A NATIONAL PAPER, PUBLISHED WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FENNO, No. 69, HIGH-STREET, PHILADELPHIA [No. 29, of Vol. IV.] Certificates Loft. MISSING, Five New-JferJey Certificates, ligned by Silas Condiviz. No. 740 for £. 75 o o 1978 11 12 9 715 100 3482 The fubferiber iuppofes the above Certificates are stolen. Whoever will discover the Thief, or Certificates, and leave information at the Treasury or Loan-Office in New-]erfev. or in the County Colle&or's Office at Morris-Town, (hall be hand somely rewarded by Manis-Town, New- Jersey, July 12, 1792. BOOKS, PRINTED AND SOLD BY M A T H E W CAREY, No. itß, Market-Street, Philadelphia. i. A MERICANMUSEUM,fiom itscommence- XjL ment in January 1787, to June 1792, in vols. Price, neatly bound and lettered, .^f vpnleen dollars and three filths. ' This work, which is now conduced on an im proved plan, containing the bed pieces publiflied for and against the proceeding# of government, will be found to contain at least as great a variety of political, agricultural, and miscellaneous essays, as any ever published in America, Perhaps in no one work are lo many valuable documents refpeft ing the history of this country, colle&ed together. His Excellency tHe President of the United States, has declared of it, that 44 a more ufeful literary plan has never been undertaken in America, nor one more deserving of public encouragement." The fubfeription is two dollars and a half per ann. Gentlemen in the country who wish to be supplied with this work, are requeued to give cornmifiion to friends in the city to fubferibe for and receive if Any of the back numbers may be had in order to complete sets. 2. Smith's Letters to Married Women, on Nurf ing and the management of Children. " We recommend these letters to the perusal o those to whom they are particularly addressed."— Monthly Review, vol. 38, p. tot — Price, bound. €2 cents. 3. Duncan's Elements of Logic—75 cents. 4. Beauties of Fielding—so cents. 5. Beauties of Blair—so c?nts. 6. Ladies' Pocket Library, containing Miss More's EfTays, Gregory's Legacy, Lady Penning ton's Advice, Marchioness of Lambert's Advice, Swift's Letter to a newly married Lady, Mrs. Cha pone on command ot" Temper, More's Fables for the Ladies, Price 6f6. 7. Smith's History of New-York, lar and a quarter. 8. Elements of Moral Science, by James Beat tie, 1.1.d. profeffor of moral philosophy and logic in the Marifchal College, Aberdeen—Price three-fourths of a dollar. Of this book the Critical Reviewers (vol. 69, p. 628) fay : 41 We have seen nothing on these fubje&s more plain more perspicuous, or more generally ufeful."—• — N. B. It is introduced into the University in Phi ladelphia. £ 9. Beauties of Poetry dollar, 10. Blair's Sermons. Price two dollars. 11. Necker's Treatlfe on the importance of Re ligious Opinions.—Price four-fifths of a dollar. 12. Examination of the Observations of Lord Sheffield on American Commerce—Price, on very fine paper, 5 Bihs of a dollar. 13. The Conllitutions of the several United States, with the Federal Constitution, &c. Price five eighths of a dpllar. 14. M'Fingal. Price three-eighths of a dollar. 15. American Jest Book. Price three-fifths o! a dollar. 16. Garden of the Soul. Price half a dollar. •17 The Doway Translation of the Vulgate Bi ble, in quarto—Price, elegantly bound and lettei ed, 50/2— plain, fix dollars. 18. Devout Christian's Vade Mecunt—Price a quarter dollar. 19. Think well on't. Price a quarter dollar. 20. Chr iflian Economy. Price a fifth of a dollar. 21. History of Charles Grandifon, abridged— Price a sixth of a dollar. 22. Poems by Col. Humphreys—Price a third of a dollar. 23. Selett Poems, chiefly American- —Pricc a sixth of a dollar. Said Carey has for sale, a large assortment of Books, European as well as American editions, which he will difpole of on the most reasonable terms. Country gentlemen, who favor him with commands, may depend upon being fupplicd in the most fatisfactory manner. A liberal allowance to such as purchafc quantities ior public libraries, or to fell aa^in. Wm. cleland, BOSTON, Tranfafts btffinefs in the Funds of the United States; BANK STOCK, BILLS of EXCHANGE, Brc. Orders from New-York, Philadelphia, or *ny other part of the Union, will be attended to witk Diligence and Punctuality. _Junt i WANTED—TO RENT, From the last of O&ober next, <nr A convenient House. in or near the centre oj thi City—Enquire of the Eaitgr. REFLECTIONS on the STATE of the UNION Concerning the Foreign Debts of the United Slates. AT the commencement of the present go vernment, in 1789, the United States were indebted to France, Holland, and Spain, and to the foreign officers ol the late army, in a sum amounting to near twelve millions ot dol lars. Near a million and two-thirds of this sum was due for arrears of interest, inattention to which, would have been too difgraceful to have admitted of a hope ot public credit, until inea -1 fures were taken for its discharge. Above a million and one-third of the principal sum had become due, and the time ot other installments was coming round. The resources of the coun try had been examined and