m
•*
v
UNITED STATES.
KEW YORK, November 8.
Rtvolution in France.
[continued.]
I hare said ill the preceding papei,
that ill France there is no standard or
political right and -wrong—patriot aod
traitor are indefinite teims, which mean
any thing that the populace can be
made 10 bs-litve. He who can " ride
in the whirlwind and direst the storm,"
—he who can guide the movements of
the populace is the patriot of the
day.—He woo is deserted by the popu
lace, too fur no fault but his iutegrity
or an error in judgment, i« inftantlv
crushed and execrated as a traitoc.
The reason of this it, these is no fix
ed fbrm of government in France, the
rnuftitutioii has been suspended by an
■ct of the convention, and Fnaace is
now filbjedt to what they call a Revo
lutionary Government; that U, an ar
bitrary government, a variable govern
ment) changing pro rc nata and taking
any form that may suit existing circum
itaiicesi This in nature and eflence is
precisely the facie as the despotic. go
vernments of the Eatl. It is the very
eflence of arbitralv government to have
no fixed fwfc or principles.
On the diflolution of monarchy, the
Kational Convention (hculd have either
formed a temporary government, with
some fixed piiuciples, to conduct them
thro' the revolution to the establishment
6T peace ; as the Pole! very wifely did ;
<*> they Atcultl have followed the Ro
maus ["whom they affect to imitate in
ether things of little consequence J and
appointed a dictator for a time to be
limited to one or two y*itrs, or to the
duration of the war, or to the expuliion
o." the combined powers from their ter
ritories. L'he Romans had recourse to
this expedient in times of great public
danger t and dreadful as the alternative
insy appear, it is infinitely less dreadful,
than the revolutionary government the
French teforted to—a government ma
naged by fereral hundred pet lons with
equal powers—a government neceflarily
producing all Iv.ids oi intrigue, faction,
corruption, jeaioufy, crimes and mui
der. Of >11 the kinds of government
«tet attempted by man in Europe, Alia,
Africa oi America, the revolutionary
government, in Fiance was the wOrlt
talculated to produce any good—the
belt calculated to engender all manner
of calamities and crimes.
A convention of 6 or flqo men,
without an executive or judiciary, and
without • Senate tocontroulits proceed
ings—a fing'e alTembly, compo'fed most
ly of young unexperienced wen, who
had no fixed principles or system toguide
them, and many of them ambitious,
aspiring and vifiouarf —this aflembly
governed by a feleit club who prepared
meafurei the night before' in the hall of
the Jacobins, and hired a body of the
populace to take feats in the galleries, ;
and applaud one party and hiss down*
another—a convention acting from the
impulse of the moment, without order,
and often without debate—a violent, ir
regular, heterogeneous body—From
fnch a let»iflatuie thus directed, and
pressed with public danger, what system
what orden, what wifdoin could be ex
pected? What views, what disorders,
what furious factions and multifarious
calamities mult neceflarily flow from
such A iotircc ?
The fault is not in the men ; it is in the
government. 1 will venture to declare
that ninety nine of" all the men who
Lave peri filed on the fcaffold io that ex
tenfjve country, entered into the 1 evolu
tion originally with spirit, zeal andfio
cerity ; who had honell views, and were
uever coirupted with gold. Some of
tbcm became enemies to the revolution
afterwards, because it wag conduced
with too much violence and carried too
far—but the greatest part of them v/ctc
uever enemies to the revolution or to the
nation—they were only obliged to take
tides with contending factions, an
those who happened to be with the
unfuccefsful faction in opinion, fuffcred
(he fate of their leaders.
Nor were the lcadert of parties bad
men, tyrants, traitors and cohfpirators
against the nation. Mod of them were
pursuing what they deemed the belt
ineafures for the public good. Probably
very few of them would have fuflered,
had there been a constitution and fixed
laws to have controlled the wills of the
violent factious. La Fayette, Duaiouricr,
Brufot, Damon and Robespierre, under
fixed rules of proceedure and a fettled
constitution of government, would have
been as fafe at this moment, and their
pertons as inviolable, as Mr. Pitt and
Mi' Fox iu the commons of England,
or aa Mr. Madison anil Mr. Smith, la
the Lcgiflature of the Uniteo State*.
Molt of the fillen 'Revolutionists in
Prance have been v itlims, not to what
our laws would make treason or crimes;
not to any corruption of their heart*,
but to faction. There being no law to.
