Fur ibi G izetie of the Uratad States.
Mr. Fk'sno,
IN your paper of Monday week you
introduce a letter from Dr. Franklin,
apparently »jy;.iuing, as you fupuofe, a
I'undillg S; »•! mull couicis it
11: ikes me.very differently, and that the
ei.aclt'lion to be drawn from the letter
is dircftiy thr rererfe—what is the ar- I
gumem : the people of the United j
States were fleiitous of ellabliflliixr their
I O >
iiK»epen{Jency—tliejr commiftlifri Dr.
Franklin to croa e !i Funded Debt a
bioad by borrowing—he complains As
''I 'laecefs-—and reproaches the peo
ple of Arrierica w':h depending too
mucri on Loans and too little oii taxes j
—very jutlly o'6fi.rvi/-,g that " it is ;
" absurd our people should preterid to ■
"be lover» of liberty and yet grudge to S
" pay hit the defence of it"—surely j
tins is rational and proper, and happy j
had it been for America if they liad {
made greater , efforts, in that day—the;
payment of their debts had been easy ; j
whereas they have now additional inte- >
reit and a large assumption of llate'debts i
to provide si. >—all which appears to
Have ednftder ibly augmented the diffi
culty of linal emancipation.
The Syltcm of Funded debt has been
largely indulged in witliio the lalt cen
tury in Europe; tile confeqilent cm
banafiment begirt# nd-.v to be felt—one
throne i: has already overset—and ano
ther it appeals ftrongiy to menace—
mean while a great cry is kept up about
dentoCiacy a.:® ariltocracy arid monar
chy—whereas the only thing tu the
purp fe would be to talii of economv—
and paying off their debts : how jtift is
the remark of Mr. Hume a very acute
philosopher as urtf as Dr. Franklin;
" I mufl corifefs, fays he, when I fee
princes and slates fighting and quarrel
ing ainidft their debts, funds and pub
lic mortgages, it always brings to my
mind a match of cudgel playing fought
in a bhina shop !"
For my own part I consider Fund
ing fyltem as the molt dangerous
ingredient ctinnedted with a govern
ment ; because it is that axe atthe root
ol government, that mo'.h in the gar
ment which is fine sooner or later to
deltroy any government in which it is
admitted—it is the nurfeof faction—the
pajent of all the wcakntfs and debility
of the nation—the source of taxes —
and the fare forerunner of disorder and
difgracc-— as far as v. ; e have, seen yet this
funding system has created more party
and dilturbance in our h»me politicks
than any other circumltanee—it has
bperated so iri Europe also—it tnufl
operate ft) m every country : while I
give this as my opinion, however, Mr.
Ferioo, I do not mean to cafl reproaches
at the Secretary of the Treafnry or the
Executive of the United States ; there
was a debt in being* it became their duty
by the Conltitution of the Union to
provide for it, I prefunie they did this
111 the belt way they were able—rtiy
objections, therefore, do not go so much
to the establishment itfelf, viewed as in
difpeufable—they go to the continuance
of the fyllem, and that greater efforts
are not tirade to pay off this debt now
We are and have been at peace so many
years—lt is not the inteicft only that
ought to be paid off—the capital of the
debt should be paid off also—-and all ex
penses on the part of the government
avoided that can be pofflbly dispensed
with—in order to apply the savings of
every (hilling to the extinction of this
great enemy of the body politic.
The alatm occasioned by the funded
debt, arose from hearing of Irredeem
able qualities ascribed to it—what
would a man in pri/ate life think of a
difotdei on him said to be incurable ?
inch ought, however, to be the idea
entertained of debts on a nation consi
dered as irredeemable—-another alarm
arises from the efforts to oppose transfe
rees of debt from paying for the ex
pellee of those trans f ers—why should
the United States'be bilrthened with an
immense expence of clerk hire to keep
the accounts of stock of A.B; and C ?
let A.B. and C. pay themselves all ex
pense of keeping these aceounts as is
right, and a great public laving will en
sue—another alarm has arisen from the
mode adopted of taxation,' all property
ought to contribute equally to taxes,
lands, flocks, occupations, plate, bonds,
mortgages, carriages, &c. &c, but
there is no good reason why atobacconift
or sugar refiner, or any other trade
should be made the riding horse of
taxes'.
