Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

From the New York Gazette.

THE TRUE AMERICAN--NO. I.

The time has arrived when a just discrimination should be made between the citizens who at present compose the American nation. By a fatally mistaken indulgence its complexion has become entirely changed. New men and new principles cover the face of our country; and our character abroad has become entirely different from what it was at the close of our revolutionary war; or, rather, at that of the glorious administration of our immortal Washington. Foreign influence has gained that ascendancy which has produced this great evil. The real, or former character of the country is lost: and, if not speedily recovered, will be sunk forever.

In the course of a very few papers or numbers, I will endeavour (and I am sure successfully) to prove the truth of what I have asserted.

I am not going, however, to draw an invidious line of distinction between the native citizens, and the many, very many, respectable foreigners who do honour to their adopted country. No:--my sentiments and remarks will have a very different direction.

I profess not to be a classically correct writer.--As a man of business, too, I shall write at my leisure: and, as one feeling keenly for the honour and the welfare of his native country, will, holding forth none but plain truths, humbly attempt a vindication of its character.

In commencing such an undertaking, I cannot, perhaps, do better than to take up that atrocious libeller, William Cobbett: and if I do not even "out of his own mouth convict him," to the satisfaction of every liberal and impartial mind, it might be as well that my first essay should, also, be the last.

To attempt a justification of the American character against all the attacks of Mr. Cobbett, would, I confess, be giving him more attention than his versatile and unprincipled conduct would deserve. I leave to those, who have affected to admire him, an examination of his conduct in England, since his return from the United States; and then to trust upon his, supposed, virtue and excellence, "with what appetite they may." I consider him to be in politicks what his coadjutor in slander, Peter Pindar has been in poetry--equally licentious; selecting such objects as suit his changeable views and purposes, regardless of truth, and without any respect for persons or for things.

For the present I have selected a passage from his "Political Register," for October, 1805 (page 549), wherein he has summed up all that he has, at infinite length, detailed in his most excellent "works" of 12 volumes!

In this quotation, he states the American merchants "to be generally (mark the distinction) without probity,--the lawyers (no distinction at all!) were pettifoggers,--and the people (in toto, it would seem) full of cheating and profligacy."

Now also, courteous reader, mark the condescending discrimination, which does follow. After stating that he had observed "a part of the American people to be among the best among mankind--scrupulously upright, hospitable, kind and generous to excess, and most nobly steady in their friendship," he observed, too, that among the descendants of the ancient settlers, amongst the real Americans, that this description of persons was found; and that, in general, the more recent the emigration the worse the character!

The most fastidious real American--and no Others are concerned--could desire (if he should receive it from William Cobbett, at all) no greater Eulogium.

A TRUE AMERICAN.

THE EXTRACT.

"In short, I found that there was no such thing as impartial justice in the country; and of course no such thing as real freedom. There were a hundred ways in which the powerful oppressed the weak; ways quite unknown in England. I found that the government was a despotism of the many over the few; for every act of oppression was committed in the name of the people--hence the sufferer experienced no compassion, and the oppressor no punishment, and very little hatred. The merchants were in general without probity; the lawyers mere pettifoggers; and the people full of cheating and profligacy. The general character of the nation I found to be a mixture of insolence and meanness.--Many, very many, exceptions, were, however, to be found. A part of the people of the United States always appeared to me to be amongst the best of mankind. Scrupulously upright, hospitable, kind and generous to excess, and most nobly steady in their friendships. I observe, too, that it was amongst the descendants of the ancient settlers, amongst the real Americans, that this description of persons was found; and that, in general, the more recent the emigration the worse the character."