:heck otatrol and silence the violent
parties in the convention, and it being
mpofiible t.> carry raeafures into effect
•villi two or nsjre faations, almost equal
•xitting in th. convention at the -(ante
time ; it w4i neceflary, after such facti- j
ons had arifer., to take violent steps, and
one party to faorilicc the other. But
filch fadlioiis never can exifl where con-
It it ut ion and law are fuprume. Tbey
grow only ii a state without fixed prin-!
i ipko of order and subordination ;or if
ihey arise under good government, they j
arc immediately suppressed 111 a regular 1
way, by the force ot law.
Thus iii our Gongrrfs, the principles
c/f <> jpofition are ;is fixed, ar.d aim.iit as
violent as ever they Were in the conven
tion of France : and one party has com
mand of what is .called the populace ;
that is, a body of men, many of t;ie ref
peftabje good citizens in private hie ;
and many of them a tlai's of transient
people, tiplers and unprincipjtd nien,
who are found and ealily collected for
riotous purposes, in all large towns'
Had thefc peop'e more ftretfgth,*, and
were thitfy not overawed by the laws' of
the country or perhaps had some Violent
meafiues irritated them more at the mo
ment, it is more than piobable that
the lives of some sos our mod emi
nent patriotic republicans, and hi nt fup
portcts of our government, woukl last.
winter have fallen a facrifice to the firry
of this populace. Their property moil
certainly would not have been fafe. Yet
there is neither treason, no>* crimes, nor
corruption to warrant any violence.' A
mere difference of opinion, zealously
and warmly maintained, is the only
thing that makes one party oppose, per
haps hate the other.
These remarks /how the nature of the
revolutionary government in France. It
is composed. of violent fa&ions, always
contending ; each driving forpower and
determined to crush all opposition.
j Mr.Pitt, ijireplyto Mr. Sheridan in the
! house of Commons last July, said explicit-
I It that the object of the wai was the • ei
■ Urpation ofjacobinifm,' the combinedpow
| irs certainly might have saved themfefves
1 all this trouble and expense ; for Jacpiii
i nifmor club government ii rapidly cm nig
itielf in France ; and if it cannot cere iu 11
foreign nations can never cure it. The
' truth is, the variety of famous which the
' present government of Fr.iu-c has ori c;mjt
■ ed,and which it will continue :o originate
will he iound toproducenot only the orcii
! naryevilsof afree government,hutdefpo
tifmin every varietyoffhape. Nogovcr. ■
• mcnt tan secure freedom one hour,unlefs
> •
' 1.8 proceedings aTe cond.ifted !,y fixed li
: rules and with deliberation: . - dnofucli its
! rules can ever be eftabhfl.ed, until the ' otR
j legislative body is set totally above the mcm .
influence of a furroundinj? populace.— „■
o i_ i n • ■ 1 mi . <• on thai.
j ouch alegiflativebody Will not loon bt Man,'
j fouud in France. The populace havi Tallien s .
| th utorife tiyiy j Wygfh
[privilege ot hiding atid ciappin- the-1 was then proj
no easy mattes to silence them. It is J 3
very certain at this moment, that r a ,c "P'°f\
convention are so much overawed by the government > \ \L\
t«d ut ifatg-'' ate
bring forward a decree foriemo\iugtheir I '.ioneii' A
feffiow from Paris. Jp is relac
The Revolution was a glorious thin| is
•>—and mult ultimately prove a blessing . WUtiaittecs. ItK
to all Europe. But the government o»' ° or( jJ r of the
fjrltfcce u eoeattaHy wroog,and it mu v Tretllarf hi-t*
continue to produce every fpecics of in- tee of public f
ternal confuhou and difordet. Severe "hat morning
experience and itreamsof innocent blood mof the
will, after a long time, teach the French 'capture
nation and all the world, that govern- r
rtient by clubs, little felf created arifto- V
cittcics, and by ii regular collections of
the populace, is the moll tyrannical
despotism ever exercised over men ; and
that freedom rells alone on the broac
balls of a free independent legislature.
PHILADELPHIA,
NOVEMBER 13.
LATEST
Intcrejlitig Intelligence,
/rem Papers Irought by the San/am.
NATIONAL CONVENTION,
nth Frudidor—Aug. aB.
Tallien.—" What is the 1 evolutionary
government ? I do not understand by the
revolutionary government the prolongati
on of a system of infurre&ion, but a go
vernment which cart make itfelf dreadroi
to its enemies, it the time it is beloved by
the people, must call to the remembrance
of this a dumbly the scenes of horror of
which France was the theatre under the
tyranny of Kobcfpierre j they were the
offspring of a system of terror, a fyf
teiu which must at Uft be replaced by
piflice. I projofc that the Coat«miort
.fliould diercc.
