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86
jror tijc Columbian fpufnutn
To the People of the United States.
WHEN the British Treaty made
its firft appearance, it was pret
ty generally reprobated from New-
Hampfhirc to Georgia, a few hundreds.
of merchants from Bolton, New-York
and Philadelphia, together with the
place men, old tories and the knights of
the funding fyitem excepted ; they dared
to set themselves in opposition to the
general will, and the president for rea
ion belt known to him, paid refpeft to
their fupe'rior information, craft and fub
tlcties in preference to the millions of
the tell of the citizens whom he. was
molt graciously pleased to denominate
the friends to France, and according to
his favourite opinion (therefore) the lov
ers of war anarchy and contusion. And
now again, because the immediate guar
dians of our rights and liberties, had it
incumbent on them, not to make the
neceflary provision for carrying the trea
ty into execution, the merchants and
traders of New-York and Philadelphia,
arc again dictating to a whole nation,
to have the treaty with Britain carried
ihto immediate effeft, and that they
intend to establish committees of cor re f
pondcnce with other commercial towns,
and .with the late weflern inlurgents.
As these merchants and trader* (who
1 fuppofedo not furnifli, above 30,000,
to the number of our population) are so
forward and daring, thus to oppofethe
public will, and to attempt to dictate
and govern it; it is nccclfary to enquire
who and what they they arc.
Is there not one quarter part of them
bona fide Britidi fubjeds ? and are not
two thirds of the remainder, entirely
devoted to and in the British interest ?
and have they not proved in every in
dance, that intcrell to be nearer to their
heart, than the prosperity and honor of
our country that feeds them, and upon
which they moil ungratefully prey ? Are
they not even worse, than that set of
Speculators, friends to the treaty and the
infamous British fyitem, who riot upon
the spoils of the hard earned labours of
the founders of our Independence ? For
if in courting a clofc connection with
great Britain, the views of the latter are,
to aflimilate our Government to theirs,
by eftablifliing a monarchy here, and
themselves a hereditary nobility, and to
{Lengthen the executive with dcfpotic
energy by the means of a pernicious
bank, funding, and patronage fyitem :
Thofeofthe British merchants, old to
nes, and all interested and connected with
them and their trade, are nothing ihort
of making us a province dependant on
Britain ; like Portugal, Holland and all
other Countries that ever had the mif
fortune to have any connections with
that moft fellifh and perfidious nation.
Is it not an undeniable truth, that by
means of agriculture alone, governments
are supported ? and that of all the peo
ple, the merchant* find a way to pay the
towards its support; for however
high The duties, taxes, ike. are laid on
them, the dearer they fell their goods,
and thelef9 they givefor ourproduce.
Under all these circumstances, is it
just ? Is it reasonable ? Is is politic ?
That about 30,600 merchants, traders
end speculators, moft of them infected
with a foreign interest, fhouidbc fu tic red
to didate, govern and impcridully lord
it over 3 { millions of their fellow citi
zens, agricultures and mechanics.
If the people of the United States
can fuffer this, then really, we do deserve
to be llaves, and to be bound in all cases
ivhatfoever, by his Columbian Majeity
and a few interefled senators, through
the means of treaties, patronage and trea
sury inllrumentality ; and at that rate
we would be worse ofF, than even the
British fubjeds.
These few observations, I hope will
have a tendency to reflect on our fixa
tion, and determine, whether we arc to
remain free, or become fubjeds, to the
mere will of any twenty-one persons in
this country, under the influence of a
British interest. For to be or not to be
free, is now the question, too serious to
be pafled over in silence, by an
AGRICULTURES
Pojlcr'tpt. —War ! War ! War !
