The New Hampshire Gazette

For the N.H. Gazette!

MR. PRINTER.

BEING a plain farmer and not having the means of information that many others have, I have had it rung in my ears again and again by our great folks, that the true interest of America consisted in a close connexion with Great Britain—a nation from which the States were principally peopled, and by whose wise institutions & acts we had greatly profitted—that if misunderstandings should be suffered to arise and collisions ensue between the nations, the United States only would be the sufferers. But, sir, on diligent enquiry and thorough investigation of the systems, views and conduct of the government and people of the two nations as far as my limited means will permit, I now find the reverse to be the fact—that the real interest and safety of America consists in keeping aloof from the embraces of all foreign nations—'entangling alliances with none,' as our late beloved Washington said—more especially with one which has grown old in the ways of iniquity, injustice, luxury, tyranny and trickish deceit, as Great Britain at this day shows herself to be.

Her government is polluted with all manner of vice, which she is propagating among other nations, she has too fatally succeeded with some. What gave France her gigantic bulk and Bonaparte his consequence and power, but the continual wars excited by Great Britain? What caused the overthrow of the Dutch government and the subjugation of the people, but the internal dissensions, party division, created and fomented by the corrupt government of Great Britain and their finally leaguing in an unwise war? Where is Spain and Portugal, those once happy and powerful nations? Their governments are annihilated and their once fruitful territories are now become a theatre for the two mighty belligerents to display their deadly conflicts? What can be said of Denmark, Sweden, Prussia or the Empire of Germany, but that they once were potent, that they listened to the voice of the syren, they followed her enchanting, delusive paths and greatly suffered—they are degraded, sunken and depending, and it will require the peaceful calm of ages to restore them to their ancient standing, if they ever can be raised!

But, sir, let us take an impartial view of her conduct to these States, since the treaty of commerce under the embassy of Mr. Jay, a treaty which Washington hesitated to sign, although strongly urged to do it by those in whom he put great confidence—a treaty which that patriot finally ratified as least of many expected, inevitable evils. The government of Great Britain has allowed her naval officers to take by force, men, even native citizens of the States, when sailing under the flag and in the employ of citizens of the States. She interdicts at her pleasure, by proclamation, the neutral American commerce with independent nations as well as her own colonies. She allows her vessels of war to send into her ports, for adjudication, the American merchantmen, and her iniquitous courts of Admiralty award heavy bills of cost against the captured, although the vessels are liberated, as proof is fully adduced that they had pursued a lawful and just demeanor during the whole voyage, viz. the innocent are doubly punished. She never punishes her officers (unless promotion is punishment) for killing our citizens on board the ships, and in the territories of America but retains in bondage for years, our brethren taken by force in (by herself acknowledged) an unjustifiable and unauthorized manner.

She invites, by proclamation, our citizens to be Traitors, to disobey the laws of our own government, and directs her cruizers to treat such persons and vessels with peculiar marks of attention. She authorized and perhaps directed her envoy to consult the opposition, and disaffected citizens, 'to ascertain to what extent they would be willing and able to resist the measures of the government, and how far they could carry the opinions of the country along with them in their attempts to counteract the laws.'* It may here be asked if she encourages and allows her authorized agent to tamper with the disaffected citizens of an independent State, what will hinder her resorting to bribery, and other corruption to effect all her wishes? In fact we need not resort to all her wheedlings to Americans to prove her inveterate malice to, insatiable lust of power over and invincible jealousy of the government and people of the United States.

