j 'From the Engli/h Review.
•NATIONAL AFFAIRS.
For the month of February.
FRANCE.
The present period is a period of lingular anx
iety and suspense. Reflection on pad is loft in con
jecture and anticipation of futwre scenes. Eveiy
where we behold preparations for war, and Begoci
-tions for peace. France, faint frcun the loss of
blood, and apparently without the means of redor
ing her Itrength & reviving her spirits, yet aj'umei
the attitude and language of a conqueror and dic
tates the terras of an insulting peace with a firm
• voice, and an impoflng countenance. She -infills,
or pretends toWfift, on the pofllffion of conquests
that" (hall bound her dominion only by the Rhine,
-the Alps and the ocean. The courts of Vienna
and London, indignant at such arrogant and dan
gerous claims, prepare to.push the war with the ut
tnalt vigor. The French fepds armies, to the j
number of three hundred thousand, to the . Rhine ;
the emperor under the neceflity of malting war on
a limilar scale, opposes above two hundred thou
sand regular forces, and a kind of militia, confid
ing of the armed peasantry ofthe provinces neartfi
to the Icene of. a&ioo. Never finee the irruption
of the -Franks into Gaul, did the Rhine witness
luch numerous holla ; never was his'ft ream threat
ened with so deep a tincture of blood. * It would
seem that there is a fort of revulsion in the progress
of society : a gradual return to that date in which
•our barbarous ancestors -of them armed'
The armies and the expences of the contending
parties have been regularly increased, for the lait
tyro hundred years, in an arithmetical progreffioti.
After all, it is not impoßible but the
trace may, as truces almod always -do, terminate in
peace. The unheard of slaughter that mud fol
low an appeal to arms, between armed nations of
men, in a conteflr exasperated and .rendered more
obftirate by the fruitlefliiefs of negociation, is fare-
Iy enough to make the llouteft heart tremble, and
the .most callous, even among the ambitious rtllers
of nati.rra, to feel. We are, therefore", not with
out hopes that the armidice -will be prolonged,
that the spirits of the belligerent powers will grad
ually be calmed, and that though regiment may be
added ta regiment, by way of counters, for the pur
pose of displaying resources and strength, peace will
untimately follow, without farther bloodlhed, in
cre ;l«d military-preparation, and pro t rafted aego
. ciation.
There are many quedions fobs considered• in
calculating the probabilities of war and peace,; but
they may all of them be reduced to the three fol
lowing :
Firlt, how far the contending parties nave, or.
either fide, attained their original objects in going
to war.
Secondly, how far those objeCts, in the course
of the war, have been changed.
Thirdly, whatever their objects may dill be,how
farthe.fart-her prosecution of the war offers a rea
sonable hepe of their attainment.
Which party was the iggrcffo! in the present
■war, it is now ufelefa to enquire, and it would be
difficult to determine. The French tyg#r grinned,
the Englilh lion growled : doth darted forth <
their claws into action. Tho rulers of France
had, doubtless, for thrir tird with, their principal
objetl, the establishment of the revolution. IT»e
practicability of this they doubted, without effeft
jrig a-rhange in the ffdem of Europe: they ac
arqtiirpd tbe free navigation of the Scheldt, in vio
lation of the treaty of Munder, and they enter
tained "thoughts, which they were *t no great
paine to conceal, of forming the ten provinces <if the
Aiidrian Netherlands into an independent repub
lic ; and, in the natural progression of pride, of de
mocratizing all neighbouring nations; though
this project was formally disavowed, afterwards,
and perhaps, for the fake of peace, would have
been abandoned.
The allies wished to maintain the edablilhed sys
tem of Europe, to protect the Stadtholder and the
Seven United Provinces, to present an iron barrier
againd the eontagion of innovation ; and they too,
in the progress of pride, and ambition, meditated
the difroemberment of France, and individually
their own aggrandizement.
But in- these ahjefts, on either fide, there has ,
been, in the couife of the war, a considerable
change. Neither has the internal adminidration
of France been such as to invite her neighbours to
follow her example, nor have the arms of the allies i
been so fuccefsful as to juftity any hopes of con
queft,f or of fu'oduing the power, and the incon
querable will of liberty—even liberty run mad—
by force of arms. The Ipirit of amhirion, one
would imagine, would now be prettv much abated
on both tides. But, whatever their object may
still be, how far does the farther prosecution ofthe
war otfer a reasonable hope of their attainment ?