Ift. Thit.it Us Resolved to maintainthe
revolutionary government.
id. That tie meeting of the primary
afleminits is heceiiarily dcftru&iv'e of thil
government, and that all good citizen»
•ujrht to diftrufl thofc Who desire their ccu-
Voi.HioU.
3d. That the system of terror is tyran
riieil.
4th. That the prosecution of authors
for pufclifhing tjieir opinion is tyrannical
Lifibt. " V/ithou doabt that phi'.o
fophy ii amiibl?, whi'i' yi Hi"' only for
tH< feign of juftiee ; bat those, who wiih
notv that the fyfteni of terror should he
proscribed, are tin. fiffie who formerly
tnotai '."'at terror. ftiould be the order of
day. They iptufc 0. iuflicc —,Ve too
wiih forjufKce : but ju'tice is nothing
nloh: than the mode of judging of aclion ;
and (bail we put ah er.jto thoTe meaiures
of general precaution I* l '.vhich France
tiweo its fucceftj artdevciijti rxilidnce I
" In ahcioijt republics viitriotil tiien were
fen; into exile j itid.ffial! the i-tciluh Re
public not fret itlel. < { (hok dangerous
T",c;i vv'rio have di'iinU in Afii th'eif lilrtn,
j'lis.ciplci the molt hoiltlc to_ erjuatisy ( ? I
niove t.iat Tallinn's fjicutf be piitmSjfr.St
the errors which ii.coataifls may be refl<-
ed; but I tfte've the aJjouriiiiici/t of inc
tlecrite which he proposed. -
T'hnridt: " I oppose both the print-.
I ing and the adjournment. The speech of
TallieU would hive obtained every fuf :
had he fii? courage to make it si*
months Ago. We are now far removed
frifJti, the tyranny of Robespierre, and the
wholc_ convention, in overthrowing that
tyrSfrft; htfd Ho intention of f>.bilhutihga
nother: AH of us who are here are the
tritntf. of liberty, and our only delire is to
proceed in confirming it.
" ( The members here all arose up as
aflua'ted with one impulse, and manifeftcs
amidst the budeft appiaufes of the tri
bunes, that fnch was its unalterable deter-,
ruination.)
Without doubt the speech of Tallien
proceeds frtfm a goo J intention, but it re
flects no honor on his fygacity. " Why,
when We have buried Wfraqny in the grave
of the triumvirs, frottkl wc wiih to recall
such melancholly rcmerjfcrances ? It is the
only means of rekindling factions ; and we
are far from approving any such odious
plan. Tallien requires from 'Us definiti
ons j they exifl i;f tbi law. which yoa
have proclaimed/ All the world well
knows tnat th'-e revolutionary government
d<n-s not (end to tfu converting of France
into a grave 3 but that it is only a more ra
pid movement towards our ultimate ob
" When our bu.talkms lire r. '.valuing a
gainst theeneifly, Ihouid a soldier wander
from his ranks, and retard the genofi!
march, he is punihied. V'c are all in the
prefen :c of the enemy , and all those. who
(hall, deli re to retard the operations of go
vernment ought to incur the.Vengtance of
the laws.
They tell yop of a new tyranny: i>y
what means could it haveeftabEfned itfdf?
Have you not divided authority among ths
different crunmitt.es ? It is no longer, the
fame hand that at the jiiinjftijrie gorerns
the finances, and adtuatis the civil and mi
litary powers: every committee moves in
its prefevibed circle, and the- convention a
lone ex;rcifes the revolutionary govern
ment, I therefore move the order of the
day, both on the qucftion of printing, and
on thai of the adjonrnmcn:.
Man/ meirtbirs, however, infilled oil
Tallin's fpe?cli beifte: printed ; it was at
reed. The order of the day
r>pi)f-d on the plan itfelf.
" oppt>.'"ed it.
i; de Jontenay. " What is
propo:es to you, but to aiTert
I maintain the revolutionary
A declaration that is ufclefs
lave already raofl; solemnly
Another part ox" the propo
tive to the liberty of the prels;
11 is already referred to -jtir
I therefore support the order
er of the day was decreed.
1) in the name oi the commit
tee of public fafety, announced, that he
that morning received, through-the medi
um of the Telegraphe, the news of the
recapture of Valenciennes. [Loud ap
plaufss ruounded through every part of the
hall. 2 The committee had not yet re
ceived the details ; he no <fc>tibt, how
ever, but that they would foou ai rjve by
a courier. I '
CAPITULATION or SLUYS.
