> '■'
up as occasion miglit require a number
of which were found on the way by
which he pafled when he was taken to
the justice to be examined. % *
~Pof the Gazette of tbt United States.
Mr. Fenno,
The following extrafl of a letter from a
friend iu Virginia lb well deserves at
tention at this time, that I perfnade my.
felf you and every other impartial prin
ter. who incline to encourage good or
der and refpeft for the laws, will give
it a place in the Gazettes.
WHEN I refcd Mr. Jefferfon's Notes on
Virginia, the followiug pajfages madr a
deep impreffian on my mind. I confefs my
opinion was not entirely with him then, but
subsequent events have proved he was right.
He fays r
" Here I w>II beg leave to propbfe a
doubt, the prefenl deft re of Americans is to
produce rapid popul , on by as great impor
tation of foreigners ils pojjille. But is this
founded in good p-tlcy ? Are thej-e no in
conveniences to be thrown into the scale
AgainJi the advantage expelled from a
■multiplication of numbers by the importa
tion of foreigners ? It is for the happiness
■of thtfe 'United in society to harmonize as
much -as.pifible in blatters which they mujl
of Hecefic'y tranfaS togethe".' Civil govern
ments being the sole objed of farming foci
(ties, its admirtijiration mujl be conducted
by common consent. Every Jpeeies of go
vernment has its fpecific principles. Ours
perhaps are shore peculiar than ihof of any
other in the unlverje. It is a lortipofition of
the firjl principles of the Englijh conjiitu
tion, with others derived from natural
right and natural rectfon. To these nothing
tan be more o .posed than the maxims of
absolute monarches. Tetfrcm fach we are
to expeS tbegreate/i numbers of emigrants.
Tfity-tvtUJwitrg with them the principles of
the goverrirfierit they leave, imbibed in their
rarl: : ■■ >j±h - i-- •+ si.'Jr la c/'i
it <will be in exchange for unbounded li
centioufiieft ; puffing-, as is usual, from one
extreme to another. It would be a miracle
were they to flop precifly at the point of
temperate liberty. These principles with
their language, they will transmit to their
children. In proportion with their num
bers thev will iliare with us the legislation.
They will infule into it their spirit, warp
and bias its direction, and render it a hete
rogeneous, incoherent diftratfled mass."
How flrikingly. "verified is the prediction
of this enlightenedflatefman• Pofleritywill
with difficulty believe that, at a time ~jjhen
we are m the enjoyment of thcfreefi cotfii
tution on earth-—a go-eemmeni of iur own
choice —pojkjp: of independence and every
other reyuijite to make a people flourifhing
and happy —'the admiration—the en-uy of the
old world —that at fticb a period one (A —
b—t G—-It- —n) a foreigner', who tame a
si iu years ftnee to America, literally to
feck his fortune, should be able to intrigue !
ibimfelf into a feat in the national Legijla- ;
ture, a/id obtain f*cb countenance and sup- ■
port as at length to acquire Pi/iuenc<reno-'g&, •
net only to warp meaty of the citizens, but
aB/tally infhgnte a lawless banditti to burn
hcufes, deflroy property, murder or banish ■
every citizen in their neighborhood who they '
think proper to mark out as otneft.s of their j
•vengeance. God knows how far this fpi- I
ric may be carried, or bow Joon we may i
have the Pike iijtreffes among as. Indefati- j
gable pains are taken by fame -violent hot- I
headed people to inflame the minds of my :
neighbors ; many of whom, though well j
disposed, have not the means to be inform- :
ed of the true anil real fituaiian of public |
affairs, and are too apt to be led away by ,
the misrepresentations of designing people,
who", having notifmg to lose, but so tie thing j
to bote for in a scramble, flrain every nerve j
to prejudice and' poison the min is of the ci
tizens and throw the country into confufion.
Surely it is high time for all temperate peo
ple to consider we-t > that ferioujnefsi which
the importance of the critjis demands, luhat
tire to be the confluences of that confujion
— n>ihot-headed "violent people• are
hurrying iu iitlb. OXce deprived of the
proteSion of the laws, farewell liberty,
happiness, and every thing that is dear to
freemen. —IVe Jhall then, <zuben too late for
us to prevent ity experience the fame horrid
scenes of majfaere and devaflation which
have for fame fime pafl, and jlill continue
to desolate the H r ef I'lndies—'Wher? one day
the whites and another the blacks prevail,
and alternately murder and deflroyall before
them. These are the sure and certain con
sequences of anarchy —this the ble(fed praf
p.-ci ive have in view fthm abusing and
villijytng government; from encouraging,
injlead oj discountenancing licentioujnefs.
