Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

COMMUNICATIONS.

The plundering of Italy has been justified by those who have justified every thing that the French have done from the beginning of the revolution. It is said that the monuments of the arts are given by the Italians in lieu of pecuniary contributions, and by treaty. But what kind of reciprocity can possibly exist in the case? -It is force to weakness—power to impotence. Individuals who practice on this principle, are loaded with obloquy & merited contempt; but numbers possessing power, may exercise it to any extent with the approbation of our Jacobins, even to plunder, robbery, and the threatening the Independence of their own country.

It is in vain the French partizans attempt to shelter themselves from the effects the insolence of their minister has produced, by pretending that the British treaty has wronged their nation. The sophisms and lies direct on that subject, already outnumber the census of the United States; they have made more than one damning fib for every soul. Even Frenchmen possessed of candor and good sense will feel, though they may not acknowledge this fact. The public faith of America is at this moment the purest and most unspotted of any nation on the globe. Let our patriots who wish to see a French army marching through our towns, to collect pictures, &c. &c. &c. Our patriots who already think of a place of refuge in Louisiana—our patriots who have agents in Paris, and who expect to get the upper hand by French help, and French threats—yes, let our patriots (but the word smells of silliness) deny this if they dare. Eyes are opened at last. "The system of terror" is out of vogue. War with France is not even a bug bear. The jacobins while they threaten this event, laugh out and betray their artifice. To French cats, Modena, Parma, Tuscany, Rome, Sardinia, Genoa, and Venice, are mice; but America has claws too—and can scratch if it cannot bite.

Lately it was argued in company, that Mr. Bache served his employers very ill. He wins nobody, it was said. His lies are all insolent and affrontive. The answer was—he does custom work. For five thousand French crowns a year, a minister has a good right to please his fancy. 'Tis true the money is well laid out for America. Every dollar of the salary buys an antidote against our silly attachment to guillotine liberty. Every sentence of Adet's manifesto has lowered the pulse of credulous folly, and raised the Independent spirit of '75.

As Mr. Bache anticipates the great advantage to the United States to have an asylum for the democrats from any government at all, in Louisiana, in case the French should get that country. A correspondent observes, that it would be prudent for the party to go soon—for they are down. A jacobin President is certainly not elected. The people are no friends to them. The French can help them with nothing but menaces, jargon, and second hand promises; and these are a worse currency than assignats. Besides, if the party was grouped together at New Madrid, they would see the necessity of some government, and submit to it. For we hear that Barrington, the pick pocket at Botany Bay, is a great preacher, of morals and good order. Why should we despair of our democrats!