Gazette Of The United States, & Philadelphia Daily Advertiser

For the Gazette of the United States.

MR. FENNO,

While I am detained in this turbulent city from a distant part of the state by some affairs of business, I shall take the liberty of becoming your correspondent so far as to give you an account of one of the most extraordinary and disorderly scenes that I, or perhaps any other person, ever saw exhibited, unless by those mobs of our dear sister Republic. On my arrival here a day or two ago, I found the walls at almost every corner of the streets decorated with handbills of an entirely different and contrary nature.— One set (No. I, for I enclose you copies of three which I happened to get possession of) is said to have been put forth by a Mr. Futee, (a son of Esculapius) and some other choice spirits ripe for glorious mischief. Another (No 2) made its appearance in consequence of the first, and is ascribed to a Colonel John Mayo of this place. And a third (No. 3) said to have been put into circulation by a Mr. Washington and some others of Richmond.

Expectation was wrought up to its highest pinnacle, and curiosity led many unresidents like myself to the place of political contest. About 11 o'clock, a large crowd having assembled at the court-house, and as many as could, having pressed into it, (among whom I was one, not being of that description of people who are generally said to go to the wall) in a few minutes a grey headed man dressed in black, with a most solemn gloom on his countenance arose, and I thought the business of the day was to be commenced by prayers to the Deity to guide them in their deliberations, and to inspire them with wisdom; but on enquiry of an inhabitant of the town near me, I found this was no other than Mr. Futee himself—"And," added my informant, "a damn'd fine, pure democrat he is; he loves the French best of all the people upon the earth, and if our Congress should be such damn'd fools as to go to war with them, and they should send an army here, he would be worth a Jew's eye to them". . . Mr. Futee then made a motion that an old white headed gentleman, (a Mr. Adams I think) should take the chair, and that a secretary should be appointed.

Upon this a genteel looking man got up and addressed the people, advised them against proceeding at all in the business; but if they were determined to go on, he hoped they would at least adjourn to a place where the whole of the people might hear what was to be said. This was agreed to and they adjourned to the street in front of the court-house.

I enquired of my new acquaintance who this gentleman was, and was told it was Col. Mayo, "not half so good a democrat as the other, nor half so much attached to the French, but," added he, "he is a damn'd peppery sort of a fellow, and it will not do to tell him so, or I took notice he had pistols in his holsters when he came here to-day. Having now got fairly into the street, Mr. Futee mounted upon a sort of a platform in front of a house near the court-house, and from thence began a violent, inflammatory, unconnected speech, full of invective against the American, as of eulogy on the French government, and then read, and offered to the people for their adoption a set of resolutions much in the style of his speech.

This jacobinical orator was succeeded by a little man whose name, as I understood from a bystander was Nicholas, brother to the Congress man of that name, and he likewise delivered a long speech in the gallic cause.

When he had done Col. Mayo again addressed the people from the portico of the courthouse, and in a speech of a different cast from the two foregoing ones advised them to sign no resolutions; to be patient; to have confidence in the government, and not to endanger their country's peace by any hasty measures of theirs, and concluded by requesting all those who were friends to government, peace, and good order, to move off with him to the right; upon which a decided majority of the meeting, among whom were two thirds of the decent looking people, followed him. I then thought they were done, at least for this day, but Mr. Futee with true French zeal rallied the tattered remains of his forces and again began to exhort them, which having done, a small delicate looking man who I was told was a Mr. Washington, addressed them from the platform in a very handsome speech, and another set of resolutions was offered, of an entirely different complexion from the first, but from what sentiments I could discover in the respectable looking part of the people they did not wish to accept any. I was amazed, however, Mr. Fenno, to find the appearance of prejudice in some against this clever little man only because his name is Washington. Now, Sir, if he was to go out into our country to practice law (for I know he is a lawyer by his addressing himself to "gentlemen of the jury") that name would be a recommendation to him, especially if he is of the same stock with the good old general. But to return—Mr. Washington having finished, and some other gentlemen having made a few observations, up pop'd Mr. Futee again, and ran the same ground over and over; just like a horse running four mile heats, and seemed disposed to have continued his repetitions until night, if he could have got listeners; but the grog beginning to circulate (this being election day too) the love of that drowned the love of country, and afforded Mr. Futee an opportunity of playing off a most capital piece of generalship, for as soon as that precious beverage had deprived any poor fellow of the scanty share of reason, with which nature had originally endowed him, these resolutions were offered him to sign, and if he was too drunk to hold the pen, or did not know how to write at all, they would do him the favor to sign for him. Thus did many men and boys, of various colours and descriptions, write this day who never wrote before, and perhaps never will again, unless in the same manner. . . by proxy. I must not forget to tell you another circumstance, to shew you how liberal these people were, and how willing they are to admit all persons to share the right of instructing their representatives.

