Transcript

From the A iro'-a- .

THOMAS PAINE,To the Citizens of the Un ted States.

LHTTIR THh StVKNTH.

RrLiGiOM and war is the crv ofthe Federal ifts morality and peacethe voice of republicans. The uni-

on of moraljty and peace is con-

genial ; but that of religion and waris a paradox, and the iblution of itis hx pocrifv.

'I he leaders of the federalists haveno judgment; their plans no con-

sistency of parts and want of con-fiten-

is the natural consequenceof want of principle. Thty exhi-

bit to the world the curious fpecta-cl- e

of an opposition without a c ausfand conducted without system.Wtre they, as doctors, to prescribemedicine, as they praQife politics,they would poison their patientswith destructive compounds.

''There are not two things moreopposed to each other than war an 1

rcl'trion ; and vet, in the doublegame, thoft leaders have to play, the j.

o,ne -. neeeffarilv the theme of their '

pontic;, a d the other the text of,theii fertnons. The week, day ora- -

tor of Mars and the Sunday preach-er of Federal Grace, play like' gun- - '

biers, into each other's hands, andthis they call religion.

Though hvpocrii'y can counter-feit every vjitae, and become the

of every ice, it requires a

great dexterity of cr.ift to give itthe power of deceiving. A paintedsun may glisten but it cannot warm.Fo'r hypocrisy to perfoliate virtuefuc'cefsfully, it tnuft know and f;e!what virtue is, and as it cannot longdo this, it cannot long deceive.When an orator loaming for war,breathes forth in anothar sentence a

plaintive piety of words, he may aswell 'vrite nvpot:itrsY on his fiont.

The late attempt of thj fedei ileadeis in congress (for thev acts dwit hout the knowledge of their cin-fl- it

L.;nts) to plunge the country intow 3", iiiei its not only butinch'jn-'iion- . It was ind Ts c

in ignorance and acted 111

sfs. The h.-- jnd th jheart went parti1 rs in theci ie.

A neglect of pnnct laiity in therSerfoi mance of a -- 11 ,' is Made' a

arise of war by l'.- - La,bary Va.'.r,and of remonlli mces a. d explana-tion by uvi'hs'd poweii. The

of ii,.'nry negiriate h.the fverd the fie firil, andpostulate afterwards ; and tfte fed-

eral jcadeis have been lab 'urinn i0fieri irze the United States bv a- -

dopting the practice of the Bar.j.i.yflares, and this lhe call honor, i, titheir honor and their hypoci'f. go J

weep together, for both ."re d fj.r-ed- .

The present adminiilra'ti n .3too iiirra for b pocritcs and to)e'j;.' uiical for publ.e I'pjiulthi iii'.

A un thi lc. : acquainted .tiid ,)! ,i,anc affai s. mult know, tKt a

n'eet in punctuality is not one ofitu rallies ol u-j- unless 1 ane ,'eet be condi ined by a refufjl to

peilvni ; and even then it dep-n- ds

upon eircumltances connected withit. The wprLl would be in conti-T- !

ii j 1 quarrels and war, and com- -

neice be annilul te l, is Algjt'titpolicy was trte l.i'v ofnrtions. Andv 1. America, ln't.Td of becotr.'ngan f.i.ipl" to the Old World, of

moril '"eminent, and ci- -

V ! r. innc s, or is tr.ev like it better, j

0 conduct towa.us.'.( . Tinps, to f.-- t up the charac-- l

V of rulfi in, ill it of a word t, ,1 a '

