Gazette Of The United States

The American public is to be congratulated on the late expression of the general sentiments of the people, in respect to some points essentially connected with the public tranquility. The anticipations of the friends of harmony and union, are no more than realized—for the confidence is well grounded, which calculates on the sober and solid principles of the citizens of the United States.

There is no opinion which for the time it has been maturing, has taken deeper root than this—that the integrality of the United States is essential to their independence. Involve and convolve the interests of this country with those of any European government—or let the idea be once imbibed by our citizens, that their liberties and independence depend on any transatlantic power, and what will be the consequence?—We should soon lose all energy of character—that decent national pride which is the result of a manly independence, would be sunk in a conscious meanness of spirit, the never failing attendant of personal and national incompetency and dependence.

How little of a national spirit do they possess, who are continually pouring out their abuse against other countries. The national reflections which disgrace many of the newspapers of this country, discover the petulance of the writers, which to be sure is of no importance in itself—but so far as these revilers are supposed to speak the general opinion, so far their productions are a nuisance, and reflect the highest disgrace on our country.

What a glorious opportunity for a display of magnanimous generosity on the part of the English, the late bloody scenes of the Cape have afforded.—Had the several Governors of the Islands given orders that the privateers would not add to the dreadful misfortunes of the emigrants, by robbing them of what they had saved from fire and sword, it would have raised their characters as men to the pinnacle of human excellence, and reflected lasting glory on that of the nation; There is one door yet open to retrieve the mistake—and that is by compelling the robbers to refund their ill gotten gains—This the justice of the British nation requires should be done.—Men that take advantage of such misfortunes, are as bad as the wretches of Jamaica, who plundered while the earth was quaking and sinking under them.