- %f)C PHILADELPHIA, Saturday evening, may tj. By an arrival at Boston from Lisbon, we leain, that admiral Jatv . failed for the Medi terr.inean, with cor.liderable reinforcements, i.; the beginning of April. In the Hnufe of Rcprefentatives, yester day. Mr. Dennis, fioili Maryland, (a new member) in a fpjech of cy,'i(iJe r able length, opened the debite, ngainft the ame-vdment proposed by Mr. Nicholas to tl»e reported an swer to the Prcfident's ipecch : he wa» fuc tecded by Mr. Sewall, from MafTachufetts, who fpokc neatly twn hours 011 the fame fide the qufjlion. Mr- Findley followed in favor of the auiendment : some additional ohferva tions were made by Mr. Otis, and some re marks upon them by Mr. Nicholas. Nj vote was taken. Adjourned to this day. A SUPPLEMENT 7 0 the Ordinance entitled an Or din-wee provid ing for the appointment of a ColleSor of Tolls at the Ferry on Sch'uylLili, and for clher p'lrp'fes therein mentioned. 10!;. it ami enaflerl by the Citizens of Phi- Uilelpnia in S-ieft aotl Common Couj.cils a!Tem bh.d ; That from and aftet the parting of this Ordin ance, the Collector of Tolls fhal] demand and receive fir e»kli C jit (jadlLn; over Ihe bridge oi Schuylkill, at the Weft end of High-ltrret, one Gxteenlh of a rioliar and no more, and Hull from time to timecoo foim liim'e'.f in col'cftii:g t!ie rate of tolls agreeable to luch orders and rcfolutio sos the Scfc£lacd Cam. !n"fi Council* as they may from time to time adopt fcr the regulation of f«id tuidge and ferrvi Iriacted into an Ordinance at Philadelphia, I. s c. the twenty-frcond dav »f May, in the year of our Lord •!><■ thoufaud seven hundred and ninely-feven. Samuel hopgdon, Piefiderit of the Common Council. FRANCIS GURNEY, President of the Scire! Council. . _ COMMUNICATIONS. The rrpublicanifm of our exclusive patriots has often been displayed in their denuncia tions of the proceedings of our government— Tiicy profefj to be friends to a representative government —to the rights of eleftion—and on particular occafion3 cry up the infallibility of the majority, and represent it as a damna ble political heiefy t» rcfilt their decifiuns. Bu', not content with giving the lie to their profefllons by general abuse of the proceed ings of government for years together, when, ever they are defeated in a particular objeft, by either.of the btanchts of the legislature, they ate so it,cautious as immediately to show their cloven foot, and all their deference for the majority of the democratical blanch is converted into billingfgdte. Thua, " a majority of the House of Re prefcntati.es were (ligmatized as a rancorous faShn merely because they" exercised their own judgment in the choice of a clerk.— Very few of the idfcaS fuggsrteJ by this de tellable faftion were ever adopted by a ma jarity of either branch of the government, and they may fafely' be challenged to point out a (ingle article that has teceired the legis lative fan&ion, which they have not repro bated. 1 hefe refleflions are founded on fa£ls t and ought, to be held in conflant remem brance by the people ; they iiTcfiftably de inonflra<c the truth of an old couplet : The public good men oft ptetend, Whilst private intercfl is their end. The President of the Uri'j'd f tites. is *Jailed by the harpies of fa&ion oa tht 'fflbjea of appoint ments: but here the friends of our ccuntry have noth'Bg to frar, and its enemies Bothir.g to hope. Appointments will be made with a supreme rogard to the public gtoj. Integrity and talents will be brought forward with independent (irmnefs—for itwouldbcamisfor tune isdredif thapublic interefis were to he facrific de,becaufe those who pefief'.pre-eminent abilities to prometc thole intercfts, are allied to the President of the United States. However great the independence and fortitude of mind rcquilite on the occafipn—he, wh» has supported his country's honor anj intcrcft in the face of all Europe, will not be diverted from tho steady fuppcrt cf thi fame by the tools of that laAicn which he has fitccefsfnlly combated for so many years. The good sense of the people saved the Conlli tution of the United States, and with it their li berties, when rf-e treaty with Great-Britain was under confederation. A party in the House of Representatives at tempted at that tinieto meltdown and reduce the government into a finple branch—What fort of f, eedo-n we firould then have enjoyed, may be learned from the convention of Robespierre At the present moment there appears to be a fi miiar «;tign on foot—but it will not fuccced. A jeeend t:mc the people have flcpped forward—and bjr their eledions a majority is formed in the House r t Representatives which will save the Constitu tion Ihe ailumption and exercise of all potver by one branch is