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THOMAS PAINE; TO THE CITIZENS OF THF TJ. BTATE6. LETTER THE EIGHTH. Miuh has been frid, and much re irnn ■ ti he said, of that undescribed unde Icribablc nothing called federal defigrates a sass ion that hae no prin- Jciplcs. Aik a man'who calls himfelf a federaiifi, what federalifm is? and he ! cannot t'-ll you. A (1: him, what are its fcrinciplf R ? and he has none to give. Fcdtialilm, then, with refptft to govern ment-, isilrr.ilar to atheism with refptft to religion, a nominal nothing w ithout r principles. The federal papers, especial df thole of New England, have often Raid, that “ tell’ion and federalifm mvf #0 together ßut if their religion is re lated to their federalifm ; if it ij as des titute of morals as their federalifm is qf principles; and Hear it is; it will do them no good in this world or the next, it will condemn them as impoltcrs and hypocrites in both. ’1 . ofu who once figured as leaders un der the nfta’mcd end fraudulent name of jcleruHfm, (but who art- since gone, not into honorable and peaceable retirement like Jd-n Z'ichnson rod Char let Thonp snv.f hut i:.ti> oblcurity and oblivion, ihi J%.n Ac;.: -s and John Jay) had sortie plans in contemplation which they concealed.*rni their deluded adherents tijc those pAnscan be difeovcied through the gauzy, hut clumsy, vril of conduct these lea.i, s adopted. “Ac cover i; large r ough to hide i ‘self,” fays the Spa nish prove ib. It rtcyui*es more artifice ar.d manage n-.ent to tiifguilc and conceal linider dr fijnsthau fchendrs are aware of. A man ■.ever turns a rogue hut he turns :i fool. If - incautionfly lets out something hj v Lich those he intended to cheat or iin pofe upon begin Xofttd him out. Where is truth is a iiraight forward thing, even an ignerar.; man wdl not blunder in a true ilory—nor can an artful man keep a falfe Ilory straight. Bat tliete leaders, supposing them- Alvis in a higher position than what rommon ohfeivation would reach, pre sumed, on their luppoled consequence and the t/.pefted credulity of their adhe. rents, to impose on tiie nation by cla morous and: falfc pretenses, for the pur pafe of railing a Handing army of fifty thousand men ; and when they had got tliat army, the mafic would have been thrown off, and their deluded adherents would have paid the price of their du plicity by being enslaved. But in the midfl of this career of de lotion and imposition, tbefe leaders be c ime fools. They did every thing they ought not to have done. They advoca ted plans which (hewed that their intern tion and their cause wcrer.ot good. They laboured to provoke war They oppo fed every thing which led to peace.— i hey h.aded the country with vexatious and timneci flary taxes, and then oppofee thereduflion of them. They opposed a reduction ofuftlels offices that served no Other purpose than to maintain their own partisans a: the expcnce of the pub lic. In short, they run themselves a ground, fit ft, by their extravagance and next by their folly. Blindt-l by their ctvn vanity, a:d though bewildered ir. the wilderncfs of their own projects, they foclilhly supposed tbeipfelves ab*ve de teftion. They lad n ithcr feufe enough to know, nor logic enough to perceive, that as we can nation upward from cause totfhft, so rlfo can we reaiott down ward hem e fit cl to cause, and difeover by the means they make use of, the mo tives and objeft of any party ; for when the means are had, *he motive and the end to be obtained cannot be ijood. The manners also, and language of ar.y party is another clue that leads to a dtfeovery of their real charafttrs. Wheu lite cause and principles of a party are good, its advocates make use of reason, argu i<nt, and good language. Truth can derive nc advantage from hoi/lerous vulgarity. But when the motives and principles of a party are bad, it is neces sary to conceal them ; and its abettors having principles they dare to acknowledge and cannot defend, avoid tvery thing of argument, and take rtfuge in abuse and Jah hood. The federal papers arc ar. instance of the juflriefs of this remark. Their pa ges aie crouded with abuse, but never with argument ; for they have no prin. ciples to argue from : and as to faifehood it is become so naturally their mother tongue, especially in New Eug’and, that they lc.m to have loft the power as wcil as the dispofilien, of speaking the truth. Theft, papas have been of great aid to the republican cauie, not only by the additional disgrace they have