*
For the Gazette of the United Slaltj.
Mr. Fenno,
As there are men in every focicty
who will juftify every thing that tends
«ith«r directly or indirectly 10 promote
their perlonal views.—l Am not furpii
zed ro find writers NVho jfiftity those hof
tfl; atfociations which have been formed
in various parts of the Union.
It is not witfi an expcitation that a
ny of these will be influenced in. their
opinion, or that the majority of per
sons who form thole societies will be
affected by tne found principles contain
ed in the enclosed remarks; that 1 wish
their re-publication but it is of tlie
gieatefl importance that the people at
large, should fully understand the na
ttire and tendency of thiife fdcfetieS ; j
and that the citizens in ohe jjirt of the j
Union, should be i<rfoitried ot the feti,ti
ments entertained fefpt&ing thertlj by
ihe wisest andbeft meri in another; D.
The following obfervalions, with those oj
other 'writers ■iubo have differed the
principles of our newfangled legislators,
it would be well for their ddvoctiks to
answer if they can. D-
From the Greenfield Gazette.
FelloW Citizens;
IN my firfl addrtfij upon what Sre
called ik Constitutional Socie
ties," I intimated my with, that some
per ion better able to do just ice to, the
fubjeft than tnyfelf,' would come for
ward, and shew more particularly than
I had done, their uncanflitutionaliiy,
fcnd definitive tendency : But as bo per
lbn has appealed, I shall refurrie the
fubjedt.
These Societies, in general) endea
vour to cover themselves under that ar
ticle in the Conltitution, which fays,:
" The people have a right in a peaceable
end crdrrly manner to ajftmble to consult
thr com,nort goad."
This article contains both a permifli
»n, and a prohibitioni The petmiffive is :
defined by the prohibitory pait. It;
prohibits all disorderly, and anarchical'
meetings; and all rtflemblies which are
fiot convened for the purpofc of confult
inir the common good ; —'that is, if a 1
number of citizens convene for the pitr
pofe of taking into consideration, mat- !
ters, in which others, or the public are 1
concerned as well as themfelves,the good
of the and not a party good,
tmift be their object, otherwise they
convene neither in a peaceable or or
derly manner-
To k.iotv then, whether these socie
ties come under the prohibitory part of
this articlei, we mult bring t<- view, not
their fair professions, not their So
phistical reasonings, but their ac
tual cotrduft. It can'never be expected
that the enemies of the Confutation, in
the beginning of their plans for its de-
Ifrtlftkm, should appear any otherwise,
than under.the cloak of hypocrisy.
To be" open at fir It, would terminate
their wishes fuddeniy.
By " confnlting the common good,"
we are to understand, that whatever
fubjett is taken up for difcufiion in any
peaceable assembly, it mutt be attended
to with an ultimate view to the peace,
happiness, and prosperity of all who
may be Concerned in that fubjeft.
The way being thus prepared, I would
observe ; —that, for private clubs to en
deavour to obtain an influence over the
pationai councils, is fa far from con
futing the common good,as that it is an
attempt to infringe upon the equal
rights, and privileges of the people.
This is a position which cannot be dis
proved, and I trust will not be contre
verted. For, just in proportion as the
national councils are influenced by such
clubs, so much the other parts of fo
eiety areunder the effects of an influence,
111 which they havf no voice, and con
fequehtly they are iinder a necefiity ei
ther of joining those private clubs, or
of submitting, whether willing, or Un
willing, to the influenced deqifions of
their civil rulers. Let us now fee Whe
ther these societies are hot endeavouring
to obtain this influence. The principal
reason whrch most of them give for their
forming, is " tlrat they may keep our
civil rulers within the bounds of the
Conttitution." How is this so be done:
Either by their influence, or their arms;
—the latter they will at present disa
vow, —and probably will so until their
become rich, when, it may
be depended on, their resolves will be
enforced. But when and how is their
influence to be used ?