known to be the doArine of those who. from the beginning, hive opposed the Fe deral Govtrumect. The Executive Diredlory of France have ifTued a proclatnatiun rejpeding the primary afTcmblias for the elcfiions. The rabble of the kingdom are fce-c exhorted to be wife and temperate in their ehoic# of rulers. Such admonitions to such pupils is like a precept to an oyster wench to avoid swear ing and bawrlry Atueism, I)ißat7CHE*r, f.A«rios, Risthssntss, and theSoLDi.nr, are now the Five Kings of France. The nakeaoef» of the Sansculotte comports with the name, and Vs dame Tallien, with her filler profligates have infli tuted a revolutionary modesty—wear their petticoats as high as their knees—and have abolithcd (hifts as defirudive of the froJUrHtkj of nature ! In the Provinces, the»ancient French gentleman, and the difapp«inted pea fan t, are both inquiring," Who will lbew us any Good in the new order of tilings?" Weary t f rec|uifitions, and of their bkod-flained Rewbell, they l.nm the tuiieof li yalty! »nd"The King ftiati hail have his own again", ts'belieV«d and wished. A Letter, purporting lo be t, anCated si om (he Parts Moniteur, pubHlhed a« the production of Mr. JerriasoM, and firnerf vrith his rame, contains such an imprudent avowal of fadions, and even treasonable defipns, that we cannot lufped that the fceond officer in our government its author. 'the probaWility is. that it i« a French fabrication, calculated to few jealouly, <*droufe the fierce ha tred of parties. - Farmers' Weehlj },".ufrum. The dodr nr« advanced by f;ec;h, will lit fo<nd, 03 to be the p£«le&io<4 a? pdV.tic&l «r:hrt<taTjr : -hut the? will not fiiit the priori covert ooi-ioas, *n<4 miftukea prejudice, oF a (urticttlar daft, wluf arc refriv.."! at all hazards to oppose wirttercr Is fnid or d »ne by thofain poorer. There i« a ridicul >cs and bafc idea harbored bvl&n? *jrfo:is in tail countiy who have cither brought it from- Europe, or adoptea it from such as arc coma from thirc, that a fyftcma tic oppofieion to the nvufure* of government, is meritorious, and ftarap> their char j fUr with the mark of Patriotism. Th extreme ijnora n .ce #f some of these peopln, andth? mjiignity of others, have so blinded and benighted tkar incollciU as to »if tbletlv m from feeiiij tiiat a conduct so pue rile must render them objech of contempt instead of patterns of im ration. Can it be iuppofed that Americans, who have ilruggled for indcpendeiTCi', and who, after the experience of a fctblc govern ment, hava deliberately given themfelw* a better and ailronger, fliould, t;:e moment it it eftablifli ed, endeavor to subvert it? No—Those who are chargeable with such views are not Americans, either in principle or practice—They are Foreign ers, the partisans of othet nations who seek to ruin u*: to divide and weaken is the dire& way to deOroy—-Icis a maxim as old as th? pafl histori cal rccards—it is the ditflate ot wickedness and in trigue combined with feme decree of apprehension for the people against whom it is played off—The Romans used it fuc:eftfully—By their continual ex ertions to disunite the people from their govern ment, both fell an easy prey, and the Roman Ea gle soared triumphantly over every land to which his flight was dire<sted—Our strength con fid* in ■ Union—Thit object fltould therefore be foduloufly cultivated ; and whoever tries to fiiw diflention anddifcord when it is f« obvious that Union alone is the anchor of Hope,dcferves, and should receive the execration of Americans. J'he President fays —" While other States are desolated with foreign wars, or convulfcd wkh intestine divisions, the United States present the pleafmg profpeft of a nation governed by mild and equal laws; generally faiisfied wkh the pofTeflion of their righes ; neither envying the advantages nor fearing the power ofi other nations; solicitous only for the maintenance of order and justice, and the preservation of li berty." The introduction of the term generally in this paragraph was judicious; for although very few native Americans are diiTftUfied with the admi niftrationof governmtnt, yet there are feme a mong u« who fo—What they want in numbers, is made up by clamor and impudence—and what they want ot the means to fubfift,is probably sup plied from the conquered countries in Europe—lt ii next to impoflible that men born here, or who from choice, adopt this country for their horn - who have every thing to lose, and nothing to gain « in times of trouble, Ihou'd labor, without the re ceipt or the hope of rccompence, to render it mise rable. Muck has been £»id and iiiftnuated against the virtue of Wafliington, Hamilton, and other uncolrupted patriots, by the partisans of foreign in fuencs and domination; but, as they stand too firm