[No. LVII.] PLAN Of the GAZETTE of the UNITED STATES. (A NATIONAL PAPER.) Published at the Seat of the National Gov ernment. CONTAINING, L EARLY and authentic Accounts of the PROCEEDINGS of CONGRESS—its LAWS, ACTS, and RESOLUTIONS, communicated so as to form an HISTORY of the TRANSACTIONS ef the NATIONAL LEGISLATURE. 11. Impartial Sketches of the Debates of Congress. 111. ESSAYSon the great fubjefts of Government; also upon the national and local Rights of the american citizens, as founded upon the National or State Constitutions ; also upon every other Subject, which may appear luitable fornewfpaperdifcuflion. IV. A SERIES of PARAGRAPHS, calculated to catch the living manners AS they rise ," and to point the public attention to Obje&s that have an important reference to domeflic y ft rial and public happinef. V. The Interests of the United States as connettcd with their li terary Inftitutions—religiousand moral Objefts—lmprovements in Science, Arts, EDUCATION and HUMANITY—their foreign Treaties, Alliances, Connexions, See. VI. Every species of INTELLIGENCE, which may affe£lthe (omnercial, agricultural, manufacturing, or political INTERESTS of the AMERICAN NATION. VII. A CHAINof DOMESTIC OCCURRENCES. VIII. A SERIES of FOREIGN ARTICLES of INTELLI GENCE. X. The STATE of the FUNDS—Courfcs of Exchange—Prices Current, Sec. CONDITIONS. i. Published aery WEDNESDAY and SATURDAY. 11. Theprice toSubfcribers(cxc\u(ivc of postage) THREE DOLLARS jr. annum. 111. Thefirjl femi-annual payment to he made in three monthsyVom the timi jJfubferibing, andfuture payments to be made every fix months. SUBSCRIPTIONS Will be received in all the capital towns upm the Continent; also at No. g, Maiden-Lane, near the Ofwego-Market, New-York. To the PUBLIC. AT this important Crisis, the ideas that fill the mind, are preg nant with Events of the greatest magnitude—to strengthen and complete the UNION of the States—to extend and protest their COMMERCE, under equal Treaties yet to be formed—tc '•xplon and arrange the NATIONAL FUNDS—to restore and establish the PUBLIC CREDIT—and ALL under the aufpicesof an untri ed System of Government, will require the ENERGIES of the Patriots and Sages of our Country—Hence the propriety ef encreafing the Mediums of Knowlege and Information. AMERICA, from this period, begins a new Era in her nation al existence— 41 th e world is all before her"—The wisdom and folly—the mifcry and prosperity of the EMPIRES, STATES, and KINGDOMS, which have had their day upon the great Theatre of Time, and are now no more, suggest the moll important Mementos—Thefc, with the rapid series of Events, in which our own Country has been so deeply irttefefted, have taught the enlightened Citizens of the United States, that FREE DOM and GOVERNMENT—LIBERTY and LAWS, are inse parable. This Conviction has led to the adoption of the New Conflitut.i ---on; for however, various the Sentiments, refpccling the ML. -RITS of this Syflcm, all good men are agreed in the neceflity that exists, of an EFFICIENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. A paper, therefore, established upon NATIONAL % INDE PENDENT, and IMPARTIAL PRINCIPLES—which (hall take up the premised Articles, upon a competent plan, it is presumed, will be highly intcrefling, and meet with public ap probation and patronage. The Editor of this Publication is determined to leave no avenoe of informaton unexplored :—He solicits the aflifltnce of Persons of lcifurc and abilities—which, united with his own afTiduity, he flatters himfclf will render the Gazette of the United States not unworthy general encouragement and is, with due relpcft, the public's humble servant, THE EDITOR. POSTSCRIPT. SIX Months have now elapsed since this paper was ushered into exigence—how far the ff)irit of the plan has been exhibited, and adhered to, is not for the Editor to fay.—A generous and candid pub lic has awarded its approbation, b\ a fubfeription which is said to be wore extensive than usual on Jimi/ar cxcafions• —An acknowledgement of the favor is therefore due from the publisher.—The expence attending an undertaking of this kind is always great; in the prejent inflance, it has not been counterbalanced by any of the cujlomary receipts on account of tdxxrtifemcnti —the objefl being an extensive circulation, the Editor con ceiving that their insertion wonld have counteracted that part of his plan, has ncm admitted any. This consideration if it was necejfary to be f u W.fled,would point out the importance of punfluality on the part of the fubferibers —it appears to have neen very generally a'.tended to, as th* Payments have been unusually prompt. its? necejfary to observe that the number of names which have honored thefubfoiption, is not fufjicient to defray the expence of the publication, a nJto afford the Editor a competent support, on a f"ppofition that the who/ejlouldbe colleßed.