OJ a"d the bier ft 't, and tb -- . '" '

j.e the example of pulling d ""11

fa I' tile that llizatiou lias 'n-- 's ! unon hir' aiifm, her inJepi nc- -

r , mftcad of lving an honor andI pkring, would become a etirfe up- -

II 1 K woi Id ai dupon herfctf.'I ii, conJuCt of the Barbary pow- - j

?, though un;;:ft in prinriple, is j

ft ited to thir pnj tics, situation,a 'A circinitances. I'iie crusades ofrl Lhu-(- h to exterminate theni,fiK- -

cii 11. tnLir n.inds the unolliteratedLHi-.- r t'lit every Lnrirewn powerv a their mortal enemy. Their re

r, 11 prj :liCv, therefore,' fugg est

BY DANIEL BRADFORD LEXINGTON, JUNE 14, 1803

the policy, which t'leir situation andcircumstances protect them in. Asa people, they are neither comnier-cia- l

nor agricultural, they"

neitherimport nor export, have no propertyfloating on the leas, nor fliips noicargoes is the ports of foreign nations. No retaliation, theiefore, 1

con be acted upon them, and they sinl'ecure from pXniihment.

But this is no the case with theUnited States. V she sins as a Barbary power, llic mult aniwer for it j

as a civilized one. lier commerce.s continuall) paffingon the seas

to capture, and ter fliips andcargoes in foreign ports to detecti-on and reprifaj. An acl ot war, com-

mitted b her in the MXnifiippi,would produce a war against U- com-

merce of the Atlantic States andthe latter would have to cuiie-h-

policy that provoked the formcr.- -In every point, therefore, in whichthe character and interelt of the

States be considered, it wouldill become her to set an examplecontrary to the policy and customof. civilised powers, and praCiiiedonly by the Barbary povvcis, that ofstriking before file expoftulafes

Sut can any man. Calling Innifelfalegiflator, and iappofedb) his ts

to know iomething of hisduty, be so ignorant as to imaginethat seizing on New Orleans wouldliniili the affai'", or even contributetovvaids it. On the contrary, itwould'have made it worse. '1 hetreaty right of deposit at New Or-

leans, and the rights of the naviga-tion of thp MiiTuiippi into the gulphof Mexico are distant tilings. NewOrleans is more than an hundredmiles in the country from the moutliof the river, and as a phite of depo-fit is of no value, is the mouth ofthe rier be fliut, which eitherFrance or Spain could do, & whichour poffeffion of New Orleans couldneither prevent nor remove. NewOrleans in our poffeflion, by an actof hostility, would have become ablockaded p"rt, and consequently ofno vahi'i to the wefWn people as aplace of deposit. Sb'ce therefore,..,1 interruption had ;.risen to thecommeice of. the western itates, anduntil the matter could be brought toa fair explanation, it nas of le's in-- 1

iry to haye the po.it Hint and theriver open, than to have the riverihut, and the port hi our polfefion.

: hnt New Orleanltouldbe takenrequired no llretch of foIJy to plan,mi spirit of enterprise to efFeet.

It was like inarching hehind a manto knock hiin d wn and thedaftard-lyflynefio- f

ruch an attack wouldhave llaine ' the same of the UnitedStates. Where tl ere is no dangercowards are bold, and captain lioba-di- s

are to be sound infei.tes aswell as on the stage. Even Gover-neu- r

on Och a march, dare havefliewn a lt-- l

he people or the coun-ti- y

o whom 'he Miflifuppi ferves'asan inland se 1 t their commence,in'' ft be fu'),-ife- to undcritand the

illo of thi.t c Mimccs,nelter tlu.; a lien wl'o is a itran?erto it ; u'.d as they have (hewn nopprrobation of the wai-vhoo- p e

federal fm trrs, it be- -

oincs prrfumptic e ulence theyililappiov e thCTi. This is anewmortiiiciion to those war-whoo- p ai

ii ; fr the cfe is, that find-

ing theiiiftlvr s loling grcaind andwitlicri v aw.v in the Atlantic-States- ,

th , lidJiold of the affair ofNew Oileit.s in the vain hope ortooting and icinforcing themselves

'in the wefh?i-- i ; and they didtl "is without pet cSn ing, that it wa?on of those IV --judged hypocriticalexpedients in politics, thit whethciit succeeded or sailed, the eventwould be the same Had their motion succeeded, it wuhl have en-

dangered the commeice of tjie At--

lantic-- States and ruined their re-

putation there ; and, on the otherhind, thi attempt to make a tool ofthe western people, v, as so ba Uy

concealed, as to exunguiili all credit '

with them.Hnr liirnnrrir,? tc n ipi c n. fnr,

guine conftitutioij. It: flatters andproimlos ltlelt every tning; ana it ;i

has yet to learn, with respect to mo-

ral and political reputation, it is lessdangerous to offend than to deceive.

