The Gazette

Mr. Jefferson.

That Mr. Jefferson is a professed deist, his writings declare. Although we abhor his tenets, so long as he kept them to himself, or even displayed his infidel sentiments in harmless books, we should not have exposed him to public censure. But it is certainly indecent, to affront the religion of his country. What if Mr. Jefferson does not believe the truth of divine revelation, and prefers Tom Paine's Age of Reason to the Bible?—What if he prefers a French Decade or Tenth Day, to the Christian Sabbath? There are millions of his fellow citizens who believe in the scripture, and observe the Christian Sabbath. Surely, the second magistrate in the union, should have some decent regard to the general religious faith of his country: And though he scoffs at our blessed Saviour, among his philosophic friends, he ought upon the principles of a gentleman, not to insult his followers on his holy day, in the face of the world.

We well remember to have read that in the year 1775, when the first continental Fast was proposed, in Congress, a certain member from the south, not only opposed the resolve, but endeavoured to turn the idea of a Fast into ridicule. Mr. Adams, now our beloved President, and then member from Massachusetts, rose and expressed his sorrow at hearing the gentleman's ridicule upon religion, and pertinently observed, that whatever opinions gentlemen might entertain of religion, in private, there was certainly a respect due to public opinion. This was the first time he had ever heard of a scholar and a gentleman endeavour, in a public assembly, to turn religion into ridicule. The good President may now find the second scholar, if not the second gentleman, who has endeavoured to turn religion into ridicule, and not merely to ridicule but pointedly to insult.