considered, but not: tried. The claims of thefc foreign creditors, were,originally,the most delicate in themselves; and in the cafe of France, the ft&te ol her revo lution in the summer of i79-> placed her de mand in a situation peculiarly interesting. It was perceived that the adoption of the Federal Constitution and the measures taken to restore public credit, had made strong and favorable impreflions on the European money-lenders : and it was not doubted, that the arrears of in terest and the principal due, might be discharg ed by loans, upon terms which would produce very little loss. The requisite authorities were given by the Legislature, which resulted in the borrowing of a sum equal to the discharge of all the exigible debts. But as the occasions of the French were likely to be emergent, and there was reason to confide, that a firm and steady pursuit of the financial system, which had by that time been adopted, and an adherence to the upright spirit of the Constitution, would ra pidly meliorate the credit of the United States, it was deemed expedient to extend the autho rities to borrow, to a sum equal to the whole of the foreign debt, provided the installments not due could be discharged by means of loans ad vantageous to the United States. The interest of above seven millions of the foreign debt, be ing at the rate of five per cent. per annum, it was not doubted that the money might be ob tained so as to render the discharge of the part, not exigible, really advantageous. It has ac cordingly happened, that a sum adequate to the principal and interest due, has been borrowed ' within the terms of the law, so as to support the credit and good faith of the United States, 1 and critically to accommodate the people of France. The further expe<stations of Congress have also been fulfilled ; a considerable loan at four and one-half, and two loans at four per cent, having been effected, so as to realize an advantage in the discharge of a large part of the principal, which was at an interest of five per cent. The United States having thus com : muted their foreign debt, further than is due, : with honor, and, on a medium of the whole, , with advantage, are relieved by these operati ons from any possibility of preflure to perform the remainder of their European engagements. The friends of our public credit, of our national 1 fafety and refpe&ability, and of the revolution of France, among the citizens of the United States, will reflect upon this actual course of ' events with cordial fatisfaftion. I The condufion : being mifcellaneowi thoughts on the government. The people of the United States enjoy a pe culiar felicity in the ppifeffion of principles of government and of civil and religious liberty, more found, more accurately defined, and more extensively reduced to practice, than any pre ceding republicans. There is not one iota of delegating or delegated power, which is not poiTelfed, or may not be acquired by every citi zen. It is true, that there are in practice, se veral deviations in the distribution of powers to the various sub-divisions of the country, and to the proprietors of cei taindefcriptions of pro perty ; but these are acknowledged departures from principle, and are known to have risen out of the antecedent state of things. They could not be immediately corre&ed without violent struggles and disorders, and without injury to the property of descriptions of citizen*, too great for the country at any former period to , compensate. Mild remedies are,however, dai ly applied to these partial diseases; and it is manifeft, that the course of time is diminishing, and will finally remove them. The right of le gislative interposition, on the part of the chief magistrate, which, in the practice of another country, has been commuted for an unlawful and injurious influence, is here wrought into the essence of the constitution, and is not only exercised in the independent and uncontrouled consideration of every resolution and bill, but by the practical application of the negative. The execution of the office of the chief ma gistrate has been attended through a term of almost four Jyears with a circumstance, which to this nation and to the surrounding world re quires no commentary—a native citizen of the United States, elevated from private life to that station, has not, during so long a term, ap pointed a single relation to any office of honor or emolument. The senatorial branch of the government has been created and continued in a mode prefera- I ble to that which i-. purfucd in any other nation. 