THE tablet.^
NUMBER VI.
" It ii h no mean! fortune that hi/es the world ; for
this we m.xy appeal ti fever a! nations, who have had
a long Jules as prosperities, wheu they a Bed upon a
ccrtui/i plan ; a,id an uninterupted course of mis for
ruhes t when they cojiducied thc'/ufelves*iipoji another.
There ar ' general c.t.Jnatural or thoral, which
operate in every Jlate ; which raije, fipport or over
turn it."
II is the opinion of many philosophic men,
that'fociery lias nor f'een its belt days. ouch an
idea nut- not be coiili.leretl as the rhapsody of an
e;. rim hail, or the dream of a poet. Ihe fatal de
clentiori ofllatesmay be rationallv accounted for,
without prpluppoling any eilential propenftty, in
individuals or communities,to fall into excellive de
pravity. It l'trikes the view of even 31 careless ob
server, that no age or nation has exhibited a per
fpecimen ol a people, who have combined a
li-11 knowledge of tin? human character, with a
thorough knowledge oi the principles of govern
ment. 111 all periods of the .vo.ld, there has been
an ailoniihing deficiency in one 01 these respects,
and very otten inboth./ Morality hasfeldom bgen
heiil in eltimationas a L.'.uce. Men of genius and
leisure have too much employed their attention,
upon abitradt fciertces, wliich have no influ
ence upon the happinels of foeiety; or inframing
fylienis of re.'.gious delufiori, which are not cal
culated to promote the beit i:i:ereli oi rational be
ings. rheimprovements Oi tlieiaoral faculty have
not kept pace wkh the attainments of the intellec
tual. 1 liis important atquilition fceris to have
beenrefrirved lor the present, orfomt future age.
It will be the result of aitiperior degree of know
-1 cH<*e, bothwitli respect to men and goveiiutient.
The humanfnind seems to be changing us course
of thinking. Legislators know how to manage
mo re dk'd fully tlis vices,the pailions,and the weak
neiles or men. They do not as formerly waits
th ir time in lamenting, in unavailing complaints,
the wan; o. patriotifui s Which, accjrdii: m to the
comi 1011 application of the word, has been one of
the molt terrible scourges, that ever punilhed the
wickednelsi or tormented the peace of society.
V\ hen we lookback to the hillory of nations, the
molt celebrated for this virtue,we Ihould conclude
from their condu<fl, that men were only born to
make each other wretched. We will however
Jhut our eyesagainft these hoi ridfeenesofantiquity;
and anticipate the p niod, when reason and philo
fonhy thail bear for is sway, in the management
or human afFairs. It will tlienbegiu to be known,
rhat the human race were created for loine other
purpofe,thantoperfecuteand devour one another.
Should that happy hour ever arrive, good men
will wish, that for the honor of hinnan nature,
veil might be forever thrown oVor past transac
tions.
" IVarm from tJie heart—and true to all its /ins."
The following ADDRESS was presented to his Ex
cellency Gk.ok.ce Washington, soon after his
departure from Mount-Vernou, 011 his journey to
this city.
To GEORGE WASHINGTON,
President of the United States, ire. o 0.
AGAIN your country demands your care
Obedient to its wifhes—unitiri jful of vour own'
ease, we fee you again relinquiliing tji'e bliss of
retirement; and this too, at of life, when
nature itfelf seems to uuthorifj a preference of re
pose.
Not to extol your glory as a soldier : Not to pour
forth.our gratitude for past services : Not to ack
nowledge the juftice__ of the unexampled honor
which has been co.iferred upon you, by the spon
taneous and unanimous luffrage of three millions
of freemen, in your election to the Supreme Ma
giltracy : Not to admire the patjriotifm which di
re As your conduct, do youi: Neighbours and
Friends now addtels you.—Themes less Iplendid,
but more eudeaiihg, impress our minds.—The jfirft
and belt of citizens mult leave us ! Our Aged mult
lose theirOnia lent ! Our Youth their Model ! Our
Agriculture ies Improver! Our Commerce ia Friend!
Our iitf.wi*- Ar a.lemy its Patron ! OurPoortheir Be
nefactor!! And the interior Navigation of the Po
tomac, an event replete with the inoft extensive
Utility, already, by your unremitted-exertions,
brought into partial ufe—itslnftitutor ajid Promo
ter !
Farewell ! —CTo—and make a grateful people
happy—a pecJple, who will be clqnibly grat«foJ,
when they contemplate this recent Ifacrifice for
tiiei" interest.
