorious defauter-or even to a
common pick-pocket." Life, Vol 9Th page
675
When the reader is told, that the most
abusive epithets here complained of, issued
from press in Philadelphia, patronized
by Mr. Jefferson, and that his letter to
Mazzei contained this very charge of Bri-
fish influence, he may easily imagine
how deeply must have been felt, the
just reproach contained in the above letter
although perhaps involuntary on the part
OF Washington, as neither the one nor the
other of these circumstances were then
known to him. Now if the man first in
war, first in peace, and first in the hearts
OF his countrymen" could not escape the
viperous tongue of SANDER, how can his
disciples expect to escape itP "lf they have
called the master of the house Beelzebub,
how much more shall they call them of
his household"
The next evidence of British influence
brought against federalism occurs i'm the
conversation between Mr.. Russell and
lord CastIereagh, as lately communicated