on the strong ground of integrity to be affedled by the efforts of a declining fa&ion, their fame will forever remain unsullied; while their calumniat ors fiok into oblivion; or if by some miracle, these are known in future times, it will only be to receive the bleflings due to the Catalines of Ame rica. Nexu-York Daily Gazette. From the Farmer's Weekly Museum. " Then -went Sampson t» Gaza, and saw there an hnrkt." Strong as he was, fueh a journey debili tated him. It was not the length of the way from Timnah ; it was not the rugged roa'l, nor the irkfomnefs ot a hard trotting mule ; it was not a stroke of the fun, nor a bleak air that (hook the nerves, and proflra ted the life of Sampson ; far not one of these circumflances is ever glanced at by the histo rian ; no* he saw, in one of the flews of tiaza, a venal beauty and was undone. His wit evapoiated, his wisdom turned babbler, he loft his vigilance, his eyes, and his life. One licentious indulgence excites to a nother. The blandiihments of this courte z.m to the cells of the whole fillerhood. He lays his h<ad in the lap of voluptuouf nef6, and gives full scope to criminal deOre. For it came to pass afterwards, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. Let us pondera little the hiftoryof these unlucky amours. A (ketch of the wars and viciflltudes of passion is of more interelt than the narrative of a battle or siege, or the ar nals of an empire. To display a striking, ss well as ufeful contrail, it may be correft to view Samp son, before he entered the gates of Gaza, and after his acquaintance with two bad wo men. His fir ft was by no means a love adventure. It was in the style ofchivalry without a dam sel. Lurking in the vines of rude territory, a lion roared against our juvenile hero, who, as it is in a lively manner exprefled, rent his ferocious adveifary, as he would have rent & kid. A bold encounter, but not half so dangerous as the smiles of the lady in the valley of Sorek. Mere brute farce, however, was not the sole attribute of Sampson. For seven days he tortures the ingenuity of thirty friends to resolve an enigma. He .had the palm df wit and the chaplets of vitlory ; by his art he destroys the property, and by his arm the life of his enemies. Not only the family of his father, Manoah, but the whole circumjacent region must have rung with the praises of this ytjuth of promise ; and even indifferent men, and abllratt reasons would alertly from such imptfing premises draw the happicft conclusion. But behold how, in one hour, so great riches come to nought. T» is far, what a tissue of brilliant atchievments do we admire ! The next scene is madly mortifying. In the very summer of the ensuing page ef his story what are the humiliating particulars of hf« downfall ? Sampson, the valiant, the witty, and the wife, is the dupe of f«male jugglers ; is enticed ; is overcome. In the zrms of a " twining Lais" of the Philistines, his fu pernalural llrength melts away. He awakes out of his lethargy of pleasure, and hopes to go cut, as at other times, rejoicing ia his might. But the energy of the foul is no more. He, whom once nothing could re fliain, is bound. He gauds in the prison houlv, and, dwindled into* buffoon, is in •wjtfd <wilh his m*tley to a/nufe the rabble. In the life of this extraordinary pei fonage it is.amatterof regretful Speculation that the field of honor (hould be changed for the vally of Sorek. Hence an abundant crop of evil. It was not the Phili!lines, it was im pure prffion that extinguilhed the difcern mervt of Sampson. He never f»w any ob jetJ clearly, after he went to Gaza, and saw an harlot. It is true, he f.-w Delilah, but, probably, through the obfeurity of noctur nal hours. Of her arts, of her perils, he furcly had but an imperfeft vision. Hcad- j/ink-'d by pleafnre, he could hot fee the seven locks oi hit head, featured on the toilet of a worn in, The fc'fl'ataof a gypfey-proved (harper than the fwoid.of enemies; and the flowing hair of the hero, once covered, with laurel, is now tortured into meretricious ringlets, or periwigs fo.r.e pimp in Delilah's anticliamber. Gei.ius, said the amiable clergyman, with whom I studied divinity, is invariably con ne&ed with Strong paflions. When men, exquisitely organized, indulge pleal'ure, it is with that species of fervour, noted in.the ori« ental page—it is with all their Inarm. and with all their foul, and with all their Strength, and with all their mind. The icfenlible lonngcr, the felf cngrofTcd coxcomb, may deep upon the knees of IXhlah, and v.vke a gain to puny life. But of that opiate of joy, of that golden cup of abomination, which the harlot presents, if you iip, man, of feel ing, you will " drain the chalice to the lpw ell and fouled