ri- compl'lh it. And, (hould the draught of the t'lii itia he inluificient, certainly the Je g'lQa'Ure wii) enable the Executive to raile and mirnta'thi (landing body ot' tones, to lh the "hjert of g veumient. They 'rill come, at d liferent timer., in dil ferent'direftions, and accumulated num ber** for the whole fjrcn"l ths United; State? wilt be d resed agatyfl o*.; f« ''is th.* I! tfideiit, never fpe»k; 'till he has Jetir.ti"ia<V d>sC';i".d by ln» proclamation. II this count y rejedt the conditions ofkr ■c-d t'.ie svlfri'e cWi;f) willb-confitleied as in'.i :tal" » rebellion ; every man must be emifuk'rei eithei as a citizen, ur as an me inv. 1! Jic fay, he is a citizen, he may be —Lalvd I>y th.- force niidet the JStSgfi ty , 7r-~jpreiirment, to unite i'i inbdroijg its Uiieipiii. IV he ret'ule, he become san ene my, aid as fuel) may be treated. The ar my of government may live among us at fi'V'C (|{i.'.rtei s, and reduce us to obedience bv (ili.nde., fire and (word. Will the Bn'ifh receive us ? tl>e gover r. of Canada da. e not, without authority from Londm. And it "is not to be fuppo'ed, tNat Bri laln w■ il rilk t 1 »e 1 ofs of the triend fn;r> and t'nv?;'of the XJnired State>, for lb p. '- an obj' a" »itr becoming Iter fii'j ,fts. i f <li -(i ci. m'i»ht*enot fekpffy that tin? IjiTitfetJ S.at'cs \f6i-d Teize her dominions on the eaftei'n pan off Canada and Nova Scotia ar»t! intercept oy'- conimur.icatioh with luT. A;?,ai ift the vfiiTi IVnce of the "United M-r:-s, cXv • t fl as we tinve reafnn to fear, 4?hat h'/vy w/ to reft on ? Where arc ou> JiVifts wnefe are oiit magazines of niilita iy ? Or where can we dbta ti a Alppiy tif ',hyf*e articles, but frohi the Unitvd Str.tes, with whom we ilia 11 he at wji . All cyiiniurdcatioo between Us and our fello<v 'f II'.ZLMIS l)(t the east fide of rlie mountain; Even thi fiipplies «' the off. comuio , art eles df life, which we receive from-them, will he p ercnt^d: ..nd B""t a finale art it W of fond or cloathiir£, much lelsof arrn>o r anlmunitidn, will be hi'lolh ed to us, f- oin that ter. Armv after army will be lent il*. Iti a (late ol opto wai, we (ll f i!l be confitered as any o tl;er enemy, With the additiona. 'rancour attiiched to a civil war. Our ag. iculfcnre sri!! be drft-Oved, our field* laid w»fli,' our houses binnt, and, while we are fighting oui ftllbSv on one fide, th£ Indians, (and God knows soon) will attack us oil the otbc: —The corifciences of mail) among ourfclves will flir.ihk back with horror* at the Mea of 'rawing a ("word againll oui brethren. They Will, call for neunnlity They will,enrer Into mutual defene; Many who how from fear of dan gdr oribfuH, pot on the appearance ot zeal -and violence, will, when it Comes 10 deci frv<? exertion, draw back But thofr who are fdr wuf will ftri\ 4 e, by force; to draw in thife whoa e for peace. We fhal! at tack and dell roy * ach cither, and fall by our own hands. Our ecu firld", will be con ve--te<i iritri fields til battle. Kn roan will faf rio aitn-w!!! heTur< tHat sfce-'. fliall and will —-in;'' AH iivofupl confidence will tte'ar on enSl) urdailthe Hands - ot foeiety xtf II Jse aTcaftf to l"p:-ak to his ne glihavtr. There will be n" power «l government to cnnnool th& V olcnce ol the wicked. No mail's llftN no man's lioiife, no man'* no man's wile, rfo frlW dnunlner, will.br fate- A frene o r general cleftruftidn will take place. And, fiitfifldi weary el charti fin£'us9t last leave us to ourftlve? ; we ftiilf be a nti'erable remnant, without wealth, c6min?rce, or vr'ne ; a prey to the fjKges, or slaves to Britain. Are We pt*fp«;4ii for a separation from the United"State!., and to exist as an inde pendent people > This is a quclHon Which ought to he fettled; previously to our ta king lip againll government. for to di'obey a government, while, by remaih ingiii it, we atlmit its authority to com mand is too abTuvd, aiid too contrary to the duty of citizen", for any man of re a son and virtue to support : efpecialiy where that like ours, is created and changeable by the people themselves, tlut 13 bv the whole people, or a majority of the whole people. Our appeal io arms is there fore a declaration of independence, and mull iflTue either in Reparation or obedience. Government cannot recede farther than it has done. It has already made facrifices which entitle it to grateful returns, it of fers to so rgive