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A NAliO-NAL PAPER, PUBLISH*.]} WtDN fcSD AYS AND SATURDAYS BY JOHN FEtiNO, No. 34. NOPTH FIFTH. STREET, PHI LA DEL PHIA
[No. 77 of Vol. IV.]
LAW OF THE UNION.
SECOND
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES^
TH* JKCbWri sisiib'n,
gegun and •<%., of Philadelphia,
in the State of PennfVlvania, on Monday
the fifrti of N'oVembef', one tt.oufa'nd
feveo hundred,and ninety,-t\yo.
An ACT regulating Foreign Coin*,
and for other purpofej.
BE it enabled by the Senate and
House of Rcpiefentntives of the
United States of America, in Congress a (Tern bled,
That from and after the firft day of July next,
foreign gold and silver coins (hall current as
money within the United States, and be a legal
tender for the payment of all debts and demands.
«i jjic fcvt.ot njd rrfnettivr rates following, yd
not otherwise, viz. '1 be gold Coins of Great-
Britain and Portugal, of their present standard,
at the rate ol one hundred cents for every twenty
feven grain's of the actual weight thereol, the t>old
coins of France, Spain and the dominions of
Spain, of their present Hand ard, at the rate ol
one hundred cents for every twenty-seven grains
and two fifths of a grain, of the actual weight
thereof. Spanish milled dollars, at (he rare of
one hundred cents for each dollar, the aftua!
weight whereof (hall not be less than seventeen
penny weights and seven grains ; and in pro
portion for the part's of a dollar. Crowns of
.France, at the rate of one hundred and ten
cents for each crown, the actual weight where
of, {Viatl not be less than eighteen penny weights
and seventeen grains ; and m proportion lor the
parts of a crown. But no foreign coin that may
have been, or shall be iilued subsequent to the
firft day of January, one thousand seven hun
dred and ninety-two, [Via 11 be a tender, as afoie
faid, until fampies thereof shall have been
found, by allay, at the Mint of the United
Slates, to be conformable to the sclpeftive ftan
eards required, and proclamation thereof shall
have been made by the President of the United
Srarc»j—— r 1 r»- - *>*..
Sec. 2. Provided always, and be it further en
aftrd, That at the expiration of three years next
ensuing the time when the coinage of gold and
flfver, agrseablv to the ast, entitled, 44 An ast
(ftablifhing a Mint,'and regulating the Coins of
the United Stales," (hall commence at the mint
<>f the United States, (which time (hall be an
nounced by the proclamation of the President of
the United States') all foreign gold coins, and all
foreign silver coins, except Spain Hi milled dol
lars and parts of luch dollars, (hall cease to be a
lfcgal tender, as aforefaid.
Sec. 3. And be it further enacted, That all
foreign gold and silver coins, (except Sp.mifih
milled dollars, and parts offuch dollars) which
shall be received .u payment for monies due to
the United States, after the said time, when the
coming of gold and silver coins shall begin at
the mint ot the United States, (hall, previously
to their'being ifl'ued in circulation, be coined
anew, in conformity to the ast, entitled, *' An
ast eftahlilhing a minr,%nd regulating the coins
ol s he United Slates."
Sec. Anri.be it further enacted, That from
and after the firfl day of ]uly hety, the fiftv-fifih
ft€tion ot the ast, entitled, " An act to provide
more efFHttually tor the collection of the duties
impoftd bylaw on goods, wares and merchan
dize imooi ted into the United States," which
alcettams the rates at which foreign gold and
iliVer coins shall be received for the duties and
tecs to be tollc6fed in virtue of the sard ast, "be,
and ths lame is hereby reoeajed.
$cc. 5. And he it further enacted, That the
assay, provided to be made by the ast, entitled,
% \ An ast clbMifhins* a mint, and regulating the
«oiiu of the United States," shall commence in
t,hc manner as by the said ast is prefenbed, on
the fccond Monday of Febiuaiv, annually, any
thing in the (aid ast to the contrary notwith
ff-tudirg.