It is certainly not right to oppose
ws when made, in their execution; but
any number of citizens whether de
/-.ocrats or others think the laws wrong
after they are made—they certainly may
* This writer iu:lJto re-pernfe
the Gazette alluded to, and he -will Jlr. d
the article is copied from the American
Minerva. (
confnlt peaceablv on a repeal of tfiem b\
the iegitwi;:te methods of petition or by
the more ftreritrotis efforts of changing
fueh members as favoured them for
others who hidy tse more agreeable to
:''iem and of idilferenf wav of fliir-ki::n
—and whether they do this individually
or coik'ttive!'*—in clubs or I fin-jit
perloi.S the Conititution fully wanaitit
the proptiety of the tmdertaU ...g, which
is open alike to them and to ail citizens
wiieiever dwelling or fituale with chib> j
dr without tiVe.ni. H. j
% From the Salem Gazette.
[The following correfpondencc took
place at the Isle of France dining the
late Emt«rgo at that place.]
To the Members of the Colonial AJfe'mbly.
GkntlembS. and Citizens.
THE grievances complained of in
this addreftfj are of too feiious a nature,
not to 'nave been noticed, if riot bv all,
ft lealt by the major part of your honor
able Affeirtbly : and we the lufferers,
you will no doubt acknowledge, have
been patient under these grievances for
a long time. As there is no end to them
likely to take place, We, in duty to
our country in general, and to our em
ployers in particular, beg leave to re
quell, that you will be so kind as to in
form us the real realon of oui being de
tained so lortg in this port. Some of us
came here for the purpose of trade, and
are well known to have been here sever
al times before on the fame business ;
others of us were forced hereby diltrefs,
and happy to gdirt a port where we had
no reason to expect but we should be, re
ceived and treated with kindnWs, and,
when ready, by paying the customary
fees, fuffered to depait, We do not
mean to complain of any personal insult
offered us, but one of much greate'r
magnitude, the detention of our ships
with !t>.rge properties oil board, that arc
daily perilling; as well as our (hips fuf
ffering by the worms, which, it mud be
well knowri to all of you, gentlemen,
are so prevalent in this port. There
have been addresses before this sent to
your honorable Affertibly ; also to the
Governor and Admiral ; and we imder
ftand that our being detained was on
account of a fleet of (hips belonging to
your nation being bound to Europe :
application was then made for our (hips
to be taken under the convoy; and to
keep company with the fleet; this was
reluied us ; but it was said We should
fail twenty d.iys after the departure of
the fleet : althdugh we thought it was
not friendly in refuting us pcrmifiion to
fail under tiie protedtion of the convoy,
we were happy in having the time fixed
for our departure. The time for the
departure of the fleet was near up, when
it Was determined they should nut go ;
we then applied for permiflTon, to fail*
and were given to underllaml by the
Governor that there was no reafori for
keeping us any longer, and that lie
would apply to your honorable AfTembly
to know where the power relied to grant
us permission to depart ; this happened
during the absence of the frigates. Not
fufyeCting that any further impediment
would intervene, we were many of us
making preparations for sea, when the
return of the frigates put at once a flop
to this our expectation ; and we remain
this day as ignorant when we shall be
fuffered to depart, as we were the day
we arrived.
We beg leave to fay to you, gentle
men, who are profefledly the friends of
liberty, that we, who have now the ho
nqr to address you, are the foils of a
country that is l'enior to yours, in de
claring herfell the of citizens
which {hall be free j which freedom we
hope lhe will ever maintain 5 and we, a
small detached party of those citizens,
arc bound to support her j we feel furry
to have it thought that our biethrcn in
liberty, whom we are bound to love by
the strongest ties on earth, and to aid
and aflift each other against any powers
that dare attempt, to deprive us of our
dearest blefiing, ihould entertain an idea
that we (hould be so base as to betray
! them.
If, gentlemen, that is the cafe, we
only \vi(h for an opportunity to {hew
you that principles of honor prompted
us to gain our own liberties ; and those
piinciples we hope will never us,
nor any of the funs of freedom ; when
they do, we pray God, that we, he, or
they, may become victims of their own
snares.
