Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

MR. FENNO,

By giving the following sentiments a place in your useful paper, you will oblige a Subscriber.

National honor is not as some represent it a vain phantom, a mere vox et praeterea nihil. A nation without honor, is consequently a nation without the main spring of power. In losing this essential ingredient, its energy is inevitably weakened, and its spirit enfeebled. Every nation therefore ought, with jealous vigilance and noble courage, to watch and defend its honor; to be careful lest by one mean submission, it encouraged an attack upon the dignity of its character, that furious foe, we fear, for the continuation of its peace. Fatal experience convinces that one mean submission only invites another more enormous aggression. America is now drove to the unhappy dilemma, of either disgraceful submission to a desperate enemy, or of drawing the sword, and with it preserve our dignity, liberty and property, or die honorably.

This dilemma is so absolutely true, that one or the other of the propositions must inevitably take place—it admits of no medium, as did that by which a Roman citizen wished to induce Fabius to hazard an action with Hannibal. Fabius eluded the argument of this patriotic citizen, by saying he would temporize before he would risk his life in the defence of his country. This wise policy the American government have pursued; we have temporized in a degree beyond all example, submissive and pacific.

If moderation and passive forbearance are proofs of magnanimity, we are the most magnanimous nation on earth. The despots of France first plunder, rob, and maltreat our citizens. We are astonished, we are alarmed, we pause,—what must be done? We send a minister for the purpose of "restoring harmony"—he lays his credentials before the directory, they will not listen to his applications, treat him with the utmost contempt, threaten to imprison him for residing in their territory, and then order him to quit France! What nation would have suffered these insults to go unpunished? What nation would have borne these injuries unredressed? Yet America, anxious to live in peace and harmony with all nations, suppresses her anger, and sustains these injuries; again sends forth the olive branch of peace in the hands of three of her most distinguished citizens. The haughty tyrants of France, again treat our pacific offers with contempt, continue plundering our citizens and destroying our commerce, to the great distress & ruin of our nation—and to fill the cup of humiliation to the brim, after these ministers of peace petition a long time at the doors of those imperious directors, they are graciously pleased to send an agent to inform our envoys, that they will admit them to their presence, provided they will pay them the sum of fifty thousand pounds sterling—And moreover, they have threatened us, if we do not comply with their disgraceful and haughty demand, with the fate of Venice, viz. strip and wrest from us all our property, and then sell us or a price to a despotic master!!!

Americans! you who once had courage to avenge your wrongs, and vindicate your rights, you who have shed your blood for the independence, honor and liberty of your country, what are your sensations? Can you hear with composure those imperious and haughty attacks upon your dignity! Can you bear with indifference this load of the most gross and atrocious insults? Can you view with complacency this voracious enemy devouring the fruits of your labor and industry? I hear you all answer, NO—You proclaim with one spirited voice, "to arms! to arms! we will protect our independence, liberty and property, while a drop of blood flows in our veins; although we have shewn an unfeigned disposition or peace, we are not incapable of war; our forbearance heretofore has not been the dictate of submissive cowardice, but the offspring of magnanimous moderation. Experience proves that our endeavors to preserve our rights by peaceable means have proved abortive, and only tended to aggrandize and enrich this proud and insolent aggressor; therefore we are compelled by the implacable and unrelenting animosity of France, by the indignities we have sustained under her domineering hand, to defend our honor, independence and rights with the drawn sword." These must be the declaration of every true American,—they are the unequivocal sentiments of a Native American, who wears the

COCKADE.