JONATHAN TRUMBULL, Speaker
oj the Houjeof Representatives.
JOHN ADAMS, ice- President of the
United States, and Prcjident of the Senate.
APPROVED, FEBRUARY 9, 1703.
GFO. WASHINGTON,
President of the United States.
THOUGHT* ON TH|
STA'TE OF AMERICAN INDIANS.
(CONTI f UFD.)
r ?. people of so many men-
A tal arul bodily uccomplifliments should
labor under a natural incapacity foe impiove
ment, leverfes all the principles of reasoning
in ordinary cases, and is utterly inadni llibie.
1 he ravage state in which they continue is
no evidence of it—That barbarism implies
any defect of natural capacity, the history of
«ll disproves—The Egyptians, iPerfians,
PhcMiicitns, and Chir.cfe, all which after'
wards became great and improved nations,
ere once barbarians—they were even igno
rant of the use of fire, and of all the arts
>vhich are depsndanton it and eonnetfed with
; than which there can fcaicely be a more
deci&yc proof of their extreme barbarity—
/id Z&C Yur-//iC 'Jthtto,
Saturday, 1 793'
The fame may be fa id of feveraj other nati
ons—even the polite and polilhcd Greek % to
whom (through the medium of Europe) we
are indebted for all our knowledge, 44 descend
ed from savages, who wandered in the woods
and tields without laws and leaders, having
no other retreat but dens and caverns—"with
out the use of fire, or of food proper fov ll)en
—nay so ferocious as fbmetimes to each
other." Such was the 1 original stare of a peo
ple, de (lined to be the patrons and improvers
of the arts and sciences, and the admiration
of all future a^es —There is not a trine per.
haps in America, whole rudeness equals thi s
description—Their barbarity, therefore, can
not be regarded in any degree as the fruit of
imbecility, either of mind or body. The enu
meration of the real causes which have hu
therto retarded the progress of civilization
among the Indians, with the measures which
appear to me most likely to accompliHi that
obje&, will be the subject of some future pa
pers.
In tW w~?cfr*tave. -.-rtajJ- -
ed the civilization of the Indian-, wc mult
not reft contented with a (ingle view of the
subject, but obfefve the force of all the colla
teral causes which may in any degree have
operated that erfeel—The firft that I (hall
mention, is that which arises from 4< the few
and feeble exertions that have been made for
this purpose, the manner in which theft have
been conduced, and the langor with which
they hatfe been purfucd." The civilization
of a barbarous nation is difficult and labori
ous-—the transition from the hnnter's to the.
pa (to i 1 a! life, afid thence to that of agriculture '
and coftimfcrce, is efte&ed by flow advances—
All changes indeed in t'ie habits and cuftonis
of a nation, mnft be made gradually—men
are attached to that mode of life to which
they have been accuttomed, and are aver e to
the idea of altering it ; the educati
on create a prejudice in favor of their own
state, and an i'r difference to others—Men also
who are accuftrmed to perfect independence,
as is the cafe with all fa vage nations, tevolt
at the idea of furfenderirig their liberty to
the condition of law, or of submitting to any
kind of rcftraint. The an Twer of the ancient
Srvthians to the ambaflador of Menander the
great—of Anacharfis of the fame nation to
Solon, and the avei fion of all savage nations
from adopting the arts and manners ofpolifli
ed life, evince the partiality they entertain
for their own condition, and their indifference
to the bleflings of improved society—The hif
torv and exper'ence of all ag£s, proves the
difficulty of bringing a barbarous nation to
the knowledge and practice of social duties.
Some centuries elapsed before the inhabitants
of ancient Greece were brought to any dfcgree
of civility. The fame may be said of many
other nations. Nearly four hundred years
are fuppo r ed to have pafled from Manco Ca
pac, the firft Inca and founder of Peru, to the
conquest of that country by the Spaniards.