As you are well acquainted with the
lofles we daily fullain from this detention,
and also the rifle that will attend us
{hould our country have joined yours
in the war( which you have great rcafon
to expe£t they have jthis we think {hould
be an inducement, added to jnftice, for
you to let us go—Or do you mean
by detaining us here, tobring diftiefs and
ruinl on our employers, ouifelves, and
families ?
We are how paying three hundred
iivrts per barrel ior piovifions that we
fold si ncc our arrival here for less than
1-3 of that fiim. Feel for us, gentle- j
men. We cannot call this adt of in- !
justice, by the name of liberty orfreedom; i
and as we have no iepefentative from j
our nation, here, to intercede for us, <
it is our duty to make this application
to you for liberty to depart, while our
"v.ps are in .1 fitjjai on to carry us home;
and we tniil you will take our difagi ee
able state into your confideatiou, and
honor us with fu.-h a reply, as the na
ture of our cafe requires; it will enable
us, 0:1 our arrival in our own country,
to acquaint those whom it may concern,
of the treatment we met with, and the
reasons given us for such treatment. —
If, gentlemen, we have taken a wrong
step in addreffinp your Honorable As
' • lJ p ' - .
I fembly, impute it to our not knowing
: the department we ought to have applied
■ to, nor with whom the power 1 ells to
detain, or fuffer 11s to depart. Wc have
! been so far from {hewing a wish to be
; ungrateful, that most of our ships hive
' been offered to you for services we under
| flood you wanted ; It reqtrires very lit
tle discernment to fee that it is our
wi/li to strengthen the confidence our
countries ought to place in each other.
We decline offering stronger arguments
in vindication of our country and oiir
felves, and humbly submit this to your
perusal and consideration.
f IVe have not the answer to the above.)
Memorial of the commanders and sUper
cargoes of the American •ueffeh, no<w
in the North Weji port of the' Isle of
France, to the Colonial AJfemlly.
YOUR memoralitfs, fubje£te of the
free Hate* of America, and allies of
the French nation, having been detain
ed jn this port with their (hips fmce
the 4th of June last without any jult or
reasonable pretence whatever, and con
trary to the express terms of the treaty
.existing between the French nation and
the United States of Atnerica, beg
leave to demand from your afiembly
permission to depart with the copvoy
about to fail for France
This petition your memorialists have
repeatedly solicited both from your bo
dy and from the eiccutive authority.
You have by some former decree vetted
the power of answering our requdt in
the Vice-Admiral ; he has granted it;
but we lince find, from our further ap
plications to him, that this has
not been in force, or has been repealed,
and that it is to you only we are to look
for relief.
We therefore demand of your As
sembly, that it would regulate its con
du6t towards us, if not by the particu
lar treaty exilting between the two na
tions, at lead by the genera] laws of na
tions, and , take otf the embargo un
der which we have io long futfered.
Your memorialilts caution you (freemen
may be permitted that liberty to free
men) again!! attending too much to the
representations of the commanders or
owners of those (hips which compose
the convoy; who, we are informed, in
fluenced by no othe motive than private
intercit; have demanded, or are about
to demand, of you, a prolongation of
the embargo till some time after their
departure ; and beg you would consider,
that, although the friend(hip and at
tachment of the Amei icans tothe French
nation is great, yet they will not fuf
fer too great an infringement of their
rights.
Your memorialilts demand, that in
cafe you fiiould not think fit to grant
this request, you would at ieaft conde
scend to point out to us to what branch
of the government we may fuirender
our ships and effects ; as we (hall find
ourselves obliged, in justice to our
selves, to our owners, and to our coun
try, to take this Hep.
Your memorialilts expect a defini
tive anfvrer to their demands, although
they may not be made in due form ;
which indeed cannot be expected a
monglt a people who speak a different
language, and without a Consul or pub
lic agent; and declare, that they think
themselves fufficiently authorised by
their numbers, and by the intereil un
der their charge, to no less an amount
than thirty millions of livres, the pro
perty of citizens of the United States
of America; and that in cafe their de
mands are not complied with, they {hall
immediately pursue measures to oblige
the power by whiph they have been de
tained, whether it be that of the legifk
tive or executive parts of the govern
ment, to be responsible for their pro
perty, their persons, and the brekch of
treaty.
Port North IVcJI IJlc of
Framce, isipi. i 793.