The great hopes of the grand mover «f the alh
ance, the Britilh government, are founded, avowed
ly, an thedepreciition of the French aflignats, or
paper currency ; but the refourcesof a country are
nothing else than its physical refoureij, vii. its pop
ulation, means of fubfillence. capital, and the in
dudry, genius, and valour ofthe inhabitants. Mo
ney, in fact, is only a mark or sign of the value of
labor. Productions of art, and reproductions of
natuie, may be carried on without intermediate
signs of wealth. It is polfible for a great nation,
with an immense and fertile country, to go on
without them : and if it be possible, the French
nation will make the attempt. It is vain, thcre
* Et m'uittr fpumantem /anguine Rhennm.
Lucan.
f The folly and madness of such an attempt was
predicted at the outset of the war by Mr. Fox and o
ther gentlemen, on the general grounds of hiftoryand
human nature ; and by General Macleod, on these
grounds, and alio; uiore particularly, on that of the
general principles of war in the present age To the
want of luch generalization it is that we are to al'cribe
our late public failures and rtifallers. This is the lan
guage of --onviftinn, nor of party spirit ; which we
totally ditclaim. —It is oh the balis of impartiality alone
that we hope to establish this pro and con
is to the belt of our ability given on every fubjeft.
i. fote, to ftippofe that the resources of France will
, nut survive the cxidenceof their aflignats. On
tbe other hand, the refourcts of the confederates
are great, particularly of Gteat Britain, wboft
commerce is extended far beyond its utmod extent
in any former period, and is ftilHncreafing, stimu
lating arid -flourilhing at fame time an increa>e
- of manufactures, and also, though in an inferior
i- degree, an advancement in agriculture. It is to be
y presumed, that both Trance and England will take
- the advice of the apodle Paul, M Look not every
f man on his own things, but also on the things of
• others." -If they do this with due reflection and
s candour, they will be disposed to meet each other
- half-way, in tlfe road of peace ; unlcfs, indeed*
i they reconcile themfclves to the idea of waging
, perpetual war againd each other, as was formerly
s the case-between the Christians and the Turks, —•
, But this is not to be supposed J•& therefore it may
i be concluded, that France will -give tip her con
. queds for peace, and-England also hers, with those
. from Holland, and those also to be made hereafter
: in the Wed Indies, into the bargain.
; But ought peace to be fsade with .France on the
i supposition thqt fce infills still on retaining her ter
ritorial conqueds, although (he (hould consent to
grant an equivalent to the Emperor on the right
fide of the Rhine, and to Great Britain in com
mercial and maritime aggrandisement ? Qn this im
portant question the opinions of men are divided,
though, to use the phraseology of ths House of
Commons, the noes, (and in our judgment with
reason) seem to have it. There is one considerati
on (tending at lead to a temporary pacification)
that will naturally occur to a political and quick
people, not very much reflrainfd by treaties ; name
ly, that, although they Ihould coefcnt to the redi
tution of the Netherlands, the barrier being de
droyed by the improvident redlefsnefs of Joseph 11.
they might embrace an opportunity of taking pof
lefiion of them afterwards. All these motives for
peace on the part of France, must be seconded by
the present aspeCt of the great powers of Europe.
From ' -SPAIN,
indeed, they hare nothing to as little,
perhaps, to hope. There is an apparent imbecili
ty and indecision in the Spanilh court. The nation
is in forae danger, it is -said, of internal difiention
and contest In
ITALY,
according to the lated accounts, the kings of Sar
dinia and Naples have determined to adhere to the
confederacy.—
THE EMPEROR
makes the mod vigorous preparations for war. Molt
of the principal dates and princes of Germany have
agreed to furnilh their quotas for carrying on the
war ; and as ro the
v KING OF PRUSSIA,
although he be more disposed, by hook and by crook <
to catch money, rather than to give it away, hav- <
ing drawn all that he can from France as well as
from England, he is now at liberty to follow his
intered as well as inclination to rellore the Stadt- <
holder. From
THE TURKS
the French have but little to expeCt at the present •
moment—and ■
THE EMPRESS OF RUSSIA
becomes more and more in earned in-her profeflion
of good will to the allies, in proportion as Ihe finds
that they dand in need of her affidance. With
the co-operation of the Rulfian fleet, we (hall be able
to cope with that of the French and Dutch in the :
north seas, even though they fliould have the ad- I
vantage of being favored by
SWEDEN and DENMARK ; ,
whi«h powers, however, will probably adhere to i
their present fydem of neutrality. 1
CONNECTICUT. !
The following SPEECH was delivered by His I
Excellency Governor WOLCOTT, at the o- t
peniitg of the Session.