dregs." Keep the bigh and ■fafe ground ; —beware ol Hiding down the dope of pleafure-. It conduits you to some vale of Sorek, beneath whose roses are the Serpent and the dagger. Go up to Parnassus and fee the muse—An excursion to Gaza to fee a mortal beauty, is not half so exhilarat ing. , The Eay Preacher. From tie COLUMBIAN CS.NTINEL. FRENCH INFLUENCE—No. V., MR. RUSSFI.L, THEttE has been a period, when Gallic in fluence and Gallic principles were at the sum mit of their glory in this country; a period, when the voice of the genius of America was fcarce'y heard, and when the suggestions of true patriotilna, and national dignity were either not Jiltened to, or del'pifed.. At that awful cri&s, the scales of empire were suspended, and to the eye of philosophic prophacyt it was not even problematical, it was highly probable, that A merica would be reduced into thefcalesof France, and become the humble fnpplicant, the willing (lave of the despots who rule that nation with an iron red. Thai period so interesting to the for tunes of America, and which posterity will look back to with horror, was during the mad ca reer of the seditious, inflammatory Genet. In vain would Genet have continued to dispense with a liberal and judicious hand, the louis d'ors and the crowns of France, (unless his.refourees had been as exhauftlefs as the mines of Peru) in vain would he kave secured by carefTes and flatter), the vain and the ambitious of our na tion ; in vain would he have dispersed his in flamatory and seditious writings through the medium ef venal and prostituted prefles, the great body of the yeomany like a firm phalanx, woul A have fiood in battle array, ready to meet, and determined to check the progress of any daring invaders of our internal or externa! re pose.—Genet, eagle. eyed to discover the bar riers which opposed his success, and resolved to accomplith his objefl, even if the road to it led to civil war, and infurreiflion, introduced into the peaceful city of Philadelphia, hitberto fam ed f®r its order, that bane.ofall regular govern ment, a jacobin club. In what manner the firft promoters of this pious, cmjlitutional and patriotic fecietv, were induced to encourage, to fofter, and to support it ; whether by gold, or purchase of flour, will probably remain a secret. We cannot extend to them, the candor which we would exsrcile towards their less informed followers, that they were not aware of the wrongs and injuries they were committing upon their country. Though Mr. Swanwick, Mr. Clenagain, Baclie, and a long lift of miserable tools nUy plead that they were duped, yet this excuse will not prefsrve the memory at the fcientific Rit tenhoufe, the amiable Hutchinfon, and the learned Sergeant, from merited contempt. As to Mr. secretary Dallas, I presume he wilhes for no apology ; he glories in the honor of having beenforemoft in the cause of ittfur reiSion, and ardently wilhes for another oppor tunity of exercising his talents. The establish ment of the parent club at Philadelphia paved the way for the creation of them in other popu lous towns in the United States. Charleston, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, New-York, Bennington, Boflon, Portfraouth and Portland, soon follow ed the patriotic example. Four or five leading charaflers in each place, men of characters and principles well adapted for the cause of sedition, were all of whom Mr. Genet had bccafion to secure, and barren indeed mud be that foil which will not yield a few Ar nolds, a few Dallases, and a few Livingftons. The society once established, no great pains are neceflary to create members or to excite them to violent measures. Novelty, fondnefs for change, vanity, discontent, ambitien all operate as po verful recruitiug-oflicers, to fill up the ranks of affiliating clubs. "Today, lam noth ing, I am only one of the people; to-morrow I (hall be fometbing, I (hall be a member of a club, a club too to govern, watch, and controul my fer-vmnts, the public agents," is very natural, ve ry powerful, and we have seen, in this country, irresistible language. The .ivowed objefls of these aflociations were to promote the circulation of ufefulinformation, to guard the cause of liberty which was endan gered by the European combination, and to watch the condufl of our own administration, in which they pretended to have observed cer tain departures, from the spirit of theconflitu tioo, and around which they esteemed it the dur tyof all " good citizens to rally." The real objefls of these clubs, were, to aceuftom our citizens to the newfangled doctrines of the French jaccbins ; to familiarize them to the jargon of unmeaning words uttered with holy zeal, and the disorganizing principles of the republicans of