To that Being, who maketh and umnaketh at
Ills v. ill, we commend you ; and, after the accom
pKih'HeiU of the arduous business to which yon are
called, may He reilbre to us again the beit of
Men, and the molt beloved Fellow Citizen.
111 behalf of the Feople of Alexandria,
■DENNIS RAMS AY, Mayor.
April 16, 178^.
his excellency's answer.
To the MAYOR, CORPORATION, and CITIZENS
of ALEXANDRIA.
Gentlemen',
ALTHOUGH I ought not conceal, yet I cannot
deicribe, the painful emotions which I felt, in
being called upon to determine whether I' would
accept, or refufe, the Presidency of\tlie United
States.
The unanimity in the choice—the opinion oi
my friends communicated foom different parts of
Europe, as well as America—the apparent wish
of thole who were not entirely fatisfied with the
Conflitution in its present form, and an ardent de
sire, on my own part, to be inltrumental in con
ciliating the good "tl ill of my countrymen towards
each other, h;Vve induced an acceptance. Those
who know me best (and you, my fellow-citizens,
are, from your situation, in that number) know
better than any others, my love of retirement is
so great, that no earthly consideration, short of a
conviction of could have prevailed upon me
to i-epart Irom my resolution, " never more to take
any share in transactions of a public nature."
Fqr, at my agp, and in my circumstances, what
possible advantages could I propose to myfelf, from
einb.irking on the tempestuous and uncer
tain ocean of public life ?
I do not feel myfelf under the necessity of mak
ing public declarations, in order to convince you,
Gentlemen, of my attachment to yourselves, and
regard for your interests. The whole tenor of my
life lias been open to your iyfpection : And my past
actions, rather than my prefeiit declarations, mult
be the pledge for my future conduct.
In the mean time, I thank you mod sincerely
foj; the expreliions cf kindness contained in your
valed'.tovy address. It is true, just after having
Lade adieu to my domeltic connections, this tender
proof of your fiiendfhip is but too well calculated
Hill further to awaken my fen Ability, and increase
my regret, at parting from the enjoyments of pri
vate life. ,
A ll tliat now remains for me, is to commit my
felf and you, to the protection of that benificcnt Be
ing, who on a former occasion, hath happily bro't
us together, after a long and diftrefling Separation.
Perhaps the fame gracious Providence will again in
dulge us with the fame heart felt felicity. But
words, my Fellow Citizens, fail me. Unutterable
sensations muit then be left to more exprefiive si
lence, while, from an aching heart, I,bid you all,
my affectionate Friends, and kind Neighbours
farewell ! 6 '
G. WASHINGTON.
NATIONAL MONITOR.
NUMBER 11.
" No incidental events can make a nation little,
while the principles remain, that made it great."'
AS America is just fitting out in her political course
as a nation, it is oj infinite importance to her future
welfare, that her fir ft principles fiould be drawn from
tne pejt fobrceX —that they Jbould bear the 'wiprejjions of
trut. < and right reafon —Thefie are superior guides to all
' ex p cr -ince of ancient times—the force of precedent
and ; ower of example. ,
, r/ "i revolution of America is not the efeCi ofieaufes
that have operand to produce those mighty changes
•< whicr,i have marked the fluctuating periods of other na
tions. Ambition, fraud, and violence—-fuflion, ignor
ance, and accident, have at different intervals, boajled
tne power to overturn one kingdom, and erect and
efi-ablijh another ; but the dismemberment of this IVefi
\ Empire from tne crown of Britain, was the result
of fenthnent —a labor:ous investigation of the principles
oj Liberty, and the Rights of Humanity : Information
audwifdom marked the road—Juflice and fortitude fub
po'-ted our foot-jhps—and the favour of Heaven to our
spirit, enterprise, and bravery, carried us triumph a fitly
through.——-Crowned with Peace, Liberty, and Inde
pendence, fairy land, and Utopian profpeits, cheated
onv *e.tided imaginations, 'till-j/e almojl began to doubt
the eligibility oj our present situation, compared to our
former one.—Happily fir in and our posterity, ere the
Demon of Anarchy had worked up the 'political fillies
oj day to a phrenzy, we werearrefted in our career
to ruin—And now, what are our pro/pelfs ? All that
wifdorn, virtue, and patriotism, car fancy or def.re.
