fromllht COLUMBIAN CkNllti£L, t '«
FRENCH INFLUENCE—Nt. IV.
MR. aUSIStt, p
THE zealous supporters of the federal gdv
trmnent, warmed by * just sense of indigna
tion at the attempts made by France to (invert
& inake it I'ubfervtent to her own purpol'et, may
naturally expe&, that I shall charge the whole
body of opponents to government, admirers and
advocates of French principles, with hiving
been corrupted by French gold. No, my tel
low-citizeHS, I am not afluated by so illiberal,
intolerant a spirit. —The sincere objeil of these
rjfays, however ufelef* ihey may prove in *!ie
event, is to allay the violence of par ty zeal, to f
remove from the great body of antitederaliits, a
that stigma wlich has been ir.difcHminately laid \
upon them —-to place upon the heads of t.ie c
guilty done the odium they jnilly merit to t
com ince theirtco credulous partisans that they
have h-ten deceived by fall'e and hollow pro
feffiont of patriotilm, and that if they rtjedl
the incendiary counsels of thofepretended patri- I
ots ( who as Mr. Fauchet fays have all of iliem 1
their prices) the rial friends t®the people, to ,
liberty and law, will receive them with open j
arms, and will bury all palt differences in per
petual oblivion.
Mr, Genet, the incendiary minifler of France,
has been educated in the lchool of sedition and
jteofeinifm.— He knew full well the weak fide
of the human heart. He had studied the exam
ample of the firft matters in the science ot in
ftruiflion, and had learned the secret of govern
ing the majority by the mjchiQitiers of an art
ful and an intriguing minority, lie lud leen,
t'lat by two powerful engines, the mightiell
monarchy in Europe h*d been battered to the
gre«nd. .
A venal and abandonedprtfs, devoted to le-"
dition, is alone fiifScient to involve in general
ruin, the faireft ftru<s\ures —rthe mull collly edi
fices of law and government. But combina
tions of men. for the purpose of watching the
nieafures, and of "J lopping the wheels' of a
government, whatever they may stile therofelvet,
whether denominated"conflitutioual societies, '
«' jacobin alVeciations," or by by the more mo
dern and elegant name of affiliated clubs,
are Hill more masterly inventions in the cause
of terrorism and anarchy. I am individually
convinced that no form of gtjveipment, no ci
vil focitsy, can long under any circumstances,
withftaiid tjhe combined force of
powerful enemies. # •
Geset, frefh from a country in which these
terrible inftiumcr.ts of despotism were, madly
triumphant, heated, boiling over witn that fa
natic p'arenzy, that savage, that fierce dtmentia
which was epidemic in the sanguinary reign
ef Sabtfpitrre, furnamed the humane, made his
firft debarkation, at Charlcfton, South-Carolina
—a spot of all others oft the continent, the belt
fitted to promote the pacific objeils of his milT
ion. That kit landiug at this place was a part
of that nefarious confpiracytoihrow this coun
try into the war, or to separate the affeflions of'
tiie people from the government, cannot at this
period be denied, fince'ithas been h often re
jected in the public prints, and no pretext, no
jpology either ufcicia! or private has ever been
offered for this daring and outrageous insult up
en the dignity of our country. The incendia
rf mimlfcr began his careeer by granting com
n.ilEons for privateers to any who app:ied for
them-, by enco .raging the spirit of rapacity
and plunder ; by authorizing and procuring
thesnliftment of foldicrj within our territories;
by ifilling commissions and employing Ameri
can citizent to begin a military enterprize with
in our jurifdiflion ; by receiving repealed ad
drei ts publicly at mioifter of France before he
produced his credentials or had received his ex
tquatoi ; by flattering thepafiiens and he vl
#t v of < ur citizens, and by perfuadiiig them to
eoiilider the eaufe of France as their ewn in his
own fulfomc answers tot ieir addresses ; by pro
felling a regard ai.d an affeflion for this coun
try and its citizens which the event hat proved
to be falfe and deceitful ; by engaging on his
•fide (in what manner or by what means they
best can tell) the Editors of several newfpapert
in the moll populous towns in the United States;
encouraging the circulation of those profti
tuled vehicles of slander ; by excluding from
those papers (which have since been denomina
ted French) every fentimeot and every publica
tion which would have counteracted theicviewt
—and left any candid citizms lhould doubt the
truth Of this .-flertion, I publicly challenge any
writer to produce a single publication in Bache's
Aurora, Greenlcaf s Argus,or the lying Chro
nicle, in wnich tha federal government or the
Eritifc nation, if ned, have not been
aLufed and execrated, or in which the French
jrieafures, either in Europe, or with refpett to
ut, have not been approved and applauded.