For the Gdzette of the United States
Mr. Fenno,
tT has become fafhibnable to call
this, the Jgc of Reason; and a pam
phlet has lately been thrown on the
public, as a baflard is laid in the streets,
without a typographic dad 01 mam to
claim the brat, with an intention to
juftify the title. I have perused the
take the liberty tp com
municate some thoughts, which the edi
tors are at liberty to make use of as a
preface to a second .edition.
ihe Age of jßeafon ! What then
have been the ages of our ancestors >—
the age of Newton, Boyle,Clarke,Locke,
an.l Addifon, men of the firft rate ta
lents ?—was theirs the age of ignorance ;
—and has the dawn of reason been re
ieived fag end of the 18th cen
tury ?—i lus reason, then, which here
ofore was efleemed at
ribute %1 humdfiity iA all ages, mflit
>e a species of revelation, communicated
••
But lieftfo we give full credence-to
he fi6ve!ty, it it not amil* to mak<
oroe enquiryinto the character of th(
tutflor, as weli as the raerii: of the sub
eft.—To begin With the firft.—Thi
neffenger has fofne (hades in his history
which, when exhibited in one vieV'
'ender the parity of his intentions i
ittle questionable. The busy tongui
if fame reports that, not many year
•go, he was an humble-iatellite of rdy
Jty, to wit, a petty officer of the Bri
tifll cuftoma ; —and that, in confeqneno
?f faifing to make up his accounts clear
ifflie cafne over to America, for th<
benefit of enjoying a freer air, than then
was any chance of doing in the fleet' o
Here he commenced afttthb:
and patriot:—and to.compedfett hia
sot liis writing! in favor of Independence
which ca'tc'hrd' the public favor a
fui-pfi'fingly, as lit' became a patriot, hi
was made a clerk to the cemmitteeof so
reign affairs. Not discharging his trust t<
the iatisfa6lion of his superiors, he wa
once mote reduced to a private ttation
It is like wife reported that, dutin;
his flay in Philadelphia, he spent grefc
part of his time in beer-houses, and ii
the company of a fair American, who
in due feafonj honored our author a
the father of one of her children*—
Whether he had any qualms about pa
tfonifing this frk'it of his unlawful amour
or whether he had any reason for them
we leave with the partiesbut, in <
fhorf timt, he thought proper to re
vjlrt the country of his fore-fathers
There, if thepen jaf Jiiftory- be faithful
Re spent his time m prcijedting
bf various kinds, writing against kings
and in reeling from one portei-fhop t<
another.—lt appears moreover that thi
people of England did not relish hi
opinions, quite as vyell as he expected
and that for one of his lad piecesj ai
dcftru<ftive to the-peace and, happinel
of their country, they threatened ou
knight errant with such serious ven
gcance that, to avoid a trip to Botany
, bay, he fled over to France, as a lef
•' dangerous voyagct
j To the last mentioned country fatrti
| Went before him i-—and, itrange as i
j may found, he was no sooner landed
| than he w?S called to the feat of a le
gillator, in the grand council of thi lia
j tioi); for which he was certainly leli
ill than Sancho Panza was to be govern
| or of an island :—but continuing ftea
j dy in his hatred of .kings, he soon trail!
■ fufed fiich a portion of his anti-roya
hat Louis the 16th was considered as
t ufclefs member of the body politic,
vas denounced, and the guillotine very
peedily closed the process. But, when
vithiii fight of port, fortune again play
:d the jilt with our author. The L'om
nittee of Safety, whose power is more
ibfolute than that of all the Louises
Jilt together, fufpe£tihg our political
Don Quixotte of plotting againlt the
why line! indivifib'ility of their power ;
md as their proceedings are conduced
vith remarkable dispatch, not being
.-logged with an Habeas Corpus ad.
Ie was quickly introduced to the caftlt
)1 Luxemburg:—where, as'acompli
lient to his claim of citizcnfhip in tht
Jiiited States, he has been indulged
vith a lengthy refpit from the fcaffold,
md as much beer and French brand)
is he can swallow. Here Thomas catch
:d his inspiration—and this is not fc
iiprifing, as it would be to hear o:
lis efeape. Let us try to account foi
t. To destroy the christian religion ir
United America, which inculcates sub
liiffion to the laws, and refpeft for it!
ninilters, might be considered by th<
Republic of France, in which this reli
jion is formally 'abolished, as such ar
:fiential service to their cause, as to en
:itle the author to a pardon and hi'
iberty : and this idea infufed into th(
lead of a poor culprit, constantly haunt
;d with the dreadful image of the guil
otine, must certainly be a powerful fpui
0 invention, and aided by the setheria
particles of aquavits, produce an un
eommen effect.