As I was a free citizen of a free country and an agent in the government by my electoral privilege, I concluded it to be my duty to acquire some information respecting our form of government, the administration of them and the origin of our national difficulties—the result of my enquiries is that all our difficulties proceed from the government of Great Britain either in a direct or indirect way, and the government and citizens of these States cannot be too vigilant in watching her motions and keeping from her clutches. We ought to deprecate a connexion with her as pollution! death! Let us shun her artful wiles as deadly poison. We have a valuable and dear bought patrimony befallen us, a bequest of inestimable value, our independence and republican system of government; let us strive to preserve and hand it down to our children, uncontaminated, that it may descend in its pure original lustre, to the latest period of time. Let not our children have to say 'our fathers had a valuable inheritance bequeathed them by the revolutionary heroes, but they basely bartered it, and for what? not for a mess of pottage to satisfy a craving and hungry stomach, not for clothing to cover a naked and war-worn body, not for a hut to screen their wives and children from the inclemencies of boisterous seasons, but for the tinsel splendor of foreign gew-gaws or for ignoble ease, they either esteemed commerce of too much value, or they viewed the trouble of putting down foreign faction and preserving freedom (by attending their duties at the ballots to give support and aid to their own wise, virtuous, benign and magnanimous administration) too much, and they enslaved themselves and us by their inglorious inaction, when their freedom was jeopardized by foreign incendiaries and domestic traitors.'—O may the God of our fathers forbid this, may he protect our children and preserve them from slavery, from British thraldom, the worst of slavery—O may he preserve the union, from domestic, ambitious tyrants, who prowl under the soft garb of 'patriotic legislative proceedings,' who rock themselves, at times in 'the cradle of freedom' Beware of such men who advise you to rush heedlessly into European convulsions, bloodshed and contentions, by an alliance with the Lion to unfurl the 'Republican banners' against the Tiger. Of such 'the poison of asps is under their tongues and their advice leads to destruction.'

But, sir, I hear a cry, a great cry of French influence—the cry is that the French influence our government and people, This cry has sounded in our ears for many years—what is it? Still a sound without a substance. It is like the hobgoblin of the dark, or the bugbear tories raised by the good women to frighten unruly children and to keep them in awe. Ask for proof, you are told it will take years to develope it. Whence arises the cry? From the advocates of Britain—from men who thirty years past were called tories—the, descendants of such—those hating democratic republicanism—and the ambassador of Great Britain.* Who is under that influence and is actuated by it, the young, ambitious, sprightly, or even the middle aged, who may receive titles, honors and places of profit from Bonaparte? No sir, it pervades the ancient, grey headed revolutionists—those that have expended the best of their days in Freedom's cause, who have kept their faith and nearly ran their course, are now descending the vale of life, with honors encircling their brows, and their hearts exulting in the freedom and happiness of their children and the other inhabitants of their beloved country,—such men as a Jefferson, Clinton, J Adams, Langdon, Gerry, Rush, Ramsey, Dearborn, Madison, Nich's Gilman, a Stark, and many others, such are the men we are directed to distrust as traitors to themselves, their children—and to their country—such men to sell themselves—for what purpose pray? To be the pander of a man whose breath is in his nostrils, who cannot promise himself a tomorrow, much less administer any one effectual comfort to another man. Can men who have spent a long life in the paths of justice and virtue, without swerving, be so lost to every thing praiseworthy, as to damn themselves, posterity, and country without a motive, without a cause? Impossible! credulity itself must be incredulous! Why is this cry raised then, if no foundation exists for it? Is it to excite disunion and prevent effectual measures of resistance against the tyrannic aggressions of the other belligerent, or is it a feint, to attract attention to it from an actual and real influence, pervading other men in the nation, proceeding from another quarter? I have been told that in seaports, thieves sometimes kindle a fire, but oftener cry fire, sir, (when the inhabitants are in a hubbub consequent on fire) to enable them the better to succeed in their nefarious project of purloining the property of the honest! I think, Mr. Printer, we should remember these things and keep a keener watch on such boisterous busy bodies, lest they lull or distract our attention, and our rights and privileges be purloined, and the citizens sink into servitude, to be 'hewers of wood and drawers of water' for some imperious master, no more to be emancipated without variety of woes such as the loss of many, very many of the wisest and best of men, and the toils and convulsions of a violent revolution; such all history states to be the fact. We do know the natural tendency of all governments, however free they may be at first, is to despotism and tyranny, some progress slower, others more rapid to this end: then when man has dragged, a period of time, under the galling yoke of bondage, he gradually imbibes the spirit of liberty, he makes a mighty effort and bounds into freedom, but death and destruction for a time mark his footsteps. Tyrants bite the dust and iniquitous laws of vassalage are destroyed. Dreadful is that time—may America never again experience it—may her free citizens seek to know their duties, and practice them, so as to preserve their high privileges. The wise preacher of ancient days, admonishes us that in all our acquirements we get wisdom, which is profitable to direct. For that purpose, I request all real friends of their country, however designated, whether Aristocrat or Democrat, to determine that the majority should rule, and the government chosen by the major voice, should receive the united support of every man—That this may, in future be the case, and that our free republican constitution and rights may not soon, if ever, be lost to my fellow citizens, is the sincere prayer of a

FARMER