Those sages who firft recovered men from
their wandering savage life to a fixed reft
dence, and inspired them with a raft e for the
enjovments of facial life, generally pretended
a million from a superior being, whom they
represented as the author and natron of that
manner of life and of blessings thev wish
ed to introduce.—Almost ill nations, of whole
origin we have any diftinft: account, were
formed in this manner—The firft legislators
of the Cretans, Egyptians, Grecians, Locrians,
Ariniafpes, Getes, Romans and Peruvians all
pretended intercourse with some invisible
power, and a commiflion from him—Thus,
by availing themselves of the ignorance and
credulity of mankind, and converting super
stition into an inftrumeut of policy, they ob
tained a ready reception to their inftru&ions,
and gave permanency to their establishments.
[7V be continued.J
For the GAZETTE rfthe UNITED STATES.
To Ph i'lo Dinc k n es—the author of a piece, in
the Daily Advertijer cj Saturday laji.
Citizen Author,
I HAVE obfei ved your dirpofition to join
with me and other friends of democracy in
pointing out the macula which (with good glas
ses) may be discovered in a certain political
luminary. We think however, you direst
your Attention to a wrong quarter, and v. ifii
you to djre4 vour telescope to another limb,
where the dark spots of aristocracy are very
evident, and which will furni.li you with more
mat ter for aniinadverfion.
As to the negroes, you inuft be tender upon
that fubieiS —for we think it is rather a mark
of modern democracy. It is certain that
Rome, during the republic, had abundance of
slaves, and that it was Kings who abolilhed
the practice. We have seen Stanislaus labor
ing to emancipate the (laves in Poland, and
Catharine bettering their condition in Rcffia,
—even Louis the XVlth has figr.ed a decree
in favor of the negroes ; why then Ihnuld any
one ape such munarchual c onducft : Conduct
which would give great offence to some of our
best patriots. I ajfirin it, that the contrary
conoud is raoft like a good republican.—Look
305
about you, Citr/jcn ! Who talk most about li
berty and equa'ity—who monopolize the vir
tue and fair it of America ? Who are the guar
dians of toe equal rights of* man? Is it not
those, who hold the bill ot* rights in one hand,
and a whip for t{*e affrighted (laves in the o
ther ? Are not Tome of our warmcft declaim
ers upon liberty, men who traHick in human
flefli and riot on the profits which a rife from
the sweat and groans of their »lufky brethren?
Mark their conduct, Citizen, and you will a
gree with us, that an eternal oppreflion of
these Wretched people, is very consistent with
the pure spirit of modern patriotism !
J n this therefore you were wrong ; but I
will point out proper subjects for your future
lucubrations refpe<fting the ar'iftocratical con
dutt of a certain great man. In the fnft
place, it has been a practice with divers
in order to *et through the multiplicity of
their business, to apportion their time, and do
all things with much regularity ; Aifred's
eronomy of time is well known : the late
King 6f Prulfia always retired early, and con
~ftaij.tly (even in his last fickoefs) role at four
in mo» ningr, employing himielf till f<roi.K
faft with his secret-aries, in reading petitions,
letters, learning the state ot the
Kingdom and dispatching the public business.
—Will you believe it, Citizen even
this symptom of monarchy is to be found in
this free country ! it is said that He alio re
tires at an early hour—that the duties of the
day, with him, begin with the fun, and that
most of the public bufinefsis difpatcbed before
some of our democratic club are out of their
beds; to be Aire foiiie advantages may ari'e
from this, and the public business will never
get in arrear. But why should any one, at
feaSjfc this Angularity but from a love of mo
narchical manners ? and why (hould He not
rather copy certain young patriots, v/ho lye
in bed so long that they have not time to
comb their heads before they go to Congress ?
No- 11.