Gentlemen of the Council, f
Mr. Speaker, and Gentlemen of the House i
of Reprefentafives,
THE uncertain and very recent event oftny be- (
ing appointed to my present office, will, I ptefume, s
be an adequate exc-ufe for me in my new and inex- [
pcrienced lituation, if Ibe not able to address you c
relative to such ohjeCt3 as may more efptcially re \
quire legiflatfve attention; with the knowledge and I
in the judicious manner in which you have been (
accudomed to be addressed upon similar occalions. *
My solicitude, indeed, is much alleviated by the |
confidence I have in the candour of the Lcgiflature, 1
and by finding the State, upon my accession to my t
present office, in the pofleffion of .a highly improved \
Jurifprudence;—and, also, in the enjoyment of \
great and unusual prosperity ; and that such is the f
prevalence of the private and social virtues of our t
citizens as difpofesthem »o the greated order, hart
mony and peace. In refleaing upon the present I
happy and prosperous condition of the State, we 1
cannot but be excited with the mod fervent grati
tudc to our Almighty Parent who has given us t
the blessings we enjoy.—We have, also, abundant a
reason to felicitate ourselves that the dark cloud i
which has been suspended over our eountry, and t
which presented itlelf with the mod portentous as- 1
P est has been dispelled ; and that the firm and vir
tuous conduCt of the Executive ofthe Union, has r
preserved the National Constitution from encroach- 1
ment and violation. We may now 'flatter ourselves r
that the wife meafutes he has pursued, to avert/rom I
our country evils the molt calamitous and didrelfincj 1
will finally prevail.
By adverting to our Treasury Department it t
will be found that a considerable portion of our pub- c
lie debt has not yet been disposed of and cancelled • c
and that there are large credits in favour of thJ i
State, which, however they lhall be ultimately ar
ranged, must fird be fubjeft to a fifcal operation (
Under these circumdances, I believe it will be dif- f
ficult to predict the period, when the office of a
Comptroller can be dispensed with. The great t
benefits which have resulted to the State by confti 1
luting this officc, and the public confidence it in- <
spires, induce me to submit to your confederation '
the expediency of making permanent rather than a 1
temporary eltablilhmeut of this officc.
! The very important obje&s of facilitating the
i commtiniefluons through' the ftiite, by beating
b voads which will be mod oxtenlively nfetul, and
: providing that they be plated and kept fn elleauaj
t repair; and also by rendering water conveyances
- more praflicable au&M*. have-lately occupied
; much of the attention of the Leg'flaturfc I trull
: that the obje<fts so highly intereiting will be pur
: sued, until,' by their execution they (hall be com
: pleted.
How far any extensive encouragement can prcih-
F tably be given to our manufactures, I feel rnyfell
[ incompetent to judge.—The happy eneomragement
■ which agriculture receives, the great emigrations
from the state, aftd consequent enhanced price of
labour, mud affecft our manufa&ures unfavourably,
and retard their rapid improvement. —But, as they
are obje&s of much importance, if any particular
encouragement can properly be a'Jorded ihsm, I
doubt (lot they will be aS meriting your
attention and patronage.
I believe we need not carry our enquiries beyond
the present period to afeertain the great utility re
flating from general information and knowledge,
both as they give security to the public, and con
duce to private virtue and happiness.— They enable
us to become acquainted with eur rights and liber
ties, and justly to estimate their importance, and
render us less liable to be deluded by an affedted pa
triotism and to misplace our confidence.—General
knowledge, and a found morality, founded upon a
refigion which teaches man, that he is responsible
for his coridildl to his righteous Creator, are eflen
tially necessary to ensure public order and peace.—
Upon these priqeipies alone are we to account that
the'late popular and feivid agitations which pre
vailed in various parts of the Union (which were
founded in delusion) made no perceiveable imprcf
fion upon the people of t!.iis State. Happy, in
deed, are that people who are proof against the arts
of hypocricy and fedu&jon ! To eflablifh in the
fifing generation habits derived from a virtuous edu
cation, is an object of the highest importance, and
ha 6 always been thus regarded by the State. 1
trufl that institutions productive of such happy ef
fedts, and in consequence of which the State has
acquired a very honourable diftinftion, will never
want their support.
Public exigences will frequently occur which will
require legislative interpolation and aid, when they
(hall be found to exiil, I doubt not but they will be
attended to by you.
A letter from the Vice-President of the United
States, accompanied by an order of the Senate, will jj
be lnid before you, by which you will learn the
Hon. Oliver Ellfwo'th has accepted the Office of i
Chief justice of the United States. In consequence
of which his feat as Senator has become vacant.