Like a weathercock, or like the Vicar of Bray,
they have swivelled louad and veered about
with all the abfurditiet, contradi&ions and bar
barities of the French jacobins. Genet had
not enly engaged etitain papers to fuyport his
vije measures, but he had enlisted the ahleft wri
tert, whose"" confidences had their prices."
In whit manner this hat been done, whether by
gold or flattery, it of little moment to the pub
lit who have fuflertd. Mr. Secretary Dalits a
Britilh emigrant, can no doubt resolve this point,
if properly fee'd. He can inform the public of
what nature bis reward was far quibbling in di;-
ftnee of hit patron Gene* when charged with his
traitereus appeal from the cenftituted authori
ties ; and if we give any credit t;> the memora
ble, and never to be forgotten letter of Mr. Ftu
ebet, Vr. Dallas could give us some light as to
the negotiation with the flour merchants, about
which some enviout clous still haflg and hover.
That Mr. Genet employed an engine still more
forcible to batter down the goodly Abric of
our conftitutiou ; that he had nearly-accomplilh
ed hit objeft of involving us in the war, if the
prudence of our executive had not snatched us
from the impending min, I will endiavorto es
tablish in my next. LEONID AS
BALTIMORE, May 22.
Aiout 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon, t*o
• clouds paS'ed over this city, and befidet pour
ing down a great quantity of rain and hail,
discharged also much ele&iical matter. They
ar*fe» one in the northwest, the other in the
foolhwefl, and advanced rapidly with a veiy
formidable appearance, until they-had arrived
over about the middle of the citv, when they
emitted two dreamt of the fluid, which suc
ceeded each other in the space of about three
minutes, with tremendous claps of thunder.
The firft one struck the chimney of Mr.
George Grundy't house, in Market Ibect,
and made its descent through nearly the en
try 1* the hoofr, without doing it any con
siderable injury. Fortunately, no one was
in any •( the rooms through which it pafTcd.
The lail struck Mr. Simpfon't warehouse, a
bout 300 yaida foulhof the former ; it ca
tered at the upper part of the dormant win
dow, and (hivcrrd one us the rafters, but was
carried of hy the hinges of the froot doors in
the diiTe;«>t Tories, üb'ch were in a line un-
der each other, witho.rt dabg; aay matfiitl f
damage. N
c<
IXTR A.C T S in
From a Charije delivered to the Giand Juiy
for the dillrict of Miryland, in the circuit ei
court of the United States, held at Anna- tl
polis, on the Bth of May, 1797, by the t!
honorable James Iredell, one of the aflo- si
ciate judges of the-fupretne court of tb« p
United States. "
" If after all, any individual disapprove of c
the voice of his country, what does dtfty and
common modfily requite of him? lo be t
perfefUy confident he is in his opinion", v
and those entruftcd to decide are wrong 1 t
Who is the man entitled to so arrogant an i
cftimation of )ii3 own abilities i Is he ri-.fhiy
to determine that.the measure has been adopt- <
ed from some difhorieit motive ? W-hat right I
has one man to charge another with dilho«ef
ty without proof? Let him prove and punish 1
if he can. If he can do neithei, but will 1
throw out calumny at random, he mult (land
in the view of his fellow citizens as a slan
derer, and incur tile suspicion that his readi
ness to fufpeft others of dilhonorable inten
tentions, Ims probably arisen from something
in the texture of his own mind which led him
■ to ascribe worthlcfs motives as the most na
tural inducement of action. The part surely
" for every man who loves his country, but
who disapproves ef any public authoritative
j decision, is to submit to it with diffidence and
t refpeff, considering the many chances there
are that his own opinion may be really wrong,
- though ho cannot perceive it to be so; that
1 whether it may or not he does not live ix a
" defpatic goverhment where any one man's
I opinion, not even his own, is to decide for
j all others ; and that the very basis of all re
publican governments in is the
' fubmiflion of a minority tathe majority, where
- a majority are conflitutionally authorifcd to
' decide. For a man lo call himfelf a republi
e can without entertaining this sentiment, is
■ folly. *To be one, without afting upon it,
is impoflible.