brought on their own difgrrcctu’ faftion, but by serving as a foil to set off, with greater eclat, the decency and well principled arguments of the republican papers. j have had feme experience, perhaps as much as moll men have had in the various tyrns of political life, but I uever saw a greater set of fools undertake to con duit a patty than the leaders of the fe deralilla have been, and the editors of their papers. They corrcfpcr.d to the (l ory told of a mau who was become so proud and famous for lying that he dis dained fpcaking truth left he ihould lose his character. Cannot those llupid people fee, or, ac cording to fomc dogmas, of their oven, are their hearts hardened, that they fitall tiot fee, that the more vulgar and abu- five they are, the more g.ound tl y !ofc n the eltiiration of the public. Every ■ ledtisn, especially ia New England, in wearing them down, till they will be loft •*ven as a faction, and Massachusetts iffid Connecticut will recover their former character. Everything this factift dtfe hastens its exit. The abusive vulgarity of Hulbert,a pettyfogging attorney %f Sheffield, in Maffnchufctta, and one of its legislators, has contributed to bring forward the funeral. In his late unprin cipled speech in the legislature of that state, he has driven another nail in the Coffin of the federal faction, and I leave it to the New England Palladium to clinch it.- It is a paper worthy of being the bassoon of such a faction, anJ of such an hypocritical impostor—Thus much for the character of parties and the method of alcertaining their motives and objects. 1 now proceed to other matters. When I returner! to America in No vember ißc2 (after an abfenfe of more than fourteen years) I found the country in a state of disquietude. The people v.- re divided into two classes, under the names of republicans -:vd federahfs , and | i-i points of numbers appeared to be near ly h danced. The republicans were the majority in coagreft, and all the aurnin iftration were of that defcript'.an ; but they were aflailed with outrageous abuse hi all the fideral papers, but never by argument. I am enough acquainted with life ami the world to ksow, that abtfe is the evidence of want of argument, and that those who use it, leave not right on the .- fide. There is a dignified cglmnefs hi conscious reftitude, which defeerds not to abuse. It can reason but it can not rage. It car.r.ot quit the ftrang fortrels of rectitude to Ikirmifn in the fields of vulgarity. It was net difficult to perceive that this division and agitation arose from foine reports spread during the adminis tration of John Adams, and in the latter time of General Wathington, which one part of the people bt’iieitd, and the o ther did not ; and the point to be rfeer taiued, was, whether those reports were true or falfe. If either f those > cafe3 could be sfceitained effeftually it would unite the people. The chief of those reports, was, the danger of an invasion from France ; and this wasrnade a cause for borrowing, by loan, five millions of dollars at the high rr'e of eight tier cent. laying on a land tax of two million dol lars annually ; beftdes a ffreat number of other taxes ; and for raffing a Handing army of fifty ihoufand men. Now, if the danger was real, it ought to have been provided again!!. If it was a fiAioii, with the drfign of railing an army to h; employed to accompliih Tome concealed purpose, the country ought to be informed of it. The party tiding thctnfclvto fcderahfts appeared to believe -.he danger, ar.d the republicans to ridi cule it as fabulous ; and in this state the parties flood. It was, however, equally the interest of both, to know the truth, on which ever fide the truth might fall. ■ Being at Wafhirgton in the winter t3oj 3, l talked with fome members of cotigrefs on the fubjeft, particuiiarly with Mr. Breckinridge, i’enator from Kentuc ky, the fame perlon who brought in the bsil for repealing John Adam’s judiciary law, and the midnight appointments made in consequence of it.