This vacancy you will probably think it expedi
ent to fupp'y the present feflion. The other va
cancies in the Offices-of the State will, alfa, doubt
less be attended to by you.
Whatever aflillance Gentlemen, I can give by co
operating to advance the interest of the State, you
will be aflured will be mod cheerfully rendered.
Council Chamber, May 13th, 1796.
OLIVER WOLCOTT.
CONGRESS.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, May 18.
MefiTrs. D. Foiter, Thatcher, S. Lyman, Glen
and Reed presented petitions in favor of the Bri
tify tft-aty, which were laid upon the table.
Mr. Giles hoped the house would cohfeut to take
up the refolutoin which he laid upon the tables yes-»
terday relative to a close of the present feflion. He
had conferred with some gentleman »f the Senate,
upon the fubjeft, and it was their opinion, if Wed
nesday the 25th instant was inserted instead of Sa
turday the 21ft, all the business ofimportance might
be got through. He proposed, therefore to make
that alteration. The resolution was agreed to.
The bill providing passports for fliips and ves
sels of the United States was read a second time,
and ordered to be read a thi>d time to morrow.
As the bill in addition to an atl: to establish Post
Offices and Post roads in the United States was
about to be read a third time, Mr. Murray pro
posed to re-commit the bill in order to strike out a
clause which would confulerably affedl the morning
papers, of this city, as it required that they (hould
be dried before lhey were fentbythe post, which
(as it would be next to impossible to doit before
7 o'clock in the morning, the time at which the
papers were to be put in the post office) would
have the efle& of keeping those papers from their
readers a day longer, and by this means give an ad
vantage to the evening papers, which might copy
whatever was valuable from a morning paper, and
stand upon the fame ground with it when they get
to the places to which they were dellined. This
ni®tion occaiioned some debate. It was supported
by MefiVs. Murray, Giles & Macon, 8c oppoled by
Mellis. Harper, Thatcher, Williams, Kiltera, and
Jaeklon, partly on account of the expediency of
the clause for the purpose of preserving the papers,
and partly that 110 time might be loft, and by that
means endanger the pafTageof the bill (which con- I
tains regulations for many new post roads) this
feflion.
I he motion was at length negatived 40 to 34,
read a third time and patTcd. It was afterwards
sent to the Senate, and, in thecourfe of the fittiiig
returned from thence, with information that they
had poltponed the consideration of it till the next
lemon of Congress.
The amendments of the Senate to the bill enti
tled an afor making provision for the payment of
certain debts of the United States, were read, and
ordered to be committed to a committee of the
whole to-morrow.
T he order of the day was called for on the bill
tor providing tor the expence of intercourse with
tore.g,, nations, and coniinuing an aft in force for
a limited time for providing means of intercourse
etween ttie United States and foreign nations; the
house accordingly rc f o l vcd hfelf into a committee
of the whok thereon, Mr. Bourne in the chair.-
1 his b.ll ptopofed an additional sum in addition to
iimb a rea> y granted forcairying on foreign inter-
I -ourfe. Coiuidcrabk debate took place about the
fumwithwhichthebiankfhould.be fill ed, and for •
what purposes the money should £>g It
was that confutable expenc«V>uid at
tend the ftiits to be carried on in the Biitifh Courts
to recover the amount of spoliations committed by
Britifli vefTels upon American property ; and, on
the other hand it was contended that if this expence
was paid at all, it (hould be specially provided for
and could not come under the general head of so.'
reign intercourse, after along discussion, the ques
tion was taken on 30,000 and.negatived 40 to 56 •
it taken on 25,000, and negatived 38 to
37. The fenfc of the tomrnittee was then taken u
pon 20,000 dollars, and carried, their being 52,0
favor of it. The remainder of the bill was then pone
through, the committee rose, the house took up
the fubjeft, and having agrsed to it, the bill was
otdered to be engroflcd for a third reading to-mor
rew.
Leave of absence was granted for the remainder
of the feflion toiMr. Page.
Adjourned. *
Sale postponed.
ON account of the rainy weather, the fate of the e
ftate(late at Germantown, advert,fed
to be fold the 18th, is postponed till Saturday next the
21ft infiant, when it will be fold outhe premises at i»
o'clock. May 19] JOHN CONNELLY,
Auctioneer.
GEORGE HUNTER,
CHE MIST,
No. 114 South Second Street,
HAS for fhefe two years part introduced a new fnccies
of PERUVIAN BARK, called YELLOW
BARK, which after repeated trials by the principil
Physicians of this city, is now preferred in all cases of
importance that require it, ro the belt Red and Pate
Bark. It is a powerful Astringent Bitter, fits well on
the stomach, is certain in and requires only
half the usual quantity for a dose.