It afisof Con
gress, and the doings of the executive
are unconstitutional. Their opinion is
then to be the standard, to which the
public opinion is to be fubjedted.
Most of thtm have already come for
ward, and have resolved that such and
such doings of Congress, and of our ex-
Itcufive are tmennftitutkmal; and the!c .
r.iolvei r.-.ntt fiav-e been designed -<. iiuve . t
i.!tuenteii oarcvml rulers. This iodted,! j
,ooks like a fiction, a rebellion in one j j
point of vivvvV *t>d in another like ty- J t
ranny. Fir af> handful of the people, ; c
in private CCiiwMkles, to arraign the ci- ( z
vil , iilcrs of thir United States, to judge j i
and condemn them without a iiwiWgi ; i
and that for ecxtduft highly, appto'ed «
of by at least nineteen twentieths of the ;
freemen, is wilbout talfe colouring, 1
both fadtioos, rebellious, and tffanm- ; <
cal. ' 1
Among other ftrartge reasons which '
fume of thefocieties have given for tlieir . ;
Forming, are the following i— • i
i. '• The inattention of Congress to | (
the recuVe/y of the Welieru polls." [ i
t. " Tlie conltrudtion of the Feder- .
si Judges on the fliability of States." j i
3. " Tlie alarming circnmftance of;
elcTC?i members of the Fedeial Senate
having verted in the negative," on acer- 1
tain qneltion; .
I mull confefs that these r,eafons be-
as the ground of their foim
kig, lonk like some deligni gieaier than
that of 'influence; it looks ruorc like an
affumptionof the rights of government.
What is the natural implication ?—No
thing less, than that the people, inflead
of looking to Congress, mull look to
them'for guidance, direction, and aflift
ance.
Aild now judge. Fellow Citizens,,
whether these Private Clubs, giving such ,
I'eafvnS for their forming ; and when tl:ey
have formed, setting Up courts of iaquifi
tioft upon your civil rulerj, and trying,
and condemning' therri without a hearing, .
and publifhii 4 their condemnations, and
all this without your voice ; Judge, I fay,
whether they are peaceable, or orderly, .
or whether they consult the common goo - !.
Again, every embarraflment which Is .
thrown in the way of the public adriiinftn- ,
tions, of the coiiftitutional officers of go
fernmeiit in thfc performance of their of- !
flcii 1 duties, is an opposition to the peace, 1
ffefdfttfl, and happiness of the United 1
States. I
That it his been the unweariedendeavoi .
of these.Societies, to embarrass our civil
rulers in all their proceedings, is as true,
j as, that Genet is their father ; —or, it is
! as true, as it i<< that they have conllantly
. oppofrd, by their resolves, and by, their
j writings, every prudent endeavor of our
political fathers, for prcferving to us the
j bleflings of peace. the President's
proclamation of neutrality which so per
! fe<ftly harmonized with the wishes of the
v people, was by them opposed. The De
mocratic Society in Philadelphia, had the
1 inrpudciice to refolye, that this pfdclam'a
-1 tion of neutrality by the President, was
" a qujlmnab!:- ton/litutwnal a3" and also
. that it was " impolitic." They have also
uniformly, and publicly blamed the Pre
_ ' fident, and Congress, for every exertion
r they have made to prei'erve a lhift neu
trality -and also for all their endeavors
• to terminate exiling difficulties with (Jreat
■ Britain; by negotiation. And, in fine,
- they have opposed every thing, excepting
1 -war and anarchy. It will be enquired,
1 Are these things embarrafiments to otir
. civil rulers in their official duties ? Thi
, j queflion needs no anfwer—lf these
. (things have not been embarrassing, it is
: because our civil rulers have confldered
these societies too small, and contemp
' tible, to demand much notice.