1 o the meaiures of a JniinUh dtionsupported by the firmness and inte-grity of the majority in congress.the United States owe, as far ab hu-

man means are concerned, theof peace and of national

honor. '1 he confidence which thewellern people reposed in the gen-eral government and in their repre-lentative- s,

is rewarded w ith success.1'hey are reinltattd in their "rights

with the least poffible lois of time ;

and their harmonx with the peopleof New Oileans, so neccflary to theprosperity of the United States,which would have been broken, andthe Cecils of'difcord sown in itsplace, had hofthities been preferredto accommodation, remains unim-paired. Have the federal minif-tersofth-e

church meditated on thesematters ? and laying aside as they

ipht toJo, their electioi.teiing andV1dicive praxers and sermons re- -

turning thanks ihatgeace is preferv-e- d

am. commeice wythout the stainof blofJ.

111 theiilpafino- rhnrmr,1atinn of

been

matterhere.

upon It inof me of

iome

and

known. law, thaticld of

then, demands it now.is have

per they fliould know

tho'n firstof

- ' " " -1, . ,

tins things, .the ir.indr. by,- - ged in neither 1'rance norcompanion, carries itself back to ' England could spare man to sendthole dar of iproar and ettrava- - ' to America. The object thereforegance that niatk-- c. the career of the must at home, and thatipfl. er adminiltraxloK, and decides, ' was the overthrow of theby the unUudied impui'e of its dwn reprefentativelxftem ofgovernmer.t,feelings, that ibmethii Inuft then for it "could be nothing else. Buthave been wrong. Wh vas that

'

the plotters got i"to confuhon andformed for ha ppklefs, and became enemies to each other.

remote by situation and Adums hated and xvas jealous oftea from t'ie troubles and tutr.ult of-- Hamilton, and Hamilton hated andthe European world, became V'ung- - despised both Adams and

into its cortex and tainted xjth toi. Surely Timothy flood aloof,its crimes The answer eaiyv he did the affair ofthose who were then the head o and the part sell to the publicaffairs were apoftatts from the prin- - VrfS pay the expence.ciples of the olution. Raifid to ' But ought people but sew

elevrtion the had not rifdit to yeivS ago were the battlesexpect, nr-- r ludMiuu 01 the,0rld, liberty had no hometl") became like feather in the air, but here , ought such a people toand blown abo.it by eveiy puff of Rand quietly by and see that libertypa lion conceit. j undermined bj and over- -

Candor would find lome thrown by Let the tombsfirtheir conduct, is want of judg- -' of the (lain recall theirl.ieiit was heir only defect. Jiut er- - ' and the forethought of what theirlor and crime, though often alike in children are be, revive and six intheir featuies, are diltant in their their the love of(haiactfis in their origin. The j Is former admiriftration canone has itsiource the jeeaknefs of juftifyits conduct, give oppor-th- e

head, the other in the badnefa of tuuity. The manner imwhichthe heart, and the Coalition of the Adimsdifappearedfrom the govern-tw- o

defenbes the former adminiftra- - j,' ment, renders an the moretion. neceffary. He some account

Had no conlequencesari fen om the conduct of that ad- -

liniftration, it might have paffedfor error imbecility, and been per- - j

mitted to die and be forgotten. Thegrave is kind to innocent offence.R11I- - p. n innnrpnrp wfinn ltM n M

cause of injury tiught to undergo' anenquiry.

