National Gazette

EXTRACT.

[From the Virginia Gazette.]

In an address from the Baltimore Mechanical Society, to the President of the United States, will be found the following passage: …But the miseries of war, we deprecate, and circumstanced as our country and government are, the generous French will acquiesce with the American citizens in the acknowledgment of that political truth, which you have so wisely enjoined, that the duty and interest of the United States require, that we should, with sincerity and good faith, adopt and pursue a conduct friendly and impartial towards the belligerent powers."

The language of this address seems to indicate, after a ten years peace, in the course of which our country has increased in the proportion of one third in population, and with the addition of its fertility and other resources, must have doubled its strength, that we ought notwithstanding so far to deprecate the evils of war, as that in order to avoid them, we should tamely submit to every indignity and insult, which the pride and arrogance of Britain may think proper to offer.

Is not the erroneous position, laid down in justification of our conduct toward the French, that circumstanced as our country and government are, it becomes our duty and interest to adopt and pursue with sincerity and good faith, a conduct friendly and impartial towards the belligerent powers, as strong an invitation to the British to insult and invade us as they could desire?

What are those circumstances of our country and government which should induce us humbly to submit to the imperious dictates of a petty tyrant onboard of an armed British vessel? Shall we now tamely suffer the invasion of those rights which twenty years ago we so obstinately and properly defended?

The French want no apology from us for refusing them assistance—perhaps they want no assistance—if they did, they would have to lament that we want spirit to resent the insults offered to ourselves, and therefore will hardly expect us, from a principle of gratitude, or even in compliance with a solemn treaty, to assist them.

However necessary it may be from duty and interest for the Americans to adopt and pursue an impartial conduct towards the belligerent powers, I trust it will hardly be in their dispositions to view with sincerity of friendship the conduct of those powers who have provoked war for the purpose of forcing despotism on mankind.