All these things being put.together;
1 confefs my faith in the author is a lit
tie daggered— But, on the other hand
when we come to consider that this ii
an age of molt wonderful events, whe
ther it be the age of reason or not, anc
that Thomas has touched the right kej
of popular which always delight:
in the removal of reflraints, lie may
notwithstanding the drawbacks I hav<
mentioned, be as fuccefsful in Americ:
in overturning the altars of the Deity
as he has been here and etfewhere, ir
(liakiftg the thrones of kings. Shoulc
it turn out so, it behoves the people o
America, to whose special intormatior
he has dedicated his lucubrations, ti
provide some new system for their ge
neral accommodation, before they total
1)' discard the ancient one if their fore
fathers. It would not b< prudent to
leave To ferioup a matter t> the fortui
tous jumble of the times; :>r implicitly
to adopt the religion of an] other coun
try' <
In the firft place then, ill jelling a
part, I would advife,'and Ihave as good
a right to advise as any cilprit in any
of the balliics of France, i lay, 1 re
commend it to my fcllow-.'itiy.ens of the I
United States, to gire tie old religion
a fair examination, and compare it with
the new one proposed. Church hilloiy
informs us that'the former made its way
into the world; again ft the combined
opposition of kings, piitfts and nobles,
and contains nothing advirfe to a repub
lican governmentthat, while it re
mained unmixed with humau inventions,
the profefToiS were diftingiiiJied by pu
rity of manners, imiv<rfal btnevolence,
and all the virtues which are necessary
to make a commonwealth hippy and
j fiouiifliing. At this day, evtn, after
so much hath bebvdone to tarnish its
beauty, and peiveit its design, the belt
and greatell men are fificere devotees of
th.'s religion. Glory to the l.\iiverfa)
Ruler, and peace and good-will among •
ttfeti are lis prominent features.
Can we fay as much for the French
philosophy ?—Or what can we lay for
it? If we recur to the writings of the
teaclwvs of tins fedt,- which differs from
all the feftsof ancient Greece, we flrail
discover such sophistry of argument, such
obfeenity of images, and such labyrinths
of scepticism, that a shaft* and candid
inquirer shrinks with difgull from the
perusal. If we coufider tlie solemn mum
mery, which Robeipierre has instituted
as the public worship of the Supreme, it
is such a hotcfr potch of barbarian feri
ociiy, and ridiculous frivolity as none
but such a head could invent, or
such a heart tolerate, is a serious a<S
of religion. Lastly, if we examine the
tree by its fruits:—if we look into the
present history (if this people, and, a
mic'it the rtorm that surrounds and per
vades them, catch, if pofiible, an idea
| of Reason and JuJlice, which they have
\ elevated to the j:ank of inferior deities,
we shall be more than ever perplexed.
Tliefe entities, or non-entities,call them
what you please, are so local, indefinite
and convertible, that wkat is adored as
celeitial in one place, is execrated and !
abhorred as tnofl infernal in another, f
The temple of Reason at Paris is built j
on the unmerciful definition of all!
( those, who dare to exercise the reafonir.g |
| faculty, by differing from the Committee j
jof Safety, or in the smallest degree to i
oppole those her tremendous Priests. j
r Ths .altars, .if JuDnoitcd hy !
rapine and plunder; smoke day and J
night with hecatombs of human faei ifi- j
cei, and refoui»d with the
grc ajis of widows and orphans.
In the French islands, where the vous
<iyz raifon is quite as rational as at Pa
risj thele fame reason andjufticc arc in
culcated by burning and lacking of
towns, destroying of plantations, and
plunging the bayonet in the breafls of
mail) woman; and child.
It is but a few years sinCe attempts
hr.ve Been made to introduce these no
velties into the United States of Ame
rica ; but wherever they have been em
braced, they have in a degree, produced
the fjrtie deleterious ef&dh as elfewhert:
they have poisoned the minds of her ci
tizens, and impelled them to acts of re
bellion againll the laws of their country
of ingratitude and defamation against
her most faithful and tried servants
Have such times, then, any title to be
diflinguifhed by the age of reason ? Or
shall we exchange the mild, beneficent
religion of our forefathers for this tur-
[ buieiit enthusiasm, which, in its infancy,
j a period when all religious systems are
the purest, creates such horror in the
niinds of those, who have escaped the
inft'dtion. 1 would sooner fetch ttiy
creed from the theology of Hefiod, or
the MetamorphoGs ot Ovid. Give me
rather the divinities of Rome and A-
thens ; as less dangerous to the peace
and happineft of the world<
FoJreign Intelligence.
