my writings in feppoTT <>* &ch affocia
tioiia is best known to himfclf. If you
have i:ot perused the book, you might
be ted from the detached sentences there
to believe that it contains the prin
ciples of anarchy, instead of the princi
ples of government; principles wholly
iubverfive of a representative democra
cy. If you will give yourfelf the trou
ble to read the palfages there cited, in
their connection, you will find that they
have been brought in by the head and
{boulders and " with the strength of
lien: til cs," as a comic author observes
on a like occasion. ,
I have, indeed, m treating of a re
presentative democracy, asserted, that
« aniutereit in the approbation of the
people, and a iirong sense of accounta
bility to them, in all official conduct, is
the greatest or rather the. only effectual
feenrity against abuses in those who ex
ercise the powers of government." I
have further said, that " to render the
pilblic sentiment a more rational and a
more powerful check upon every depart
ment of .government, it is eflentially ne
csffary that there be in every free state
an effectual provision for the difiemina
tion-of ufeful knowledge." That "in
a Republic, by which is intended a re
presentative democracy, the powers of
government are supported not by force,
but by the sentiments of the people,"
that " it is necessary to cultivate a ftn
tiraental attachment tothe government."
I {till believe these principles to be jull,
not in theory only, but in pradtice ; yet
1 cannot discover tjiat they express, or
even remotely imply, an approbation of
felf created societies and clubs formed
f.wr the purpose of censuring the pro
ceedings of government -in tranfitu, oi
anticipating the deliberations of confti
tutioik ' bodies, or dictating the mea-
sures, which those bodies ought to pur-
sue.
If, Sir, you will have the patience to
read so long a letter, I will give you
my rcafons for believing such societies
not merely useless, but mischievous and
a very dangerous imposition. Simple
democracies, in which the people aflem-
ble in a body, to enact laws and decide
on all public measures, have, from the
earliest ages, exhibited scenes of turbu
lence, violence and flu&uation, beyond
any other kind of government. No go
vernment ha? ever been able to exill un-
der this form for any length of time.
Experience has evinced, that the people
collected in a body arc impatient of dis
cussion ; that they are fatally incapable
of reasoning; but they are highly sus
ceptible of paffi ins. To those the more
artful diredt thoir whole attention. By
these every decision in the numerous «(id
heterogeneous affcmblies of the people
at large, is irrfefiftably influenced. In
a fimplc there can be no
fixed constitution. Every thing is lia
ble to be changed by the frenzy of the.
tnoment, or the influence of a popular
faction. In such a government, where
all are immediate actors no accountabi
lity can exill; consequently, in no go
vernment, have there been instances of
a more flagrant violation of rights, or
a tyianiiy more cruel and remediless
than that which has been exercised over
a minority of the citizens, or against
an unpopular individual. Many public
measures, whether they regard the in
ternal legislation of the state, or its con
duct towards foreign powers, will often
be, not a little complicated. Many of
the people, for want of the means of
information, for want of leisure, patience
or abilities, will come forward wholly
ignorant of the relative circumstances
m?ceflary to be known, in order to a just
and proper determination; and I be
lieve you will agree with me, that, on
such oceafions, presumption, pailionate
zeal, and obltinacy, are always in pro
portion to the ignorance of the actors.
In such governments, the measures, will,
of necefiity, be frequently unjust, vio
lent and fluctuating.
Such is not the government under
which we live. Our national government
& the governments of the fcveral states,
are representative democraciec. This
kind of government is calculated to give
a permanent security to all the essential
lights of man, life, liberty and property,
the equal rights of acquisition and en
joyment, in a just compromise with the
rights of all, which a simple democracy
by no means fcctires. This kind of go
' * rernment is designed in its constitution to
to provide equally against the tyranny
of the few and the tyranny of the many.
The people have endeavored to place
their delegated rulers in a constant state
of accountability. This is the hinge on
which American liberty turns. That
the mod perfect freedom of deliberation
might be secured, the members of the
legislature are, in their public conduct,
made amenable only to thefentimentsof
the people, by the interest which they
have in the approbation of their cou
ftituentfc. The executive is made ac
countable to the -pt»Uic Jjajtiment, and
is further amenable to a eonditutionai
tribunal, for every violation of trull.
