Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

The Gazette.

SATURDAY EVENING, APRIL 27.

COMMUNICATION

MR. FENNO,

IN your paper of the 13th inst. I observed a piece addressed to "friends and fellow citizens" soliciting the interest of the public, in favor "of Thomas M'Kean the present Chief Justice of Pennsylvania," to choose him Governor thereof, when Mr. Mifflin's time expires, the address is signed by Peter Muhlenburgh, Samuel Miles, Tench Coxe, Michael Leib, A. J. Dallas, William Penrose.

"Of the personal merits and public services of Thomas M'Kean," they say, "it is surely unnecessary at this period to furnish a detail," at the same time above one third part of the address is taken up with saying, who he is, what offices he has filled in public life, his virtues in private life, and, "that his mind has been preserved from the taint and corruptions of pecuniary peculations," and a number of other excellencies of mind and body, which in their view, he possesses.

The signers of themselves are modestly silent—But let it not be said in Pennsylvania, that modesty and merit like theirs, shall remain unknown and unrewarded. Before we enter into an examination of the public or private virtues of Mr. M'Kean, it is a duty owing to these "friends and fellow citizens" whom they address, as well as the good people of the State, to inform them who these signers are, from whence they will be enabled to know by whom, they have been thus insulted, and determine what truth can be placed in their publication—

Be it remembered then, that Peter Muhlenburg, has a head; and so has a pin.

Samuel Miles, came to reside in this city when young, and through the opinion of some of his friends was introduced into several public stations; but how often are good men mistaken in their choice of men, perhaps, in no instance more than in the object before us—instead of increasing years adding wisdom to his age, they have found him, "stiff in opinion, and always in the wrong," deserting his post, and joining himself to idols—being possessed of a fortune he retired into the country where his friends hoped, he would spend the remainder of his days in peace; but alas! with empty noddle and supercilious pride, he rushes forth in the plenitude of his folly, and becomes one of the Trumpeters to his brother-in-law M'Kean's fame—Whether he can understand the address he has signed is yet to be proved.

Tench Coxe. Oh Coxe! which are we most to admire, thy Impudence, Cowardice, or Guilt? In the early stage of the American contest against Great-Britain, and when things looked favorable to the latter, Fanus, in expectation of receiving some emolument, if in the event, it should turn out as he wished and expected, deserted his country in the hour of danger, and joined the British camp. What sacrifices he made on the British altar to curry their favor may not be known; but some he assuredly made, otherwise, he would not have been permitted to remain so long with them, come into this city in triumphal cavalcade with them and riot with them in their hostile rejoicings.—Charity leads us to suppose he did not slay his thousands, but there can be no doubt that the blood of some American Patriot slain in defence of his country stains the ground, and like Abel's of old cries to heaven for vengeance against such treachery and crimes. After independence was established, his assurance prompted him, to solicit a place of office; by flattery and a fawning behaviour he gained his suit—From the last office which he occupied he was dismissed, and those who had the power of dismissal can give the reason why—in the course of 2 years of the war, he took 3 oaths of allegiance; first to his country, the second to the British, and the third to his country again—What other oath he hath since taken, and to whom, time and success in pecuniary affairs will unravel. On the whole he hath verified what has been said of, a double faced patriot, a man "may smile and smile again, and be a villain."

A. J. Dallas—Your name and Fame will not be forgotten, while Fauchet's letter remains to tell the tale, The origin and pedigree of this man is a secret unknown here, unless to himself, and he is not fool enough to tell us—It is known, however, that he strolled as an emigrant into this city, long since the revolutionary war—That about 9 years ago he was appointed by the present Governor his Secretary, and consequently that of the State and has continued in that station ever since, governing in all things with as much ease, as the conjuring old Doctor Wilt at Germantown, made his puppet dance up and down in a bottle of spirits, by stopping and unstopping a hole left in the cork for air—by flattery and cunning he has dipped into all the artful polities of the time, and been the conductor of a Democratic club, and other violent designs. Whether he has (as he and his fellow trumpeters say of M'Kean) preserved his hands from the taint and corruptions of pecuniary peculations, his mode of suddenly emerging from the lowest obscurity to extravagance of show and pride, the world can best judge—o true is the old proverb verified in him. that one would be apt to believe it were made to represent him, "Set a beggar on horseback, and he will ride to the devil."

Matthew Leib & William Penrose, come so near to the Genus of the Gander Tribe, that they may be left like them to hiss and cry Quack, Quack, when no danger is near.

Having represented on a small scale a few traits of the characters of M'Kean's trumpeters, what will you think, when you come to consider part of their address, on the larger scale of public wrongs? While Rebellion against the Federal Government is rearing its head in the Northern part of the same State in which these Trumpeters live, and over which M'Kean is to be made Governor, and while numbers of ignorant and deluded creatures, are now on their tryal for High Treason, these very Trumpeters in their address at this time are declaring to the people that they wish, "to awaken vigilance against the pressure of present grievances, that an encrease of the public debt and expenditures, a corresponding augmentation of FEDERAL TAXES & imposts, an extensive establishment of land and naval force, a marked disregard of the national militia, and the introduction of impolitic laws, are EVILS which a bad administration may produce, but which a good administration will be able to correct" and further, "that if we review the conduct of men in power, we shall find the emoluments of public office are only bestowed on the partisans of administration, that the authority of the individual States is held in contempt, and that republicanism itself is considered as an idle phantom" the greatest part of the address contains ideas similar to these extracts, and they will no doubt be sufficient to show to the world, from whence the Rebellion in 1796, and the present one afloat, have drawn their spirit of disaffection to the Federal Government; have not publications of this kind a manifest tendency to alienate the affections and support of the citizens from the general government? If they are so in a legal sense, why are they permitted to be published at this time of public danger, and in the very teeth of government, and no notice taken of the framers and abettors of them?

Mr. M'Kean's trumpeters further say. "from the energy of such a character as his (M'Kean) much may be expected, and much will certainly be required" Is the peace and happiness of the good citizens of Pennsylvania to be disturbed by the interference of this man, or if he should be unfortunately chosen Governor, are we to be thrown in a state of Civil War, unless all the (trumpet up) Grievances of which the Address say, are wickedly and unjustly imposed on us, be done away?

A FEDERALIST.