Again, every attempt, made by pri
j vate clubs, to difaffedt the minds of the
j ; people towards their civil rulers, and
, j alienate their affedtions from them, so
i : long as they deserve their confidence, by
a faithful discharge of their official du
i ties, is a direct attack upcta their peace,
- happiness and prosperity.
t That it has been the unwearied ert
- deavour of these societies, to render
n despicable, in the view of the people,
.1 their civil rulers, is as evident as that
•. they have voted most of their doings,
for fix months past, to be unconftittiti
- onal; and that without /hewing, 111 a
e fingie instance, fufficient reasons there- j
h for. In their writings, also, they have
1- suggested, that our political fathers,
" bays been under the influence of British
1- gold that they have " crept into
i- office that they have been endeavor -
ir ing " to heep the people in ignorance, left
1- they should discover their wicked plots,
>f and hurl them from their easy situation"
S- These societies have talked about '' the
g necejfity of a general fweep,"-±-ihat is,
al of guillotining, at once, our ciril
ir as enemies to the country ; and have
ir constantly infrnuated, that they have
le " deep designs and machinations," a
:? gainst the liberties of the people,
s; Whilst the Senate doors were (hut,
a- they clamoured about the secrecy of
ir their proceedings ; and called that ho
ly norable body " a conclave, a cabal," and
>e many other hard names ; —and what is
ir very lingular, at the fame time, these
societies shut their own doors, and efla
n- blifhed a test of admission ; and whilst
re they were condemning the secrecy of
is the senate, they were forming a secret
le censorship, over the representatives of
d. the people. Some of these societies
r- have proceeded so far, as to form lifts
id of what they call Aristocrats, that is,
x- friends to our present government:—
And, Is it not manifeft from all things,
t.iat it had been their con ft ant deljgn, if ,
p >ffible, to difaffect the minds of peo
ple from their civil rulers ? Has this the
complexion of equal rights, that a few
citizens secluding themselves by bars,
and bolts, from all other freemen, who
are equally int«refted, and thert, fottn
ing lilts of prnfcript - n againlt others,
and there arraigning lor adjudication,
and even condemnation, thoie characters,
who are put into office by the great bo
dy of the frtr.inen ? No, this is tyran
nical and factious. And, in fine, by
the writings of th«fe Societies, it ap
pears that rheir triinds have been on the
lack, in the invention of every Ipecies
of calumny, for the purpose of sowing
the of discord, and of spreading
among the people, a general dilTatistac
tion, with respect to their cml rulers.
, These societies pretend that they form
sos the purpose of spreading informati
on, and of dHfeminating political know
ledge. What is the knowledge and
what is the information they are lpread
ing? This mutt be determined from
their votes and writings. 1 have yet
seen no other knowledge, or informati
on spread by them, only, that the pic
(ident is deferring of fienfure, for endea
vouring to prefetve us in peace ; and,
that Congr'.fs is 4 venal body—that
their proceedings have been such, as to
deserve the highest disapprobation, and
their political sentiments, such as to re
quire the . greatsft jealousy of the peo
ple ; —and that the great body of the
freemen, the farmers, See. are i'tiffering
great depression, and intolerable, bur*
thens ander such an a'riltocraticaf go
vernment. This is the knowledge they
are disseminating ; and whilit it mani
fl-lk the rellleffnefs and depravity of
their hearts, itmanifefts, alfffr their in
tolerable ignorance t>f the condition of
the great body ps the people, who are
rejoicing in the highest possible prospe
rity. That which they cflfTeminate, is
fa far from deserving the name of inotv
ledge, that it is only their anarchical, dog
matical, pajjionat:, party opinions. The
main body of the people aie as capable
of judging as these focitties are ; whe
ther their public servants exceed the
bounds of the constitution, and they
are perfectly fatisfied with what they
have done.
Thus, Fellow Citizens, I have given
you the truth, relative to these Clubs.
