Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

At a numerous and respectable meeting of citizens of the city of Philadelphia, district of Southwark and Northern Liberties, held at Dunwoody's tavern on the evening of the 12th April, 1798,

Colonel Gurney in the chair,

It was Resolved unanimously, As the sense of this meeting, that the information contained in the Dispatches from the Envoys Extraordinary from the United States at Paris, to the Secretary of State, is of a nature to excite universal alarm throughout America, and to call for the unanimous and energetic support of the people in aid of the government of the United States.

Resolved unanimously, That the measures pursued by the President of the United States to restore harmony between the United States and the Republic of France and to establish a permanent and good understanding between the two nations, as the same are specified in the instructions to the Envoys Extraordinary, have been wise, just, liberal and sincere; and entitle him to the grateful acknowledgements of his country.

Resolved unanimously, That an Address and Memorial expressive of the sentiments contained in the foregoing resolutions be prepared, to be signed by the Citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, and to be presented to the President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the United States.

Resolved, That the following gentlemen be a committee to prepare the address and that they report the same as soon as prepared to this meeting.--viz.

Joseph Thomas, Andrew Bayard, Samuel Wheeler, Joshua Humphreys, Henry Pratt, Levi Hollingworth, and Joseph North.

The committee retired accordingly and after some time returned with the form of an address which was read and unanimously agreed to. Another committee were appointed to circulate the same for the signatures of the citizens.

Resolved, That the proceedings of this meeting, as authenticated by the signatures of the chairman and secretary, be published in the English and German languages.

FRANCIS GURNEY, chairman.

Samuel W. Fisher, Secretary,

The following, we learn, is a Copy of the Address adopted by the Citizens who assembled at Dunwoody's on Thursday Evening.]

To the President, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the United States of America.

THE ADDRESS

And Memorial of the Citizens of Philadelphia, the District of Southwark, and the Northern Liberties.

Respectfully Sheweth,

That your memorialists consider the present period as pregnant with events of the highest importance to the happiness and safety of the United States, and therefore deem it an essential and indispensable duty, to express, to the several branches of the Federal Government, the sentiments and determination, which this extraordinary crisis in their national affairs has inspired.

Appreciating, with due estimation, the advantages of neutrality, and the blessings of peace, your memorialists have beheld, with entire satisfaction, the earnest and reiterated endeavors of the government of the United States to preserve this desirable position--and they have seen, with correspondent concern, that the anxious advances, which have been made by the government of the United States, towards a restoration of harmony with the republic of France, have been received with a marked difference of disposition on the part of that government--and that, in the very threshold of discussion, they have been treated in a manner, which could not fail to revolt every feeling of individual pride and national independence.

Your memorialists learn, with equal astonishment and alarm, that the first step towards negociation has been made under a menace that, in case of refusal to pay a heavy and disgraceful tribute, as the price of peace, the United States of America would be exposed to share the fate of Venice-- accompanied by a suggestion, that, as they were a divided people, the execution of the menace was inevitable.

Your memorialists feel themselves enjoined by every consideration of duty to their country, to themselves, and to posterity, to repel the insinuation, which thus attempts to dishonor the American character--and to expose the fallacy of the expectation on which the threat, to extinguish the independence of the United States, is founded.

Deeply impressed by a sense of the blessings which they enjoy under the truly free and equal government of the United States, your memorialists, as members of this happy and highly favoured community, are determined, at every hazard, to maintain their Freedom and Independence.

With this inestimable object to guide their decision, your memorialists declare, that as the conduct heretofore pursued by the Executive Department, to preserve peace with foreign nations, merits and receives their perfect and grateful approbation; so their confidence in the wisdom and patriotism of every branch of the Government being complete, they pledge themselves firmly to support every measure, which may hereafter be thought necessary to secure the constitution, freedom, and independence of the United States,