offericej, and confjder its having never erred. It cannotj witu- Out a total extinction of all au hority, re peal thislaw, while wedifobeyit ; Govern ment must either subdue us, or cast us off. For, however, we may flatter ourselves, with the deftruefive hope of deleatiug go vernment, we have no profpeft of subdu ing it ; and compelling the United State*, to retain ui in the Union. Suppose Us then a separate people, what prnPpeiT: have we of being able to fectlre those obj fts, which are eflential to the prosperity \ f this coun try, and cf far more consequence than the repeal of the excise law* Shallwe at tnir own expence, subdue the Indians, <eize the Western pods, and open the Miffifipi ? Or will hot the British, countenanced by the United States, retain the posts, and arm and ihc Indians against us ? and will not the Spaniards muter the fame counte nance, block up the' Miffifipi, and refnfe all tiac'e with us i At present there is affair profpedt of ah accomodation with JJritatH, and by the influence of tlic Uni ted States we have reason to hope for a fur. render of the western polls, and of conie rtuence, # peace with the Indians. There js also a negotiation, indiiftrioully, and not ■unprtomiflngly, conducted with Spain for the free navigation of tbe Milfifipi. The continuance of our union With the Unitfiu! States may therefore, in & short time fe Cure ns all our favorite objects. riuft be time : for we have to deal with fc veveign and po\ve7ful nations, whose rights we cannot infringe j we roust therefore so licit, and not ektort. But separated from the United States, «nd, of course, from the friendlhip of France, aud the world, ■what hope have tve to bend the haughty na tions of Britain and Spain. We Jhould be th«ir sport, or their flavts- In rejc&itig the conditions now offered us by government, we cannot liope to ex tort a rtpeal of the excise law. If we would remove it by force, we mult liable to cutourfelves offfiom tlifc Unittd Stifles, with the loss of our prosperity. our happi nt(s, end perhaps our existence. A rejec tion of the conditions is a -declaration of war, and war is the fare road to rum. Let us next consider what will be the consequence of our fubmifiion to govern ment, on the terms offered. We are res tored to the peace and prote&ion of go vernment. We lhall be tried for offences and delinquences by courts and juries in our neighbourhood. But with these favor able terms, we must submit to the excise law The peculiar objection which lay in the mouths of the people ori this fide of the mountains to this law, was this, that, from our local circumstances, it drew from us a font of money which, was difproportion tcl to our wealth, and would soon exhaufl our circulating medium. However De cenary, on these grounds, an opposition to the eicife law might be three years ago, it i 3 lej's necefiary now. Since that period, the progrefa of this country to wealth has been amazingly rapidj—There have been mure ptibtic and private buildings raised, and fewer fheriff sales for debt, within this period, than for nine years preceding. — 'J hret years agto, I believe there was hard- Iv a burr millstone in this country : now there are perhaps a dozen. The quantity of money circulating among us is since greatly mcreafed ! in other words the va lue of money is greatly lefiened, and there by the value of the'excife to be paid by us. is greatly lefiened. Then there was hardly any trade to the Spanilh settlements on the Miffifippi; it was, at any rate) {mall} and confined to a few adventurers : the quan tity of gram exported was but little ; of course but little was withdrawn from our own consumption ; and this little was ge nerally bought with goods. Now a very refpe£tabl< trade is carried on to the Spa ftilh settlements; our traders are treated with great civility by the Spaniards ; the duty on our trade is reduced to a mere tri fle ; and there is very little difficulty in bringing away dollars in return. We ihall soon have the whole fnpply of that market to ourfelvesi Last spring, our best flour was fold there a dollar each barrel dearer thah flour from New-York..