They have boldly, and impudeutly
asserted, that no man durst deny thtir
right, of meeting to confitlt the com
mon good. I have not denied this right
to open and peaceable assemblies ; but j
I deny it to them, for they are neither: i
—Their condnft marafefts the vilenefs j
of their delign s—and if they are not
prohibited in the Constitution, neither is
open rebellion.
A REPUBLICAN.
Fi>r the Gazette of th: United States.
Mr. FennO,
THE fame arguments which are
daily used in favor of direct taxation,
may be urged with equal force in favor
of all fyiteros, which however pleaiing
in theory, are from certain caules im
practicable in their nstnre. Happiness
is in a great measure the creature of
opinion—To suppose that it is only to
be found among the nth Would be to
admit a pojition not Warranted by ex
perience. If the great majority of the
inhabitants of any country »re consent
ed with their situation—is they are fa
tisfied that the government is ib admi
nistered as to promote their true wel
fare, it would be the heighth of wicked
ness in any man or set of men to dis
turb their repose, by advocating systems,
which having for their objeCt a partial
good migh ! produce great and lasting
evils. To frame a law so as to make
dived taxes operate equally in the Uni
ted States, would be an herculean talk
indeed. It would not have the delired
effect on the proprietor of houses and
cultivated farms, because he would raise
his rents—The merchant would as in
the other cafe, charge it upon his
goods—The owners of unprodudtivc
property would probably become the
only victims of the operation of a law
of this kind. 1 have said nothing about
those persons who live upon the iiitereft,
of their monies in the funds or other
wise, because it mult be obvious to the
meanest undemanding, that if indtredt
taxation has been'the real cause of the
enhanced price of living, they will have
i no realon to lament the new projected
: order of things—For the truth of this
assertion, I will appeal to every house
keeper in this city, whether an income
f of zool. at the present day is equal to
: I jol. three years ago I Besides that
f the mode of collecting direCt taxes
i would be extremely difficult—very vex
s atious and would have a tendency to
, hanafs and render the people difiatis
- Red with the government, and this I
belie*e to be die real rim of the profli- I
gate authors of a felicMe, which they t
themselves know to be impracticable, t
The mode in which the revenue of the d
United States is now collected, leaves
it optional with all pctlons to contri
bute to it or not, and also operates as C
an encouragement to home tnanufac- S
Hires. It ha* been-faid that from lor.g 11
lubit Tea, Coffee and Sugar, have be- li
come as it were necessaries of life among t
all deferiptions of persons, and that in d
confluence thereof, the tax upon those
articles operates as forcibly upon the f<
indigent as upon the wealthy part of n
the loeiety. To this afl'ertion I answer, n
that it is a '.veil known fact, that the v
price of laboi has kept pace with the t
price of those commodities and that the c
rich not only rontume greater quarrti- e
ties of Tea, Coffee and Sugar, but ex- f
pend yearly 'nrge 'urns in the purchase I
of articles of luxury charged with High t
duties, and which duties might be en- t
created if judged expedient. Nothing o
perhaps would go so iar to expose ihe
rile hypocrisy of those men who are a
continually defctfntmg upcra the imagi- v
nary imperfections in the goveinment t
as a perusal of the feifthneiiw expressed a
at their Kin-ta : heys—It is there fl
we shall tfnd the little despicable tyrant r.
over fifty or a hundred unfortunate t
Africans drinking conftilion to despots
It is there we (hall fee the lawless v
intruder on the lands af.igned by nature's c
(jod to the untutored Indian holding t
forth in favor of the rights of man—: a
and there also are to hi fotmd gamblers, L
drunkards, bankrupts, in fortune and in f
fame, gentlemen cockers, jockies, athe- c
Ms, &c. Scc>. looking out for the pro- a
mifed millenium awd chanting hymns in f
praifip of honesty, temperance and mo- I
rality !! ! I. S. t
For the Giriett-e oj ihe United Stales.
To the MEMBERS of the I)EMaCftATIC
societV.