The Gen. commanding the fortref*
ofSluvs, propofci-io the Gtneral of the
French troops to furi aider tile garnfor
on the following terms:
Art. I. The ganif.m fball march out
in 4 hours after the (lgning of the ca
pitulation, with all the honours of war 5
with their camp equipage and baggage,
and (hall take the route they please to
the United Provinces. The French
General (hall furnifh the neceflarv con
veyance for the removal -4 the lick. ■
Anf. The garrilon (hail march out in
48 licurs after the capitulation is signed,
by Zudport, with the honors of war,
as a testimony of the gallant defence
they have made; they (hall lay down
their arms after having pafled the slui
ces; (hall be condu&ed, as prisoners of
war, and fenj to such place as the Re
public lhall appoint; the officeia and
foldicis (hall retain their baggage.
11. The Gck who remain, (hall be
•maintained and cured at tk« expeoce of
the state ; they (hall afterwards be fur- ,
nifhcd witb the necessary pafTports fjr
the purpose of rejoining their regiments.
Cotnmiflaries {hall be appointed to re
gulate this article.
Anf. As foou as the sick are cured
they shall follow the fate of the garrison.
111. The artillery, magazines, and
arsenals (hall be surrendered, after the j
necessary delay, by commifiai.'es ap
pointed on each fide.
Anf. After the capitulation is sign
ed, commifiaries shall enter the place
for the purpose of receiving from the
commissaries of the garrison, the artille
ry, military magazine*, and every thing
belonging to the fortifications.
IV. The inhabitants shall not be mo
lested on account of their private opinions,
'nions, or of the conduct which they
have adopted.
Anf. Granted.
r -, ]■■■■ ■:
i§S
t/tldj& lervants who are not foldkw,
Iwll.bc permitted to retire to their oVrn
cojitL(y..., Paflpoijfs ftullbejjtdt&ed jb
tbfrtl. , ...The fciTa<ftwdfrrc
malo with iWffpafter*.' , \
Anf. Granted. . . ,
yil, The commiffafies on each fide
fti'ali little the number of carriages lie
ceffary for the removal of the sick afld
the effedls of the gan ifon.'
Anf. Granted.
VIII. The fame commissaries (hall
also fettle the number of surgeons necef
faiy to be left .vith the lick who remain
at Sluys, and of those who are to ac
company the garrilbn.
Anf. Granted.
IX. The officers who are convalelcent
(hall keep their hoi fes—the general
shall also retain with him such officer as
he may feleift.
Anf. Granted.
SEPARATE ARTICLE.
The emigrants will not be permitted
'o eapiuihte.
.1 'sfc&pt the ftfoppfitiboii qtade is,
rae. : ' //.
Sluys, Augufl 29.
• (SijrneJ)
Major Gen. V an der Duih.
Htad-QuaKers a: Afdcnburgh,
8 I'ruftidor, 2d year of the
. Republic.
Mo&sau, Gen. of the division.
CAPITULATION of VALEN-
CIIiNHES,. /,
IN THE MAKE OF THE FRENCH RE-
PUBLIC. i - J
»
Art. I. The gatrifon of Valencien
nes (hall furrrnder prisoners of war, and
march out with all the honours of war :
being arrived 011 the glacis of the gate
of Mons, they (hall lay down their anns,
and i:i 4.8 hours after the signing of the
present capitulation, they (hall be con
dadted with an escort to the firft post of
the Imperial and Dutch armies.
11. Hie garrison (hall give their pa
role not to agsinft the Fiench ar
my, till the said garrison (hall be exchan
ged with equality of numbers, and e
qUality ofraak.
111. As soon as the present capitu
lation be figtied, the troops of the he
-1 public (hall take pofftfiwa of the Mons
} a;id Tournay gates, a; each of which
[ (hall be polled a battalion of grenadiers.
IV. All the ciT.-cto beloi iging to the
j emperor or the such as artille-
I ry, ammunition and pioviiions, maga
zines of all kinds, money, papers, memo
rials, plans, indrurtions relative to the
fortiiicatLnsand mines, /hallbe faithful,
ly Gtl.vercd and explained to the troops
oi'the republic, without thelealt refervc.
V. To tUat end an officer of engi
neers, one of artillery, a war commi(fa
ry, anda ttaff-officer (hall be chofeu, to
whom the above mentioned articles (hall
te faithfully delivered.
VI. The whole gsrrifon (hall retain
their baggage, and. the necefiary horses
Ml be furnifhed them for transporting
the fame.
VII. All the emigrants and jeferters
(hall be delivered up to the troops of
the Republic.
VIII. The garrison of Valenciennes
(hall be victualled until the?* arrival at*
their refpeClive advanced polls.