BRUGES, June 17.
According to accounts received at
Tolirnay, the loss of the allies in the
engagement on the 16th on the Sambre,
Was ellimated at 2,50p men.
LISBON, Jiirte 1
It was currently reported yesterday
evening, that the unfortunate Queen
had had a paralytic Hroke, and trom
the effects of which it was lcarcsly ex
pected that flie could recover.
A small squadron of ships of war is
preparing, to convoy a fleet of trans
ports, on board of which are forae thou
sand troops for Roufillon.
Our recent accounts from the feene
1 of adtion, are more gratifying than usu
al. I u'nderftand, however, th3t it is
the intention of t'ne Spanish armies tc
act in future on the defend ve only.—
they can hope to accomplilk, and bj
offenfive measures they oi:ly attacl
fwaims of enemies. I do not believi
that they are fufficiently zealous in th<
caafe, to hazard even probable loss t(
malce a diversion in favor of any othe
power.
The Spanish fleet is itill in port ;
they are jealous of the Englilh. The
bulinefs of Toulon sowed the feedi of
much diflention, which I am persuaded,
has grown to fuch Vxtent, at least on
their part; that their present engage
ments with regard to France, alone ri
ftrain them from evincing their enmity.
LEGHORN, June x.
A squadron of 20 large men of war
has just made, its appearance off the
Gulph of Spezzia : we are ignorant to
what nation it belongs. An English
vefiel which entered this port, received
Immediate Orders to put to sea again,
nnlefs the commander should be provid
ed with the news of tlie blockade of Ge
noa being raised. The Captain making
no reply, the Commandant, ordered the
fortrefs to fire on the vefTel, which, af
ter receiving some damage, was obliged
to put to sea. The French are demo
lishing the fort of Saorgio, and pro
pose to pursue the fame plan with ref
peft to all the other fortieses on the
Italian fide of the frontifcf.
MADRID, May 11.
Our army in Rouflplon,having fnftained
considerable lofles, the King ha» called on
the whole naton for a levy'of 80,000 men,
to be taken by lot; and the recruits are al
ready beginning to aflemble. In the action
of the 41ft of April, the ttoops which fuf
fered the most were the Walloon guards,
the regiment of Guadalaxar, and two
fquadrofis of cavalry. Six field officers,
among ther.i the Marcjuis la Torres, who
had a yearly income of 60,000 ducats, were
killed.
On the fide of Navarre, our troaps have
matje an irruption into the French territo
ry, and defeated the enemy, whbfe vil
lages they burned, And carried off a con
siderable"booty.
At Barcelona and Cartliagena, 40 fhipa
of the line are fitting. They are to carry
troops to be debarked on k iecret expedi
tion.
The German Emperor Frderick 111.
earned the five vowels, A, E, I, O, U,
to be engraved by way of infeription on
the fremtifpiece of the Imperial Palace at
Vienna. They fighify Auftriacorum eft
imperare Orbi Univerfo, that Is, " The
deftinyof the House of Austria is ttrtoin-
The Count de Provence (Monsieur J ar
rived at Verona on the sjth of May. M.
Mocenigo, the Governor, made an offer
of hit carriages, and every thing else lie
fiiouid have occr.fion for, during his resi
dence there. This unfortunate Prince re
plied—" That he would be better fuitcd
by a little apartment in some obfciire cor
ner of the city, being unequal to the ex
pence of an inn—because he had no money.
LONDON, June 134
At the close of the present campaign, the
expenditures of the war will amount to
full Thirty Millions sterling.
It is a circumflanpe not generallv
known, that the Brunfwick had -16 of her
guns dismounted in the action of the ift of
June.
One of the cutler's (hops at the weft
end of the town, has a board, on which it
inscribed, '' new invented spurs for
ladies." Several will informed gentlemen
of our acquaintance, a (Pure us, that the
ladies of the present day have more occasi
on for new-invented Bridles.
l aihion, which loves to deal in ex
tremes, has now quitted the fantaflic frip
pery of France for the drapery of the
Turk: and the tempting di eflts of the
Seraglio succeed the fantaitic wantonnefs of
the. Parifinn Belles.
Died, at Edinburgh, in the 30th year
of her marriage, ar.d 7 months pregnant Of
her %6th child, Mrs Alice Lauranfon D'
Afti, aged 45 years.
Legislature of Pennsylvania.
Hovse or Representatives,
September 13.
The bill for the fuppreflion of the
western irifurrefiion was read a third
time, and pafled, Yeas 45 Nays 18.
