National Gazette

PHILADELPHIA.

FEBRUARY 13.

The accounts from England, brought by the last packet, seem to leave us in doubt whether a war is seriously meditated against the revolution of France and the progress of liberty on the continent, or whether their preparations and proceedings are secretly meant to stifle the rising spirit of their own people, and over-awe the remonstrants of Scotland and Ireland.

Whichever may be their purpose, and particularly if it should be the latter, the government ought not to be surprised, if a new stimulus should be given to the public uneasiness, and to the demand of reforms in every department where abuses have equally excited sober animadversion and popular clamour. In one particular the information is singularly remarkable. The only mobs we are told of are on the side of government, and are warring against their own rights and those principles of political equality which constitute the best, and often the only property of a large part of the society.

From this, as well as other circumstances, we may expect that liberty will find more obstacles to a complete triumph in Britain than any where else. Her partial enjoyment of it, and the pride inspired by comparative prosperity, will have a strong tendency to keep her stationary at her present point of mediocrity; and it will not be wonderful if the nation, which has hitherto been the freest in Europe, should, ere long, be the last to yield to the spirit of regeneration now pervading Europe, and perhaps the globe, and be below every other nation in the scale of liberty, prosperity, and true greatness. Her chains being lighter she is the less anxious to cast them off, or perhaps because they are gilt over, she may even hug and be vain of them. The Chinese, who have long been half civilized, is the nation, more than all others, opposed to illumination and improvement.

Our public affairs (say letters from England) are in a very critical situation: government is greatly alarmed, and has summoned suddenly the parliament: great sacrifices must be made before the ferment is allayed, pensions and salaries reduced, sinecures abolished, parliament reformed by a far more equal representation; church preferment more equalized, and a variety of objects to be embraced, highly proper to have been effected half a century back—we are all alarmed—all anxiety; all Europe is occupied with the affairs of France, and much of it is ready to follow her in her career to Liberty—funds are fallen here prodigiously from the exertions our government is making in war-like preparation. A double number of soldiers are stationed at the bank, the militia are held in readiness, the tower is strongly guarded, the cannon fixed on the old walls, besides new walls built to strengthen it—orders are continually sending for equipping squadrons and ships of war at the sea ports, and a very considerable number are already in commission. Mobs have risen in several parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland; in England mostly on the side of government and in Scotland and Ireland on the side of the people.