IX. Till the moment of the depar
ture of the gairifon, no one, whether
militaiy 01 burgher, (hall be allowed to
go out o( the (ortrefs, excepting the of
.jcers employed in making the invento
liesof the articles contained in the for
trefs.
The (ick and wounded of the dif
ferent, corps in the garrison (hall be treat
*d and atltrtded with the knavri: hma*
nity of the French nation, and as
as they (hall be cured, they {hall be con
duced to the advanced posts of the ar
mies to which they belong, they con'
forming themfehes to the atticlci of
capitulation, and waggons (hall be f ur .
nifhed for such is can immediately fol
low their corps.
Head quarters, before Valencienntj,
27th Augult, the second year
French Republic, one and indivifiblc. * -
ADDITIONAL ARTICLES.
I. The magillrates having been o
bliged to accept the posts with which
they have been inverted iince the old
magillrates left the city, and having ul>
ways condudted therafelves well to
what concerned the public welfare, snail
be in no wife niolcfted, no mure than
the peaceable inhabitants, and they
be kft to the enjoyment of their p ro .
perties.
Answer. This article, not being of
a military competency, (hall be referred
to the representatives of the people,
wTio will take it into confideratiou, and
will ordain as juflice requires.
11. The inhabitants, who .For foiae
months have abandoned the town thro
fear, (hall be at liberty to return within
the term of (ix months, and in the meaa
time their goods, furniture, and effects,
(hall remain under the fafe-ruard ofthe
law, and their friends, housekeepers or
serv ants, who (hall have the guard of
them.
Answer, Referred to the dfcifioa
of the rjprefmtatives of the people.
IH» The guarantee of the quiet pof.
fc(Tton to every one of their property,
moveable and immoveable efFefts.
IV. The debts contracted by the
gairifia:) (hall be paid by his majesty
the emperor as soon as poflible, con
formably to the' proclamation to that
effedt; figncd by General Van CammcJ.
ler, commander of the garrison, audiLe
war commissary, Lukfwal.
The general commanding the army
of the French rep;) 'ic expe£U that ge
neral Van Cairm.licr (hall employ his
endeavours to obtain a speedy payment
of the said debts.
.Laltly, That the garrison (hall march
out of the furtrefs on Saturday the "Oth
of August, between eight and nine in
the morning.
WbUDRICHEM, Sept. 13.
On Thursday a strong French pa
trols, of about <OQ cavalry, and fame
chaiTeurs, penetrated as far as Capelle,
Walwyk, and.Sprang, and forced the
Dutch, troops pofttd in those places,
cunfiltilig of the Hnffars of Hekeren,
and the cavalry of B-oti, to fali back.
Part of theL- retreated to Heufdervaiiil
the reft to Gertruydeuberg. The french,
after having carried off some horfesand
effects,' retui aed, and the ppfis were
a<jain occupied by our troops. The
Dutch head-quarte;sai'e at Raamfdoiik.
HAGUEj Sept. 6.
Our horizon seems to clear up a lit
tle. Breda is not besieged, and the
Frcach have informed the Duke of
York of the repeal ps the decree by
which no quarter was to be given to the
Engltfh and Hanoveria/is.
Sept 14.
The head-quarters of the troops of
the States, have been removed from
Raamfdonk to G°>'>ochem.
By private letters we learn, that the
headquarters of the French, which
were at Oofterhout, have been remov
ed from thence towards the vicinity of
Bois-le-duc.
BOIS LE UUC, Sept. 8.
The Hereditary Priucc of Orange,
the Austrian General Beaulieu, and the
Duke of York held a conference in tilts
town, relative to the new treaty con
cluded between the courts of Vienna
and London, according to which the
Austrian army, now under Geneial
Clairfayt, is to aft at the pleasure of
the maritime powers.
The llrength of the French army in
the l ow countries is said to be as fol
io** 15,000 naeu near Breda, 15,000
near Bois-le-Duc, 30, O-' under Gen.
Pichegru near Nimeguen, 70,6 6 under
General Jourdan near Maeftricht. Ihe
Flench expect moreover a reinforcement
of >c,ooi men,
MANHEIM, Sept. 5.
On tljie Ift inllant a grand council of
war was field at the lunik 1 of. Baron de
Belderbufch, Governor of tf«is city- It
was attended by several Austrian and
Palatine Generals, and is thought to
have related to the passage at 1 ofs the
Rhine, which is to be immediately ef
fected. For this purpofc there art great
movements in the AuUrian army ; and
a great nuulber of t loops are already
palling down the Rhine.
Several corps had reached the.vicini
ty of this city ; at the fame time tbat