—This repeal saved tlte country thirty two thousand dollars annually, belides freeing it from an intended judiciary despotism. I (poke to him of the propriety of ccagrds appointing a committee, or by tome other method as they might think proper, to enquire into the condudl of the former admimltration, that of John A dams, and to call upon him to produce the information whether official or o therwise, which he went upon, if he had any, for putting the country to such vast titpence, under the idea, real or preten ded, of an invafioQ from France. This would be giving John Adams a fair chance of clearing himfelf, if he could, from the fuspicioo that his adminiftrztion was a gross imposition on the public ; and ou the other hand, if the impeffirion Ihould be proved, it would enlighten the country, and put it on its guard agaiuft future impofitioiis. Mr. Brec kiaridge agieed with me in the propriety and filnefs of the tneafure. Fie saw that information was wanted, and that it would be uie'ul, because when the truth Ihould be known, it would compclc the people. John Adams had gene away in what may be called a clan def ine manner, without surrendering into the hands of his successor, as he ought to have done in perlon, any account of the affairs of the executive department, foreign or domestic- There are co pa pers or documents that I know of, and I believe there ate none, because there can be none in the fecreturyof state’s office, that will juftity John Adams in the ex pence to which his adminftration put the couutvy ; or even afford ground for suspicion that either France or England intended to invade the United States. Fot what purpose then was an army to be railed. The projectors of such a mca furc mull have had forac object in view, and as that objodl hs: never been explain ed, 1: ought to be enquired into. It is bad policy, and also a bad precedent, elpectaily in public affairs, to let impofi. tien Aide away without detection. At the time 1 tallied with Mr. Br-clf inridge on this fubjeft, I expected that Mr. Siip wilh formerly j- and at this tune, American couful at Paris, and Jo. itot wiihMarwnquhy to be gone into till they came; After the fall of Robespierre and the eftabltfhrneitt of the directory couftitution, those two gent’iemin and myfelf (Mfo Munroe being recalled) had opportunities of knowing the fen timents and intentions of the French go vernment with refpedt to America than other persons hid ; and they can be e- equally with mylelf, that no in ttnUomitxifted ip the French government to invade Amarica ; nor was any prepa ration made for such an attempt, nor could it be made. The possibility of such a thing did not exist. The French navy at that time was nearly annihilated ; her ports blockaded by the Britilh ; and file had to fight by land, single handed, a gainst almoil the whole of Europe. She had it not in her power to spare a regiment, much lei’s could Ihe spare an army, to fend to America ; and if Ihe could have spared one, she had not the means of transporting it, nor a convoy to protect it. All the circumstances as well as the evidence that can be provided, will (hew that the ad mini [‘ration of John Adams was a fraudulent and expttifive impofi tiotion the country ; ar.d that the army j to he raised was intended for fonts fecrct purpose, and not for the purpose of de fence. If John Adams ;ut coufci ous of something wrong, and apprehen- i five of fome confequence*, why did he abfcur.d in the baity and private manner! he did ? or why did hia partisans want to put Aaron Burr in the presidency. In the days of the black cockades John Adams had one i'o enormous and so va hently large, that he appeared to be sus pended by it ; but when his midnight hour arrived, his valor ffed and himitif also. The voluntary embassy of Dr. Logan to Paris appears to have disconcerted John’s admiialiration, and difeomfitted its leaders; because it served to expose and put an end to their projects. When Dr. Logan calied on Timothy Picker ing, secretary of state, with Mr. Skip with’s dispatches from Paris, Timothy, before he knew their contents, though Logan knew the whole, began to talk of invafionß and dangers, and the necessity of preparation. “It might be very well ” “ said Logar, to have the militia alw lys “in good order.” The militia, sir /” said “ Timothy, “ the militia never did any “good and sever will\ IVe must have an “ army of ffiy thousand men.” When Logan was coming away, Timothy said to him at the door, “ Sir, the govermfut don’t thank you.” When Logan waited on general Wash ington, who had been then appointed the lieutenant general f the army then rai sing, of which John was commander in chief!