PHfLOSOPHICAL REFLECTIONS ON THE LAII REVO L.UT I O N I N FRANCE, ire. C ON TIXUAT lON, THE moll means fliould be inftamly pursued to chock this growing niifchief ; and perhaps rtorre eoold'btf better than re-ellab lilhing the obsolete practice of ifluing geiteral warrants, at the discretion of the Secretary of date. If there lhuuld ilill remain anyabfurd prejudices again (I the name, let them be callcd lettres de ca chet. A late eminent inagiitijate recommended the adoption of this measure, with great force of reasoning, and nnanfvverable argument, in order to check the migration of our manufacturers, and and the export of our fj>inning-ieH>iys ; but now the French revolution, and the wife extension of our excise laws, have made it not only prudent, but absolutely neceflary for the preservation of the empire. The present member for Middlesex has a glorious opportunity of making the amende honorable to his king, country, and conitituents, by bringing in a bill to legalize general warrants, or lettres de cachet. Let the commons pais it, and the lords will not venture to throw it out. The lin ing menaces of the tobacconilts, in their evi dence, may firve as a preamble to the art ; and a special clause may be inserted to suspend the pernicious operation of ,ihe habeas corpus art for seven years; and at the end of that time it will be totally forgot In (hort, the expediency of llrengthening the arm ofexecuiive power is universally admitted ; and as we have hitherto derived all our riches, and happiness, by keeping up a cordial enmity, and provoking rivalfhip bet ween us and France, by a total diversity of laws, opinions, and conltitution ; let us still, with patriotic pertina city, adhere to our old fyftein, and we may yet bid defiance to all our enemies, foreign and do mestic. On this principle, the following hints may be of use.— Let the whole of the British revenue be farm ed to that great comptroller of finance, Monf. C.— Let a royal imprimatur be eftabliihsd ; (nibbling at the newspapers, by forbidding them to be hut, is a nagatory policy ;) let both honfesof convo cation meet ro recommend lotteries, and his Ma jofty's proclamation for the reformation of man ners ; let them appoint a committee, (Doctor H. in the chair) lo cite, degrade), and deprive such of the clergy of their benefices who fliall prefunle to iuppor: any of the present members of tlia lioule of commons, at the next:generAl eleiitioh, ■who voted for a repeal of the tell acft'; let them examine, and'fentence to the flames, all publica tions of an immoral tendency, and commit the -authors, printers, and readers to NpwgAte ; let the schism bill, which expired 011 the lft of Au gull 1714, be revived ; let the authority of the bilhops' court be extended, and no appeal allow ed from their decisions, except to heaven. Some thing of this fort has been already done, jufl fuf ficient to provoke the animadversions of Doctor Price ; and what more can be said in praile of adininiltration ? Even you, Sir, mud acknowledge that I spread nofalfe alarms, when we are at this moment me naced with a restoration of the. pagan divinities. The Pantheon may receive the gods of Greece and Rome; and perhaps we may fee tlie worftiip which has been very lately abolilhed at Ilernia, revived at Ranelagh. Our youth are early ini tiated into the niylteries of the heathen mytlio logy, and have too ftronga propensity to kneel at the flirine of Venus, and pour out libations to Bacchus. In (liort,the revolution in France, the spirit of the diflenters, and the licentious wish of a platonicphilofopher, ftrikc me with the ut molt horror. The approaching calamities of Britain lie heavy on my heart. At all events, I ihall endeavor to aftSvith fortitude and refigna lion : " Such inthofc moments, asinthepaft, 44 O save my country, Heaven, (hall be my lift.' But a con fide ration of the utmost importance yet remains. The dangerous revolt of the mili tary, on whom the liability and glory of the French monarchy rested, hasexcited my indigna tion, and almo'ii driven me to despair. if i'ol diers once presume to consider themselves as ci tizens, to enter into any difculfion and distinc tions on this invidious fubjeft, there will be no life in keeping up those large Handing armies, to which modern governments owe their brilliancy and power.—No similar instance has happened tince the year 1688. " James drew out his ar my," fays Lord Bolinbroke, " but in vain, for it was an EngTifli one 1 " Louis did not draw out his army, for it was 110 longer a French one ! /ind thus "kings have been deserted, and deliver ed up into the hands of their revolted fubje<fts, r»nd a fatal revolution brought about in France and England, by the (hanieful defection of the troops. But an extension of the evil is (till to be dreaded, and has already taken efFecft. Papers, called le SoLiat Patrhtiqfrt, are di("perled among the military 011 the continent, exciting the pri vates of every battalion to mutiny;* and taunt ingly alklnc tlieai, whether they are not degra dtd, by fubmittinjjj to the caprice of puerile aris tocrats, who are wifely commiflioned by their lo vereign to drill and chaltife thein ififp military discipline, by the magical effects of a rattan ?