—None of the traders now depend on goods for the put chafe bf wheat i but ruuft purchase, at a realcnable price, in money. From this ihcreafeii exportation of our grain, the ne cessity of d iflil Lation is greatly leff'ened in degree, and will every day lelien. Govern ment does liot now, as formerly fupplr the army with whilkey, through contrail ors purchasing with goods ; but employs agents to purchase it with money. Last year ten thoufanddol'nrs was laid out, in this wayj by one agent in this country ; and the ex ecution of an order for ten thousand more, only by the prcftnt trouhles. The contractors thetn&lvcs-havej these two lafl ycai s. purdiafed their supplies with cash. From thefc circum fiances, and the pay, and other expellees of the army, govern mtntfends V!if; more to this fide 6f the mountains, than it would draw back by the excise. At thfc commencement of this law, a very great quantity of foreign spirits was coniumed in this country. But so ievrre is the duty whlih this law lays on foreign spirits, that the pebple on the east fide of the mountains drink such spirits at a very increased price, and our store-keep ers cannot afford to bring foreign spirits, in any cohfiderable quantity, over the mountains. As our cifcumftances are thus materially changed, so the law itfelf is changed alio. Originally, the duty on a llill was 60 cents per gallon ; now, it is 54. Originally, the duty 011 the gallon of whiskey was 9 cents; now, it is 7 cents. Another ma terial alteration is granting a licence by the month at ten cents per gallon on the still, a piovifion peculiarly suited to a country, where few distillers work in furamcr. I do not fay, that, by these alterations in our circuniftanccs, and in the law, our cbjedlions to the excise law are removed, but they are surely lejfened. We have reafoti also to believe, that our rerfton flrance would be listened to more ef!e<ftu ally, if, by obedience, we put ourselves in a capacity of being heard : but it is natu ral to anlwer, why complain of a law which you have never obeyed. I will go yet further, and state an opinion, that the eafiell and speediest, and I believe the only way, to accomplish our objedl, a total re peal of this law, is instantly to accept of the conditions offered by government, ho nellly comply with them, and thus come fairly before the legislature with our re monstrance. I have before ftate4 the impossibility, that the Ic-giflature fliould repeal this law so long as we refjft it. I will now explain to you on what grounds I form the opinion that they will repeal it as soon as possible, after, by our l'pbmiffion, we have restored them to their authority, and you may judge for yourfelver of the probability of this opinion. The present profpeft of French affairs, and the favorable reception which Mr. Jay our ambaflador has met with in En gland, give reason to hope for a good un derstanding between us and Britain, and a consequent termination of the Indian war, J estimate two years, as a reasonable pe riod for tliefe causes to operate, and these effedts to be produced. If the extraordina ry expences of the Indian war ceased, there is reason to expedl, such is the in creafmg trade of America, that the im posts would fuffice forthe ordinary expences of government. If this be true, so gene rally is the excise on domeltic produce dif lited, and so imperfectly paid, that we have no re afon to presume, that the legisla ture will keep it up, linger than it is ne- And there I CtStrx, You haye now the grounds on , which I state the opinion, that it niay be i repealed in two years, li repealed then, it will*have lalicd five years ; of these five, , We shall perhaps, if We comply no\v, ye compelled to pay for only"l wyears ; and, j supposing the ta-\ unequal 1 , paying but two years out of five may corre<ft the mequali-' ty ; and while we pay, a far greater sum for the expences ot the war is circulated among us. Thus the Indian war occasion ing the excifo, bears with it a remedy , aud, when this remedy fails, there in rea fun to expetSl, the evil may alio fail. Whether therefore we would avoid or A'hether we would obtain a repeal of the excise law, it appears evident to me, that we have no' way to our point, but by immediately accepting, and faith fully performing, the conations proposed. If we do not, we shall no more get calh for our whifkev. The army will be sup plied with whiikey from Kentucky. And (a la// palled last sessions authorising it) our whfeejt, if carried any where out of I this country, will with-the liorfes, carna j e s or hoa!6, be fcized and forfeited. We ' shall - therefore become the only corifiimers