The country, during the time ofthe former administration, was keptin continual agitation and alarm, 8c

that no i,.vjRijition might e madeinto its llJuot, jt intrenched itselfwithin magic circle of terror, andcalled it a sedition 1.d. Violentand ni) fter'ous in it? andarrogant in its. manners, it affectedto disdain information and insultedthe piinciplts that raised it fromobfeurity John Adams, & TimothyPickering, were men whombut the accidents of the ttmts ren-dered viable on the polith al hori-

zon. Elevation turned" their heads,and public indignation hath cast themto the ground But sfn enquiry intothe conduJt and measures oSthat

is neceiTa- -

r'- -

The coantry was put to great e.

Loans, taxes, and ltandingarmies, became the (landing orderof thi di . The militia, faiel

Pickering, are not to be de-

pended upon, and fifty thoufantd menimifl be fdifod. - or wjiat? Nocause to ju'tify such measures Itasyet appealed-- No discover- - of such

cuife h js' vet made. Thepretended fcd'.tion law1 (liut up thesources o( '.nveftigation, and the pre-cipitate slight of John Adams closedthe icene. But the oughtnot to sleep

It is not gratify resentment,encourage it mothers, that I enter

this subject. is not thepower mantpaccufe a per-secuting, spirit. But explana-tion ought to be h;d. The motivesand objects respecting the fejetraor-dinar- y

cxpenLte meafure'saf thefoimer admimftration ought to be

'J he seditionil the moment, prevented it

and justicethe public beenimpofed up-

on, it is pre it ;

foi v. heie judgment is to act, or ae tobemade, knowledge is

ncei ihiy. 1 he conciliatie-- par

Itate. f Europe,a

be somethingfometjliing

it,America,

cirtumfhn- -

Washing-e- d

? i.s as at Lexington,at that

tore a who a

an a sightingto conduct, for

or apoftacy,apology intrtjue ?

rccllecticn,

tohearts liberty,

an 1 thein it the

John.

enquirygave

injuriousfi

or

c

a

nieafures

nothing

ncvc-rthelef-

Secre-

tary

I

a

to or

ities, is it does not grow out of explanation, pai takes of the charac-ter of coljufion or indifference.

There has been guilt somewhere;and it is better to six it where it be-

longs, and separate the deceiver fromthe dtceived, than that, suspicion,the bane of society, fliould ramy atlarge, and sour the publje jphidThe military meafuresnat were

'' propofedand cairinn during theI' former adrnini(brtion could not

have for their ibject the defence ofthe country againlt invasion. J hisis a case that decides ufelf, for it is

'I ff that while thp wir rn,

of himself, lame and confused is itwas, to certain eastern wise menwho came to pay homaax to him on.

his'birth day. .But is he thought itneceffary to do this, ought he not tohave rendered an account to thepublic ? They had a right to expectit of him. In that tete a tete ac-

count he says, ''Some measures were11 the effect bf imperious necessity," much against my inclination."'What measures does Mr. Adamsmean, and what is the imperiousneceffity to which he alludes. "Oth-- "

crs (says he) were tbe measures of" t'g legislature, ivbicb although" approved when passed, were never'' previously proposed or recom-- "

mended by me." What measures,it may be aflted, were those, for thepublic hae a right to know the con-

duct of tjheir representatives ?

" Some (says he) lest to my discre-- "tion weri never executed because

" no necessity sot tbem, in my judg-- "

ment, ever occurred."What does this dark apology,

mixed with accusation, amount to,but to increale and confirm the sus-

picion, that something was wrong.Adminiltration only was.poiTeffed offoieign official information, and itwas only upon that information com-

municated by him publicly or pri-

vately, or to congress, that congresscould act ; and it is not in the pow-

er of Mr. Adams to fhewj from thecondition of the belligerent powers,that any imperious necessity calledfor the wailike and expcniive mea-

fures of his admimftration.What the couefpondence between

adininiitraiion and Rufus King 111

London, or Quitacy Adams in Hol-

land, or Berlin, might be, is but lit-

tle known. The public papeishavej told us, that the former became cu

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