0 "To you, gentlemen, are committed pro
secutions for offences agaitift the United
e States. The objeft is the preservation of a
y union, without which undoubtedly we should
BOt now be enjoying the rights of an inde-
pendent people, and without the support of
s which it Ts vain to think we can continue to
a enjoy them. This ceuntry has great energies
1 for defence, and by supporting each other
~- might defy the wot Id. But il we disunite,
1 if we fuffer differences of opinion to corrode
~ into enmity, jealousy to rankle into diitruft,
weak men to delude by their folly, abandoned
.. men to disturb the order of society by their
0 crimes, we must expeft nothing but a fate as
n ruinous at it would be difgraceful, that of
- inviting some foreign nation to foment and
l " take advantage of our internal discords, firfl
making us the dupe and the prey of an am
r bition we excited by our divisions, and to
g which those divisions, if continued, muffin
; evitably give success. So critieal and peeu
i- liar is our situation, that nothing can save us
1- -from this as well as every other external dan
ger, but constant vigilance to guard against
e even the most distant approaches of it, and be
ing at all times ready to provide adequate
0 means of defence.—Our government is so
is formed, that that vigilance can always be ex
)- crted, and those means when necessary be
1- drawn forth. To rely upon these is not only
, d our indispensable duty, but the only chance
!S of securing that union of spirit and exertion
J s without which in a moment of danger noef
l; forts can be of any avail. For 21 years that
i- union has pteferved us through multiplied
dangers, and more than once rescued us from
l * impending ruin. I trnft it will yet display
1 itfclf with its wonted efficacy, and that no
threats, no artifices, no devotion to names
iy without meaning, or profefSons without fin
'j cerity, will be capable of weakening, by any
0- impreflion on a sensible people, a cement cf
>e fential 10 their ex'iftence.
1, " I have troubled you with this address,
to gentlemen, on account of the extreme im
d. portance of the matter of it at the present
f' moment The sentiments have flowed warm
ut ly from my heart, and I flatter myfelf are
not uncongenial to your own. The present
situation of our country is such as to require
the exertion of all good men to support and
" save it. I enter into no particulars, as the
>y legislature of the United States are on tfce
b- point of meeting, and for whose decision every
* worthy citizen must wait with solicitude and
respect. In the mean time it is of the ut
e_ most consequence that every man lhould fa
ils credly obey the laws of the country aflually
ri- in being. They cannot be altered, n«r the
a- observance of them in any instance dispensed
with, without the authority oj" the Congress
to of the United States, in any exigence, how
ever great, in any situation, however alarming.
re There it no occasion to doubt, but that the
of whole proceedings of that most refpeftable
h- body, will be condufted with a degree of
»e temper and firmnefs suited to
ul and trying situation which called them toge
ther, and that the great obje£t of all their
deliberations will be, if poQible, to preserve
thepeace,at the fame time that they i%aintain
inviolably, the honor, the interest, and the in
dependence of their country."
i! ' LONDON, March 25.
;y > t
It letters from Madrid, inserted
in the Paris papers, that all the officers and
.j crewt of the Clips, engaged in the aftion of
the i<}.lh February, at well as the officers of
c those which took no part in the engagement,
are in close confinement ; that on the return
r of the fleet at Cadiz, the ship's companies
r loudly complained of treason ; and it was a
t matt?r of general concern, that vice-admiral
' Mfzzaredo, who enjoys the full confidence
n of the nation, (hould bf a court intrigue be
as prevented from serving his country,
d. The fame letters add, that the kind re
a- ceplion admiral Jervit met with at Lisbon,
t- after his Tidory, aVd the pe-miilion granted
n- him by the court of Portugal to take out of
as the royal magazines every article he wanted
in for the repairing of his fleet, and to complete
n- the crews of his owa (hips and to man the
fjur putss with P.Kiosucfr, Ge-«'. ■« a ;, J i
Neapolitan sailors, has si much enrftgeJ the J
cabinet of MadriJ, that it is fupp >!ed war will
immediately be declared againd Portugal.