ofoilr Whifkev. Jt will again ccafe to be cle, and again become a mere ! But it is feiri, that if we fubmlt now, we lave nothlft'j to expect from arelhonilr anc e; or ciilr pall rfemonftrances have been i:i ifTeftual. I lay it is too hasty to draw his conclusion. —Betide* what I formerly ibferved, tfiit vfe Jiive' never, by obedi ■nce, intitled ourfelrts to relief. I request kuv attention to the situation of the'Uni ed States' hilfcerto.,. The imposts have not >een fulucient foi; tile expences of govern ment including thpfepf the Indian war. Hie excise law, therefore, could not be •epealed, unlcte tome ri6w fund was sub- Ritutedin its stead. No sv it is impofliWe to impose any tax whatever, that will operate equslly on all men. Suppose there fore some other tax imposed, in lieu of this, while we continued to refill this. What would be the consequence ? It might by as unpopular he>'e, or in some other place, as riiis exeife ; -the consequence would be, that from an experience of the weajtntis.of governmeht, in failing to en force ekcife, the new tax would be re- Cfted~aJfo» antl no tax would ■ ever be en forced. Suppose a direct tax on a general valuation of property; there would be £ieat funds. Suppose a direst tax on l ads. The amount of all direi!l taxes, in eich state, must )»e in proportion to its number of inhabitants, .now unlet* lands OV other property, in (fiiantify or value, bore the finfe prcportkm iu each state with the number of inhabitants to the whole ; tiit? dire ft tax would infbine flatr* Ik- un constitutional, and of courfc- refilled. I am ir.forihSd, tluit, in New-England, a diredt t ; tx would be is unpopular, as the excifc i here. Government: therefore cs uki not, with fafety, substitute any other tax, in iiiad of the excite, till it had tirfl (hewn, that itfc auJJ»oi ity was iufiieient to enforce , tlie excite. Attend efpeciallv to the situation of the tTnited States during the last session of Congress, and judge for yourselves was that a time to release any eitabliflied fub je<St of taxation, and try a new experi ment? The whole world seemed to lower 1 pon us. The lndiaas attacked our back fcttlements i The Algerints plundered, rnd the British captured our (hips at sea.— It was judged neceffaty, for fafety and justice to pquip a fleet, to fortify our har bours, and to fend out against the Indi ans loco volunteers from Kentucky. For all these purposes, the imports (diminilh ed by the Spoliations and the Embatgo) would come too (lowly in ; and it was found neceflsry, to anticipate the revenue, by enabling the President to borrow a mil lion of dollars. Was this a time to press 2 repeal of the excise ? From all tbcfe cir cuit!fiances, the failure of our pad rcmon ftrances is no fufficient real'on to conclude, that after we have Submitted to the autho rity of government, and after its embar rafrrr.entu are removed, our future remon ftranees 'will fail of a iufl effect. Oil all these grounds, I do most earnest ly exhort to an immediate acceptance of the conditions offered by the Conißiiflion ers, and a faithful performance of them on our part: as the only way in which we can hope for redress, or efcaperuin. ! have thus expressed my sentiments h#- rieflly and freely, as, at this crisis, it be comes every man, who has any regard to the welfare of this country, to take every occasion to do. This-is not a time for con cealment or difiimulation. Let every man (peak out, and not, by filer.ee or falfhood, deceive one another. Let a free currency of opinions restore mutual confidence and mutual fafety ; that the dagger of the af fafiin, the torch of the incendiary, and tongiie of the slanderer be not feared. Let the energy of government be reffored, lei the public peace, and the rights of persons and property be prefervetl sacred ; and let every individual repose, with confidence and fafety, on the protection of the Law. Let the power of puniftiment be exerted only, as our principles prescribe, by courts and juries ; let offences be ascertained on ly by the volumes of our laws ; whiie a man's words and a&ions are lawful, let his fafety be untouched ; and let dot indi viduals assume the public duty of repay ing vengeance. Do you, gentlemen, who by your sta tion can do it so effectually, unite with me in exprefling, propagating-, and supporting these sentiments ; and through vou, both now and hereafter, let