Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

From the Federal Intelligencer, published at Baltimore,

Gentlemen Printers,

As you have undertaken to enlarge your newspaper, and thereby incurred an additional expence, I make no doubt but that you will receive with gratitude any hints which may have a tendency to render its extension a source of additional profit to yourselves, and fresh instruction to the public.

Some printers may imagine it to be a duty they owe to the public, whenever they print, by request, or otherwise, a philippic against government, or any of its functionaries, to make use of the first opportunity which presents itself, to lay before the same public the best answer which may appear to the philippic, in order that the people may form a just judgment, by hearing both sides.

This may be thought a good rule: you will, however, give it only occasionally: for though its strict observance might acquire you the title of impartial printers, and honest men, there is no saying how many subscribers you may lose by it. Be circumpect, therefore, on this head;—nay, you may safely carry your caution so far as to curtail the debates of the best speakers in Congress, or omit them entirely, whenever they bear hard upon any favorite measure. To save appearances, however, on such occasions, you may plead a press of foreign news; taking it for granted, that it is of more consequence to the people to know what is doing in London or Paris, than what is doing in Congress.

As another means to prevent Congressional debates and proceedings from coming fully before the public, you may reserve a considerable part of your paper, under color of discussing the merits of public men and public measures, for political paragraphs, hints, essays, and squibs. To succeed in this department, you are to believe, or seem to believe, that government is always wrong, and opposition always right. You may therefore, fire at the executive with round, double-headed, language, and grape shot, broken bottles, rusty nails, and red hot balls; remembering always, that your abuse of the venal gentry can hardly be seasoned too high for the public appetite, which is never depraved.

According to the rule here given, it might seem, that the outs, or antifederalists, as they were once called, are the only friends of liberty and the constitution;—while the federalists are become enemies to liberty and the government At first sight the thing appears strange; but the difficulty is removed by a small alteration in the epithets. Instead of antifederalist you are to use the word republican, and in place of federalist you are to use the word aristocrat, and then all becomes plain. The President was once a good federalist, so were Mr. Jay, Mr. Hamilton, and many others that might be named. Call these men aristocrats and you will see them immediately become enemies to their country.— On the other hand, call democrats those who never did one act to advance the independence of America, and those who have only lately become citizens, (through an over kindness in our laws) and you will see them in like manner, converted into shining and distinguished patriots.

Again instead of antifederalist you may use the word republican; for take notice, that the bulk of mankind (and perhaps they may have not much changed in this respect in modern times) have in former days invariably been duped out of their liberty, by names For example, the antifederalist, now republican, loves the constitution which he formerly opposed, and, he loves the people; but the aristocrat that is the old federalist, cares nothing about the people, and wishes to destroy the government, and turns all things topsy turvy. This is to be your creed. You are to affirm, that the old federalist, or in the new language, aristocrat or anti-republican, is an enemy to peace and good order, & to the solid happiness & improvement of the country; while the true republican democrat happy in his own prosperity, thinks of nothing but serving the people, and watching over their happiness. In the conducting, however, of this business some address will become necessary ; for you may possibly be told, by some pensioned press, that the present executive who are confirmed aristocrats, have been remarkably studious to preserve peace, and thereby preserve also the prosperity and lives of their fellow-citizens; whilst the democrats, or true republicans, have moved heaven and earth to involve the country in war. Should any scribbler undertake to satirize these democrats for their love of war, you may say that aristocrats love peace only because they were afraid of parting with life and money.—

You may also say, that war, all things considered, is a pretty good sort of a thing; that it is rather better than peace, because that it makes money circulate, and because it finds employment for men, who, in peace are a nuisance to society, and because yet, it makes poor men rich, and rich men poor; whilst the thousands killed in the scuffle are never known to complain. You may even say, that war is more honourable than peace, especially for the republicans ; that the Romans, in the days of their republic, lived by war, fed their treasury by war, and, though they lost their liberty by war, and seldom enjoyed a moment's domestic tranquility except when engaged in war, they were nevertheless, the greatest people on record.

Upon the whole therefore, you may conclude. that the executive and others, who had a hand in keeping this country at peace, were, and still continue to be, its greatest enemies; whilst Mr. G**** and his party, were then, and still continue to be, its only true friends.