We uudertland that ia the wifli of the bank- j,
ers, tliat a clause (liould be introduced into
the ail of parliament now under corrlidei'iition,
that bankers as well as merchants [houlJ b«
free from arrest, on tendering tank notes for
payment. The qurdion of making bank £
notes a legal tender is to lie kept wlujlly oat
of tlifcuffion. t
The bankers now begin to fnppJy the z
town again with gold ; for since the bank r
will not take their i-afli wiih promise to pay ?
on demand, they think they ir.r.y as well give
it to their cuflomers. r
One of the 20,0001. p.-:?es drawn yrder- t
day, belongs to the banking house of Han- ;
key Sc Co. C
The Re*. Dr. Foiliot Hebert Walker, £
Cornwal, is eleftcd bilhop of Brillol, i.i the (
room of Di. Reginald, appointed bifllop xif j
Exeter.
LONDON, April 3. ,
Two columns of the Imperial troops sent .
from the Rhine to Italy, are arrived at Ty
rol. The third column is headed by the 1
Prince of Orange.
The greatest dispatch is used in viftaalling,
See. lord Bridport's fquudronfor sea. In ad
dition to the force with which he returned
to Portfmouih 011 Thursday, it is laid he is
to have fredi (hips for !iis ensuing cruize,
making in the whole, 23 failet the line.
yipril 4.
The embargo laid on the fhippirig in the
French ports, is to continue to the 20th of
> May, as our readers will perceive from the
following order, delivered-to the capt of the
Piuflian hoy, which returned to Dover from
Calais on Friday lad j by a person sent by
: the municipality of the latter commune, to
> prohibit his entering the port. It appears
that the embargo has not been laid on for the
s purpose of concealing any preparations going
, on at DunWrk, but is connefted with the
eleftion, as it is to expire on the 20th of
- next month, the day when the renewal of the
3 legislative body will be effeftcd.
i " Ministry of the general Police of the
I " Republic, Liberty—Equality."
- Extraft from the rcgifter and deliberations of
f the Executive Dire&ory.
u " Paris, 27th Ventofe (17th March) sth
s " year of the French Republic, one
r " and inc'iyifible.
, " The Executive Direftory resolves, that
e all communication betwen Francs and En
, gland, particularly by the ports of Dieppe
J and Calais, fliall be provilionally fafpended
r to the id Prairial next (May 20th). The
s ministers of general police and the marine
if are charged with the execution of the pie-
J sent arret.
H (Signed)
" Rewbel, President.
3 "La Garde, Sec. Gen.
" Cochon, Minister of General Po
lice.
s " Dnbourg, Sec. of Marine."
[I By letters from the Cape of Good Hope,
: of ftie 17th of January, we are informed
e that a very valuable Dutch {hip, under Ame
-0 rican colours, had been brought in there by
[. l'Oieufa frigate, capt. Stephens. The car
ie go had colt 200,0001. at Batavia. The
y squadron which fir George Keith Elphin
e stone had sent to inrercept the French fri
n gates, returned to the after cruizing
f- five weeks off the Mauritius, where they
it learnt that the enemy had gone to Estavia to
d refit, after the aftion with the Arrogarit and
II Vi£torious of 74 guns. The squadron took
y fix vessels with provisions, slaves and mer
-10 chandize, and might have made several other
:s captures, but they were daily in expeSatio.n
1. of falling in with the enemy, confiding of
y either fix or nine large frigates.
f- Our (hips confided of the
Sceptre 64 Jupiter 50
Brave 40 Crescent 36
Sphinx 24
it tinder the command of capt. Lofack, of the
Jupiter, who afterwards pioceeded to Ma
dagafear, where they completely destroyed
it the Freneti settlements, as they had no force
to oppose them. In reconnoitering the
j French harbours at the Mauritius and the
Isle of Bourbon, four batteries and a rtlortar
battery opened upon them at the latter
place ; but neither of the ships had a man
hurt, or received any material damage. The
( Spanish war not known at the at the
above date.