Mr. M'Lene aikec leave to enter a
protest on this vote at a future day. It
was obje&ed, that the house (hould
have an opportunity firll of judging
whether it contained no improper re
flexions. The question 011 granting
leave was postponed.
Tlie petition of the Schuylkill eanal
company, praying, that the unappro
priated money in theTreafury be vested
in (hares of said company, or that a
a ium be lent them at ah interest of fix
per cent, was read a second time, and
on motion referred to the confederation
of the next legislature.
1 he bill to allow certain freemen of
Northumberland to vote at the next
election in the town of Swibarv pa ffi-d
to a third reading.
j Mr. Sw. nwick of the committee an.
Pointed, reported a bill for the better
prefsrvation of the health of the city
1 ne land office bill was taken up, in
«fe XT Mr " Erwi »
Tbe firft feaion provides, that after
office flail be Ihut again ft rJI a'.'J-Vatf.
ons for lands except where a frttleroent
' - a'h ma 1 P rovidcd .nothinfri„ the
.aft shall injure persons holding iands
the Taa°4r P Th VmentS agre " bl >' to
this feftion. 9 committee agreed
The second feftion provides, thataf.
ter the palling of the aft, all the ,n_
plications in the land office on which the
payments Hue are not made, lhall be
considered as void. It was moVr . d to
make an amendment to this feftion
giving a limit# time for making the
payments due on those applications. In
favor of this motion it was principally
urged, that the applications had beert
lodged under the expedition ot' credit,
and that to declare that credit at an end)
without Warning, was unjuil; also, that
those applicants who were at the feat of
government would have an advantage
over those at a diftapce, by making
good {heir payments ; and, that monied
men might, before the law was finally
past, make applications for lands al
ready applied for by pcrfons who had at
much trouble acquiied a knowledge of
them, but who might on the spur of
the moment not be able to pay the pur
chase money.
Against the motion it wag urged ttlkt
when the legiflatuir pasted the law rela
tive to the land office during the last fef.
fion, it was intended, that it ftiould
then at a certain limited time exclude
the delinquents ; but by a conitru&ion
put_iipon the law by the attorney gene
ral it was made to extend to only a por
tion of the applicatiops, and that that
intention; which was well known, but
which had been defeated by an improper
wording of the law, mult have been a
fufficient warning to the delinquents.
That the delinquents were chiefly
speculators who defeived no indulgence
from the state ; that it was a doubt
whether the state had land enough to
dispose of to latisfy all the applications
in the land office, and that if they, should
prove not to have enough; it would be
unjust that those who had paid and those
who had not, fhflnlii fair »P»" iu> _
■ *>-
The motion was finally by a
considerable majority, and the fedlion
agreed to.
The committee then rose, reported
progress and obtained leave to fit again
on Monday.
Adjourned.
PHILADELPHIA,
SEPTEMBER ij;
A correspondent observes, that the
speech lately made by a certain Dema
gogue, in a certain rcfpeflable Aflembly,
must be regarded as a proof of the diflicul
ty of corre<fting bad habits : For in the aft
of giving his aflent to measures so r.eceflary .
to the preservation of his own property,
hecould not help lamenting, that a mem
ber had been prevented from /peaking out, .
or in other words from dwelling upon the
identical falfe and mifekievous Topics,
which have been so industriously used tti
mislead the people in the western counties.
It is much to be wished, that the unhappy
catastrophe which this kind of J "peaking oat
is likely to produce, may convmcrthe herd
ofpopularity seekers, of the truth of the
old adage, That it iimuchcajier to raise the
Devil than to lay him.
Extrafl ofa letttr from the Eajltvard.
*' Of all the anarchical and antifederal
writers, none miss their aim more than
those who censure the President; for so
great is the affe£Hon of the people towards
hiift, and their confidence in him, that
they at once conclude such writers are
knaves or fool*.
Indeed the confidence of the people mutt
be well founded, or there never can be con
fidence in any ruler; for if a long life of
virtuous patriotism, devoted at every ha
zard to his country, and filled with fuccefs
ful exertions for the will not
inspire affedtion and confidence nothing
ivi/I.
The.PIOPLE dp lore and confide in him,
and it is an high evidence of their good
understanding.—But who are the men who
cepfure the Preftdent ? a few disappointed
foreigners—and a very few others, who
want promotion, and are unworthy of it."
The subscription opened, for the sup
port of the wives and families of those
persons who may engage in the service of
their country, against the infurgents,whofe
circuuiftances in life render luch
neceflary, is filling fact.
The Philadelphia Light Hofy—tht
Second Volunteer Trtibp of Light Horfi
v " **V
/ -•>>*
1 »' A "