National Gazette

AMERICAN ADVICES.

RICHMOND, April 24.

Here are characters in this city there who during the day of peace, were permitted to snarl and obtrude their impertinent observations on the policy and politics of this country—Europe is now in tumult—Tyrants and their slaves are in league to destroy the liberty, of mankind. The public mind is occupied, and must engage in favour of republicanism. The friends of liberty must aid the brave and noble efforts of our brethren of France. If there are any who adhere to the British systems and politics, they will be permitted to retire with their effects to any other quarter; but they will not be permitted to emit their venom against the political objects of a people, whose destruction will involve America in ruin and desolation. If the government does not interfere and say with boldness, that such and such characters must leave America, the people will act with decision, and bestow on some of them, a livery, such as was sometimes given in the years 1775 and 1776.

A letter from a gentleman in Londonderry, dated the 18th March, 1793.

"It is scarcely possible to convey to you an adequate idea of the present state of Europe. All its kings, all its priests, are combined against the new republic of France, and many hundred thousand of men are now in arms, to restore kingly power, and the influence of the church in that country. None of the hostile powers have entered into this war with greater zeal and acrimony than England, the people whereof, at any rate a great majority of them, are as keen for exterminating liberty in France, as they were formerly for subjugating the thirteen American Colonies. The Scotch however are not so unanimous upon this occasion as they were then: a great number in Scotland being against the war As to Ireland, I think I may safely say, that two thirds of the people, in their present discontented state of mind, are completely averse to the existing system of English politics. As to the French themselves if they were unanimous at home, they might be a match for all their enemies. Two of their generals, Dumourier and Custine, are men of wonderful fortune and ability : But the questionable execution of their king, which has estranged many moderate men from their cause, and the horrible dissensions in Paris, conducted or excited by the execrable faction of Robespierre and Marat, have caused a doubt, at least a fear, that the really virtuous among them are too few and too weak to carry their upright intentions into effect. In the mean time the government of Ireland is carrying a high and strong hand in conjunction with the English minister. A man dare not speak, nor scarcely think, for fear of the secret committee of the lords who have renewed all the arbitrary proceedings of the Star Chamber. Every man, or body of men, who presume to talk of liberty, or a reform of a corrupt constitution in church and state, are prosecuted and persecuted, fined or confined, or both, after a very summary trial; and the Irish Volunteers, once the glory and the boast of their country, are now openly calumniated and proscribed."

THE attempts of some to persuade us that the liberty and independence of America is due to the king of France, and not to the French nation, is so great a perversion of reason and justice that we are under no apprehensions for its consequences. They may again and again attempt it ; but we trust they will again and as often fail. The people of America know the sources from which the power of the king of France to assist them in the day of their distress was drawn—they know it to have been from the French nation, notwithstanding the denial of that position by some--they know that it was men of the French nation who fought and bled for them—and that it was money raised by the sweat of Frenchmen's brows which was loaned to them at so critical a season, as that our present freedom and independence in a great measure, if not entirely, depended on it. And shall we now be base enough to say. that because the vehicle through which this assistance was received does not now exist, the debt we owe to the bravest and most generous nation on earth, is cancelled—No— forbid it every principle of justice, of honor, of gratitude-America scorns it.

If France be conquered, there can be no doubt but the species of government imposed upon that country will be arbitrary monarchy. That form of government extends itself of course to the several portions of such governments in America, which must become hostile to the free and independent spirit of the inhabitants of the United States The result would be war-and-a similar combination against America of those very powers, including France, to say, come let us divide the United States amongst us, we will have no republican governments.— Need we say more on this head than to instance the partition of Poland ?

Of France indeed we should deserve such treatment for our base and inconsistent ingratitude.

Those who pretend, in this country, such extraordinary regret for the down fall of despotism in France, in the person of the king, and are wishing to excite the resentment of the United States against France on that account, have not so much regard for his memory, as they wish to make use of his name to effect the views of a party in the United States, to whom they are generally contemptible tools. They are speculators in the British funds as well as probably in those of America, and want the union of the two countries (contrary to the interests of America) to add to the security of their property, especially that in Britain, which perhaps a French invasion, foolishly provoked by the British government, will reduce to a cypher.

We are warranted in this opinion by the conduct of certain suspicious characters, who fear the reading of an independent public paper, lest they should meet with any thing therein in favour of republicanism, so grating to their monarchical feelings. Some of these we know to have been peculating in our public debt, and who, perhaps, not knowing the people of America, (being subjects of Britain) apprehend the government too much in their power for their safety. They therefore want our government to be modelled after the British fashion.-But while our country can boast of a Jefferson, a Madison, and a Giles, and many other equally valuable patriots, the professors of monarchical principles will be obliged to abandon her peaceful shores, and republicanism will prevail with us and our posterity till time shall cease.