France ; to call up all the old resentments agiinft Great Biitain; and (timu late us t* take an aflive part in the war with Franc#. They accorlingly publilhedtheirconftitutions and regulation!, written in a cc el, crafty and artful (tyle, calculated to entrap the unwary and honest citizen. But soon ifterthey were organ ized, they threw off the maflc and came forth as the bold champions of French principles, and of open infurreilion. Tbey publilhed their votes and anathemas, as dogmatical and as ridi culous a; papal bulls, against every important meafureof the federal government. They re probated in express terms, a«sls of congrcfs which had been Solemnly past, and had been in operation for yejrs. The funding, system, the revenue laws, the excise ails, the President's proclamation for neutrality, the appointment of Mr. jay by the President and folate, all met with severe and unwarrantable ceniure. The people were excited to interellthemfelves against these measures, and to execrate the men who had promoted them.—ln short from one de gree of violence, they proceeded to another, un til they received, what to every ingenious mind would be the fevered piiniQimeat, the open and avowed reprimand of the candid, prudent, en lightened, good and immortal Washington. In any other country, the leaders would have re ceived the punishment of traitors. The event will be hereafter detailed. LEONID/IS. Ff.rEP.bßirSG, M*y 19. At a milting of nuj'j" Harwell's oattaJion of militia, at Delany's ordinary, and of raajor Taylor's battalion at Gregory's miH, in the county of MeckVahurjr, on Sarurday the 6th of May, 1797, the fallowing declaration was pro pofcd, uel.berated on, and agreed unanimously to. 7*<j Th <» m A s Claibop.n *,_EJq. Rcptefentaiive fjr the Dijlritlof Bru-fivkk, <3c. SIR, VVE, the officers and soldiers and other free holders residing within the t'mits of major Har vlfll'i and major Tayl<* 's battalion?, deeply im prefied with ihe importance of the exiliir.g cri sis—conceiving that it would be agreeable ti> you, their, reprefentati:e, to be armed with their opinions on the interesting ocrafion, and not from any Want of confidence in yaur fideli ty to us, or attachment Vo our cointnon coun try ; takethe liberty to declare, that the coo-' venirv; of Congrcfs at .this unefual time, has a tendency to increase in our minds that lolici tude which the ynprovoked depredations com mitted by the republic of France on our e6m merce, and the dilpofitioti manifested by them to complain of the American government had before excited. We ronfider it as portending an inter: option to that tranquility which the jus tice and wisdom of the American councils seem ed calculated to perpetuate, and indicative of war with that nation, which it hath been among our chief glories to consider o»r ally j not up on the fordid principles which ton commonly u nite nations, but upon those alike honorable and beneficial to both republics, having for their ob jedl no less than the happiness of the human race. A continuation of these sentiments, it is dill our anxious with to maintain and prcfcrvc, and when we refledl upon t/ie a-vovjed princi ples of the French naiioh, we cannot entirely abandon the pleasing thought of a return of that confidence and harmony which may have been interrupted by the machinations of some, who under the specious garb of excelfive zeal, area like inimical to both. To attain this raoft definable end, our love of peace, of country, and of mankind, didlatcs a wish that every just expedient (hould be resort ed to, for removing every prejudice, real or im aginary, which may have obtained —This, we conceive,»woulb be the best effe&ed by an en voy extraordinary, who could not upon this oc casion use language more expreflive of our wilh es to cultivate friendfliip with that republic, than the fa<S\ will juftify. Here, Sir, let us pause before we come to the dread alternative —the thought of which we would wilh to obliterate, if felf government and property were not deposits too precious and too sacred to be rudely approached l>y any na tion, even the raoft favored. Under these impressions you will readily per ceive, that if France can poffiblyhave abandon ed her plighted faith,and so otten avowed affec tions 4 and infiduouflj'calculates upon our gene rous partiality, as the means of tolerating any intermeddling with our privileges, property, or engagements with other nations, we cannot hc fitate to declare, that we are decidedly and un alterably determined to support, to the utmost of our ability, all the constitutional measures of the American government, to redress its wrongs, and defend its rights, sgainft the encroachments of every nation on earth ; as it is the one of our choice, and is