Many of the citizons of Philadelphia are now ac
quainted with its virtues, the knowledge of wh : rh
ought to be extended over the Union. Eg has a lar e
fupplyof the Yellow Bark, and a general scflnrsmeM'of
Drugs, Colours, Glass, Dye Stuff;, hfc.
LIKEWISE,
Salt PetrCy Jalap, and Camphor,
fey the Quantity.
Ma y "9- *iaw 7 t ,
By an Artifl reiident at Mr. Oellers's Hotel.
\ '
MINIATURE LIKENESSES
ARE taken and executed m that elegant and delica'e
ltile, which is so neceffarytorender a Miniature Pic
turc an interfiling jevVel.
Ha will warrant a strong and indisputable. refem
' blance ; and he takes the liberty to lay before the public
of this place his molt earned intention to defcrve their pa
tronage by his heft endeavors to please.
N. B. Specimens are to be seen.
May rj. §
Mrs. Olduuxon'x Night.
New Theatre.
On FRIDAY EVENING, May *e,
Will be prei'enteifl {never performed here)
A NEW COMEDY,
called
SPECULATION.
Written by the author of The Dramatist,
The Rage, &e. an J performed at Covent Garden,
London, for fifty nights, with unbounded appkltfe.
Sir Frederick Faintly. Mr. Francis.
Project, Mr. Ea:es.
Vickery, Mi. Biiifett,
Alderman Arable, Mr. Whitlocf,
Jack Arable, Mr. Marlhalt.
Tanjore, Mr. Moreton.
Captain Aarable, Mr. Green.
Promptly, Mr. Morgan.
Mean Weil, Mr. Beete.
JoKn, Mr. War:ell, jun.
Waiter, Mr. MitchelL
Lady Project, Mrs. Shaw.
Emmeline, Mrs. Whitlock.
Cecilia, Mrs. Marflitll.
End of the Play, by particular desire, aad for that
night only, Mrs. Oidmixpn will sing the celebrated
Cantata of
MAD BESS.
In character.-—'The Words by Milton—The Mufie by
Pureed.
After which a Pantomimical Ballet, composed by Mr*
F ra»icis, called
THE MIRACULOUS MILL;
Or, THE OLD GROUND YOUNG.
Gaifer THoughtleftfj Mr. Francis.
Old Rowly Powly, Sig. Doctor.
Mealy, the Miller, Mr. Rowfon/
Bob, his Son, Mr. Warrell, jna.
Goody lienfun,' . Mrs. De Marque.
Patty, Mils Mi'bauinr.
Lucy, Miss Gilafpie-
Lads and Lades, Mess. Darley, juu. Mit h II and T- WarJ
rell—Mils Willems, Miss Old field. Mil) Rowfon, Mrs.
Dottor, Mrs. Bates, and Mrs Le^e
After which will be exhibited
Signior Doctor's Performances in
Tumbling, Balancing, Pojlures, itfeitfe.
To which will be added,
(never performed in America) the favorite Connie
Opera, called
The Doctor & Apothecary.
As performed with univerCal applause, at the Theatre
Royal, Drury Lane, London.
Thotnafo, ihe Apothecary Mr. Green.
Sturniwald, Mr- Bates.
Carlos, M<. Mai (halt.
luan, Mr. Francis.
• Gufman, M . Darlry,.
Doctor Biliofo, Mr. Morris.
Perez, Mr. Bliffett.
Anna, Mrs. Oldmixon.
I idbeila, Mrs, Marlhall.
Theresa, Mrs. Rowfon,
Ticketsto be had at the usual places, and of Mrs.
C Idmixon, corner of and Chefnut streets.
On Monday a Comedy never pcrfortned here, called
FIRST LOVE ; with a comedy in two ails, never
performed here, called The MAID.of the OAKS,for
tee benefit of Mrs. WHI'l LOCK.
Mr. MORRIS's Night will be on Wednefkay next.
BOX„ One Dollar—Pl 1", Three-Fourthj of a Do llar —
andGALLERY, Haifa Dollar.
Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr. WitLS, at the
Front of the Theatre.
No money or tickets to be returned ; nor any person, on
any account whntrocver, admitted behind the scenes.
Ladies and Gentlemen are requelied to fend their fervanta
to keep places a quarter before five o'clock, and Older them
as soon as the company is feared, to withdraw as they caa»
not, on any account, be oermitted to remain.
' VIVAT RESPUSLICA.