—the general received him coldy and firmly, and said to him in a haughty tone, “ and pray sir, what a right have you, that are but a private citi zen, “to interfen in matters of govern ment ?” Logan very prudently replied, “ I have no anfwer,fir, to make to that,” and withdrew. Tie state of Pennsylva nia, soon after this, cledted Dr. Logan one of its senators it congress. Circumstances o/ten unriddle and ex plain themselves, ani it happens so in this case ; for if the administration, and those leaders connected with it, were lincere in their belief that the danger was real, and that the country (is Goverteur Morris expressed it, in his funeral oration on Hamilton) was “ mnanccd with dangers from without and that France intended an invasion ; and if, at the fame time, they had no concealed objeft in contem plation themselves, they would welcome the messenger that Ihould bring them good tidings that all was well. But if, on the contrary, they knew they were afting a fraud, and heating the country with foifenoods and falfe alarms, for the purpose of procuring loans, levying new taxes, and raffing an army to accompliih fome concealed purpose that could not be aecomplilhed without that treachery, they would be enraged at him ; and this accounts for the rude reception Dr. Lo gan received frem that admitiiftratinn.— 1 houfinds who supported that admini stration from a belief that it was aisling right, have since abandoned it frem a convitlionthat it acted deceitfully wrong, and this also accounts for the great ma jority at the last presidential ele&ion,— We have no alarms now, uor Ihould we have had any then, if the present admini stration had esifted at that time. It requires only a prudent and honest administration to preserve America alwuvs ■ in peace. Herditlance from the Euro-! pcan world frees her from it3 intrigues ! But when men get into power, wltofc heads, like the head of John Adams, are filled with “ strange notions” and counter revolutionary principles and projeifts, things will be furc to ti o wrong. John j Adams, who was more the dupe of a par ty than the leader of it, catered ou tile office of president with his head turned by the elevation he was lifted to ; and his! principles, (if he ever had any,) corrup-J ted. He turned out to be a couuter re volutioaift ; and if the concealed projects of his administration had fuccreded, : the federal conltitution would have been j destroyed, and that by perfoas tinder the I assumed and fraudulent name of feJera •! Ids. “As general WalLir.gtcn (said Juba’ Adams) has no children, it wall be right to mate the government hereditary in the family of Lund IPa/hington.'f Perhaps; john intended this as a fly introduction ! of hitnfeli and his hopefui son cr.cey, in : ‘wa^gtonLi l or t:. : T. ii.. A -I 1% 4’ x ■ chefs c f a party in congress at Tort-town m Penofylvams, in the hitter end of the year 1777 and beguiling of 78, for dis mifling IVaJhington from the command of the army, because, they said he was not capable of it and did nothing. Yet under John’s adminilliation the name of Wafh ngton was made use of, for the purpose of introducing and covering a counter revo lutionary system. Such is the incon fulency of faction and of men who have no fixed principles I The independence of America would have added but little to her own happi -1 nefs, and been of no benefit to the world, if her government had been formed on the corrupt models of the old world . It was the opportunity of beginning the world a new, as if were : and of bringing forward a new system of government in which the ; rights of all men Ihould be preserved, that j gave value to independence. The pam- j phlet, Common Sense, the firit work I ever j pubiiffied, embraced both those obje&s. | Mere independence might at fome future 1 time, have been effected and ellablilhed : by arms, without princi r /e, but a just lys tem of government could not. In Ihort, ; it was the principle, £t that time, that pro duced trie independence ; for ut i.il the • principle spread ricftlf abroad among the j people, independence was not thought j of, and America was Sighting without 1 an objeft. Those who know trie civ— | cumffances of the times I fptak of, know | “T's 10 be true. 1 am not persecuting John Adams, nor any other man, nor did I ever perse cute any ; but I fee the propriety, and even the necessity of militating an enqui ry into the confufed state of affairs during his administration. All the ciicurnft.cn ces and tfee evidence combined with them, juftify the suspicion that during that ad minitlration the country was grossly impoied upoK, and put to so great and unnecessary expcnce, which the present administration has to pay oft ; and that fome concealed and counter-revolutionary scheme “as in contemplation. The leaders, separately, might hide from each other