Diner!fied in principles, manners, v'iews.and habit's
bay, do im at this day feel the force ofi any of those
maxims as, a r.ation, which can make a people %reat ? J
think zee. do. If must be acnoiolidged, that a fii'ifi of
the importance of Government, to preserve life, liberty
end propTTty, appears to pervade the mind of the pc pie
t.:ro::gn t!:e Union. This is a proper foundation, upon
Which may be reared the pillars of National Tuftice,
National i appinef», and National Security: This
principle has produced wonderful effeOs already—and
it is the :jl baps on which to ere ft natioul habits
manners and sentiments. A proper idea, ofi the necel
fity and importance of a firm, efficient Government is
the ftrorgefi lamer to licentioufinefis,faClion,
and lojs oj freedom, that Deity itfilf can create : This
to f 'fk for America, which will render he,
durably great and glorious.
C.
P L X A N
Or THE
GAZETTE of the UNITED STATES
A NATIONAL PAPER.
To be publiflitd at the seat of the federal government ,1
comprije, asjully as pofjiilt, the following Objects, viz. '
I. ARLY ana- nthenticK Accounts of the PROCEFnivr.
-L< of CONGRESS—'tsi-AWS, ACTS, iindRESOLLI in \n
: •mmuiiicatfd so as to rxji an HISTORY of the TR 4XI it t/,h'
2/ FEDERAL LEGISLATURE, X'AWIO.Y,/j®
11. Impartial Sketches of the Debates of Cono R[ss
IJI. ESSAYS upon the great fubjefls of Government in 6emrl i
nd the Federal Legiflatme in particular; also upon the n ahml , '
focal Rights of the American ci tizens, as found.duppnihti'
dcral or State Constitutions; all > upon every other Sul 'eft w h t I
inay appear suitable for newspaper difcuflion. J
I\ . A SERIES of PARAGRAPHS, calculated to catchtk.
■' LIVING M \NK ER S AS they rise," and to poin.t inc pn'oilct I
ttention to Objects that have an important reference tu dL.kt i
facial, and puhlick happiness. • /W > ,
V. The Intercftsof the Unite d States as connefled with their h
terary Inftltutions—religious and moral Objects —Improvtmtnt, \ 1
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VI. Every /pedes of INTEL!. ICENCE, which may affect th
••••••• ;<" •'■■■" ■: ' !■'! >, oj /cl lical U\"ItRKTS,|
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VII. A CHAIN of DOMESTICKOCCI'RRENCES,colltfttj
through the Medium of an cxtcnfive with the ret
peftivc Sta:cs. ,
VIII. A SERI FS of FOREIGN ARTICLES of INTELLI
GENCE, so connefttd, as to form a general Idea of tut lick Aim*
jßgaJlcrn Htmifphere.
IX. The STATE of the NATIONAL FUNDS t also of the IV.
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To the P U B L I C K.
AT this important Crisis, the idfas that fill the
mind, are pregnant "with Events of the greatest
magnitude—to strengthen and complete the UNI
ON or the States— to extend and protedt their
COMMERCE, under equal Treaties yet to beform
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tried System ot Government, will require the EN
ERGIES ct the Patriots and Sages of our Country—
Hence the propriety of encreafmg the Mediums of Knm
ledge and Information. 1
AMERICA, from this period, begins 1 new Era
in her national exillence—"the world is ah
bekore her"—The wisdom and folly—the misery
and prosperity of the EMPIRES. r 7ATES, and
KiNGDOMS, which have had their day tipon the
great rheatre of Time, and are now n# more,
fuggeftthe most important Mementos—Theft, with
the rapid series of Events, in which our ov. n Coun
try has been so deeply interested, have taught the
enlightened Citizens of the United States, that
FRE EDOM and GOVERNMENT—LIBERTY ami
LAWS, aie inseparable.
T nis C onviction has led to the adoption of the
:now Conltitution ; for however various the Sen
timents, refpetfting the MERITS of this System, all
good men are agreed in the neceflity that exists,
ofan'EFFICIENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
A paper, therefore, eftabliihed upon NATION
AL, INDEPENDENT, and IMPARTIAL PRINCI
PLES—which fliall take up the premiled Articles,
upon a Competent han, it is pr "fumed, will be
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bation and patronage.
S .ie Editor of thjs Publication is determined to
;eave no avenue of Information unexplored:—He v
solicits the assistance of Pevfons ofleifure and abili
ties—which, united with his own alliduity, he Hat
ters himfelf will render the Gazette of the United
States not unworthy general encouragement
and isj with due respect, the publick's humble ier-
JOHN F E NN 0.
X T ew-Yorh, April 1178^.
TWO YOLNO SPRIGHTLY LADS
ARE wanted, as APPRENTICES to the Bufinels
of Printing.
Err attire ?t Ho* 86, Wjlh^rn-Strett.^
Published by"|CH?Oi;NNO, No. 86, Wiu«*' .
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