1 4 6 ° 12 9 JOSEPH LEWIS. (lawyw) Piice a dol Price four-fi/ths of a (epim & xaruiin) Saturday, September 8, 1792. FROM TIIE AMERICAN MUSEUM, 113 Tne representative branch of the govern ment is equally well constituted. The military code for the government of such troops as are occaiionally raised and em ployed, is well calculated to produce discipline and efficiency, when time is allowed for the I purpose, and consequently to render the United States refpeftable in the eyes of foreign nations. All christian churches are so truly upon an e qual footing, as well in practice as in theory, that there are and have been in the legiilative, executive, and judicial branches ot the general government, persons of the following denomi nations :—epifcopalians, pve{byteriaii, indepen dent or congregational, quaker, Lutheran, re formed Roman, and probably others, which do not occur. There have been, and indeed yet are, a few ecclesiastical distinctions in the state governments, which reason and time are rapid ly destroying. It is easy to 'perceive that reli gious liberty supported by the National Conlli tution, and a great majority of the ftatc con stitutions, cannot but attain, in a very fliort time, the fame theoretical and practical perfec tion in the remainder, which it has acquired in them. (To be concluded in our next.) FOR THE GAZETTE OF TIIE UN IT E D STATES REPRESENTATIVES in CONGRESS. IN a despotic government the slaves and tools o power affctt to treat the people with contempt for though a sovereign without fubje&s, impliei an abfurditv—and the multitude of the people rcallv constitutes the glory of a Prince, yet so in. confident and besotted have the tyrants of the earth beeru, that the people by whom they reign and from whom they derive all their support, arc too often considered in no better a light thar beasts of burden: hence their obedience to the laws is a blind spontaneous fubmiflion, withoui sentiment, and consequently never to be depended on.—ln a free government the cafe is far other wise; a wife and virtuous people, in refpe&ing their rulers, honor their o*n chara&er—and the magistrates, while executing the laws, confidei themselves as agents of the people and organs of the public will.—The name of citizen is the high est political appellation—and the approbation of the virtuous majority, the highest reward of an honest ambition. There are various currents in the tide of human affairs, ro precipitate nations to ruin. History and experience afford abundant teflimony to prove, that free States as well as in dividuals, have been carried down the smooth dream of flattery to thegulph of slavery and des potism : we need only refer to that notable in stance, Julius Csfar ; if the Roman people had been invulnerable to the flattery, adulation and largefles of that nfurprr, they would not have fallen ;he vi£Hms of his artifices, the Haves of absolute luthority. The duties of governors and of the governed, are reciprocal ; when all impreflions of efpeft fiom one to the other are obliterated—on he one hand government becomes contemptible, ind is inevitably considered as tyrannical—on the )ther, the people become supine and invite mif ule and oppreflion ; fa&ions fuccccd, and thefc )verturning the free government, open the door o anarchy, confufion and dcfpotifni. There is a public magnanimity of character vhich ?1 ways accompanies a superior ftatc of civil ibertv; the loss of this ma'gnanimity generally >recedes the loss of freedom. This noble fenti nent should inform, enlighten and animate the reat public will ; it is this alone which can nake a people superior to the adulation of those »afe minds, who flatter, to deceive and betray— nd at the fame time equal to sustaining the ele&ri ying power of truth. For it may fafely be af erted, that truth and freedom are so intimately Hied, that whenever the former is found to offend, he latter very Toon takes its departure. In fele£ling their civil rulers, a wife people will iot be deluded by the syren song of unprincipled latterers ; of all attainments, a proficiency in the rts of adulation is the easiest of acquisition ; at he present day the world abounds with models ,n which perfonsof themoft slender abilities may orm their chara&ers ; and it is too much to be amented that those who never had honesty enouon o piopofe an unpalatable truth to the public con ideration, are considered as patriots. How dif erently mankind condutt in matters of religious oncern, from those of a political nature ! The >opular preacher is he who draws the mod dr eading picture of our species ; —in politics some nodern patriots apply a certain do&rine to the ><rO/>/e, which republicans justly reprobate as ap >licd by the people of England to their chief ma [iftrate, viz. That the King can do no wrong; his is daubing wi<h untempered mortar, uniefs it an be demonftratcd that the popuhr opinion, lowever variable, is always right. We have fern n our country a variety of changes in the fenti nenls of the people—amidst them all, truth has lever fhifted fides ; and the inflexible patriot a, ho makes her d £tates his fupteme monitor, will icver be found enrolled under the banners ot farfy. " Uubrib'd, unazu'd, he dares impart, " The hovejl didates of his heart — 14 No party fmile'iy or frowns he Jears, 44 ?77 An virtue perjeveres Such are the charo£lers to whom the public at tention ought to he drawn — persons of this dc fcription will make the public good their objc& ; their prescriptions and advice may be sometimes unpalatable, but their judgment will save the body politic—the laws and the liberties of their coun. UUso [Whole No. 551.] .