Fellow Citizens, j,
In order to give full proof of our real at
tachment to the eaufe of Liberty arid J
Equality a£ well as to each other, I wife I'
to communicate my fehtimerits to you on j 1
this important subjeCt, viz.
The deftruiftion of Artificial Aristocracy j j
originating in extra' industry, superior ; ,
abilities, or lucky cireumfuiuce» ( by an '
equal andjuft distribution of all Property j
owned or poflefled by the Brethren of our |'
Society. As thts- Idea is by no means , *
novel, it already exiftiiig in this country , <
among tbe Moravians at Bethlehem, Na/a- '«
reth &c. Its practicability, therefore can j
never be doubted by any but the rich', to ' <
! these I would quote a paiTage in the New j
( Testament viz. it is easier for a Camefto go 1 '
i through the Eye of a needle thai» for a rich j
man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; 1
this far for religion and. now for politics.
It will be eify to deinohftrate that true
equality' cannot exist vfhere riches are en- j
joyed by a few, and poverty is the portion j
of the remaining part cf the Community*
and that the evils and inoj ti!iealions which
this kind of Ariilocracy ewatcs, ar eof the •'
molt obnoxious kind—l have not time to i 1
be more partlcufar at present, and I mean « i
only to give notice that at the firft meet- > 1
ing of our Society in September next, II (
shall move for a general return of all the } j
Property pofleffed by each individual of j
our Society, in order that the expediency f '
of an equitable division may fce duly and " '
fairly considered. To preserve and per- ) '
petuate the equality treated hy this re- I
turn, and division, I would have the fame
repeated at lead biennially—and that no
one may have the le : aft eaufe to complain,
I would propose that any member who
may not approve ef this wife measure, may
be at liberty to withdraw from- our Society
and that his name be recorded on our black
lift of Aristocrats,
A True friend t<>
t E<ijjAL Liberty.
Query, will it not be more desirable that
the proposed return and division of Proper
ty should extend to all our Sate. Societies
collectively, than that the fame feould be
effected by' and confined to each Society
within itfelf ?
PHILADELPHIA,
AUGUST j.
Says a CorrefpondeM.
The farming interett has so declined
of lateyears—— ; and the valne t>t farms and
lands in general is lo diininilhed that it
is propoled by a correspondent, in or
der to doing justice to the farmers, and
proprietors of lands, that at the next
eledtion all the members of the Hate
and general legiflatiires (hould be cho
sen irom tbe above ela(fes—another cor
-1 respondent proposes that as trade and
i commerce are on tbe decline and will be
- annihilatedioonif foftiething is notdone,
; all the representatives of the people
> should be merchants—another proposes,
i to revive the drooping mechanic arts,
s that they should all be eleCied from the
mechanics another conceives that
5 (tockjioldei s have no iin ei-eft in the as
- fairs of this country bu' what is con- f
[ » trary to all othet in-crefts, and Alggefts j
t!iat they should be disfianchifjj
their affairs committed to men w j, 0 ' '
think it their duty to aaaihil ate u l
debts and credits together. / rc^
Besides the. intelligence brought b •
Capt. Hampton, from St. Kitts a \
St. Euftatius, and publiihed in our
under the- Wilmington head, we Wer 'l
since favored by that gentleman Wlt {
the following particulars, whio. maybe
depended on.
The Republican forces at Guada
fonpe had increased to upwards of -003
men, by the addition of conliderabit'
numbers of. the inhabitants, and ofthofe
who had been anftocrats but converted
to repubhcamiUi by the tyranny and
cruelties the Butifh commanders had
exevcifed over them. Numbers of pr |.
foners who had been permitted at St
Bartholomews to obtain a pnffage
the United States, were returning to
the j Sffiftance of their brethrep by every
opportunity-
American vefTcls in the Britiih islands
and the French islands in their poffcflion
were not fufferpd to carry away any 0.
ther produce than rum and molaffen,
and such only on giving bond that they
should not be landed, in any port 0 f
rope to the northward of Cape Finis.
terre, except Great Britain.