A few words about this bugbear, as
held forth by the Executive and its fat
tellites : Have not the British their
hands full in maintaining it, against our
senior allies, and to save their Weft-In
dia I Hands and in protecting their com-
I mercc. They may indeed ‘take our de
ienoclefs veilels and profs our seamen, as
they have done before, during and ftnee
the treaty. . And may not we, lay our
hands on British property in our power J
May wc not cut off all communication
Columbian JHufeum, £&♦
with them ? May not our merchants wait
for buyers at their own door ? and thus
straighten the YVeft-India islands and
paralize their manufadurers : who in
order not to lose their bell and chief
market, will (bon compel their govern
ment to just and equitable measure ?
And should the British have audacity
enough, against their known interest, to
declare war againit us, does not Cana
da and Nova Scotia, lie very conveni
ent ? Had the executive, instead of fend
ing the adual Chief Justice of the Uni
ted States, an envoy extraordinary to
England, waited the refuit of certain
resolutions then in contemplation in the
houfc ofreprefentatives ; (events have
elearly proven) we would long ago have
had full and ample fatisfadion, and a
compleat free trade. But no! then they
would have aded the friends to France,
and countenanced democracy; whereas
monarchy and ariflocracy is their wish.
JffDcral JUgiflamre*
MOUSE of REPRESENTATIVES.
Monday , April 23.
MR. Tracey, of the committee of
claims, made a report upon the
petition of Winthrop Sargeant, secreta
ry of the North Weflern territory, tor
his additional services as governor.
‘The report, which was read a lecond
time, and committed to a committee of
the whole on Wednesday, recommend
ing that 875 dollars fhouid be allowed
him.
The fpeaker informed the houfc, he
had received a letter iron the governor
of the North Weflern territory, inclo
fing two petitions, which he requested,
as that territory had at prelent no repre
fentativein the houle, the fpeaker would
present. They were accordingly read.
One related to lots of land, which the
petitioners had been promised, and
which they had not received ; the oth
er prayed for permillion to import slaves
into that country from other llates, so
as not to increase the number. They
were referred to different committees.
The following petitions were pr e
fented in favour of the British treaty—
viz. by Mr. Livingston 17 petitions,
signed in the whole, by 3286 citizens of
New-York; by Mr. Muhlenberg, from
Blockley townlhip, Philadelphia coun
ty, r signed by 87 persons ; by Mr.
Isaac Smith, 4 petitions signed by 230
citizens from New-Jersey; and after
wards 2 others, one of which was ligned
by 70, the other not certain ; one by
Mr. Hartley, from 29 merchants of
Philadelphia ; by Mr. Kittera, from
Pennsylvania, signed by 123 names; 2
by Mr. Sitgreaves, from the fame Hate,
signed by 242 persons ; one by Mr.
Richards, and 3 by Mr. Thomas, all
from the fame state; iby Mr. Gallatin,
from the state of Delaware, iigned by
40 ; one by Mr, Goodhue, iigned by
67; and 2by Mr. Brent, from Alex
andria.
Mr. Gallatin presented a petition from
the state of Deleware, againit the trea
ty, signed by 91 persons, and Mr. S.
Smith, a petition signed by the chair
man and clerk of a feciety of manufac
tures and mechanics at Baltimore, eon
fifting (as Mr. Smith informed thehoufe)
of about 400 relpedable persons, pray
ing that house would use its own difi
creticn, with refped to the treaties be
fore them, uninfluenced by any other
confuleration than the public good.
This petition, caused conliderable de
bate. Melfrs. Ames, Thatcher, and
Sitgreaves, opposed its being received,
as it was from an incorporated society,
as it purported to be the petition of a
number of men, and was only signed by
two, and that even these two, as they
had signed the petition in an official cha
racter, might not approve of its con
tents. Its reception was supported by
Melfrs. S. Smith, Macon, Findley,
Gallatin, Hillhoule, Madison &: Kitch
ell, as a practice not uncommon in that
house (the societies for the abolition of
llavcry, and the society ol quakers were
mentioned as inftanccs) that they had
frequently received petitions of socie
ties, ligned by their chairman and secre
tary, which, if they were incorporated,
were not incorporated for that purpose.
It was referred.