\_lVe have not the anf-wer.~\
Citizen Governor, Gen Malartie.
Sir,
WE who fubfenbe this, citizens of
the United States of America, having
prclented a memorial to the Colonial
A (Terribly, in which we demand permif
lion to depart from this port, and hay
ing been referred by that body (toho de
clare that there is no longer an embargo
exiiling by their authority) we accord
ingly waied upon you yelferday with
the lame demand, and were much hurt
to find that ottr lights as a nation, arid
our piiviiege as your allies, a piivilege
granted by a solemn treaty, were io
tnLr. violated by your reftif.iL
It is true you proposed a di.'lant pe
riod for taking off the embargo, but so
di'ftant, that by onr acquieleenee we
ill ..lid incur the reproach of having be
trayed the truil placed in us, and of
having tamely fubmltted to the greatest
injurfes : and wen. ay be peimitted to
fear',' that even tlijs period would be (till
further prolonged, as it has already been
fmce the 15th July ; for the lame pre
tence for detaining us will always exist,
while intcre.Std bki chants are permitted
to diieft the Heps of government to
their private ends.
You cannot be offended at our want
of confidence, as you mult be convin
ced it is well grounded ; for you are
well acquainted with the in.effedtual de
cree of the Colonial AfTembly, and arc
not ignorant of oli> applications to the
Vice-Admiral, nor of - the permiiTion he
has accorded one of our number to set
fail; nor finally of your own repeated
prorriifeS in our favor.
Confidcvirig therefore our ineffectual
exertions for redress, and knowing that
no embargo actually exists, as we daily
fee ve.Tel6 failing from tin's port, and
that our detention is not only a diredt
breach of ti l eaty, but unparallelled in
the hiltory of civilized nations—we
have firmly determined, after fatisfying
all demands upon u£, to let fail from
tills on the sth of October—and we de
clare, that if we are arretted or hinder
ed in our attempt to depart, we (hall
consider it in the light of a capture, and
surrender ourselves and property into
your hands as into the hands of an ene
my.
We are, Sir, your moil
humble and obedient Servant!*
Port IViji IJle of
France, §spt. 25/ A, 1793.
Port N. IV. IJle of France, the
261/> Sept. I 793 —the ldyfar
if the French Republic.
The General Governor of the Isles of
France and Bourbon, to the Ameri-
can Captains,
I RETtJRN you, citizens, an an
swer to tiie letter you did me the hpu'or
to write yelterday; I have not ordered
the embargo to be laic!* on ; 1 iantrot
take it oft. The Vice Admiral has or
dered it, after the orders He has received
frotn the executive power of the French
Republic ; he will lake it off when he
thinks proper' or necessary. Then 1
do not deserve, .by any means, the im
putations, you lay upon me. 1 dare
allure you, that the Vice Admiral wish
es as much as myleif to bend to all that
can be agreeable to you. I (feel the
circnmftances mull be very disastrous to
you; but it is not in our power to
change them : to fay more, your Ihips
experience only what ours have experi
enced in your ports in the fame circnm
ftances. (Signed) MALARTIE.
I swear this to be the liteial translation
(Signed) BOUVUii St. MARIE.
To the Vice Admiral St. Felix, com
manding the Marine of France in India.
I'HE citizens of America in'this
port beg leave once more to address the
Vict? Admiral St. Felix, on the fubjeft
of their detention ; a detention which
if prolonged mult ruinous to the
greater part of the owners of their Ihips,
as well as to themselves. They earneit
ly pray the Vice Admiral, that he would
take into confideialicn the great length
of time they have been already detain
ed, the accumulated cxpenfes they have
been fu'ojeftcd to, the interell of their
capitals, the deltru&ion of their fli ps,
and the iota of the leafon, both in the
Anient-an and Indian seas ; with the
dangers that they will thereby be expo
sed to* They are abundantly convinced
that there ate cireumliaiues under every
government that render it necefiaiy to
iacrt'fiee individuals for the fafety of the
whole. The Vice Adny.ral will permit
them to alh, is this, or has this ever
been, applicable to their detention ? Has
their detention ever been necefiaiy to
the fatety of the colony, or any e>Jje
ditiou of the colony, or to the convoy I
If it has been, have not the colony, the
expedition, and the convoy, been alrea
dy exposed by the departure of the vef
lels for Bourbon, lYhdagafcar, the Mo
fambique, Diego 'Gaicia, and by that
of the cruisers ? Arc not the crews of
these Ihips made up of many nations,
and of men viihout any attachment to
any cause but that which is molt loan.
tive ? If any one of these veflels (tould
be taken, will not the enemy obtain
thereby all the information that the
American (hips could possibly afford?