The powers and duties of the fuveral de
partments, are in many iri(lances limi
ted by the laws of the constitution, by
which the people have said to their rulers,
thus far shall ye go ; and no
Many things are left to their integrity
and discretion, to aft for the belt good
of the nation. Congress are, from
their situation furnifhed with the necel
fary information relative to the present
state of things, as th.ey may affe£t the
nation, whether internally or externally.
All this is, in their debates, handed
out, and circulated among the people,
togethe with all the reasons for, and
against any measure that could be sug
gested by the most mature deliberation.
By these means, the people have iti
their power, fufficient information to
, judge calmly and rationally of the mea
sures which have from time to time been
adopted.
Proceeding in this way, I am per
suaded that a representative democracy
may secure to the people more civil and
political happiness than any of the kinds
of governments which have hitherto ex
isted. Such is the state of things, that
knowledge in tne complicated affairs in
civil society comes not by intuition.—
The means of information, and frequent
ly, diligent investigation are necessary.
.The knowledge of the people will fol
low, but rarely precede, a public discus
sion. They will generally approve or
disapprove with judgment, but in die-'
tating, are exposed to all the rashness of
ignorance, passion and prejudice.
Our felf created societies and clubs,
a 9 it appears to me, have a tendency, di
rectly or indirectly, to introduce into
the measures of government, all the pre-
cipitation, all the heat and ungovern
able paflions, of a simple democracy.—
Have we reason to believe that these
felf pronounced dictators, have a tree
access to the means of information, that
they have been able .more fully to com
prehend the present circumllances, the
principles and reasons which ought to
dirett public mealures, than those to
whom the people have confided that
taik ? Or even than their more peaceable
and quiet fellow citizens ? Certainly
they have given us no unequivocal proof
of either.
Their profeffed dcfign has been ti
promote political knowledge ; but wher
;ver they have established themselves
hey have assumed a di&atorial style ir
heir resolves. Where any man or bo
-3y of men have refufed their di&ates,
ir presumed to differ from them in opi
tien, no length of meritorious services,
10 virtue or integrity (if character, has
>een proof against their bold profcrip
ions. Like the demagogues of fim
>le democracy they have applied whol
y to the passions and jealousies of th<*
jeople. They have assumed to (peak
he sentiments of the peopje, though,
n point of numbers they are certainly
i very inconsiderable minority. If their
iffertions have so far imposed on the na
ional government as to dire& its mea
iires it is worfc than the pvilsof a fim
>le democracy. It is an engine to go
cm the majority by a minor fa&ion.
Nothing of this kind can happen in an
iffembly of the people at large. Is it,
ir, supposed that the measures of Con
;refs have, in their present session been
nfluenced by those societies ?
[ (hould be very unwilling to believe
hat the American government, which
. had supposed to be an improvement
ipon the wisdom of ages, had so soon
übmitted to the controul of a few fell
luthorifed oligarchs.
If however these societies are unable
lire&ly to dictate measures to the na
ional governments, they will still have
i pernicious effed. When once, tho'
jnder the thickest clouds of ignorance,
:hey have prejudged a measure, and
iffumed to dictate it, unless they have
more candour than moll men, their pre
judices will rarely yield to anv light oi
convi&ion. This, as far as their influ
ence extends, will, in a great degree,
ind bed measures. It is perhaps, of as
much importance, in general, that tht
people (hould fee and acknowledge the
measures of to be wife anc
good, as that they (hould really be wife
and good. If there is a failure in eithei
ness of the people. It is of great con
sequence that the people, with thi
means of information (hould cultivati
i difpolition to judge with coolness anc
impartiality, and that legislators flioulc
jndeavour to render the reasons of thei
;ommon sense of mankind.
I know that it is frequently said, tha
in a republic it is necessary to the main
ealous of their rulers. But I have ne
<er been able to persuade myfelf, tha
o be a good republican a man mud im
libe prejudice, which are txe necessary
confequenccs of jealousy. That certain-
ly is an unfortunate situation which ren
ders candor, dangerous, or jealousy a
fpeciesof virtue. 'In no government are
rulers held more ftri&ly and generally
accountable than in. ou.r representative
democracies- Their continuance in place
depends constantly. on a faithful dis
charge of their trust. Ought we not
then, for a fufpicioua jealousy, to sub-
Ititute a manly and rational confidence.
