The Patowmac Guardian, And Berkeley Advertiser

NEW-YORK. February 10.

A correspondent remarks, that it gave him peculiar satisfaction to see the pointed disapprobation which the petition of masters of apprentices in Philadelphia (praying Congress to exempt apprentices from military duty) has received from that patriotic body, the mechanics of this city. What! shall the aspiring youths of America be deprived of the privileges of that school of manliness, of heroism, and grace!-- And of the patriotic, soul-exulting anticipation, of being able, with martial valor, as they have done, to defend their invaded territory! Behold America, freed from foreign impositions, and say--who has achieved this? Were there not many thousands, from the age of 18 to all, who repulsed an inveterate foe, and proved their valor by more than Roman fortitude? Would not our soil have sunk under the haughty presumption of John Bull, had not father, son, and grand-child, flew to arms! and shall Americans be so sordid, o pusillanimous, as to suppose it impossible, that an invasion of the kind, or something worse, might not again take place--and if per chance, it should, then to trust to foreign aid! Thank God the hardy and patriotic sons of Columbia yet retain a spirit to FORBID it? Though a few may'think of lolling on the couch of security, the great body have not arrived to that abasing degree of effeminacy, which lost to Rome her freedom!

The exempting article, in the militia bill, before Congress, says a correspondent, will be a prolific article to the people called Quakers, in this country. Many already, who had never made up their mouths to Thee and Thou, begin to tu toi--There can be no doubt but the greater part of the European Friends will soon cross the great pond to enjoy the blessings of a good government and laws at the expence of others-entirely free from carrying arms, or paying an equivalent! Members of Congress, all legislators, civil magistrates, office-holders and clerks--all ministers, schoolmasters, &c. must be exempted from this duty and equivalent! Apprentices, certainly, of all denominations, must also enjoy this exemption, or every species of manufacture must be at an end! and if their masters go to war? what can we do!-- Who will give us beef and mutton if the butchers go to war? Who will give us corn, potatoes and forage if the farmers go to war? Horrible dilemma! what must be done, or how defend our country!

It is said, the women in Philadelphia intend to petition Congress to reverse the scheme hitherto invariably pursued--to turn pusillanimous man into kitchen swabs, and washers of their linen, and take the field of Mars themselves! It is expected, however, that this plan will not succeed.--What must then be done--Ah, I have it,--we must raise a standing army--and we must fill a Columbian camp with mercenary troops hired from foreign nations? we must enlist every strolling vagabond and send him there--they may fight our battles, while we loll upon the lap of ease--those would be obedient soldiers--or open tools for grand purposes-- while the proprietors of our soil, the happy sons of Columbia, wallow in perfect security.

I recollect the day, says a correspondent, when the cry was, "your property is invaded, your country is besieged, turn out; to arms; or no protection?" How ridiculous does this sound; how harsh, in these refined days; an old, hackneyed, wornout republican idea! The first of the community then took the field; now the firelock would bruise the delicate fingers--hire a Turk!