A fecoud mark of aristocracy is, that Hi
frequently goes to Church and even (hews a
refpe<ft for pious clergymen. I s not this aping
the conduct of many Kings of old, who were
devout worfliipp-jrs—~nd in erfed copying after
Kinff David, who as the Puns ccnriune allures
us, was a crowded rascal. Is this, Citizen
Philo! is this the conduit of our modern pa
triots 1 those who adore liberty To much—-do
you ever fee thein adoring their maker ? Is
not infidelity a mark of what at present pailes
for good democracy—and does not a certain
Gazette frequently blend an outcry ef liberty,
with a sneer at religion ?
Yes, Citizen, until our rulers get rid of the
trammels of religion, .they will never be con
fide red by us, as free from the leaven of arii
tocracv
As to the clergy, I believe it can be proved,
that a certain pcrjon has been feet< in their
company and has ever been heard to speak
refpe&fully of them. A sue mark ot' an
aristocrat ! King-craft and Prieft-craft go
togethe) —and one ot our very patriotic mem
bers has-alrea«ly intimated, that we fliall ne
ver do well, till we get rid of the clergy.—
The time for (hipping them off is not yet
come; bnt every man who does not lean to
■ arirtocracy, aiight to tefufc them counte
nance or fupport—'Jti?ht to declaim ag&inll
| Prieft-cratt—ridicule the puritanical folly of
going to Church and Make these black coated
■ gentry, as poor as rats and a* (habby as a
tinged cat.
Thirdly, fti'ck to the fiibjeft oflevees ; it
}s ti'tie visit? of ceremony must be reccivfcd —
foreigners will to fee a man wiiofe ta
l&rtts and virtues have made his naThe deal*
through the civilized world.—Citizens will
croud to pay him refpeft, and rtiembers of
Co-VgreOi and public officers, think it but de
cent to jhetr re!peft't<> rHE man of the pko-
PL-k. But what then ! Alight he riot, Citiain
PhTto! to be visible at all Hours, and <>n all
davi, cJpecMly on Sundayt, when many of our
cliifrdon't know how to employ tileinffilves !
lfthi' perpetual Visitation did interrupt or
retard the public bulinels, would not that be
compensated by the irtfijfmation hr might gain
iu these very interesting and profitable visits;
Besides we could then call upon him, without
being put on a footing with new ptop/e, who
have started up like Jonah's gourd, and seem
to overshadow the ancient families of the Jo
minvn. But as things are managed, one may
be obliged to (land along fde of a man, whom
a few vears ago, no body knew. Another
thing—whv should not, a? MiV*l*iui fays,
whv Ihould not our ruters go to the coffee
houfes? I never saw the Governor of Pen 11-
fylvania, or the Secretary of Stare, or mem
bers of Congress and other peat men frequent
these places, where they might pick up much
useful information—at least about the price
of stocks and inohiTes ; indeed the beer lhops
might be a place still better, and vifitingthem
would evidence a more genuine democratic
spirit. I fay every great officer ought to
mingle with the people, and if he could not
find time in the day, he might keep o|>en
houfeat night and join with his fellow-citi
zenJ in a sociable game of wbift or all-fours.—
It certainly would oblige some of os, whose
i'ondsefs for that rational amusement is well
[Whole No. 3^9.]
known: hut it is confidently fai. J ., that card*
•are never permitted to be played in the rfo-;fe j
What «bOfft:iiab!e aristocracy and defpotifin is
this, in a free country !
Laiiiy you may obforve, Citizen Philo, that
there is great aristocracy in the preeminence
of his virtues.—How is it— .if,-he is not aim
ing at some higher r ank, that he continue*: so
unite in his favor the attachment and
of every hone ft mind ? How' is it that he has
twice been tbfc unanimous choice of three
millions of people ? And why is he not con
tent with a common (hare of public confi
dence. Such conduit is a snare for the liber
ties of our country—His very merit is dan
gerous—*ind it is high time for America to
shew that republican ostracism which profew
cutes a man for the superiority of his worth.
"C I V I S.
fertile GAZETTE of the UNITED STATES.
TO THE PRINTER OF THE GENERAL
• A-IH'fkl /.< BR.