—Additional fubferiptions are therefore folic it ed; *nd when it is considered, t'vt the paper is new til its ccnjlruftwn ; con tains intelligence ofthemofl interesting nature ; abounds with more ori ginality than any other periodical publication ; and, viewed as a mif cetlany, is cheaper than any magazine, regifler, i3c. it can not be doubted fat that it will receive an adequate patronage. , I* the present number, the publication of the Journals of the Senate is commenced. As there is no gallery to the Senate Chamber, all that can be known of the proceedings of that Mojl Honorable branch of th? Actional Legiflature,is from theit Journals ; in this view of the fubjetl,it is fiipofedthey will be interejling to thepuhlic. The price of the laws and th Journals cf the two Houses only, which will be given in the course V one year, amounts to more than the fubfeription. The Editor is determined to prcfecute the publication, upon its origi nalprinciples : He hopes to make it more interejling, by the communi cations of his ingenious correfpondentt : He solicits the aid of every ! 'iendtofcience, freedom and govtrnmevt: And fitch speculations as ura frieniilv afpefl to the peace, honor and prosperity of our rifng n,i ' o,l i uill be received with gratitude by the public's humble servant JOHN FEX NO. New-York, OBober \4, 178 a. $ " Jf ANTED, to cot pi etc Files of this pa be ■ -tor.: i nature tyrants. It is so universal and instinctive a pro pensity, as justly to be denominated one of the llrongeft characteristics of human nature. If I am enquired of, why I endeavor to enforce so evident a truth, I will inform the reader, thrit it is not so much to fix the doctrine itfelf, as to de duce some ufeful inferences. Men are perpetually calling government -a ne ceflary evil. The epithet is not fairly applied. Government is instituted as a remedy against an unavoidable evil, which exists in the natural con stitution of man. It is true the remedy does not always produce the full effect intended ; but it is only becanfe the evil is too deeply fixed to admit of a cure. Government must not therefore itfelf be called an evil, merely because there are some evils, which it has not power to remove. If so ciety is opprefled with tyranny, or agitated with sedition, it only fliews that the lusts and paflions of men are not altogether restrained by civil in fti tut ions. Men are acting agreeably to the im pulse of their nature. The government under which such mifchiefs happen is not capable of controling entiiely the excefles to which men are naturally prone. The enormities however would be tar greater, were they not subject to some re flraint, by the operation of the government. We are too fond of paying compliments to human nature, and therefore transfer the blame from ourselves to causes where it should not be fixed. Man must be made an artificial being before it can be fafe living with him. This inculcates the neceflity of education. Ignorance is the founda tion of molt of the political calamities whichever overwhelmed the world. Ido not mean that ig norant men have done the mifchief. They have only fuffered it to be done. Wicked and artful men, which are always to be found in all situations of society, can give scope to their inclinations, where the people are untaught in moral duties and civil privileges. Unless men are ignorant and unenlightened, no monstrous ihifcbief can take place ; and in this view, ignorance may be said to be the foundation of all political evil.— There can be no danger of losing liberty where the people have knowlege. A wife community guards itfelf equally against tyrants and Incendiar ies ; and it like wife guards individuals against the oppressions which they are, by nature, prone to exercise over one another. In such a situation the positive hlelftngs of government are appar ent ; because civilized, well-informed men are capable of being well-governed. In a worse state of society, men are a greater evil to each other, and therefore they call the government an evil, by way of compliment to themselves. It is of importance that mankind become fenfi ble of this truth ; that bad men can never have a good government, and that men always will be bad, till laws and education make them good.— Nothingplaces the advantages of good laws and institutions in a stronger point of light, than that they are capable of encreafing the desire to pos sess property, at the fame time that they create an abhorrence to acquire it unjustly. In a state of nature, the desires of a man are few, and it is well they are so ; for few as they are, he often com mits terrible outrages to gratify them. In a state, any degree civilized, it is true the appetites of a man are more keen, and the objects of his wishes more numerous, and they fafely may be so ; for he will seldom dare or desire to lay violent or un just hands on the property of another, for the fake of encreafing his own. And yet there are many people who are incessantly stigmatizing govern ment with odious epithets. If men will look in to the subject, and trace effects to their proper source, they