■ Admiral Pringlu had ordered the above
(hips to prepare for sea immediately.
Every thing was tranquil at the Cape, and
|- s provisions iheap : European articles fold at
near 200 p?r cent, profit.
The credit of the Bank of England does
c not appear to have fuffered on the continent,
1 if we may judge from the course of exchange
u s on Hamburg, which has been gradually ri
nt sing for some time pad. Yellerday it was
c one and an half per cent, highir in cur favour
,j than on Friday.
vt Very confiderahle quantities of Bullion are
j coming »ver to this country from Hamburg.
n _ A meflenger set off yederday morning
with difpatchcs to Admiral Sir John Jervis,
to be forwarded by the lively frigate from
Portsmouth, in which (hip the honorary me
dals conferred by his majefly, in compliment
of the latevi&ory over the Spanilh fleet, to
the AdmiraUand captaipsare to be conveyed,
of v-*-
of Lailson's Circus,
'• _
n South Biftb-Street.
es
2 The Performances at the NEW CIRCUS
a ' On Saturday Evening, May 27,
ce Will begin by several New and Difficult •
,e Equestrian Exercises.
After wh'ich will be prefrntcd the Panto lucic
p. called
Le Marechal de Logis ;
:d f Or, THE TWO THIEPES.
n Box, one dollar. Pit, half a dollar.
The doors will be opened at half pad five
te o'clock, and th'e performances begin preciftly
ie at seven.
CONGRESS. * J
HOUSE or REPRESENTATIVES, «
Tueiday, a.3. ?
In a committee of the wrote, >ir. Dent in the
chair, on tlie ant'.vu lepoucil to tlie F.tli
dent's Speech, Mr. Nicholas s proportion
being under ciniMeraiian ; te
Mr. Freeman fir It rose- He obftrved, that ~
in his obfervjti«ns on the fahjedl the
committee ainid the cGi)Q £iiiig opitiioni u'l
gentleman whom herefperHcd, he uitJ not meaa p
to expreis his owneitiier wttft confide nee or witii r f
zeal, that though oncof committee that had c ,
reported the avktrefs he rould r.ot approve it in b
lie had twupriiKipaliobjections to it. v
l irft to that pari which went to an unequivocal tl
approbation of all the meafnres of # the Executive b
refpefliilg our foreign relation: aticl Jecondiy n
to tliat part which contained cxprefiions ot re- *
fentraent and indignation towaid' i csnce. In
framing an answer to the Prelider.the tonceiv- r
ed the committee fliould havi refrained from 0
expressing an unqualified approbation or ail the
measures of the Kxecutivs. io omiUit woultl
not imply censure. liy introducing it, it forced
all those who entertain even doubts ot the pro-
nriety of any one Executive measure to vote a- : j
gainitthe address. ' ,
Thr principal causes of irritation on the part t
of l ? ianee insisted upon in the anlwsr were the
rejeitiou of our minilter and thefcnti.ncnts con*
tamed ill the speech iaf the President of the Di* i
reaory to ourlate minister. If gentlemen would ,
look into the Documents laid before the house j
by the President, he was confident they would j j
'find the true reason for the relufal to receive our ( t
minister. He came only its an ordinary miuif-i <
ter, without any power to propose such modi- j
ficatfons as might lead to an accommodation, ' <
and when the Directory discovered thisfrom his . 1
credentials they relufed him. In anlwerto this j <
it had been urged that M. De la Croix Minister | ]
of Foreign Affurs, from the firft well knew that i I
Mr. Pinckney was only the tucceflbr to Mr* j '
Monroe, and that his coming in that quality was
not the ftafon why the Trench refufed to receive \ '
him. Mr. Freeman referred to the documents ]
which had been laid before the house on this |
subjeCt, from which it appeared that thc*ySccrc- j
tary of M. De la Croix had iuggefted a reason
for -the apparent change of opinion on the iub
jeift of receiving Mr. Pinckney. Suppole, the
Secretary observed, that Mr. De la Croix had
, made a raiftake at firftrin the intentions of the
Diredlory, was that mistake to be binding on the
Directory ! . , n
Mr.Freeman put a cafe. Suppo.e aminider
came to this country, would he be considered
: as admitted to all the rights of a mimiter upon
delivering his credentials to the Secretary of
State ? He believed not.