A dirty, blackguard sort of a looking fellow whom they called Han'tland, appeared to be very busy in getting signers, and signing for those who could not sign for themselves (for I saw he could write) came to me, offered me the paper, and in a voice very much resembling the hoarse sound of a bull-frog's throat, "Sir" says he, (yes, I confess he said "Sir") "won't you sign these republican resolutions"? "Sir," replied I, "I do not live in the county." "No matter for that Sir." "But I do not live within 200 miles of the place." " 'Tis all one, we let every one sign them." My indignation had now risen so high that I turned on my heel, made no reply, and by this time a violent storm of wind and rain coming on, I quitted the disgusting scene, and hastened to my lodgings for fear of getting wet, and as I could not ramble out, for the heavy rain that yet continues to fall, I determined to amuse myself in my room by writing you the foregoing account; and as soon as the weather permits, and my business is done, I will mount my horse and depart, with a hope of not seeing Richmond again until town-meetings are over, and all republican resolutions decided upon.

AN IMPARTIAL SPECTATOR.

Richmond, April 2d, 1798.

P. S. If I could have got copies of the resolutions, I would have sent them also for your paper, but no doubt, Mr. Futee and his principal aid, Mr. Han'tland will contrive that every body should see them now, though they would not even let those whom they wanted to adopt them, do it, until the few who were drunk enough to sign, had done so. In order to increase their number (apparently) different sheets of paper were handed about to receive names, and many names of the same people were put on all the different sheets.

No. I.

It is recommended to the citizens of the county of Henrico, and city of Richmond, to take into consideration at the courthouse on Monday next; the propriety of giving such instructions to their representative in congress, as may prevent the Adoption of Measures tending to involve this country in a war with the French Republic.

March 28th, 1798.

No. II.

To the Free and Independent Citizens of the county of Henrico, and city of Richmond.

GENTLEMEN,

An anonymous recommendation to you, "to take into your consideration at the courthouse, on Monday next, the propriety of giving such instructions to our representative in congress, as may prevent the adoption of measures tending to involve this country in a war with the French republic" having made its appearance in the form of a hand-bill, in the streets of Richmond—you will, I have no doubt, excuse a fellow-citizen, who is bound to the true interests of his country by every tie of nature, for cautioning you against the precipitate commission of an act, which you may, perhaps, yourselves hereafter disapprove.

Let me ask you, gentlemen, if there can be a doubt on your minds, that your representative will of his own accord, pursue such measures as will tend to the preservation of peace? Then why instruct? Are we, if instructions were necessary, possessed of such information as to enable us to give them? Do we not know, on the contrary, that the house of representatives themselves have been retarded in their deliberations on this momentous subject, for want of information? And shall we, with still less knowledge on the subject, undertake to judge?

Besides, what right have we, who constitute but a small part of the district, to give instructions for our fellow-citizens of the other parts of it? Is it right, that the minority should speak for the majority? Surely not.—Forbear then, for your country's sake—for your own sakes—to say any thing on the subject. -Tell not the enemies of America, that we are a divided discontented people.—Let them not suppose, by any actions of yours, that they will find partizans among us.—Disregard, therefore, I pray you, the recommendation above alluded to; and believe me, you will render your country more service by silence, than by any instructions which you can at this time give.

A VIRGINIAN.

Richmond, March 28th, 1798.

No. III.

Observing that printed hand-bills have been circulated, inviting a meeting of the citizens of Richmond and the county of Henrico, on Monday next, "to take into
In consideration the propriety of giving such instructions to their representatives in congress as may prevent the adoption of measures tending to involve this country in a war with the French republic."

Some friends to the peace and safety of this country beg leave to suggest that the question now agitating in congress, is not, whether America shall go to war with France but whether measures to protect the property of our citizens from violence and plunder shall be adopted.

It is therefore recommended to the friends of the American government, to attend the meeting, in order by an expression of their opinions, to counteract the exertions of those who may wish to defeat those measures and thus to encourage further aggressions, to provoke war, and to endanger the security, happiness and independence of our common country.