them be felt to be the voice of your country. They are mine—and wereanangel from Heaven to charge me, to make to you, as I fliould answer it at the tribunal of God, a faithful declaration of my opinion of the intercfts of this country,- at this important period, I would, were it the last monjent of ray life, address you, as I have now 'done. And O ! may the God gf wisdom and peace inspire this people, wit* discern ment and virtue, remove from their minds >)lindnefs and passion, and five this coun try from becoming a field of blood. For fit Gazette of the United States. Mr. Fenno, I observe that the Insurgents in the weflern parts of this (late object against an Excif., and call/or Direß Taxes ; and forae of their friends have intimat ed that it will be bell to let then go on in their opposition to the exilling laws until the next feffiou of Congress, when the act will probably be repealed, or if not, it will then appear that the sense of the majority is in favor of it, and " our western brethren," finding this to be the cafe, will fiibmit. It is not my intention to expose the abfurdily of a proposal to fufferany man, or any body of men, to oppose the laws, bum and destroy the hejufes and other property of their neighbors bccaufe they are fup poigen of the laws, and for the fame reason proscribe their fellow-citizens, for months, with impunity ; nor to shew the folly of expecting that our " west ern brethren" (now, tQ be sure, acting a veiy uiibrotherly part) ever be willing to pay taxes of any kind ; but my deGgn is to shew the impropriety of a repeal of the excise law, and that the voice of the Union is in favor of its continuance. For this purpose I (hall refer to official documents. It wili be recollected (but perhaps not by some of our "wtjftern brethren") ( that the weight of direst taxes were ve ! 1 y severely felt about tlie time of form | ing the present Constitution of the li nked States; —complaints against them were loud ; and hence the Convention which formed that constitution (con fiding of confidential characters ap pointed by the States for that purpose) in defining the powers of Congress, provided, Art. i, Sec. 8. That "Congress (liall have power to lay and collect du ties, imports and excifts," in addition to taxes—"but all duties, imports, and efcetfes {hall be uniform throughout the United Stales This clause forms the foundation of present Excise Law. The ConftU tution containing it, was fuhmitted to the thbii exilting Congress, and to the Convention* chosen in each date * by the people, who a [Tented to, and rati fied it, but some proposed what they tliought aiuer.dnr.CQts relative to clirefi taxes and excise—they are fellows : Amendments Proposed. By Maffachiifi its. " That Congress c]o riot lay divcil taxes, but when the monies arising from the impost B id c:;c:fe are infufficient for the public exigencies." S. Carolina. " That the General Government of the United States ought never to im pose direst taxes, but where the monies arising from the duties, imposts and ex cise, are infufficient for the public exi gencies." N. Hampjhire, " That Congress do not : jay direct taxes, but when the money arising frojn impost, excise, and their other resour ces, are infuilicient for the public exi gence." Virginia, " When Congvef* fliall lay direst taxes' or excises, they /hall immediately inform the llixecutive power of each state, of the quota of such state, and if the Legislature of any state fnall pass a la\y which lhall be effectual for raising such quota at the time required by Con gtefs, the taxes and excises laid by Congress fliall not be collected in such state." Neiu-Tori. " That Congress do * not impose any excise on any article (ardent spirits excepted) of the growth, produ&ion or manufa&ure of the United States, or any of them. " That Congress do not lay direst taxes, but when the monies arising from; the impoit and excise shall fee infuffici i ent for the public exigencies." iV. Carolina. " When Congrefs'fhall lay direst tax es or exciles, they (ball immediately in form the Executive power of each fate," &c.