The inhabitants ofCincinnati, (W.T.)
complained bv petition of the grievan
ces experienced by an holding ot courts,
Judge Turner, different from those
heretofore held. Their complaint was
referred to a felecl committee.
‘flic house rclblved itfelfinto a com
mittee of the whole, on the Hate of the
union ; when the resolution for carrying
intoeffed the JBritifh treaty, being un
der confidration, Mr. Henderson, and
Mr, Harper fpokc ia favour of it, At
the concluflon of Mr. Harper’s speech,
there was a divided cry of “ committee
rife.” “ and the question;” when the
feufe of thecommitte being taken, it was
in favour of riling, there being 50 votes
for it, which was a majority of the
members in the house.
FRANCK FORT, Feb. 18.
From a French journal.
•Letters from Brandenburg mention,
as a sass that Ruffian troops are on their
march to the lower Rhine. These ad
vices add, that the king of Prulfia hav
ing the interest of the ftadtholder at
heart, and his own dominions being
(Lengthened on the fide of Poland, is
determined to take an adive part in the
approaching campaign tor the fecuritv
of his polleiiions on the left hank, which
have given rife to much anxiety for
their iafety. It is evident at lealt that
his objed is to preierve the line of de
marcation.
The Wetzlar Gazettee has already
asserted on authority, that 30,000 Fruf
fians were on the point of entering the
Circle of Franconia, where quarters
had been provided for them.
Letters from Vienna Hate, that on
the 15th instant the troops which com
pose the contingent of Saxe for the com
bined army, were to have begun their
march* They conftft of 10,000 men,
of whom 4000 are cavalry.
February 23.
A great number of cavalry coming
from Austria, palled through this town
the day before yesterday, on their way
to join the army on the Rhine, having
a great number of horses for it. ‘
Two messengers from the British ain
baflador at Lausanne, and another from
Turin, have palled on their way to
London.
Advices from Munich mention, that
the Hates of Bavaria have offered three
millions and an half of florins to the el
ector, to afiift him in eftablifhingan army
of 30,000 men, 18,000 of which are to
join the Aiiftrian troops at the opening
of next campaign.
There is a report, that a convention
of the Hates of the empire will be form
ed at Manheim ; the deputies to which
are also mentioned, namely; baron 110-
henthal for the court of Saxonia, and
count Sailern for the electorate of Bo
hemia.
Much is said in our papers, of a re
port of peace circulating at Vienna on
the 13th, the accounts from whence fay,
that the triple alliance of the courts at
Vienna, Peterfburgh, and London, has
made a very great impression on the pre
sent government of France, and induced
them to lower their demands in fome
degree. It is laid, that the iaft courier
from Bafle, with dipatches from our
minister Dagelman, at that place, has
brought with him more moderate pro
posals of peace. We cannot speak with
any certainty on this head, although
foine of our politicians pretend, that the
plan tor a pacification is already made,
agreeably to which the English as well
as the French make mutual rellitution
of all conquests. Thus far it may be
relied on, that the correfponuence be
tween our court and several foreign ones,
is at prelent uncommonly trequent:
couriersarc daily arriving, while others
are difparched.
The forced loan in Alsace, is levied
by execution, at present.
The report, Hating that the French
had made proposals for the renewal of
the armistice for three months longer,
has hitherto not been confirmed.
HAGUE, February 16.
The new revolution in. Friefland, cau
ses here much conversation. The fa
mous preacher John, who was thought
to have left the country, is arrived at
Leunwarden at the head of his party,
with fome troops, and has dispersed the
new aflembly ofreprefentatives.
March 1.
The day of the meeting of the nation
al convention, so earneitly wished for,
has at length arrived ; and at the mo
ment this letter isfent off, it will enter
on all the fundions of the rep refen tative
body of the sovereignty of cur Batavian
republic. The deputies aflembled a
bout eleven in the morning ; the hall
has been filled with fpedators from be
fore seven.