—When the people are folicitou* to eltft only those •« who prop.heiy Smooth things, 1 ' theirtiu® glory may be fa id to be oh the eve ofits departure; but so long as they can bear the discipline which truth and freedom pre Scribe, their happineSs will be secure. It is Sometimes fafbionable to Speak favorably of public credit ; to extol the virtues of temper ance ; to Support the cause of the mechanic and manufacturer, &c> Then again, it is discovered that public credit is a bubble, that public debts aie public curSes, and ought to be annihilated — that taxes on ardent spirits are oppreflive—and that a land tax, which never can be laid, ought to be substituted ; or in other words, that no pro vision should be made for the public debt ; that prote&ing duties ought not to be laid—that the manufa&ures of our country ought to be left to fhift for them Selves, See. &c. On these topics, the candidates for the Suffrages of the people hav# often given their opinions ; and while those who appear to have formed competent and confident ideas, and have uniformly Supported their fyflems, ought to meet with the approbation of the people : those who have whiffled and veered to every dif ferent point, that appeared to suit their personal ■ntereft and the company thev were in, should be marked with neglefl bv every f»ee eleftnr. This advice is freely given ; for it will found on ex amination, that the real friends of the constitution of the United States are those, who have uniform ly Supported the united and inSeparable interests of the farmer, the manufa&urer, the mechanic, and the merchant. C. No. VI. FOR THE GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES, Mr. Fenno* IJ yourfelf and your brother Printers through the Con tinent, who have published certain flriflvres on the conduSl of Mr. Jefferfon, which appeared in your Gazettes of the \th and 11 th of lafl month, under the [tgnature of" An American," will now publfk the it will evidence your impar tiality and regard to jujlice, Philadelphia, September 4, 1792 Mr. Fenno, IN your Gazettes of the 4th and nth of last month, there appeared two publications un der the signature of " An American," replete with the most virulent abuse of Mr. Jefferfon } and containing charge 1 ; against him, founded in the basest calumny and falfhood. The intem perance of this writer, and his utter difreg&nf of truth and candor, will be readily perceived by an impartial public, when they refer to one of his concluding suggestions in the firft publi cation, to wit—that Mr. Jefferfon is the patron and promoter of national di/uviun, national infig nificanct, public difordcr and discredit ;-*-a fuggeP tion, made on no better foundation, than being oppsfed to some of the principles of the' funding system, of the national bank, and of certain other measures of the Secretary of the Treafurv ; an offence, which, I fear, if crimi nal, will involve a great majority of the inde pendent yeomanry of our country in equal Tuilt. How long Mr. Jefferfon has been diftin riufhed as the Cataline of the day, or as the imbitious incendiary, who Would light a torch :o the ruin of his country, may be matter of lfeful speculation; and whether he is now, for :he firft time, thus distinguished, because of the nanly freedom with which he declares his ab lorrence of some of the leading principles of Vlr. Hamilton's fifcal administration ; or, that iccaufe of his known attachment to republic :anifm, he is feared, as the decided opponent ot riftocracy, monarchy, hereditary fuceeffion, a itled order of nobility, and all the other mock-* ia<*eantry of kingly government, will be the übjedt of future enquiry; in which it will be :onfidered, how far the distinguishing traits I lave glanced at, form the appropriate and pro ninent features in the character of another po itical luminary, and of the measures of his ad niniftration. An enquiry like this may be use- Ul, has been invited by the writer I' refer to, ind, as the invitation will not be refufed, may, n the test of comparative merit, disclose fa&s ind principles in relation to public men, which, lowever important for the public to know, low concealed in the arcana of a certain con "ention, or remain involved in all the obfeurity if political mystery and deception. At present nv sole purpose is, by a reference to certain 'aft',, of which I have been pofTeffed by a gen* leman in this city, to exonerate Mr. Jefferfon "rom the two principal charges made -against lim, and, in so doing, to prove the malignity ind falfhood of them.—The firft charge is, • that Mr. Jefferfon was opposed to the present :onftitution of the United States"—and the ither is, " that Mr. Jefferfon, when Minister :o the Court of France, advised Congress to icgociate a transfer of its debt due to thtt> "Tench nation to the hands of individuals in 1 Holland, upon the idea, that if the United States hould fail in making a provision for the debt, he discontents, to be expected from the omif ion, may honesty be transferred from a govern nent able to vindicate its rights, to the breasts if individuals, who may firft be encouraged to lecome the substitutes to the original creditors, ARISTIDES.
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