This by no means implies a supine inat
tention to public men or measures ; but
it admits candor in the examination. If
jealousy be a republican virtue, if it be
necefiary to excite suspicions among the
people, to render them watchful over
their liberties, it must be acknowledged
that democratic societies have, in this
refped great merit.—They will not
surely think that the people ought to ex
empt them from suspicions and jealou
sies, because they are felf-exiftent. Un
til their turn shall come, they may on
these principles juftify any, the moll ill
grounded and violent inve&ives against
the members of the federal government,
as piirely intended to keep alive, among
the people a necefiary jealoufyjflrt whole
some diftrutl of rulers. If by these means
the people (hould be deprived of all the
present bleflings of government»and the
nation plunged into a long series of ca
lamities, they have only to fay, all this
is the glorious price of liberty. They
need notblufh for their violent censures
of the executive of the federal govern
ment for an opposition to the measures
of a foreign minister ; those measures
which were disapproved by his nation,
and for which hec'was displaced with
pointed marks of disgrace.
Notwithstanding what has been ob
served, I do not mean to inlinuate, that
such ariociations as our democratic so-
cieties are a crime to'be animadverted
upon by laws atld by the con
ttitution. The exercise of such a pow
er would be more dangerous to liberty
than the associations themselves. They
must be left tc rife or fall, solely by the
good sense of the people. Nor would
I insinuate that it can never be expedi
ent for the people, to afiemble on occafi
onto petition for a redrefsofgtievanccs)
whetherconftitutional or leg'flative. But
it wotild be well if the petitions and re
presentations of the people, ilnlefs when
they come from known corporate bo
dies, Were always to be signed individu
ally, that it might appear how far they
are eSprefiive of the public sentiment.
\Vhell they crtme forward from volunta
ry focicties, there is often a deception.
It is not known-whether they corttain
ten or ten thousand individuals. .
From these observations you will be
convinced that 1 am no friend to such
societies, and thit my 1 name ought not
to have been brought forward as one
who favored their principles.
'
BISHOP GOBET.
Leyden Gazette, 25 April.
ExtraS of the hcivs from Parti to tht
_ . .!• A . •'
April. \
Whatever may have been the jealousy
with which discerning men have heard,
or read the Reports of the various pro
jects, attributed by the Chiefs of the
Government to such of their aflbciates as
it has been their interest, or wish to be rid
of; however improbable these Reports
may have been, however suspicious from
the vagueness of the accusations, it is
impofiible to regard as wholly groundless
the designs of some of the principals to de
prive their seconds of the fuprenle power
with which they are inverted.
If the precipitation of Hebert has pre
pared his ruin, Danton has succeeded no
better by temporizing, and it seems that
none of them possess' the Tactic of insurrec
tion in the fame degree as Robespierre, or
rather it seems that he has dexterioufly a
vailed himfelf of the division that reigned
among his enemies to dtftrov them, the
one by the other; and thus to annihilate
them in detail —an advantage never poflef
fed by the miiiiftry of Louis XVI, nor the
Sedlion of the Jacobins wlio attempted t6
reign upon the ruins of the throne, they
j had subverted.
The 18 individuals gr illotined on the
loth of April, were treated as subaltern
conspirators, and were condemned as ac
complices of the. 3 3 conspirators who pre
ceded them a few days to the place of ex
ecution.
Those who knew the Bilhop Gobet un
der the ancient government, and who
have been in a situation to ohferve him du-
I ring the early days of the revolution, would
not dave expected that th- time would
come, when the party of Re efpierre would
have condemned him tr ta'.h for having
intended to efface all icir <5f the Div.nity,
and to found the French nment upon
Atheism.
Yet such is the princi
to him in the acl nf acc
against him, Chr> ,, r<.*ff*
" Their objec. f i
" to annihilate ever
" ity, to destroy e\
" tue, and to perf.i
"tions, that r'x
arrived to tm
" tion, dilbelit.» i
" God."