Our whole garrison was drawn out,
and the national guards received and es
corted the deputies to the hall. To
wards noon the commission of the states
general, by which the convention was
constituted, was opened. A deputation
from the new convention accompanied
the commiflion back, after which the
states general dissolved themselves. We
do not yet know with certainty, who
will be chosen president of the conven
tion, but probably citizen Paulus, who
was firft president of the aflembly of
Holland. _ 7
On the opening of the national con
vention, all the ships displayed the na
tional flag, and every sailor received a
pint of wine, and a quarter of a pound of
tobacco, and two pipes.
Tire laborers m the public works,
likewise had a holiday, with their usual
pa/-
Anew tree of liberty will likewise be
planted. . >
AMSTERDAM, March 1.
According to private letters from
Friezland, the fugitive representatives,
twenty seven in number, have taken
with them the provincial chest, and re
tired into a foreign territory. Among
them is the celebrated Joha. This re
volution, however, was without blood
ihedk The number of the fugitives is
reckoned at 400. They conlift of the
before mentioned representatives, the
citizens who espoused their cause, and
the adherents to the old system of go
vernment.
I am informed from good authority,
that Mr. Pitt has said confidentially,
that if the forced loan ordered by France
be filled up, he would determine the
king to accept overtures of peace, but
that previously he would spare nothing
to obftrud that salutary ineafure, and
continue the war with more fury than
ever.
(Signed,). THIBAULT.
Reprefcntative of the people, com
miiiioner of the government with
the republic of the United Pro
vinces.
As an authentic copy.
LAG ARDE, Secretary-general.
PARIS, March 4.
COUNCIL OF FIVE HUNDRED.
Sitting of March 1.
A member proposed, and the council
adopted a resolution, annihilating the
proceedings of the primary affembiy of
Dainery. The reporter, in the report,
spoke in favor of a democratic govern
ment, it was observed, that the govern
ment ot France was not a democratic
one. The council ordered, that instead
of this improper exprelfion, that of a
republican government fnould be sub
stituted.
DUBLIN, February 13.’
Thur/day night a moll horrid mur
der was committed at Lutterlftown,
the particulars of which are nearly as
follow
Two brothers of the name of Mb
Connie, who were bound to give evi
dence againit a principal deienaer, had
been lodged by lord Carhampton in a
lnill-houie at the corner of his lord
fliip’s domain, in order to prevent them
from being ieduced or terrified from
giving the tellimony : at the hour of
midnight, twenty men, armed, and hab
ited in brown clothes, broke into the
house, and meeting a woman who redd
ed in it, and whole fears upon their ap
pearance a£ted so forcibly as to produce
fits, they aiiurcd her that fire had no
cause to be alarmed, that they meant not
in the lealt degree to injure her, but de
sired that they fliould be flievvn to the
chamber of the McCormick’s ; t-hey
then pro. -Ted to the room in whick
these unfortunate brothers lay, tha
youageft of whom, a lad about 14 year#
old, they shot through the heart, and
the elder, through dirierent parts of tha
body. Not fattsfied with the wound#
which they had inflided on the latter,
they Habbed him when he fell, and beat
his head with a mufquet till the instru
ment broke. The unhappy vidims of
this cruelty died before morning. This
is part of the fyitem of the atrocious
banditti to deter any witnefsfrom com
ing forward to give evidence against
them.
LONDON, Feb. 20.
The court of Denmark publilhcd an
ordinance at Copenhagen on the 25th
oflaft month, recalling all their seamen
from the service of foreign powers, and
ltridly forbidding, under the fevered
penalties, any of their fubjeds from en
gaging, by lea or land, in the service of
loreign llates. The Swedes are said to
have publifned a similar placard, about
the fame time at Stockholm.
March 10.
Wc are informed by a letter from
Hamburgh, of the 4th instant, that th*
magistrates of Bremen, in consequence
of the repeated complaints of the adual
Dutch government, have by a placard of
the 26th ult. ordered all military emi
grants, who re fide in that to quit
it within the space of three days.
From the Khin , February 25.
General Jouruan, who has concerted
No. 22.