In short, is it not contvai v to the treaty
of alliance between France arij Ame
rica, and contrary to the laws of all ci
vilized nations, that 15 (hips of an allied
nation fiiould be thus detained (to
time unknown) for a convoy of a icis
number ! The mofl of ihefe ships have
been detained since the sth last June •
'they belong to the citizens of America,
the alone nation perhaps in the world
that i? now interefling herfelf in the
cause of France, and is attached to her
by ties of friendfhip and gratitude.
The American Citizens earnestly re
qneft the Vice-Admiral to take their
situation into ferrous consideration, and.
put a pen>d to the accumulating inju
ries they fuffer ; that he would not ex
pose them by a further detention to the
additional dangefs that they have reason
to deprecate from a rupture with Great
Britain ; that he would give them an
opportunity of effecting their different
deltinations, and prevent their total ruin.*
As citizen's of America, and friends
and allies of the French nation, thev
wait for the dccifion which the wifdotn
of the Vice Admiral, St. Felix, may
dictate.
Port N. IV. IJle of France, Sept. 179?.
UNITED STATES.
DEERFEILD, Maflachufetts July 5.
Yeflerday, being the anniTerfary of
the American Independence—a num.
ber of patriotic gentlemen of this, and
the adjaceflt town, afiembled at Samu
el Barnard's, Esq. and formed' in pro
cefiion preciiely at I 2 o'clock ; and at
the discharge of the federal salute the
procession moved by a circuitous march
to the meeting house, in the following
order :
Two Sergeants, with advanced arms.
Mufick.
Detachment of Artillery, with a field
piece and Itandard.
Master of Ceremonies.-
Clergy.
Civil Officers,
Sclitt men.
Citizens.
Militaiy Officers.
A well adapted energetic discourse
was-delivered by the Rev John Taylor;
nfter which the procession moved by a
retrograde match to Samuel Barnard's,
Esq. and mutually congratulated each
other on the auspicious day. The com
pany repaired to citizen Coafider Dick
infbn's, and partook of a decent icpalt.
After dining the following toaih'vvere
given :
1. The day—The glorious anniver
sary of our Independence: May we
annually celebrate the freedom of Emr
ptres.
2. Our illuilrious President—May
Ills wisdom convey tls fafely through
the present, as well as former Kmpcits.
—(A Gun).
3. The commonwealth of Mafiachu
fetts—May the purity and frequency of
our elections preclude the neetffity of
Popular Societies.
4 - The American Republic—May*
flie fliun the rocks on which former re
publics have been dashed, and nevfcr
want heroes to defend her rights.—
(A Gun.)
5. May the Tyranny and Sla
very soon become founds wilyiut ideas.
6. The Rights of Man—May they
be universally known, and vindicated.
7. No European tincture in Ameri
can politics.
8. May America know, and rightly
eflimate her privileges.
9. An -adequate compensation to the
Virtuous Militia ot Mafiachufetts. —
(A dun.)
10. The military art ; May its pro
fefTors continue the aflcrtors and defend
ers of our rights.
II" May the foil of America ever
y rove unpropitsous to the feeds> of Arii-
tocracv
J 2. The Slave Trade—May its ad
vocates be taught its use in an Atgerine
school.— ["Drums and fifes—A cheer.]
13. Agriculture, arts and sciences.
—[A Song.}
14. The brave Fayette—may he eve
long reap the rich crop of Liberty, soWn
by his patriotic ex<?ttions in America.
15;. The fair dattclirrrs or Coinmbi!
—May their virtues heighten thi- e njoy
menu of freedom, and lyften the iris
fortunes of life.
The remainder of the day was spent
in-decent hilarity : Each eye Ipaiklrd
with joy, while (trains of gratitude
poured from every tongue !—not like
the drains which Monnrchs' ears fahite;
—they were the genuine efiufi'ons of
I hearts warm with the love of their