The frigate Resource, Capt. R o fj,
which called at St. Eullatius, had been
dispatched by Admiral Jervia in quest of
three French privateers lately fitted out
at St. Bartholomews and which were
cruising among the islands with great
success ; one of them, a brig of .16 gun*
chafed t\*B Dutch sloops into the road
a -.lay or two before Capt. Hampton
failed from St. Eullatius, where Capt.
Roll,- the commander ot the Refouige
m&ntioned that the Admiral had sent
for the fleet of men of war, now on the
coast of the United States, requiring
their affiftatice at Guadaloupe.
The inhabitants of St. Euitatitis were
much alarmed at the profpecl of an at
tack by the French. Not a veflel was
fuffered to enter the road after dmk,
antt in the night of the 1 ith of July, a
i schooner was much damaged and 101 l a
; man by being fired at from the fort,
j The St. Kitts Gazette of the 7th
j jttly mentioned the receipt of intelli
j gence from England to the ißth May,
, mid the arrival of an American Brig at
| Antigua, which failed from Brest with
, a fleet of 20 fail of the line, to join the
convoy from America;, which they met
off the Western Isles.
j An Aftieh'cjm (hip which arrived at
St. Eullatius, after a fliort pafTage from
! Amflerdam, brought an account of the
I fafe arrival of the aforementioned con-
Ivoy.at Bieffi.
Thefchooner diTpatch, Capt. W. J.
j Keen of Philadelphia, arrived at St. Eu
flatiius from Dominico; Capt. Keen in
formed Capt. Hampton that he was in
company with N. C. Higginfon, Esq.
.the agent of the United States, on the
' 9th of July, who was about departing
S from Dominico without having been a
j ble to aceomplifh, in thcfmallell degree,
j the important business required of him
jin that island. The enormous sum of
j ten thouiand dollars was demanded of
. him for permiflion to procure copies of
I the documents relative to the condemna
tion of the American property in the
Court of Admiralty there.
Captain Hampton's was the firfl arri
val at St. Kitrs after the embargo, and
was received by the inhabitants with
the lrvefieft expreflions of joy and civi
lity.
On Wednesday lalt, off the capes of
Delaware, he was brought too by the
Deane British frigate, of 32 guns, Capt.
Kemp, who shewed much politeaets,
anil to whom, by particular request. he
delivered the St. Kitts and St. Eullati
us Gazettes (containing the intelligence
from Guadaloupe, See. )• he defigived to
have brought to this city.
Left at St. Kitts the (bop • —-»
Captain W. Jackson, of Philadelphia,
and £lit brig Diana, Capt. Barker, of
New-York ; and at St. Eullatius the
brig Aim and Mary, Capt. Curry »»
Philadelphia. The brig Yorick, Cap'-
M'Alliiter failed from St. Doming"on
the tith. The fchomtr Wafhingtori,
Capt. Watson, was to have failed olt
the 15th for Norfolk.
Amtr. D. A(h-
Jus'tfi 2, 1794-
Wilmington 1
Borough, Jf. j .. . . ,v,
IN coniequence ot a publication in -<
Delaware and Eastern (hore Advertiser 0
this day, iigued Adams and Smythi ffy f
the ' Alarm Bell,' suggesting; forne q«j
1 lie* refpefting putrid hides ; to uK"' l
I inbjoined an address " to the Pei plc °
j Philadelphia." The Burfefles and an®*
j ants convened for the purpole of ;nv:
j grating ihe faj le ; and calltd before tnt
| houfethe health-officer of. the port, the us*
lpedlor who attended at difiharging tJ
cargo, the mate, and three people belong
ing to the lloop, (the captain being*bftptj
- woo be»Bg severally *nd duly iworn to