will know better by what names to call things. FRENCH INSCRIPTION TO the French Almanack for the year its 7, is a Frontispiece representing France seated on the Throne of Royalty, and Taking by the hand the Genius of America, with the following expressive motto : Homage des Amtricaines a la France, sous la regne de Lout! XVI, Pacificatenr des deux Moudes ! [.Publijhed Wcdusfday and Saturday.] MR. ADAMS'S LETTERS. LETTER V. Amsterdam, Oct. g, i 790. SIR, fifth enquiry is, " Whether a voluntary re- A " volt of any one or more of the States in the " American Confederation is to he apprehended : And. " if one or more mere to revolt, whether the others " -would not he able to defend themfslves ?" This is a very judicious and material question. I conceive that the answer to it is easy and deci sive. T here is not the least danger of a voluntary revolt of any one State in the Union. It is diffi cult to prove a negative, however ; and (till more difficult to prove a future negative. Let us, how ever, conlfder the subject a little. Which State is the moil likely to revolt, orfub mit ? Is it the uioft ancient colony, as Virginia, or the Maflachufetts ? Is it the moll numerous and powerful, as Virginia, Mallachufetts, orPenn fylvania ? I believe nobody will fay, that any one of tliefe great States will take the lead in a revolt, or a voluntary submission. Will it be the smallest and weakest States, that will be molt likely to give up voluntarily ? In or der to fatisfy ourselves of this, let us consider what has happened ; and by the knowlege of what has palled, we may judge of what is to come. The three smallest States are Rhode-Island, Georgia, and Delaware. The Englifli have plainly had it in view ta bring one of these States toa fubmiflion, and have accordingly direcfted very great forces againlt them. Let us begin with Rhode-Island. In the latter end of the year 1776, General Howe sent a large army of near seven thousand men, by sea, under aftrong convoy of men of war, detached' by Lord Howe, to take pofleflion of Newport, the capital of Rhode Island. Newport Hands upon an island, and was neither fortified nor garrisoned fufficient ly to defend itfelf againftfo powerful a fleet and army, and therefore the Englifli made themselves malters of the place. But what advantage did they derive from it ? Did the colony of Rhode- Island', small as it is, submit ? So far from it, that they were rendered the more eager to refill ; and an army was aflembled at Providence, which confined the English to the prison of Rhode-Island, until the fall of the year r779, when they were obliged to evacuate it, and our army entered it in triumph. The next little State which the Englifli attempt ed was Delaware. This State confilts of three counties only, situated upon the river Delaware, below Philadelphia, and is most exposed to the English men of war of any of the States, because they are open to invallon not only upon the ocean, but all along the river Delaware. It contains not more than thirty thousand fouls. When the Elig lifh got pofleflion of Philadelphia, and had the command of the whole navigation of the Dela ware, these people were more in the power of the Englifli than any part of America ever was, and the Englifli generals, admirals, commanders, and all the tories, used all their arts to seduce this lit tle State ; but they could not suCceed ; they never could get the appearance of a government erecled under the King's authority.—The people con tinuedtheir delegation in Congress, and conti nued to elecft their Governors, Senate, and Aflein blies, under their new conflitution, and to furnifh their quota to the continental army, and their proportion to the militia, until the English were obliged to evacuate Philadelphia.—There are besides, in this little State, from various causes, more tories, in proportion, than in any other. And as this State flood immoveable, I think we have no reason to fear a voluntary submission of any other. The next small State that was attempted was Georgia.—This State is situated at the southern extremity of all, and at such a distance from all the reft, and such difficulties of communication, being above an hundred miles from Charleston, in South-Carolina, that it was impoflible for the neighbouring States to afford them any assistance. The English invaded this little State, and took the Capital, Savanna, and have held it to this day : But this acquisition has not been followed by any fubmiflion of the province ; on the contrary, they continue their delegates in Congress, and their new officers of government. This province, moreover, was more immediately the child of England than any other ; the settlement of it cost England more than all the reft, from whence one might expecft they would have more friends here than any where. New-Jersey is one of themiddling-fized —New-Jersey had a large British army in Phila delphia, which is on one fide of them, and ano ther in New-York, which is the other fide, and