endeared to us by the blcfT ings it hit hitherto afforded. CONGRESS. HOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES, Tuesday, May 23. In a committee of the whole, Mr. Dent in the chair, on the answer reported to the Prcfi dent's Speech, Mr. Nicholas's proposition being under confederation : Mr. Rotledge said, when the report of the committee (hould be befujre them, he (hould have some remarks to make upon it; but at present he (hould effer only a few observations upon the proposed amendment. Hefaidhehadfeveralftrong objettions to the amendment; but one so Strong that he seed not urge any other : it was, that in agreeing to it they (hould di&ate to the Executive, which he believed would be infringing upon the Executive Power. As it was his pe culiai duty to give initru&ions to Miniftert, it would be improper in them to fay what (hould be the inftru&ions given to a minister ; but if it were r.ot so, he (hould not vote for those of the gentleman from Virginia. In the inftruftions of a minister, it wasufual to comprize a variety of proportions. Cer tain Things were tirlt to be proposed; if, these could not be obtained, he was itiftrua ted to come forward with foniething else, and if this could not be got, he went on to his ultimatum. But, if the proposition of :he gentleman from Virginia were obtained, his infttuftions would be publicly known. In vain would it be for lura to offer tliia or that, they will fay the House of Representatives has directed you what to do, and we will not agree to any thing else. This would be contrary to all diplomatic proceedings ; for that reason, he (hould be opposed to the house faying what (hould be his inllruflions. Indeed if it were usual, lie (hould be against it in this ioflance, as he believed it would en courage an extravagant demand. W hat, said he, have they said to our minister (or rather to the person who was formerly our minister, but who then had no power ?) They told him to go away, (hey had nothing to fay to him, they would receive no more minilterg from the United States until their grievan ces were redressed. This country is chargad with countenancing an inequality of treaties. The French have said, redress our grievances in a certain way. ' But, laid Mr. Rutledgr, ifw"e do this, we (hall put ourselves under the dominion of a foreign'po»er, and (hall have toaika foreign country, what we (hall do. This was a Situation into which we must not fall without a struggle. Though he were npon the committee, he bad contiibuted very little to the composition of the atifwer reported. He thought it, how ever, a proper address j but he was willing that it might undergo any modification which (hould not alter the fubftancc of it. Mr. Sitgrsaves said, though he had wiSh ed to have taken a little more time before he had troubled the csmmittee with his observa tions ; yet as there now appeared an interval, he (hould take the opportunity ofoccupjing it, for a few minutes. He (hould not answer the observations of the gentleman from Georgia, with reffieft to the Style of the answer reported ; but he believed that those gentlemen who would look at it without a perverted vision, would not discover the faults in it which that gentle man had dif*cvfred~-Hr thought it rather | remaricafclc for the fiu p»lc2: j- i f Iti. fiylr, than ' for <» redundancy of epithet. IK* ilifco7er. more of the latter in the than io the original rrpoit. There aie, indeed, (operatives in both ; but th<-r arc attached to oppolitt fcnttmentt, and iu the original report they are ufrd where they ought to be. He would not, however, detain the commit tee with matter so immaterial, but would pro ceed to what appealed to him of some cenfe quenee A llranger who had come into the house durin* this debate, and heard what had fallen from the mover of the propflfed amendment," and from mrir.beri who had followed him, would ha>e supposed that, ir.ftcad of in adt' 'ofordinary, tnteri ourfe being under difcufiior, they hart bee# debating the quettion of a Dwlaration of War egainft France. He would declare, for hiiafelf at leatl, on tht fubjefl of war, that he agreed in certain' of the fcntinems of gentlemen dn rhe other fide of the house. A ftaie of war wa» cer tainly a curse to any nation—to Atflcrica it* would be peculiarly a curse. Jt ought to be avoided by all pof&blc means, it wa» not on ly impolitic,but madness, to lufii wantonly iu. to a war. Bin he thought there were two fides of thefubjeft. He thought that peace w?» not the greatest of all pofiible blefTings ; he thought that peace might be puichafedtoodear, and war avoided at too great an expencc. He thought that peace might coll what is of greater value than money—our Independence. This was no new sentiment in this