Gazette Of The United States, & Daily Advertiser

ALTHOUGH I am no Literary writer, yet I am induced by the advice of my wife, to put myself upon the notice of the Public; that is if you will permit me. My name is, as you will see at the bottom, my occupation, is that of making shoes, not for men but for horses. I am vulgarly called a Blacksmith: and I have (I believe foolishly) laid by my sledge, hammer and anvil to communicate to you, in my way, my political conversion. I was originally a Democrat, I gave my vote for Tom M'Kean, partly I confess from motives of self-interest, because Tom solemnly promised me the shoeing of his horses; but whether he has none to shoe, or whether (as is his custom) he has broken his engagement, I have not yet discovered. I say I was a Democrat, and was fully intent upon voting for Tom Paine, phaw, I mean Tom Jefferson, at the next election; but by the salutary counsel of my Friends, and the excellent advice your paper has afforded me, my eyes have been opened, and I have now become, (I hope) a good Federalist. Corrupted by the cursed columns of the Aurora, deluded by its fair and hypocritical aspect, I had become deaf to all argument, until chance brought your paper before me, and curiosity prompted me to peruse its pages. I have been accustomed to read the Aurora, (by the advice of Duane) every morning to my workmen, but ever since I saw your paper, I cannot get through half a paragraph without being almost choked; whether it is from the smoke of my furnace, or from the magnitude of the lie I am about to swallow, I will leave you to judge.

I had not scarcely finished my afternoon's work the other day, when in pops Mr. Worthy the schoolmaster, and having seated himself upon my bench, and inquired kindly after my family, he asked me the news; I handed him the morning's Aurora, and he had scarcely looked at it, when with a look of honest indignation, he cast the paper in the fire, and turning to me said, "what have you also degraded yourself so far as to become a subscriber for that infamous and abandoned paper; a paper constantly teeming with the grossest scurrility against every good man; from whose shafts of Malice even Washington was not exempted, and which not yet content, now seeks to undermine the throne of God himself?" I was at this time in vain endeavouring to rescue the paper from the flames, but these last words struck me so forcibly, that I dropped the tongs, and turning towards Worthy said "softly, neighbour, do not be too impassioned, if it be any crime to subscribe for the paper, I am not guilty, for it is sent to me gratis; but if I were to believe what you say, I am inclined to think, the very reading of it would be a crime."

"Yes" replied he "that man commits a crime against reason, against truth, against decency, and against the religion of God, who even peruses that paper. Open your eyes neighbour, and if you do not wish to have your morals corrupted, if you do not wish to imbibe the worst of religious, and political principles cease reading the Aurora." Struck with the solemn manner in which my neighbour pronounced these words, I entreated him to explain to me more fully the cause of this injunction; but as he was beginning, my wife unfortunately called me in to supper, and my neighbour refusing to partake, departed, informing me that very soon he would renew the conversation and display to my astonished view the cursed machinations of the Jacobin party, and the religious sentiments of their philosophical leader, who (he says) thinks there might as well be twenty Gods as one God. All which he has done and that satisfactorily too; and by your leave it shall appear in subsequent numbers.

Yours for the present,

DICK VULCAN.