, He proceeded to argue, that the rejection of
an ordinary minister was not a breach of the
law of nations and confequently'not a just eaufe
' of war. In support of this opinion he quoted
• Vaitel, p. 669. He considered Mr. l'inckney
' in the light of an ordinary minister ;he was sent
1 to explain, cultivate harmony, &r. and without
. powers to fettle existing differences. Mr.Mon
! roe had resided for some years near the Repub
lic, and had difcufied and explained such points
' as gave umbrage, explanations were alio receiv
ed by the French from our government thro'
their own mmilttrs here ; but it appeared they
were not fatisfied with our explanations, and
they vilhedfor a minister from us that should
have fuflicient powers to adjust the matters in
dispute amicably.
lie did not wiih to be underltood to consider
the conduct of the French as perfectly jultifiable
—but he could not conceive that it was l'uch
1 as to jultify on our part irritating or violent mea
-5 fures.
As to the speech of the President of the Di
, reCtory he could not fay much on it, he did
not perfectly understand it. As far as he did
he considered it a childish gasconade, not to be
c imitated and below resentment. He read part
" of it. It was certainly arrogant in him to fay
* that we owed our liberty to their exertiuns.—
I But if the French could derive any fatisfaCiion
f from such vain boasting he lud na objection to
a their enjoying it. There was another part ot
j the speech that had been considered as much
more obnoxious. It was said to breathe a design
c to separate the people here from their govera
" ment. The part alluded to was no more thafi
r an expreflion of ait'eCtion for the people, he could
n fee nothing in this irritating or intuiting ; it was
if a mode of expreflion which they used as to
thcmfelves and by which they wished to convey
their affe&ibn for the whole nation. The term
people, certainly ttieluded the government, and
couid not 'iith propriety therefore be said to se
parate the people from it.
It had been observed by a member from S.
e Carolina, that the French had no business to
1. know how far the poyvtrs of the minister ex-
J tended before they received him : that it would
give them a great-advantage in the negotiation
if they were acquainted with his inltruCtions.
e There would certainly be no proprietyor reason
e be observed, why they should be made acquaint
r ed with ivery particular in the inltruCtions, but
T it was certainly not improper that jhey should
n know before they received a minister, of what
e nature his million was, whether extraordinary
for the accommodation of differences or only
intended to maintain a friendly intercourse.
There was one circumstance mentionedin Mr.
e Pinckuey's letter which had a tendency to re
move the opinion that the rejection of Mr.
d Pidckney was intended as a mark of isdignity.
,t He dates in one of his letters, that the Directo
ry wilhed him gone, though they did not wish,
>s it appeared, to take the measure of ordering
him away, yet that they had about that time
sent off 13 foreign ministers. There might, he
e remarked, have been some reason of state that
1- induced the French governmenrat this time to
is fend away foreign ministers ;it was evident that
, r the measure was not pointed against this coun
try exclusively.
f The member from South Carolina (Mr. Smith)
had taken piins to colleCt in one view 4 number of
'■ expreflions to be found in one of the communica
g tions of the late French minister here, to rouse th»
3, feelirgs of the House. The quotation had not
n been tairly marie. Moll of those offenfive expres
s fions-were used by (Mr. Adet hypothetically, and
"" the minilter concludes the fenteuce by exprefling
" his convi&ion that they never can apply to this go
o vernment. But even if this nation had been in
1. fulted by a foreign agent, it this t® excite our in
c dignation against the country to which ha belongs ?
A governor of one of eur states had been grolsly
insulted by the agent of a particular nation here,
the iufu'it was 11.vcr proposed ts fce relented against
the nation that sent him.
