Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

ADDRESS To the President of the United States.

We the Subscribers, being a Committee on the part of a respectable meeting of the Citizens of Worcester county in the State of Maryland, convened at Snowhill for the purpose of expressing their sense of the conduct of our government in regard to its foreign relations and to declare their determination at this pressing crisis to support it, do communicate to you as the unanimous sense of the said meeting, that your attempts to restore that harmony between the United States and the French Republic, which has been so unfortunately impaired, and to reinstate that good understanding between the two nations so desirable to the lovers of peace, have been wise and prudent, and entitle you to the highest evidence of their esteem.

Impressed as they are with the wisdom, and propriety of the measures hitherto pursued in the administration of our government; and believing that our difficulties have been enible of our present alarming situation, occasioned in a great measure by internal and foreign machinations, calculated to produce in France an unfounded opinion that the Americans are a divided people: In order to aid in removing an opinion so injurious to our national character and so hazardous to our peace they will never hesitate to proclaim to the world their determination, and they do hereby pledge themselves to you to support any measures which may be adopted by the government of their country calculated to support their rights and assert the dignity of the nation. Whilst we thus express to you the approbation and determination of our fellow-citizens, we cannot forbear to declare our abhorrence, of the profligate and disgraceful conduct of the government of France which has been disclosed in the Dispatches from our Envoys. While we lament the unfortunate necessity of having to negociate with characters who do not hesitate to acknowledge their own prostitution and to declare that the justice of our claims will avail us nothing ; but that the only measure of their exactions is the extent of their power. To this conduct, those amiable principles of religion, morality and forbearance, contained in your late proclamation, exhibit to Americans a pleasing contrast.

Permit us also to indulge a hope, that in this threatening prospect of our affairs, harmony and unanimity may pervade our public councils and our citizens at large, and to express our unfeigned wishes for your health and happiness in the trying situation in which you are placed.

John Selby Purnell.

William Whittington

Committee.

E. K. Wilson.

Samuel Handy.

April 27, 1798.

To which the President returned the following ANSWER.

To John S. Purnell, William Whittington, Ephraim K. Wilson, and Samuel Handy, a Committee of a meeting of citizens of Worcester county in the State of Maryland.

GENTLEMEN,

I have received from the hands of your Representative, Mr. Dennis, your letter of the 27th of April, expressing the sense of the citizens assembled at Snowhill.

Your approbation of the measures of government and determination to support them are very acceptable.

The Dispatches exhibit a scene of corruption, depravity and intrigue, which is disgraceful to human nature—a striking contrast to those amiable principles of religion, morality and forbearance, contained in a late Proclamation. Every lover of his country must join with you in the hope, that in this threatening prospect of our affairs, harmony and unanimity may pervade our councils, and our citizens at large. I return with thanks, your kind and unfeigned wishes for my health and happiness in these trying times.

JOHN ADAMS.

Philadelphia, May 4, 1798.