Daily National Intelligencer

From the Baltimore Patriot.

Messrs. Editors—I send enclosed a piece taken out of the London Gentleman's Magazine for the year 1777. I think it is very apropos to the present times, and shews the opinion of our enemies over the water, of the different parties in the United States then—and of the Same character they surely are now. Insert it, if you shall think proper.

PHILO AMERICANUS.

"Political Character of the Americans.

The people of America, with respect to their political characters, may be divided into the five following classes—1. Rank tories—2 Moderate men—3. Timid whigs—4. Furious whigs—5. Staunch whigs.

1. The rank tories are advocates for unconditional submission to Great Britain. They rejoice in every misfortune that befals the U. States. They fabricate lies to deceive and intimidate the people of America. They prefer money stamped with the mark of the beast, and at the same time they employ their utmost ingenuity to depreciate the money issued by the congress and by conventions. They sicken at the names of the congress and of General Washington. They esteem no arts too base to injure or betray the friends of America. They are in love with slavery, and have no more relish for the sweets of liberty than they have for the enjoyment of the kingdom of heaven.

2. The moderate men are advocates for the situation of the colonies in the year 1763.— They are influenced either, 1. by a connection with men who hold offices under the old government: or, 2dly, by an attachment to the pomp and hierarchy of the church of England : or, 3dly, by a fondness for those luxuries which were introduced among us by our connection with Great Britain. In this respect they resemble the children of Israel, who say of themselves. "We remember the fish which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic; but now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes." Numbers xi. 5. 6. They think freedom too dear when purchased with the temporary loss of tea, coffee, sugar, wine, and rum. Good mutton, beef, bread, milk, and the fruits of our earth, which are the produce of our country, appear "as nothing at all in their eyes." Lastly. it is characteristic of a moderate man to hate the people of New England, * and to love all rank tories.

3. The timid whigs speak of the power of Britain as if the Supreme Being had delegated his omnipotence to that island. They entertain a false idea of the power and resources of America. The loss of a few riflemen in a skirmish, or of a fort, or a village, induce them to conclude that the contest is over, and that America is subdued. They have no objection to independence, provided we are able to maintain it. They are perpetually harping upon the expense of the war. After the loss of a village, or a fort, they refuse to take continental money, and fly into some obscure corner of the country for safety; but upon the news of a victory, they come forth, appear stout, and wonder that any man should ever be afraid of the power of Britain. One timid whig admitted into the councils of America, does more mischief than ten rank tories. Avarice is generally the source of his timidity.

4 The furious whigs injure the cause of liberty as much by their violence as the timid whigs do by their fears. They think the destruction of Howe's army of less consequence than the detection and punishment of the most insignificant tory. They think the common forms of justice should be suspended towards a tory criminal : and that a man who only speaks against our common defence, should be tomahawked, scalped and roasted alive. Lastly, they are all cowards, and skulk under cover of an office, or a sickly family, when they are called to oppose our enemy in the field. Woe to that state or community that is governed by this class of men.

5. The staunch whigs are friends to liberty from principle. They are undismayed with misfortunes, and are not usually elated with trifling advantages over our enemies. They are implacable in their hatred to the court of Britain. They prefer the annihilation of the continent to reconciliation, and they had rather renounce their existence than their beloved independence. They have unshaken faith in the divine justice, and they esteem it a mark of equal folly and impiety to believe that Great Britain can ever subdue America. They are friends to order and good government, and are both just and merciful in the exercise of power. Lastly they esteem the loss of property, of friends, and even of life itself, as nothing, when compared with the loss of liberty. Let America look to this class of men alone for her salvation in the cabinet and the field."

* How has this portion of our country apostatized from her former faith, and abandoned her former fame!