what hri own particular objeft was. Eeaeh of them might have a different one. But sllof them agreed in the preliminary prujeft, that cf railing an tale would have been, that when they had colltfted that army, would have bro ken intodiiiinft parties like the generals of Alexander’s army, and destroyed each other, to decide who Ihould be ttte reign ing ufutper. Symptoms of disgust had already begun toappear among the chiefs. Hamilton difpifed Wafhtngton $ Adams was jealous of Hamilton ; and Hamilton had a perfeft contempt for Adama But in the end, John, I believe would have come poorly off He was not a man of the (word, but only of the cockade. I purposely delayed entering upon this fubjeft till the presidential cieftion Ihould be over. Had 1 pubiiffied i£ before that time the clamour of faftion would have said it was an eleftior.eering trick.— Now, they cannot fay it. The choice made at that election was the fpontancous choice of the people, and is therefore the more honourable both to the eieftors and the elefted. The country at this time, compared with what it was two or three years ago, is in a state of tranquili ty ; and in a St disposition of calmness to take the matters herein ttated into coiffideration. before the next meeting oi congress. It is by keeping a country’ well iaiormed upon its affairs, and discar ding from its councils every thing of mystery, that harmony is prri'erveil or rcltored among the people, and confidence reposed in the government. THOMAS PAINE. June gth, 1 8oj. * Jtthn Die kins om, the respectable au thor of the farmer’s letters before the revo lution began. Charles Thompson, the faithful secretary of the old congress du j ring the revolution. ! f Mr. Skipwith ruiigaed tbe conl'tilfhip | during the admiui;'rail'n of John Adams I believe on account of a rude tnfulting let | ter he received from Timothy Pickering i then secretary of state. Mr. Jeiferfon reap. I pointed Mr. Skipwi.h. I t Timothy Pickering's icflcilion on the i mr!m deserves a rtbbtf It vr. - th- maii'ia that fought at Hunker's foil, under Harden, a militia general. It was by the aid of nume rous reinforcements of ma'itia to join ge; e-al 1 Gates that Burgoyne was taken. It was to a volunteer malit'a i dvr Stark, a volunteer general, that col. haum, a Mertian otiicci-, was defeated at Bennington, in Vtiiuoi.t, wind. | was the prelude to the capture < f fturg nnt { But perhaps Timothy reujns f.r ... iunilelf; i and if he makes hirr.f.df the ta .hr ’ b v. hicb to judge of the merits ot tl.e ntalitia theie is ground far his faring the n- Vt ti never din any good and never will. Vi orhv stt ;t public em plo) meat was very harnt l , that:.r a .eachti of psalmody. When the revolution began he learned the mar.ust cxtnLc, ~nd ilien taught it. tie was aftertervvaids appointed coloue. of a regiment of main a, and \ hen the aifaiis of Lexington mA uncord took place, April,l9, 1775, and tlte British v. ere retreating from Concord bark to Bollon, ar. order was sent to Timothy, to march with his regiment, and post hunfeu at a certain place to cut ctf their retreat. — Timothy marched but he Copped hurt of the place, ami drew up his men, and went to prayers, till the Er'tilh paifed tt. His prayers laved him from the dangers of th. t day. Ido not know that he sung p alms. Perhaps n„t. 1 I’he enemy might have overheard ..•. ‘ Hat* I ihm thy done his duty on that arc,lion, and’ put bis trull in Ged v. Ith .r loitering away bis time, the whole party- of the B-hilh, abr m | two thousand, ram! have teen pr.feneis, foi I they could not have got Back hi-Bolton; and the daughter at Hunker’s inii, the 17th of | June foiiowir.g, could not have taken piece Ihi who e force of the B.atih at BuU m a’ i that tlShe was about fe.tr thru leid , or.e ha>j | of which were on Ui. <.vp. e-.tt: . t . I‘. 4. L* ‘• 1 /J? r ‘ J .... , 1805. Mr. Byrne, By publilhing in your pcDer the u I lowing account of the manufacture 01 ifk you will oblige a number of your rea ders. The culture of thewhite mulberry trees was begun in this town more than thi - ty years since, by Messrs. Hank 3 8c As* penvvall, who became possessed of that ardor which bordered on enthusiasm sot the raising of silk. This was produced by reading the late celebrated doctor E.'uot’t, ,small treatise on the field of husbandry. No pains were thought too much by them, to accompliih the objefts of their tvifhes ; voyages to Long Island were made, and journies to the western pans of this state, until after several unfuccefs. | ful