Gazette Of The United States

Mr. Fenno,

It is a common remark, that there is in all families one black sheep at least. This observation, though ever fallacious as a general rule, is strictly verified in the great family of the United States, consisting at this time of fifteen sisters. Some of them indeed are less model in their deportment than others, but there is one of the ladies, so lost to all sense of shame as to pride in her own dissolute habits. This hoyden careless of reputation, sets no bounds to her appetites—she drinks peach brandy, swears, gambles, rides races, fights cocks, frequents houses of ill fame, pays no debts and domineers over three of her sisters, who, to say the truth are not much better than herself. A perfect Semiramis in disposition, she is constantly humming revolutionary airs in praise of liberty, which being a blessing in her opinion, too great for common people to enjoy, she very prudently withholds from the major part of her family. Always in want of money, she sticks at nothing to obtain it. One of the means to which she lately resorted to replenish her purse is too remarkable to pass unnoticed.

John Bull being in want of some horses to mount his dragoons, applied to this lady for a supply—the proposition was accepted with avidity, and all the old horses on the farm, whether lame, blind, or spavined were collected and delivered to his agents, but the moment she had pocketed the money, she affected to discover, that those horses might injure the cause of liberty and forbid John Bull's taking them away at his peril. If John Bull had been as well versed as herself in the modern doctrine of appropriations he would have avoided this dilemma, but always a dupe to fools and knaves at home, it is no wonder he should be outwitted by a female harper abroad.

There is a striking similarity of character between this Lady and the present Empress of Russia. Catharine admires a good Constitution—Catharine adores the will of her people, but at the same time, Catharine knows how to convert a good constitution and the will of the people to her own benefit. Just so it is with our immoral sister, who equally in love with a good constitution, becomes frantic when it refuses to yield to her inordinate desires; and clad in the habiliments of the goddess of liberty, threatens destruction to the oppressors of mankind, at the very moment perhaps that numbers of her own family are selling by the hammer to the highest bidder, to satisfy debts of honor contracted at the last night's debauch.