The execution of these persons,
vrhich took place a few hours after
their condemnation, drew the fame
coticourfe of fpeftators as the execu
tion of Hebert, Danton and their asso
ciates. Chaumette was treated in the
fame manner as these two chiefs, that
is to fay, he was the la ft guillotined,
and his head was shewn to the people—
he had declared before the Tribunal,
Theft he appealed from their sentence to
Pojierity, and it is said that he support
ed his charadter to the last moment;
but we are a flu red that it was utherwife
with Bijhop Gobet, who at the foot of
the fcaffold, invoking " Jesus Christ,"
appeared to return to the consolations
of that religion, the abjuration of which
in the presence of the national conven
tion, he not long since proclaimed a
midtt the loadeft applauses.
LEXINGTON, (Ken.) June 14.
On Tuesday last, between the hours of
II and 12 o'clock, William Gok,whowas
condemned at the court t>f Oyer aftd Ter
miner for paiFing counterfeit Bank
was taken from the public jail in this to\vn
and conveyed to the intended place of exe
cution, where after continuing about an
hour, he received the Governor's pardon,
The Order of Precejfion.
A part of the Lexington troop of horse
formed the front, the light infantry on the
right of the battalion, the town militia
and guards on the left, and the rear closed
by the balance of the troop of horse, —
They moved in open order very fl'owly,
with the prisoner in a. cart m the center,
with a rope about his neck, the end of
whirfi was held by the iheriff. He was at
tended by the rev. A<lam Rankin. The
fpedlators are computed at not less than
x 6,000.
PHILADELPHIA,
Five men are taken up on suspicion of
being the perpetrators of the murder of
Dr. Redman's coachman, and committed
to jail.
By this Day's Mail.
SALEM; July 8.
Last week arrived here, the fchootier j
Swallow, Capt. Baker, from a port in
Hifpaniola, in possession of the British,
from whence (he was regularly cleared.
On this coast she was taken by a Ber
tnudian privateer, which took out foitie
of the hands, and put on board a prze
mafter and five hands, and ordeied her
for Bermuda ; but Capt. Baker and
his crew found means to bring the schoo
ner into this port, with the prize-mas
ter, &c. who, if they have their desert,
will be hanged for pirates.
Capt. Very, bound from Aux-Cayes
to this port, has been taken, canied
into°"Bermuda, and on the 17th of June
was adjudicated a lawful prize to the
captors, tho' wholly American proper
ty. Several other Americans were con
demned about the fame time.
NEW-YORK, July 12.
i Arrived here yesterday, the brig
Union, Capt. , from Briltol. A
bout 30 leagues from land, five of the
pafiengers, in the brig's yawl, went out
for amafement, and during their ab
sence, there coming 011 a sudden squall,
the brig left them, and have not since
been heard of. One of the above per
sons was a lady whose husband arrived
in the brig.
By the above vefTel we hare received
Englifk papers as late as the 18th May
—they contain nothing of importance.
As it was late before the Editor ob-.
tained them, he is neceflitated to defer
such extracts as may be worth copying,
until Monday.
Orders are sent down from the Se
cretary of State's Office to the keeper*
of all the gaols in England, to fend up an
account of all the prisoners they have
in euftody for debt, with the sums they
are confined for, and how long they
have been in cuflody.
Prince Adam Czartorifki, who has
joined the ftandatd of General Kofciu
(ko, is second confin to the King of
Poland. His Highness spent some/
time in England, about three years
ago; and at that period forefaw and
lamented the fate of his unhappy coun
try.
A commifßon confiding of two Se
cretaries of State and some other per
sons, is constituted to try the Neapoli
tan confpitators. The King fits Pre
sident. One of the principals, "whose
iirfl objetl was the death of the King
*ii?V Royal Family, is Pascal Jourdan,
Lecturer in one of the Ecclesiastical
me imputed
refVnted
'V.iatcr.
•T f ••. , 35
f datious.
Joseph, arrived last even
n Nc vry, has 310 paflengers—
adon accounts ate not so late at
JULY 14.
we have had, but flie spoke a veflcl which
informed, that the Duke of York's ar
my was cut up.