— These inflammatory addrefles have already had fucti a fatal operation, that -I 1 queft'ion whether a German pritics could now induct his troops, by double pay, to fulfil acoutras«ft with us or Spain, if the flame of rebellion should spread to her co lonies in South America, or to the Isle of Man. On the whole, Sir, 1 own myfelfterrified at the very idea of innovation. The fermentation of democracy, begun in Frajice, may extend here, and excite a fatal change in our tempers and dis positions Your pliilofophical pursuits incline you to be less tremblingly apprelienfive ; you falfely conclude from analogy, that our conftitu- tion inay be improved by impregnating it with a new principle, as yok have given common water the spirit and flavor of Pyrmont, by a lucky in fulioii of fixed.air. But the ancients were wife ly, and evcu timidly circumfpe&on this eflentia' point of p -licy. '1 he kings and ephori of Spar tahave jultly Merited and obtained tliepraifesof all poilerity, for ifluing a deeree again ft Timo theus, and fining liirn, tor adding another ltring to the harp. Th#fe profound judges of human nature in It ant ly -perceived that thelawsand con- Ititutions ofLycurgus would soon be defpiled, and rendered oblblete, by the wanton vibrations excited in [he ears of their sober and uncorrupt ed youth, by this uuconftitutional string. They exprelsly fay, " He has given to our music an ef feminate and artificial dress, inilead of the plain and orderly one in which it has hitherto appear ed ; rendering melody infamous, by compoiing in the chromatic, inilead of the enharmonic. Be it therefore enadted, by the authority aforefaid, that Timotheus be baiiifhecl from our city, that men may be warned for the future not tj intro duce any innovation into Sparta !" 1 only quote this very Angular historical anec dote, to convince our felf-opinionated, lceptical reformers, that nothing was deemed trifling by ihe wil'dom of antiquity,which could in the flight ed degree tend to any alteration in the govern ment. In the pvefent wiklnefs of political speculation in Fiance, 1 should not be l'urprifed if some de claiming demagogue proposed the eating of raw flefh, a ia mode d' Aiyjjinie, in order to keep up the rage and violence of the commons in unabated vigor. An aift of the National Aflembly (conlt deringtheir unhappy influence) would soon make thi» lavage custom fafhionable, under the falla cious pretence of reducing the price of wood; and rendering one article of the commercial treaty of no effect, by preventing the importa tion of coals. This barbarous nutriment would soon be relished here, as we have always had a propensity to that lort of food ; and would in fallibly produce every atrocious act of ferocity which has already desolated that devoted land. As the paflions, taite and appetites, principal ly originate from the physical properties of our diet, our -virtues and vices may be traced to the fame source, and improved, or counteracted, by a moral, regimen, fhis fentiinent is neither new nor paradoxical ; it has been already elucidated with philosophic truth and poetieal* beauty, by one of our elegant and plealing poets : " Was e*«r Tartar fierce or ciuel " Upon the ftrengthof walcr gruel ? " But who (hall Hand his rage and force, " If fir 11 he rides, then eats Ins horse." The cruelty or mildness of animals depends 011 their either being graminivorous or carnivorous ; man, by his dignified nature, enjoys the option al privilege of being either ; but as he isalfo dif tinguiflied by enjoying the superior faculty of ctokiug, the direful effects of a raw-fleih diet is counteracted by this humane refinement. The Hindoos are meek, gentle, uncommonly patient, and fubinit to every ast of extortion and rapine' with aftonilhing composure, and the mod lauda ble resignation. Our countrymen, who, by their travels and indefatigable researches, have acqui red a perfect and accurate knowledge oflndoftan all agree (however they may differ on other points) in giving the natives this very amiable character, and universally ascribe it to their Am ple vegetable diet. This phyficai principle is so well understood, that the fighting cajh are com pelled to eat flefli, as aneflenrial part of military discipline ; otherwise they would soon lose their courage and the esprit de corps, and meanly degen. ernte into tlic tsiiicncls of mere citizcns. I could adduce Itrong reasons for throwing out tins alarming hint, and have now in my poflfef flon letters from a leading member of the Nation al Assembly, to prove that this horrid scheme is in agitation. The vanity of Frenchmen induces them to think, that as they have long given the ton, en fait de manger, the 1110 ft aristocratic peo ple m Europe (even Spaniards and Germans) will soon eat themselves into a republican fren zy, as they will be Simulated Toy a frefh incentive at every meal. This is the favorite project of our reltlefs and ambitious rivals at present who a flatter themselves with the hope of edabljflnng a shocking system of universal demo 582 ciacy, by this infambus expedient. Our bed preservative, infuch an emergency, would be a genera] man of the ri*ht& and privileges of a citizen, besides fubjeftinr Him to a fine, at the discretion of the judges, and imprisonment till it was paid, who did not pro dace and lodge a certificate weekly at the excis e ollice, signed by the re<ftor, curate, and church wardens of exacft compii. ance with the obligatory clauses of the said ua to wit, " That A. or B. had duly and regularly eaten his fieih or filh, either boiled, roalted ba ked, broiled, or fryed." Yet lam fully persua ded, that you, Sir, and your brethren, the difleu ters, would still remain stubborn and refradtory and fadtioufly coipplain of this salutary reltrainr' as a new grievance, and again expatiate on the natural and abltradt rights of man, to eat lus meat according to his own whim, either raw or roalted. To be continued. CONGRESS. I HOUSE OK REPRESENTATIVES iHURSDAY, July 29. The Amendments to the Funding Bill itn deration. r ~T~ , HE hnufc having agreed to insert ftvtn years in lieu of X infilled on by the S.