M*. Bache,
BY Tft'tmi -.t!i ■ " "vnnr pfnpf-r.
to intuit the Piefident oi' the -
United States are writtrn, i". of little confe- "
quejice, since the causes of that spleen wi, W ']
prompts you to publish them with so much a
vidity is perfcftfy known.
If your venerable Gnirdfrrc views iVoin ].is
abode the mockery of Patriotism tV
h foiled in vour paper, it may console him fir
the follies which He committed, the (ervTlitV
and fveophanev Hr praftifed at the court flf
France ; and for the disappointment He met
with in not being abl» to place an idle sing
song at the head of the Poft-Office. But no
thing can efface from the minds of '
ricans, the iiifampuflv difgrace'l'
Convention He made with, France :
though on the reiuonftrance of C
has been somewhat anieoclsd : vei
tains enough of its firft principle?. to ltrip ti c
boasted laurel from the brow of Franklin, and
stamp indelible disgrace on American foego-
tiation.
But, Mr. Bache, since yonr vevertMe Grwd-
Jire is matie a cornpctitov for Fine with
WaiHngton, I will heriafter furr.ifti you
some anecdotes of his wcer at the fourt »f
Versailles, wh'ci will more fully unfo'd the
jnftice of his claim to a.rtmi ation, for M pa
triotic and difihterjffed condiA
Flam the Monthly Review for Oclofrer, 179*.
AMERICA.
Art-. 5!. A Brief Examination of Lard Sheffield]!
Olft rvationi on tti Commerce 0] tie United sides :
In Seven Numbers ; with Supplemental
Notes on American Manufactures, Bvo. u.
135 —2/6—Primet, 1 at Philadelphia, by M.
(iire ; Tie-printed for Phillips, 8:c. London,
1792.
LORD SHEFFlELDObfervations were
written jnft at the close of a war commenced
against revolted Britilh I'ependencics, arid
which left them in the capacity of independ
ent States ; an Alteration in citetimftaßces
ihatreceffiirilv gave rife to more n svtcri'al
changes in their domestic ceconrtfny,
would bear decisive reaToning at tli.it pfrrioa.
This examination was undertaken at a con
venient diftanee of time, in order to compare
Loid Sheffield's predictions with the present
a&ual ftateoffafts; and was publillied in a
Periodical Work, called The 'Anuiitah Mufeim.
It has every appearance of 1 omin® from the
pen of an able and well informed Writsr,
whom Mr. Capel LofTt, the Editor of th'jEn
glfth edition, points out to be Tench Coxe,
E<q. affittant treafuier to the government of
the United States.
This examination is clea ly purfned ; and
resting 011 known facts ( which we are to pre
sume, from the authorities cited, are bevond
controversy) the author writes with mhre
temper and moderation than mifbt have been
expected, considering the advantages whith
he claims. He reprefeots the productions,
manufactures, imports and exports, of Ame
rica, as materially differing from what Lord
Sheffield expefled when he wrote ; and if his
Lord (hip, arguing from rhe past, vent ured too
largely into futurity, he ran the rifl: to T-hich
all political Reafoners expo r e ihemfelves.
more or lei's, findihg their speculations set
aside by eventj which their firelight could
not anticipate.
We are now informed, that the Americans
are making a rapid progress in all the in oft
(ufeful mancfaftores; not only for their own
confnmptioii, but for exportation, to a degree
that was once deemed incompatible with
their situation, as having such tmmenfe lands
to fettle—but while one description of men
are spreading tbemfelves over new land?, the
population in the old colonies will neceflar'rtv
occasion new employments to be introduced ;
for they are not fofficiently Irhproved and po
-1 i(hed to fnpport drones of any description.
When all the nfefbl departments of Society
are filled, and their fyflem of affa : rs becomes
more complicated, then will be the time to
expert drones of all descriptions to creep in,
and rife up, to fatten on the labours of the
reft, just as they do among t'oeir anceftorc in
the Old World.
• I Hlf—llM^
r ' gi"