attempts, they procured the feed cf j the so much dtfired tree. A nursery ! was sown or planted, from which many I young trees were taken and set out ca I land favourable for their grovms. As ; this ia luxuriant in its growth, and fooa ■ produces fruit, other riurferies were lawn a:.d about the time the legislature gavt* a ! bounty upon the railing of raw silk, ami • afterwards a further encouragement for | idling out ar.d cultivating the mulberry j tree, there was about iSelhs. weight ;of silk produced ia the town-. This cn icouiaged a number of perfon* to petitiun the general alLmbty for an ael of in jcciporation, and they and theii Effociates were made a body corporate and politic ’ with ample powers, and an exemption j from taxation for twelve years, for any works >r machinery necessary to curry ou ; the business. No advantage of this char, j ter was had by tae incorporation as no Ikillful workman could be procured the i business, however, v.as continued with j ardor, after the state bounties and pre niums were dileontirued. Ir. was long ’ before the knowledge of the best method !of feeding and ordering t?j e filfe worms j was obtained and of reeling and fpinnior j the silk, all of which has now become j familiar. The business has been progres sing, and thelaff year (1804) tner e fiao ! been raised in this town, between twelve and 13 hundred pounds weight of well dried raw silk, fvery pound of which when made into sewing fiik, is worth feVeu dollars, and finds a ready market at Boston, Providence, &c. It is fome tunes fold near home, partly for motley jand for luch necellaiiea and ornaments, Jas muff, or would be had if not procu* | red in this way. Was the silk made in this town ir.anufaftured into the feverat fabric's, of silk in common use, every one may judge as well aa I, how large a diftrift it would l'upply. j This silk, for strength and durability )is far preferable to any imported frera Afta, &c. and may be in this state rai sed to almoil any given quantity, without injury to agricultural intcreft, as the bu siness is performed chiefly by women and children, without expence to the hulbandt men in labor, or any other way, except to keep the good ladies, their daughter* and maids, a little busier, than ordinary for two or three weeks, daring which time it muff: be conftffed, they have & laborious talk. The writer believes at fome future tiifte it be a subj-st of legtilative and per haps nati. ual consideration, whether we ihdl fend all our solid coin at a great r.fcju; and hazard, fix tuouiand mites tc* purehafe atticle3 that may be raised and manufactured at home, even for exporta. tion. £. The foVoiuing piece of phitofophy had neve'ty to recommend it. When <we hear of rumlding noises in the ground in future the conclufton will be that the earth has the belly ache. In a work, entitled, A Key to the Phe norr.ena of Nature, a Freach writer, Chev rel DtHanurais, allures us, that, for fix thoufar.d years, mankind have been crawl, mg about, without knowing it, on the back of an animal. This animal which lives, eats, drinks, and digests ; which thinks, walks, and tranfptres ; which has members and organs of speech ; this wonderful animal h—The Eat th. Thus and thus only, can hurricanes, temp ests, the eruptions of volcapoes, Sec be accounted for. If any one doubt it, iet turn : -ad tns work, of this new Natu* ralilis. “If every thing upon the earth is animated (he argues,) why Ihould not the tar h itfeif iikewife be so ; the earth to which we are indebted for our r :pport. If life be receftary for the growth of hair in men, how can the earth, without the lame facuity, pro duce grals in the hclds, and trees in the for efts ? the process with the tab’ and with the graft is the fame. The farm er are rocted in cur skin, and the latter in the Ikinof th: animal earth, humus. The nurse takes food, which the give? hacx otjutficd to the child. Does not. the earth do the fume, in order to fur nifti tiie nurse with vegetable*, which Ihe converts into milk ? Does it not im bibe particles of air and water, which it appropriates to the plant > As iite is abiolutely uecdTary for these function* the earth whicu fulaU them mull of ne* utility be aitvc and orgsuikj ia the iante manner as animals. Are not correfpon- phenomena*, results and ohjefts, proof of the lame nature, organs, a.’d proprieties ? The earth waft, however, be provided with much llronger organ* than a woman, her proceeJurc through toe Lxe being or, a much mare ex toy live trade.”