—as propdfed by Virginia. It hus been observed before, that the states had ratified the Constitution in cluding the excise, and from the above amendments it appear* that it was not obnoxious to either of them. New- York, indeed, objected againlt it so far as articles of the growth, produ&ifcn or manufacture of the United States (ar- * Except Rhadt-ljlaud. dent f spirits excepted) might t : af joined with Maflachufeets, S. Carolina, and N. Hampshire, in giving it a decid ' cd preference to direß taxes, which with them, she fays, ought not to be laid, ! " but when the monies arising from the impost and excise (hall be inefficient," See. Hence, then, it is evident that the voice of the Union was in favor of au excise at the time of pafling the Conili tution : that it has been so ever fmte, appears from the law's remaining unre pealed to this day, notwithftandiiig' the obje&ions that have been made again ft it, and its having been frequen;'v"i evil'- , ed by Congress. It is therefore aTto gither improbable that the law will be repealed in the next fefiion ; but were it otherwile, it is the duty of our " wefttm brethren," quietly and peace ably tofubmit to it duiing its existence, and to remember that there is no law which will juitify their burning houses, destroying official books and gapers, ba nishing their fellow-citizens, and rob bing the public mails. -)■ Perhaps this exception -would have been omitted had the Convention of Neiv- Tork known that " ardent spirits" are the " common drink of the country," as appeared afterwards from the Resolutions of a meeting of our " tuejlern brethren and that they have since been found to be " the Cash" of the country. Legislature of Pennsylvania. In senate. Wednejday September 10, 1794. WHEREAS the difaffeftion of some of the Brigades of the City Mi litia of Pennsylvania, to the service which they are conllitutionally required to perform, by the Pretideut of the United States, as communicated in the : message of the Governor of tht 10th intt. (involving circumstances highly de rogatory to the reputation and injurious I to the interests ot the Commonwealth) j demands the mod serious attention of ! the Legifiature, to the investigation of the causes that haxe produced such a dereliction of duty. Such enquiriei are more peculiarly necessary in the pre sent inflance, confide.ing the objefk of this armament is to quell an infurreAi oa of a deluded people in our own state, who have daringly avowed an open re finance to the operation of the laws— and further coniidering there is reason to believe, that our fitter states, who aie more remotely affeited by the con sequences, have with lingular alacrity ftirnifhed their refpedtive quotas—there fore, in order to obtain the necessary information on the fubjedt. Resolve d, That the Secretary of the Common wealth be, forthwith,, required to lay before the Senate, copies of aH official acts and proceedings of the Executive, as well as the retnrns that have been made by the Militia Officers, that have relation to tire calling out the apporti oned Militia of this state, iu compli ance with the requisition of the President ot the United States, dated the 7th Ext raft from the Journal, T. MATLACK, Clerk, of the Senate. A.J.DALLAS, Secretary of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. In obedience to the resolution of th« Senate pafled this day, requiring " the Secretary of the Commonwealth forth with to lay before the Senate, copies of all official acts and procetdings of the Executive, as well as the returns that have been made by the militia officers, that have relation to the calling out the apportioned militia of this (late, in compliance with the requisition of the President of the United States, dated the 7th ult." The Secretary of the Commonwealth refpeftfully reports : That copies of all official acts and proceeding* of the State Executive, in relation to the Prefulent's requisition of the 7th ult. were laid before each branch of the Legislature, together with the other documents referred to in the Go vernor's address, at the opening of the present session. That besides the written documents, parole inltru&ions were repeatedly given to the Adjutant General, and other militia officers, for the exertion of e»evy lawful means, to ensure a punctual com, pliance with the requisition, and it ap pears that in confequcnce of inch i'r itru&ions, the Adjutant General has, at several times, renewed his applicati ons to the Brigade Infpe&ors. That the lnfpcftor of the crty of Phi ladephia Brigade, has, almost daily call ed at the Secretary's Office, with r% A t* r* G. D.
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