It had been said, that the French h*d not com
plained of the British treaty 'rill more than a year
after its ratification. The appropriations to carry
- that treaty into effcCt, heobfcived, were not made
'till June, and the letter of the French minister
■was sent in November of the fame year. But there
are numerous documents to lhew'th u the complaints
of the French were from an early date unceasingly
aitdrcffed from their minister here to our govern
' ment ana from their government to our minister
in Paris.
It had been said that the French had n<s right to
'e complain of any fav-r granted to the British by the
|y treatj, as the French of course participated in the
right by virtue of their treaty Villa us. But tlje
i aiminllra'.ion of iWj ••sttrt : %;t <l»isto
!he th: cii* ; they fnCit on fV.r cojirj: 'hofe
yarn of the British treaty in thu belief: o. v,.Vch
the Ffenth ckim a -patucip-dion, arc :::-t fav.mrs
granted to Britain, 1 ut .1 recognition only ol ibe
law of nations »n tiwfe points from v..Si c h the
French fay: dcpai ted by their treaty with u?, ind
that cjrfequcntly they have no claim to fucli p: cti
eipptioH Mr. Freeman fad a:i extradl from a let
ter ot Mr. Pickering, to fiicw thr.t thegovcrniricnt
deny th',» right of participation to the French,
All idraltad been tln own out by the gentleman
from Sou'h Carolina, that ths people generally ap
prove !of the Britiih treaty ;he inferred it from
the iffurf cf the late elections: l his part he
could fee no jrrer-t alteration to hive been produced
by the lare dc&ions ; and if there had beci|, it
would net have been an evidence to his mind, that
the people approved of the Eritifli treaty. He
believed for his part, that toe opinions of a gfcat
majority cf the ptcple Uacl been uniformly opptled
to it; and those who advocated it were by this
tirre nearly lick of it. It was true a fpiiit was
roused by the cry of " war" at the rime the fut.jeft
of appropriations was pending, that produced pe
titions no: approving however of the stipulations
of the treaty, but aiking that it might be famed
into e.left, fiace.it had reached so lite a (tare.
Another engine he observed had been wieljed
■ with lingular dexterity. Much had been'effe<9iM
!by the u!V or rather abuse of t'ne term." Fi&ekai.-
' ist" and" A nti rcei it a lis r"—fcderiMfij andan
tifederalifm. When the Federal conflitution was
fubmittcd to the people, to approve it and endea
vour to. procure it» ratification, was jedera'.ifm.
Afterwards, when the gove.rnni.nt was organized
and in operation, to approve every mea ure of the
Executive and fupporr every proposition Irom the
Secretary ot the Frcafury, was Wderalifm ; and
those who entertained even doubts of their propri
: ety, ev.n though they had been .instrumental in
• | procuring the adoption of the Conflitution, were
, called actifederalills. In 1794, to be 6ppofed ta
i MaJifon's propositions, the resolution for the fe
i queftration of Biitifh debts, and the. rcfolu icn
prohibiting all intercourse with Great Britain, was
: | fcderalil'm. In 1796, it was fedcralifm to advocate
, ; the Bri ilh treaty—and now he presumed thit it
, would ke federalifm to support the report of the
. committee and high-toned meafuresvgith refti-ft to
, i France In 179,3 he acknowledgtd that fede.-alifm
j alTumcd a very different attitude from what it had
_ | on the present occasion. It was then the attitude
o meekiiefs, of humanity and fuppiication. The
1 men who txclufiveiy liykd themfelvts federal:B»,
' could only deplore with unavailing fii;h6 the impo
; tencj of their country,' an<i throw it."upon tiie be.
' nevoicnce and magnanimity of the Briiiih monarchy
: Their perturbed imaginations could eVen then fee
" our cities sacked and burnt, and cur citizens slaugh
tered. Cn the frontier they heard the war-whtop
r and the groans of helpless wnmen and cbildrir.,
- the tortured vi>3ims of savage vengsance Now
> we are at once risen from youth to manhood and
t ready to meet the haughty republic of Frande, ani.
msted with cntkufialm, and slashed with viAory.