country. It was thought that peace mijht be bought too dearly in the revolutionary war ; they then thought it better to be at war than to submit to tke alternative evils. France also shews that (he prefers a state of war carried on at an unexampledexpence of blood and treasure—to a state of peace with despo tism. He tho't therefore that we should adopt language of a firm and manly tone. To pre serve peace by all honourable means, but not by dilhonouraUe means. As he observed last feflion, on a similar occasion, we (hould cultivate peace with zeal and fwcerity ; but whenever our intention for doing so w as pub licly expressed, it ought to be accompanied with an opposite afl'ertiou, of a determina tion, if our endeavours to maintain peace fail, that then every resource of the r.ati«n (hall be calledjinto exigence in fuppott of all that is dear to us. Such a declaration, at this time, was extremely proper. At present, he said, all the obl'ervations which had been made relative to war, were very premature. They might be brought into consideration, when any measure (hould be difcufled which might lead to a war with France, Then would be the time to count the cost and calculate the benefit. At present, he conceived, our only , oljeft was, to enquire what were the feelings which the conduct of Fiance had created iihf our minds, and whether we we were ptepa-i red to express those feelingf. -Shall we, said he, from a fear of irritating the French Republic, in a communication with our owe executive, suppress our feelings, or what is worse, suppress the truth ? For h*s own part, he saw nothing in the present business, but an exprcflioh of feelings natu rally excited by the occasion ; nothing but a declaration of fails. This being the cafr, the quellion was, whether, from fear of tr ritatirig the Fiench Government, they (hould suppress these feelings and thef« fail*. } It would be well to .consider what would be the consequence of this coudefceiiiion. He did not think the\ were warranted inbe lieving that they (hould put France in a bet ter humour with us by this means. He w«a sure that gentlemen who were in the last Congress would recollcft that the answer to the address was reported in very mild terms, from a spirit of accomodation in the commit tee who formed it, and that it was afterwards pruned in the house with care, yet there hzd been no amelioration of the drfpofition of the French towards this country. Instead of in ducing, them to behave better to us, had it not been with a knowledge of this that tljey have offered us frefh insult. and indignity / Indeed, Mr. Pinckney idea that this moderation of ours may have been one of the operating causes of fending our mi nister from their country. Besides, gentlemen have not pointed out the particular expressions which tfiey cosfidcr as irritating in the report. For his own part he thjught the amendment might be conliJ. ered as more irritating than the draft of the committee. What was the language of the amendment ? [He read it.] He gave it as his opinion, that there was more of wais and bullying in it than in the original report. It was true the threat it contained was ac companied by an if Now all the difference betwixt the draft and the amendment was, that in the former, instead of using the if, th»y had at once expelled indignation at the insults offered to this country by the Frencli republic, and given aflurances to the Execu tive that they would repel indignity with in dignation. * But if this fubjeft was to be oonfidered, he would turn to a part of the gentleman's pro- I position, not indeed immediately befoie them, j but which he had declared it his intention to j bring forward, where he fays, " we will repel all unjust demands upon the United States ; by foreign countries; that we will ever con sider the humiliation of the government at the greatest personal difgracc," He wsi willing to a& upon the gentleman's oivn'prii» ciples. If we think th:re have been any u'n jull demands upon the United States by fo reign nations, it is then our duty to repel them. The que,(lion was therefore narrpwe !, and they had only to Uy, whether the de mands made by the French government were just or unjust. The gentleman from Virginia thought aU so pl-opfr to tell the committee, that majori< tits had pushed the House too far, and had expefled minorities to facrifice their opinions.. The gentleman was very tenacious of his own opinion, and he trusted he would fuffer others to be equally so of theirs. If that gentleman, said Mr. S. thinks the demands of France are not unjyit, I think they are. They had been declared to be unjust' iu the mod folemtt manner, by former Congtrfles, and on fotnif i
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