-nate, as the time at the expiration of which, mtercllon the deferred part of the debt fhouldcommeuc-• it was moved that the house should recede. Tliis motion was opposed by Mr. Lawrance, Mr. Gerry, and Mr. Ames ; Mr. Sherman, Mr. V'ltzliitions, Mr. Slone and' Mr Sedgwick, supported the motion. Mr. Ames observed that it gave him great fatisfaaion when he reflettcd that the house through the lopj; difcuffionof this lmpgr taut fubjrft had difcoveied an uniform uifpfcfuiou to fnppon i n public faith ; not an inflance m our contitifl I believe (laid hrj has occurred, through the whole conrfe of this buGnct at which we have cause to blufb ; this firninefs and conliftency has re flected the giealcfl honor on thehoufc—and I would fondly hop lavs a happv foundation for the public mind to reft upon. He then offeied some general oblcrvations on the immutability a public justice, the facredncfs of public comrafli—and apply nig the principles to the proportion of the Senate infilled that it was a manifeft and glaring violation of the tiontraft between the go vernment and its creditors, and a departure from principle ; lor the S. nate have agreed to the rate ol redemption, viz. 8 pi. cent, pr. annum, agreeable to th: lirfl part of the amendment propof.d by the House : the time lor the commencement of intcicft, seven years, ought to follow of course. He then shewed (he operation of the proportion adopted by the Senate, and by calculations he had made, it would, he faitl, de prive the creditors of 18 pr. cent, of their deferred capin;.' Uc. •nlarged 011 the present and piobable rate of inteteft, and from t,i iousdcdu£lions he Ihcwcd'.hatth. original piopofiuonittthe Se crctary's report was more consonant to justice than any fubllnute which had been offered ; and as that which the house had agreed to deviated lei's from it than that modified by the Senate, he ho ped for these and other reasons, which he offered, tint the house would not recede, but infill on their amendment, and requefl a confer en cc. Mr. Sedgwick said that the fubjeft now before the house wa* of all others the mod important, and that about which men of the! moll pure intentions might be supposed most to differ, with out the imputation of improper motives. To this body was refer red the important and arduous task of providing for an iiumeu/a debt, to do this in such manner as to give fatisfa&ion, an infinite variety of circumstances attending the creation of the debt, and what had been the operations with and upon it, were to be con templated. The house had not only to determine what thev ou§hi to do, but they were also to guess what they could do.—What were the resources of the country, and the abilities of the govern ment under th':fe circumstances ? He feared that the speculations of the clofct, had produced fvftems, which prevented a spirit of accommodation and conceflion, which he believed was never more necessary. He besought gentlemen to reflcdt, that the utmost de gree of certainty they could obtain that they were light, was a eonje&urcthat they were so. Under these circumstances, he hoped that gentlemen would companionate the circumftanccs of their country ; he begged them to reflect that the commcrciai capital of this country was diverted to objects not only unproductive of any benefit to the community, but deftru£live of its moil important inter ells ; that the paftion of avarice, the most fordid of any which can possess the human heart, was now raging to a pitch, of which the history of our country afforded no precedent. Men not only fpcculated in the funds, but they gambled even in contracts of speculation ; bargains refpefting the debt were fold in the market almost as frequently as the debt iifelf.—He aficed if it v. as not the duty of every good man to exert himfclf to relieve this country from the effects of this unhappy situation. He observed that the difference In value between the provision proposed by the Senate, and that heretofore adopted by the House, was about one twelfth pait. lempcrate reflection he believed would prevent on thu ac count one moment's pertinacious adherence to the conjectural cal culations of the house. Mr. Sedgwick said that his colleague (Mr. A.) had jealously contended that the amendment of the Senate was a departure from principle—this he did not understand to be the cafe. The Secretary had attached to his proposition so- which this was a fub lutute, a quality of irredeemability ; the house had varied this propofition—tht Senate have done the fame. Whether any or which of these calculations Were right, no gentleman could with cei tainty predict. They are dependant on future events, known only to that being who had the fupremc controul of them. He never could comprehend how this irredeemability, the worftquali ty m the opinion of the people of this country annexed to the terms of the loan, could justly be considered as an equivalent for that part of the debt of which the creditor was to bedeprived for it. Notwithstanding he had always considered this as a principle un derflood by few, and desired by none—yet from a disposition to accommodate to the opinions of others, he had acceded to it; because without such a spirit of accommodation, every effort to effett the funding of the debt, would be found vainand ineffectual. —He wished other gentlemen would be equally disposed to con ciliate ; and he had no doubt but a majority would ; for he would not fuppofc that they would endanger the loss of the accorn plifbment of the great business we had so long and painfully la bored to effeCt—becaufe a majority in the other house, who had an equal right with them to think and a£l for themfelvcs, were not disposed io resort la their ftandaid of truth. ' V > ( jftf ' . * V ' 4» «-;* ■ 'llrr
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