f Mr. Freeman observed that he rejoiced h (rwe\'cr
e that, gentlemen adopted a I older language on this
e than had been used on the former occafio*. He
2 felt his fuU (hare in the national degradation oPthat
y moment. He was in favor of firm language fcnt
t he would diftinguiih betwixt the language »f man
t lj firnanefs, and that of childilh petulance or ridi
culous bombafi.
| . It had been observed, Mr. Freeman Jjid, by
s the member from South Carolina, that the
French were guilty of the firfl aggrtfiion as to
( > captures at sea. That their order to take our
provision veflels were dated in May '93, and
thofe of Britain were not issued tHI some time
j after. It would be recollected, however, hr
u said, that before the French iflued these orders,
the British had entered 011 their plan ufattcinp
r ting to starve France, and had used iur vefiels '
e unwarrantably for this purpose, by detaining in
h thair ports forns of our provision veflels bound
t . to France ; it would also be remembered, that
at this time, the convention between ftuffia and
■_ Spain was in exiflence, and that the olijed> of It
was, according to the declaration of Lrrd
j Grenville to Mr. Pinckney, to detail neutral
e veffelsbound to France with provifioiis. The
rt decree of the Frendi that had been Eluded to
was, he fiff-.her remarJied, expressly predicated
_ on the order of the liritifh for detaining in their
n ports provision velTels bound to Francti.
0 It was however, very immaterial to determine
j- what nation began these depredaticrs on our
commerce; it was the duty c» the leaflatui-e to
n refill them from whatever quarter fliey misht
come, and to protect the property the Arm-'
rican citizens.
I d HiJ- deprecated using in the address about Jo
13 be framed any irritating language j such was
* o not the language of manlydiguity, t>ut of child
v petulance. Perhaps nothing had proved
more derogatory to the of
;i i than thio bombast in some of their public aif.tj
he wiflied not to imitate them.
Much had been said on the foqre of foreign
g influence, in this country ; he#'eared England
and not Frauce was moll to be feared, in thFi
refpefl. He hoped there would be found,
ld ever .' in . the Country virtue enough to repel il
foreign influence.
is! As to tie amendment, he ftiould vote for it,
>n ' ' le not ' l ' n K it exception»bl^,
lt . It did not contain unqualified approbation of th«
measures of the executive, nor any sndignifM
Id ex P rc "i ons ; the ameniiment /hou'tl »«t
prevail; still, the original report might be so
amended as to induce bim to vote for it. He
y hoped, however, a spirit of conciliation would
' obtain, and that unanimity might prevail on the
occifion.
' e ' Mr. Grifwold said, if he underftooj the f.ate
r r °f the biifmefs, the queflion was whether the
1 ' committee would agree to the amendment pro
posed by the gentleman from Virgisia. If it
csntained sentiments accordant to the feelingt
' of the committee, it would of courf« be atlop
° ted ; if not it would doubtless b« rejeiled.
h e supposed it would form an ehjedlion to
lt this amendment, if it were found to be in
to confident with the other parts of the rep. rt.
at He believed this to be the cafe; but he
n- would not make objeftions ts it on this
ground. He would examine the paragraph
0 { it'elf. s* fee whether it contained fenti
:a. me »ts in unison with those of the committee,
h» He b-lieved this would not he found to be
iot tne cafe, and that when the conptnittre had
nd talifn " V ' eW ° f " VTOM 'J be tfj
" If he U'iderQood the propofilian, it con.
;o . tained three diltinft priticiplrs, viz.
I. To make a n?w apology for the con
dufl of the French government towards thil
sly country.
re, -■ * tlie Houfg of Reprefentativej
nft (half interfere with and diftate to the Exew
tive in tefpeft to what cooceflbns ought t«
m- be made to the Ftench Republic. *
■ry .3- ll U P°" the fpiiit of concjia-
Lde tion on the part of France for an adjulfmc' t
!er of the differences exilfing between the iy*o
Governments.
fly 1 ' le a P°i°gyi he said, was a new one, und
■n- one which the French had not thought of
ler making for themselves; for they tell us, as
t0 '' a PP«rs from Mr. fetrern the
he Secretary of State, " thry will notacksow
he 'edge or teceiv: another Minister Plenipatet)«
h- tiary from ths Unhed States, upuj after tV>*