The Union, from Bristol, failed Miy
19 ; her London dates are of May 16—
this paper contains an account of the
total DEFEAT of CLAIRFAIT,
also, on May 11, beat back to the
of Bruges at 41 o'clock of that night.
A vessel gone into Boston, wUith
railed from England in June, will doubt
less afford very interelling particulars
for our next.
The French convoy: of 150 fail of
victuallers from America, arrived fare.
Our lall of London, May
13, informed, tljat Courtray and Me
rlin were re-taken from the' French; but
this is, this day, contra lifted, by ac
counts of Londbri, May 17, received
via Liverpool and Boston.
From the Eagle.
A Penny f vea is a penny earned, fays
poor Richard ; and so fays the miser ;
aye, and the libertine too, when there's
no music heard at the shake of the purse.
Strange, that Mr. Spendthrift's pru
dence should step up, just at the exit of
liis cadi; but he's like half of the
world, with whom prudence and pro
perty were never joint-tenants. Make
every mother's son face the grindstone,
| fay the aristocrats ; the swinish rabble ,
have liberty! it would be calling pearl*
before swine ; obedience is the foul of
order, and severity is the parent o£
submission. Poor Richard makes a pa
rody on this language—make every
mother's fun pale with poverty, quoth
prudent Dick ; the world have plenty
of ca(h! it's calling guineas into the
ocean. Adverfitv is the school of
' , J
wealth, and want creates invention.
Take warning, ye knights of the care
less purse 1 many of your order have
wooed prudence behind the grates.
They then fuig pfalmtunes, at cUurch,
instead of the Bacchanal chorus, at the
hotel.
Pell Blujler was like ye; he borrow,
ed dollars, and ftumpt people to play
for 'em ; bought land in Vermont and
went to New-York, in the stage, to
speculate ; and came home in a fulkey,
Pell talked of a servant and mistress,
and swore he'd have 'em ; which wa«
scarce uttered, before Mr. officer steps
up, and reads to him—to answer unto
Mr. for not paying him 800 L
Our gentleman spends four weeks in
gaol, and comes out prepared for a man
of business; he now reads Paley iu
ftead of Rochester, buys his annual
coat, calculates interest on his notes,
and uncorks his bottle, Only to his
friend. He now points to the old sign
of the punchbowl, where fit in reeling,
merriment a circle of topers! fee there
i fays he, poor Pell Blujler, had it not
i been for {he gaoler's bolt.
CIMON.
PHILADELPHIA.
A report has been circulated in the
city this day, that Gen. Clairfait and
the Duke of York, with their aimies,
are taken prisoners by the French.
This day, being the anniversary of the
grand confederation of the French nation
for the preservation of Freedom, the fame
was celebrated in this city by various teili
monials of joy. Detachments of the uni
form companies, the Light horse, and Ar
tillery paraded in honor of the day, and at
noon the Artillery fired a salute.
The following is the form of the oath
which was taken by theNaiional Aflembly,
& the King,& repeated by all the people in
the Champ Je Mars, on the 14th July 1790.
"We swear to be faithful to the Nation,
the Law, and the King—to maintain with
all our power the Constitution decreed by
the National Afllmbly and accepted by the
King—to protett the individual and pre
fervehis property, according to law —to
fee that there be a free circulation of grain
throughout the kingdom —to enforce with
all our power the colle&ion of the public re
venues, and to remain united to every
Frenchman by the bandsof brotherly love."
ExtraS from the Gazette of the Unitei
Jtates of September 25, 1790.
The late grand federative aflociatiqn of
the French Nation at Paris, was one of
the molt interesting, solemn and dignified
t ran factions, ever exhibited on the theatre
of this lower creation [
If ever th£ celestials bend with delight
to view the triumphs of reason, humanity
and freedom, it must be on such an occa
sion. '
To fee the Representatives of a mighty
empire, with the sovereign at their head,
emerging from the depths of ilavery and
darkness, to light, liberty and happiness*
imprefl'ts feelings "on every philanthropic
mind, too great for utterance.
A Gentleman who came paflenger in the
Ship Washington informs that three lhips
were to fail in a few days after the Wafti
ington, from Lcw.doijderry for this port
viz. Ship Liberty, Happy Return, and
Charlotte, with 500 pafloogers each.